Autumn 1991

Ronald Weasley

The rest of the day's classes were not nearly as exciting as flying and they passed in somewhat of a blur. Despite Madam Hooch's threat, Harry returned to class only an hour after he had been hauled away and Ron noticed a clear look of disgust on Malfoy's face. The interaction had sent Ron's mind drifting and wondering about Malfoy and why exactly he was so keen to bully the boy who lived. As far as Ron was aware, Harry was polite and well liked by everyone except for Malfoy's small gang of Slytherins. Even Theo, who had made a few disgusting comments about half-bloods, mostly ignored Harry.

As Ron and Blaise turned the corner into the entrance hall, Ron suddenly bumped into Neville's shoulder. The boy yelped and clutched his wrist which was wrapped in a simple layer of bandages. Ron staggered back, barely keeping his balance, while Blaise muttered something under his breath that Ron couldn't quite catch.

"Sorry," Ron apologized sincerely and rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's alright," Neville said, but he kept his hand close to his chest. "It's all mended now, just some pain from the salve."

"I'm surprised Madam Pomfrey let you leave," Blaise added. "She has a reputation."

Neville smiled, "Well, I had to convince her, and it took Harry's help too. She wanted me to stay all night but I knew that I couldn't. It's really hard to fall asleep when you're surrounded by people who are sick."

As if Neville had summoned him, Harry appeared around the corner, giving both Ron and Blaise a cautious glance before offering a brief greeting.

"I'm sorry about Malfoy," Ron offered. The cautious look on Harry's face morphed into a slight smile.

"It's alright, not your fault he's such a git.." Harry said.

"I can't believe that he tried to take my remembrall again," Neville added.

"Again?" Blaise asked.

"He took it at breakfast too, until one of the professors made him hand it back to me. If he wanted one, I'm sure he could find one. There's lots of them for sale but he keeps trying to take mine."

Ron frowned, "It sounds like Malfoy is a thief."

"Just like his father," Blaise said, drawing three sets of eyes to him.

"What?"

Blaise shrugged. "It's something my mother told me, she said that Lucius Malfoy has a collection of stolen artefacts. Like the kind of stuff they find in Egypt."

It's like they're trying to be the worst,Ron thought.

"Egypt?" Harry asked. "Like, the pyramids?"

Ron nodded. "Yeah, my brother is a curse breaker down there. The Goblins like to dig up all those old tombs and look for powerful curses or possessions. I don't know how the Malfoys would get them."

"Goblins are greedy," Blaise said. "You could probably convince them to do anything if you gave them enough Galleons."

"My Gran says the same thing, she always talks about how she wants to take our money out of Gringotts," said Neville.

Blaise laughed. "You could always put it in a muggle bank."

"Muggle money is easier," Harry added.

Ron frowned, that didn't make a lot of sense. How could muggle money be easier than the wizarding banking system? He had seen some before and it all seemed so complicated, there were so many numbers involved and tiny colourful slips of paper.

"You're basically a muggle born, aren't you Potter?" Blaise asked. Harry froze for a moment before he slowly nodded. "Maybe you could teach Longbottom's Gran about muggle money."

"That's a great idea!" Neville turned to Harry. "You'll do it won't you?"

"Er— I guess I could."

"Why doesn't your Gran like Gringotts?" Ron asked. Even if goblins were greedy it wasn't like they stole from vaults.

"I'm not sure," Neville said thoughtfully. "I think she might be worried that they'll take advantage of me when she's gone. She says that Goblins are always trying to get you to sign new deals."

"There are some countries that have entirely outlawed them," Blaise added. "There aren't any Goblins in Russia."

Harry's face shifted into a sorry look. "How do you outlaw a race of people?"

Blaise didn't answer the question, he just shifted his eyes ,Ron thought,with lots of killing.

"You flew really well today, Harry." Ron said, changing the subject and saving Blaise from explaining wizard war crimes.

"Thanks," he blushed. "Professor McGonagall thought so too. She even got me a try out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Although, I haven't heard of Quidditch before."

Blaise's lips twitched upwards.

"Bloody hell!" Ron said. "You haven't even heard of Quidditch!?"

Harry folded his arms in front of his chest and rubbed them in embarrassment. "No, I don't know any wizarding games."

"It's great," Ron smiled, "you're going to love it. And you're probably going to make the team too because of how well you were flying earlier. Blaise made a bet that you would."

"A bet?"

"Theodore Nott," Blaise said slowly, "believes that he is very smart. I have five Galleons on you joining the team this year."

Harry's eyes widened slightly. "Really?"

"It's probability. Your father was a great player and, well, you're a little short, Potter. Being smaller means the broom doesn't have to work as hard to carry you." Blaise explained.

"My father was a Quidditch player?" Harry asked somewhat cautiously.

Blaise nodded. "His name is on a trophy in the trophy room, team captain."

Harry smiled broadly. "Well, then I'm definitely going to join the team."

"You'll be really good," Ron conceded. "It won't be easy for Slytherin to out fly you. If I'm lucky I'll get to join next year, and then maybe we'll have a chance of winning."

"Doesn't that mean Malfoy is good at flying too?" Neville asked. The smile faded from Harry's face. "I mean, if he kept up with you, Harry?"

"He is," Ron answered. "But he's also a giant twat."

"Can I tell you something, Ron?" Harry asked and his eyes lingered on Ron's tie.

"Of course," Ron said, as he felt a little bit of nervousness swell inside him. There were a lot of terrible things that Harry could tell him.

"I told you what Hagrid said on the train, and, well, I think he was wrong. I don't think you guys aredarkwizards." Harry said softly.

"Well, I am," Blaise said with the smallest hint of a smirk. Neville's eyes widened fully with fear and Ron had to stifle his laughter.

"I mean," Harry clarified, "I don't think you're evil. I'd like to still be friends, if you know, you wanted."

Ron felt his nervousness sweep away and instead his chest almost burst open with pride. "Of course," he said quickly. "I'd like that."

Harry smiled at him and wore a relieved look of his own. "We can be friends too," he offered Blaise his hand.

"Only if you make the team," Blaise said lightly and shook Harry's hand.

"Oh, me too," Neville added, giving both Ron and Blaise a quick nod. "Gran says it's always good to have friends."

"Better than enemies," Blaise agreed.

"And, there is something else," Harry said with another frown. "I wanted to tell you earlier but then the thing with Malfoy happened, I heard your brother's arguing this morning Ron. The twins and Percy I mean. They said that Percy was the reason that they have been doing detention with Snape for the last few weeks and that he is responsible for what you've become. I don't really know what they meant, but I thought you should know."

"Thanks." Ron frowned.

He could hardly believe that the twins were still so serious about his sorting, it had been a few weeks already and he hadn't even gotten in any trouble. It seemed so unfair that they could prank whomever they liked but he wasn't even allowed to wear a different colour without them forsaking him. The situation threatened to give him a headache and he was thankful that he at least had Percy to stick up for him.

Ron followed Blaise into the great hall and they took their usual seats at the end of the table just before the food appeared. Ron glanced over across the room and found Percy. Despite whatever fight had happened in the morning, his brother looked happy and was talking about something quite excitedly with another Gryffindor. Ron's eyes raced down the table until they landed on the twins. Fred and George shared whispers between themselves while they mauled their food and neither gave Ron any indication of what they might be discussing. Ron sighed.

Ron reached across the table in front of him and grabbed a large steamed ham and took two thick slices from the least I can eat away my feelings.

"Zabini, Weasley," Theo slid into the bench across from them, his eyes latching onto a roasted duck as he did so.

"Interesting thing," Theo said, "I heard Crabbe and Goyle speaking earlier." He pulled the duck onto his plate and began to tear it apart with his fingers.

"And?" Ron asked.

Theo smirked at him. "Apparently someone is planning to curse our shower while we're here eating."

Panic filled Ron's chest. "What!?"

I'm going to punch Malfoy in his fucking nose.

Theo laughed. "Well, that someone should know that I don't like when people touch my things. No need to panic, Weasley, I've already dealt with it."

Blaise dropped his fork. "What did you do?"

"There is this funny little powder that they sell at the joke shop that makes you itch very horribly and it turns your skin green. I might have coated our door handle in the stuff. So when one of those two idiots tries to get inside they'll quickly understand why that was a very bad idea. Of course, that still leaves the head of their little operation, and we all know that to properly kill something you should aim for the head." Theo smiled and took a bite of his food. "So, while those two idiots were busy discussing how to mess with our shower, I snuck into their room and returned the favour."

"Merlin, you're insane," Blaise said. "You're going to start a war."

Ron opened his mouth and closed it again. He was honestly surprised that Theo had decided to attack Malfoy of all people. He wondered if there was something he didn't know about them, that perhaps they didn't have as much in common as Ron thought.

"It won't start a war," Theo rolled his eyes. "It's a warning, and a good one too."

"Won't he know that we sent the warning?" Ron asked.

"He'll know I sent it, because I plan on telling him. And I'm going to let him know that if he or one of his lackeys step foot in our room, I'm going to visit him in the middle of the night and transfigure him into a cup, which I will then relieve myself inside of." Theo picked up a nearby goblet and took a swig of pumpkin juice.

What the fuck is wrong with him?

"Aren't you worried about his father?" Blaise asked.

"No," Theo rolled his eyes. "I know Draco, and he grew up in the same way I did. His father won't help him with this because it's bad for business. The Malfoy's want to position themselves as the heads of proper pureblood society and that means they can't be getting involved with other purebloods. That includes me, you, and even blood traitor's like Weasley."

Ron glared daggers at calling me that you prick.

"If Draco touches either of you, let me know. I'm ending this today before it starts so that we don't have to spend the next years of our lives hiding from him. You're both just extremely fortunate that we were assigned to the same room, usually my company and devilish looks don't come so freely." Theo added.

"I just hope you're right," Blaise said coolly.

Ron bit the inside of his cheek. The son of a dark wizard had just pulled him into a power struggle with the son of another dark wizard. It was as if the universe was trying to make him have a panic attack by continuing to pile more concerns on his shoulders. Ron closed his eyes and took a deep doesn't matter,he reminded are bigger things to worry about.