The cloud of anxiety enshrouding the occupants of the Great Hall marred the welcoming feast despite its usual splendor and superb dining. The Sorting Hat sung another warning, ‘Stand together, united and strong or with broken allegiances, alone we will fall.’ Some of the first years looked downright petrified to be in Hogwarts, let alone be sorted into one of its four houses. Hermione said that one of them, a short, bushy-haired brunette, who slightly resembled herself at eleven, had thrown up into one of the urns that lined the walls at various intervals.
The Potions Master, Professor Snape, had regained his position as Harry’s most despised professor as he surveyed the head table. He was relived to see that Hagrid wasn’t nursing any visible wounds brought on by his brother, Grawp. The familiar faces of Order members, especially Lupin’s, affirmed the comfort he felt at being back.
The crowd of returning students looked slightly better than the first years. A lot had happened over the summer that had ties directly to Hogwarts and their students. Everyone in the wizarding world knew that Ms. Amelia Bones, Susan Bones’ aunt, was the new Minister and that Ron and Ginny Weasley were the children of the new Undersecretary to the Minister.
Word had traveled, no doubt with the help of the Daily Prophet, that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his loyal Death Eaters had attacked their homes. Everyone also knew that Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle all had Death Eater fathers who were caught at the Ministry and briefly imprisoned in Azkaban until their master released them and sent them into hiding. Surprisingly, the Slytherin stooges found little support even within their own house.
It wasn’t until that night in the common room that Hermione voiced her concerns about having Crabbe, Goyle, and especially Malfoy back at school.
“I trust Dumbledore, but I just don’t trust Malfoy.” She said as she was reacquainted with her chair by the fireplace as Crookshanks nestled in her lap.
“Since when did we ever trust Malfoy?” Ron leaned back against Hermione’s chair and stretched out his legs to warm his feet by the fire.
“No,” Harry looked up from the couch at his two best friends. “He’s dangerous.”
Hermione shifted uncomfortably as she spoke. “Malfoy’s always been dangerous, Harry, everything he’s done from now to the moment we got here six years ago. He has been nothing but trouble.”
“That was nothing,” Harry said as Ron and Hermione turned toward him - both knew that there was more tell. “He’s planning something.”
Hermione rushed out her questions, “What is it? How do you know?”
“I don’t know exactly, just a gut feeling.” Harry tried to look as innocent as possible, it was another half-truth.
They had all returned to gaze at the fire, making assumptions in their own minds as to what Malfoy could be planning next. Harry remembered seeing Sirius’ head dancing in the flames, wishing he had his godfather back. Though Lupin’s good advice and loving support was welcomed, it lacked the irreverence and daring fire Sirius had possessed. Harry thought of what Sirius’ advice would have been in regards to Malfoy’s slur to Ginny. He grinned to himself at what he did to Malfoy’s jaw, which actions, he imagined, would have brought a reprimand and a smile from his godfather.
‘Where’s Ginny?’ Harry thought to himself searching the now flooded common room for locks of red, ‘Where is she?’
Harry mentally checked the last time he saw her, it was at dinner and she was with Dean. The thought of Dean, however much of a nice guy, D.A. member and fellow Gryffindor he was, made Harry feel that Ginny was in less than capable hands should Malfoy try anything. Reluctantly, he had to respect Ginny and Dean as a couple, no matter how he disliked the match. At least Ron was on his side - Harry could take a small bit of satisfaction that Ron disapproved of his sister’s choice in boyfriends just as much as he did.
It was an early breakfast the next morning. Hermione had made Ron and Harry promise her before bed last night to start the new school year off right with a good breakfast and careful planning. The need for a well-balanced breakfast wasn’t hard to convince the boys of. Harry and Ron dressed quickly, realizing that they only had a few minutes to meet up with Hermione in the common room. If they were to start the year off right, it wouldn’t help to get themselves on her bad side.
Ron was the first to fly down the stairs and smacked straight into Hermione, knocking her backwards with a solid thud as her rear-end met the stone floor.
“Oh no, I’m so sorry ‘Mione.” Ron whispered, afraid of her approaching wrath. “Are you hurt?”
Ron bent over Hermione, gently grabbed under her arms and lifted her completely up off the floor resting her softly on her feet again. Harry had joined them now at the bottom of the staircase.
“I’m fine, what’s your hurry?” A blushing Hermione asked.
“Well, we just didn’t want to be late.” Ron voice was still quiet in apology, his eyes studying her face.
“We slept in a bit and didn’t want to disappoint you on the first day, Hermione. After all, we made a promise.” Harry smirked as he walked around the pair and headed toward the portrait door. “I’ll meet you two down there.”
Harry made his way to the Great Hall. Upon entering, he noticed that only a handful of other students had roused themselves to an early start. The head table, however, was fully staffed. Dumbledore was in discussion with McGonagall and oddly enough, Snape and Lupin were conversing without the telltale signs of blatant animosity. Harry’s legs had carried him instinctively to the Gryffindor table as he watched the latter pair, when he noticed that they had stopped.
“What’s got you out of bed so early?” Ginny asked Harry before he had time to register who it was he was standing next to.
“Um, Hermione.” He stood there wondering the same thing about her.
“Well, have a seat.” Ginny offered him the space next to her.
“Uh, are you sure?” Harry looked at the wooden bench as if it was covered in razor sharp spikes. He learned his lesson from the day before; he was not to ask about the whereabouts of Dean, even though he knew that he was still asleep in the dorm.
“Why wouldn’t I be? You’re not harboring some contagious deadly disease, are you?” Ginny looked at him rather pathetically, “Oh, just sit down already.”
Harry stepped over the bench and sat a good arm’s length away from Ginny.
“I’m not contagious either, you know.” Ginny grabbed a pastry from the table and examined the oozing berry filling. “Where are the others?”
Harry let out a laugh as he recounted how Ron knocked over Hermione in his haste to keep his promise.
“They should be here soon, I didn’t want to stick around for Ron’s apology.” Harry winked at Ginny to convey the full meaning of ‘Ron’s apology’.
“My what?” Ron and Hermione had joined them at the other side of the table.
“Your apology, mate.” Harry tried and failed miserably to hide his grin.
Soon the Great Hall was buzzing with students as the morning rays scattered a rainbow of colors across the stone floor as it shone through massive stained glass windows. Ron, who had been eating the entire time, pushed his plate aside and asked what had been on Harry’s mind since he got there.
“Where’s Dean?” Ron rolled eyes as he inquired of his sister.
“Oh, well I couldn’t sleep any longer so I thought I’d have a nice quiet breakfast by myself, that is until Harry here ruined it all.” Ginny raised her glass of pumpkin juice and took a long draw before she would have to say anything more.
“Hey, you asked me to join you!” Harry squabbled in his defense, watching a trickle of juice escape the corner of her mouth as she suppressed her satisfaction of getting him riled.
When she had finished off the glass in a less than ladylike manner, Dean had joined the group, and planted himself right between her and Harry.
“Good morning, Ginny.” Dean’s _expression was the only happy one within the foursome as the others, Ginny included, looked put out.
“Good morning, Dean.” Ginny recovered quickly, hoping that he didn’t notice her momentary displeasure in wedging himself between her and Harry.
Breakfast was almost over when Professor McGonagall passed out this year’s course schedule. Hermione, as always, looked it over in excitedly, where Ron and Harry tried to contain their feelings of dread. If O.W.L.’s and Hermione had taught them anything, it was that it was better to put forth a bit more effort than to cram it all in at once.
All three started the day with Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall. It wasn’t so bad as Monday mornings go; it could have been Double Potions with Snape.
“Blimey, Ginny.” Ron sighed after Ginny had told them of her immediate fate.
“Don’t feel too sorry for her, we’ve got Double Potions on Friday afternoon.” Harry said thoroughly depressed.
It was better in his mind to start a week off badly than it was to end in badly. Friday afternoons should be filled with weekend anticipation and distractions, not the dank gloominess of the dungeons and snide remarks from Snape.
Harry was pleased to see that his schedule was pretty light and Ron and Hermione would be with him most every step of the way. Ron was ecstatic that there were only four classes a day - though some were double sessions, it didn’t seem to dampen his excitement. All three had ‘personal study time’ each day along.
“Yes, free time!” Ron excitement swelled, only to be punctured by Hermione.
“Good, I was expecting the this, sixth and seventh year students need the extra allotted time because of the N.E.W.T. workload.” Hermione looked pathetically at Ron’s fallen smile. “We’ll have to wait and see what homework is assigned first before I can make schedules for us.”
Harry noticed that he had special time set aside for Occlumency with Dumbledore twice a week after his last class of the day, Tuesdays and Thursdays. ‘What a relief.’ He thought to himself, surely it was better to be with Dumbledore than Snape.
“Oh, sorry Harry.” Dean muttered as he got up from the table. Dean had bumped him as he swung his leg out from the bench.
“No problem.” Harry did his best not to sound annoyed, “See you in class.”
“Yeah, see ya.” Dean then turned to Ginny. “Come on Ginny, I’ll walk you back to the tower to get your things.”
“Thanks Dean.” Ginny replied sweetly, grabbed the last slice of toast and headed with Dean towards the door.
“Oh, let’s get going, Harry. We promised Hermione here not to be late.” Ron rolled his eyes in her direction. “Can’t have a repeat of first year now can we?”
“No, we wouldn’t want that.” Harry smiled as he remembered being late for their very first Transfiguration lesson.
“Shall we Hermione?” Ron helped her up and together they left the Great Hall.
.........................................................................
“What a day.” Ron sighed as he threw himself down on the couch next to the fireplace.
He, Harry and Hermione had finished their last class for the day and had taken refuge in the common room; dinner was still two hours away.
“You didn’t expect it to be easy, Ronald?” Hermione sat down next to him with her Transfiguration book.
“No, of course not. I just thought we could ease into it.” He said as he let his head fall, resting on the back of the couch, staring at ceiling. “We’ve got enough homework to last us all week and it’s just the first day!”
“Stop whining, do you want to be an Auror or not?” Hermione dropped her opened book on his lap. “Here, start reading.”
“Harry, make her stop.” Ron pleaded.
Harry was sitting at a small table behind them. He had his books open and quill in hand but not one word was written upon the parchment.
“I’m afraid I can’t.” He sighed and scribbled a heading across the top.
The three worked on their assignments for the next hour and a half. Ron and Hermione, Harry noticed, worked quite well as a team. Their bickering was kept to a minimum and Ron’s complaints ended with his plea to Harry. The two would read a page or so together and then Ron would make a statement, Hermione either would agree or add another to as they wrote on their own parchments. Harry remembered how it was before, Ron would usually get frustrated and ask Hermione for her notes or she would correct his paper. Harry almost smudged a line across his own essay and gaped at the two heads in front of him. Ron had just corrected Hermione.
“What was that?” He asked rather shocked.
Ron and Hermione both looked over their shoulders at the same time, Ron was hiding a smirk as she replied breathlessly, “Well, he was right, and I was wrong.”
“What? Since when are you right, Ron, and Hermione isn’t?” Harry realized by the look on Ron’s face that it had come out wrong. “I mean it’s just that...”
“I know what you mean, Harry. I’ve been applying myself, despite my continued protests.” Ron gave Harry an incredulous look. “I know I don’t match up to the brilliance of Miss Hermione Granger, but I am a tad smarter than Crabbe and Goyle put together.”
Students started trickling into the common room as the last lessons were excused. Grateful for the interruption, Harry quickly changed the subject.
“I’m sorry Ron, I know you’re smart, no questions here. Look, it’ll be dinner soon and I can’t think with all this distraction.”
“Ah, food. That’s just what I need.” Ron smiled back at Harry. His apology was accepted.
“All right, but we’re back at it after dinner.” Hermione toned as she and Ron picked up the books, parchments, bottles and quills.
Harry too cleared off and stowed his books back into his bag. “Here, I’ll take them up for you, Ron.” He reached towards him and took Ron’s book bag.
“Thanks.” Ron replied. “We’ll wait for you here.”
Harry hollered back, “No, I’ll be a minute. Just go ahead.”
He headed up to the boys dormitory feeling remorseful of his comments towards Ron. He knew that Ron was by no means ignorant, quite the contrary, sometimes Harry felt like he was the most dimwitted of the three. Harry realized that Ron had indeed changed and thought that it had to do with whatever he and Hermione were meeting Dumbledore about. Curiosity wasn’t going to get the better of him, Harry decided, Ron would tell him when he was ready and he would just have to be patient and left it at that.
....................................................................
“Incoming.” Ginny looked towards the owl filled ceiling as the post was being delivered.
A tawny owl landed in front of Ron and waited impatiently for him to untie his letter. Ron took his time in eating the last bite of sausage before relieving the owl of his duty.
“Who’s it from?” Hermione leaned over as she tried deciphering whom the letter was from by the swirling green writing. “It looks official, it’s from school.”
“You didn’t get yourself booted out of being a prefect did you?” Ginny sounded too much like her mother, but laughed as Ron’s shocked face met hers.
“Uh..” Ron was utterly speechless and stared the envelope much like he had done to his O.W.L. results. Swallowing hard, he continued, “Maybe they made a mistake on my O.W.L.’s.”
“Of course not Ron, that was from the head of the Wizarding Examinations Authority, this is clearly from Hogwarts. Go on, open it.” Hermione was nudging her shoulder into his arm.
“Get it over with, whatever it is!” Harry interest was definitely piqued.
“Dear Mr. Weasley,” Ginny had Professor McGonagall’s stern voice, “It is our unfortunate duty to inform you that your skills will no longer will be needed in filling the position of Gryffindor Keeper. Last year’s dismal display...” Ginny stopped when Harry kicked her shin from underneath the table. Ron had gone ghostly white.
“Look, I’m sure it’s nothing mate. Don’t listen to her.” Harry tried to instill a shred of confidence while giving Ginny a chastising glance.
“Er- I gotta go. I’ll see you guys later.” Ron got up from the table so fast that it was like he was going to be sick; with the envelope in hand, he rushed out the door.
“No, leave him be Hermione.” Harry reached out across the table to grab Hermione’s sleeve before she could take another step. “He’ll be okay, whatever it is.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing, we just teased him a little too much is all.” Ginny said as she played with what was left of her pancake with her fork. “I shouldn’t have teased him about Quidditch.”
“Are you sure, Harry?” Hermione asked him, looking for reassurance.
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
Harry and Hermione didn’t see Ron again until their first class. It was double Charms and Professor Flitwick had them reviewing the charms they’d learned before the holidays. Everyone was so wrapped up in studying for his or her O.W.L. examinations that nobody, with the exception of Hermione, could remember what it was. Unfortunately it wasn’t a good time to talk with Ron as small objects kept crashing into each other and on to the floor as the students tried to properly charm them to dance. Ron, however, wasn’t exactly making himself available either; he and Neville had paired up on the other side of the room.
After Charms, they were heading out to Care of Magical Creatures. Ron left quickly after class with Neville by his side. Harry and Hermione followed at a distance as the sixth years crossed the sun drenched grounds.
“Whatever it is, it’s obvious he doesn’t want to talk about it.” Harry said to Hermione as they brought up the end of the line.
“We’ll just see about that.” Harry got the distinct impression that she had some bargaining power.
“Ello ‘Arry, ‘ermione.” Hagrid called over to them as they joined the circle of students.
They waved back but shrugged anticipating his next question. Hagrid saw that Ron wasn’t with them.
“All right now, I’m glad to see a few familiar faces. I’ve been sav’n the best creatures for your N.E.W.T.’s.” Hagrid clapped his massive hands together as he turned to a large metal crate.
Harry had an epiphany; this was the first Care of Magical Creatures class they had ever attended with out the degrading sneers from Malfoy and the rest of his Slytherin cronies. Sadly, it wasn’t a totally Slytherin-free class but those who attended chose to do so, so they couldn’t be too bad.
Hagrid pried the lid off the crate as a puff of vapor billowed over the edges. He asked the students to gather around as he set the lid on the grass with a faint hiss. Harry secretly hoped that it wasn’t another batch of Blast-Ended Skrewts. Knowing Hagrid, it was something just as dangerous though. Ooohs and aaahhs rose from the students as they peered on tiptoes into the crate.
“Harry, look! They’re beautiful.” Hermione’s cheeks and nose were rosy, she had seen the contents before he had made his way through the crowd.
As he joined the rest of the students who were now enveloped in a misty fog, Harry could see the delicate features of what he could only describe as miniature, frosted butterflies. They were indeed beautiful, in their own way of course. The creatures had elongated bodies of ice blue and their wings looked as if they were transparent except for the outside rims, where they sparkled with what he could only describe as tiny dewdrops. Harry had expected to see claws, fangs, or some other feature that would label them ‘dangerous’. The creatures clung to a large stalagmite-like icicle that had been growing up from the center of the box.
“Yeah, I’d thought you’d lik’em. Can anyone tell me what these beauties are?” Hagrid looked out over the sixth years to see if someone had inkling, surprisingly, it was Ron and not Hermione who had their hand raised.
“Ron? Do ya know what these are, then?” Hagrid asked as he encouraged Ron for his answer.
“Yeah, they’re Icelandic Glacialis Nex Butterflies.” He answered proudly, astonished by his own answer.
“Very good, Ron, ten points to Gryffindor. Now I don’t ‘suppose ya know what they’re for, do ya?” Hagrid had picked up one of them and rested it on his sleeve.
“Uh, I think they freeze things or make things burn.” Ron was looking down at the ground as he finished, he could feel Hermione and Harry’s eyes investigating him.
“Another ten points to Gryffindor! Right, as Ron was saying, these are Glacialis Nex Butterflies. They’re right useful, some say dangerous, but I think there’s nutt’n wrong with them.” Hagrid broke off an icicle from the lid and coaxed the butterfly off his sleeve.
“You see, they like the cold. These’ns here are young, that’s why they’re so small. Got special permission to bring’em back here to Hogwarts. We’ll be rais’n them over the term.”
The rest of class flew by, everyone was excited to learn more about the butterflies. Hagrid only let the class handle them when each student wore his or her dragon hide gloves. “They’ll start to freeze ya if yer hold’m too long.” He warned the class, “And whatever ya do, don’t go mak’n em mad.”
Hagrid heard the bell alerting him that class was over, then told the students to put their butterflies and icicles back inside the crate. Harry thought that they would get out of there without any homework, but was sadly mistaken when Hagrid assigned them a two foot long essay on the origins and uses of the creatures.
“At least it’s not due for another week.” Harry said as he turned to who he thought was Hermione but only found an empty space. Looking around the dispersing crowd of students, he saw that she had made her move and was bearing down on her prey.
Seeing that Hagrid was still busy moving the crate into the shade and that Hermione had caught a nervous looking Ron, Harry decided that he’d leave them alone and head up to the castle for lunch, secretly hoping to run into Ginny.
Ron and Hermione didn’t make it to lunch, Harry instead found pleasant company with Neville, Luna, Seamus, Ginny and Dean. He tried to distance himself from Dean, but found it rather hard since he wanted to learn all he could about Ginny’s day without directly asking her.
Neville and Seamus were prodding him to set a date for the first D.A. meeting of the year. Apparently, there was quiet a demand of people wanting to join up. Neville figured it was because of the escapade into the Department of Mysteries, word had spread like wildfire over the summer, and like most rumors, parts were true and others were far from it. Seamus and Dean were openly asking for details and the excitement of it all, Harry wasn’t surprised that his fellow cohorts held the specifics close to their chest. Neville, Luna, Ginny had learnt exactly what it was like to be faced with what would be their certain death and it was no matter to be talked about as if it were the latest thrilling moments of a Quidditch match.
Harry finally met up with Ron in Divination. He and Ron had discussed dropping Divination altogether, but decided that it might prove worthwhile to study with Firenze who was taking up the N.E.W.T. level classes. Hermione, he figured, was at her Arithmancy class and wouldn’t be caught dead in a subject she declared to be utter rubbish. Harry sat down and leaned up against the trunk of the conjured tree trunk. Ron had taken a patch of grass next to him without so much as a glance.
“We need to talk.” Ron whispered as their fellow students filed passed.
“All right, when?” Harry whispered back.
“Um, after class I suppose. Maybe we could walk down to the lake... Hermione has Ancient Runes and we’ve already talked so I thought it would be a good time since we both have study time.” Ron still didn’t look at Harry.
“Yeah, just don’t tell Hermione that we weren’t studying. I wouldn’t want her telling us off when she finds out we blew it.” Harry tried to gauge exactly how serious this was.
“Na, she gave me the idea.” Ron had finally looked at Harry and gave him a fleeting smile.
Firenze’s lesson on stargazing left the entire class speechless. The centaur was often referring to humans as too narrow minded to see beyond trivial occurrences of fortune or bad luck in their personal lives to understand the complexities of what the heavens foretold. Harry decided that he was right, he didn’t possess the broadness of mind required to understand anything that they stars were saying and from the confounded expressions of his fellow classmates, they didn’t either.
When class was over, Harry followed Ron’s lead as they headed out the great oak doors and down to the lake. When they were alone, Ron began with his hands tucked in his trouser pockets and his head down watching the ground sweep by with every step.
“Harry, I’m sorry that I acted like such a sodding git this morning- well, actually most of the day.”
“Oh, it’s not like I’ve never treated you like that. In fact, I’d say I’m more of a sodding git than you are.” Harry chuckled in an attempt to lighten his mate’s guilt.
“Well, you deserve better. When I got that bloody letter this morning I didn’t know what to think and that little sister of mine read my mind. I thought for sure that I was getting kicked off the Quidditch team.”
“If it helps, Ginny was really sorry after she said it. She didn’t mean it, she was only having a bit of a go.” Harry shrugged his shoulders as they continued towards the lake.
“Yeah, but I didn’t get kicked off, Harry. It’s worse...kinda.” Ron had stopped as they reached the banks. He turned stiffly and looked Harry straight in the face, all the color had drained from his features. “Harry, McGonagall made me Captain.”
It felt like an eternity before Harry could think of what to say. At first he was disappointed that he wasn’t named Captain. After all, he thought, I’ve been on the team for the last five years, granted he didn’t play his fourth year and most of his fifth; but he still couldn’t help but feel a bit dejected. Remembering what Dumbledore had said about him not being selected as Prefect, Harry realized if anyone was to be named Captain of the Gryffindor team, it was Ron. He was so passionate about the sport, knew all the in’s and out’s, and was brilliant when it came to executing well-planned strategies.
“Well done!” Harry finally looked up from his thoughts, “Well done!”
“That’s it?” Ron asked, he had been expecting Harry to count all the reasons why he shouldn’t be Captain.
“Well, lets see. Do I have any influence with Captain?” Harry eyed Ron mischievously.
“Uh, of course you do. You’re bloody Harry Potter, the youngest Seeker in a century. Anyone would be a fool not to listen to you.” Ron stated reverently.
“I may be the youngest Seeker,” Harry said earnestly, “But Weasley is our King!”
“Oh shut it!” Ron laughed too as Harry clapped his shoulder in solidarity. It was another defining moment in their friendship, despite the attempt of humor.
“Which way do we go? To the right or to the left?” Harry glanced in both directions, following the path weaving around the lake. “I’ll follow my Captain, my King wherever thou leadest me.”
“To the right,” Ron looked down the winding path before turning most seriously to Harry. “But only if you’re by my side.”
And with that, Harry enjoyed the afternoon sun and the perks that went along with being best mates with the Quidditch Captain.
A/N: Thanks as always to Whizzbee and Bogus, wonderful Betas they are. Sorry it's a bit slow, as Greta_Prewett put it, I'll try not to muck it up.