Summer 1991
Ronald Weasley
Hogwarts was a labyrinth of corridors, doors, and a hundred thousand stairs with all manner of noises and distractions. Ron was sure that the castle had been designed to be as confusing as possible and he was glad that despite it all Blaise seemed to have some understanding of where to go.
They had made it on time to all the morning classes, Ron finding them not as interesting as he hoped. While he was awarded points in Charms class for proper wand movement, the spells were still hard and he had to practise a great number of times before performing them correctly. It left a sour taste in his mouth. If it took him ages to learn a simple levitation charm then he couldn't imagine how long it would take to learn the killing curse. It was yet another roadblock in his plan.
"Are you alright?" Blaise asked him. They stepped out of the great hall and into the main staircase that led down towards the dungeons.
Ron just shrugged. "I was hoping class would be easier."
Behind them Theo snickered. "Easier? It's only going to get harder, Weasley. Unless of course, you have something you'd like to share?"
Ron looked back at the boy and rolled his eyes. "I told you, I don't know why I'm a Slytherin."
"Just checking," Theo feigned surrender. "I'm really just looking out for you."
"Looking out for me?" Ron sniffed. He highly doubted that.
"Well, if we know why you're here we can use it to our advantage. If we don't know, well then you're just going to be called a blood traitor for the next few years of your life. Wouldn't it be better to be a king instead? Imagine if you would, the house bowing down to you, a master of many, and me your ever-loyal roommate."
"You're not loyal at all," Blaise answered for him. "Why would you be at the top?"
"Well," Theo said in a very proud manner, "I have the right stuff. I'm tremendously handsome, and I'm pretty sure I'm richer than Weasley."
"I told you not to call me poor," Ron snapped. He had heard the same insult a billion times since yesterday.
"Sorry, I was just answering the question."
"Have you thought about humility?" Blaise asked.
Theo snickered again. "Come on Blaise, aren't we supposed to be proud? Humility is for losers like Hufflepuffs."
"Can you shut up?" Ron said again, feeling heat spread up the back of his neck. He really didn't want to get in a fight with someone he had to live with, but Theo had been growing more insufferable every minute.
"I can," Theo nodded. "The question is, why would I? It's very Gryffindor for you to just demand things from me. What's in it for me? That's what you've got to ask. That's how the world really works and it's going to be how our house works after a few days. You can hold me to that."
"Well what's in it for me? If I told you why I'm in Slytherin what would I get?"
"I'm not sure, but like I said, maybe a throne to rule from. Although having a ginger king is a bit old-fashioned."
Ron tried his best to ignore him and instead he focused his eyes on the floor as he walked. The stairs were inlaid with marble and rock so intertwined that they must have been crafted by powerful magic. Ron wondered if the founders of Hogwarts built the castle entirely by themselves and If so then they were certainly some of the greatest witches and wizards to ever live. It seemed rather odd to him that a group of great people would devote time to building something as boring as a , it is beautiful,he admitted.
The air around the potions classroom smelt of mould and burnt hair. It made Ron's nose crinkle and his breath feel short as he followed Blaise through the door and into the room. It was a rather creepy sort of room with pickled animals lining the walls in greenish jars. It made him shiver a little as if one of them might have come alive and burst free.
"Merlin," he heard Theo say. "This place is going to turn me ugly." Ron had no idea what that meant and decided to just ignore him.
Ron found the nearest table and sat in one of the two chairs. He had hoped Blaise would join him but unfortunately, Theo quickly took the other. He had no idea why Theo seemed so adamant about spending time with him, the boy coming and going as he pleased but overstaying his welcome every time.
Ron noticed Harry enter the room and he tracked him to a seat on the side. He sat with another boy that Ron didn't know but had seen in their classes that morning. Ron wanted to talk to Harry about the sorting and he hoped they could still be friends but he was too nervous that the answer was -know-who was a Slytherin,he thought. He bit the side of his cheek, something that had become a habit in the last few weeks.
Snape glided into the room, his robes once again reminding Ron of a cape. He wondered if the potions professor realised how plainly ridiculous he looked. His robes seemed expensive, but not in the kind of way that spoke of taste. Snape glared at him and Ron quickly looked away.
The potions professor took a register of all the students but stopped halfway down the list. "Ah, yes," he said softly. "Our new celebrity— Harry Potter."
Draco Malfoy and his minions sniggered and Ron simply held tightly to the table in front of him. He wished then that he had learned some kind of curse, just a small one to hit Malfoyin the back of the head. After all, it was people like him who had killed Harry's parents. Theo gave Ron a concerned look as if he was afraid he would break the table and get them in trouble.I'll curse you too,Ron thought.
Snape finished the roll call and looked up at the class. He had a stern look on his face but Ron wasn't sure he believed it. After all, the professor had stopped him from fighting Malfoy and neither of them had been punished.
"You are here to learn an exact and subtle art," Snape still spoke softly, yet, the room remained completely quiet. "Potion-making is not a craft of foolish wand waving and some of you may be inclined to think that it is hardly magic at all. I do not expect you to understand the beauty of a softly simmering cauldron, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses. I can teach you to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper on death. Only if you are not a bunch of dunderheads like I usually teach." A moment of silence followed.
"Potter!" Snape suddenly said. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
Ron frowned, that didn't seem to be a very fair question for their first day. Nonetheless, he noticed a girl's hand shoot upwards on the other side of the room.
"I don't know sir," Harry said.
"It seems fame clearly isn't everything," Snape looked quickly around the room. "Perhaps another question? Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"
"I don't know sir," Harry repeated.
"Thought that you would not open a book before coming to my class?" Snape asked.
Harry didn't bother to say anything at all.
"Very well, would anyone like to answer?" Snape looked around the room and very clearly ignored the girl who seemed to be almost jumping out of her seat.
Ron raised his hand slowly and shyly. He wasn't sure why, but he remembered the answer from somewhere. He wondered if it was something one of his brothers had mentioned. Fred and George used a lot of potions in their pranks and oftentimes he was the victim of those pranks.
"Mr Weasley?" Snape turned to him.
"You can find a bezoar in a goat's stomach, sir." He spoke the words as softly as Snape and then braced himself for, however, the potion master might scold him.
"Twenty points to Slytherin," Snape said simply.
Many eyes across the classroom widened and some of the Slytherins dared to turn around and gawk at Ron. He felt Theo tap his leg lightly and he already knew what the boy wanted to tell 's not my special power,he rolled his eyes.
"Perhaps Mr Weasley you might save Mr Potter's life with a bezoar as it seems he would not be able to find one." Snape glanced back to the other side of the room and frowned. "Five points from Gryffindor Ms Granger, seeing as you lack the patience for potions."
The girl who had raised her hand let her mouth hang open and Ron was almost sure he spotted a wetness in her git,he thought. He was almost beginning to like Snape but now he wasn't so sure.
Snape returned to the front of the classroom and picked up a piece of chalk.
For the rest of the class they had made, or at least attempted, a simple boil curing potion and Ron found that he was actually rather thankful that Theo had sat with him. Despite his occasional annoying comment, Theo seemed to do well at following instructions. While Snape loomed around the classroom and peered over shoulders he had made no comments about Ron and Theo, instead choosing to correct others on their methods and techniques.
Just when Ron thought the class was coming to an end, he heard a loud hissing noise and caught a glance of a green cloud in the corner of his eye. Harry's cauldron was melting apart and spilling a bright green slime all over the floor. The stone croaked beneath the liquid and the Gryffindors scrambled away as the fast-moving substance began to melt their shoes.
"Idiot boy!" Snape snarled. From somewhere in his cloak he revealed a long and slender wand. He waved it once and the pool of liquid vanished completely.
"I suppose you didn't follow the instructions?" Snape asked sternly.
Boils started to spread across Harry's partner's face. It seemed to make Snape only angrier.
"Idiots!" He said again. "Didn't you tell him not to add the porcupine quills, Potter?"
Harry just stuttered.
"Take him to the hospital wing! Another five points from Gryffindor!"
Ron felt his anger rise, it seemed obvious that Harry had done nothing wrong and yet Snape had stolen points drinker,he thought, the comment seemed to be more accurate than the night before. He looked down at his own potion which boiled thickly and could have been me.
- SS -
"Doesn't it seem unfair?" Ron asked Blaise as they trudged up yet another set of stairs.
Blaise only shrugged in reply.
"I mean, he took away Granger's points just because she wanted to answer the question."
"Well, Slytherin does win the house cup every year," Blaise said. "So maybe the Gryffindors should learn to behave properly when in class."
"Well, what if the reason we win is because of Professor Snape? He could be taking away points all year." Ron shook his head, his own accomplishment suddenly felt very unearned. "He could be giving us extra points and taking them away from the other houses."
"Maybe," Blaise shrugged again. "I don't see why it matters."
Ron bit the inside of his does it matter?
"What about fairness?"
"Fairness? I guess so. But I mean, every house has a head, right? Shouldn't they also be giving out just as many points?" Blaise asked.
Ron didn't know. He wanted to think that the other professors wouldn't be as terrible. But he hadn't met them all yet so he couldn't be sure. He frowned.
"Maybe," he copied. "Well, what about Harry?"
"Potter?"
"Yeah, wasn't Snape being a bit rough? I mean Fred and George told me that he takes points away from them all the time. But Harry Potter? He's the boy who lived. He ambushed him with all those questions."
Ron noticed Blaise flinch. "You shouldn't talk about that," his friend said.
"Why not?"
"People don't like to hear about… reminds people of a different time. I mean, I don't care, but you told me Malfoy wanted to be his friend right?" Ron nodded. "It's because they think that Harry killed…him."
"Him?" Theo interrupted as if he had appeared from thin air. He put an arm around each boy's shoulders. "I know many of them."
I need to put a bell on him,Ron rolled his eyes.
"He who must not be named," Blaise said softly.
"Merlin! And I was just joking about Weasley being king. He wants to be likehim?"
"What?" Ron stared at the boy dumbfounded. "Don't be an idiot, why would I want to be likehim?"
Theo laughed, "You're too easy, Weasley."
Ron opened his mouth and quickly shut it 't hit him, don't hit him.
"Anyway, who wants to talk about just how horrid potions class was?" Theo said with a smirk. "Those Gryffindors are certainly something. Especially that chick with the bushy hair, she was absolutely insufferable."
"Don't you think Snape was harsh?" Ron asked.
"Absolutely," Theo agreed. "He was being a right bastard. You should have gotten at least fifty points for that question you answered. That would have looked real good."
Ron scowled at him. "That's not what I meant."
"Did you see the look on Malfoy's face?" Theo asked. Ron hadn't, he had been looking elsewhere. "He looked like he wanted to kill you. He probably didn't know the answer."
"Did you know the answer?" Blaise asked and raised an eyebrow.
Theo took his arm off of Blaise's shoulder. "Of course I did, I just needed to let Weasley answer that one. I could tell he needed it."
Ron doubted that. In fact, he found that he doubted mostly everything that Theo said.
"I can't imagine what it would be like to be a Gryffindor, it must be so exhausting being a doofus all the time." Theo took his arm from Ron's shoulder. "Ravenclaw is the only other house I can get behind. Some people say that knowledge is power."
"I don't think Gryffindor is that bad," Ron said firmly.
"Of course you wouldn't," Theo laughed again. "I'm sure it's great in there with all the other Weasleys. That's exactly why you're here with us."
"I was a hat stall," Ron said a little bitterly. "Don't you remember?"
"Oh, I do, our very own ginger Hufflepuff."
"The hat also mentioned it would have put me in Gryffindor if I asked," Ron said more hotly. "I probably would have enjoyed it."
Theo just smirked at him. "Well, I guess you didn't ask."
Ron clenched his fists more word…
"Anyway," Theo stepped out in front of them and walked backwards. "I have people to see and things to do. I'll catch up with you two later." He turned around quickly and ducked into a nearby corridor. Ron felt like he could hardly breathe.
"He's annoying," Ron spat.
Blaise gave him a sorry look. "You have to learn to ignore it."
"Ignore it? He's a complete git!"
"He's dangerous," Blaise said simply.
"Dangerous? If he doesn't stop talking I'm going to punch him in the mouth."
Blaise stopped suddenly and Ron stopped with him. Blaise frowned and motioned him over to a small empty area between two doors.
"Listen, Ron. I know you're used to just your brothers, but things are different here. You can't get into any fights."
Ron huffed. "I know." Percy would probably barge into the Slytherin common room and drag him out by his ear.
"I don't mean getting in trouble," Blaise said quickly. "I mean, you don't have any idea what these people are really like."
"What do you mean?" Ron asked.
"Well, people like Malfoy have to be dealt with in a certain way. A way that you can deny. If you punched him then he would probably get you in a lot of trouble outside of Hogwarts too."
"Outside of Hogwarts?" Ron scrunched up his face. "He's just a brat."
"Maybe, but his father isn't. You know about him don't you?" Blaise asked and Ron nodded. "Right, well he was withhim, and he was really 's a very dangerous man. I mean, the ministry couldn't prove anything but he probably actually fought in the war. Imagine if he was mad at your family."
Ron's face seared with heat and in his eyes he saw wisps of green floating from the tip of a man's wand. He clenched his jaw tightly and hoped it would is felt sick to his if Malfoy's father was the one who was going to kill Charlie?
"And Theo's a lot like that," Blaise continued. "His father was also a big supporter. And although he hasn't said anything yet, I know that Theo is too. His mother was killed during the war by Aurors."
Ron paled. He could hardly believe he was rooming with someone who supported evil. Bumps raced up and down his arms. It was like someone had flicked a switch in his brain. He hadn't been watching out enough and he hadn't been working on his plan nearly enough. He was on speaking terms with someone who would probably murder his family just to kill some 's just a kid like you,he tried to reason. The thought left him feeling even less comfortable.
"You think he's a blood purist?" Ron asked.
Blaise frowned and looked around a little uncomfortably. "Ron… most of us are. It's why they call you a blood traitor. They're joking sometimes but it's still true. Your family isn't like most other purebloods. At least, not the kind that get sorted into Slytherin. Our house is known as the evil one for a very particular reason. Remember what we talked about after the sorting? About not living up to reputations? That's what I meant."
Ron nodded. He felt like he was going to pass out. He had thought Slytherin wasn't nearly as bad as he imagined but he just wasn't looking close enough. A sick thought appeared in his mind.
"Blaise?" He asked. "You're not a blood traitor."
His friend grimaced. "It's complicated. I'm not a blood traitor but I promise you that I'm not like them either. My family is Italian, it's not the same as here in England. We— I have an uncommon view on muggles. A more traditional European one."
"Tell me," Ron said weakly.
"They are inferior Ron, and I know that's a hard fact to swallow," Blaise said. Ron took a deep breath. "I don't know if your family is religious but my father was. He belonged to a really faithful group in Piedmont. They say there are two kinds of people Ron, those that are chosen and those that aren't. For whatever reason, wizards are God's chosen people. I don't really believe that though, but it's where a lot of European views begin. Religion is a lot stronger on the continent." He paused for a moment. "We have magic, Ron. There has to be something that makes us different from Muggles. I don't know what it is, but I know it exists. That's why we have to live separately. Not because Muggles are bad or because they should be our slaves but because we need to protect the wizarding world. Don't get me wrong, I think you-know-who was an awful man and he would have destroyed us, but that doesn't mean we have to fall for the other extreme things ten steps too far but Magic is the most important thing we have, it's why we have the statute of secrecy."
Ron just stared at his friend, not really sure of what to say. What Blaise had said wasn't exactly evil or as bad as what it could have been but still it felt strange or misguided. There probably was a reason that wizards could use magic and muggles couldn't but Ron didn't know what that was and he was certain that it didn't make muggles inferior. They were just different. He knew they had things that wizards didn't like cars and rubber ducks, the things his father liked to tinker with. He wasn't quite sure what to say.
Blaise frowned. "I would have told you yesterday, but it didn't feel like the right time."
"It's alright," Ron said. He felt the bumps retreat from his arms.
What did it matter?As long as they were both content to disagree then it didn't seem to be that big of an issue. As long as Blaise wasn't as vial as Malfoy or Theo then he could hardly treat him poorly. It wasn't like he had anyone else to turn to. Maybe he could show him his father's shed during the summer and try to change his mind. It could just be another thing to add to his plan, right after he found a way to save Charlie he would save Blaise too from whatever his family had done to him.
"Just one thing," Ron said. "Don't call anyone a mudblood."
Blaise looked very relieved. "I won't."
Ron nodded at first step.
