The Hollow Beneath Hogwarts

32. Uprising

The moment Sloane disappeared from the Great Hall, an uncomfortable silence settled over the table.

It was thick. Heavy. The kind that made every scrape of cutlery against plates sound too loud.

Ron shifted awkwardly in his seat beneath the stares suddenly aimed at him from every direction. Even Goose, curled happily beside Hermione, lifted his head and gave Ron what looked suspiciously like a judgemental look.

Blaise leaned back in his chair slowly, folding his arms across his chest. "Are you always such a tosser?" he asked bluntly.

Ron looked personally offended. "What did I do?" he snapped immediately. "It's not my fault she is—"

Hermione looked up so fast that even Draco blinked. "Ronald Billius Weasley," she warned dangerously, "if you say emotional, I am going to give you a matching shiner on your right eye."

Her voice was terrifyingly calm. Ron gulped audibly. Even Harry winced slightly. Hermione returned to feeding Goose little pieces of chicken as though she hadn't just threatened bodily harm in the middle of dinner.

Ron looked around the table in disbelief. "Look, she didn't rat me out. Fine. Great. Whatever." He threw his hands into the air. "But I didn't ask her to! Why the fuck should I apologise for something I didn't ask her to do?"

Ginny slammed her fork onto the table so hard several people nearby jumped. "Maybe because she saved you from getting expelled, you asshole?" she hissed.

Ron stared at his sister. "McGonagall wouldn't have expelled me," he scoffed. "Come on. I'm part of the Golden Trio. She owes me—"

"Nothing." Harry's voice cut through the table sharply.

The entire group fell silent. Harry rarely sounded angry. Really angry. But now there was something cold in his expression that made Ron falter instantly.

"She owes you nothing," Harry repeated firmly. "You don't get to use the fact you're friends with Hermione and me as some sort of get-out-of-jail-free card."

Ron opened his mouth again.

Harry didn't let him speak. "We may have helped save the castle," Harry continued, his voice growing harder, "but not without everyone else's help." He gestured around the hall. "It was a group effort. Neville killed Nagini. A Horcrux. While it was about to attack you."

Neville, halfway through drinking pumpkin juice nearby, nearly choked. Harry barely noticed. "He saved your life, Ron."

Ron looked down at the table.

"Everyone who fought did so because it was the right thing to do," Harry continued. "We fought because the alternative was watching people die. We didn't have a choice. It was kill or be killed."

The hall felt quieter now. A few nearby students had started listening.

Harry leaned forward slightly. "So how dare you stand there acting like surviving the war somehow makes you entitled to special treatment."

Ron flushed red. "I didn't mean it like that," he muttered weakly.

"Yes you did," Luna said calmly.

Everyone turned toward her. Luna sat serenely beside Ginny, stirring her tea absently, though her pale eyes remained fixed on Ron with unusual sharpness.

Ron looked genuinely wounded. "You too?" he asked incredulously. "I expected everyone else to gang up on me but not you, Luna."

"Why?" Luna asked lightly. "Because I'm strange?"

Ron blinked. "Well—"

"Because I'm 'out there'?" she continued calmly. "Because it's difficult imagining someone like me standing up for themselves or their friends?"