For years now, Hagrid had been one of Harry's closest friends. There was little he couldn't tell him. Hagrid's question had sprung him into speech; he told of all the peculiarities about Ron since Hermione had been selected, ending with the moment Sirius had spilled the beans.
Furthermore, Harry expressed his outrage to Hermione, believing that he should not have kept silent about the matter once he noticed that Ron was acting strangely.
Facing Harry's rebuke, Hermione lowered her head and did not say a word, while Dumbledore looked at Harry with an expression that was not quite right, as if he was about to eject him from the house.
"Leave it be, young man. We're discussing serious matters——"
Hagrid warned Dumbledore first, then sighed and said,
"What do you think is appropriate for Hermione, Harry? The conflict between you two was sparked by her becoming a champion. She knows Ron can't make him happy, but if she tells you Ron's thoughts, the consequences will be dire. Harry, do you really think Hermione would want to see you and Ron fighting? This is the greatest harm to her——"
Hagrid patted Hermione gently on the shoulder, as the little girl was crying again. Just as last year, when Ron misunderstood that Kreacher killed Crookshanks, Hermione would run to him to complain, often shedding tears.
The sight of Hermione tugged at Harry's heartstrings. He opened his mouth, unable to find fault with her, and instead resentfully said,
"It's all that foolish Ron's fault!"
"Come on, Harry--" Hagrid's sharp words cut to the point, "Any one who punches a friend in the face is a muppet. Both of you have issues."
Hagrid's words immediately brought to Harry's mind the words Ron had just said to him in the field. He stood up abruptly from the table, eager to explain, but Hagrid waved his giant hand like a fan,
"I know what you want to say, Harry. To you, Ron's envy of your fame and Hermione becoming a champion is foolish. You are friends, and neither of you wanted the fame or the warrior status. But have you ever thought about the pressure Ron is under? He could have chosen not to bear it, couldn't he?"
"What does that mean?"
Harry furrowed his brow, while Hermione remained unmoved, as if she had already expected what Hagrid was going to say.
"You two and Ron have been best friends since you all came to this school. One of you is the famous 'Boy Who Lived', and the other is a beloved student of professors. Ron, following in your footsteps, has been ignored by everyone around him. Has he ever complained about it?"
"Harry, do you think Ron would be more comfortable if he were friends with Seamus and Dean? Know what I mean, Harry? You know the Weasley family's situation. On what basis do you think Ron should follow you and Hermione around silently after being ignored at home? To be honest, I think he's not bad. He used to beat McGonagall in the magic chess. Not many wizards can do that!"
Only a small part of Hagrid's words sunk into Harry's mind, the part about Ron wanting to be friends with Dean and possibly abandoning Hermione and him.
"He's clearly making that attempt!"
Harry's heart tightened, but he huffed and said anyway.
"See?" Hagrid spread his hands, "It's your fault too, isn't it? You never formally acknowledged his suffering. Or even noticed it. But he hasn't blamed you. He's been quietly suffering while you both shine. And now Hermione's situation has set him off; he can't stand it anymore. Two of his best friends are famous overnight, and he's left behind"
"But that's not our fault!"
Harry angrily exclaimed,
"Perhaps if he likes being an orphan or is pursued by lethal plots, he might also become famous!"
"Don't you understand yet?"
"Hagrid is getting angry too," he said in a rough voice,
"So you now know that the pressure Ron has been under is very real, not some act, so why does he have to bear the pressure of being your friend? He could have cut ties with you on the day he realized there was pressure, but he didn't. It's clear that Ron values the friendship you two have built up very much, isn't that right?"
Hagrid said sharply,
"Ron hasn't mentioned his troubles to you guys because he still wants to be your friends. Of course, he's been a bit off lately, but that's normal, isn't it? You can't expect one person, especially an underage wizard, to have such high-minded resolve. He needs to express his feelings –"
A silence so oppressive it was hard to breathe fell over the cabin, punctuated only by the occasional pop and crackle from the creature's box.
Harry's eyes went blank, and he clenched his fists without speaking. He didn't know where to direct his anger, but at least he acknowledged one thing: he hadn't considered that Ron was under pressure for being their friend.
"So, you think it's a problem between me and Hermione?"
Harry spoke slowly, each word distinct and measured, with his emerald eyes sparkling with fire.
"I didn't mean that——"
Hagrid calmed down, and his voice became calm.
"Ron does indeed have issues, and he shouldn't have cooled down and distanced himself from you because of Hermione's champion status. But I want you to understand, Harry, there is a reason behind this. You should give Ron some time to digest his emotions. After that, I'm sure you'll reconcile like before, instead of pushing him now and asking why he's not as noble as before——"
Don't think you're the only one with nobility, Potter.
Harry's face contorted in sudden discomfort. He turned to Hermione, his eyes filled with guilt. Hadn't Hermione been trying to catch up with him, to tell him this in the Chamber of Secrets? She had been holding back, not wanting to upset Ron, wasn't that it?
So, did he mess it up?
"What do you think we should do now, Hagrid?"
Hermione finally raised her head, her eyes were swimming with tears, and she looked at the Weasley family with tears in her eyes.
"I can't give you the exact answers either——"
Hagrid sighed heavily, rising and walking to the fireplace, where he fiddled with the air valve.
"But my advice is, don't rush to Ron and talk about it right away. You all need to take some time to think about what friends really are. Only after you have cooled down can you talk like Sirius said, and really listen to each other."
Harry now feels a bit worried, what if Ron really did decide to give up Hermione and him? According to Hagrid's words, that seemed to be the easiest thing for Ron. But Harry is still angry. Can't Ron wait and cool down before acting out? He should know that this is a critical moment for Hermione!
"By the way, Hermione—" Hagrid had said everything he could say, and he looked at Hermione with concern, "How are you doing with the tournament tasks?"
Hermione ruthlessly sucked her nose a few times.
"I've found some materials, all of the projects that were performed in the Triwizard Tournament three centuries ago. But I'm not sure if it will work. I guess they won't repeat those projects."
"This little fellow has been worrying about you!" Hagrid scratched Dumbledore's head with his finger, "Too bad they don't allow assistants to be brought in. Otherwise, you could bring him along to the competition--"
(Chapter ended)
