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Wednesday 20/5/92
Dear Spencer
Ron's started talking to me again, or I should say he did start talking to me again and my answer sent him off in another temper tantrum so I should have another week or so of peace on that front. He hasn't apologised, instead he stated that he'd forgiven me for not helping Hermione. I turned around and said that's all very well but that he needs to apologise for cutting me out of his friendship and all the nasty things he's said to me and about me before we can try to be friends again. He looked at me as if I was talking another language and turned and walked off. Since then he hasn't said anything to me but at least he isn't bad mouthing me in my hearing anymore. He's on his absolute last chance though, I'm not going to just forget about what he did and said unless he apologises properly and means it. I don't know whether he was manipulated into trying to resurrect our friendship or he was just lonely. Dean and Seamus rarely tolerate him hanging around with him for very long and he hates studying so he isn't spending a lot of time with Hermione.
Hermione did apologise and I have forgiven her for her previous bossiness. I don't think she was influenced into apologising. At least she believed she had a genuine reason to be angry with me. She still believed I should have helped her with the crate but she accepts that my help probably wouldn't have made a difference in getting caught. Apparently she feels that the older students have been pretty harsh on her and Neville losing so many house points that night. I hadn't noticed them shunning her any more than they normally ignore us firsties but she is upset about it. I asked Neville and he said he had confrontations with a few students who were angry about it the first couple of days it happened but since then things have been normal. I did what you suggested and told it too her straight why Dean and Seamus refuse to study with her and why I enjoy studying with them more than with her. She was pretty upset and accused me of being jealous of her brains and her marks. I told her I wasn't, that I was more than happy for her to work as hard as she pleased and to be the top in every subject if she could, but it was her attitude that she thinks I'm not capable of doing my own work or understanding the things she understands that annoys me. I admit I got a bit angry with her refusal to listen and told her that the problem wasn't her intelligence but her arrogance about it, and that I was surprised that her parents or teachers in her previous school hadn't told her that she needed to reign it in if she wanted to be liked because nobody wants to hang around with someone who clearly thinks everyone around them is an idiot, and that if she genuinely feels that way I don't understand why she wants to be friends with me at all. She ran off crying and I felt terrible about it but I don't want to apologise too quickly or she will ignore what I actually said.
Neville heard the whole conversation thank goodness since she went crying to him about how mean I was and he told her that he never would've been that blunt but he does agree with what I said and that she should be glad that someone had the courage to explain to her why she was driving people away from being her friend, and had given her the opportunity to try to change her attitude instead of just avoiding her. I was a bit shocked he stood up to her so bluntly but not as shocked as she was. She avoided both of us for a day or two then came and sat with us while we were studying but hasn't said much to us. She seems king of subdued which I hope she can get over soon without becoming bossy and arrogant again.
Dean and Seamus and I have become closer, Seamus asked me about why I was sending letters to Dean's mum and I explained that she sent them on to America for me because it was too far for Hedwig to travel and that my relatives would refuse to accept owl mail because they hate everything about the wizarding world. Seamus then asked what I was going to do for the summer since my relatives wouldn't want me back there. I told him I didn't know, that I didn't want to go home if I could find another place to stay and I wanted to try to ask someone if there's a way to stay at Hogwarts but none of the professors seem to want to listen to anything I have to say outside of classwork. I told them the whole story of Hagrid and the dragon and they were a bit miffed that they didn't get to see it, Seamus especially. They understood that with Ron there I couldn't invite them because they wouldn't have come unless I told them exactly what was going on and they calmed down and apologised though I didn't think they needed to, once I reminded them of the condition of Ron's hand where he'd been bitten and how the dragon burnt off Hagrid's beard and was growing so quickly that I was worried it would escape and kill someone. They agreed with me that it should never have been allowed to happen, and that if Hagrid was going to do such stupid things and surely if he'd been here for decades then the professors ought to have known that and kept a better eye on what he was up to.
I was really pleased with the essay your teacher friend marked for me, she gave me some new ways of looking at the stuff I'd written about and told me about some grammar rules I didn't know. I'm in the middle of writing a new essay on that book and hopefully I'll be able to finish it tonight and send it with this letter. I think it will be better than the other ones.
I hope your studies are going well, you must have exams soon. I hope that Ethan and his girlfriend kicking you out of your room isn't interfering with your work or your ability to get enough sleep.
Your friend always
Harry
A/N: Thank you to all those who reviewed followed or favourited this story for your support.