Disclaimer: Their mine!!!!!!! I would be saying that if I were JKR. Unfortunately I'm not... *Author walks away crying*
Recap:
Harry knew he saw. It was impossible for him not to see from the view he had. It won't be long before he says…
"WHAT THE HELL?"
Ron is going to kill me
Chapter 12: Fights and Snakes
It was all a big blur. Harry couldn't think straight. He had the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. His head was ringing, the room was spinning. Hermione was concerned. He could tell because she was trying to sit him up with a look of panic on her face. She looked up at Ron and started yelling but Harry couldn't hear her. That's when it all came rushing back to him.
Ron walked in on his and Hermione's first real snog. He knew Ron would be mad. He knew Ron would want to hit him. He knew Ron would feel betrayed. He knew Ron would be vicious. What Harry didn't know was the speed and good left hook Ron possessed.
Before Harry could open his mouth to try to explain, Ron darted at him and knocked him down with one blow. Of course Harry would never say he was knocked out by Ron, because technically he never lost consciousness… he was just a little dazed.
Ok he was completely shook up. That wasn't the problem though. Over the years he learned to take these types of hits. The problem was the look of pure hatred on his friend's face. He only got that look from his uncle, and that was only when he was in for trouble.
When Harry got all of his senses back he looked at Hermione and gave her a small nod indicating that he was alright. She refused to let him go without a fight but Harry had too much strength for her. He may have looked small but he could take on another boy his age. He jumped up before she could get a good grip on him.
He still felt the blood running out his mouth but he wasn't going to take this sitting down… or on the floor. If Ron wanted a fight he was going to get one.
"You have EVERYTHING! And you took the girl you knew I wanted. You're nothing but a stupid half-blood and YOU. You're a filthy mudblood like Malfoy said."
Harry was waiting for another physical punch, but the emotional blow he got was enough to knock him down again. He never thought he would hear Ron say those things. But shock and hurt weren't the only things that Harry was feeling. He was feeling rage. Far more rage than he ever felt before.
"Harry! You need to stay calm. If you retaliate you'll be just as bad as him! He'll get in trouble either way, don't get yourself in trouble too!" Hermione could sense his rage towards Ron.
They were standing face to face both red with anger. Ron slightly taller than Harry but he sure wasn't intimidated by him.
The rest of the Gryffindor students started piling in after dinner. And they could all tell what happened. Ron hadn't been exactly subtle about his flirting with Hermione. But on the other hand they all knew about Harry and Hermione's friendship before Hogwarts. They all saw it coming and no one was going to stop it; it looked like a soon to be good fight.
Purse-he, as the twins liked to call him, was trying to make his way through the crowd.
"WHAT IS GOING ON? I am prefect and I deserve some answers! Get out of my way! Let me see what is going on." He took in the scene before him and took a deep breath for the patented Percy call for McGonagall, when suddenly a silencing charm was place on him, leaving him red with yelling. The twins snickered and congratulated each other, while Percy ran off to find McGonagall.
Harry and Ron noticed none of this. "What did you call us!?" his voice was shaking with anger.
"I called you a half-blood and she's a filthy mudblood. You both stabbed me in the back. She was the first girl I liked and you STOLE her. She's just a mudblood like your mother"
There were gasp and whispers of "did he just say those things?" "Was that Ron Weasley?" "I know he didn't just talk about his momma."
Before Hermione could reach for Harry, he charged at Ron knocking both of them to the floor. Harry was struggling to get a hit in but Ron's arms were too long. He pushed him off and made a swing at Harry but he was too fast. Harry moved his head and Ron smashed his fist against the hard floor. You could hear the crack of his knuckles breaking from the impact. Harry was going to stop, thinking that that was enough punishment for anybody, but Ron wasn't finished.
For him to be a 12 year old Ron had a lot of endurance. He broke his hand for Merlin's sake!
He attacked Harry and knocked him down again and gave his a punch in the stomach with his other good hand. Harry wasn't affected by it; his adrenaline was pumping too fast. His temper was getting out of control. His magic was raging from his core. All Harry could see was red. And like a ticking bomb it all exploded. His magic surged through him like the pure electricity of lightening.
Every one took a gasp as Ron flew on the other side of the room with enough force to make the thick Hogwarts walls crumble.
Everyone in the room was afraid that the force could have killed Ron. They sighed in relief when he staggered to get up and glared daggers at Harry. He had hatred in his eyes but they knew the fight was over. Ron Weasley was about to be the next patient in the school's hospital.
Harry ran over with unnatural speed and gave Ron one last punch. The one punch he knew he needed. The one punch that knocked Ron out cold. The one punch that made every one that was watching in the common room fear the twelve year old Boy-Who-Lived.
Harry Potter was giving off a force so strong that they all began to back away and try to find the nearest thing to hide behind.
Hermione was staring at the boy before her in shock. He had a strange glow about him. It was like the rage completely took over his mind. She knew he would have to learn to control it. She knew he could possibly be one of the most powerful wizards to walk the earth. But if he didn't know how to control it he could be the most dangerous person to be around.
She stepped forward as Harry breathed deeply and looked down on the unconscious Ron. She slowly reached out and gently touched his arm. He jerked around and looked her in the eyes. She couldn't be scared if she wanted to. Those were the same eyes of the Harry she has known and became best friends with. She knew he wouldn't hurt her.
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" Poor McGonagall looked like she was going to pass out.
Albus Dumbledore walked in after her and even he had to gasp at the sight before him.
Poppy and Snape were the last to enter and they were both too shocked to move.
There was a crumbled Ronald Weasley, a calming Harry Potter, a worried Hermione Granger, and an entire room full of scared Gryffindor students. It was unbelievable! They were scared brave people (talk about an oxymoron). Poppy ran over to Ron and checked him over. The twins and Percy ran forward to see about their little brother. And Ginny was crying wondering about how Ron was going to be.
Poppy looked up and told everyone "He will be fine. He was knocked out, and he's sore. He suffers from a fractured hand, but he should be just fine in a few days. Until then, he will be in the hospital wing. Weasleys if you would please follow me. I'll be sure to contact your parents."
The four Weasley children followed Madam Pomfrey out to the hospital while she levitated Ron and had Snape follow after her to make healing potions.
"I demand an explanation!" Dumbledore never used that tone of voice. Students tried to go to their dorms but he stopped them. "You will not leave until I find out what happened" He looked around at all of the students, trying to find one that looked honest enough. "What happened Mr. Longbottom?"
Neville was actually shaking. "Erm. Uuuh. Professor. I don't know exactly what happened. When we came in from dinner they were all ready to fight. Then Harry asked Ron what he just said and Ron called Harry a s…stupid half blood and he called Hermione a…a…a mudblood, sir."
Neville bowed his head in shame as if he was the one that called them those names. "Harry got really mad and Ron flew to the wall. When he got up Harry hit him and he passed out. That's all I saw sir" It was deathly quiet in the tower.
"Is what Mr. Longbottom said true?" Most of the people nodded a yes.
"Mister Potter what cause this confrontation in the first place?" Harry wouldn't answer he just kept his eyes to the floor.
Hermione spoke up for him before Dumbledore could get mad. "Professor, Harry and I are boyfriend and girlfriend. We didn't tell anyone because things are too dangerous for Harry. Ron started to like me after I had already been dating Harry for a month. He's been flirting none stop, but we kept our secret. Harry and I were…um… well, we were, kissing" all the students took a gasp, and Hermione glared at them. "Oh grow up. I saw Seamus kissing….um… well anyway, Ron walked in and knocked Harry down. He called us the names Neville said and they began to fight."
McGonagall was furious "I WILL NOT TOLORATE FIGHTING IN MY HOUSE!!! NOR WILL I TOLORATE YOUTH KISSING!!!" She was just about to take 3 million points away from Gryffindor when Dumbledore stopped her.
"Now Minerva, can you honestly say that at that age you weren't curious about a kiss?" She stared wide eyed gaping like a fish. "Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger come with me. The rest of you are required to stay in here for the rest of the night." Before the door closed they heard the excited chatter of the students talking about the latest fight.
***Dumbledore's Office***
Harry and Hermione were sitting in the two chairs across the Headmaster's desk.
McGonagall was still very upset. Her lips were completely invisible now.
And Dumbledore was looking very pensive. He took a deep breath and looked at Harry. "You could have been expelled Harry. In fact I am tempted to do so." Hermione gasped and gave Harry an `I told you so look'. He shrank down in his chair looking mortified and embarrassed all in one.
"BUT I cannot do that. Since Mr. Weasley was the first to throw a punch, you were defending yourself. Mr. Weasley will not be expelled either the damage done to him is enough punishment. BUT YOU BOTH will serve a month of detention."
Hermione smiled, obviously thinking that punishment was fit. Harry scowled at the fact of having a detention when he was defending himself. "Professor! I was protecting myself! He attacked me. What was I supposed to do walk away and tell!? I'm not afraid of him!"
Dumbledore stood up with enough force that made the two women jump "You will not defy my judgment! You should have told someone he was attacking you!"
Little Harry Potter stood up with just as much force and yelled "Well next time Voldemort wants to take over, I'll let him kill me and come back as a ghost and tell you about it!" Dumbledore's face paled and he took in a deep gasp.
"You see! What was I supposed to do!? He knocked me OUT umm…. He knocked me down. Yes knocked me DOWN! I was just gonna runaway? NO! I was defending myself and Hermione. I will not be walked over again. Especially by someone I know I can take on!"
"YOU COULD HAVE KILLED HIM. Your powers are not in control. Your magic threw another student against the wall and then you knocked him down, and then at his weakest moment you punched him! That was a dirty way of fighting Mister Potter." McGonagall was getting even madder than she was before. How dare a student talk back to Dumbledore after he was just in a fight like that!
"Trying to kill a baby was just as bad, wasn't it? Beating up a little boy that can't possible have any defense is just as bad. Calling your best friends a half-blood and mudblood are JUST AS BAD!"
Everyone was quiet thinking over what Harry had said.
"sssssssstarting to defy the headmassster. NICCCCE!"
Harry turned around and looked. He saw nothing but he got up and tried to follow the trail of the snake-like voice.
He ran to the door when, "HARRY" everyone looked at Hermione and Harry was startled.
"You don't hear it! Let's follow it!"
Tears began to fall from her eyes "Harry no one is talking"
Harry looked down trying to take everything in. He knew he heard someone say `starting to defy the headmaster. Nice'. Harry looked up to see the others staring at him.
He started to shake. He knew those looks weren't good "What's happening to me?"
"Harry you are starting to release new powers. Wandless magic being one. You will start you training sooner than we expected. If you don't learn control, you anger could seriously harm more students than just Mister Weasley" Dumbledore sounded a bit frantic. Harry nodded "You said you heard a voice. Harry what did it say?"
"It said `starting to defy the headmaster. Nice" McGonagall and Albus looked at one another with concern in their eyes. "what does it mean?"
"I don't know but we will find out soon; I have my suspicions though. Until then you and miss Granger will head to the tower" Harry and Hermione began to walk away. "Oh and Harry you and Mister Weasley will serve your detentions with your head of house" Harry nodded and walked away.
The walk to the tower was silent. Halfway through Harry stopped Hermione, "Are you mad at me?"
Hermione smiled "No Harry. I understand why you fought. I just thought it would be nice to let you know what would happen. You got your punishment anyway." Harry laughed a little. But Hermione's face didn't falter, "Harry, this is serious. Hearing voices, even in the wizarding world, is bad. The good thing is Dumbledore knows, and he's searching for an answer."
Harry nodded slowly then his head perked up and snapped to the left. And he ran off at full speed. Hermione ran after him. In fact she was happy that she could keep up. I knew I was athletic!
They stopped at the sight before them. Mrs. Norris was hanging in the air and appeared to be dead. A group of Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were on their way to their towers and saw Harry Potter standing by the cat, with what looked to be blood on the walls saying `The Chamber has now been re-opened. Enemies of the heir beware' They started talking about how Harry could do such a thing. And he ran off with Hermione hot on his heals.
***Next Day***
Harry woke up earlier than usual and expected to see the others in bed, but they weren't. He didn't think too much of it until he went down stairs and not even one person was in the common room. He was starting to panic. What's going on? Where is everyone? He ran full speed to the Great Hall and saw all the students sitting there staring at him. Hermione stood up from her chair in a corner with a small table and he walked over to her.
"What's going on? Why are you over here? And why is everyone looking at us?"
"Harry, they all put some things together. The Gryffindors were talking about what happened with Ron last night and the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were talking about the message on the wall. They put two and two together and came up with the conclusion that you killed Mrs. Norris and opened the Chamber of Secrets. They think you are the heir to Slytherin Harry."
The gossip was getting louder, everyone was staring at Harry. Filch limped over to Harry and said, "YOU DID IT. YOU KILLED MY CAT…she was my everything"
His everything? What kinda lonely life does this man have?
"SILENCE!" everyone looked at Dumbledore. "Harry Potter was with me last night. He was getting a detention for the fight he had with a friend of his. And Mrs. Norris isn't dead. She has been petrified. Everyone will travel in the halls with groups of two to be safe from whatever is doing this. Now I will not tolerate this kind of disrespect to ones own classmate. Resume you breakfast"
Yeah right, like that will stop them. This is going to be a horrible year.
Harry looked over at Hermione and grabbed her hand. "Hermione I'm sorry. I'm always the reason you don't have friends, first with Dudley and now at Hogwarts"
"I'm fine Harry. I have you. We are the BEST of friends and even more. No need for a bunch of friends that will turn against you. I'm more than fine with this Harry. You have nothing to worry about." They shared a smile and went back to their food. I have someone by my side.
***9 Days Later***
Ronald Weasley was just released from the hospital. He was getting updates on everything that was happening from Fred, George and Ginny. She was the most unsettling though. She would disappear and come back tired and unfocused.
She told him how she knew Harry and Hermione were together. She saw them kissing this past summer. She said she wanted them to tell the truth. He didn't believe that was all though. After him forcing more out of her, she admitted that she liked Harry and wanted them to break up.
She told how she set Hermione up at the breakfast table too. He was upset. More at the fact that Ginny was playing footsies with Harry. She cried and begged for forgiveness and said if it weren't for her, none of the horrible thing would have happened.
They talked for hours and eventually they got closer than they ever were before. Over the days Ginny confided in her brother. She told him that bad things were happening. Bad things were going to get worse.
He was scared at the look on her face as she said it. And yet he wanted to cry because she was hurting and he couldn't fix it. He didn't know what to think. So he just hugged his sister every time she came in with tears in her eyes for no known reason, or none that she would tell him about.
Fred and George would tell him about everything that was going on with Harry.
At first Ron didn't want to hear it. But when they told about the cryptic message and the Chamber of Secrets, he got into the stories. He didn't believe Harry would do those things. Fred and George obviously didn't believe it either and that was a good thing.
Over the next few days Ron thought over everything. He knew Harry was powerful; he had the bruises to prove it. But he still couldn't help but think there was more to this story. It's like something was missing.
Then there was Hermione. He should have seen the signs. Always together. Best friends. Studying in the summer. It all made since! They had been together all along. The twins told him that the couple admitted that they wanted to keep her safe from followers of You-Know-Who. He should have known.
He ignored all the times Harry would glare at him for staring at her or flirting with her. He felt bad that he took the one thing Harry ever wanted. And to think, that's what I said to him.
He even knew they weren't going to be good together. She was more Harry's type. She studies in the summer for crying out loud! THE SUMMER!
Ron felt bad. Sure he was mad at Hermione and Harry. Sure he was mad that they kept it secret. But he was mad at himself. He acted no better than Malfoy that day. He had to make up with his friend…after detention of course
***One, two, three BREAK***
Harry walked to McGonagall's office she said he had to scrub the floors with a brush. And by the end of the week she expected him and Ron to have the whole first floor done.
Talk about punishment. This is torture. Clean the floors with someone who wants to kill me. I would have rather degrease Snape's hair.
He walked into the office to see Ron waiting with his brush in hand. Harry walked over to the other bucket and brush and tried not to look at Ron.
He walked out to the hall and got on the floor and began to scrub. He thought that maybe Ron would start going the other way and they would never have to see each other, but Ron started scrubbing next to Harry.
After a half hour of scrubbing in silence Ron spoke up.
"Harry, I'm sorry"
What did he just say?
"What did you just say?" (Sorry I love that in movies lol)
"I said I'm sorry Harry. I should have been a friend and not attack you like that. I should have never called you those names. I feel disgusting. I was as low as Malfoy."
"Usually it won't be that easy to be forgiven. But I need all the friends I can get so you're forgiven Ron. I will tell you this only once. I need true friends and not phony people who will turn on me every chance they get, but I should have told you from the start. Hermione and I we like each other a lot and would love if you would still be a friend. Am I forgiven too?"
"Sure and I'd love that but, I need time to get used to the idea. I can't have any more shocks like the last time."
"Well we should get back to the floors. McGonagall will kill us if she saw us speaking"
"Yeah. I heard that she was going to take off millions of points from our house. Hermione would have been working double time to get them back" They laughed and got back to work.
***Same night in the common room***
Harry and Ron slumped back into the common room. Fingers tired, aching, and filled with scrapes. Hermione was waiting up and rushed to them when they stepped in.
"Are you okay? You both look horrible!"
Ron rolled his eyes "Thanks a lot Hermione and here I thought I was looking good with my Filch posture"
"Oh Ron, you know what posture is! I'm so happy for you"
"Ha bloody ha ha"
Harry laughed at the two. He knew they would be good friends once all the tension was settled.
"I know a few healing spells. I learned from McGonagall during tutoring. I kept burning myself with sparks from my wand when I first got it. So I think they would work for these little scrapes."
"They aren't that little they are man scrapes from man work. Right Ron?"
"Yeah. She had us scrubbing the floors with our bare hands. She's mental I tell you!"
Hermione rolled her eyes, "So let me get this straight, she had you scrubbing floors with brushes? And you assumed you had to use your hands although she may have never said don't use magic? Did your aprons get too dirty?"
Ron scowled. He looked at his hands and his scrapes were gone. "You worked fast…I'm sorry to you too Hermione."
"I knew you two made up! And we are okay too Ron."
Hermione was so happy that she hugged them both.
"EW! NO! I don't want your… girl feelings to rub off on me, I'm gonna go to bed. See you guys tomorrow"
"I'm glad he's a friend Harry, things should be easier now."
Harry laughed, "You must have forgot, all of the school thinks that I'm a cat killer. I'm getting tired. I'm gonna head off. See you in the morning?"
"Yeah goodnight Harry" They hugged and went their separate ways.
Harry got in his bed and drifted off to sleep.
***Closer than anyone could imagine***
The snake slithered behind a young boy with a camera.
"I know you're out here! Where are you!? I know you had detention tonight" The boy thought he had him so he turned around to quickly snap a picture of his hero Harry Potter and immediately froze with his camera to his face.
The snake slithered by as young Colin hit the floor with a thump. He was petrified.
A/N: Hi all! Yep I actually updated. Sorry for the wait but I had finals to take care of. I seriously think I flunked my Political science test but I did well enough throughout the year to pass the class with a C+ or B- (I'm getting off subject). Hope you all liked this chapter. It was fun to write, but I wanted to set the plot for the Chamber of Secrets so it wasn't as funny as the other chapters.
For a certain friend *cough Crazy_Teddy cough* that hate Harry and Ron still being friends…HAHAHAHAHA (I'm gonna get hell for that later). To all that hate that they made up, I need him for my plot and further down the line. So they made up 10 days later.
Don't forget to review! Thanks to all of the past reviewers it's appreciated!
Monisa
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