The Book of Morgan Le Fey

Chapter Five: The Head Boy and the Dark Arts Teacher

The morning of September the first was, as usual, entirely chaotic. Even though only four of them were left to go to King's Cross to catch the Hogwarts' Express, they had still managed not to get enough packing done the night before and to oversleep the next day.

'HURRY UP, YOU LOT!' Mrs. Weasley shrieked at them. Ron and Harry were hurling their clothes and books into their trunks, ignoring the hooting of Pigwidgeon and Hedwig. They each balled up their school robes and put them on top and closed them.

Or at least, Harry did. Ron's trunk, which was smaller than Harry's and much older, would not close properly. Ron wound up having to sit on it to get the latch to click into place, but on the way downstairs it burst open and half his things came flying out.

He swore out loud.

'Ronald Weasley, watch your language!' Mrs. Weasley snapped angrily. 'Oh, for heaven's sake,' she added, eyeing Ron's spilling trunk. She pulled her wand from the waistband of her skirt and cried 'Pack!' Everything folded itself neatly and fit easily inside. She shut the trunk, waved her wand again and said 'Reparo' and the lock fixed itself.

'Now move it!' she bellowed, and Ron and Harry finished clumping down the stairs, dragging their trunks in one hand and carrying their owl cages in the other.

Mr. Weasley was waiting by the car impatiently. They threw their trunks into the boot of the car. Hermione and Ginny came rushing outside, panicked-looking and flushed. Hermione's hair was tangled and uncombed and she had buttoned her blouse crookedly.

They all climbed into the car, which expanded on the inside to easily accommodate them and their pet cages, and Mr. Weasley peeled out of the driveway, ignoring the appalled looks of his wife as he tore away from the burrow and out onto the main road toward London.

The trip took a lot less time than it would have in a Muggle car, at least according to Hermione.

'Incredible,' Mr. Weasley said, shaking his head and taking a particularly sharp turn very fast. Everyone lurched to one side of the car and grunted in pain, Ron most of all (everyone else had slammed into him). 'How Muggles travel without magic, it's remarkable.'

They pulled into King's Cross station and parked (Hermione told Ron that were they in a Muggle car they'd never find parking, because Muggle cars couldn't magically squeeze between other cars as Mr. Weasley's had just done), then piled out of the car in a frenzy of trunks and cages. Mr. Weasley fetched luggage carts and they all ran full-tilt toward the barrier between platforms 9 and 10.

Ron and Ginny quickly kissed their mother good-bye, hugged their father, and plowed through the barrier and onto Platform 9 ¾ , followed at once by Harry and Hermione.

The train whistle sounded and they hurtled toward the doors, piling on just in time as the train lurched out of the station. They barely had time to look out the window to see Mr. and Mrs. Weasley--who had just entered the platform--wave goodbye to them.

'Let's find a compartment,' Ginny said quickly, nodding to Harry.

'Right,' he said, following her and dragging his trunk.

'I guess we'd better go to the prefects' car again,' Ron said, wishing he didn't have to bother with that.

'Oh!' said Hermione, sounding panicked. 'I have to change!'

'It's all right, don't get hysterical,' Ron said, smiling. 'Let's find a couple of cubicles.'

Ron and Hermione located two loos and shut themselves in. Ron barely managed to fit inside with his trunk and Pigwidgeon's cage, let alone find the room to change out of his jeans and t-shirt into his Hogwart's uniform. He gave up on trying to pull on his robes inside the loo and exited just in time to see Hermione exit her cubicle. She had somehow managed to get her robes on over her uniform, and had brushed her hair and pulled part of it back into a clip. Self-consciously Ron ran a hand through his hair, which was at least long enough to lie flat these days.

They dragged their trunks up to the front of the train, and Ron stopped to pull on his robes and attach his prefect's badge to his chest. They set their trunks aside and entered the coach.

The other prefects were already there. Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson, the Slytherin prefects, both looked up and glared at them, but said nothing. Ernie MacMillan and Hannah Abbott, the Hufflepuff prefects, and Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil, the Ravenclaw prefects, all said friendly hellos. Ron smiled back and sat down next to Hermione, whose cheeks were slightly pink with anticipation.

Malfoy had just opened his mouth to say something (no doubt something very rude) when the door to the coach opened again and the Head Boy and Head Girl entered. Ron's jaw dropped when he saw that the Head Girl was none other than Katie Bell, the Gryffindor Chaser. The Head Boy was someone Ron did not recognize at first, but his badge showed that he was in Ravenclaw. He was a tall, muscular boy with thick, sandy brown hair, silver-blue eyes and a square, firm jaw. He smiled at them all, his eyes coming to rest on Hermione, who blushed and smiled back shyly. Ron felt his stomach clench in annoyance.

'Hi, Ron, Hermione!' Katie said excitedly. 'Pretty amazing, eh? I couldn't believe it when I got the letter.'

'Congratulations, Katie!' said Hermione, standing up and hugging her. Malfoy and Pansy both scowled.

'This is Eddie,' Katie said, introducing the handsome Ravenclaw boy to Hermione. 'Eddie Carmichael.'

'Hello,' Hermione said, her voice suddenly fluttery. Ron's stomach clenched even harder. Now he remembered Eddie Carmichael clearly--he was the boy who had offered to sell him and Harry a batch of Barruffio's Brain Elixir last year.

'Nice to meet you,' Eddie said, in the kind of smooth, lazy voice that caused Padma and Hannah to both smile simperingly. Ron was liking Eddie less and less by the second. 'I've heard you're the most brilliant student at Hogwarts, Hermione, but nobody said you were also one of the prettiest.'

Padma and Hannah both giggled, and Hermione blushed as Eddie took her hand and shook it delicately. Ron rolled his eyes in disgust.

Eddie and Katie went around the coach introducing themselves, Eddie practically ignoring the boys and making flirtatious comments to all the girls, even Pansy Parkinson (whom Ron thought looked like a cross between a pug and a thin cow). In a matter of minutes all the girls--including Katie--were gazing at him with a kind of rapt adoration. Ron was now thoroughly disgruntled. Did girls ALWAYS turn into silly idiots in the presence of a bloke who happened to be good-looking? He looked at the other boys in the room and noticed that all of them--with the exception of Malfoy, who was staring resolutely out the window--were glaring at Eddie.

Honestly, Ron thought, as Eddie sat down gracefully in his seat. There are a lot of pretty girls here and none of us blokes are acting ridiculous. Ron stole a glance at Hermione, who smiled back at him, and he slipped halfway out of his seat.

'So, you all pretty much know the drill,' said Eddie in that smooth voice, and Ron, as he straightened himself in his seat, was reminded unpleasantly of Gilderoy Lockhart. 'The only new things this year, unfortunately, involve more babysitting duties.'

'We have to escort the third years around Hogsmeade,' Katie announced glumly, brushing a strand of dark blonde hair out of her eyes. 'What with...You-Know-Who being out and about.'

Malfoy snorted derisively and shot Katie a very dirty look, but said nothing.

'Right,' said Eddie, glowering at Malfoy (well, Ron thought, at least he knows Malfoy's a prat). 'The other thing that's going to happen is we're going to have regular meetings, just to keep everyone informed. The headmaster's really keen on increasing interhouse unity this year and he wants the prefects and Katie and me here to set the example, so we'll have monthly meetings and be in charge of planning social events.'

'That sounds nice,' Hannah said, sounding pleased, and Padma nodded.

'I guess,' said Ernie doubtfully. 'At least we don't have O.W.L.s this year to worry about.'

'Well,' said Katie, sounding a bit nervous, 'Dumbledore wants us to help the fifth years with that, too.'

'What?' Ron spluttered, now outraged.

'That's not fair!' Anthony Goldstein protested. 'Nobody helped us last year on our O.W.Ls! We had to prepare on our own.'

'And what about those of us who, I don't know, have a life?' Ron said angrily. 'I'm on the Quidditch team--' At this Malfoy gave another derisive snort, '--and so is Ratboy, I mean, MALFOY over there, and Katie, and we've got practice to worry about.' Malfoy shot him a murderous look.

'I know, I know,' said Eddie, standing up and putting out placating hands. 'Believe me, when I found out just how much work was going to go into being Head Boy this year, I almost turned in my badge.' He smiled silkily and Ron knew for a fact that Eddie had never considered any such thing. 'But don't worry, the headmaster assures Katie and me that there will be plenty of time for extracurricular activities.'

At this, Ron felt his face burn. Quidditch, an 'extracurricular' activity? Even Katie, who had up to then been giving Eddie the same sighing looks as Padma and Hannah, looked affronted. Malfoy glowered at the Head Boy.

'So, that's it,' Eddie announced, clapping his hands together, and this gesture made Ron want to pummel him. 'Nothing new to do on the train, just patrol every now and again like you did before. See you at the Feast.'

He smiled and ushered everyone out. Ron went first, dying to get out of the coach before he punched Eddie, Malfoy or both of them. He turned to see the other boys filing out behind him, all of them looking at Eddie with barely concealed dislike. Malfoy apparently decided he hated Eddie so much that he didn't even stop to shove Ron, taunt him or give him a dirty look.

The girls came out next, and to a one Eddie shook their hands, smiling at them flirtatiously. Hermione was last and Eddie gave her his most dazzling smile and--to Ron's absolute horror and fury--kissed her hand. She blushed and looked down, which made Ron want to kick something, and then Eddie rather blatantly looked her up and down, appraising her.

She's not a piece of meat, you slimy git! Ron thought lividly, and this time he did kick something: his trunk. He was just biting his lip against the pain that shot up his big toe when Hermione exited the coach, looking pink-cheeked and excited. Ron almost kicked his trunk again.

'Ron, are you all right?' she asked, noticing his very rigid expression.

'Fine,' Ron said through gritted teeth, and he picked up his trunk and Pigwidgeon's cage and started thumping toward the back of the train.

'Well, I'm very excited for Katie,' Hermione said, her voice annoyingly cheerful. 'I never knew she was such a good student. Eddie Carmichael is a real surprise, though. Remember last year, he tried to sell you and Harry Barruffio's Brain Elixir? That's almost as bad as Fred and George selling Canary Creams to the first years! Still, I suppose he must have excellent marks to make Head Boy. And he seems very nice.'

'Yeah,' Ron said shortly. 'He's nice, all right. A real charmer, that Eddie.'

'Oh, really,' said Hermione, catching his tone and sounding exasperated herself. 'What's that supposed to mean?'

'Well, I was just wondering why it is that every time a HANDSOME bloke'--Ron said the word 'handsome' as though it were the most revolting thing in the world--'is around, girls lose fifty PQ points and act like idiots.'

'It's IQ points,' Hermione corrected hotly, 'and we did NOT act like idiots!'

'You could have fooled me,' he snapped.

'Oh, like you've never acted stupid around a girl before!' Hermione shot back. 'Like you wouldn't act like a complete fool if Fleur Delacour floated past you right now!'

'Fleur is Bill's girlfriend,' Ron said through gritted teeth, 'and for your information I saw her over the summer and you'll be glad to know I barely even looked at her. And I certainly never ogled her the way Eddie just ogled you. Like he was...'

'Like he was what?'

'Like he was imagining what...what you look like...sunbathing naked or something!' Ron blurted out, his face turning red.

'Ron!' Hermione cried, shocked. 'Where do you...where on earth do you get that idea? That's...that's just...'

'I'm a bloke, aren't I?' Ron snapped. 'I know how blokes think!'

'Because you were thinking it!' Hermione accused, her face flushed.

'No!' Ron lied, his face turning even redder. He looked away.

'Fine,' said Hermione, sounding very annoyed. 'I don't know why you have to get all worked up just because a boy is nice to me. And I wasn't acting silly!'

'No, you were acting stupid,' Ron snapped, his anger returning full-force.

'No more stupid than you acted around Fleur.'

'We're back to her?'

'You couldn't even SPEAK when you were around her!'

'Well, at least I don't write her love letters all the time!' Ron shouted, and this time he stopped walking, dropped his trunk with a thud and whirled on her.

'You're talking about Viktor,' Hermione said angrily.

'Why, yes, I am talking about VICKY,' said Ron furiously, and only then it occurred to him that he really didn't know why he was losing his temper with her. 'I hardly heard from you at all this summer. Maybe it was because writing Vicky was taking up all your time.'

'That's not true!' said Hermione heatedly, the color rising in her cheeks, her eyes glittering. 'I only wrote him a few times! And his name is Viktor!'

'But you did write to him!' Ron said accusingly. 'What was all that stuff about how you had nobody to talk to all summer, huh? Did you spill your guts to Vicky? Is that why you didn't want to write to me?'

'I told you I didn't want to burden you!' she shouted, her voice now high and shrill, and a few students had peeked out of their compartments to stare at them.

'Why, because you didn't think I could handle it?' Ron snapped, now completely irate with her and still not knowing quite why. More students were watching them.

'No! What is WRONG with you?'

'I thought we were friends, Hermione,' Ron said, now very close to her and towering over her. 'I mean, the whole summer I worried about you and wondered where the hell you were and how you were doing and you never once wrote to tell me anything. Just some stupid postcard from Italy with three words on it!'

The words came out in a rush before he knew what he was saying, but just as they started to register in his brain he saw Hermione's eyes fill with tears.

His anger vanished in a rush, replaced by a horrible guilt and the humiliation of knowing that a lot of students had just witnessed their row.

'Oh, no,' he said quickly, taking a step toward her and putting an arm around her. 'Don't cry, Hermione. I'm sorry, I didn't mean it.'

But Hermione pushed him away and gave him a very angry look.

'I'm going to find Harry and Ginny,' she snapped.

She wiped at her eyes with her sleeve, yanked up her trunk and Crookshanks' crate and dragged them resolutely toward the back of the train, not looking back. Ron stared after her, feeling his insides deflate like a giant balloon.

A year ago she would never have stopped arguing with him; she would have kept going just to get the last word in (which she usually did). She might have cried but she never would have just walked away like that. Somehow that, more than the row itself, left Ron feeling utterly woebegone.

The dozen or so students--most of them first years, by the look of them--continued to stare open-mouthed and wide-eyed at him for several seconds before he realized they were there.

'Clear off, you lot!' he snarled at them. He pointed to his prefect's badge and the first years all let out a collective yelp and jumped back into their compartments.

Ron picked up his trunk-his big toe was still throbbing from having kicked it-and Pigwidgeon's cage and stumped off in the direction Hermione had gone, feeling that this was perhaps the worst start to any school year than he could remember.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ron had never spent such an awkward, tension-filled journey to Hogwarts with his friends as the one he'd just completed. Hermione had not said even two words to him since their blazing row in the corridor on the train. Harry seemed to have understood from the moment they entered their compartment that they had just fought, and said nothing about it. Ginny made a valiant attempt at conversation, mostly engaging Neville Longbottom, but then left to join Dean Thomas in another compartment. Luna Lovegood did not join them for this trip, for which Ron was grateful. He liked Neville very much but Luna gave him the creeps, and it was difficult enough sitting in the compartment with nearly everyone who'd been in that horrific battle last term. Knowing Luna she might have started talking about it in her weird, dreamy way.

Hagrid was at the station to collect the first years, and for this Ron was extremely grateful. Hagrid's presence had always been a comforting one. Then Ron remembered that Hagrid had brought back his half-brother--a fully grown giant--and was hiding him in the Forbidden Forest somewhere, and suddenly Hagrid's presence was not so comforting. Ron wondered if Hagrid would ever figure out that certain creatures really were very dangerous. Hagrid waved to him, Harry and Hermione--not noticing that Hermione wasn't speaking to Ron--and ushered the first years off toward the boats that carried them across the lake to the castle.

Hermione's silent treatment continued as they entered the Great Hall for the Sorting Ceremony. She sat resolutely away from him, between Ginny and Neville, and seemed to look at everyone and everywhere except at him. Ron sat next to Harry, feeling very glum.

'What's up?' Harry asked, glancing at Ron and then Hermione.

'I'll tell you later,' Ron said dully, sighing. Then Neville elbowed him hard in the ribs. 'Ron!' he said, his voice sounding excited. 'Look up at the staff table. Isn't that--'

'Bill?' interrupted Harry, and Ron's head shot up and around. He felt his jaw drop and his stomach plummet. His oldest brother Bill was sitting at the staff table, between Professor Snape and Professor Sinistra. He was wearing robes Ron had never seen before--deep midnight blue and very plain, and his hair was pulled back into its neat ponytail.

'What the HELL is Bill doing up there?' Ron hissed, remembering at least to keep his voice down.

'Ron!' Ginny squeaked, now standing behind him and leaning over. 'Look where he's sitting! D'you think--'

'No WAY,' said Harry, completely flummoxed.

'Hey, Weasley!' a drawling voice called. Ron, Harry, Ginny and Hermione whirled around to see Draco Malfoy, sitting between his two huge cronies Crabbe and Goyle (who looked, if possible, even more vast than last year). 'Looks like your brother's the new Dark Arts teacher. Better hope he doesn't wind up like the last five of them!' And Malfoy let out an uproarious laugh.

Ron started to get up.

'Don't!' a female voice said, and he turned to see Hermione, looking up at him and gripping his arm very tightly. She had moved over and was now sitting beside him, looking up at him, her brown eyes worried. 'Don't get into it with him here.' He sat down slowly, eying her.

'So you're talking to me now?' Ron said coolly.

'No,' she said quickly, turning away from him.

Damn, Ron thought. He was just about to plead to Hermione when the doors to the Great Hall opened, and Professor McGonagall strode in, followed by a crowd of very small, very scared-looking first years. It was time for the Sorting Ceremony. Ron slumped in his seat. He hated sitting through this part.

The Sorting Hat sang the same song it had sung last year, warning the students about rivalries and divisions between the houses, and the sorting began in earnest. Ron knew he ought to be paying attention--the first years would be his and Hermione's responsibility once the Start of Term feast was over--but his heart just wasn't in it. By the time 'Young, Laura' had been sorted into Hufflepuff, Ron realized as he looked at the new faces at the Gryffindor table that he didn't remember any one of their names.

Dumbledore, who had entered the room without Ron even noticing, stood up slowly and cleared his throat. Ron couldn't be sure, but Dumbledore seemed to look older than he had previously.

'Welcome back, students, to another year, and welcome to our newest arrivals,' he said, his voice flintier than usual. 'I will not bore you with any speeches now. Tuck in!'

The food appeared magically on the tables, plates of roast beef and chicken, potatoes and green beans, baked apples and breads. Ron looked at the food and found for the first time in his life that he had no appetite at all for a Hogwarts feast. He was miserable over his fight with Hermione, but when he glanced up at the staff table and saw his oldest brother engaged in spirited conversation with Professor Sinistra, he immediately forgot all about his fight with her and focused on just why Bill should be here at all.

'Ron, did you know about this?' Harry asked, still staring up at Bill.

'No,' Ron said, shaking his head in amazement. 'No idea. Ginny?'

'No,' she said, having taken a seat next to Ron. 'Why didn't he tell us? Why didn't Mum and Dad tell us?'

'Maybe it was a last minute thing,' Harry suggested. 'Not like most people are going around clamoring for the job, are they?'

'Yeah, but BILL?' Ron said incredulously. 'Bill's really good at that defensive stuff, don't get me wrong. You'd have to be to be a Curse Breaker for the goblins. But what the hell is he on about? Doesn't he know the Dark Arts job is jinxed?'

'He'd better tell us what the hell is going on,' Ginny said, looking angry. Ron and Harry looked shocked to hear her curse.

'How WEIRD is that going to be, having your older brother teaching you lessons?' Harry said, shaking his head.

'Bollocks,' Ron said, feeling suddenly very testy. The first day of term had thus far been miserable, and learning that his oldest brother was about to become his teacher only capped things. The only positive thing was that he was so angry, his appetite seemed to return. He dished himself up huge mounds of food and began to eat, scowling all the while.

But the food went sour in his mouth when he glanced at Hermione. She was still resolutely not looking at him, but was talking to Neville. Or rather, Neville was talking and she was listening, except that she didn't seem to be listening. She looked strange, almost sad. Ron felt the potatoes he'd just eaten sink into his stomach like a lead weight.

For the first time he was bitterly aware of not talking to Hermione. They'd had plenty of rows in the past and had gone for long stretches without speaking, but somehow this was different. Ron had made Hermione cry--something he had not done in ages--and she had just crumbled, somehow. If she'd just lashed out at him, maybe he wouldn't feel so awful inside.

The chattering went on for a while, but Ron, Harry and Ginny did not speak. They gave only cursory waves to Seamus Finnegan, Dean Thomas, Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown. Pudding appeared, but Ron couldn't even manage a bit of strawberry tart. He was just beginning to wonder whether the stupid feast would ever end, when Dumbledore stood up again.

'I have some announcements. Once again Mr. Filch is insisting that all students read any and all new notices on his office door; by now most of you should know where that is. The Forest is, as usual, completely, totally and utterly out of bounds to all students.' His eyes flickered over to the Gryffindor table. 'That's it. Sleep well, rest up. Tomorrow is a busy day.'

Ron did manage to remember that he and Hermione had to lead the first years to Gryffindor Tower. He followed her out of the Great Hall, motioning to the first years to fall in behind. Hermione said nothing to him, but merely told the first years in brisk tones, 'This way. Keep up.'

They reached the portrait hole and Ron realized he had never learned the password. Hermione said crisply, 'Fainting Fancies,' and the portrait of the fat lady swung open.

The usual celebratory, impromptu party in the common room was in relatively full swing. Ron was slightly amused to see that many of the older students were showing off recent purchases from Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, Fred and George's joke shop in Diagon Alley, but the moment faded and he was quickly miserable again. He was also exhausted, and wanted nothing more than to go to bed.

He let Hermione give the first years their opening speech and let her expound on the rules (she was better at following them anyway), and at the first opportunity he slunk upstairs to his room. Harry was already there, sitting quietly in the window and staring out the window, absently stroking Hedwig's feathers.

'Hey,' Ron said, his voice scratchy.

'Hey,' said Harry, not turning around. 'You and Hermione have another argument?'

'Yeah,' said Ron dully.

'Well, at least that's back to normal,' Harry said, but there was no humor in his voice.

'It was bad,' Ron said, pulling off his robes and tossing them carelessly on his desk chair. 'I...I made her cry.'

Harry said nothing for a moment.

'What did you say to make her do that?' Harry asked, but he did not sound accusatory, for which Ron was grateful.

'I don't know!' Ron said miserably. 'We'd just come out of meeting with the Head Boy and Girl. You know Katie's Head Girl? Anyway, the Head Boy is this ridiculous pretty boy, Eddie Carmichael [Ron spat out the name as though it were stinksap], and he was all over Hermione, drooling all over her head. And she was just eating it up! When's Hermione going to get a clue?'

'Hermione needs a clue?' Harry said, smiling wryly and looking at him.

'Yes!' Ron said angrily, now pacing. 'You should have seen this bloke, Harry. A dirty great prat he was. I can tell you this much, he wasn't slobbering all over Hermione because she's the smartest girl in school.'

Harry smiled and shook his head.

'What?' Ron said, now feeling thoroughly annoyed.

'Then let me guess,' Harry said, tapping his glasses in mock-thoughtfulness. 'Somehow the subject of Krum came up and you got all shirty with her about that, too.'

'Yeah, well, Krum's no different, is he?' Ron said, his voice rising. 'Pen pal, my arse. He's way too old for her! And for pete's sake, he can't even say her name proper. Herm-own-ninny. Are you kidding? And then, then she accuses ME of acting like a git around pretty girls. Well, excuse me. I mean, she's gotten really pretty if you haven't noticed and you don't see me going around acting like I don't have two brain cells to rub together, do you? I'm not salivating all over Hermione like I'm some dog or acting like a complete moron!'

'Oh, no, definitely not,' said Harry, in a tone that made Ron wonder if Harry was being entirely serious. And Ron could swear he saw Harry trying to suppress a smile.

'Are you taking the mickey?' Ron asked, his eyes narrowed.

'No,' Harry said quickly, his face impassive. 'Go on, you were saying?'

'Right, well, I find out she's writing to Krum, yeah, and it bugs me because she told me this summer she's all worked up about not getting to talk to anyone about...about last term and all,' Ron said, suddenly unable to look at Harry. 'And it turns out she's writing to Krum and telling him. I mean, I thought we were her mates, right? Then she says she doesn't want to burden me, like I'm some git who can't handle a bit of her stuff.'

'You know she was writing to Krum about last term?' Harry asked, looking down at his feet.

'Well, yeah,' Ron said shiftily. 'I mean, it sounded that way.'

'You know, Ron, maybe they ARE just friends,' Harry said. 'It's not like it's unheard of, you know, a bloke and a girl being just friends. Hermione and I are just friends, remember?'

'I know,' Ron said, a little defensively. 'But I'm telling you, Krum doesn't want to just be her friend.'

'Sounds to me like you don't want to be her friend, either,' said Harry, stroking Hedwig's feathers again.

'What?' Ron said, incredulously. 'Of course I want to be Hermione's friend! Why do you think I'm so upset about the row we had?'

'Think about it, Ron,' said Harry, giving him a look that to Ron suggested Harry was trying to make a very obvious point to someone very stupid.

'Think about what?' Ron nearly shouted, now feeling even more aggravated than before. Would everyone please stop with all this cute hint-dropping and be up front with him for a change?

'Did you have a word with Bill?' Harry said, changing the subject smoothly. Ron realized he was grateful for this and seized upon a more comfortable thing to complain about.

'No,' Ron said, 'but I will first thing tomorrow, that's for damn sure. Honestly, what's he thinking? Does he have a death wish or something?'

'Not all the Dark Arts teachers have died, you know,' Harry said. 'Maybe Bill will just get sacked like Lupin.'

'Well, I hope he gets sacked tomorrow,' Ron said hotly. 'Do you have any idea how much crap I'm going to get for this? From Fred AND George AND Malfoy and all his little prats. And Mum, she'll be on it. She'll probably have Bill tell her all kinds of dirt about me and I'll get a Howler every other day. WHY are you laughing?'

'Sorry,' Harry said, trying very hard not to snigger.

'Today was bloody awful,' Ron said glumly. 'I'm turning in.'

'Me, too,' said Harry, still smiling.

Harry said nothing more, only got up and put on his pyjamas. Ron noticed that although he looked fitter, physically, than he had this time last year, Harry's shoulders had a pronounced stoop to them, as though his burdens were literally weighing him down. Ron opened his mouth to say something but thought better of it. It'll keep, he thought, Harry'll say something when he's ready. Ron couldn't even begrudge Harry laughing at him, he realized. Let him laugh, Ron thought. Bloke deserves a laugh after what he's had to deal with.

Ron put on his own pyjamas and climbed into bed, knowing he would sleep badly. Between his latest row with Hermione, having to put up with that git of a Head Boy, trying to help Harry through his problems and having his oldest brother as one of his teachers, Ron had never looked forward to starting school less.