Chapter 96: Of Gits And Buck Teeth

I woke up Sunday morning still feeling like shit. Rolling over and seeing the git that I thought was my best mate didn't help. I decided to get up, get dressed, and head out, before he woke up.

When I went down, I seen Hermione pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace. I didn't even want to deal with her protests, but still, I walked up to her, mail my out of routine.

Hermione saw me coming towards me and ran up. "Oh Ron! Did you talk to him?"

I sighed. "Good morning to you too, Hermione."

Hermione waved me off. "Do not give me that, Ronald. Now, did you two talk?"

I walked towards the portrait hole. Noticing that Hermione wasn't following, I looked back at her exasperated face.

"Come on, Hermione." I said in a low voice. She followed me slowly out the hole.

"Yeah, we talked." I said as we went down the stairs.

"And? What did he say?" asked Hermione, anxiously.

"He said he didn't put his name in there."

"See? I told you!"

"But he didn't give any explanation as to what happened. I just don't know, Hermione." I said as we walked into the Great Hall and sat down.

"Ron, you can't possibly think that about him. You know that he would have told you."

"Would he, Hermione? Really? You know how he gets when he figures he just has to do something. We are always the last to know. But why this? As if he wasn't famous enough-"

"RONALD WEASLEY!"

What?"

"Are you seriously acting jealous?" demanded Hermione.

Was I really? Was I actually that jealous of my best mate? True, he did get a hell of a lot of attention, and of course everybody in the wizarding world knew his name, and of course he was loaded. While I was probably known as just his tag a long friend.

I didn't want to feel that way. I didn't want to feel overshadowed by my best mate.

But how could I not when clearly that's what I was? I had heard it before. Being referred to as one of my sibling's little brother, or Ginny's big brother, that Weasley kid, or Harry Potter's best friend. I never wanted it to, but I guess it really took a toll.

After breakfast, Hermione said she was going to take Harry some toast, and it looked like he was gonna be late. I told her to go on without me. I didn't want her to choose between the two of us. It wouldn't have been fair to her.

Plus, she probably would have just chose Harry, and that would have made me feel even worse.

I decided to do something that I would have never done without Hermione's urging. Go to the library willingly.

I went there and asked Madam Pince for a quill and a piece of parchment. Once I got it, I went to a table by myself and started to write to Bill.

Dear Bill,

How are things in Egypt? I wish I could say things were swimmingly here, but I won't get to that yet.

First off, you're a wanker for not telling me about the Triwizard Tournament! I almost lost my mind when I found out about it. The twins were upset because they weren't old enough to participate, so they made an aging up potion to try to fool the judge. Didn't work. Wish I would have gotten photos.

Anyways, before I get to all that let me tell you this: VIKTOR KRUM IS HERE! He is in Durmstrang and he is their champion for the games. I haven't been able to speak to him yet about getting an autograph, but our cloaks touched once in passing, so that has been blessed.

Also there is this part veela girl here named Fleur Delacour. She is the champion from Beauxbatons and she is amazing. She reminds me of all things beautiful in the world. The first time we talked, she asked me for some French food shit. And I gave it to her. She's brilliant, an absolute angel. Hermione doesn't seem to like her much. Nor do a lot of the Hogwarts ladies. They are just jealous I guess.

Speaking of Hogwarts, the champion is Cedric Diggory. Git. I was hoping Angelina Johnson would get it. But this news also brings me to something else. Harry made champion too.

I don't know how he did it, Bill. No one knows. He won't tell. And I feel bad because Hermione thinks that it was a mistake. But how can it be? Harry had said before if he entered he would do it without anybody seeing him. I'm just disappointed that he wouldn't tell me, his best mate, how he did it. He should know I wouldn't tell a soul.

Or am I being completely barmy about this? I don't like that things feel different, and we are not talking. But I also don't like being lied to.

I don't know what to do, Bill. Just tell me what I should do.

Love,

Ron

P.S.: Ginny's good. She says she's been doing better. And the twins are the twins.

Over the course of a couple days, it was looking like I wasn't the only one skeptical of Harry and what jae happened. The Hufflepuffs, who were usually on excellent terms with us Gryffindors, had turned remarkably cold toward the whole lot of us. One Herbology lesson was enough to demonstrate this. Ernie Macmillan and Justin Finch-Fletchley did not talk to him even though they were repotting Bouncing Bulbs at the same tray - though they did laugh rather unpleasantly when one of the Bouncing Bulbs wriggled free from Harry's grip and smacked him hard in the face.

Hermione sat between us, making very forced conversation, but though both of us answered her normally, we both avoided making eye contact with each other.

The Slytherins of course we're much worse to Harry, as shown in Care Of Magical Creatures.

"Ah, look, boys, it's the champion," Malfoy said to Crabbe and Goyle the moment he got within earshot of Harry. "Got your autograph books? Better get a signature now, because I doubt he's going to be around much longer...Half the Triwizard champions have died...how long d'you reckon you're going to last, Potter? Ten minutes into the first task's my bet."

Crabbe and Goyle guffawed sycophantically, but Malfoy had to stop there, because Hagrid emerged from the back of his cabin balancing a teetering tower of crates, each containing a very large Blast-Ended Skrewt. To our horror, Hagrid proceeded to explain that the reason the skrewts had been killing one another was an excess of pent-up energy, and that the solution would be for each student to fix a leash on a skrewt and take it for a short walk. The only good thing about this plan was that it distracted Malfoy completely.

"Take this thing for a walk?" he repeated in disgust, staring into one of the boxes. "And where exactly are we supposed to fix the leash? Around the sting, the blasting end, or the sucker?"

"Roun' the middle," said Hagrid, demonstrating. "Er - yeh might want ter put on yer dragon-hide gloves, jus' as an extra precaution, like. Harry - you come here an' help me with this big one..."

The class was widely scattered now, and all in great difficulty. The skrewts were now over three feet long, and extremely powerful. No longer shell-less and colorless, they had developed a kind of thick, grayish, shiny armor. They looked like a cross between giant scorpions and elongated crabs- but still without recognizable heads or eyes. They had become immensely strong and very hard to control. The one I was "walking"almost took me into the forest.

We ended up with Double Potions a few days later. While standing with Dean and Seamus waiting for Snape to open the door, Malfoy and his losers came around the corner sporting badges that said:

SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY-

THE REAL HOGWARTS CHAMPION!

Apparently, Malfoy had made the lot.

"Oh shit." whispered Dean to me. "Things are going to get really ugly."

"You're right about that." said Seamus, nodding towards the hallway.

Harry and Hermione had came from the Great Hall. Hermione gave me a pitiful smile, which I returned. Malfoy jumped in front of Harry to show him the badge.

"Like them, Potter?" said Malfoy loudly. "And this isn't all they do - look!"

He pressed his badge into his chest, and the message upon it vanished, to be replaced by another one, which glowed green:

POTTER STINKS!

The Slytherins howled with laughter. Each of them pressed their badges too, until the message POTTER STINKS was shining brightly all around Harry. Instinctively, I balled up my fists. However, I didn't move off of the wall.

"Oh very funny," Hermione said sarcastically to Pansy and her gang of Slytherin girls, who were laughing harder than anyone, "really witty."

"Want one, Granger?" said Malfoy, holding out a badge to Hermione. "I've got loads. But don't touch my hand, now. I've just washed it, you see; don't want a Mudblood sliming it up."

I whipped out my wand, but Harry had his already extended to Malfoy's face. People all around the two scrambled out of the way, backing down the corridor.

"Harry!" Hermione said warningly.

"Go on, then, Potter," Malfoy said quietly, drawing out his own wand. "Moody's not here to look after you now - do it, if you've got the guts -"

For a split second, they looked into each other's eyes, then, at exactly the same time, both acted.

"Funnunculus!" Harry yelled.

"Densaugeo!" screamed Malfoy.

Jets of light shot from both wands, hit each other in midair, and ricocheted off at angles - Harry's hit Goyle in the face, and Malfoy's hit Hermione. Goyle bellowed and put his hands to his nose, where great ugly boils were springing up - Hermione, whimpering in panic, was clutching her mouth.

"SHIT, HERMIONE!" I yelled, running to her side. She looked shell shocked with her eyes bulging and her hands clasped over her mouth.

"Mione, are you okay? Let me see, let me see!" I yelled, trying to pry her hands away from her mouth. Finally i got them away from her mouth, and it wasn't a pretty sight.

Hermione's front teeth (that were already somewhat bucked and big) were now growing at an alarming rate. She was looking more and more like a beaver as her teeth elongated, past her bottom lip, toward her chin. Panic-stricken, she felt them and let out a terrified cry. I turned around, ready to fuck Malfoy up.

"YOU MOTHERFUC-"

"And what is all this noise about?" said a soft, deadly voice.

Snape had arrived. The Slytherins clamored to give their explanations; Snape pointed a long yellow finger at Malfoy and said, "Explain."

"Potter attacked me, sir -"

"We attacked each other at the same time!" Harry shouted.

"- and he hit Goyle - look -"

Snape examined Goyle, whose face almost resembled those pus filled shits in Herbology. Improvement in my eyes really.

"Hospital wing, Goyle," Snape said calmly.

"Malfoy got Hermione!" I said. "Look!"

I forced Hermione to show Snape her teeth, she was doing her best to hide them with her hands, though this was difficult as they had now grown down past her collar. Pansy and the other Slytherin bitches were doubled up with silent giggles, pointing at Hermione from behind Snape's back.

Snape looked coldly at Hermione, then said, "I see no difference."

My mouth dropped. Hermione let out a whimper. Her eyes filled with tears, she turned on her heel and ran, ran all the way up the corridor and out of sight.

"What the fuck?!" I yelled at Snape, not giving a damn about the consequences.

"Why would you fucking say that to her? How dare you, you worm!" yelled Harry, disgusted right along with me.

"YOU WANKER!" I yelled. "YOU GREASY HAIRED SON OF A-"

"Let's see," he said, interrupting us. "Fifty points from Gryffindor and a detention each for Potter and Weasley. Now get inside, or it'll be a week's worth of detentions."

My hands were shaking with the urge to hex him. He was a monster. A fucking bitch to pick on a girl, especially Hermione, who always refrained from saying anything inappropriate to or about him out of respect for him being a professor. I wanted to wring his sodding neck. His and Malfoy's, that bitch.

I could see Harry out the corner of my eye, as furious as I was. And normally, we would have sat together and plotted ways to kill Snape, but instead I went and sat with Dean and Seamus, leaving Harry alone at his table. On the other side of the dungeon, Malfoy turned his back on Snape and pressed his badge, smirking. POTTER STINKS flashed once more across the room.

"Antidotes!" said Snape, looking around at us all, "You should all have prepared your recipes now. I want you to brew them carefully, and then, we will be selecting someone on whom to test one."

Snape's eyes met Harry's. I gulped. The last thing I wanted to see was my other best mate poisoned. Even though we weren't speaking to each other, Harry was still my friend. At least he was in my eyes. I really didn't know how he felt.

A knock on the dungeon door came and Colin Creevey walked into the room, beaming at Harry, and walked up to Snape's desk at the front of the room.

"Yes?" said Snape curtly.

"Please, sir, I'm supposed to take Harry Potter upstairs." Snape stared down his hooked nose at Colin, whose smile faded from his eager face.

"Potter has another hour of Potions to complete," said Snape coldly. "He will come upstairs when this class is finished."

Colin went pink.

"Sir - sir, Mr. Bagman wants him," he said nervously. "All the champions have got to go, I think they want to take photographs..."

Photos. Of course. I rolled my eyes.

"Very well, very well," Snape snapped. "Potter, leave your things here, I want you back down here later to test your antidote."

"Please, sir - he's got to take his things with him," squeaked Cohn. "All the champions..."

"Very well!" said Snape. "Potter - take your bag and get out of my sight!"

Harry swung his bag over his shoulder, got up, and headed for the door. As he walked through the Slytherin desks, POTTER STINKS flashed at him from every direction.

After Harry left, his enthusiasm to poison left too, so class to him was a bore.

"So," whispered Dean as I was dicing roots up to put into my antidote, "did Harry let you in on what he did? Why didn't you do it?"

I sighed. I really didn't wanna discuss Harry at all. "I'm trying to make sure I get this right, Dean." I said, hoping he would catch the hint and shut up.

Thankfully he nodded, showing me that he did, and concentrated on his work.

After Potions, I went to check on Hermione at the hospital wing, however, Madam Pomfrey didn't let me see her, even though I promised her I wasn't there to make fun of her.

I decided to go back to the dorm and start on homework. I had to be really lonely if I was willingly doing my homework.

When I got to the dorm, I saw a small school owl perched on Harry's bed. It was more than likely Sirius's answer, but I didn't go snooping.

I sat there and started writing my stupid essay for Snape. About an hour later, Harry walked into the door.

"You've had an owl." I said, pointing at Harry's pillow at the owl

"Oh...right," said Harry.

"And we've got to do our detentions tomorrow night, Snape's dungeon," I told him, thus reminding myself as I got up. I really wanted to say more, but instead I walked out without giving him a glance and headed down to get whatever was left for dinner.

I really did miss my best mate.