Ron Weasley: Resurgence of the Redhead

Halloween Heroics

Halloween morning had dawned, filling Hogwarts Castle with an air of festivity. The delightful scent of baking pumpkin wafted through the corridors, making students' stomachs growl with anticipation for the upcoming feast. The Great Hall was adorned with decorations in shades of orange and black, with floating candles illuminating countless pumpkins carved into grinning jack-o'-lanterns. Excitement buzzed in the air as the students eagerly awaited the evening's Halloween feast.

But in Professor Flitwick's Charms class, an entirely different kind of excitement was stirring. The professor, a tiny wizard who required a stack of books to reach his desk, beamed with enthusiasm as he announced the day's lesson: the Levitation Charm. The students had been looking forward to this lesson ever since they witnessed Professor Flitwick make Neville's toad zoom around the classroom.

The room was abuzz with whispers as the students eagerly paired off, their wands at the ready. Harry found himself paired with Ron, much to Harry's relief. Hermione, on the other hand, was paired with Seamus, a combination that promised to be rather eventful.

"Remember," squeaked Professor Flitwick, his legs swinging freely above the floor, "nice wrist movement, and the proper pronunciation are key! Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too – never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest."

As the class practiced the incantation, Ron took the lead. He swished his wand with a flourish and flicked it deftly, pretending to struggle for a moment, before successfully levitating the feather. 

Then, he turned his attention to helping Harry, who was struggling to get the feather off the desk. Swish and flick, they practiced, but the feather remained stubbornly earthbound. Harry's face tensed with concentration as he followed Ron's instructions. A determined bead of sweat trickled down his forehead.

At the adjacent table, Seamus Finnegan was having his own share of trouble with the charm. Hermione, her brows furrowed in frustration, couldn't help herself.

"You're saying it wrong," she snapped at Seamus. "It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long." Her tone was bossy, as had become something of a habit.

Seamus, increasingly impatient, let out a frustrated groan and jabbed at the feather with his wand. The result was an explosion, with the feather igniting like a tiny firework. In the blink of an eye, it was Hermione who had to act, using her hat to smother the flaming feather and save the day.

The commotion at the neighboring table was impossible to ignore. Ron overheard Seamus Finnigan's loud grumbling about his "explosive" misadventure in Charms class. "I burned off my eyebrows again," Seamus lamented in his thick Irish brogue. "I swear it's me wand that isn't proper... It always blows things up!"

"Maybe you should try to practice more," Hermione couldn't help but interject, her voice bossy as ever, though tinged with concern. Ron had come to understand that her bossiness was often a mask for her nerves or worry. Her heart was always in the right place, even if her tone was occasionally grating. Ron had learned to appreciate it, even if it had initially irked him.

Seamus's frustration got the better of him, and he snapped back at Hermione. "Sod off, Granger! Maybe you should practice a spell that makes you less of a know-it-all. Maybe then you could finally make some friends."

The room fell into a tense silence. Ron, who had just been about to stand up for Hermione, was a second too late. The Slytherins openly laughed at Hermione, enjoying the spectacle, while some of the Gryffindors, particularly the ones who had previously shared stifled snickers with Seamus, tried to keep their laughter in check.