Hey everyone,

A few things:

This set of chapters will contain the last AN's you will ever find at the top or bottom of my chapters from now on – bar the first few chapters of a new story I had already written up to this point.

I will admit that I might go slightly overboard with this chapter as I am kind of using it to vent some of my frustrations out. The previous year (2022) has been a bit hard for me – and the whole thing with the ff . net bot certainly didn't help – so my view on certain characters has slightly degraded.

Draco and his Sorting will come to pass. I just need to get this part of the story out of the way or I won't be able to write for this story AT ALL!

Happy Holidays!

Venquine1990

Chapter 46

Long Overdue

31st of January 1996

Town Center, Radiant Garden

Braig's POV

I've been back to Radiant Garden for a month.

The first few days of my return had been pretty hectic, but thankfully things have calmed down since the trial of that blasted woman.

A trial that ended with Lea taking on my family name, something I really hadn't seen coming. Yet this is a fact that has made me feel truly touched every time I see my boy.

Unfortunately things haven't been too peaceful and – pardon the pun – radiant in Radiant Garden over the past few weeks.

Still, the troubles are more annoying than dangerous this time around. They are still annoying though.

And after I discovered that these annoyances have been troubling the young ones who came from earth for quite a few years, I made a decision.

This needed an intervention, and preferably before Harry and Lea's wedding – and definitely before my grandchild is born.

Thankfully, Damian, Remus, Yuffie and Aerith were all more than willing to help. Most of them went about gathering the youngsters from the other world as well as the Weasley elders. At the same time Master Ansem and Uncle Scrooge arranged the Town center

For an intervention.

One that might be long overdue.

"Thanks for coming, y'all."

I tell Hermione, Harry, Neville, Damian, Sirius, Remus, the Chaser girls, Master Ansem, Yuffie, Aerith, my boy and the Weasleys – bar the three eldest boys.

The twins, Ginny, Neville and Damian are the only ones of the kids who look as if they know – or at least have a good guess as to – why they're here.

Lea looks as if, while he doesn't understand the meaning behind all this, he is already trying to figure it out.

Yet at the same time, he is also tending to Harry, who is really starting to show now that he is into the first month of his second trimester of his pregnancy. And Harry, while having his hands gently lying atop his slightly swelled stomach, is also looking around in intrigue.

"What's going on? Why are we here?"

It really doesn't surprise me, after getting to know her in the last month, that it's Hermione who asks these questions after everyone has gone to sit down.

And yet, I'm sure that she will regret asking that question at the end of all this. After all, she is the reason behind this intervention; she and her red-haired friend.

"You know, I'm probably the guy who knows the least of you lot out of everyone who lives here. And yet, going by what I've been observing over this past month, I'm sure I share a mindset with most of the Radiant Garden residents.

You two –" I aim a finger at Ron and Hermione and continue: "Need to start chilling out. You need to stop constantly arguing with each other."

Naturally, just like I expected, the two instantly start to argue – with me.

Hermione: "What are you talking about?"

Ron: "We don't fight – a lot."

Hermione: "Don't be so ridiculous."

Ron: "You don't know what you're talking about."

Hermione: "Ron and I –."

Here I interrupt the two and state: "Had three arguments about whether or not you were arguing in the last month – with the last one lasting 4 days. How can anyone argue about something like that for that long? Seriously?"

The eyes of the duo widen, as if they themselves either couldn't believe or hadn't realized that their arguments had gotten out of hand so badly.

I roll my eyes.

"Still, that – that's just how we hang out. That's our – dynamic, you know? I mean, we've been arguing with each other for years and have been –."

"Exactly – and that's exactly the problem." I interrupt the red-haired kid. Ron looks startled and I roll my eyes as I ask:

"You two wanna know what really made me decide to ask the others to help me put together this intervention?"

The two nod and I motion for Harry with a single finger as I say: "My boy. A few days ago, I saw the two of you having your little spat. It annoyed me that this was the third day you were arguing about something as simple as writing with a quill versus writing with a pen – seriously, as if that's going to change your lives, as if.

But then – you (I aim my finger at Hermione) had the gall the pull Harry from where he was walking, didn't even pay attention to how he almost fell right on his pregnant stomach and pulled him into your little lover's spat.

And when he didn't react quickly enough and tried to just voice his own opinion – or perhaps inform you of what had nearly happened – you two started doing something even more unacceptable.

Seriously, both of you, since when is your best friend your personal owl? And since when do mail delivery owls, which my boy is not, deliver messages to someone – sitting two seats away from you?

How is that fair – to Harry?"

The two have no answer.

Silence is the answer for a while.

Then Ron tries again:

"It's always been like this."

I roll my eyes – again.

Damian sighs, while Neville casually plants his feet on the table and leans back in his seat. "You can stop wasting your breath, Braig. Trust me, you're not the first to try and get them to stop arguing all the time. At best, this whole thing might stick with them for a few days – a week, at best.

I speak from experience."

These last four words from their year-mate shut the two troubling youths up and worry me at the same time.

I look at Harry and my eyes lower themselves to his stomach and lower. Yet Harry smiles at me reassuringly and then sends a quick motioning gaze at Aerith. I breath a sigh of relief, just when Hermione screams:

"Harry, tell them! Tell them that we've –."

"As if! Don't you realize that you're behaving exactly as I just criticized? That you're repeating the behavior I just mentioned?"

And before Hermione can try to argue with me, Sirius voices his own grievances.

"And besides, since when do you have the right to demand such a thing out of my son? And why should my son defend you when you're clearly in the wrong? Why do you think you can order my son around like that?

And most importantly, how can you not want to apologize for almost causing damage to my son's pregnant stomach? Or did you not hear Braig when he mentioned that Harry almost fell – on his stomach?"

At this the girl winces and finally she seems to realize that there might be a point to all this. Yet I have already moved on from what I saw happening a few days ago.

I turn to Neville and ask: "Would you care to elaborate? I would really like to get all of this out of the way before the wedding, let alone the birth of my grandchild."

Ron tries to argue that there is nothing that had to get out of the way, yet the end of my statement silences him.

Neville rolls his eyes again and says: "Like I said, I doubt any of this will stick. The twins, Ginny, Collin, the Chasers – heck, even Padma, Parvati and Lavender have tried talking to them about this. And like I said, usually the results are very time-based."

Yet I send him a meaningful glance and he sighs. He sits up straight again and links his fingers together as he says:

"I suppose the best way to prove how bad this whole dynamic between Harry, Ron and Hermione works is to describe three events that took place between April and September of last year.

Also, for Harry's sake I've kept quiet about this for the past few months but –." He turns to Ron and Hermione and states:

"One of the reasons that most Gryffindors were willing to believe the Prophet about Harry seeking attention – was because they thought he had gone insane constantly being pulled into your arguments, like Braig just mentioned.

It's the whole reason Parvati and Lavender never approach you guys when you are both in the common room.

It's the whole reason why, before Harry got pregnant, almost no one wanted to get involved in your arguments like you always involved Harry.

It's even part of the reason why most people didn't want to hear Harry's side of the story when it came to Voldemort's return."

The two want to argue this, but then the Chaser girls, Lee, the twins and Ginny all chorus: "He's right!" And everyone looks at this chorused statement in utter shock.

Then Damian speaks up:

"For goodness sake, guys. It wasn't just everyone being stupid back in your first that made me become friends with Harry.

Our bond has mostly been able to grow over the years – because I know when to pull him away from you two and your arguments. Yes, Harry relies on me to keep himself from blowing up at the both of you, because of how often you pull him into your pointless arguments.

And yes, your arguments are pointless, because they're based on nothing but your personal sense of pride and your sense of competitiveness.

You guys might be able to agree on things like Malfoy's state of beliefs being wrong, Voldemort being evil, Harry being your best friend and stuff like that. But you seem just utterly unable to agree on other things like hobbies, how to spend your free time, priorities and, like Braig pointed out, whether or not you guys are arguing or not.

And to be honest, that last one is just pathetic."

And while the two turn red to prove that they silently agree with this, the other kids all nod to prove this as well.

And when, just like I expected, Molly Weasley tries to argue and defend her son, I want to tell her to stay out of this for the time being. Yet Angelina beats me to the punch.

"Mrs. Weasley, I'm going to be honest with you. Everyone here – or at least everyone here who has gone to Hogwarts with your youngest son and with Hermione – absolutely agree with Braig's decision to organize this intervention.

Because everything that has been said so far about what these two have done – from what they pulled on Harry a few days ago to those events Neville mentioned earlier – really did happen. And yes, we do get annoyed by them.

And like Neville and Damian mentioned earlier, we have been trying to get them to stop several times over the past few years. But then they'd be distracted by the crap at Hogwarts, it was get under their skins, one of them would see something that would tick off the other –

And we'd back at the start.

And we'd try all over again.

And again – and again – and again.

Well, you get the picture."

The more I hear, the more I feel that this should have happened years ago.

The more I hear, the more I wonder why the other adults never did this before me.

The more I hear, the more I feel like doing recon into Hogwarts and its staff.

I silently decide for myself to do so in a few days from now. I focus back on the present and turn to Neville as I ask: "So, these events? What happened?"

Neville sighs and says: "There were three; one that happened at the end of our Fourth year and two that happened in September of our Fifth year.

The first of them was short, but embarrassing, the second was even shorter, yet twice as annoying and unacceptable. And the third was similar to the first, but then even worse.

I'll just start with the first. It was at the end of April. At the end of a busy day of classes, homework and his preparations for the Third Task, Harry made the offhand comment that he felt the desire to go flying.

And I just want to emphasize this;

He wanted to go flying.

Not play Quidditch, but just go flying."

"THE SEASON WAS CANCELLED!"

Hermione yells, yet Neville coldly retorts:

"And that is why I am emphasizing the difference. Because you are making the same mistake as you did back then. You are, again, under the impression that flying and playing quidditch are the same for Harry – or for any of us.

But if you had just done what these five did, ask Professor McGonagall for permission to go flying in either the Pitch or, after the pitch started being used for the Task, her own courtyard, you would've gotten permission. And then you wouldn't have made the mistake that you did."

"And what is that exactly?"

I will have to give it to the girl, she knows how to make her voice sound icy cold with rage. Yet the fact that she is getting angry over getting scolded just makes me wonder why my son-by-bond is still friends with someone like her.

And Neville seems to feel the same way as he starts glaring at her. And the furious, don't you dare stare that he sends her way startles the girl and makes her reel back in fright.

"Hermione Jeanne Granger, you have no bloody right to be angry with me about this. You publicly humiliated Harry by snapping, shouting and scolding Harry over that one six-worded, random comment – for 30 minutes. And by the end of that time, you had been so loud that even the Durmstrang and Beauxbattons contingency had come to check out what was going on.

You not only publicly humiliated Harry in front of his peers and teachers – but in front of the other schools – and his own rivals.

Why?

Because you assumed that flying and playing Quidditch is the same for Harry and because you couldn't bother asking McGonagall about this – like these two did.

I've heard you talk down on or about these two several times now over the last year and a half and yet, they were smarter than you and decided to see what was and wasn't allowed.

You? You decided that reprimanding your best friend, who was already being humiliated by the public press, for half an hour was a better idea than checking out what could be done to help him relieve his stress levels.

And while I hate myself, I am now actually replicating what you did to him back then – and back in September. Only back then, you went even further, were even worse and had an even more unacceptable reason."

"What are you talking about?"

"Do I want to know?"

Ron and I ask at the same time.

Quick AN,

I know that, in OotP, September second is supposedly on a Monday. But I can't work with that calendar to save my life, so I'm just going to use the regular calendar.

So just imagine that, in this story, classes started on Monday September 4th and that, in order to keep the students from getting into mischief in the first weekend of the schoolyear, the staff decided to let the train leave Platform 9 ¾ on September 3rd.

"It was Monday, the eighteenth of September. Our schedule on Monday this year was absolutely horrible; Potions, History of Magic, Divinations and Defense Against the Dark Arts with Umbridge – all on the same day."

This makes the adults from the other world all wince and instantly I know that I have another reason to go check out Hogwarts; this Umbridge woman and the teachers teaching the other classes.

"So yeah, of course tension was running high with just about all of us, especially with this little trio. And I will be the last person who would hold that against them, or the fact that these two, again, decided to break their personal tension with another argument.

The problem?

They started that argument in-between Divinations and Defense Against the Dark, kept it going throughout the better part of dinner and even on their way to the common room.

And naturally, that, combined with Harry worrying about Sirius and the Order, Voldemort, what the Prophet was writing about him, his homework and his Quidditch practice just became a bit too much for him to take, especially after worrying about all of that for three weeks.

So – shut it, Granger, you're about to be proven wrong! As I was saying, Harry and I were walking behind our arguing duo on their way to the common room when Harry said – and guys, could you please help me quote?"

And to most of our surprise, Neville, Fred, George, Alicia and Angelina all chorus:

"Wow, I need to go. And I could really use a break. I'll be back later. I'm going to find a restroom on the outskirts of the school. See you guys later."

Then Katie finishes it all up and says: "To this Hermione, too busy arguing with Ron to really pay attention to what she was telling others, said sure, whatever.Before she went back to her argument with Ron."

And while it's quite obvious that the girl is the one in the wrong, Ron's ears have turned red. Thankfully, the girl herself seems to have finally realized that she really was in the wrong. She is softly scratching her cheek with a guilty look on her face.

"So yeah, Harry left to find a restroom further down the castle, so he could have some time to himself, away from the masses.

Because of this, he didn't get back to the common room for little over half an hour – which was around 7.15. Please remember that.

Why? Because Hermione – who had not stopped arguing with Ron until halfway through that half an hour – had apparently forgotten that she had responded to Harry telling her he would be back later.

And while, like I said, she was probably also really over-stressed with everything going on, she decided to destress – by ranting at Harry over his tardiness and his lack of informing her about where he was going – for 45 minutes – which was followed by another 15 minutes of her ranting at him for not having done his homework for the day."

I really can't imagine this getting any worse for any of us, yet Neville seems determined to prove me wrong.

He stands up and moves over to stand in front of Hermione as he finishes: "Then, to make matters even worse, while she was standing over him the same way I am right now, she snapped at him to go to bed – at 8.15, which was even almost an hour before the curfew of the First years.

And the only reason Harry complied – was because she looked ready to start all over again. Though I later discovered that he had simply moved up to the staircase and stayed there, seated with his head in his hands and feeling utterly mortified that she had just done that.

And I think we can all agree that he was in the right to feel like that."

Everyone nods, though Harry seems to be relieving the sense of mortification that he felt back then as his face is nearly as red as Ron's ears are.

Lea turns to the duo and proves that he is my son as he voices a thought that has been running through my mind for the better part of this explanation.

"I'm sorry, but are you sure that you were talking about Hermione, Neville? Because this just sounds nothing like the girl I've gotten to know for the past few months."

This statement makes the girl in question both cringe and smile at my son in gratitude as Neville sighs and says:

"I'm sure you and your friends have noticed this over the past few months, Lea. But witches and wizards have one thing in common; we are all really intense in how we express ourselves and sometimes even lose ourselves in our need to do so.

And when it comes to either supporting Harry or looking out for him, Hermione really emphasizes this fact about us; both for the better and the worse."

And thanks to what I learned about this lot over the last few weeks, both through recon and through talking with them, I know that the boy is definitely right about this. I nod along with the rest, some of us grimacing, others grinning in amusement.

"So, do we want to know about this last event? You said it was shorter than the first, yet also more unacceptable. So …?"

Arthur leaves this last question hanging, obviously to prove that he wants to leave it to the kids on whether or not they want to bring up this event as well.

And while Harry, Ron and Hermione share a look that proves that they are silently debating this between themselves, Neville sighs and says:

"It really is quite simple, Mr. Weasley.

As Braig told us at the start of all this, a few days ago, Hermione tried to pull Harry into her argument with Ron. She, like in the other two events and like she and Ron do way too often, tried to vent her annoyance with Ron out on Harry.

Well, on the fourth of September, at the start of the school year, at breakfast, Ron and Hermione were about to another argument. Harry snapped at them to keep this from happening and then left for Divinations. And while Hermione had dropped Divinations in Third, she still relied on Ron to tell Harry something unacceptable.

Do you remember what is was, Hermione?"

Some would think that Neville is expecting Hermione to humiliate herself with this. But everything about the boy, from his stance to the look on his face to the tone of his voice proves otherwise.

The boy doesn't want to humiliate his friend, he wants to help her learn of her own mistakes. He wants her to prove that she can improve.

And Hermione gives him a guilty smile of gratitude as she admits: "I told him that he shouldn't let his anger at Seamus out on Ron and me. And you're right, Neville. Neither Ron nor I really have the right to told Harry that."

Everyone nods and then Yuffie, who has been keeping quiet this whole time, speaks up and says:

"Okay, it's obvious that these two have been allowed to grow into some real unhealthy habits by the staff back at Hogwarts.

So now it's up to us to help them unlearn this. So, can you guys agree to an escort each – at least until the baby is here? And that said escort, of your own choice, will pull you guys apart if you start arguing this badly again and take you guys somewhere you can blow off steam?"

Ron and Hermione share a look,

Harry smiles at Yuffie gratefully

All three of them nod in acceptance.

I slump down, feeling deeply relieved.

This was a successful intervention

That was badly needed and long overdue.

"I am definitely checking out that damned staff." I think to myself.

And that's it!

That's the transition I needed. The transition I needed to have a reasonable "excuse" I guess you can say, to go back to Hogwarts next chapter.

Though we won't be making a jump back to the start of January in next chapter, so don't expect me to cover Draco's Sorting. He's just going to be the one who will spot Braig first and Braig will be the first to spot the emblem that belongs to his new House.

Which will be,

Venquine1990 (lol😉)