Ethereal

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The Order of The Phoenix

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Sadie returned to the common room to see Will was gone and Hermione was the only one there.

"Sadie!" Hermione said, jumping up and running to the younger girl, "what happened?"

"Nothing," she said. "Have you seen Ron?" 

Hermione shook her head.

"I think he's avoiding us," said Hermione. "Where do you think he. . . .?"

But at that precise moment, there was a creaking sound behind them as the Fat Lady swung forwards and Ron came clambering through the portrait hole. He was very pale indeed and there was snow in his hair. When he saw Sadie, Harry and Hermione, he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Where have you been?" said Hermione anxiously, springing up.

"Walking," Ron mumbled, still in his Quidditch robes. "What happened to you?" He added to Cassie.

"Nothing," Sadie said, ignoring the dried blood from both her ears and nose.

"You look frozen," said Hermione. "Come and sit down!"

Ron walked to the fireside and sank into the chair furthest from Harry and Sadie's, not looking at them. The stolen Snitch zoomed over their heads.

"I'm sorry," Ron mumbled, looking at his feet.

"What for?" said Harry.

"For thinking I can play Quidditch," said Ron. "I'm going to resign first thing tomorrow."

"If you resign," said Sadie testily, "there'll only be two players left on the team." And when Ron looked puzzled, she said, "I've been given a lifetime ban. So've Harry, Fred and George."

"What"' Ron yelped.

Hermione told him the full story. Sadie and Harry could not bear to tell it again. When she had finished, Ron looked more anguished than ever.

"This is all my fault. . . ."

"You didn't make me try and kill Malfoy," said Sadie angrily.

". . . .if I wasn't so terrible at Quidditch. . . ."

". . . .it's got nothing to do with that."

". . . .it was that song that wound me up. . . ."

". . . .it would've wound anyone up."

Hermione got up and walked to the window, away from the argument, watching the snow swirling down against the pane.

"Look, drop it, will you!" Sadie burst out. "It's bad enough, without you blaming yourself for everything!"

Ron said nothing but sat gazing miserably at the damp hem of his robes. After a while he said in a dull voice, "This is the worst I've ever felt in my life."

"Join the club," said Harry bitterly.

"Well," said Hermione, her voice trembling slightly. "I can think of one thing that might cheer you all up."

"Oh yeah?" said Harper sceptically.

"Yeah," said Hermione, turning away from the pitch-black, snow-flecked window, a broad smile spreading across her face. "Hagrid's back."

The four of them ran up to their dorms and Sadie and Hermione both grabbed their scarves and gloves and Hermione was wearing one of her own knobbly elf hats. The two girls ran down into the common room and saw Harry and Ron waiting with the Invisibility cloak in Harry's hand.