Mending bridges
Harry enjoyed his own Champion’s Quarters for the duration of the Tournament. However, he can still allow others to visit him here. But like most Common Rooms, it either needs a password or something else to access. So someone whom doesn’t know, was forced to wait outside for being let in. The living suit of armor stared down the person at the entrance (as much as he could as he didn’t have eyes) whom didn’t have the password. “Look, I don’t have to come in, can you just pass a message on to Harry? I just want to talk.” The armor looked surprisingly pensive considering that once again, it didn’t have a face.
On the inside of the Quarters, Harry was welcoming the new dormmates. Aside his close friends most of them were Slytherins whom want to get away from their Dark Arts and Pure-Blood oriented Housemates. Harry was welcoming them one by one. “Welcome to the Potter Quarters, hope you enjoy yourself.”
Thanks, the Slytherin boy, a black boy with dreads smiled at him. “Name’s Zabini. Benno Zabini.” He greeted politely as he shook Harry’s hand.
“Relation to Blaise Zabini?” Harry asked curiously.
“My cousin. I know we look alike, but unlike him I can grow hair. He and I don’t get along.” Benno said.
“Oh, sorry to hear.” Harry said.
“Don’t, he’s a jerkass. He is a dick to everyone. Even to other Slytherins, Pureblood or not. The only reason he hangs with the likes of Malfoy is because he hates the Death Eater kids the least.” Benno explained.
“He really hates everyone?” Harry asked.
“He hates even himself. He’s sad like that.” Benno noted. “Anyhow, thanks for setting us up with this place. No more ‘wait until my father hears about this’ or stupid pureblood prattle or dirty looks. This is going to be the life.”
“Enjoy it then, I guess.” Harry said.
“Mr. Potter, a kid is at the door to speak to you. He’s a redhead, I think it is a relation of your red-headed twin friends.” A voice sounded.
“Oh, I’ll see right to it. Thanks for letting me know, Charles.” Harry noted. “Sorry to cut our introduction short, just make yourself comfortable.” He then left Benno behind and left towards the entrance. The Armor, Charles stood aside to let Harry through. Harry saw it was an old friend, a very sheepish looking Ron. “Oh…Hello, Ron.”
“Hi Harry. Er…I just…I wanna…I’ve been…Oh darn. I have been practicing it but now I’m in front of you I can’t spit it out.” Ron said.
Harry gave him a disappointed look. “I think I know what you want to say. But if you can’t even spit it out, I’ll just go back in…”
“I’m sorry, okay?” Ron blurted out. “I know I’ve not been a good friend, or any friend. I have been a berk. A moron. A prat. A plonker. A jealous git. A wanker. There are many ways I can say I messed up. I feel horrible and I want to apologize.”
Harry sighed. “At a time I would have easily expect it but now…I thought our friendship was stronger then that, Ron! I at least thought you knew me. That I would never want all this. This whole death tournament thing? Did our time spent together mean so little?”
“No really, I value our friendship. You are my friend, honestly but…I knew you could never do it but I was jealous. The anger, clouded my thoughts and I had to justify to myself that it was ok to be angry at you, so I convinced myself you went behind my back to enter…because I didn’t want to be in the wrong.” Ron noted.
“That’s your biggest problem, Ron. You can’t stand being the bad guy. You know, I start to wonder…the midnight duel in our first year, I would have just told Malfoy to sod off without falling in that trap. The thing with the broom…Hermione went behind my back too but she apologized and acted in my safety. But you didn’t seem to care that the broom could be potentially be cursed. And for every fight we got, I don’t think I ever heard you apologize until now. You just storm off and cool off before pretending it didn’t happen. I’m not a socially aware person but I feel that is not healthy.” Harry said.
“Yeah, I admit that. I have a problem with my temper and…I have issues of not being good enough. Each of my brothers feel like they got an accomplishment to call their own. How can I measure up? So it is easy for me to feel jealous. It is no excuse but you know…” Ron said. “But I feel like I can’t do anything, that I’ll always be average at best.”
“You don’t even try to apply yourself. Now, I didn’t too but right now, I am focusing on my studies. So I have a future after Voldemort. A future with accomplishments of my own, not for just surviving a magical terrorist attack. I normally played down my studious side for your sake…and probably because the Dursleys didn’t like me being smarter then my cousin but…I don’t want to hold myself back anymore. I want to live. Ron, you should too. Don’t live your life obsessed with what others have. Otherwise, you forget to live.” Harry noted.
“Yeah, you got a really good point. And I’m sorry, really from the bottom of my heart. I’m a lousy friend. I’m useless.” Ron said.
“You’re not. I think there is something good in you. Without you, I’d be lost in my early days of Hogwarts. You were beside me ready to take a basilisk on in the Chamber of Secrets. You were willing to stand in between me and Sirius with a broken leg when you thought he was out to harm me. You were beside me when we went after the Philospher’s stone. So part of me wants to believe in you but…the hurt is still quite fresh.” Harry said.
“I know that I hurt you and…I want to do something to make it up. I don’t know how or why but I want to make things right again.” Ron noted.
“I may eventually forgive, but I won’t forget. So whatever you do…work hard on it. Because this is something you cannot half-ass like schoolwork. Show you mean it.” Harry said, putting his foot down.
“I get it. And I will…you’ll see. Now, er…I’ll just let you be for now, but I’ll be back…I mean I won’t bother you but I…well, you know what I mean.” Ron said as he quietly left. Only then Harry let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and went back inside.
Ron didn’t know what to do and hence aimlessly wandered for a bit. It was until he ran into someone else he came to a halt. “Ouch, pardon me!”
“Man, you seem to be really lost in thought.” One of the people he bumped into said. They all had blue trims on their robes and appeared to be Ravenclaws. Ron realized it was Cho Chang. “Wait, aren’t you Harry’s friend?”
“I was…I am…I was being a berk and…its complicated.” Ron noted.
“It had to do with the whole tournament thing? Half the school has terribly misjudged the situation.” Another one of the Ravenclaws, a boy called Terry Boot, said.
“Say…” Ron thought of something. “Are any of you good at any magical crafting? If I ask you to make something, can you do it?”
“You assume we are Ravenclaws we are good enough to do something like that?” Cho asked.
“Are you?” Ron asked.
“We are, but we just don’t like people to assume.” Cho replied.
“Well I don’t know that, so I ask!” Ron said.
“Point taken.” Terry said.
“Anyhow, if you can help me, please do it. I’ll pay you…ok, I don’t have much, I only have a few sickles. Is there something I can get you? A favor? Candy from Hogsmeade? My chocolate frog card collection?” Ron asked.
“Whoa? Don’t you have the most complete card collection in school? Which is impressive considering your family’s financial status…” Terry noted.
“Yeah, but I would do anything to make things up with Harry…I was supposed to be his best friend and I let him down. I want to be better and I want to show Harry I want to be better.” Ron explained.
“That’s understandable. That’s mature of you.” Cho nervously rubbed her Prefect Badge. Failing to have protected Luna form bullying, from one of her own supposed best friends no less, she felt she hadn’t earned it. But Flitwick said that he himself didn’t handle that any better and he would have to remove himself as a head if he took away the Prefect title. But like Ron, Cho wanted to do better. “Tell me what you want us to do and I will help. No payment needed. As long as it is reasonable.”
“Really? Well…that’s great. Now, here is what I planned to do.” Ron said as he started to explain.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Harry Potter didn’t expect a lot when he would came down to breakfast that morning. More sheepish looking people not speaking or stepping up because they felt ashamed. It was at least quiet. But today it was extra quiet, like too quiet. Cliché but that’s how Harry could best describe it. What Harry noticed were a lot of people were wearing badges. Maps already informed him about the Slytherins creating badges to mock him but she put a stop to that. And the badges were blank. He noticed it but ignored it for a moment.
That was until it happened. Ron gave a nod to Cho, whom pointed her wand at the badge, and all the badges became magenta and sported the symbol of a lily flower. Then the banners of Hogwarts shifted into banners displaying the same symbol. It had several people not in the know looked startled. Underneath the logo stood ‘Lily Potter Institute’.
“We support the Lily Potter Institute. Named after the mother whom sacrificed herself for her son, like any mother should but remained the unsung hero of it all. If the Triwizard Tournament is about cooperation, coming together…It is not about the money or glory. Glory fades as no one remembers the winner of this tournament. And money can be lost and spent, and regained. But the friendships we make, those last forever.” Ron spoke up. It was surprising how well he could speech…and how well he could do something if he set his mind to it.
“I have forgotten how precious some things like friendships are. Often taken for granted and not knowing how important it was until you no longer have it. Because we tended to be blind and foolish but…We all grow, get smarter and stronger. And come out better. We learn. And this is what I learned, from the Potter Institute. What do you know, I don’t even attend and I learned something.” That quip from Ron got a few chuckles.
“Harry, I’m sorry I was a berk. Hermione, sorry if I called you a know-it-all and made fun of your love of books and learning. Luna, sorry I’ve ever called you barmy. I can’t say much about most of the others but to Miss Greengrass, Davis and their group…sorry if I spoke badly about you. In fairness, Malfoy left a bad taste about snakes in my mouth.” This got another chuckle as Malfoy scowled.”
As I said to have learned from my friends, I hope you all learned the same lesson I did. So after the other two visiting schools have been given a nice warm welcome and introduction, let’s give a warm welcome to those in the Potter Institute too.” Ron said as he started clapping, and most of Hogwarts joined (aside Jerks like junior Death Eaters and asshats like Snape and Smith), as well as Durmstrang and Beauxbatons.
Fleur Delacour decided to get up. “Mister Potter, I am sorry I called you a leetle boy. Eet eez unbecoming of a lady. I am really sorry for jumping to conclusions.”
“I may not have said anything aloud or antagonized you, but I had doubted you and for that I apologize you.” Cedric said as he got up.
“Da, same for me.” Krum said. “Am sorry.”
And soon one by one, the students whom aren’t assholes started to apologize for what they did. A baffled Harry looked on to all the people whom did it. And couldn’t help but smile a bit. He stood up and took the word. “I am quite touched by this display. I accept your apologies. Like Ron said, I feel you may have learned something from the ordeal. And I hope that the lesson sticks. But don’t expect us to be friends overnight. As for you, Ron…” Harry approached his old friend. “I’m impressed you put this together.”
“Yeah, I needed some help and…I thought it would be good but now I’m unsure…doesn’t it feel pressuring or something?” Ron asked nervously.
“I don’t think so. Because…I felt you’re genuine about it.” Harry said.
“So, we cool?” Ron asked.
“We cool. Just stick to your promise.” Harry noted.
“I won’t make the same mistakes again.” Ron said.
“You may make new ones, that’s what being human is about. But it will not be as bad as the last one, I’m sure.” Harry said.
“Definitely not going to go ultra-berk mode.” Ron chuckled.
Hermione joined in. “Ron, you utter prat!” and she punched him in the shoulder. Ron let out a groan and rubbed his arm. “But you’re our prat.” She said with a smile afterwards. “Just don’t do it again!” she said as she pointed at him, her fingertip nearly touching his nose. He shook his head.
“Hey little brother…” “Look whom regained his little semblance of a brain.” Fred and George said as they gave him a double noogie.”
“A lot of wrackspurts have left you today, Ronald.” Luna just noted as she enjoyed her pudding.
“Er…thanks?” Ron asked confused.
“I think I am going to be sick…” a dull and sarcastic voice none of them wanted to hear said. It was Snape of course. “If you are done being attention hogs, the banners in the hall were changed without permission and you interrupted breakfast so from Huffelpuff, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor I’ll take…”
“Severus, no!” Dumbledore said. This surprised Snape. Also everyone, normally Dumbledore let Snape get away with a lot.
“What? But…” Snape stammered, clearly gobsmacked.
“You will not take points for this. And there will be other things you will stop taking points for but we’ll discuss these later. So…act professional, Severus!” Dumbledore said, outwardly appearing still grandfatherly but at the same time cold and it scared Snape, whom wisely decided to sit down.
“Bloody Hell, did we just see that?” Ron asked.
“Am…am I high on my potion fumes?” Daphne wondered.
“Let’s not question it and attribute it due to good karma finally catching up with us.” Hermione noted.
“Yeah…Other subject!” Tracey noted. “You feel you weren’t too quick to forgive all of these students after giving you a cold shoulder?”
“I wanted them to open their eyes, to use their brains, never wanted to wish them bad. Like Ron they needed to learn a lesson. I doubt they all will learn and I won’t pretend that some of them will not relapse, I’m not that optimistic. But…I don’t want to make any more enemies. It’s just easier to forgive unless they would do something so monumentally stupid or dangerous to ignore.” Harry noted.
“I can see your point. But if any of them act out…they’ll never be able to prove its us.” Daphne added. “By the way, I replenished Draco’s Malaclaw venom dosage.”
The shout of pain came from Malfoy whom suddenly had a fork stuck in his forehead. “How did you even do this?” Pansy asked.
“I don’t know! I need the bloody nurse!” Draco moaned.
“I think I found myself a Slytherin I actually like.” Ron chuckled. “Ronald Weasley, nice to meet you.” He reached out his hand.
“Daphne Greengrass. And I’ll let you know beforehand, I’m taken.”
“Of course you are. But for Harry’s sake, let’s try to get along.” Ron said.
“I can make an attempt at that.” Daphne said.
The other Triwizard champions have come over to Harry. Fleur took the word. “Let us…recommencer. A fresh start, oui? I am Fleur Delacour. Nice meeting you Mr. Potter.”
“Nice meeting you Fleur. And call me Harry.” Harry asked.
“Then call me Fleur.” Fleur replied.
“You can call me ‘Viktor’ too. Nice to meet you.” Viktor reached out his hand.
“Viktor, stop fraternizing with the enemy!” Igor Karkaroff shouted.
“Enemy? He’s not enemy. We are both participants in contest. Like Quidditch, we must keep sportsmanship. Harry is…I think English say ‘good bloke’, da?” Viktor replied.
“And how is taking part in a contest doing each other dirty supposed to encourage international cooperation?” Cedric added.
“Otherwise, it would feel like all ze schools would only care about measuring di-”
Fleur started. Fred and George took out a pair of horns to censor her.
“Mind if we eat at your table today?” Cedric asked.
“Go right ahead. Mi tabla est tu tabla.” Harry said. “Try the croissants, they are a delight!”
“Mon oncle eez a baker and he makes good ones…” Fleur said as the champions sat down at the table.
“Care to join us too, Ron?” Harry asked.
“Close to Viktor Krum? Hell yes! Pinch me, I’m dreaming.” Ron said. Hermione obliged. “Ouch! Not that hard!”
“Sorry.” Hermione said with an impish grin.
“You’re still going to remind me of my cock-up, are you?” Ron asked.
“Yes!” Hermione said bluntly, in unison with Fred and George.
Dumbledore was happy to see that some bridges weren’t burned, instead mended. He always knew the Weasley boy had potential if he applied himself. He was glad he wasn’t a lost cause. Despite the friends he gained, he hoped Harry wouldn’t lose his old ones. Guess you can have best of both worlds. He took a sideways glance at Snape whom no longer looked hungry and just scowled more then ever. If only he could get through to Severus as others got through to the Weasley boy. He had plenty more to do to fix many more of his mistakes, but he was glad some things worked itself out.
Things were looking up.