In the Melancholy Moonlight

Chapter CXL: Burning in the Skies

I use the dead wood to make the fire rise
The blood of innocents burning in the skies
I filled my cup with the rising of the sea
And poured it out in an ocean of debris

I'm swimming in the smoke
Of bridges I have burned
So don't apologize
I'm losing what I don't deserve
What I don't deserve

"Burning in the Skies"
Linkin Park

HARRY:

When I opened my eyes Saturday morning, Ron was already awake.

"You alright?" I asked, knowing the answer already.

He nodded. It seemed he was afraid to open his mouth and reply out loud. He looked rather sick to his stomach, not unlike second year when he had slugulus eructo-ed himself.

"Right." I pushed myself out of bed and clapped his shoulder. "You just need some breakfast, you'll feel better. C'mon."

We had two very different receptions. The Slytherin table, obviously, greeted us with jeers and laughter, but to my surprise, a lot of it was directed at Ron. Everyone was wearing a silver badge, a crown with some type of writing on it, but I was shoving Ron past so quickly I couldn't read what they said. The Gryffindor table, on the contrary, greeted us with cheers and grins, which seemed to make Ron feel even worse than the boos of the Slytherins.

The twins and the girls weren't there yet, so Ron collapsed into his seat and braced his head in his hands.

"I must've been mental to do this. Mental," he groaned.

I shoved cereal his direction and sighed. "Don't be thick. You're going to be fine. It's normal to be nervous."

"I'm rubbish. I'm lousy. I can't play to save my life. What was I thinking?"

"Get a grip. Look at that save you made with your foot the other day, even Fred and George said it was brilliant!"

He sighed and turned to me, confessing in a whisper, "That was an accident, I didn't mean to do it, I slipped off my broom when none of you were looking and I was trying to get back on and I kicked the Quaffle by accident."

I blinked. Then scrambled to pretend this wasn't an unpleasant surprise. "Well, a few more accidents like that and the game's in the bag, isn't it?"

Before he could reply, Hermione and Ginny and Lucy arrived. All three girls had a little extra Gryffindor pride that day — Hermione had a Gryffindor beanie pulled down tight over her bushy hair, Ginny's face was covered in sparkly red and gold stars almost as numerous as her freckles, and Lucy's ponytail was tied back with a red and gold bow so large it stuck out a little bit over the top of her head and off to the side behind both ears.

"How're you feeling, Ron?" Ginny asked as she landed next to Lucy across the table from us.

"He's just nervous," I replied.

Hermione offered a confident smile as she slid in next to Ron. "Well, that's a good sign! I never feel you perform as well in exams if you're not a bit nervous!"

"Hi, Luna," Lucy said, smiling and waving over my shoulder.

Ron, Hermione, and I turned to see Luna. Er, well, part of Luna. A lot of her head was hidden under an extremely-realistic lion's head.

"Hello," she replied in the same dreamy voice she always used. She pointed to her hat. "I'm supporting Gryffindor. Look what it does, Lucy helped me charm it last night." With a tap of her wand, the lion roared, making the Great Hall jump collectively. "It's good, isn't it? I wanted to have it chewing up a serpent to represent Slytherin, you know, but there wasn't time. Anyway, good luck, Ronald!"