The Ripple Effect
AN: An AU fic that has been in my head for a while. I hope you like it! Rated T for mild swearing and in later chapters, implied chapters.
Prologue: 'You have no idea how worthless you are but how much worth you could of had'
Snow had begun to fall at Hogwarts. Winter was usually Ginny Weasley's favourite time of the year but not this year. She dreaded the day because the usual family Christmas gathering was now shortened by three people and it had left a gaping hole in her heart.
She was sat at the top of the owlery, watching the birds fly in and out but she could tell they were scared. Maybe because of The Death Eaters always being at the school.
'You should not be up here' she turned and relaxed when she saw it was her best friend, Neville Longbottom.
'Neither should you' she replied, with a smirk.
'What are you thinking about?' he asked, walking towards her.
'How the school just feels empty, everything feels empty' she sighed, looking across out of the window and over the mountains.
'They will come home, Ginny. I know it' he said, sitting down and put a comforting arm around her.
'Well doesn't this look cosy' a sneering voice said from behind them. They turned and the figure of Severus Snape came lurking out the shadows.
'Free period and it is a free country' she replied, through gritted teeth.
'Watch your mouth, Miss Weasley, we both it is only a matter of time before the Dark Lord realises your brother is not at home, ill' Snape replied, wearing a sneer.
'I'd say go and check yourself but I don't think the Dark Lord would like his wingman having yellow skin' Ginny said, standing up and walked past. Neville followed suit and rolled his eyes as Snape glared at him. Neville was about to walk out but a sudden wave of confidence hit him and he turned back.
'I don't know what is your problem with me, I might not be clever but I am a good friend, loyal, I would never stab them in the back, not like you. You are nothing but a coward' he told him. Ginny gasped, looking from her friend to Snape, worried about what may happen.
'You have no idea how worthless you are but how much worth you could of had' Snape said quietly, almost a whisper.
'Don't listen to him, Neville. For someone who used to be bullied, he is the one who turned out to the coward. At least they changed, all that is here is a bitter, backstabbing mess' Ginny proclaimed, putting a hand on Neville's arm.
'You should watch your mouth, I could kill you without blinking' Snape warned her. She laughed, shaking her head.
'And yet I am still alive. I am not scared of you, Snape. I never have been. You won't kill me because I mean too much to your master, he wants to be the one to kill me himself but it won't serve his higher agenda to kill me' she replied, raising an eyebrow.
'Not everything is about you, Miss Weasley' he told her, coldly, before barging past them and walked out of the owlery.
'What does he mean that I could be worth more?' Neville questioned, staring after Snape.
'Ignore him, come on, I'm hungry, lets go and eat' she replied, giving a small smile and they began to walk downstairs.
Later on, Ginny and Neville had fallen asleep in the common room. She woke with a start when she heard the portrait hole open and close. She looked around and saw where Neville had been sat was empty. She sighed and hurried out the portrait hole.
'Neville Longbottom, are you out of your mind?' she hissed after him.
'I need to see Professor Trelawaney. I don't know why but I have a feeling she can help me' he replied, turning around.
'It is late, she'll be asleep like we should be. Come on' she sighed, running her hands through her hair.
'It's Wednesday, she gets most of her visions on Wednesday nights. She'll be awake' he told her, before hurrying off.
'Bloody hell, this boy' she muttered under her breath before running after him. They were careful not to run into any patrolling death eaters as they walked to Professor Trelawaney's trapdoor.
'Psst, Professor Trelawaney, its Neville Longbottom and Ginny Weasley, we need to talk to you' Neville whispered but tried to be loud as he could at the same time. A few moments later, the trapdoor opened and a ladder fell down. She looked at him and held her hand out as if to tell him to go first. He nodded and climbed the ladder before helping her up. She muttered a thanks as they both stood in the classroom.
'Neville, what is the means of you being here at this time?' Professor Trelawaney questioned, walking towards them.
'I have been struggling and something tells me you are the only one who can help me' Neville replied, sighing.
'With your work boy? I know you aren't an outstanding level but…'
'What he means Snape made a comment and he is taking it way out of context' Ginny cut across her, crossing her arms.
'You are here because of a comment a teacher made? Oh Neville…' Professor Trelawaney sighed, squeezing her temple.
'He said I could be worth more than I am right now. It wasn't just what he said, it was how he said it. With such hate, like he blames me for something' Neville replied, close to tears or throwing something.
'Oh that poor boy…' Professor Trelawaney whispered, sitting down.
'Professor?' Ginny questioned, watching in shock over the professor's reaction.
'I made a promise to Albus, I can't tell you, you must go and put this from your mind' Professor Trelawaney replied, putting her head in her hands.
'No offence, Professor but Dumbledore is dead and if Snape blames Neville for something, Neville deserves to know what for' Ginny exclaimed, worried for her best friend.
'You know, this gift is sometimes a curse. It is a curse to see what I see, to know I cannot change it' Professor Trelawaney said in small voice.
'Please, tell me, I need to know, if there is a reason why Snape has been treating me the way he has since I got here. Please' Neville begged, sitting next to her.
'He thinks it should have been you' Professor Trelawaney sighed at both their confused expressions 'When I was interviewed for this job, I saw something, I saw the end of the Dark Lord. Being marked as his equal. A leader. Caring. Is not violent unless provoked. Treats everyone around them equally. Blood status does not matter. The opposite of the Dark Lord. All the qualities of someone born in July. It was then I made a prophecy of the Dark Lord's end. It would be a boy born at the end of July. He would mark the Dark Lord as his equal'
'So that was me and…
'Harry' Ginny finished for him, her head in her hands.
'The Dark Lord chose Harry Potter' Professor Trelawney replied, sitting back, seeming at war with herself.
'Chose him? So this is all your fault? Everything that has happened in the past 16 years is your fault' Ginny exclaimed, kicking a table.
'There is more isn't there?' Neville asked, turning back to Professor Trelawney.
'The last bit of the prophecy says… Either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives' Neville managed to get over to Ginny who was so angry now, she did not know what she was capable.
'You are saying you signed the death sentence of a baby, before they even had the choice what they wanted to do. Do you understand what you have done? Harry, Neville, neither of them deserved that, no one deserves that' Ginny said, as Neville held her back.
'Ginny, calm down' he tried to tell her.
'Calm down? Calm down? Did you not hear what she said? They can't both be alive, one must kill the other and the last time I checked, Harry isn't fucking immortal like his 'equal'. This is total bullshit. I hope you are proud of yourself, Professor' she replied, pushing Neville off her and headed out of the trapdoor.
'Why does Snape wish it was me not Harry?' he asked, turning back to Professor Trelawney.
'It is not my place to say, dear. All I have is guesses. You should go and see if Miss Weasley is okay, she is understandably upset' she replied. He sighed and nodded. He headed out and went to find her. He found her in the kitchen. Dobby the house elf had brought her a piece of treacle tart. He sat next to her.
'You are not obvious you know?' he said, raising an eyebrow.
'What are you going on about?' she replied, after taking a bite.
'That's Harry's favourite' he nodded at her tart.
'Actually, he has my mum's cooking to thank for that' she then carried on eating.
'Why does Snape wish it was me?' he wondered after a moment.
'Maybe he wanted James alive to see him make his son's life a misery. I don't know. Snape is twisted. Don't even try and understand' she said, shrugged.
'We have always had a feeling, at the end of the day, it was only going to be them two in the final showdown' he told her. She sighed and put her plate down.
'I always hoped it was that though. A feeling. It's now real. Concrete. Written. It cannot be change' she replied. He could tell she was preventing herself from crying.
'I'm sorry' he whispered.
'No, don't you dare say it. It should have not been you. It should have not been anyone' she stood up, brushing crumbs off herself 'I'm off to bed. Don't beat yourself up'
'I'll try not to. I'm gonna stay here for a while I think' he told her and she nodded.
She kissed him on the cheek 'You are my best friend. I love you and nothing is going to change that. You don't need to be the chosen one to be worthy. You are worthy, just being you.
The next morning, Ginny woke with a headache. She groaned, rubbing her head and got out of bed. Something did not feel right. She did not know if it was because of what happened but she hurried downstairs all the same, where she saw Professor McGonagall looking frantic around the common room.
'Professor, what is going on?' Ginny asked, walking towards her.
'Ah you are up, Miss Weasley, good. Have you been asleep all night?' Ginny nodded, feeling guilty but she did not to disclose what she had learnt last night.
'What's happened?' Ginny asked, trying to act innocent.
'A very dangerous book has gone missing from the restricted section and we need to find it before someone uses it' Professor McGonagall replied.
'What kind of dangerous book?' Ginny questioned, wondering where Neville was at the same time.
'It contains a lot of changing spells, changing the seasons, changing your clothes kind of thing but the reason it's in the restricted section, the author enclosed a different kind of changing spell. He enclosed a changing of the fates spell' the teacher told her.
Ginny's eyes widened 'Changing of the fates spell?'
'It allows you to change fates with someone, basically swap lives'
'He wouldn't' Ginny muttered before rushing out of the common room before the professor could say anything else. She had no idea where to find Neville but she had to find him. Fast. She was running when she felt the earth move. She held onto the hall for support.
'Oh Neville, please no' she said, starting to run again when she went running straight into Nymphadora Tonks.
'I am so sorry, Tonks!' Ginny exclaimed before gasping.
'Ginny, where's Neville? He wrote a letter late last night asking for Remus' help but I can't find either one of them' Tonks replied, catching her breath.
'You are not going to like it but we need to find them now. I think I know where they will be' she said, taking the older woman's hand and began running towards the room of requirement.
I need to find Neville. I need to help Neville before he makes a mistake Ginny frantically thought to herself when the door appeared. She gasped and scrambled into the room where she found Neville around a huge caldron. Lupin was passed out on the floor. Tonks squealed and ran towards him.
'Neville, what have you done? Stop, you don't have to do this' Ginny said, walking towards him.
'Don't walk any closer, do not walk past the white line' she looked around and saw a circle that was white just visible around Neville.
'Too late. Now stop. You don't need to be the chosen one to be worthy' she tried to tell him.
He put his hand up 'You're too late. I'm sorry'
Before she could reply, everything went black.