Harry Potter and the Ancient Alliance

Chapter 6

Let the Truth Come Out

For the rest of the afternoon the four friends spoke about everything other than the events that took place in Madame Zurconi's tent. The whole experience was quite disturbing and none of them knew what to think. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny rode the Ferris Wheel three times in pairs of two: Ron/Hermione, Harry/Ginny; Ron/Ginny, Hermione/Harry; Ron/Harry, Hermione/Ginny. Ron spent the rest of his money playing games in an attempt to win Hermione prizes and when that failed miserably, he excused himself from the group and went to spend his remaining Knuts on a dozen roses that change a different color every hour. Hermione headed for the books tent once more and Harry took Ginny back to the hair string tent and bought her a dozen different colors. When Ron came back and saw his friends had parted once more, he knew exactly where to find Hermione.

"Hermione?" Ron said handing her the flowers. "I'm sorry I called you silly earlier and I'm sorry about my behavior at the lake. It was stupid of me to tease you about your fear of heights when I have a spider phobia."

Hermione and Ron both blushed as she accepted the flowers.

"Thanks, Ron." she said. "I'm sorry I called you a worthless toad."

"You didn't say that to me," Ron said looking confused.

"I know, I said it in my head. I was angry and I'm very sorry for that," Hermione explained.

"Oh, well, um apology accepted," Ron said.

They both left the books tent side by side and stopped short, Ron's mouth dropped. In front of the hair weaving tent stood Harry and Ginny kissing.

Unaware that Ron and Hermione had seen them, Harry and Ginny ended their kiss, smiled at each other, and walked toward the exit gate, 6 o'clock was almost near. They saw Ron and Hermione come through the gate shortly after them. Ron's face was filled with anger and Hermione's looked guilty as she swung her bag of purchased books as she walked. Harry figured they had been arguing again. For the rest of the night Ron spoke to no one and when he did speak it was in short one to two word sentences. Harry had asked Ron to play chess, but he muttered something about not playing with backstabbers and stormed up to bed early.

"What's gotten into him?" Harry asked Hermione, but she only shrugged and said he and Ron should talk.

Hermione went into the kitchen to find a vase to put her flowers in and Ginny and Harry went upstairs to get ready for bed. Harry went to open the door to Ron's room, but found that he had locked it. Mrs. Weasley, hearing all the commotion of Harry banging on the door and Ron screaming at him to go away, ran up the stairs, took out her wand, pointed it at the door, and said, "Alohamora!" Ron's door opened and Mrs. Weasley went back down to the kitchen. Harry entered the room to find Ron sitting on his bed red faced and arms folded in front of his chest.

"What is going on Ron?" Harry asked. "What's wrong with you?"

"Me!? Me!?" Ron screamed. "I'M fine, but you're the one who's got something wrong with him."

"What are you talking about!?!?" yelled Harry.

"It's not enough that you have more money than me or that you're better at EVERYTHING than me. Or how about the fact that you keep secrets from me. OHHH NOOO! You have to steal my family as well. You won't be happy until you leave me with nothing!" Ron ranted.

Harry stood there dumbfounded.

"What the hell are you going on about?" asked Harry. "I'm not trying to take anything from you!"

"Oh really?" said Ron. "Then you won't mind staying away from my mum and sister!?"

Harry looked even more confused. Ron stood up and pointed an accusing finger at Harry.

"I saw you. I saw my mum hugging you like a baby. I came down the stairs and saw the whole thing! You guys were asleep and she was holding you the way she used to hold me when I was a child! I'M HER SON NOT YOU! You are a Potter not a Weasley and you can't replace me in my own family!! I want you to get--out--of--this--house!" Ron was screaming at the top of his lungs.

Harry was sure the whole house heard and that any minute Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would be in there, but they never came. Instead, Ginny burst through the door with anger all over her face and Hermione was close behind her.

"Stop this at once!" Ginny demanded. "You have no right to speak to Harry like that!"

Ron glared murderously at her.

"Why is that? Because he's your boyfriend?" Ron spat viscously.

Both Harry and Ginny exchanged horrified looks.

"Wha...What are you talking about?" Ginny asked.

"Oh don't lie to me!" shouted Ron at Ginny. "I saw the two of you kissing at the carnival. Right there in public for everyone to see. Have you two NO shame whatsoever? How long has this been going on behind my back? And you!" Ron said looking back at Harry. "You liked my sister and didn't tell me! Some best friend you are!"

"Ron," said Ginny in a gentle tone. "We did not lie or keep secrets from you. This thing with Harry and I just happened. We didn't plan it and we aren't even sure what it is yet."

"Oh so you decided to figure it out by sharing your first kiss in front of the whole entire world?" Ron screamed.

"Well second, actually," admitted Harry. "We first kissed down by the lake yesterday."

Ginny turned bright red and motioned her head for Harry to stop sharing. Tears formed in her eyes and Hermione gave her a hug.

"Why aren't you angry?" Ron asked Hermione. "They lied to you too."

Hermione shot Ron a disgusted glare. "I knew," she informed the group.

"YOU KNEW!" Harry and Ron yelled in surprise.

"H-H-How did you find out?" asked Harry.

"I t-t-told her," answered Ginny through her sobs.

Harry gave Ginny a questioning stare and realized that when she had asked him to keep what happened between them a secret, she hadn't been talking about the kiss.

"Well isn't that just great!" Ron was raging by now. "Everyone knew about this BUT me! You're all backstabbers!"

Harry's anger began to rise.

"Ron, you're a selfish, self-centered git! You are way out of line here!" shouted Harry. "First, what happened that night when you saw your mum hugging me wasn't about you or your family place. It was about me. Your mum understood that I needed a mother's comfort even if I didn't realize it myself. Second, Ginny and I have done nothing wrong and I was not keeping our relationship a secret on purpose. It just happened yesterday!"

"I'm Self-centered? You're Self-centered," Ron retorted. "The great Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived! I mean who bloody well cares that you got lucky as a baby and survived You Know Whose attack. It makes me sick the way people fall all over themselves for you, but if they knew what a manipulative person you are with a huge ego and hero complex then you wouldn't have such an enormous fan club!"

"Ron, you don't understand," explained Harry.

"I understand just fine," said Ron. "You think you're so blessed, but without that scar, you're nothing!"

That was the final straw. Harry lost control.

"You listen to me and you listen good!" Harry replied. "I wish I was nothing, a nobody. I would trade all my money and fame to have my family back. I didn't ask for the fame. I didn't ask for Voldemort to mark me as his equal! Some prophecy foretells that I'm the only one who can defeat him and my whole life gets destroyed because it. I don't want to fight a battle that only one of us can survive, but if I don't or if I fail, who knows what horrible fates await the people I love, like you, your family, Hermione! I envy you. You are rich, in the ways that matter. You understand nothing! Money and fame are not blessings; family, loyalty, and love are! You, Hermione, and Ginny are the ONLY reasons I'm able to accept my fate. I'm willing to die to protect you, all of you!" Harry finished. He suddenly realized that in anger he had just told his friends about the prophecy.

Harry looked around the silent room. Ron and Hermione's faces were frozen in horror and Ginny was still weeping. Harry collapsed onto his bed and buried his head in his hands ashamed of what he had just done. Ginny ran to his side and sat next to him, rubbing his back for comfort. Ron finally sunk into a sitting position on to the floor and Hermione joined his side crying into his shoulder. The four friends sat in silence.

"H-H-Harry." Ron said after a while, his voice cracking. "I'm sorry I said those things. I don't know what got into me. I guess I got jealous, which is no excuse, but I didn't mean it. I'm sorry."

Harry looked up at Ron and nodded in acceptance.

"I'm sorry I yell at you like that, Ginny. I had no right." said Ron.

"It's ok," said Ginny.

"How long have you known about this, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Remember the night we fought the Death Eaters?" Harry asked. They all nodded. "Well, Dumbledore brought me into his office and told me about the prophecy and everything."

"That was months ago!" Hermione shrieked. "You've been burdened with it this long? Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"He didn't want to cause us pain," said Ron answering for Harry. "He was trying to protect us. He was protecting his family."

Harry looked at Ron stunned. He had hit the mark. He understood.