Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anyone/thing associated with it. I also don't own Phantom of the Opera, any of its lines, and any of its ideas.

Merry Christmas, first of all. I have to warn you of something about this fic. I will very doubtfully ever finish this fic. Chances are that I'll get bored/writer's block or lose the file/notebook. Just know that and don't get mad when I don't update ever. However, I have the first three chapters written and typed, so I will get those up hopefully, key word HOPEFULLY, by the end of break (I go back Jan. 2).

And this fic requires a bit of explanation. I got obsessed with Phantom of the Opera a couple weeks ago (I watched the 2004 movie seven times in a one-and-a-half week period) and I decided to kind of combine Harry Potter and Phantom of the Opera. It's Harry Potter characters and a few (not all that many) ideas from Phantom. For example, there is a "Phantom" behind the walls of Hogwarts. I stole some of the lines (but I don't own them, as stated in the disclaimer). There will most likely be a masquerade, if I ever get that far. There is a character named Meg. If you have a problem with any of this, leave NOW and don't flame me.

By the way, bold is Draco. Normal is Ginny, if you couldn't guess.

And now, our feature presentation!

"And please let him be well in heaven, where I know he is," Ginny finished. She waited a moment before saying, "Amen." Her head bowed slightly as she waved her hand once over the candle that stood on a table in front of her. The candle flickered to life, burning brightly. Ginny smiled with satisfaction.

"I see you've been practicing." a deep voice said from no apparent source. It was everywhere and it was nowhere, all at the same time.

Ginny shrugged as if the voice could see her gestures. "Only when nobody's around. I don't want them finding out."

"And why not?"

"I don't want to be special. Besides, I'd have to tell about you."

"Fair point. Come, do the first exercise you learned. You could do with some revision."

Ginny groaned and rolled her eyes. "I already know how to find my magical core."

"Prove it."

Ginny rolled her eyes again but closed them. A few seconds later, eyes still closed, she said, "Located."

"Good, now turn your quill into an ink bottle."

Ginny opened her eyes and picked up her quill. Almost instantly, it turned into a perfect inkwell.

"Now turn it purple and three times its size," the voice commanded. Ginny did, all without a wand.

"Good. Put it down. Today we're working on hexes. Do you have a favorite?"

Ginny smiled. "The Bat-Bogey hex."

"Ah, the infamous Bat-Bogey hex. I knew someone during my Hogwarts days that liked that charm."

"When was that?" Ginny asked eagerly. She was always interested in her tutor's former life. He was so closed about himself but seemed to know everything about her.

"Nice try, Ginny," he said. "Now, the hex. Turn your inkwell into an animal. When that's done, gather up your energy, focus it, and turn it on the animal while concentrating on that spell."

Ginny nodded and outstretched a hand towards the ink well that was now a rabbit. The hare shuddered as what looked like small bats flapped around its head. Then the "bats" fell to the ground and the bunny cowered.

"You need to be able to do that without your arm outstretched. You're not concentrating properly today, Ginny. Your work is showing it. Come back tomorrow when you are ready to work."

There was little compassion in the voice, only impatience and coldness. Ginny shivered; she hated it when he got mad at her.

"Can't I stay? I'll concentrate better, I promise."

But it was useless. No deep voice echoed through the room. Ginny sighed, gathered her stuff, and walked out the door into silent, dark corridors.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Ginny, wake up!" an insistent voice said.

Ginny groaned and, without opening her eyes, asked, "Why? It's Saturday."

"Harry, Ron, and Hermione have returned."

Ginny's eyes shot open and she sat bolt upright. "You're kidding!" she gasped. The blonde girl beside her bed shook her head.

"No joke. They're in the common room."

"Meg, you rock," Ginny said, getting out of bed. "Now go away so I can change."

Meg nodded and started down the spiral staircase to the common room. Ginny closed the door behind the blonde and absently waved her hand at the dresser. A shirt, jeans, underclothes, and robes came floating out towards her. They landed in a heap on her bed. She rolled her eyes.

"Really have to work on that," Ginny muttered before levitating her clothes in front of her (without using a wand) and heading to the bathroom. She was halfway there when the door clicked open.

"Ginny are you ready – Ginny, what are you doing?" Meg asked from the doorway.

Ginny lost concentration and the garments fell to the floor. "What?" she asked, her pulse racing. Nobody was supposed to find out.

"You can do wandless magic?" Meg asked. "That's so awesome!"

Ginny shrugged. "I need to change. Don't tell." And with that, Ginny disappeared into the bathroom, manually carrying her clothes. When she came out, fully dressed, Meg was sitting on her bed, waiting.

"Since when?" she asked eagerly.

"Classified. If you breathe a word of this to anyone, I will hurt you. And I will find out. Got it?"

Meg nodded. "Gotcha. Come on, the Trio awaits."

The two descended the stairs to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione sitting on the couch looking dirty and exhausted. They were surrounded by a crowd of people.

"OK, people, time to get away from the three! Come on, go to breakfast or something. Leave Harry, Ron, and Hermione alone," Ginny called. When nobody listened, she yelled, "Everyone to breakfast NOW, or else!"

Everyone looked at her, she glared at them. People left and soon the common room was vacant except for the trio, Ginny, and Meg.

"Nice one, Ginny," Ron said. "Didn't know you could control crowds so well."

"Hi to you too," Ginny said, smiling. "Were you successful?"

"Yes," Harry said slowly. "But we don't know where he is so we can kill him."

"You'll find him," Ginny said. "Or he'll come to you. He always does."

Meg was examining the message board. "Hey, Ginny! There's another dueling club! We should go!"

Ginny groaned, remembering the last dueling club. "I'm not sure that's such a great idea, Meg."

"Well, you're going anyway. Come on, let's go down to breakfast."

Ginny looked at the trio. "Take a shower and get some rest. You all look dead."

"Love you too, Gin," Ron said, rolling his eyes. "Go to breakfast."

Meg pulled Ginny out of the portrait hole and the two walked to the Great Hall.

"I don't want to duel," Ginny whined. "There's already enough fighting in the world. We don't need to make it worse."

"Nonsense," Meg said firmly. "Come on. You'll be great."

She pulled Ginny into the Great Hall.

"Meg…" Ginny whined again, but the blonde paid no attention. Once they got to the crowd surrounding the dueling platform, they could see what looked like Seamus Finnigan dueling Blaise Zabini. Ginny barely had time to wonder how much money Seamus was getting when he collapsed, unconscious, having been on the receiving end of a curse Ginny couldn't identify. Seamus was carried off the stage and Zabini smirked maliciously.

"Anyone else?" he asked cockily. Nobody raised their hands. Meg suddenly looked at Ginny and a mischievous grin spread across her face.

Uh-oh, Ginny thought.

"Ginny will. She's wonderful at dueling," Meg said loudly.

"WHAT!" Ginny shrieked. "You did not just say that, Meg!"

"Oh yes I did," Meg said, grinning. She pushed Ginny forward where she was grabbed by the crowd and thrown onto the platform.

"This should be easy," Ginny heard Blaise mutter to his friends. She clenched her teeth and her fists.

McGonagall looked nervous as she oversaw the dueling.

"Don't worry, Professor," Ginny heard Meg say. "She'll be fine."

"Bow to each other," the new Potions teacher (Ginny always forgot his name) said. Ginny barely bowed her head before reaching for her wand. She had barely even touched it when she saw a ball of red hurtling towards her. Without thinking, almost reflexively, she concentrated and the spell rebounded on its caster when it hit her shield. He ducked and gaped at her for a second before cursing her again. Rather, he tried to curse her. Although she rocked backwards, it bounced off as she pulled out her wand. Blaise, in a move quick as lightning, knocked it out of her hands.

"Let's see just what you can do, Weasley," he said, just loud enough for Ginny to hear.

Ginny still didn't think, only reacted to the curse being cast at her. She flung out her hand and Blaise was blasted back. The crowd gasped, but Ginny didn't hear. All she could hear was the pounding of blood in her ears.

Blaise was rapidly rising and started smirking. "Little Weasley, is that the best you can do?"

"I don't want to fight," Ginny hissed, jumping out of the way of a spell.

"Why, think you can't stand up to me? I don't blame you, of course. Your whole family is like that. Your father especially was a coward."

Ginny was seeing red. "Say that again, Zabini," she growled. He raised an eyebrow.

"Your father was a coward and stupid," Blaise taunted. He said more, but Ginny wasn't listening. As he mentioned 'dead', she snapped. She put her hand out, palm out, and purple light shot out of her palm. It hit Blaise in the arm and a crack resounded throughout the hall. He barely winced although Ginny knew that that spell hurt like hell. He muttered something and Ginny fell, clutching her chest. She rebounded and Blaise was forced back. He continued to retreat as Ginny continued throwing spells.

The crowd became silent as Ginny grabbed her wand off the ground and held it to Blaise's throat.

"This is what happens when you insult my father. Do you give up, Blaise Zabini? Or do you want me to curse you further?"

She took his glare as a challenge and grabbed his wand. "How 'bout now?" she asked, throwing it behind her.

"A Slytherin never loses to a Gryffindor," he sneered.

"Well, I guess there's a first time for everything. You're without a wand. Do you give up?"

"Never."

Ginny narrowed her eyes. "Have it your way. Stupefy!"

The male collapsed and Ginny looked down at his prone body in horror. Then her eyes lifted to the crowd. They all seemed rather aghast. Ginny's eyes settled on the figures of Meg, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The Trio looked surprised but Meg looked only faintly shocked. Then Harry's eyes caught her own and she ran.

Short, eh? I'm sorry. Most of them will be like that. My chapters are usually short. These are around 5-6 pages typed, about twelve pages handwritten (I write big), although chapter 3 should be longer.

So review, but please don't flame. I'll love you forever if you review and I'll give you a virtual cookie! (if you want I'll email you one those virtual flower bunches or ice cream sundaes from bored(dot)com, lol)

Chipmunks roasting on an open fire, hot sauce dripping from their toes! (whoever can tell me who sang that gets whatever they want from my bakery!)

Signing off, Merry Christmas (or Happy Christmas as Ron says),

Kinz