October 27th, 1991, Hogwarts, The Grand Hall, 8:30 AM.
A lot has happened since Ron's officially became a Seeker for the Gryffindor's team.
The red-haired's lazy bones were nowhere to be seen, as he would always be accompanied by either Oliver or Professor McGonagall for his seeker training programme.
Those visible traces of tiredness were etched on his pale face for the first week, but soon the red-haired boy adapted rather quickly. Harry could also see the boy's genuine enthusiasm for the sport and his determination.
Perhaps that had something to do with spending more time rivalling Draco and being with his brother; the twins were also on the team too.
Still, his negligence for classes was as always, rendering Ron to fall under Professor McGonagall's supervision.
And well, it was indeed helpful to Ron's study. At least now, he could stay awake in classes for the first 15 minutes before falling asleep; though, the boy was more crafty about it, as he could avoid being spotted by the professors most of the time.
Hermione lived up to her title as the smartest witch of her age and another one... implicitly called 'Gryffindor's earing points machine'.
Most of the time, you would find her immersed in her mountains of books in the library or out with the quartet and during classes, she would also be the one to answer questions.
However, what people didn't know was that the girl was very self-conscious about her abilities. Magically.
She's been nagging Harry to teach her how to do Lumos like he did ever since that lesson.
Harry was happy to do so, yet, much to his surprise, Hermione was really having a hard time doing it despite having successfully performed many spells written for the first-years, even some that Harry considered quite advanced.
Of course, giving was her forte so with enough practice and analysis, the girl did at least get a grasp of how to do it after three week.
Through this, Harry also understands that Hermione was a book-smart and strictly 'by the book' person. The bushy-haired girl would always quote and unquote everything she had read in the books, rarely pondering the nature of everything.
'Hmm, quite contrary to Luna.' Harry remarked inwardly.
Draco had been doing quite well, as usual. Aside from beating Ron's in their rivalry challenges, the boy soon showed what a true excellent Slytherin was supposed to be; his charming mannerism, ambition, confidence, and cunningness were visible everywhere he went.
The boy's performance in classes were also praised by many of the professors, diminishing the ideal of another ignorant, loud mouthed, insolent pure-blood-Slytherins-boys.
The slick blonde-haired boy never batted an eye to those feeble prejudices about him spending quality time with the Gryffindor or other houses, others being normal students.
Theodore and his gang were the loudest among them all, harassing Draco and the quartet repeatedly
Though Draco would swiftly put them in their places every time.
Still, there was one time that Theodore and his gang said something that truly pissed Draco off. Harsh words were coming back and forth, and as a big fight was about to erupt, a witness to the whole event intercepted.
Hagrid, the warm big half giants, was there to interfere. After he scared off Theodore's gang, the quartet was invited to his hut near the forbidden forest.
There, the quartet had quite an interesting experience; they got to know more about the humble man, his disastrous cookies, his adorable pet, Fang, as well as the man's subtlety and his heartfelt words to Draco, praising the boy for his nobility to stand up for his friends like that.
"Nobility is in your character, not status." Draco said proudly. "Uncle Sam taught me that... He really changed my life."
'Uncle Sam...huh, how coincidence.' Harry blinked in surprise at the name mentioned.
As for our Boy Who Lived, Harry was doing quite well, dodging uncomfortable gazes left and right, successfully establishing the image of a shy boy always with his hood on and carrying a brown leather satchel, rarely leaving Hermione, Ron, or Draco's side.
Classes for Harry had been quite good, except, of course, for Potions.
He still remembered his first potion lesson here at Hogwarts: Professor Snape's dramatic entrance, his signature flat tone, the way he spoke, his unwavering, always seemed to be in displeasure facial expression.
And on top of that, his obviously despicable gazes towards Harry.
"Ah, Mr. Potter, our new celebrity..." Professor Snape's mouth curled up into a sneer.
The boy gulped, trying to avoid gazes like knives piercing his skin.
"Tell me..." Professor Snape continued in a rather brisk tone, "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
There was brief silence before Snape chuckled coldly, "It seem you don-"
"Y-You'd g-get a s-sleeping potion s-so powerful it is k-known as the D-draught of Living D-death...P-professor."
Just then, once again, under everyone's amazement, Harry answered correctly.
"Who taught you that? It's obviously someone like you, who couldn't even speak properly, are one of the selected few who possess the predisposition."
"M-my D-dad...s-sir." Harry answered truthfully, while Professor Snape narrowed at Harry's word.
"So it's true..." The professor mumbled, "Moving on, today I will..."
Afterwards, every time it was Potions, Profesor Snape would bombard the boy with numerous questions and utter mockeries, picking off even his smallest mistakes; should Harry fail to answer correctly, and even if the boy did answer correctly, there was never a point given.
Still, Harry endured it all, proving his capabilities to the grumpy professor.
As for the flying lesson, Madam Hooch instructed the first-year students in the basics of flying, Her class was quite exhilarating and a little scary for Harry. After all, this was officially his first time riding a broom. Still, the experience of flying with Ethan back then did help the boy perform better.
Unfortunately, Neville injures himself by falling off his broom. He kicked off the ground a bit too vigorously, shot straight up into the air, then fell off his broom, thus breaking his wrist. Madam Hooch escorted him to the Hospital Wing, thus ending the classes abruptly.
Poor Neville, yet Theodore and his two goons could still laugh out loud at that, which only worsened their image in other eyes.
As his roommates, Harry and Ron did visit the chubby boy later on.
"Madam Pomfrey mended it in about a minute." Neville smiled brightly, much to their relief.
Back to the present, today was like any other Sunday.
Harry and Hermione were having a few wizard chess games over their breakfast.
"Pawn to e4." Harry nonchalantly moves the pawn while nibbing on his sanwich, seasoned with spices sent by Ethan.
"Ugh, this moves again, really, Harry." Frustration was etched on the bright witch's face as her bushy hair was bushier than ever after having lost three straight games to Harry.
Hermione calmed herself down with a gulp of lemonade tea brewed by Harry, racking her brain as to how to counter these opening moves.
One must know that somehow playing chess was really her forte.
*Thud Thud Thud*
Coming in with heavy steps and panting was Ron, who just got back from his daily training with Oliver.
"For Merlin's sake! How can Oliver keep this up." Slumped the table, Ron uttered in distress.
"Practice made perfect." Hermione comforted the exhausted Ron, patting the red-haired back while Harry pushed him a glass of lemonade tea.
"Not 5 in the morning! Almost everytime!... And oh, this is pretty good; thanks, Harry." Having drowned the lemonade in one gulp, Ron's complexion had livened up drastically.
"W-was it t-that bad?" Harry asked, pouring Ron another glass.
"I'm telling you that Oliver Wood must have cast some kind of endless stamina enchanment on himself; the man was, like, genuinely unhinged! He was acting like he'd just downed three cups of black tea and caffeinated coffee!" Ron exclaimed
"Like, who would meticulously explain batsh..."
"Language Ron." Hermione sent invisible glare whilst calculating her next move after Harry had just dismantled both her knights.
"Ehem...batfreak game plans at 5 in the morning to his fully half-asleep teammates? We were forced to endure that for thirty minutes straight, almost every time,before beginning his 'usual routine'." Ron's face was tinged with helplessness towards his unhinged captain. "What a crazed Scotsman."
"Come on, Oliver seems... not as unhinged as you said; don't be so dramatic." Hermione raised her eyebrows at Ron's exclamations.
"Dramatic!? Just ask Fred and George; they even memorised the speech he would always give before each match.
"And, according to them, Oliver would shout, "Never back down, never what," three in the morning." Ron smirked as he went on to describe Oliver's nonchalant face whilst describing absurd accidents in Quidditch.
Thinking of such a scene sent shivers down both Hermione and Harry.
"Badmouthing your captain isn't noble of you, Ronald. Mr. Wood is actually a very responsible, enthusiastic, and determined captain; I'd say the man would make it to quidditch professionally. He was made for it." Draco slid in beside Harry with his bright grin.
Seeing Draco Harry also slide him a glass of lemonade.
"Pfft!. Enthusiastic, you mean obsession." Ron retorted, while Draco just shrugged.
Afterwards, Draco and Ron once again had a heated debate whilst competing in wizard chess; Hermione went back to finishing off her homework and Harry continued reading his detective books.
"Well, Well, Well Potter, reading nonsensical muggle books of yours again, I see."
Harry didn't even look up to know that Theodore and his goons are here again. 'Ignorant as ever,' Harry scoffed inwardly.
"And I see, you still have nothing better to do, Theodore." Ron immediately glared back.
"Aw, still hiding behind your little friends, Petty Potter." Theodore's voice was spikey and irritating as ever
"Oh my Theodore, do you have optical problems? Last I remember, all of us are the same height; tsk tsk tsk, you should check those eyes of yours, really." Draco chimed with his grin.
"Draco... Such a let down." Theodore diverted his gaze to Ron.
...
'Oh, no' Harry had a worried look on his face as things were escalating out of the square.
Cunning as he was, the sly, lanky boy managed to piss off Ron, leading him to accept the duel in the Trophy Room that evening, out in the open, before a lot of eyes in the great hall.
"Don't be a coward, Ronny; bye-bye." Theodore chuckle coldly as he walked away, leaving a hot headed Ron with various gazes from the onlookers.
It was then that Ron realised he had made a mistake.
"Idiot." Both Hermione and Dracon shook their heads in union while Harry comforted the now dumbfounded Ron.
Even Harry could see that this was a lose-lose for Ron.