Round 1: The Confession

Morning light flitted gently through the tall windows of the great hall to illuminate the crowd of Hogwarts students who were slowly gathering for the first meal of the day. The young witches and wizards, most of whom were still yawning and rubbing the sleep from their eyes, shuffled into the vast chamber and seated themselves at their house tables as piping hot food began to materialize on silver platters. Life at Hogwarts really was quite convenient, and no one was appreciating the magic of it all at that particular moment more so than Harry.

Currently sitting at the Gryffindor table in the company of Ginny Weasley, Harry was finding himself in the mood to ruminate on the many blessings fate had chosen to bestow upon him. Here he was sitting with his lovely new girlfriend and there weren't any monsters attacking the castle, evil wizards trying to kill him, or any other random dangers darkening his doorstep. This was pretty much the best day of his life! As Harry gazed across the table at the red haired beauty quietly pecking away at her food he found himself nearly giddy with happiness, and he had to simply grin at the wonders of life.

"So Ginny I was thinking, now that we're officially going out we should go on our first date." Harry suggested and his grin widened when Ginny's eyes lit up in response.

"Oh Harry that sounds wonderful! I've never been on a date before!"

"Really? Dean never took you out on any dates while you were going out?" Harry asked quizzically. He knew Dean was a dick but he hadn't thought it was this bad. To Harry's dismay Ginny's face turned a deep crimson at his comment and she suddenly became intent on examining her plate.

"Um… well… no… not really…" Ginny stuttered out she while fidgeted uncomfortably with her utensils. Harry mentally cursed his own stupidity. He just had to go and make things awkward by bringing up her old boyfriend!

"Well anyway we should do something fun this weekend! Why don't we go into Hogsmeade?" Harry said enthusiastically, hoping to move past the strained moment he had just created and to get their conversation back on track. Ginny met his gaze again and smiled shyly.

"That would be lovely Harry. I-."

SCREEEEEEE!

An awful screech rang through the great hall and Harry looked up to behold the familiar snowy white form of his owl as she descended from the rafters towards them.

"Ah here comes Hedwig with my morning pos-" Harry was cut off as Hedwig uttered another blood curdling screech and swooped directly at Ginny with talons outstretched.

"Ahhh." Ginny screamed as she dove from her chair, narrowly avoiding Hedwig's dive-bomb attack.

"Hedwig!" Harry yelled as he leapt to his feet. "What on earth!"

SCREEEEE!

Hedwig beat her wings furiously to remain aloft as she viciously clawed at Ginny's head.

"Stop it!" Harry grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl in front of him and chucked it at the rampaging bird. The apple struck Hedwig in the side causing the owl to squawk in surprise and disengage from its attack on his girlfriend. Other students in the great hall were yelling and, while many dove under the table to hide and protect themselves in case the owl wasn't picky about its targets, a few came rushing forward to help. As if sensing that the opportunity had been lost Hedwig quickly flapped back up into the rafters and out of reach. For a single surreal moment Harry's eyes met with his owl's and he could almost swear that they were trying to tell him something, but then Hedwig sailed through an open window and was gone.

"Ginny!" Harry cried as he leapt over the table, knocking platters of food to the ground as he rushed to his girlfriend's side. "Ginny are you okay?" He wrapped an arm around her quaking shoulders and pulled her against his chest. He looked down and noticed deep gashes along her forearms, which she had raised over her head to protect herself. His heart clenched in pain to see her hurt. "I'm so sorry Ginny! I don't know what came over her; Hedwig has never attached anyone before!" Ginny looked up at him with wide, shock filled eyes but she gave him a small smile despite her obvious pain.

"It's alright, Harry. I'm okay. You don't have to apologize."

"Let's get you to the infirmary and have these cuts treated." Harry said in concern. He helped her to her feet and led her away from the great hall, and the stares of the confused and curious student body.

"You should have that dumb bird put down!" Ron seethed. Harry winced and shook his head.

"She must be sick or something! That's the only possible explanation!" Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting in a corner of the grounds, having finished their classes for the day. The gossip about the rabid owl that had attacked a girl during breakfast had spread about the school like wild fire and Harry wasn't sure if Ron was more furious about the fact that it was his sister who had been injured or that it was his best friends owl that was responsible.

"She's dangerous is what she is." Ron snapped. Harry sighed and shook his head. He knew that there must be some reason behind what had happened. Hedwig had always been loyal and well behaved before. He was sure that she wouldn't have attacked Ginny if she had been herself. Something was wrong!

"None of the other owls have been acting strangely." Hermoine piped up. "If it is a disease then it doesn't appear that she contracted it from another bird in the rookery." Harry sighed again. After the incident Hedwig had disappeared and he had no way of discovering what had caused her bizarre behavior, and sitting around here tossing around ideas with his friends wasn't accomplishing anything.

"Well I'm going to go and find Ginny. She should be back at the common room by now and I want to make sure that she's okay." Harry made to rise, but Hermoine suddenly put a restraining hand on his shoulder.

"Harry, wait a moment. I actually have been meaning to talk to you about Ginny."

"What do you mean?" Harry stared at her in confusion. He'd already gotten the "if you hurt her I'll deck you" speech from Ron when he'd announced to his friends that he and Ginny were going out. He hadn't expected anything like that from Hermoine. Hermoine chewed her lower lip nervously for a moment before continuing.

"Listen Harry, has Ginny seemed… different to you lately?"

"Not really. I mean other than that she's been really happy since we started dating." Harry smiled.

"Right… Listen Harry, I've noticed that Ginny hasn't been hanging out with any of her friends these last few days."

"Well we just started dating. We've been spending a lot of time together." Harry dismissed her concern.

"That's not all. The other day I saw some of her friends trying to talk to her and Ginny acted like she didn't know who they were."

"Maybe they just aren't actually her friends. I mean, you could be mistaken."

"No I used to see her with them all the time! And it isn't just them. When I try talking to her she acts really weird and always finds an excuse to leave. I think there may be something wrong."

"You're overreacting Hermoine." Harry laughed. "She's probably just a little shy around you because she and I are dating now, she'll get over it, don't worry."

"Ginny isn't really that shy of a girl, and she and I have gotten pretty close over the years. I don't see any reason why she should be acting this way just because the two of you started dating." Hermoine was starting to look annoyed.

"Well I haven't noticed any difference." Harry shot back. "What about you, Ron?"

"Huh? No, not really." Ron shrugged.

"See! You worry too much, Hermoine. Ginny is fine."

"Aside from the fact that your owl carved a few pieces out of her arms." Ron apparently couldn't resist adding.

"Yeah apart from that. Now, if you'll excuse me my, lady awaits." Harry turned and walked away, shaking his head at the ridiculousness of it all. Hermoine could be really paranoid sometimes.

Harry walked into the Hogwarts common room to find Ginny sitting alone by the window watching the sun set. Her face was cast in a rosy glow and her hair shone with a fiery radiance as it caught the last fading rays of the sun. Harry's heart swelled at the sight and he couldn't believe he was so lucky to have her as his girlfriend

"Hey." He said as he approached. Ginny turned and smiled at him. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine now. See." She held up her arms to show him that they were free of any cuts and scars. Madame Pomfrey had completely healed the damage.

"That's a relief! I hated seeing you hurt." Harry sat down beside her and took her hands in his own. They sat there in silence for a while simply watching the sun sink below the tree line. Eventually Harry found himself gazing not at the scenery outside the window but at the beautiful face of the girl sitting across from him. Realizing he was staring Harry cleared his throat.

"You know Ginny, I was surprised when you took me aside the other day, and I think I nearly fainted when you told me that you loved me. It was the last thing I expected you to say but I've never been so happy." Ginny looked like she was blinking back tears.

"I've always loved you Harry." Ginny murmured. "I could never tell you before. These last few days have been a dream come true." Harry reached out and gently clasped her face in his hands.

"I love you too." he said as he leaned in to press his lips against hers.

SCREEEEEEE!

The piercing cry split the air and Harry instinctively grabbed Ginny and pushed her to the ground just as a flash of white rocketed through the windowpane and over their heads. Harry tried to use his body to cover Ginny's as a cascade of shattered glass rained down over them. Hedwig screeched and flew wildly around the room, knocking over potted plants and anything else in the way of her erratic flight path.

"Hedwig!" Harry yelled. "Hedwig calm down!"

The snowy owl landed on the stone floor and strutted towards where Ginny and Harry lay. Her talons clicked menacingly against the floor and her head bobbed from side to side as if looking for an opening within which to strike. Harry knew that whatever had gotten a hold of Hedwig that there was no way he would be able to placate her with words.

In one fluid motion Harry pushed himself from the floor and whipped out his wand.

"Immobulus." He cried and a burst of light shot from his wand and struck Hedwig, who tottered to the ground immobilized. Harry stared sadly at the owl's prone form, completely at a loss as to what could be driving it to attack them.

"Oh Hedwig what happened to you?" He murmured softly as he briefly reached out and touched his owl's downy feathers.

He turned away and carefully helped a silent Ginny to her feet.

"Are you alright?" He asked as he brushed a few pieces of stray glass from her hair. His concern started to mount as Ginny refused to meet his gaze but instead stared fixedly at the floor. "What's wrong? Are you hurt."

"I… I'm sorry Harry." Ginny suddenly sobbed. "This… this is all my fault!"

"What are you talking about? This isn't your fault." Harry tried to pull Ginny into his embrace but she shook her head violently and drew away.

"It is my fault! I just wanted to tell you how I felt Harry! I thought if I could just do that I would be happy. But then you said you loved me back and I… I was so overjoyed. When you said you wanted to go out with me I just got caught up in it all! I wanted to forget that it was all a lie!" Ginny's body was wracked with sobs and Harry didn't know what to do to comfort her. He couldn't wrap his mind around what she was saying.

"I don't understand. What's a lie?"

"Me! I'm the lie!" For a moment Ginny looked like she was going to break down, but she took a few steadying breaths and finally lifted her tear stained face to look at him.

"Harry… I'm not really Ginny. I switched my mind with that of Ginny's so that I would be able to confess my love to you. I didn't mean to deceive you or to stay in this body so long! I just wanted to be able to say the words!" The girl before him looked at him imploringly with eyes that begged for him to understand. Eyes that weren't hers.

Harry took a step back and clutched at the back of a couch for support. He felt like his whole world was reeling as he tried to process what he'd just been told.

"But then… who are you?"

"It's me Harry." The girl sobbed. "I'm Hedwig."

Author's Aside

Blond One: Well, what do you think Tomato Face?

Tomato Face: *trying to look unimpressed* It was okay...I guess.

Blond One: Just okay? Did you not understand the motivation? The pathos?

Tomato Face: Don't talk to me about pathos! My entire undergraduate degree was about pathos! (mono no aware)

Blond One: Don't distract me with your other language! My story is a beautiful tale of unrequited love!

Tomato Face: *evil grin* Not for long. *holds up a card* I choose to play 'switch bodies' card for this round. See if you can keep your romance afloat as I punch a gaping hole in your inflatable raft!

What could Tomato Face possibly hope to accomplish by fighting fire with fire? Will Blond One stab her in the eyeball? Stay tuned for Tomato Face's evil interference next week!