Harry Potter and the Time of Shadows

- Chapter Nine-

The Duel

As Hallowe'en approached, the school spirit was raised by the lavish decorations all around the castle.

Professor Sprout had provided several enormous pumpkins, something Hagrid was usually in charge of. Hundreds of live bats were seen sleeping hanging from the ceiling. It was an incredible sight to behold.

"The decorations this year look better than ever," Ron said at lunch, the night before Hallowe'en.

"Yeah," said Harry watching Professor Flitwick charming orange streamers to throw themselves across the ceiling.

"It does look very -- oh my god!" said Hermione, as a dozen skeletons walked into the room, followed by Dumbledore.

Everyone turned around to look at the skeletons, and Dumbledore smiled at them all.

"The entertainment for tomorrow night!" he said merrily.

The skeletons began to dance all around the hall, most people thought that they were funny, but a few backed away when they danced towards them.

Harry got up from the table and left. He saw Malfoy at the Slytherin table, a dancing skeleton near him. He looked away from them, and almost bumped into Professor Fudge on the way out.

"Do watch it Potter!" he said, and brushed past him.

Harry stopped walking for a second and looked at Fudge, he was practically running down the hall, bumping into a few other people on his way, and telling them all off as well.

"What's wrong with him?" Ron asked behind him.

"Looks like he really has to pee," Harry commented.

"Maybe it's his time of the month," Ron joked.

Harry burst out laughing, while Hermione gave Ron a don't-joke-about-that-sort-of-thing look.

"Seriously though," Ron said. "He just gets so stressed sometimes. Remember that time in Defence Against the Dark Arts when he made us all do bookwork, and got all bothered when Neville forgot his quill and you couldn't find the answer to that question?"

"That was about a month ago," he started to say, but Hermione gave him another look, so he had stopped after "That was ab --"

They got back to the Gryffindor common room, and started on some homework.

"What d'you think?" Ron asked, pulling out several half-finished pieces of homework.

"We could start with Divination," Harry suggested.

"Yeah," said Ron gloomily, picking out the right piece of parchment that had his Divination homework on it. "Get the boring stuff out of the way."

Harry took out his quill, and began to write. They managed to make the subject fun, as always, by making their predictions both stupid and outrageous.

*

Harry woke up early the next day to the delicious smell of pumpkin baking. He felt himself being drawn towards the Great Hall just by the smell. He sat up and pulled back the hangings from around his bed. He looked around the room, there was someone there who shouldn't have been.

"AAHHH!!" Harry yelled, seeing the person there. He looked at the person for a while, but neither of them spoke. Finally, Harry decided to break the silence.

"Nick? What are you doing here?"

Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost, was standing by Harry's bedside. His head, which had been partially severed during his death, had fallen off of his neck. Nick swung it back into its proper place.

"I'm sorry Harry," Nick said. "I did not mean to startle you."

"Well, no offence," Harry said, reaching for his glasses on his bedside table. "But it's kind of a shock when, first thing in the morning, you see a man standing over you with his head hanging off."

Nick laughed, causing his head to fall off again. He pushed it back up, trying to arrange his ruff to hold it.

"What d'you want Nick?" Harry asked.

"Nothing really, today is my Deathday, you know," he replied.

"Yes, I remember," Harry thought back to the Deathday party he had attended three years ago, hoping Nick was not going to invite him to another one.

"Well I was just a little depressed," Nick continued. "So I decided to come back to my old dormitory, I used to sleep in that very bed."

"Really," Harry feigned interest, making a mental note to change his sheets later on.

"But don't worry, I did not die there," Harry felt relieved, then realising that Nick could not have died at Hogwarts, he must have been at least forty when he died.

"Well, was there anything in particular you came to see?" Harry said, getting up.

"No, I just --"

Just then, Peeves the poltergeist flew in through the ceiling.

"Oi! Nick!" he screamed.

"What is it Peeves?" Nick asked, sighing.

"The Grey Lady told me that you were feeling down today, so I thought I'd come and cheer you up!"

"That's not necessary Peeves."

"Really, I insist," Peeves said. He grabbed Nick by the shoulders and they both disappeared through the floor.

"Harry?" he heard Ron ask from his bed. "Who ya talkin' too?"

"Nearly Headless Nick," he replied.

"Why?" Ron sounded extremely groggy.

"It's his Deathday remember."

"Oh yeah." Ron pulled back his own hangings, and Harry saw that he had enormous bags under his eyes, and his hair was a mess. "He wasn't asking you to another one of his parties, was he?"

"No, don't worry. He just stopped in to see his old dormitory."

"He used to sleep here? Which one if us got his bed?"

"I did."

"Ha, ha."

"It's not like he died in it or anything!"

"Will you two shut up!"

"Dean? Seamus?" Harry asked, looking around the other beds.

"No, it's Neville."

Harry listened, Neville's snores had gone.

"Morning Neville," Harry said cheerfully.

"What the hell are you guys talking about so loudly?" he asked.

"And happy Hallowe'en to you too," Ron said sarcastically.

"Sorry guys," Neville said, pulling back his hangings. "I didn't get much sleep last night. I kind of had a bad dream, nothing big, I just kept waking up."

"What was it about?" Ron asked, clearly fighting to stop from laughing. "Big monsters and scary ghosts?"

"Oh shut it Ron," Neville answered playfully, throwing his pillow over at Ron's bed. "By the way, what time did you go to bed last night?"

"I'm not sure, kind of late." Ron's ears had gone pink, the way they did when he was under pressure.

"Kind of late?" Neville said. "I heard you thundering in, must have been way past midnight, muttering something to yourself."

"It that right?" Harry grinned, looking over at his best friend. "What were you doing?"

"Nothing," Ron's whole face went redder.

"Somehow I don't think you were up all night doing homework."

"I could've been."

"Yeah right," Harry and Neville both said together.

"Maybe he got off with a girl," Neville suggested, smiling broadly.

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "How was Pansy Parkinson?"

"Ha, ha, very funny," Ron said as he got out of bed and walked out of the room.

Harry and Neville looked at each other, then burst out laughing.

*

There were no classes on Hallowe'en, as it was on a Saturday this year. They spent the whole day playing games of Exploding Snap, Gobstones, and chess.

Ron, who was not particularly good at Gobstones, lost to Fred and George so bad, that his face stank from the liquid the Gobstones squirted.

"Harry," Hermione whispered to him at around eleven o'clock in the morning. "You know what we could do today?"

"Let me guess," Harry said, as he played a game of chess with Seamus. "You're thinking, we should be doing homework."

"No," she said in one of her bossiest voices. "I was thinking that we should go and see the elves in the kitchen."

"Oh no," Harry said, realising what she meant. "You're gonna try and set them all free again. I really thought you were done with that spew stuff."

"Firstly, it's S.P.E.W. Secondly, I am done with it. I still don't think it's fair how house-elves are treated, but I guess there are more important things to worry about now. I just thought that we could go and see Dobby."

"Yeah, well, alright. Ask Ron if he wants to come."

"Ask him yourself. I am not your servant Harry Potter!" she screeched.

"OK, calm down," Harry said, backing away.

"Sorry Harry, I just had a bad night," she said.

"Yeah, you and about half the population," Harry said, remembering Ron and Neville.

"Ron!" Harry yelled across the common room.

"What?" Ron yelled back.

"Do ya wanna come with Hermione and me?" Harry suddenly felt stupid, everyone was looking at them. He heard Hermione saying "Boys" under her breath.

Ron came up to them. "Where are ya going then?" he asked, at normal volume.

"We're going to the kitchens to see Dobby," Harry replied.

"Just to see Dobby?" Ron said, looking at Hermione.

"Will you shut up Ron Weasley!" Hermione screamed.

"Sorry," Ron mumbled.

"Jeez Hermione," Harry said, as they walked out of the portrait hole. "Why are you in such a mood today?"

"No reason," Hermione said.

Harry decided to end the conversation, before someone made another 'time of the month' joke.

When they reached the painting if a bowl of fruit that marked the door to the kitchen, Hermione tickled the pear, which became a door handle, and opened.

Almost instantly, at least a dozen house elves rushed towards them, their squeaky voices making Harry's ears hurt.

"Hello sirs and miss. Would you like some food?"

"Yeah, sure," Ron said eagerly.

Five elves appeared, each carrying a plate of biscuits. Harry and Ron picked them up, and so did Hermione, after a long hesitation.

"Harry Potter!" he heard Dobby cry, and saw him running his way, smiling. "Dobby is so pleased to see Harry Potter, how is you sir?"

"I'm fine thanks Dobby. Are you alright?"

"Yes, Dobby is good, Dobby is getting a raise from Professor Dumbledore. Dobby is now getting two Galleons a week!"

"That's great Dobby!" Hermione said, looking around the kitchen. "Er, how's Winky?" she asked, trying, and failing to sound casual.

Dobby smiled even more.

"Winky is very good miss. Very good indeed. Winky is taking money now, and is not drinking anymore! Winky!"

Another house elf walked towards them, the only other apart from Dobby not wearing the school crest on plain robes. She looked very different from how Harry remembered. The last time Harry had seen her, she was wearing a disgustingly dirty blouse, covered in soup and burned at the front. She was also drunk half the time from Butterbeer.

Since then, she had obviously recovered from being fired. She wore a different dress, a red one, that was as clean as the clothes that Dobby wore. She was not holding a bottle in her hand, but a saucepan.

"Hello everyone," she said. "It is a good day today, is it not?"

"Oh yes," Hermione said slowly, as if speaking to a two year old. "A very good day."

"We is all very busy with the Hallowe'en feast. We is all cooking."

"Great!" said Ron through a mouthful of biscuits.

"And there is something else!" Dobby chirped.

"Dobby and I is getting married!" Winky finished.

"Congratulations!" said Harry, patting Dobby on the back.

"Thank you Harry Potter," said Dobby, putting his arm around his fiancée. "Dobby was going to come and see Harry Potter after Hallowe'en. Dobby is wanting to ask Harry Potter to be his Bestest Man!"

"Your Best Man? Of course I will Dobby. When is the wedding?"

"February thirteenth!" Winky replied. "Valentine's day!"

"Uh, Winky, Valentine's is on the--" Ron started, but Harry nudged him in the ribs.

"Just let them have this," he whispered.

"So, we is seeing youthen. We hope to see you too, miss and Mr Weezy," Dobby said to Hermione and Ron.

"Yeah, we'll be there," said Ron, stuffing one last biscuit into his mouth.

"Yes, we will," Hermione agreed, shaking her head in disbelief at Ron's gluttony.

"Hey, can we get some food to go?" Ron asked.

Instantly, another three elves appeared, each carrying a plate of sandwiches.

They thanked the elves, and left the kitchen.

"Can you believe it? Dobby and Winky getting married," said Harry as they walked back to Gryffindor Tower.

"I'll tell you one thing," said Ron, starting on the sandwiches. "They are definitely right for each other."

They reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, when Hermione screamed,

"Ahh! I've left my Ancient Runes homework in the library! And I haven't finished it yet!" She then ran off to get it.

"Mental. We've got today off, remember?" he called after her.

"Well, you know Hermione," Harry commented.

The portrait then swung open, and Fred and George stepped out.

"Ron! There you are!" said George.

"We need to show you something." Fred held Ron by the shoulder, and guided him down a corridor.

"But--" Harry heard Ron protest.

Laughing to himself, Harry walked through the open hole where the portrait was.

As soon as he sat down, the portrait then swung open again, and Ginny walked in. She looked slightly pale, and as soon as she saw Harry, she went up to him and began speaking in single words; she looked quite out of breath.

"Harry! Neville, third floor, Malfoy, trouble."

That was all Harry needed to hear. He said to Ginny:

"Show me."

She led the way out of Gryffindor Tower, and onto the third floor. They soon found the place, Harry could hear Malfoy's cruel laughter long before he could see him.

When he first saw Neville, he was walking around, apparently chasing some kind of jumping boxes. When he got a little closer, he saw that Neville was chasing books, his books. His backpack was lying open on the floor, and Malfoy had his wand trained on the books, which were all bouncing six feet in the air, and moved away whenever Neville went near them.

"Hi, Potter," Malfoy said cheerfully as soon as he saw Harry. "I see your girlfriend went to you for help. She obviously knew that Longbottom was no match for me."

"Shut it Malfoy," Harry said shortly, and made a quick grab at one of the books, but it bounced away before he could reach it.

Malfoy laughed again.

"Oh come on Potter, I thought you might be a little better than that. How do you expect to catch the Snitch if you can't catch a book?"

Harry took out his wand, pointed it in the direction of Neville's books, and said,

"Accio Books!"

The books bounced another few paces away from him, and Malfoy's laugh became high and cold.

"Good thinking Potter, Longbottom didn't even think of that. But you have to actually hit them with the Summoning Charm to break this spell."

Harry took careful aim. "Accio," he tried again. But he missed.

Neville took out his wand too.

"Expelliarmus!" Malfoy shrieked before Neville could do anything. His wand sailed through the air, and landed in Malfoy's open hand.

Harry tried again. "Accio!" but the books were bouncing too quickly.

"I'm waiting," said Malfoy, tapping his watch.

Harry tried to get a good idea of the books' speeds, and where they landed on the ground. He lined his aim with where one book would touch the floor...

"Accio!" The book shot towards him, and did not seem to slow down as it came closer to him.

"Impedimenta!" The book hung in mid-air.

"Accio! Impedimenta!" Harry stopped another.

"Accio! Impedimenta!" The last book stopped bouncing.

Malfoy lowered his wand, looking livid.

"Grr! I'll get you next time Potter--"

"Yeah, yeah, watch my back. Can't you think of something more clever to say?"

"How about (He then said something so rude that Ginny squealed)."

"Language Malfoy," said Harry, and then he walked away, Neville and Ginny by his side.

*

"Oh I wish I could've seen that!" said Ron, after Harry told them about it. "But Fred and George wanted to show me their new invention. It was pretty good, it was a crisp that made you twice as fat when you eat it. They call it the 'Jumbo Snack'."

Harry laughed, wondering whether they were planning to use it on Dudley, and if not, if he should.

"Oh, look at the time," said Hermione, looking at the grandfather clock in the corner of the common room. "It's nearly time for the feast."

"You guys go ahead," said Harry. "I've got to put my bag upstairs."

Ron and Hermione walked out of the common room, and Harry walked up the stairs to his dormitory and put his backpack on his bed.

He walked down to the Great Hall, and ran into Malfoy outside the door. For once, he was without Crabbe and Goyle.

"Malfoy, how nice to see you," Harry said sarcastically.

"Cut it out Potter," he said, taking out his wand.

"There's no need to be like that, just because I got the better of you this afternoon," Harry replied, with fake friendliness.

"You may think that you're a very powerful wizard, Potter," he said, his eye on a lone bat that had flown in from the Great Hall. "But you're too scared to go after the real power."

He pointed his wand at the bat, and shot a jet of violet light at it. It transfigured into a miniature lion, and fell to the floor.

Malfoy swished his wand, and cried "Crucio!"

The lion let out a terrible roar, and started to roll around the floor in pain. Malfoy kept his wand on it, his face contorted.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry pointed his own wand at Malfoy, who was thrown back, and his wand flew in a high arc, where Harry caught it.

"You're evil Malfoy," Harry spat.

Malfoy got up from the floor, and stood close to Harry, so that his whispers could be heard by him.

"There is no good and evil. There is only power, and those too weak to seek it."

He wrenched his wand from Harry's grasp, and walked into the Great Hall.

"You'll make a good Death Eater!" Harry called after him.

Malfoy turned back.

"If I choose to serve the Dark Lord, then I would be very afraid Mr Potter."

"You mean you don't know?" said Harry, hearing blood pounding in his ears.

"Know what?" Malfoy snapped, clearly interested, but not wanting to show Harry that.

"You've been promised to Voldemort, you have been since you were born. Ever since your dad became one, he vowed to make you one too."

"LIAR!" Malfoy screamed, and a few sparks shot out of the end of his wand.

"I'm so sorry Malfoy," Harry said smiling with satisfaction, and then he walked into the Hall.

Maybe he had gone a bit too far, he thought. It had to be hard for him to learn that he had been promised to Voldemort since he was born. He remembered the dream he had over the summer, when Voldemort was reminding all the Death Eaters that their sons were his property.

"Wait!" he heard Malfoy cry.

"What?" Harry said, turning his head back.

"A wizard's duel, tonight, no seconds, just you and me."

"Fine, midnight, in the Charms classroom."

"Fine."

Malfoy barged past Harry, into the Great Hall.

Harry walked into the Hall and sat at the Gryffindor table, eyeing Malfoy at the Slytherin table.

"Harry, where have you been?" Hermione asked as he sat down.

"Nowhere," Harry replied, taking a helping of shepherd's pie.

Hermione gave him a suspicious look, but did not press the subject any more.

The feast was as good as ever, the dancing skeletons were definitely something to remember. Harry did not think about his upcoming duel with Malfoy until the feast was over, and Harry saw him leave the table, followed by Crabbe and Goyle.

That night, Harry snuck out of bed without telling Ron where he was going. He hid under his Invisibility Cloak and crept down into the deserted common room.

"Who's there?" the Fat Lady asked as Harry opened the portrait hole.

He reached the Charms classroom at five minutes to midnight. Malfoy had not arrived yet.

Harry looked around the dark and empty classroom, it looked so different without any other students there, without Professor Flitwick standing at the blackboard.

Harry took off the Cloak, and lit a few lamps, casting a flickering glow over the room. He heard footsteps outside the room, and Malfoy entered, alone.

"Potter, good to see you didn't chicken out," he said, casting his eye over the room.

"Good to see you weren't setting me up, like the last time we agreed to have a duel," Harry replied. He thought back to the time in their first year when Malfoy had challenged Harry to a duel, but had instead tipped off Filch that someone would be out of bed that night.

"Yes, well I wanted to prove once and for all which of us was the better wizard."

"Then let's do it," said Harry, his wand pointed straight at Malfoy's heart.

"On three," Malfoy said, pointing his own wand. "Three! Stupefy!"

Harry quickly jumped out of the way of the Stunning Spell, and aimed his own curse,

"Turnace!" The golden fog surrounded Malfoy, and he began to turn his waist around, frantically looking for a way to right himself. Harry decided to do it for him.

"Tarentallegra!"

Malfoy's legs were forced into an uncontrollable jig.

"Ahh!" he screamed, with the combined sensation of being turned right-side-up again and dancing as forcefully as the skeletons at the feast.

Harry was hit by an inspiration.

"Wobblem Crus!" Malfoy's dancing legs then began to buckle under him from the Jelly-Legs curse, but he was brought back to his feet to continue dancing. He then fell over again and got back up to dance, then fell over.

Harry amused himself for the moment, just watching the everlasting cycle, but he paid for his hesitation:

"Conjunctivitis!" Malfoy said, keeping himself standing long enough to aim one curse at Harry.

The spell hit Harry in the eye, and Harry felt an uncontrollable pain, he could not see. Fumbling around, Harry managed to point his wand in the direction of the sound of Malfoy falling over again.

"Impedimenta!" he heard Malfoy cry.

Harry dived to the floor, blindly throwing his hands out to stop himself from hitting the ground too hard, the curse missed him.

His sight gradually came back to him, but everything was very blurred.

"Stupefy!" Harry practically yelled, aiming at the blond-headed fuzzy shape that was Malfoy.

Malfoy dodged the curse, and pointed his wand low to where Harry was still on the floor.

"Mirosa!" Harry was hit by the Reflection Jinx, but it did not affect him in the slightest. He got to his feet.

"Furnunculus!"

Malfoy screamed in pain as giant boils appeared on his face.

"Locomotor Mortis!" Malfoy said, and Harry felt his legs snap together. He tried to balance himself, but toppled over, his wand falling out of his grasp.

He watched Malfoy's smudgy form walk over to him, and raise his wand. Harry braced himself, trying to move over to where his wand was.

"Expelliarmus!"

Harry had been able to touch his wand with his fingertips, but felt it leave him again. His vision was now almost as good as normal.

Harry knew that he could not win the duel as long as he was on the floor with his legs stuck together. He remembered all of the times that he had done magic without a wand. When he had grown his hair back to normal after a bad cut, when he had flown onto the roof of his old school, when he had set a boa constrictor on his cousin. He concentrated on the simple spell, ran his hands down his legs, and commanded:

"Finite Incantatem!" His legs sprang apart and he got to his feet.

Malfoy looked shocked, but did not let it break his focus.

"Stupefy!"

Harry was not sure why he decided to do it, he was not even aware of deciding to do it, it was instinct. He flung his hand out, and the spell instantly slowed down, it was moving so slowly that it was barely moving at all. Harry closed his fist, and the curse came to a halt.

"No," Malfoy whispered, backing away.

"Yes," Harry hissed, and opened his hand.

The Stunning Spell shot back at Malfoy, and hit him hard in the chest. Malfoy shut his eyes, and fell to the floor.

Harry stared hard at his wand, clutched in Malfoy's immobile hand. He willed his wand back to him, and it came. Harry caught it, and went for the door. He cast his eye back at Malfoy, something stirred inside of him. He could not just leave him there until someone found him. It would probably have been a teacher, who would give him detention and take points from Slytherin, and as much as Harry wanted that, he was sure Malfoy would also waste no time in telling them that Harry was there as well.

"Enervate," Harry said quietly, pointing his wand at Malfoy's chest.

Malfoy sat up, but Harry quickly said, "Impedimenta," and Malfoy was frozen, temporarily.

Harry then walked out the door.

He felt that he should not tell Ron and Hermione about his duel with Malfoy, he did not want them to think he was being cruel, or spiteful, as funny as Ron would find it. He instead went back to Gryffindor Tower, reaching the Fat Lady, who was sleeping.

"Flipendo!" he yelled up at her.

"Who's there?" she asked, as she had when Harry had left.

"Can't you just open up?" Harry said to her, aware of how strange it was for her to hear someone invisible talking to her.

She swung forwards, muttering under her breath, and Harry felt he had got away quite easy with her.

Harry walked into the common room, which was not as empty as he had left it. Ron and Hermione were there, standing very close together, Hermione had a single tear in her eye.

"I'm sorry Ron," she sobbed, and Ron put his arm around her.

"I'm sorry too," he said, sounding desperately disappointed.

"It's not that I don't like you, but like I said last night, I just don't feel that way about you," she said, pity in her voice.

Last night, Harry thought, that was why they had both had such bad nights, and why Ron came to bed so late, they were down here with each other.

"I know," Ron replied, sitting down in the nearest chair. "It's just I thought that there could be something there, you know. We spend so much time together."

"We're friends." Hermione cut in, sitting in the chair next to him.

"You may not feel the same way, but I love you Hermione."

Love! Ron was in love with her? Harry knew that he fancied her, but had never suspected how strong his feelings were.

"And I do feel something for you, but I'm happy with Viktor," she said.

Ron got up. "Viktor! How can you be happy with him? Where is he now? He's with the Montrose Magpies, nowhere near here. You can't be happy just writing letters back and forth!"

"I am, but you're a great guy and--"

"Spare me your pity," Ron said bitterly.

"Don't be like that Ron, I hope we can still be friends,"

"Of, course we're still friends. I just wish things could be different," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "Last night --"

"Nothing happened last night," Hermione interrupted.

"It almost did," Ron replied. "Come on, you can't tell me that you wouldn't be happier with me than with Krum."

Hermione took a long pause before she spoke. "Ron, you're such a great guy and -- someday you'll make some girl very happy."

Ron reached out and held her hand, looking deep into her eyes.

"I love you Hermione, I love you. I don't know what's holding you back. I've seen you with Krum; that's not love."

"Ron, I can't just break up with Viktor for you, it just wouldn't work," Hermione said quietly. "You know it wouldn't."

"Why?" Ron asked. "Why can't you leave him? Is it because he's this famous Quidditch player and everyone would think you were mad if you dumped him? Or just because he's the first boy to ask you out, so you feel like you owe him or something?"

"No, I am happy with him," Hermione said firmly. "Nothing could ever happen with us Ron. If we tried to be together and we broke up, it would be so awkward for everyone, especially us."

Ron continued to stare into her eyes, barely breaking the connection long enough to blink. "What makes you think we'll break up?"

"Well we could, and we can't risk it." Hermione breathed. "It's too complicated."

"Why?" Ron whispered. "Because it might be weird for everyone else? Who cares about them? I'm talking about you and me."

He leaned forwards, trying to kiss her, but she pulled away.

"No Ron!" she said dejectedly. "Please don't do this to me anymore. Just promise me that we'll still be friends,"

"Of course. Friends," Ron replied, his voice dull and hollow.

Suddenly feeling that it was none of his business, Harry crept as quietly as he could back to bed.

End notes:

Thanks to Pallas Athena, Lavender, The Harper, and Falconwing for your reviews of chapter 8. Stay tuned for the next chapter "Division", where you find out exactly how Ron and Hermione try to stay "friends".