Introduction
Harry Potter risked his life to save others many times; in the Chamber of Secrets, it was eleven-year-old Ginny Weasley. Would Harry save a young girl, and knowing what she went through, then allow her to suffer with nightmares? No, Harry would try and be sure Ginny had recovered, not just physically, but especially mentally.
As the only two people Voldemort had tried and failed to kill, a bond would form between them. They would grow close at a much younger age; and perhaps, because of Ginny's normally cheerful disposition and her infatuation for him, Harry would become less moody and develop an incentive to push himself harder to prepare for the ultimate duel with Voldemort.
Nightmares
Chapter I – The Hospital
Harry Potter slowly became aware that he was cold. He tried to look around, but everything was blurry. He thought, "I lost my glasses." but he felt his face and his glasses were on.
Then he started to remember; he was on the cold damp floor in the Chamber of Secrets. He had been in a fight; no, two fights. He had killed the Basilisk with the help of Dumbledore's Phoenix Fawkes; but he was bitten by the great poisonous snake. That's why everything was blurry, Fawkes' tears acted as a cure for the snakes venom, but he was still not fully recovered.
He was also sore all over; during his battle, he had been hit by the snake's tail several times and thrown against the walls and floor. "Tomorrow I'll be one big bruise." he thought.
He also remembered, before fighting the Basilisk, there was fight with the ghost of Tom Riddle. No that wasn't right, it wasn't a ghost; it was something else, something he couldn't grasp. It called itself a memory stored in an old diary. Well, Dumbledore could figure that out later.
That fight with Tom was more of a mental battle as he tried to bolster his courage to face Tom who turned out to be a young Voldemort. When Harry learned that bit of information, it was the low point of the mental fight. If Fawkes hadn't arrived when he did, Harry knew he never would have survived.
There was a moan, a voice said, "Harry." It was Ginny Weasley, it came back to him, that's why he was here; he had come to save her after she had been taken into the chamber by Tom. As his vision cleared he saw her lying on the floor a few feet away and he tried to get up to check on her; but, he only got half way up and collapsed. The after effects of the Basilisk venom were still not done with him. He crawled to her.
"Harry, it was me." she said. "I opened the Chamber of Secrets; I set loose the Basilisk. But I didn't mean to; Tom forced me to do it.
I'm so sorry. I've wanted to come to Hogwarts for years and now I'll be expelled."
"Don't worry Ginny;" Harry said "I know what happened and I'll tell Dumbledore it's not your fault. I'm sure he won't blame you. It's all over now; Riddle and his snake are both dead."
He reached out and took hold of her hand. As they touched, something happened; their hands locked onto each other. It reminded Harry of the time he was trimming his aunt's hedges two summers ago and accidently cut the electric chord; he felt his muscles contract and he couldn't let go of the trimmer.
That time fortunately the fuse burned out and he wasn't hurt; this time after a few seconds, the sensation passed and they released their grip. Ginny asked, "Harry, what happened?"
He answered, "I don't know, it felt like an electric shock."
She said, "Electric, you mean that stuff Muggles use to do work?"
Harry said, "Yes, but it can't be; electricity doesn't work around Hogwarts, too much magic in the air."
She said, "Could it be from Tom or the diary? My father said when a powerful magical spell is cast there is always residual magic left behind."
Harry said, "Maybe it was some after effect, but don't worry, Tom and the diary were destroyed, they can't hurt you anymore."
With their minds on what was happening to their hands, neither saw the Sword of Gryffindor glowing; the glow faded at the same time as they separated their hands. But Fawkes noticed, and he hopped over to them rubbing his beak first across Ginny's cheek, then on Harry's cheek.
Harry said, "Thanks Fawkes, we'll be alright soon, we just need to get out of here."
He moved next to her and Ginny put her arms around him sobbing into his robes. He patted her back and said, "Don't cry Ginny; everything will be alright."
When she felt the sleeve of his robe she realized it was wet and sticky. Opening her eyes she saw it was torn and soaked with blood. "Oh Harry," she said "you're bleeding."
"Not anymore, the bleeding is stopped." he said "I'll be alright; I just need some rest. But first, can you stand? We have to get out of here; Ron is waiting for us in the tunnel."
Ginny was in no better condition than Harry. Tom Riddle had attempted to suck the life force out of her to bring himself back from whatever state he existed in while in the diary.
She tried to stand but was so dizzy that she and fell back down. They held hands to supported each other and again seemed to lock together. After a minute, they were both able to stand while leaning against each other.
Harry picked up the sorting hat Fawkes had brought to him, the Sword that had come out of the hat, and what was left of the diary. Fawkes stood to the side; his feathers glowing with a soft light that allowed them to find their way.
Harry put his arm around her shoulder and she put her arm around his waist leaning on each other as they began to walk; but didn't get far before they were exhausted and had to stop to rest.
Ginny was weak and upset; but the part of her mind she called her Harry Potter brain, the part where she dreamed of being Harry's girlfriend, was dancing with excitement. All year, her little girl crush kept her from even talking in his presence. Now she had her arm around his waist and he had his arm around her shoulder. She couldn't count how many times she dreamed of walking with him like this in the woods and meadows around the Burrow.
Then the rest of her brain brought her to her senses, it said, "Harry is only helping you walk because he knows you've been injured. It doesn't mean anything to him. After all, he is 'The Boy Who Lived', the boy in the story books your parents and brothers read to you for as long as you can remember.
You're only a skinny eleven year old with those horrid freckles all over your face and long, straight, red, clown hair. He would never feel about you as you feel about him."
Her mind came back to where they were and she said, "Harry, thank you for coming to save me. I knew you would. I fought Tom as long as I could while I was waiting for you; but he was too strong for me. How did you manage to kill that horrid snake? And what happened to Tom?"
"She's already too traumatized to hear all the details." he thought; so he told her the story skipping the worst parts. When he finished he said, "Do you feel strong enough to go on?"
"Yes," she said "I'm feeling stronger every second. Let me help you."
"I'm getting stronger too." he said. Not wanting to tax her strength by holding him up, he continued, "Let's just keep helping each other."
They had to stop and rest twice more before reaching the caved in area that had trapped Ron on the other side.
Harry yelled, "Ron, are you still there? Are you and Lockhart okay?"
Ron yelled back, "Harry, we're fine; did you find Ginny?"
"Yes, she's exhausted, but she'll be fine." Harry answered.
Ron said, "I've moved some of the rock; I think enough for you to wiggle through."
"I'll send Ginny first." Harry said.
She had been holding him around the waist and now said, "I don't want to go and leave you."
"I'm not going to stay here." he said. "I'll follow you. Go, Ron's waiting on the other side. Let me help you climb up the rock pile. See that opening on top, just squeeze through head first. Ron will grab your hands and help pull you; I'll push on your feet. You'll fit; you'll get through to Ron."
It didn't take long for Ginny to get through; but before Harry could start to climb the rocks, Fawkes flew through the opening. It was a little tight for Harry; but with Ron pulling his hands, Harry worked his way through.
As he slid down the other side of the rock pile, Ron said, "Where'd you get the bird and the sword?"
"Later, Ron." Harry said. "First let's get out of here."
"Great idea Harry;" Ron said "but how? We can't climb up the way we came; there's no grip on that slimy tunnel."
Fawkes walked to the mouth of the tunnel and began wiggling his tail feathers. Ron said, "Looks like your bird wants you to grab on; but you're too heavy for him to lift you up the tunnel."
Harry answered, "First, Fawkes isn't my bird; he belongs to Dumbledore. And he's not an ordinary bird; he a Phoenix. He can lift very heavy weights."
Harry took hold of Fawkes' tail feathers and suddenly felt himself get very light; as if he were almost floating. He said, "Ginny, come over and hold on to me; Ron grab my robes with one hand and grab Lockhart with your other hand."
When they did that they all felt as if they had no weight and Flakes took off up the tunnel pulling all of them behind. In a minute they were back in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.
Harry said, I think we better go to McGonagall's office; she's in charge until Dumbledore comes back."
The Harry part of her mind told her in a few minutes he would leave her with Professor McGonagall, and her dream of being his girlfriend would be over. But she had those few minutes yet; so she moved back toward him.
She put her arm around his waist as she had in the chamber. Harry was feeling much better; the Basilisk venom after effects were totally out of his system now. He knew he didn't needed Ginny's help to walk anymore; but she might need him, so he automatically put his arm around her shoulder and they started down the hall. Ron held Lockhart's arm to keep him from wandering off; but Ron's eyes were fixed on Harry and Ginny holding each other.
In Professor McGonagall's office, she was behind her desk with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley in a pair of chairs on the other side. She sent for them when she discovered Ginny had been taken into the chamber. When they arrived, she had to tell them Ron and Harry were also missing. Mrs. Weasley was crying and Mr. Weasley, while in shock himself, was trying to comfort her.
Dumbledore was also there having been recalled by the school governors after they heard the news about Ginny. He was telling the Weasleys to keep up hope that Ginny and Ron might still be safe when he suddenly stood and exclaimed, "What is this?"
Seconds later there was a knock on the door and Professor McGonagall said, "Come in." Ron came in first leading Professor Lockhart and followed by Harry and Ginny still with their arms around each other.
For a second, Dumbledore could see an aura surrounding Harry and Ginny; but when Mrs. Weasley jumped up and pulled Ginny into her arms, the aura disappeared as Harry an Ginny were separated.
After Harry related the whole story, Dumbledore sent Ginny to the hospital wing to recover. He asked Harry if he needed to go to; but Harry assured him he was feeling much stronger. He wanted to be with his friends in the great hall where a feast was being prepared to celebrate Ginny being saved, the death of the monster stalking the school, and the reviving of all the student who had been petrified by the Basilisk.
Harry went to wash up and change out of his bloody torn robes; and Dumbledore went to his office to think about what he had seen. He got out his Pensive to review his memory of the event; there definitely was an aura around Harry and Ginny.
For more than ten years, he had been working on a plan for Harry to confront and defeat Voldemort, and the Weasley family, though a good family, might have unwittingly ruined the entire plan.
Dumbledore knew it might take many years for Harry to be sufficiently trained and ready to face Voldemort; more years than Dumbledore thought he might have left in his life. With that in mind, he needed to make arrangements for someone smart and magically powerful to take over and see to it that Harry worked hard at his training; and Hermione Granger had come along at the right time.
Dumbledore saw to it that Harry grew up deprived of love; so once at Hogwarts he would likely be drawn to a girl that showed him his first taste of love. Miss Granger, besides being magically powerful and extremely smart, was also precocious in her behavior and would likely be drawn to the boy who lived.
It was Minerva that delivered Miss Granger's Hogwarts letter in order to explain to her Muggle parents about Miss Granger being a witch, and why going to Hogwarts would be better for her than attending the prestigious Muggle School where she had been accepted.
Minerva's report on Miss Granger immediately attracted Dumbledore's attention. It said Miss Granger, though only eleven, spoke more like a fifteen or sixteen-year-old. Her magical powers were equally ahead of a normal eleven-year-old. She fit Dumbledore's criteria for Harry's wife to a tee.
Dumbledore arranged with the sorting hat to have her placed in Gryffindor instead of Ravenclaw where such a gifted academic student would normally be place. There she would meet and be closer to Harry.
He had already told the sorting hat that, even though Harry's mental connection to Voldemort would normally place him in Slytherin, the hat should see that Harry went to Gryffindor. At the time, Dumbledore didn't know, because of the influence of Ron Weasley, Harry had already decided he didn't want to be in Slytherin; and the sorting hat would of course accept Harry's decision.
Ron's influence was the first crack the Weasleys made in his plan. Instead of Harry studying and training hard, Ron pulled Harry into playing games and slacking off. Also, Ron's initial dislike for Miss Granger kept Harry from getting close to her for the first two months when he was most vulnerable to forming such a close relationship.
On top of that, Harry's first year didn't go exactly as planned; Dumbledore hadn't anticipated the trouble with the Philosopher's Stone. On the good side, saving the stone actually seemed to help Harry become more involved with Miss Granger.
Dumbledore also expected Miss Granger to be sexually precocious as many intelligent academics were; thus drawing Harry into a close relationship at an early age. However, Miss Granger proved to be quite demure; and on top of that, even though Dumbledore knew the old saying, "Opposites attract"; he had not expected her to fancy Mr. Weasley. Well, as they say, "The best laid plans of mice and men...".
Now the events involving Harry and Miss Weasley in the Chamber of Secrets seemed to be the second blow the Weasley family had give his plan; possibly a fatal blow. The aura was a sign that Harry was somehow attached, possibly bonded in some way, to Miss Weasley and thus would never become involved with Miss Granger.
The first thing that he thought was, "Ten years of planning ruined overnight."
However, as he continued to think of what to do, it occurred to him, "It might not be a disaster." The aura he had seen and the events involving Harry and Miss Weasley in the Chamber of Secrets might be turned to his advantage and give a way to repair the damage to the plan caused by Miss Granger being attracted to the wrong boy.
Miss Weasley was also magically powerful, academically gifted, and hopefully, more sexually precocious than Miss Granger. If she could attract Harry's attention, she would serve as a good wife for him in Miss Granger's place.
It would help that her interaction with Tom Riddle was similar to what happened to Harry. It might cause some complications, but would they be beneficial or detrimental? Time would tell he thought.
The aura showing their attraction would then be a good sign; and he decided he would have to do whatever he could to encourage Harry and Miss Weasley to bond. He put the Pensive away and headed to the feast.
By the time Harry got to the feast, Ron was sitting next to the freshly revived Hermione. After going over all the events again for Hermione, Harry started feeling guilty. For some reason he felt he should be with Ginny now. While he and the other students were celebrating with a feast, she was alone in the hospital. She had suffered the most; she was the one that needed cheering up the most.
He went up to the head table and explained all this to Dumbledore. "Can I take Ginny some food and keep her company while she eats?" he asked.
Dumbledore thought, good he wants to be with her, he said, "Miss Weasley was most likely given a sleeping potion and won't know you're there; but if you wish, you may go."
When he got to the hospital, Madam Pomfrey stopped him and said, "No visitors, sorry Mr. Potter."
Harry said, "Dumbledore said I could bring Ginny some food from the feast and sit with her."
Madam said, "I wish the Headmaster would talk with me first; but, alright if you wish. However, you should know she was given a sleeping potion and won't wake for eight more hours."
Harry thought about it and decided it was his fault Ginny was hurt. Voldemort was after him and used Ginny to get to him. He would stay with her; so he sat in the chair next to her bed and picked at the dish of food as she slept.
She may have been given a sleeping potion, but Harry could tell she was definitely dreaming; it seemed her experience in the chamber was more powerful than the potion.
Occasionally, she would twitch, then mumble something Harry couldn't make out, then her body would stiffen up. After a moment, she would relax; then a few minutes later, it would happen again.
After four episodes like that, she suddenly shouted in her sleep, "No Tom, I won't do it;
I won't hurt Harry."
Still asleep, she started to sob and Harry took her hand and again felt a mild shock as they first touched. He began talking to sooth her saying, "It's alright Ginny, I'm here; I won't let Tom hurt you."
As soon as she heard his voice, she became calmer and as he repeated it, she stopped moving about in her delirium.
After Ginny had gone through the same thing a second time, Harry looked at his watch and saw it was after midnight. He knew it would be a long night; but he couldn't just leave her alone when she was having nightmares. He continued holding her hand waiting for her to yell again; but he was more tired than he thought and soon he had fallen asleep in the chair leaning against the side of Ginny's bed with his head resting on his arm holding her hand.
Ginny woke to the touch of Madam Pomfrey's hand on her forehead. When she opened her eyes Madam put a finger on Ginny's lips as a sign not to talk. Madam tilted her head indicating that Ginny should look that way.
She saw Harry, sleeping in a chair next to her bed; she saw his hand holding hers at the same time she felt it. A huge smile came to her face. Madam smiled back and walked away shaking her head.
Ginny's Harry brain was dancing again. Harry had stayed with her. He knew she was being cared for by Madam; and there wasn't anything more he could do for her, but he stayed. That had to mean something.
She wanted that moment to last; so she didn't move. She would keep holding his hand until he woke on his own.
A beam of sunlight came through the mullioned window of the hospital ward and as time passed it move down to hit him on the face. He partially woke wondering why he was so sore; and why his dorm room was so strange. Then he fully woke and realized he was in the hospital still sitting in a chair.
He looked over and saw Ginny; she was wide awake, smiling at him. He felt her squeeze his hand; he must have fallen asleep still hold on to her hand. He smiled back and asked, "How are you feeling?"
"Much better." she answered. "But how are you? You've been moaning in your sleep."
"I'm fine;" he said "just sore."
Madam Pomfrey appeared and said, "It's about time you woke Mr. Potter; I was beginning to think you also took a sleeping potion. I brought breakfast for the two of you."
Harry said, "Thank you Madam; but I think I should go to the loo before I eat."
Ginny said, "Me too; but I didn't want to wake you by letting go of your hand."
Harry said, "You go first Ginny; I can wait."
After Ginny got out of bed with Madam Pomfrey's assistance, and Madam was sure she could walk without falling; Ginny went to the end of the ward where the loo was. Harry stood up and gave a huge moan before falling back into the chair.
Madam said, "Mr. Potter, if you are injured; why didn't you tell me last night when you arrived?"
"I have some bruises," Harry said "not much worse than after being hit by Bludgers during a Quidditch match."
Madam said, "You're lying to me Mr. Potter. I can see by the way you're moving that you have more than a few bruises. What happened to you two last night? Rumors in the dining hall say you and Miss Weasley were attacked by Slytherin's monster. Is that true?"
Harry said, "You know Ginny was taken into the Chamber of Secrets and held captive; I was attacked when I went to save her, but I killed it. I guess I picked up some bruises in the fight; I'll be okay."
Madam said, "Last year you were attacked by one of the professors, this year it's monsters running loose in the castle; I don't know what this school is coming to. If the students didn't need me so badly, I'd resign.
Now Mr. Potter, take off your clothes except for your knickers; I need to examine you."
Harry said, "I'll be fine; I don't need to be examined."
Madam raised her voice and said, "Mr. Potter, if I have to call the Headmaster; you'll stay in the hospital until the last day of school. Now make up your mind, do you let me examine you and most likely you get to leave after treatment, or do I call the Headmaster?"
Harry got behind the portable screen Madam had opened up. He took off his robes, his trainers, jeans, and tee; then sat on the edge of the bed. When he said he was ready, Madam came around and gasped. Harry was almost totally covered with purple bruises from his neck to his feet.
Madam said, "Mr. Potter, that is the worst case of bruising I have ever seen. How could you be so stupid? If you had told me last night I could have had you back to normal by now. As it is I'll go get the salve and you should be better by this evening.
As Madam left for her office, Ginny returned from the loo. "Harry," she called "where are you?"
"Back here," he called from behind the screen "Madam insisted on treating the bruises I got yesterday. But don't come around the screen Ginny; I'm not…"
It was too late; Ginny came around to see Harry sitting only in his knickers.
"Ginny," he yelled "I'm not dressed. Go away."
Ginny laughed, "Harry, there's nothing to be embarrassed about; I have six brothers. I've seen all of them in only their knickers and even without their knickers sometimes. You can't help it with nine people in a family and only one bathroom."
Harry face was bright red and he said, "Well, I'm not one of your brothers; and you shouldn't see me in my knickers."
Ginny laughed again and actually came closer. Her laugh disappeared and she said, "Harry, you look awful; those bruises must hurt terribly."
Madam came around the screen and said, "They must be killing him; but he's too proud to admit he's hurting. Now Potter, let me rub this salve on those bruises and you'll both be able to leave in an hour or so. Miss Weasley you go eat the breakfast I brought for you."
Ginny's Harry brain was telling her this was an opportunity to show him how grateful she was and pay him back in a small way for saving her. Bruised and hurting as he must be; he stayed all night with her. The least she could do was help treat his bruises.
Ginny took the salve out of Madam's hands and said, "I'll do it; I've put this stuff on my brothers after Quidditch practice so many times I could do it with my eyes closed."
Madam asked, "Are you sure Miss Weasley; it has to be put on thick, but you can't press hard because that will hurt him more."
Ginny said, "No problem Madam; I took over treating my brothers' bruises from my mother when I was eight. You know all my brothers except Percy played or practiced Quidditch at home during the summer. Charlie was a seeker too and he was hit by Bludgers all the time. I know how to apply salve."
Madam said, "Fine then; I have a lot of other things I can get done. I was tempted to let Mr. Potter suffer; then maybe next time he wouldn't be so proud to come for treatment when he's hurt."
After Madam left, Harry stood up, held out his hand, and said, "I can rub my own salve on."
Ginny said, "Don't be silly Harry; it would kill you to have to bend and twist to reach a lot of those bruises. Some of them you couldn't reach at all. Now lay down so I can start. The sooner I get you done the sooner we can get out of here."
She pushed Harry's chest so he fell seated on the bed and she said, "Get your feet up on the bed and lay down. I'll do your chest first; bruises on the ribs hurt the most."
When Harry remained sitting with his legs over the side of the bed, she grabbed his ankles, lifted them, and turned him making him fall back on the bed. "If you don't cooperate," she said "it will just take longer; but I'll get this stuff on you one way or the other."
Harry realized it was no use arguing; Ginny was as bossy as Hermione. He wondered if all girls ordered boys around; or was it just the girls he knew.
Five minutes later, he was glad he gave in; as she rubbed on the salve, her hands felt like they were heated, soothing whatever part of his chest she was touching. Ginny had finished one side of his chest and he was already feeling less sore. In fifteen minutes his chest, stomach, and the front of his legs were done and he felt so good he could have fallen to sleep.
"Roll over Harry." Ginny ordered. "I still have to do your back. And don't wiggle around like you did when I was doing your stomach or you'll rub off most of the salve on the sheets."
"I couldn't help it;" Harry said "it tickled when you rubbed certain places."
As he rolled onto his stomach Ginny said, "I'll have to remember those ticklish spots in case some day I need to make you do something else you don't want to do."
As she started at his shoulders Harry asked, "Tickling isn't fair; and just what do you think you're going to make me do?"
"Anything I want." she answered. "Its how I get my way with my brothers when they try and stop me from doing something. Each of them has a different ticklish spot; but I know them all."
She did his back and was finishing his legs when the voices of Ron and Hermione were heard.
"Ginny," Ron called "where are you. Have you seen Harry, he didn't come back to the dorm last night."
As they came around the screen Ginny answered, "We're back here. I'm almost done with Harry."
Hermione giggled when she saw Harry lying on the bed in his knickers with Ginny rubbing his legs. "I'm sorry," she said "we didn't mean to interrupt you two."
Ron gave a sort of growl and said, "What's going on here? Did Harry spend all night with you Ginny?"
Harry's face was all red; but Ginny wasn't bothered. She said, "I don't know if he was here all night; I was sleeping. And what does it look likes going on Ron. Harry is covered with bruises from fighting the Basilisk yesterday. I'm putting bruise salve on him like I did for all of you guys after you were bruised playing Quidditch.
There Harry, I'm done. Get dressed and let's eat, I'm starving. Then we can go for a walk; it looks beautiful outside and I need some sun; I've spent too much time in that gloomy old chamber. Do you two want to take a walk with us?"
Hermione said, "That sounds great." Then she giggled and said softly, "As long as Harry keeps his pants on."
Ginny laughed and said, "I'm sure he will."
Ron didn't think it was such a funny joke.