Chapter 15: Ron, You're Turning Green!
"Stupid bird. Maybe Hermione is right…" Ron grumbled as he emerged from his room like a bear in spring. Groggy, grumpy, and hungry.
He did not have long to get adjusted however, as he heard a lot of commotion downstairs. Rubbing his eyes with his pajama sleeves, he made his way down the stairs. As soon as he reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard a familiar chittering noise at his feet. Looking down, Scabbers looked up at him, as if beckoning him to pick him up. A small smile stretched across the boy's lips as he reached down and gently put him on his shoulder.
He soon rounded the corner into the den, and to his shock, he saw Harry and the Twin's chatting it up. To the point that he could have sworn they knew each other their entire lives.
"Harry? Fred? George? What're you three up to?" Ron asked, confused.
"Oh, hello Ron." Fred answered politely.
"Little early for you, little brother, isn't it?" George asked.
"Errol came delivering a letter from Hermione. Damn bird woke me up by smacking into my window…" Ron grumbled in annoyance.
"Ah, Errol. You think at some point Mum and Dad would get a new owl out of pity. Poor thing's gonna conk himself out hitting so many windows." George said with a sigh.
"I've offered to get your family a new owl multiple times, but Ron wouldn't go for it. He even told me that none of you would agree to it either." Harry explained with a sigh.
"It's the Weasley pride. At a certain point, though…" Fred started to say thoughtfully, but was soon cut off by Ron.
"Focus, please. What are you three up to?" Ron asked, trying to change the subject from potentially owing Harry for something.
"Should we tell him?" Fred asked, snapping his head to look at his twin.
"I don't know. He is being a bit snappy today…" George answered, his voice trailing off whimsically.
"We're planning out this year's pranks for Fred and George to pull at Hogwarts, Ron." Harry said with a grin.
Ron frowned at this. "But Fred and George usually ask me to help with that." He pointed out.
"This is why we always tell you, Ron. Early trickster gets the prank." George said, raising his finger like a Hogwarts professor.
"Most of them seem to be really focused on Percy, for some reason. I don't know why they want my help with him…" Harry replied, confused.
"Of course. It's because he doesn't like you." Ron pointed out.
"Wait. He doesn't?" Harry asked in shock.
"No, he doesn't." Ron, the twins, and even a passing Percy said simultaneously.
"Jinx, Ron. You owe us a Butterbeer." The twins said with grins.
"Wizard snaps…" Ron cursed under his breath.
"Huh. I never noticed." Harry said, surprised.
"What are you four even doing this early?" Percy asked dryly.
"Planning our pranks for this year, Percy. Wanna help out for once?" Fred offered to the third oldest Weasley child.
"Why bother? I'm the target of most of them anyway." Percy answered with a roll of his eyes, before slinking off to the kitchen.
"He's onto us…" George whispered to his twin and Harry.
"You know, if you helped them every once in a while, maybe you wouldn't be a target as much." Harry noted, trying to be helpful.
"I really don't like you." Percy scowled from the kitchen.
"What did I do…?" Harry asked, legitimately confused.
"Well, you three have fun. I'm going to go see if Ginny needs any help this morning." Ron said with a deep sigh, looking away.
"Why don't you join us, Ron? We could use an extra head to put together with ours." Harry offered to his best friend.
"I don't really feel like being a third wheel this early." Ron scowled before heading off.
"Our little Ron is being sassy. I'm so proud…" Fred said with a smile.
"Almost brings a tear to a man's eye…" George added with mock tearful joy.
Harry did not get to say another word before Ron slammed the door to the garden behind him. Clenching his fists and adding a huff to his step, he marched off to find his sister. Mercifully, he found her, though he was stunned at the situation he found. Ginny stood at one side of the garden with her wand ready, and at the other side of the garden were gnomes tied to posts. Then with a motion of the wand that looked vaguely like a bat wing, she spoke an incantation.
"Chiroptera Muccus." Ginny called out as a snot green ball of light shot from her wand.
Soon a flurry of light green energy hits the gnomes, forcing them to sneeze violently. Great streams of mucus came from their little gnome noses, but Ginny frowned and stomped her foot in frustration.
"Failed again! How come I can't get this to work!?" Ginny growled.
"What's wrong, Ginny? Practicing your Bat Bogey again?" Ron asked his sister in mild concern.
"Yes! All the effort bribing Percy to get an original page from Miranda Goshawk's own spellbook, and I can't get the stupid thing to work." Ginny huffed.
"What could you possibly have bribed him with to get that from him?" Ron asked her, his eyes widening in shock.
"That's between me and Percy, dear brother. You'll have to ask him." Ginny answered cheekily, giving him a wink.
"Send me to the lion's den, why don't you…?" Ron muttered under his breath.
"You know I wouldn't do that, Ron. But I'm still not telling you." Ginny told him.
"Well, if you need help, I can always try. Though why are the gnomes tied to those posts?" Ron offered hesitantly, slowly looking at the tied-up gnomes.
"Because I'm using them for target practice for the spell." Ginny told her brother, glaring at the gnomes.
"Isn't that a bit cruel?" Ron asked.
"They know what they did…" Ginny growled out, glaring daggers at the little gits.
"Okay then, moving on." Ron said, trying to move the conversation away from the unique form of pest control. "But if you want, I can help you practice."
"No thank you. Harry offered to help too when he gets done helping Fred and George. Give me a moving target. When I asked why, he told me he's been feeling a bit stuffy and thought it might help." Ginny replied, smiling brightly.
"Alright, fine. I understand." Ron answered with a dour tone, before heading off towards the kitchen.
With a scowl he threw the door open with a crash. Thankfully, the only person in the kitchen was Percy, who merely looked disapproving at him. For once, Ron did not react to him as he went to pour himself some tea from the teapot. This caught Percy's attention, as if anyone reacted to his disapproving glare, it was always Ron.
"Is everything all right today, Ronald?" Percy asked, masking any concern he may have in a drole monotone.
"Everyone's been taking up Harry's time doing things I usually help them with." Ron said, sipping his tea.
"You're telling me. Mother apparently got him to help me out with organizing my spell books this afternoon. I know mum can be a bit of a fire breathing dragon at times, but he took it on the chin." Percy answered with a sigh, trying to be a bit sympathetic.
"Doesn't she usually make me do that with you?" Ron asked, actually sounding a bit hurt.
"Usually yes. Then again, you normally don't do much worthwhile around here anyway, but that can be our little secret." Percy replied before sipping his tea.
"But you know that I'm the only one here who knows exactly how you align and alphabetize your spell books. And Fred and George always count on my creativity for punishments for anyone they have a grudge against in school. Not to mention Ginny always comes to me for advice on something." Ron noted, sounding genuinely hurt by the entire situation.
"Are you starting to see why I hate him so much? Spreads trouble everywhere he goes. Like dear Ginevra's attempt at spreading butter on toast." Percy said, leaning forward towards Ron.
"I don't hate Harry. He's my best friend. Also, you do realize that Ginny was still dead tired, right?" Ron pointed out.
"Well, as future Head Boy to an incoming Second Year student, why don't you go clear the air between yourself and Potter?" Percy offered politely.
"You're just a Prefect this year, Percy. But that is good advice…" Ron noted, thinking about it.
Ron was soon cut off from anything further by Ginny slamming the door open and marching in. The two were stunned as she had a very annoyed look on her face.
"Who among you said my birth name?" Ginny growled.
"... He did it!" Ron said, pointing to Percy before running for the door.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait!" Percy said in a panic as Ginny marched towards him.
As soon as he flung the door open to leave, he ran straight into his cousin Mafalda. Unlike his siblings, Ron's attempt to run through her was met with stiff resistance. As if repealed by a much greater force, he stumbled back as she raised her eyebrow at him.
"Got a date or something, cousin?" Mafalda asked.
"No, Mafalda. Just running before I get caught in the crossfire of Ginny hexing Percy." Ron told his cousin, straightening himself out.
"Oh, I thought you were going to write a letter… Herbolony… Hernia… Hermoney… what was her name again?" Mafalda asked.
Ron blushed at that. "Her name is Hermoine, Mafalda! And she's just a friend!" He told her in frustration.
"Oh, you mean a girl who happens to be a friend. Got it." She answered with sarcasm, before giving him a wink.
"Don't make me hex you, Mafalda…" Ron told her, glaring at his cousin with his face as red as a cherry.
"If you're even twice as good at hexing as Ginny, I'm not scared." Mafalda replied with a smile.
"I HEARD THAT, MAFALDA!" Ginny told her cousin in anger.
"I should hope so." Mafalda shot back.
"... Moving on. Do you want me to quiz you on material for Hogwarts, Mafalda?" Ron asked his cousin.
"Ginny's boyfriend beat you to the punch, Ron." Mafalda replied with a shrug.
"I WILL HEX YOU SO HARD YOUR GRANDCHILDREN WILL FEEL IT!" Ginny snapped out, as red as a stop sign.
"I'm quivering in my boots." Mafalda answered with a smile.
"Is there literally anything that Harry hasn't offered to do around here?" Ron asked, frustration painted on his face.
"Well, I would ask you to help with the chores, but Harry offered to help with that too." Molly said as she walked in.
"Fine, just make me useless in my own house! ARGH!" Ron roared before storming out of the kitchen.
Everyone looked on in shock for a bit before Ginny finally spoke up. "... What's wrong with Ron?" She asked, concern for her brother dripping from her tone.
"I'll go talk with him, dear. Don't you worry. And please don't kill your brother over your birth name again." Molly answered before starting to follow Ron.
"No promises, Mum…" Ginny replied, glaring at Percy as he tried to make a break for it.
Meanwhile: Guildford, Surrey
In the quaint English countryside of Surrey, the morning routine of quiet banality was rudely interrupted by a sudden flash of foreign energy. In the home of one Alejandro, his half-English, half-Spanish breakfast was interrupted by a tiny creature known as his sister. He looked down at the seven-year-old girl with hazel eyes looking back through locks of deep brown hair. She hid under the table, only being able to due to her short height even for her youthful age.
"Marisol? What is it, hermana? And can't it wait until after breakfast?" Alejandro asked his little sister.
"Why do you have to go to Hocuswart? Can't you skip so we can play wizards and muggles?" Marisol asked.
Alejandro chuckled at that. "It's called 'Hogwarts,' Mari. And yes, I do. If I'm going to learn to use magic and finish my education, I have to. Don't worry, hermana menor. I'll be home during the breaks." He told her with a smile.
"Maybe I can sneak in his suitcase when he isn't looking." Marisol loudly whispered.
"No, Mari. Hogwarts is dangerous for people without magic." Alejandro sternly told his baby sister.
"How did you know my super-secret plan?" Marisol wondered in amazement.
"You weren't exactly being quiet, Mari. If it makes you feel any better, I'll entertain you with more new spells when I get home." Alejandro told her.
"Fun watching magic I can't do because I was born wrong." Marisol said glumly.
Alejandro frowned. "You weren't born wrong, Mari. Just different." He told her, pulling her into a hug to make her feel better.
"I wish I could be special like you, hermano." Marisol said sadly, returning the hug.
"You don't have to be like me to be special, Mari. Just be your best you." Alejandro told her.
"How can I ever be my best if I can't do anything?" Marisol answered sadly before storming off.
Alejandro sighed as she left. "Trust me, Mari. If I could give you my magic to make you happy, I would…" He said sadly, watching his baby sister leave.