Saint Harry! A visit from the Weasley family
What had happened in Flying Class soon spread throughout Hogwarts.
Ingratitude was despised wherever it occurred.
Especially since Argus had helped students from Gryffindor House more than once.
He had even saved their lives!
This instantly made Gryffindor House everyone's laughingstock.
In a ward in the Hospital Wing.
Harry and Draco, who had both become Seekers, were at opposite ends of the Hospital Wing.
Yet their surroundings were complete opposites.
More than a dozen young wizards, led by Argus, gathered around Draco's bed, bringing piles of gifts and well wishes.
Over by Harry, however, he was the only one keeping Ron company.
It was utterly deserted!
They also had to endure the occasional dirty look from the others.
The two looked at each other in silence, neither knowing what to say.
Just then, an owl flew through the window and dropped a red letter beside Ron's bed.
Ron's expression changed instantly.
"Oh, no!"
He reached out with a trembling hand and picked up the letter.
But he still did not dare open it!
"Look, Weasley's got a Howler!"
Laughter erupted from the crowd, and everyone watched him with mocking eyes.
"Open it, Weasley! Let us hear what you've done!"
"Yeah, maybe Mrs. Weasley's going to shower you with praise for your good deeds!"
"Harry, how about..." Ron swallowed and turned his gaze toward Harry.
Harry was no fool. Even though he had never heard of a Howler, he could tell from everyone else's reactions.
It certainly wasn't anything good!
He hurriedly shook his head in refusal.
Displeasure showed in Ron's eyes as he hesitantly reached toward the letter.
The moment he lightly touched the Howler's seal, the letter jumped out.
An ear-splitting roar rang throughout the ward!
"Ron Weasley! How dare you do something like this at school!"
"Disrupting lessons and snatching things from your classmates! You'll be the death of me!"
The Howler's red envelope and white paper combined into the face of a roaring woman.
Ron was left reeling by the shouting, his face filled with fear.
"Professor McGonagall came to speak to me personally about you! I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if you were expelled!"
"This is all your fault! If you dare cause trouble at school again, your father and I will bring you straight home!"
"Do you hear me?"
Whether Mrs. Weasley could see him or not, Ron nodded frantically at the Howler.
After finishing its scolding of Ron, the Howler turned toward Harry.
Its tone became incredibly gentle.
"Hello, dear Harry. I'm delighted you've become friends with Ron."
"You're welcome to visit the Burrow anytime!"
Having said this, the Howler tore itself into scraps without a care for how Ron would clean up after it.
They fell beside the bed.
"Hahahahaha..."
The crowd burst into laughter.
Ron, who had just been ignored, once again became the target of everyone's ridicule.
One boy imitated Mrs. Weasley's comical, furious appearance while repeating the Howler's words.
"Ron Weasley! How dare you do something like this at school!"
"Disrupting lessons and snatching things from your classmates..."
"I know I was wrong, Mum!"
Another boy pretended to be Ron, wearing a meek, submissive expression.
Everyone doubled over with laughter.
Ron's eyes reddened with anger. He turned his head away, trying hard not to look at them.
Unable to bear seeing his friend tormented like this, Harry jogged over to Argus.
"Argus..."
"Harry, I didn't tell them to do any of this. Or are you asking me to plead for someone who repaid kindness with ingratitude?"
The moment Harry approached, Argus knew what crap he was about to spout.
He sneered inwardly.
Have I been so mild-mannered at Hogwarts that you've taken me for some spineless pushover?
The slightest grievance, and you come asking me to plead for him!
Am I your dad or something?
Why weren't you this eager when Draco got hurt?
"Anyone who does something wrong has to pay the price."
"He should have thought of that when he chose to snatch my things in Flying Class!"
"Ron... Ron didn't mean it..."
"He didn't mean it?" Argus laughed in anger.
If he hadn't still needed Harry to contend with Dumbledore later, he would have loved to slap him across the face.
Wasn't this a textbook case of an overgrown baby with a saint complex?
Whoever's weaker is right, then!
"So you're saying the broomstick between his legs flew in front of me by itself, then snatched my book all on its own."
"And finally crashed into Draco by itself, is that it?"
"Argus, Ron already knows he was wrong!"
After hearing that, Argus no longer wanted to keep arguing with Harry.
He wasn't Harry's nanny. It was enough to use Dumbledore's regard for Harry to force Dumbledore to make concessions.
As for everything else, he could leave those headaches to Dumbledore!
He turned his head away, unwilling to spare Harry another glance!
With a light flick of his wand, the knife on the table peeled an apple by itself.
He held it to Draco's lips.
"Madam Pomfrey said the bruises on your body would fade once you'd applied the ointment."
"Get a night's rest, and you'll be able to attend classes as usual tomorrow."
Draco nodded, looking at Harry with disappointment he could not suppress.
Goyle and Crabbe noticed Argus's impatience.
Like two guardian statues, they blocked Harry well away, giving him no chance to approach Argus.
Pansy sneered. "Draco and Argus have been here all this time, and Weasley hasn't said a single word of apology. Is that what you call knowing he was wrong?"
"Get lost! You're not welcome here!"
Harry was left speechless by her retort.
His face flushed with shame, and he slunk back to Ron's bedside.
Still seemingly unsatisfied, Pansy pointed at Ron's bed and continued berating him. "Weasley, if Argus hadn't reacted so quickly in Potions Class, do you think you would even have made it to Flying Class?"
"How many people did that cauldron of potion you brewed hurt?"
"Instead of repenting after doing something wrong, you send your friend to clean up your mess. Aren't you something!"
Ron wanted to die of shame and anger. Pansy's words brought tears to his eyes, yet he could not refute them.
He grabbed the covers and buried his head deep beneath them.
A cold sneer curled Argus's lips.
You can't take it already?
Ron Weasley, your good days have only just begun!
That evening, back in the Slytherin Common Room.
Argus was about to return to his dormitory to rest when he suddenly heard someone calling his name.
"Excuse me, is Mr. Grindelwald here?"
"Sorry for the trouble, but could you call him for me? Thank you."
Argus came to the entrance of the common room, where three redheads stood out conspicuously.
"Mr. Grindelwald, we've come to apologize to you on Ron's behalf."
"We've spoiled him since he was little. We're truly sorry for the trouble he's caused you."
Percy stepped forward with the Weasley twins, and without another word, they first bowed to Argus.
The Weasleys' upbringing was quite good. Arthur and Molly were both extremely upright people.
They had not chosen to shield Ron because of Argus's and Draco's backgrounds.
Percy and the Weasley twins had not blindly defended him either. As soon as they learned what had happened, they came straight to apologize to Argus.
"As for the textbook Ron threw away, we'll reimburse you for its full price, or buy you a new copy."
"Once his injuries have healed, I'll personally bring him to apologize to you and Mr. Malfoy."
"I hope you can forgive him."
"There's no need for an apology. Just keep him in line from now on."
Argus was not someone who took his anger out on others indiscriminately.
Percy and the Weasley twins were all pawns he had already earmarked. He would never allow himself to leave the three with a bad impression of him beforehand.
That might lead to Dumbledore poaching them later.
"It's getting late. If there's nothing else, you should head back and get some rest."
"As for Draco, I'll go..."
"Wait!"
Seeing that Argus was about to leave, Percy hurriedly spoke up.
His face was slightly flushed, as though he found it extremely difficult to speak.
"There's one more thing I'd like to discuss with you..."