Harry Potter: The Blogger of Hogwarts

Dear Mum and Dad,

Thanks for your letter asking if I was okay after Halloween. And your Howler to Dumbledore, although I think my eardrums would have preferred it if he'd opened it in his office instead of the Great Hall. Harry, being Harry, bounced back because that's what he does. He doesn't believe he was dead at all, for starters. I can't say I blame him. I wouldn't have believed it either if I hadn't seen it. And he seems to think Quirrell was small time compared to the "nefarious malefactor" that is Professor O'Neill.

Hermione, on the other hand, is completely beside herself. I really think she didn't take most of Harry's whole deal very seriously. Since he's so silly all the time, it never occurred to her that she would be in actual danger alongside him. The most danger we've faced so far was Harry's tendency to engross himself in history books causing him to nearly fall down a staircase on almost twenty separate occasions. But now we've faced down a Dark Lord who tried to kill us all and she's really freaking out about it.

Of course since Hermione is, well, Hermione, also known as the most Ravenclaw person to ever be in Slytherin, her idea of freaking out mostly involves studying a lot of defense spells and following Madam Pomfrey wherever she went until she finally gave in and taught her a healing spell. The spell she taught Hermione is something called a…hang on, I have it written down. A coagulation spell. God, I hope I spelled that right. It helps stop a wound from bleeding and, Madam Pomfrey made this very clear, is only meant as a delaying measure to keep someone from bleeding out before a healer can get to them.

Fortunately for her (and us because Hermione, as great as she is, can be a bit of a nightmare when she's become obsessed with something), Hermione's had a lot to keep her distracted. Like her practicing for the upcoming Quidditch match. While we're on that subject, Hermione asked me if you would come to the game and cheer her on since her parents can't be there. I know it's a lot to ask, especially since Fred and George are on the Gryffindor team. But she's not doing well, even though she tries to hide it. I think it'd mean a lot to her.

Our new Defense teacher is a man named Remus Lupin. He was a friend of Harry's dad and he's a really, really good teacher! I mean, most people are good next to Quirrell, but he really has a way of making the stuff we're learning actually interesting. Harry gets along well with him too. Things were a little tense at the beginning – Harry wasn't happy Professor Lupin never got into contact with him when he was younger – but Harry confronted him in private and seems to be satisfied with the answer he got. He won't tell me what it is, but I think Hermione knows. But then again, Hermione always seems to know everything, so that's no surprise.

But the real news is that I've actually managed to corner Percy and confront him about how he's been avoiding me since my sorting (and also to convince him to ask the Gryffindors to audition for the Tempest) and the answer did not turn out to be what I expected. I'm not sure I should be telling you, but he wants me to, so I'm going to do it anyway. But if it upsets you, it's his fault, not mine.

Fred and George were the ones who helped me find him. I don't know how they did it. Percy doesn't know either. But somehow they managed to find him in that room with all those coats of armor on the third floor. And he was not looking well. He seemed to be a lot thinner than the last time I saw him and his meticulously combed hair was askew and wild.

"Percy?" I said gently. "What's going on?"

Percy jumped into the air, looking like he'd seen a banshee. "Ronald. Don't scare me like that."

"How should he scare you, then?" Fred said with a wink.

"Okay, thanks, goodbye," I got out of my mouth in one quick breath and then shoved the twins out of the room. I think it only worked because they were so surprised. I knew having the twins around would not be helpful. At all. All they'd do would be to make things worse. "Percy, what's up with you? You look like you've been missing meals – to avoid me?"

Percy's ears flushed scarlet. "No! I just…have revisions to do. That's all. Sometimes less important things fall by the wayside."

"Like food?" I said skeptically. "Percy, come on, mate. We didn't use to have secrets."

"That was before…before you…"

I sighed. "Before I got sorted into Slytherin?" He started pacing wildly around the room. I wished Charlie was here. Right now, Percy seemed to have more in common with a dragon than the brother I used to know. "Percy, I'm still me. I haven't been hiding anything from you. I don't think I'd have been sorted into Slytherin if Harry hadn't told me it was okay, but I've always wanted more out of life than the others. I'd have thought you know what that's like."

Percy started tearing out his hair. Seriously. It was coming out in clumps. Super alarming. "Yes!" he screamed. "Yes, I do know what it's like!"

"Please talk to me," I begged Percy. I've never said this to anyone – and I'll deny it if anyone asks – but Percy's always been my favorite brother. Fred and George are chaos personified, Charlie's off in his own happy little world, and Bill, well, he just doesn't understand me like Percy does. Percy's always understood me before. He knows how I feel. He knows why I do what I do. It hurts to think he doesn't understand me anymore.

"You didn't hesitate," Percy stammered. I think he wasn't sure how to approach this conversation any more than me. "You weren't…were you afraid, Ron? When you put the hat on?"

.....

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