Solis

Chapter XXXVIII

Alabaster teleported them through the mist towards the Quidditch World Cup. And Ron wanted to tell you that, teleporting through mist while in chariots is like teleporting through magical transportation. It still makes you feel nauseous and queasy, nothing changes.

The a crowd of wizards, tightly packed and moving together with wands pointing straight upward, was marching slowly across the field. They looked drunk and laughing at glee as they burned tents by tents. Floating along the midair as he looked up, was a man, his wife and two of her children. More wizards were joining the marching group, laughing and pointing up at the floating bodies. Tents crumpled and fell as the marching crowd swelled as the screams grew louder and louder.

In the chaos, other witches and wizards were seen screaming and fleeing towards the woods. Austin and Kayla exchanged glances while adjusting the straps of their quiver, which was filled with arrows Alabaster had magically replenished, as they soared towards the deserted moor.

"They're hurting the mortals!" Kayla exclaimed.

"There's a child," Ron said, his arrows aimed at the group of wizards, with more joining them.

"What should we do?" Austin asked, and they all turned their attention to the family, who had been turned upside down. They were playing with the youngest child, spinning him around, causing his head to flop limply from side to side, and the child was crying.

The demigods watched with anger, and Ron was the angriest of them all. Ministry wizards was dashing from every direction towards the oncoming marchers, wands out. The crowd beneath the family was larger than ever; they could see the Ministry wizards trying to get through it to the hooded wizards in the center, but they were having great difficulty. It looked as though they were scared to perform any spell that might make the family fall.

"I'll get the children, you two get the rest!" Ron shouted.

The fact that they only had two chariots, with a maximum capacity of three people each, didn't deter Ron from rescuing the four mortals.

Kayla nodded, and they swooped down towards the group of wizards. Austin shot an arrow into the ground, causing it to explode in a bright white flash. Some of the masked wizards fell to the ground, and Austin grabbed the man by his clothes and placed him in the chariot.

Ron quickly loaded the children onto the chariot as he approached them.

Austin and Kayla successfully got the woman aboard, and all four of them struggled to balance themselves in the chariot.

"Can you spot Lou and the others?" Kayla shouted, and they headed towards the group of Ministry of Wizards, who were left in surprise with their mouths agape. However, the demigods didn't have time to dwell on their reaction. They landed in the nearest woods, far from the crowd. A few witches and wizards in the woods screamed when they saw them.

The frightened muggles quickly climbed out and huddled together, with their children clinging to them, crying.

"There are still more!" Kayla exclaimed as they spotted a group of dark wizards levitating more mortals. The three of them exchanged nods and took to the sky, rescuing as many as they could. Ron threw three balls that created a loud explosion, causing the dark wizards to stumble and stunning them.

"Lou!" Ron shouted when he spotted a group of twenty demigods with weapons and wands drawn. They had managed to render most of the masked wizards unconscious as they landed in the campsite before them. Many of the remaining masked wizards were teleporting out.

"Guys!" Lou exclaimed, "You made it!"

"We managed to help the mortals," Ron explained as they exited the chariot. "What happened—?"

"Dark wizards," Lou mouthed, her expression grave. "They're a threat to the wizarding world. We need to get out of here; the Ministry spotted us," she said, told them to scatter and regroup at the campsite once everyone had calmed down. Ron nodded to his two siblings, and they followed him toward another group of witches and wizards. The pegasus and chariot shivered in mists and disappeared. 

"What was that, are they really that bad?" Kayla asked as they walked.

"Yeah," Ron replied. "Very bad, but we managed to make some of them unconscious," he added.

"So, even here.. everyone is not safe," Austin observed, looking at the people emerging from the woods as they returned to the campsite.

"Yeah," Ron agreed weakly, and then they noticed two people with red hair. Ron's head snapped at their direction, and his eyes widened.

"Bill!?" Ron shouted, and the two redheads looked up and spotted them. Bill was clutching his bleeding arm, and there was a lot of blood. Beside him was Charlie.

"Ron!? What are you doing—I thought—" Bill hissed a bit, but Ron quickly checked and healed his wound, bandaging it with the bandages he had taken from Alabaster's bathroom, "Where did you go? I thought you were in New York—blimey, who are they? What happened to your clothes—?"

"We—we need to go back to the tent, first," Charlie said, eyeing the three of them and their quivers.

"I'll explain later, c'mon," Ron urged. They headed towards a nearby tent, with Bill entering first, followed by Charlie. Kayla and Austin exchanged questioning glances as they followed Ron inside, all of them curious about the situation.

"Whoa!" The three of them gasped, their eyes wide with excitement as they looked around. The interior of the tent resembled a fully furnished room, complete with a living room, kitchen, and bathroom. Suddenly, four figures entered the tent. Percy had a bleeding nose, the twins and Ginny appeared shaken and surprised to see Ron there.

"Ron, what are you doing here? When did you—" Percy began, his voice filled with questions.

"Just a little while ago," Ron replied.

Percy looked at his two siblings in astonishment. Ron introduced them, saying, "This is Kayla and Austin, my siblings."

Their mouths dropped open in surprise as Kayla and Austin waved shyly. "Nice to meet you!" Kayla said trying to be cheerful.

"You have...two siblings?" Charlie stammered in shock.

"So Margaretta—?" Percy began.

"Merlin—"

"We have two more cousins—"

"Oh, no, no," Ron interjected, shaking his head at them. "It's actually my dad with another...It's a long explanation. So, what in Hades happened here?" Just then, three more figures appeared at the entrance of the tent. Harry and Hermione entered with Ron's uncle, Arthur.

Hermione's eyes widened, and she exclaimed, "Ron!"

"Guys!" Ron waved at them. "I'm sorry, what happened—?"

His uncle appeared almost on the verge of fainting in surprise, but he composed himself and walked further into the tent. Bill started asking about the mark in the sky and who had conjured it, mentioning Death Eaters, leaving the three confused. Ron crossed his arms as they listened to the conversation. It became clear that whoever had harmed those mortals, it was the Death Eaters. His uncle shared the terror of seeing the Dark Mark hovering above your house and knowing what it meant.

"Then," Ron began when it got quiet, "Why not teach wizards and witches, especially the young ones, to fight?"

Kayla agreed, "You're right. If there's a coming war, you should be prepared to fight."

"If this Voldemort, whoever that is, is rising, then you should be prepared," Austin said. "We'll help if you want," he added, making everyone react with fear at the name.

They stared at the trio for a moment. "Ron, who are these people...?" Arthur asked, clearly taken aback.

"Siblings," Ron replied.

"S-s-siblings? Is Margaretta—?" Arthur stammered.

"No, they're from Dad's side," Ron explained. "Think about it, if there are thousands of witches and wizards, and you didn't use your wand to help the Ministry wizards fight off the Death Eaters earlier, what was the purpose of us having a wand?"

"Ron, you don't understand—" Bill started. "You-Know-Who, everyone was terrified of him, you could not just ask someone to fight with you—"

"Well, he's returning, so what's your plan?" Ron asked, arching an eyebrow, while his brother nudged him and whispered about Lou.

Ron looked at them with disappointment, maybe because he was tired from their quest. He hadn't gotten enough sleep or food, and he couldn't help but feel frustrated with his own kind for expecting something from them. "I'll come back later; we have something to take care of outside," he announced. He noticed Harry's concerned gaze but chose to ignore it as they hurried out of the tent.

Twenty demigods gathered in the middle of the campsite. Because of them the Ministry wizards had managed to fend off some of the Death Eaters, making it easier for them. Ron then shared what happened on his quest, and Lou hugged the three of them.

"If something happened here, we'll fight," Jaymie declared, brandishing her spear instead of her wand. "We'll seek revenge for what they did to those mortals!"

"If there's a war, my people will lend their support," Fraya promised. "Salem was ready to curse!"

Ron expressed his gratitude with a nod. "But first, we need to free Hecate and the minor gods from their prisons so she can help us," he explained.

Lou and her siblings gave Ron a determined look. "We'll do everything in our power to help you," she affirmed.

"Return to camp and tell Chiron and others about what happened." He then turned to his two siblings. "Thank you guys for coming with me..." he said as Austin and Kayla hugged him tightly.

"If you go on another quest, we'll be right there with you," Austin said.

Ron hesitated for a moment, then said, "Yeah, but it's the Underworld... It's dangerous..."

"Dangerous? We've faced plenty of danger," Kayla replied confidently. "If it's my time to go, then so be it. And oh my gods—speaking of that, I remember about the newspaper," which earned a groan from Austin.

The conversation continued until finally, Ron's two siblings joined the others so that they could escort them back to camp. Ron bid them farewell, saying, "I'll see you both when we're ready."

🔆

Ron made his way back to tent, finding everyone asleep. Exhausted and sleep-deprived, the redhead decided to sleep on the kitchen table. He was only stirred from his slumber when his uncle shook him, a worried expression on his face as he glanced down at his clothes, they had used a portkey (another magical transportation) to return home. He managed to collapse onto his bed after throwing up before Harry and Hermione could question about where he had been.

Ron was too exhausted to answer their questions, and he slept late into the morning. It was the first time he had been late for breakfast. His aunt, while serving food, bombarded him with questions (all of them, really) but Ron absentmindedly shoveled food into his mouth hungrily.

His aunt scolded him to take a bath because of the smell, causing Ron to blush because he knew that Harry had slept in his room the previous night, which was embarrassing. Just as he was thinking about Harry, the latter entered the kitchen sweating, clutching his Firebolt. Ron blushed even more intensely, feeling his stomach churn uncomfortably, and quickly excused himself.

"What's all this fuss about my children mentioning about you having a brother and sister, Ronald?" Molly questioned, it was dinner, and everyone was gathered around the table. Ron nervously chewed his cheek and felt a bead of sweat form on his forehead. "So you mean to say you've been meeting your father without informing me? Tell him, I'd like to have a word with him and don't keep secrets like this from me!" exclaimed Molly.

"But, Auntie, I haven't actually met him, only saw him once or twice...?" Ron explained.

"So you have met him!" Molly exclaimed, and started bustling around the kitchen.

Ron groaned and complained to Harry the jext day as they struggled to keep up with him homework, while Hermione shook her head in disapproval as she tried to assist Ron with his essay.

"Seriously, Ron, where have you been? The clock has been saying 'traveling,'" Harry remarked.

Ron shot him a glare. "So what if I have been! I traveled from New York to a small town up there!" he exclaimed in frustration. "What's the issue with traveling anyway? I love it. I hate essays. Why do we even have to write them? No! Have you seen my journal around?"

They eventually find the redhead's journal, and Ron, now somewhat calmer, sat in the corner of the living room, writing in his journal as Phoebe nuzzled at him. 

It had been a chaotic week, and Ron had only a week left before the school term started. The only thing that managed to calm him down was playing chess with Bill, or occasionally with Charlie as they discussed various magical dragon species.

"You seem quite stressed," Bill remarked one afternoon as they played chess in the living room. Everyone else in the house was occupied: Ginny and Hermione were in Ginny's room, the twins and Charlie were playing Quidditch outside, Arthur and Percy were away on Ministry business, and Molly was in the kitchen preparing lunch.

Ron glanced up at him, lowering the volume of the music on his headphones. "Huh?"

"I said you look stressed. What have you been up to these past few days besides homework?" his cousin asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

"Homework," Ron replied. "And... chess?"

Bill chuckled and said, "Besides homework and chess."

Ron continued to stare at the chess pieces between them. "Overthinking."

Bill sighed, showing concern. "Are you alright, Ron? You know we're always here for you. We're your family, even if you have a family in New York."

Ron blinked at the chess pieces. "Oh, I just have some important matters to focus on instead of this..." he trailed off, lost in thought.

"What important matters?" his cousin pressed.

Ron hesitated before responding, "It's really nothing to worry about."

Bill raised an eyebrow. "Well, you're clearly worried about it." Ron groaned in response. Bill had a knack for picking up on expressions so quickly that you wouldn't even realize you were showing them, but that's what Ron liked about his cousin.

"Look," Bill added, "You don't have to tell me, but don't let stress and pressure get the best of you. We don't want you to die so young." Ron only snorted in response, but he promised his cousin that he'd consider it. He had been planning to tell Molly everything, but for some reason, he was still hesitating. He couldn't quite figure out why.

The day before they were set to leave for the Hogwarts Express, Ron began packing his belongings into the bag his uncle had bought for him from Diagon Alley during his week-long absence. He counted the money he had, carefully stashing it inside. Phoebe, the kneazle, had become livelier and had grown a bit, now clamoring for his attention with its cries.

Ron couldn't resist the adorable look of Phoebe, treating the kneazle like a baby before allowing it to play with Crookshanks.

To Ron's bewilderment, Molly had gifted him and Harry with new dress robes. "Um, what's the occasion?" he asked, but Molly remained tight-lipped about it. His cousins had been dropping hints about something important happening at Hogwarts, leaving Ron in a state of frustration he didn't particularly like.

Back at Hogwarts, Ron muttered a Greek curse under his breath as a large, red, water-filled balloon floated beneath him, exploding and causing him to slip on the wet floor. Harry helped him up, and Ron was left red-faced with embarrassment and frustration. He felt like he didn't have time for such this.

However, all his frustration disappeared when he witnessed the Sorting Hat ceremony for the first years. The name "Dennis Creevey," Colin's younger brother, was called, and the tiny, excited boy ran toward his own brother. It was such a heartwarming sight that it tugged at Ron's emotions (he's being emotional again.)

Finally, the feast began, and Ron was enthusiastically piling mashed potatoes onto his plate. Hermione was surprised to learn that Hogwarts had a hundred house-elves in the kitchen.

"Oh!" Ron exclaimed, accidentally spluttering some mashed potato onto Harry's face. "Sorry, Harry! But...is this why my messy bedroom always seems clean whenever I return?" He asked excitedly, turning to Nearly Headless Nick for confirmation.

The ghost nodded in agreement, saying, "Indeed, that's how it works!"

However, Hermione's mood only worsened, and she refused to eat her dinner, convinced that the house-elves were essentially forced into slave labor without vacations or salaries. Ron, the teasing one, couldn't resist eating his pudding right in front of Hermione as she huffed in frustration.

Finally, Dumbledore stood up to make his announcement, but it was abruptly interrupted by a loud thunderclap and a resounding bang as the Great Hall doors swung open. Ron snorted and whispered, "Is he trying to be a villain or something—" before Hermione elbowed him to silence.

One of the man's eye was small, dark, and beady. The other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down, and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye - and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man's head, so that all they could see was whiteness.

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" said Dumbledore brightly into the silence. "Professor Moody."

"That should be my name if I became a teacher..." Ron muttered, fully aware of his moody disposition that day. Professor Dumbledore continued with his announcement, revealing details about the Triwizard Tournament. When Ron heard about the possibility of death involved, a sudden wave of anxiety washed over him and Hermione.

The twins had been discussing the idea of joining, but Ron strongly advised them against it, even going as far as calling them "stupid." 

"Harry, don't you dare join," Ron warned. "If you do, I won't know what to do if some monster eats you." Harry snorted, but Ron was dead serious and told him it wasn't a laughing matter.

Upstairs in their dorm, Ron and Harry found Neville, Dean, and Seamus already there.

"What's up, people?" Ron greeted their friends. He noticed Dean's poster tucked beside his West Ham football team poster and playfully poked it, saying, "Oooh, who's this, a new celebrity?"

"Hey, Ron!" Seamus greeted lazily.

"It's Viktor Krum!" Dean said a little offended that Ron didn't recognize the name.

"The name sounds familiar. Is he a seeker?" Ron questioned.

"He is," Dean replied enthusiastically. "He's the youngest seeker to play internationally and caught the Snitch in the Quidditch World Cup." Dean then began to excitedly share more information about Viktor Krum, but Ron interrupted with a comment about the Bulgarian team's loss, reminding Dean of it. Seamus burst out laughing at Ron's remark and Dean's reaction in the end.

The next day, the first day of classes, seemed to be going quite smoothly, much to the surprise of others who had expected chaos. Ron was in a good mood, ready for the day, when Malfoy called him over, holding a newspaper that featured about his uncle. Everyone in the Great Hall started to listen in.

"What do you want me to do..." Ron asked, staring at the newspaper in confusion. "Who's Arnold Weasley again?"

The conversation took an unpleasant turn as Malfoy began insulting Ron's aunt. Harry stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Ron, and spoke up in a tone that caused Draco to turn slightly pink. "Don't you dare insult my mother, Potter," he warned.

"Keep your fat mouth shut, then," Harry said and before Ron could say something there's a loud bang and everyone screamed, then another one—and Draco was turned into a white ferret by Professor Moody, it was shivering in the stoned-flagged floor. 

Then, Moody did something that ignited Ron's anger. He transformed Draco into a ferret, sent it soaring ten meters into the air, and then slammed it onto the floor, causing the ferret to squeal in pain, not once, but twice as it bounced upon impact. Professor McGonagall appeared on the scene.

"I'm taking him to the Hospital Wing; I'm a healer! Broken ribs and an arm, are you—" Ron said something that many would disapprove of, "Kidding me!?"

"I said let him go, boy," Moody ordered, gripping Draco's upper arm firmly.

"Mr. Prewett, let him go," Professor McGonagall demanded with a mix of firmness and anxiety. Ron, unable to contain his anger, shouted a stream of angry Greek curses at Moody as Harry had to physically drag him away from the scene. Ron slammed his hand on a nearby table, startling the students eating nearby, and exclaimed, "Are you seeing that!? That's unbelievable—I can't believe it—he almost died—"

Defense Against the Dark Arts class took a dark turn as Moody began teaching them about the Unforgivable Curses. When Moody demonstrated the Cruciatus Curse on a spider, it triggered something in Neville, causing distress. The situation only escalated when Moody mentioned the last Unforgivable Curse, Avada Kedavra, and seemed to focus on Harry.

After the class, Ron disappeared, and Harry found him in the common room surrounded by books about Greeks, his desk littered with texts about the Underworld. Ron had discovered in the secluded section of the library, a place rarely visited by others. It was filled with ancient texts on Greek mythology and beliefs, something many witches and wizards dismissed as mere Muggle stories. Ron was excited as he started searching for information about the Underworld.

"What on earth are you searching for?" Harry asked as he joined Ron in the library. Ron jumped from his seat, quickly closing the books he had been reading about the Underworld, and instead pulled out his Unfogging The Future book and a piece of parchment.

"Uhmm...Divination?" Ron replied, but Harry looked at him skeptically as he sat down across the table, eyeing the other books suspiciously.

"Where's Hermione?" Ron asked.

"Disappeared before I could get a hold of her," Harry answered, taking out his ink. "We should finish our predictions for the next month," he added.

While they worked, Ron asked Harry about Sirius and Lupin and whether they attended the Quidditch World Cup as well. Harry explained that they had gone but hadn't had the chance to meet up with him and the Weasleys. Harry also mentioned that they had be on a lot of vacation and had been sending him foods and souvenirs. 

Ron squinted his eyes at that but then burst into laughter.

"Is something wrong?" Harry question.

"Nothing," Ron replied, trying to hide his amusement. 

Both of them did their predictions and Ron told him eagerly because he likes Divination. But it turned out more tragic that he expected, like a fight and a lose possessions. Hermione returned to the common room from the library, brimming with enthusiasm about their SPEW badges, and eagerly shared them about it with, hr couldn't help but be amused by her dedication. Of course, Ron was fully supportive of Hermione's cause.

"We should start a club!" Ron exclaimed.

"Well, if we can recruit some members," Hermione replied, and then assigned them roles. Ron became the treasurer, and Harry, much to his exasperation, was designated as the secretary.

Ron had heard about various clubs at Hogwarts from other students and had seen flyers for them posted on the old, battered boards in the corridors. However, he hadn't been particularly interested in joining any of them. Most clubs were only open to fourth years and above, and he hadn't paid much attention to them.

Ron had been contemplating the idea of joining a club or two as he examined the lists posted on the boards, leaning over to read them more closely. He thought maybe it could be a good way to try something new.

In the following days leading up to the weekend, their Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons became more demanding and challenging. Professor Moody focused solely on Unforgivable Curses and even attempted to use the Imperius Curse on all of them. When Moody instructed Ron to skip for ten seconds under the curse's influence, he just replied "Uhm, no thanks," before taking a seat in the corner, much to the surprise of the others in the class. 

After their Charms lesson, Ron excused himself from Harry and Hermione, who waited for him outside. They found Ron emerging from the classroom with a beaming smile.

"What did you do?" Hermione asked.

"I joined a Music Club," Ron exclaimed. "I found out that Professor Flitwick is in charge of it. He runs two clubs, one for choir and one for music and entertainment. I know how to play the lyre and guitar." He paused, looking thoughtful. "Do you think there's a musical store in Hogsmeade? Also I'm planning to join the Chess Club too, you know. I'll need to talk to Professor McGonagall about it, so If I count, I have three clubs now: SPEW, Music Club, and Chess Club."

His two best friends stared at him in surprise, but Hermione smiled and told him that he had done something good. Harry remained silent but seemed a little supportive of Ron's decision.

Ron didn't have a chance to ask Professor McGonagall about joining the Chess Club because she was preoccupied with the preparations for the arrival of students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang on Friday for the Triwizard Tournament at Hogwarts. When the bell rang, their Head of House lined them up outside, and Professor McGonagall had told Ron to straighten his hat.

Then Dumbledore called out from the back ro where he stood with the other teachers, "Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!

"Where?" said many students eagerly, all looking in different directions.

"There!" yelled a sixth year, pointing over the forest.

Something large, much larger than a broomstick—or, indeed, a hundred broomsticks—was hurtling across the deep blue sky toward the castle, growing larger all the time.

"It's a dragon!" shrieked one of the first years, losing her head completely.

"Don't be stupid...it's a flying house!" said Dennis Creevey.

"It's a flying horse!" Ron exclaimed excitedly to Harry and Hermione, his sharp eyesight allowing him to spot it amidst the crowd of enthusiastic first years.

"Really!?" one of the smallest first-years nearby asked, trying to glance up but struggling to see.

"Come here," Ron said, bending over and lifting the small first-year up, much to the girl's excitement, so she could get a better view of the flying horse.

As the gigantic black shape skimmed over the treetops of the Forbidden Forest and the lights shining from the castle windows hit it, they saw a gigantic, powderblue, horse-drawn carriage, the size of a large house, soaring toward them, pulled through the air by a dozen winged horses, all palominos, and each the size of an elephant.

The front three rows of students drew backward as the carriage hurtled ever lower, coming in to land at a tremendous speed—then, with an almighty crash that made Neville jump backward onto a Slytherin fifth year's foot, the horses' hooves, larger than dinner plates, hit the ground. A second later, the carriage landed too, bouncing upon its vast wheels, while the golden horses tossed their enormous heads and rolled large, fiery red eyes.

A boy in pale blue robes jumped down from the carriage, bent forward, fumbled for a moment with something on the carriage floor, and unfolded a set of golden steps. He sprang back respectfully. Then Harry saw a shining, high-heeled black shoe emerging from the inside of the carriage—a shoe the size of a child's sled—followed, almost immediately, by the largest woman. The size of the carriage, and of the horses, was immediately explained. A few people gasped.

Ron, like the others, was in awe of the Beauxbatons students, but his gaze kept darting to their headmistress, Madame Maxime. She was as large as Hagrid but carried herself with grace and poise. When Dumbledore applauded, everyone followed suit, but Ron had his hands full with the little girl in his arms and couldn't join in the applause.

"Come," said Madame Maxime imperiously to her students, and the Hogwarts crowd parted to allow her and her students to pass up the stone steps.

Ron was impressed by the arrival of Durmstrang. The ship that emerged from the lake was one of the coolest he had ever seen, (second only to the Argus II). It had a strangely skeletal look about it, as though it were a resurrected wreck, and the dim, misty lights shimmering at its portholes looked like ghostly eyes.

A few moments later, they heard the splash of an anchor being thrown down in the shallows, and the thud of a plank being lowered onto the bank.

People were disembarking; they could see their silhouettes passing the lights in the ship's portholes. All of them, Harry noticed, seemed to be built along the lines of Crabbe and Goyle...but then, as they drew nearer, walking up the lawns into the light streaming from the entrance hall, he saw that their bulk was really due to the fact that they were wearing cloaks of some kind of shaggy, matted fur. But the man who was leading them up to the castle was wearing furs of a different sort: sleek and silver, like his hair.

When Karkaroff, the headmaster of Durmstrang, beckoned one of his students, Ron gasped in surprise. He recognized the student as Viktor Krum, the same person he had seen on Dean's poster beside his West Ham soccer poster. 

🔆

After the feast with Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, as the announcement about the Triwizard Tournament had been made. To participate, one needed to place their name into the Goblet of Fire, but there was an age line in place to ensure that only those seventeen and older could enter, they finally returned back to their dormitory. 

Ron, having taken Colin's camera, snapped a picture of George and Fred in their elderly form the next day after they drank a potion that temporarily aged them. The sight of the twins trying to get into the cup while looking old had the students in laughter, and it brightened Ron's day.

"I'll take this, Col. Thanks," he told Colin, who gave him a thumbs-up. Ron then showed Hermione and Harry the picture of the twins, and the three of them giggled. After that, they visited Hagrid, as Hermione wanted to discuss her SPEW campaign with him.

Like the others, Hermione received a similar reaction from Hagrid regarding her SPEW campaign. Ron refrained from commenting on Hagrid's appearance, he looked like he was dressing up for a date, which his clothes didn't seem quite fitting. Ron briefly considered writing to Drew for some grooming tips. Drew had been giving him pointers before to improve his look, and while Ron didn't usually care about his looks—or did he? He had been more conscious of his appearance when Harry was around.

And Ron couldn't help but notice that Harry had been glancing around at the Ravenclaw students whenever he had the chance these last few days. 

"Who are you looking at there?" Ron asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Harry quickly averted his gaze and replied, "Uh, what are you talking about?"

Ron rolled his eyes, and elbowed him. "Ha-ha, seriously, who is it?"

Harry trying to evade the question, shoved a piece of toast into his mouth. "Doesn't matter," he mumbled, avoiding the topic.

Ron decided not to press Harry further if he didn't want to share, then so be it. He huffed out a sigh and glanced at his schedule. He had a meeting with the Music Club in a room near the Charms classroom tomorrow, Saturday after breakfast. He had received a letter from the club informing him about it, and they were delighted that Professor Flitwick had informed him of his joining. 

Ron was glad that his Music Club meeting was in the morning, as he still had to assist Madam Pomfrey at the Hospital Wing on weekends every afternoon.

Before his friends had even stirred in their beds in the morning, Ron had already disappeared. He stood nervously in front of the classroom, where he could hear the sound of instruments and loud voices coming from within. It seemed like they were in the middle of an argument.

"Shut up, Greengrass! Your piano sucks, I told you to tune it for the song—" A voice of a guy, the loudest one rang outside.

"Sod off, Padraig! We don't even need your evectiv guitar in the song!" Replied a girl's voice.

"It's electric, if you just take a Muggle Study—"

"Shut up! Shut up!" Another voice of a girl.

"Stop it! We have a newcomer today. Are you guys seriously going to act like this—" Before the other girl could even continue her word, Ron swung the door open, causing all heads in the classroom to snap towards him, their expressions filled with surprise and gasps escaping their lips.

Inside, Ron saw one boy and three girls. One girl, who appeared to be in the same year as Ron, has a blonde hair and was behind a piano, handling it like she was ready to throw it at the boy with an electric guitar, he was tall and pale with black hair, resembling someone from Asian. Another girl held a drumstick, she was short, her hair was messy, and Ron noticed a piece of bubblegum stuck in her hair, and one held a violin—the girl who appeared to be the calmer one was in her sixth year, taller than the others, and still in her slytherin robes.

The classroom was in disarray, with desks not properly set aside, and the board was cluttered with schedules, notes, and lyrics written on parchment. 

"Hi," Ron greeted nervously as he stepped into the room.

"Behave," the sixth-year girl told them before turning her attention to Ron. She walked towards him with a smile, extending her hand. "Nice to meet you. You must be Ron Prewett? I'm Gwyneth McCurdy. Welcome to the Music Club. These are the other members."

Ron wiped his sweaty palms on his jogger pants before shaking Gwyneth's hand. 

The boy with the electric guitar, cleared his throat. "I'm Kim," he introduced himself. "Nice to meet you."

The blonde girl seemed to recognize Ron. "I know you. You're Potter's best friend, right? My friends have mentioned you," she said. "I'm Daphne Greengrass, and no, I don't hate you." Her comment made Ron frown a little.

The small girl then waved at Ron excitedly. "Hello!" she chirped. "I'm Grenda from Hufflepuff. We're supporting Cedric Diggory, and we're making pins for him. I'm so excited! Do you think he'll be chosen later?"

"Oh, Grenda. No one supports that pretty boy," Kim scowled.

Grenda responded defensively, "You're just jealous because I forgot to give you a gift!"

Kim retorted, "No one cares about your gift—"

The bickering among the members continued, and Ron watched the exchange with a mix of confusion and amusement, Gwyneth sighed heavily and apologized for her members' behavior, explaining that it had been a while since they had a new member, and most students tended to join the Choir, lacking knowledge of Muggle instruments.

She turned to Ron and asked, "Do you have any Muggle instruments?" All eyes in the room were on him.

Ron fidgeted uncomfortably before answering, "I, uh, well—I can play the guitar, lyre, and the pipe...or flute—?" He trailed off, he doesn't know if that was enough to qualify as a member in their club.

Gwyneth smiled at Ron and expressed her gratitude. "That's good to know. We're glad you joined us. I'm going to graduate from Hogwarts soon, and I don't know what will happen to the club after I leave. I don't even know if it will continue," she admitted. She beckoned Ron to come inside, even though there weren't any available seats, but Dpahne took out her wand and conjured a chair for him.

Daphne then asked, "Well, where's your instrument?"

Ron replied, "Oh, I was planning to buy a guitar when I visit Hogsmeade. But I have my flute..."

They exchanged glances before Gwyneth shrugged and said, "Sure, the flute will work." It seemed like they were willing to make it work with Ron's choice of instrument.

Ron asked, "What song do you recommend? A Muggle one."

Kim looked at him playfully and replied, "We only play Muggle music here. What about the Star Wars Main Theme, huh?"

Ron snorted, accepting the challenge. "You're on," he said, taking out his flute and starting to play. Everyone in the room watched in awe as he played.

"What about the Waltz of the Flowers by Tchaikovsky?" 

Ron returned to the feast during lunch after that, wearing a wide and proud smile. Hermione looked up from her thick book and asked, "How was the meeting?"

Ron beamed as he settled in besides Harry, who was sitting in the middle of him and Hermione. "They made me play five songs! And now I'm officially a member of the club," he proudly announced, Ron then told them about the members there excitedly and that it was quite nice to have members from different houses.

"You know, Harry, if you're not listening and continue ogling whoever you're ogling at the Ravenclaw table, let's just change seats." Ron said, a little annoyed.

"There's plenty of space beside Hermione; why don't you do it?" Harry replied, not looking at him. Ron complied and huffed out as he moved to the other side of Hermione, crossing his arms and feeling a bit flustered. 

Ron was too busy to spend time with his two friends either. He only be with them during lessons, and in his free time, but mostly he typically spent it researching what to expect in the Underworld. He trief to I.M Nico about it without revealing his quest to get there (but he's not answering) and he had no intention of writing a letter to Annabeth or anyone else, as it would raise suspicions.

But he continued to write letters to Kayla and Austin regarding their plan, repeatedly asking them if they really sure of joining him.

And when Harry's name was announced in the Goblet of Fire that day, Ron and Hermione stared at him in shock.

When Harry returned to their dormitory with a scarlet Gryffindor banner tied to him, Ron gave him a disappointed look. "Harry, I told you not to join. Do you seriously want to die—"

"I didn't join," Harry interrupted, taking out the banner to show him.

Ron still seemed skeptical. "Sure, and I'm Spider-Man," he said dismissively. "Seriously, why didn't you tell me this? You've been keeping things from me these past few days. George and Fred couldn't even get in because of the Age Line. Did you use something, your invisibility cloak? But how's that even possible? Are you using dark magic?" Ron was concerned and confused about Harry's involvement in the Triwizard Tournament.

Harry replied tightly, "I didn't put my name in, I don't know what happened."

Ron was still skeptical. "Then who did it?"

"I don't know," Harry responded, frustration creeping into his voice. "It must be someone trying to kill me."

Ron gave him a skeptical and disappointed look. "Harry, it's okay. You can tell me everything—"

"I said, I didn't join!" Harry snapped angrily. "Why won't you believe me—"

Ron tried to reassure Harry, saying, "I believe in you, of course! I'm your best friend—"

But Harry cut him off with a bitter remark, "Are you? But when it was my turn to get answers from you, you always dismissed me. And now you're telling me you believe in me." His frustration boiled over. Ron was taken aback and struggled to respond, caught off guard by Harry's anger.

"When you were gone for a week, I sent you a lot of letters, but you didn't even respond. When you returned, and I asked you questions, you became frustrated and ignored me," He continued, "and I don't think you even need me anymore. It seems like you're getting more friends," he remarked.

"What? Harry, no—"

"You know what, good night," Harry said and closed his curtains in his four-poster bed, leaving Ron blinking back tears.

🔆

The situation only worsened the next day as Ron remained in the Hospital Wing, keeping himself busy with checking the healing potions. This continued until Monday arrived, and he had to fit his homework and club activities as well.

Harry continued to avoid speaking with him, and Hermione tried to talk to Ron about it while the two of them were working on their homework in the library. "He doesn't want to be friends with me anymore, Mione!" Ron snapped. "If he doesn't want to, so be it." He knew Harry was also facing his own problems, as he noticed that people were either talking about him behind his back or angry with him for being chosen as a champion. Many believed he was doing it for fame, much to Ron's disappointment to them.

When they finally had the chance to visit Hogsmeade, Ron goes there out alone to explore the shops there. As he wandered through the streets, he came across a music instrument shop called Melicus' Musical Store. There were only a few students inside, most of them third-years.

Ron was drawn to the guitars on display, his golden pouch tucked safely in his jacket. He was considering of buying one today, when he suddenly heard voices nearby.

"Are you being serious? You're still on that club?" chimed a familiar voice, belonging to a girl. "Does your mother even know about this?"

"Pansy, I'm telling you," he heard Daphne's voice, "Go back to Draco if you can't even support me. I'll do as I please."

"Oh, darling," Pansy clucked her tongue. "You know we care about you, don't you, Blaise?"

"Whatever," responded a sharp, silky voice with an amused undertone.

Ron dashed for cover behind the store's aisles, his gaze falling upon three Slytherins: Pansy, Daphne, and a strapping Slytherin boy, tall and handsome with a rich, dark complexion and the deepest of brown eyes Ron had ever seen. As Daphne scrutinized the pianos with a look of utter disdain, when her gaze suddenly locked onto Ron, causing him to freeze in place.

"Daphne?" Pansy called out.

"Nothing," Daphne replied smoothly, her tone sweet as a treacle tart. "Hello, Ron."

Pansy's head snapped in Ron's direction, her face twisting into a sour expression. "What are you doing here? Following us, are you? Had your fill of Potter?"

"Pansy," Daphne sighed, her voice carrying the patience of a saint, but he's getting irritated. "Would you mind? He's a member of the Music Club."

"You're with that...? Ugh, honestly, I expected better from you," Pansy remarked with a disdainful tone.

"We're not exactly friends," Ron responded, his brow furrowing in annoyance. "We're just close because we share the same club memberships, and I happen to play her favorite songs too." He blushed a bit when Blaise raised an eyebrow at his comment. "I'm actually here to buy a guitar, Daphne. Can you help me with that?"

Daphne shrugged nonchalantly. "Sure, come on, you two—"

"But what about Draco?" Pansy questioned.

"He's got Theo with him," Daphne retorted, and she joined Ron.

Ron had been expecting Blaise to chime in, even though he wasn't particularly talkative. But when Blaise did finally speak, it was to make a sarcastic remark and roll his eyes, clearly unimpressed.

Meanwhile, Pansy continued to complain about the color of the guitars, seemingly forgetting that she was talking with a Gryffindor. It was then that Daphne stepped in, offering some sensible advice. "It's not just about the color," she said, "it's about the size, weight, and comfort for the player."

In the end, they decided to go with the expensive guitar on Blaise's advice, who believed that the pricier ones were the most beautiful.

Ron, however, surprised everyone by choosing a simple, less expensive one. Pansy couldn't help but roll her eyes and mutter, "Whatever, why do I even bother helping?" in exasperation.

Ron returned to the common room, beaming with happiness, his guitar slung over his back. He sat down beside Neville and a group of excited first-years, eagerly checking out his new instrument. The day was meant to be fun, but Ron found himself unable to sleep because Harry still hadn't returned to their room. He was itching to tell him about his new guitar and the conversation he'd had with some Slytherins.

Ron shifted on his bed, then sat up and decided to go look for Harry. He walked down the stairs and spotted Harry havimg a conversation with someone.

"Harry?" Ron called out, hoping to mend their friendship. However, it turned out to be a wrong move. Harry was still upset with him, and in his frustration, he tossed a badge across the floor. Unfortunately, the badge bounced off the floor and struck Ron in the forehead. The next day, Ron found himself quietly sobbing at his favorite desk in the library as he worked alone on his homework.

Ron, with trembling hands, took out a piece of paper and a pen. He began to write a letter to his Aunt Molly to tell him he'll be going somewhere in Christmas.

🔆

The first task was to face a dragon, and the Champions had to retrieve the Golden Egg from it. Ron's heart nearly leaped out of his chest when he saw Harry, summoning his Firebolt, skillfully snatch the egg from the dragon's clutches. However, duty called, and with Madam Pomfrey as his assistant, Ron had to prioritize the well-being of the Champions.

He rushed to the first-aid tent and began checking Cedric's condition. Cedric had a nasty cut on one of his limbs and a nasty burn on his face. While Ron worked on healing him, Madam Pomfrey fetched potions from one of the cabinets, ensuring they had everything they needed to tend them.

"You're a...healer?" Cedric questioned as he settled down.

"Yup," Ron replied, feeling a bit confused by encountering so many good-looking students that month, which only added to his own anxiety about his own appearance. (He doesn't even know why)

"But you're a fourth-year," Cedric pointed out.

"I'm Madam Pomfrey's assistant, dude." Ron explained. "You seem to be doing better now."

Cedric flashed him a weak charming smile, causing Ron to turned pink. "Thank you. Ron, right? Harry's friend?"

"Uhm, yeah..." Ron replied uncomfortably. Cedric seemed like the type of person who didn't pay much attention to rumors, which Ron appreciated. "I'm going to check on the other champion," he added, excusing himself to assist Madam Pomfrey with Fleur's.

Then he saw Madam Promfey pulling Harry inside. "Last year dementors, this year dragons, what are they going to bring into this school next? You're very lucky....this is quite shallow...it'll need cleaning before I heal it up, though..." She cleaned the cut with a dab of some purple liquid that smoked and stung, but then poked his shoulder with her wand.

"Now, just sit quietly for a minute—sit! And then you can go and get your score." 

Ron stood in the corner, clutching a white towel, and cast a concerned look toward Harry. However, Harry avoided making eye contact with him and sat up, seemingly ignoring Ron's presence. Just as he was about to leave, Hermione entered the room.

"Harry, you were brilliant!" Hermione said squeakily. There were fingernail marks on her face where she had been clutching it in fear. "You were amazing! You really were!"

Ron hesitated for a moment before he spoke to to them, nervously fidgeting. "I—I'm going back home for Christmas, Hermione," he stammered. "I have to go somewhere, and I might not come back early."

"No one asked." Harry responded coldly.

Hermione started to speak but then turned her attention to Ron. "Where are you going?" she questioned. Before Ron could answer, they heard that the scores were being announced outside. Harry walked out of the tent, and Hermione followed, leaving Ron behind.

Ron found himself packing his bag with enough things for his trip to New York to Los Angeles, and he kept apologizing to Gwyneth and Grenda, who looked at him with disappointment.

The upcoming Yule Ball was a big deal, as they were scheduled to play music during the event. It was an exciting opportunity for them to collaborate with the Weird Sisters, a well-known wizarding music band, and Professor Flitwick and Professor Dumbledore had given his approval for the collaboration.

With a few weeks left before the Winter Solstice in December, Ron found himself carefully tucking away the message from Otus that Austin had sent. They were planning to meet at Kayla's house in Toronto, and Ron knew that his dad could arrange transportation from there to Los Angeles. He also had a plan to sneak out of the castle.

As he walked through the corridor, just three days before the Yule Ball was announced, he encountered a group of giggling girls. Two of them had asked him if he could be their partners. Ron shook his head at them.

"I'm sorry, girl—I'm going back home for Christmas, I'm not sure if I'm coming." Ron explained.

The girl from Ravenclaw, who appeared to be in her fifth year, simply shrugged at him. "It's fine, Ron! I'll see you soon," she replied cheerfully. "Make sure to come back early so you can join us!" She added smiling as they rejoined their friends, waving goodbye to Ron.

In one corridor, Ron spotted Cedric and Fleur engaged in conversation. Cedric greeted him with a friendly smile.

"Hey, what's up? By the way, Good luck on your next tasks," Ron greeted in return. He then turned to Fleur and asked, "How's your arm, Fleur?"

Fleur smiled, "Ez' okay. Thank you again," she replied graciously. Ron noticed that she seemed quite comfortable around him. He had heard about Hermione mentioning that Fleur was a Veela and had the ability to attract boys, but Ron, of course, remained unaffected. Fleur was undeniably pretty, but to him, she was just a normal girl. They chatted for a little while before Ron excused himself.

Veela is better than Empousa, though. 

Ron returned to his dorm, keeping his bag tucked under his bed, patiently waiting for the middle of the night. Before slipping out of the room, Ron left a small bear keychain and a note on Harry's bedside table that simply read, "I'm sorry." before the redhead quietly slipped out of the castle and headed for the Forbidden Forest. 

His centaur friends were already waiting for him, and his uncle's car was there, giving a revving sound. Ron tossed his bag inside and climbed in. With the invisibility cloak activated, the flying car went unnoticed as it soared above the forest.