Work Text:
Ron looked nervously over the edge of the cliff. The lava below swayed slightly and then let out a belch of steam. He gulped and turned to Harry.
“Why are we doing this again?” he asked. Harry sighed.
“We have to get to the gold brick, Ron,” he answered, pointing to the land mass on the other side of the lava. Floating above it was a shining golden brick, practically mocking them. “It’s the only way to defeat Voldemort.”
“Yeah, you’ve said that,” Ron said. “I meant why do we have to use those?” Ron gestured to the only things between them and the gold brick, and the only obvious way across the lava. Three flimsy looking platforms that got smaller as they got closer to the gold brick.
“Do you see any other way across?” Harry asked.
Ron looked to his left, and then to his right. The cliff went on to the horizon in both directions. “Well,” he said finally, “not really, no.”
“That’s why. Now, shut up and start jumping.” Harry jumped to the first platform, then the second, then the third. Ron followed behind, but with both of them on the third platform, neither of them could jump forward or back.
“This was a bad idea,” Ron said. “A very bad idea.”
“Yes, it was,” Harry agreed, “and I’m very sorry Ron.”
“What for?” Ron asked, frowning.
“I’m needed to defeat Voldemort, so you’re the expendable one.”
“What?” Ron managed to croak out.
“Shove,” Harry said, pushing Ron off of the platform and into the lake of lava below. Harry made the final jump, ignoring Ron’s screams of terror and pain, and grabbed the brick. He turned around, only to see Ron blink back into existence on the other side of the lava.
He was still screaming in terror. After a few seconds, he realized he wasn’t in the lava anymore. He quickly checked himself to make sure all his parts were still intact, and then turned to Harry and yelled across the lava lake.
“Harry!” he whined. “Did you have to do that?”