Year Four: The TriWizard Tournament

Part 11

The next morning when Anne went to sit with her friends at breakfast, she was greeted by a bad-tempered Ron, and Harry had not come down from Gryffindor Tower.

"Harry and I had a fight last night," Ron told her angerly stuffing his breakfast in his mouth.

"About what?"

"About how he could've put his name in the goblet without telling me!"

"Ron, you're being ridiculous," said Anne exasperated. "There's no way Harry could have put his name in the goblet, and he certainly wouldn't have anyone else do it for him. He clearly didn't want any of this! Why are you being such a prat?"

"Me a prat?!" Ron spat. "Oh, so you're on his side! You don't care a wit about me!"

"Of course I care about you!" snapped Anne. "Both you and Harry are my friends, and so is Hermione." She spoke in a calm voice. "As his friends we need to try to help him--"

"Why should I help him?!" said Ron surly. "I'm just a nobody.."

"That's not true," said Hermione. "You're his best friend--"

"---which is what I'll always be!" Ron complained. "Why did he have to get picked for the stupid tournament?" He then got up and started to storm away. "When you see him, tell him I'm still not speaking to him!"

Both girls sat shell-shocked. How could Ron who used to always stick up for Harry become so cold and distant? Harry really needed the help and support, and now his best friend had deserted him.

"Did you see Ron this morning?" Harry asked.

He and the girls were taking a walk on the grounds. He had told them what happened last night after he had left the Great Hall. To his immense relief, both girls accepted his story without question. Unfortunately, as Dumbledore said, he had no choice but to compete.

"He was in a surly mood when I saw him," Anne muttered. "Nearly bit my head off when I told him he was being a prat about the whole thing!"

"Does he think I entered myself?"

Hermione hesitated unsure how to answer.

"Oh, Harry, isn't it obvious?" Anne said impatiently. "Ron's jealous!"

"Jealous?" said Harry incredulously. "Jealous of what? He wants to make a prat of himself in front of the whole school, doesn't he?"

"It's just that it's always you who gets all the attention," Hermione admitted. "We know it's not your fault. We know you didn't ask for it....but you know, Ron's got all those brothers to compete against at home, and you're his best friend, and you're famous----he's always shoved to the side whenever people see you. He puts up with it but I suppose this is just one time too many..."

"I'm not running around after him trying to make him grow up!" said Harry hotly. "Maybe he'll believe I'm not enjoying myself once I get my neck broken or----"

"Tell that to my father," Anne muttered under her breath.

"Look. You know what we've got to do, don't you?"

"Yeah," said Harry. "Give Ron a good kick!"

"Write to Sirius," Hermione suggested. "You've got to tell him what happened."

If Harry thought that matters would improve once everyone got used to him being champion, he was mistaken. It was clear that the rest of the school, just like the Gryffindors, thought Harry had entered the tournament himself. Anne and Hermione tried their best to help and support him as much as they could. Yet it was impossible to shield him from the cold stares, jeers, and insults that were hurled at him wherever he went. Especially from the Slytherins who were taking great pride in hurling cruel insults. 

Constantly, Anne was forced to endure the gossip and antagonization that her housemates would pass around the school about Harry.

The next several weeks were some of Harry's worst at Hogwarts. The closest he had ever come to feeling this miserable had been during his second year, when a large part of the school had suspected him of being the Heir of Slytherin. But Ron had been on his side then. He thought he could have coped with the rest of the school's behavior if he could have had Ron back as his friend, but he wasn't going to try to talk to Ron if Ron didn't want to.

Anne was accompanying Ron and Hermione down to the lake where Harry was talking to Neville who at this moment was completely absorbed in a book.

As they approached, Ron whispered something to Hermione.

"We've already been through enough people. Why don't you just go and do it yourself?" whispered Hermione agitated. Ron glowered and shook his head. "Ughh! What do you want me to say again?"

Ron once again whispers to Hermione. It was clear that Harry and Ron were not on speaking terms.

Exasperated, Anne strides to Harry. "Ron wanted us to tell you what several people told him that Hagrid was looking for you."

"Is that right?" asked Harry. He looked at Ron who immediately turned away. "Well....what?!"

"I don't know. But Hagrid wants to see you, that's all!" replied Anne impatiently. She storms back to Ron and Hermione.

"Well, you can tell Ron--"

"I am not an owl!" Anne shouted at Harry. She glanced at Ron who was sulking and Harry who glowered. "You know what! I am so fed up with this feud! Until you two put aside your differences and make amends, I am not speaking for either one of you!" With that she turned on her heel and stormed back to the castle.