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Ron looked at Harry, who shrugged with a look of confusion as well. They had been in a practical, helping other Auror recruits run through duelling spells for well over two hours when they had received an interdepartmental memo asking them to go see Kingsley, and neither of them knew why.
A few months ago, Ron and Harry had been invited by Kingsley Shacklebolt to join the Auror program, which they had readily accepted. For Ron, it wasn’t just because he had been offered a place or because Harry was doing it. He would have pursued the career regardless because he knew he would not be at peace until they had imprisoned any Voldemort supporters that had gone into hiding following his defeat. Even once they succeeded, he could not imagine doing anything else. He chuckled to himself, remembering Professor McGonagall once accusing Harry, Hermione and himself of always being in the action when something happened. It was all he had ever known.
Together Ron and Harry made their way to the Minister for Magic’s office. Ron lowered his head and caught a whiff of himself. Not ideal, he thought, but oh well. If anyone knew the physical strain required to be an Auror, it was Kingsley himself.
“What do you reckon he wants to see us about?” asked Ron.
Harry shrugged. “Dunno.”
“Maybe they want to send us on a mission!”
The training had been just that – training. It had been nice not to have a constant death threat looming over their heads, but Ron also wanted to do something useful. They had been training since August and had both done exceedingly well in their hands-on practicals. Though the Auror program normally consisted of three years of study, Kingsley had authorised Harry and Ron to reduce the study to only one year; one of Kingsley’s first tasks as Minister was rebuilding the dark wizard catchers force, which had been depleted after the war. Even with those that remained, Kingsley said he wanted witches and wizards he could trust. He had recruited Ron and Harry and extended the invitation to Hermione and other members of the Order and the Dumbledore’s Army, but not everyone was ready for the commitment. Some wanted to finally rest. Hermione had turned down the offer to return to her studies at Hogwarts.
“Harry, Ron! Come in,” Kingsley’s deep voice welcomed them in and shut the door behind them with a flick of his wand.
Harry took a seat in one of the chairs before the desk. “Hey Kingsley, keeping busy?”
“Yes, it has taken so long to rebuild our world, from the personnel here at the Ministry to the infrastructure at Hogwarts, and even reassuring the muggle Prime Minister and rebuilding that relationship.” He sighed.
Ron frowned before asking, “Well, is there anything we can do to help?”
Kingsley gave him a warm smile. Ron could see that his face looked weary now. There were lines around his eyes that had not been there before. Although he had been declared acting Minister immediately after the war, Kinglsey had been formally appointed with an overwhelming majority. He was an Auror, a member of the Order, a war hero. If there was someone who could have the weight of the wizarding world on his shoulders whilst understanding all that needed to be rebuilt, it was Kingsley. And despite this, he still maintained his welcoming demeanour.
“As a matter of fact, it is what I would like to do for you. You have noticed that as of late, we have asked you to help in training the other Auror recruits. Time and again, we have asked more of what should be expected of eighteen-year-olds, and you have always stepped up. In the beginning of the war, even when it was not asked of you. In fact, even though I recall Molly explicitly prohibiting you from doing anything dangerous and illegal, you formed Dumbledore’s Army. And that is just one example of many. Therefore.” He looked at them with a twinkle in his eye that reminded Ron of Dumbledore. “We want to present to you the Order of Merlin, First Class.”
Ron beamed, looking over at Harry.
His best friend would appreciate Kingsley’s gesture because the award would be an honour – not that Harry particularly cared for that, but Kingsley being Minister was the best outcome that could have happened. He knew Harry, not ‘The Chosen One’, and he knew that Harry wasn’t a show pony to put on display to the magical world.
Ron mulled over the progress that Harry’s relations with the Ministry had made. A lot of it could be attributed to Ron’s dad, who had resumed is role as Head of the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects, but Kingsley had helped as well. He had run a thorough cleansing program to remove all corrupt and Voldemort sympathisers like Umbridge, sacking them if not even sending them to Azkaban if the evidence was enough.
“So, what do you say, Ron?” asked Kingsley, after Ron seemingly had not heard him.
“Me?”
“Yes, you, Harry and Hermione.”
“B-but, I thought you were asking Harry?”
“Come off it!” scoffed Harry. “If Kingsley were telling me the Order of Merlin was only for me, I’d walk out of here. Ron, I could not have done this without you and Hermione.”
“Exactly right, Harry!” exclaimed Kingsley. “You three have shown outstanding courage and pure nerve.”
Ron could feel the heat from his ears down to his neck. The initial disbelief wore off, and his thoughts flashed back to when he was eleven and looking at the Mirror of Erised. A smile crept on his face.
“Thanks, Kingsley,” he mumbled.
“It wasn’t just me who put the idea forward, Ron. The full Wizengamot has to approve it after receiving a nomination. As Minister, I shouldn’t say, but as a friend, you got just as many nominations as Harry. Hermione as well. I know you three don’t particularly care for titles and such, but you saved an entire world. This award, it does not do justice to all your sacrifices.”
“Maybe I can have a Chocolate Card,” joked Ron.
“I’ll put in a word.”
Kingsley explained that the Ministry was organising a remembrance event at Hogwarts for Christmas and would be presenting the Order of Merlin awards then, in a ceremony to pay tribute to the lost and likewise celebrate the rebuilding of the wizarding world. After hearing the details, Harry and Ron left for the showers, each with a wide grin.
Once Ron was on his own, he pondered back to the eerie Mirror Harry had taken him to back in their first year. Seven years ago, what his heart had most desired was to stand out in his family – that was at the beginning of his insecurities. He remembered seeing himself as Head Boy, Quidditch Captain and winning the Quidditch Cup. It seemed silly knowing that despite his school life panning out differently than expected, he had attained some form of those things. In his fifth year, he had been made Gryffindor Prefect. That same year, he made the Quidditch team, and he secretly prized that it was Angelina who had been the team captain and not Harry. It meant to him that he wasn’t on the team just for being Harry’s mate. Sure, the following year, Harry had chosen him as Keeper again, but at least there was a precedent of him already earning a spot on the team. In that same year, when Harry had unfortunately not been able to play in the last match of the season, it was him that had saved enough goals and contributed to winning the Cup!
It had never been easy; he remembered the sleepless nights scribbling whatever rubbish he could muster to reach the parchment length demanded for homework, the excruciatingly long Quidditch practices and the nerves that used to overcome him before each match. Even though he had wanted to stand out in his family, that was not the reason he did all of those other things. His mind wondered what the Mirror would show him now, and he quickly pictured Hermione hunched over a book, rapidly scribbling with a tuft of her unruly hair falling over her face. He couldn’t wait to surprise her with the news.