Autumn 1991

Ronald Weasley

The morning after Ron's conversation with the twins felt anything but normal, as if the entire school had somehow heard what had happened on Hallowe'en, which Ron wasn't sure they hadn't. The stares that sometimes followed him were more noticeable and a great number of them incredibly sharper, as if the older Hogwarts students were trying to decide if he was some cold-blooded psychopath. On the other hand, there were a number of looks that Ron took some pleasure in. He noticed a small glisten of fear had settled behind Malfoy's eyes and among some of the other first years, especially the Gryffindors, there seemed to be some admiration. It left him wondering if those same looks would follow him for the rest of his life. After all, he planned to kill the wizards who would kill Charlie.

A wizard was different from a troll, and Ron struggled to imagine how the reactions might change. He wondered if they would warp into something resembling disdain and if they would be accompanied by hushed condemnations. It seemed to him that he would need to find quieter ways to deal with problems. He didn't want to be the centre of attention, and he really didn't want anyone else to fear him. It felt almost bitter-sweet that there was some fear in Malfoy's eyes, but it weighed on his mind in a way he didn't enjoy. He couldn't help but compare Voldemort and Salazar again and the difference in the way that both men carried themselves.

Ron sat in his usual spot at the Slytherin table, his breakfast untouched as his mind spun rapidly with memories from the night before. He couldn't help but obsess over every word that the twins had said and whether or not they meant them. Percy seemed sure they'd only acted out of fear, convinced that they were just scared by his sorting. But Ron wasn't sure which was worse. If they hated him, he could handle it; he'd just have to prove them wrong in time. But if they truly feared him, he wasn't certain how he could, or even should, change that. A part of him wanted to invoke an apology but another stronger part wasn't certain if he would even accept it. He didn't know if he could forgive them, not after everything that had happened.

"Are you alright?" Blaise asked, drawing Ron back to the present. Ron blinked hard, noticing for the first time that the crowd had started to thin around them and that he still hadn't touched his plate or goblet.

"I'm alright," he answered, although his voice felt a little hollow.

Blaise gave him a strange look. "Are you nervous?" he asked quietly. "About the staring?"

Ron hesitated for a moment, his eyes drifting away from his friend and at the room around him. He met the eyes of a few students who quickly looked away when they were caught.

"Maybe," he said with a small shrug. "I don't know, it's just… weird, you know?"

Blaise nodded. "They're just trying to figure you out. You're the first Weasley in Slytherin and then you go ahead and kill a troll. It interests them."

"Interest…" Ron leaned back slightly trying to avoid a sense of unease that was creeping up his arms. "Some of them are interested, but I think others are scared. I think Malfoy was scared of me."

"Scared of you?" Blaise asked. He took a quick glance down to where Malfoy still sat with Crabbe and Goyle. "Honestly, that would probably be for the best. But, I doubt it. He's probably jealous that you're getting the attention and not him."

Ron snorted. "I'd gladly trade places."

Blaise raised an eyebrow. "You'd like to trade me for Crabbe and Goyle?"

Ron fought to keep a small smile off his face. "Well, they would have been good for fighting the troll. I mean, they make good targets."

"They would have been smeared across the floor."

Ron's eyes widened slightly and for a moment he felt the warmth of the troll blood on his skin.I could have been a smear on the nearly could have died.

"It won't last," Blaise added, "Most people have the attention span of a gnat. They're just interested because it's… unusual."

"I hope so," Ron nodded. "I'd like to go back to how things were before Hallowe'en."

"Or not," Blaise said coldly. "I'd rather not be threatened by Malfoy anymore."

"Do you think he is still a problem? I mean, I haven't spoken to him since I apologised on the day of the prank."

"Theo has," Blaise shook his head. "I don't think it's over."

Ron sighed. "Of course not, Theo wouldn't be able to leave him alone."

Blaise pushed aside the last of his breakfast and stood to his feet. "Herbology first, right?"

The strange looks somewhat lessened once they had passed into the hallway where the crowds thinned further and the number of nearby students steadily decreased. Ron couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty about dragging his friends into the centre of attention. They hadn't done anything to warrant the looks but shared them anyway just because they were nearby. Blaise didn't seem to mind, only shrugging and saying that he had his own rumours to worry about. While Ron hadn't asked anyone else that morning, but he imagined that Daphne did not feel as relaxed about the situation. Theo might have taken it in kind if only he bothered to even go to breakfast that morning.

They crossed into the hallway that led down towards the greenhouses until they fell in behind a group of Ravenclaws that they shared Herbology with. Morag MacDougal gave Ron a short look over her shoulder and he managed a small embarrassed grin back just before something took hold of his left leg.

Ron yelped and reached out to steady himself on Blaise's shoulder only for both of them to tumble over the thin air in front of them. Ron managed to put his arm in front of his face before he hit the ground avoiding smashing his nose into the stone work. Blaise tumbled sideways on top of him and knocked the wind out of Ron's lungs.

"Hell!" Blaise snapped, pushing himself upwards and trying to stand only for his legs to jerk and send him tumbling over in the other direction.

An outline of a shimmering web started to appear around their legs, thin silk-like threads tightening and squeezing harder as they struggled.

"I knew it was too quiet," Ron grumbled, he reached down to try and wretch the web free only for his hand to get stuck alongside his legs. "This has to be the twins!" he said bitterly.

Ron felt a deep wave of anger wash over his body, his neck growing warm with embarrassment and fury. A few of the Ravenclaws in front of them turned backwards, Morag MacDougal and Terry Boot giggling cruelly.

He could hardly believe that the twins would dare to prank him so soon after last night. But it had to be them– they were the only two students clever enough to pull it off. Somehow they had managed to prank him, and unfortunately Blaise, while letting an entire group of students pass by unharmed. It wasn't like there were any students campaigning for troll rights, after all. A second strong wave of frustration washed over him and he found himself wishing he had punched one of his brothers squarely in the nose. He had been far too quick to just run off; maybe he should have been meaner.

Ron drew his wand from his robes with his right and pointed the tip down at the webs, trying his best to summon a useful spell from the back of his mind. Unfortunately, he didn't really know which incantation would work without blowing his legs off and had to resort to firing weak yellow sparks. As expected, the webs only tightened in response, wrapping so tightly that he could feel a strange tingling in the bottom of his feet.

"Don't just stand there," Blaise hissed, "get a teacher MacDougal."

"There's no need for that," Theo's voice rang out from behind them. "What's the deal, Zabini? I can't leave you two alone for a single morning without you running into a giant spider?"

"It wasn't a spider," Ron said hotly. "It was my stupid brothers."

Theo stepped over them, his hands in his pockets and a relaxed look on his face. "Since when did your brothers start making webs? I mean, don't get me wrong, you're scary Weasley, but your brothers must be demonic."

"You have no idea."

"Merlin, Theo aren't you going to help?" Blaise asked. Blaise's cheeks had grown pale and Ron was almost sure he was going to faint.

"Can't you let me have any fun?" Theo rolled his eyes and pulled his wand from his pocket. He muttered something under his breath, his wand glowed slightly orange, and then all at once the webbing slackened.

Ron felt sudden relief as the webs loosened their grip on his legs and hand. He rubbed the deep red marks on the back of his hand with his opposite fingers, cursing the twins under his breath. He couldn't help but wonder if they were nearby, watching and laughing at his discomfort. He felt all at once like a child again, the twins pranking him until he cried. Biting the inside of his cheek, he fought the urge to lash out and boil over with frustration. It took all his self-control to stop himself from swearing loudly, even though he knew they were likely too far away to !

By the time Ron managed to stand, the Ravenclaws had moved on, leaving him alone with Blaise and Theo. Which, Ron thought, was probably for the best. He wasn't sure how much of Terry Booth's smug face he could stomach without feeling the urge to break the boy's nose.

He glanced over at Blaise who muttered a quiet thanks to Theo. Theo grinned widely in response, looking as if he had just won some great prize.

"So, are you two having a good morning?" Theo asked.

Ron gave him a harsh stare. "No."

Theo shrugged. "Figures, the one morning I don't show up for breakfast and everyone gets in a mood."

"It's not about you," Ron snapped. "It's about the twins, and how much they seem to hate me."

"Aren't they your brothers?"

"They aren't acting like it."

"Even I have to admit that they're getting annoying," Blaise added. "It was fine when they were ignoring you, but this is awful. This is twice in less than twenty-four hours."

Ron sighed. "I'm not sure they care."

"Ah, you can make them care," Theo suggested. "Have you tried pranking them back? I learned a spell to give people nightmares. But I suppose sneaking into Gryffindor Tower is a bit much, even for me."

"A spell to give people nightmares?" Blaise raised an eyebrow.

"Weasley's not the only one who's had a hard time sleeping lately. He and Malfoy might look more alike if it lasts more than one night."

"I don't want to give my brothers nightmares," Ron shook his head.

Yet, a part of him couldn't help but latch onto the idea. It wasn't something he would seriously consider, it was even more cruel than what they had done, but didn't they deserve to feel the way he felt? Didn't the twins deserve to know how much was suffering and to feel the weight of what they were doing? He bit his lip, the thought lingering in his mind dark and tempting.

"Well then I'd recommend you not do anything," Theo said and shrugged. "Your brothers have a reputation and I don't think you can really match them. Unless, of course, you're going to blow them up like you did with the troll."

Ron glared at you always have to be like this?

Blaise sighed. "I agree, Theo's right… for once. It's better if you try to ignore them, I'd rather not be assaulted between every class. Malfoy is bad enough."

"Malfoy will be eating out my grubby little hands in a few weeks," Theo added quickly.

Ron wasn't sure that he could continue to ignore them. After all, they had just proven that they weren't content to just let him get on with his life and he didn't want to be looking over his shoulder every second until the twins left the school. He had to make them want to ignore him, and he only really knew one way.

"I have to talk to Percy."

Theo and Blaise exchanged worried glances.