A/N: I DO NOT OWN ANYONE (as in the characters) - they belong to J.K Rowling DUHHH! :D
SUMMARY (And warning on what to expect!): This chapter is pretty slow, cos I'm introducing two new characters! :D It explores more on Ginny's past you see... And will help a bit when she meets... ahem ahem.
Previously...
And for the second time that day, Ginny felt herself falling, falling through a bottomless pit of darkness entwined with nightmares of an evil snake-like beast..
Chapter 1
- Nightmares and Legilimens and an undesirable uncounter-
Let me in, Gin. Please.
It was a nice voice, a familiar one. A voice which she missed with her life. She opened herself- her mind, her thoughts, her everything, to that voice.
The night flew by on the back of a dragon.
Dragons weren't bad. In fact, Ginny loved dragons – probably rubbed off from her brother Charlie's uncanny obsession. Riding a dragon was indeed exhilarating, but the problem was: she was dangling off the back of the dragon, clinging on for her dear life and also that she simply couldn't seem to get off. Just like the nightmares - lurching, diving, spine-chilling, going on and on, and refusing to ever come to an end.
It was only about midway through the night, where the dreams underwent an adverse change. From bizarre nightmares, to the sweetest of dreams based on mirthful memories. When George had set off his box of Muggle crackers, accidentally searing Percy's favourite 'Crouch' picture, causing Percy to go on a mad rampage about the house; when Fred had tricked Mother into trying the bertie botts every flavor beans - vomit flavor; when Malfoy had tripped on his Nimbus 2000 and fell splat on his face while insulting Hermione; when Harry and her had shared their first kiss….
Ginny reached out, to touch Harry's face one more time…
The sound of glasses crashing to the floor, and Harry's image began to shift till it transformed into a strangely familiar elderly man with a short but conspicuous silver beard.
"Oof! My glasses!" He exclaimed, before holding out his hand, and performing a simple 'Accio' spell on it, causing it to whizz back, positioning itself lopsidedly on the ridge of his nose.
"Oh, Albus! What did I say? You heard me loud and clear! I did warn you not to go to close to her! She could have strangled you unknowingly- , MERLIN! Alas! She's awake!"
Ginny's eyes flew open, and instantaneously a figure rushed towards her at mad speed. The other merely brushed his cloak, adjusted his glasses into place, and murmuring something about, 'getting his aiming right sometime soon'. (A/N: His glasses)
"OH ALBUS! ALBUS! You must see! She's awake!"
"Yes, yes, I'll be right there," He replied collectedly, before strolling towards Ginny's bedside.
Where in the world am I? Please, not another nightmare…
Ginny rubbed her eyes and struggled to sit up. And for some reason, her entire body ached with sharp, but bearable pain.
"Nope! No you don't! You! You stay down! Don't get up! Wait a second!" A lady's breathless voice rang in her ears, before a figure bustled off at top speed, flying off like a seeker after her precious snitch.
Oh, just like Mother, Ginny realized with fond nostalgia. Just like the good old times when Mother always ran after Fred and George to give them a good spanking after they put some disgusting baby Flobberworms in her afternoon cup of Butterbeer or something.
And Ginny smiled. Her smile felt pretty unused, considering she didn't really require it for quite a while. But the sensation of smiling was simply... addictive. She could smile and smile and smile…
"That's right. Smiling's good for you. Go on." And Ginny's attention was once again diverted to the strange, yet elegant man with a short but outstanding silvery grey beard.
Man, I must really look like a retarded smiling fool to him. Ginny thought, but couldn't detect a single trace of sarcasm in his voice.
Wait a second…, was that… - PROFESSOR DUMBLEDORE?
Could it be? Apparently, he looked a notch or two younger, but retained that haphazard funky dress fashion of his… And as though to top all that up, he was studying a box of muggle candy - sherbet lemon (though its wrapping was different from that of her time), lovingly through that half moon glasses of his. Overall, despite slight differences in the length of his beard, Professor Dumbledore was clearly recognizable…
Furthermore, Ginny noticed, for some reason he had eyebags. Ginny had to stifle another smile. Professor Dumbledore with eyebags? WAHAHAHAHAHA! It made him look like that Muggle Animal that Charlie had pointed out once. Oh yes, the Panda. Charlie had mentioned that they weren't half the size of a Dragon, but just as aggressive if you provoked it.
"Errr… Had a rough night, sir?" Ginny couldn't keep the jovial smile off her face: For one, he did resemble that Panda, and for two, she already felt unnervingly safe around him.
Professor Dumbledore wasn't exactly focused on her at the moment. Rather, he was busily trying to shake out a few pieces of Sherbet Lemon which were stubbornly stuck together.
"Err… Sir?" Ginny asked again, wondering if he'd even processed her question at all.
"What? Oh yes, a rough night, all right," but the Professor seemed distracted. He continued shaking the box until finally, out of pure perseverance and hard work, the candy unstuck, and three small drops landed into his palm. "Ah this!" He cried out joyfully. "My favourite Muggle candy since forever! Care to have one?"
At this, the same lady (whom Ginny recognized as the one who spoke with her before) literally rammed through the door at alarming agility, whilst holding a tray of cups and a bowl of soup, before hurrying over to Ginny's bedside and shoving poor Dumbledore aside before he could complete his offer.
"No! I don't allow you to offer any goodies which are detrimental to my patients health!" She said to Dumbledore, before turning to Ginny, smiling, and passing her a cup from the tray, "Here, have a cup of Butterbeer. Warms you up nicely!"
Ginny watched as Professor Dumbledore, without hesitation, contently popped all three Lemon Drops right into his mouth.
Whoa, she is like a whirlwind. Amazing hidden speed. And her reflexes. She's got one of a seeker, I'd reckon. Nearly as good as Harry….
HARRY…- No, don't think of him yet. Later, wait till you're better, then… Then we can solve this 'time gap' problem.
Ginny suppressed her inner conflict and accepted the drink gratefully, taking tiny sips off it. Taste as good as its future version! Not bad!
"Um… Ginny…" The Matron (the lady) said suddenly, looking slightly sheepish.
She knows my name! Ginny exclaimed in her mind, though I don't really recall sharing it with her…
Without another word, the Matron went directly into what she intended to share. "I think you should know that I sent for Albus- I mean, Professor Dumbledore to perform some form of Legilimens on you while you were… unconscious…"
LEGILIMENS…? Ginny's mind screamed. ON ME?
'W.H.A.T?' Ginny blurted out loud, sending the contents of Butterbeer spilling all over herself. In utter disbelief, she re-iterated her question in a calmer manner. "You… you what?"
The Matron shifted rather uncomfortably, before finding some soup bowls to rearrange on the tray. "You were… screaming, thrashing, and you summoned wandless magic on the…" She gestured to the window at the corner. "Over there, but Al- Professor Dumbledore pretty much fixed it up." A hesitation, then the Matron looked up to face Ginny, the 'sheepishness' immediately transforming into fear. "And at one point, you… You shrieked the… the… the… killing curse. Several times. Good thing I was… well, holding on to your wand at that time…"
The nightmares, Ginny realized. It had to be…
"I tried to wake you," the Matron quickly added. "But I think the sleeping drought I prescribed you earlier put you out for quite some bit. I… Well, I had to strap you to the bed, and run out to call a Professor who could do some calming of… um, your mind. You see, I'm not very good at Legilimens of any sort. Just some simple healing spells and potions…"
Ginny just sat there, taking everything in, in strangled horror and disbelief. Professor. Dumbledore. Performed. Legilimens. On. Me…
Which meant…
Professor Dumbledore had seen everything. Anything and everything there was in her mind. He had seen the future. He had seen… He had seen Voldermort. He knew that she herself… was from the future.
Which explained once again in other words….
Her sweet dreams earlier, the way the Matron had anxiously yelled for Dumbledore to step aside from her bedside, Dumbledore's Panda eyes, and the way the Matron was so familiarized with her name!
Ginny felt too weak to hold any feelings of contempt. Instead, she twisted her neck to take a look to see how Dumbledore was reacting to the situation, only to find him passionately unsticking two pieces of Sherbet Lemon.
"Um… Professor Dumbledore sir?" She whispered, the shock causing her voice to tremble ever so softly. She would bombard him with a thousand questions, scream the place down, stomp around like a spoilt kid, and…
"Thank you." The words came out rushed and unprepared, and even unsure. But as soon as she said it, she felt fulfilled, satisfied, and even somewhat happier. After all, hadn't Dumbledore spent a lot of his own effort on this? Something to be grateful for, really.
A mischievous twinkle slipped into Dumbledore's eyes, and he waved it away humbly.
"Thank you too, Matron." Ginny nodded towards the lady. "Hadn't had that much happiness at one go."
The Matron shrugged it off, before saying, "Anyway, Ginny, Ar- Headmaster Dippet had requested to see you. Told him you were out. Ah that man! Preposterous! Actually thought of barging into the ward! Too prideful for his own good, but hadn't half the wit of Professor Dumbledore, don't you think?"
"You flatter me, Felta. I really don't suppose you to be spreading untruths of the Headmaster to his students." Dumbledore replied cynically – for the first time not having any lemon drops in his mouth.
Ginny grinned widely at this, her previous terror gradually disappearing with the change of atmosphere. So Armando Dippet is a proud man? Interesting!
"Either way," the Matron interjected, "whatever it is, we'll have to get the bed and the carpet cleaned off from the Butterbeer spill before the Headmaster arrives. Or the roof might come down as well. Errr," She side-glanced Dumbledore hopefully. "Care to? As you may already know, some witches aren't as skilled as you are."
The Headmaster arrived shortly after the Matron had cleared Ginny's lunch tray the next day. He arrived once again with Dumbledore by his side, in a deep, serious, and outrightly weird conversation on hippogriffs.
Dippet was as bad as Dumbledore when it came to fashion sense. Although the colours he wore were much duller than Dumbledore's, and the immediate impression he gave was him being a dull and colourless person.
The Matron glanced at the secret 'conference', narrowed her eyes darkly at Dippet, and bustled out once more.
"So…" Dippet was saying to Dumbledore. "This is the transfer student you were referring to?"
Transfer student? Ginny's jaw dropped. Dumbledore convinced him that I was a transfer student after what he saw?
Don't show any signs of fraud, just play along, Ginny cautioned herself. Other than Hogwarts. Ginny couldn't think of anywhere else to stay albeit her recovery. I am NOT going to camp out along Diagon Alley or something for the rest of my life.
Dippet turned to Ginny, and recited all her particulars at one go, while giving her the I-know-all-about-you look. "So… Ginerva Molly Fridwarn, you're a transfer student from the Beauxbatons Acadamy of Magic. You're in Year 6, and, apparently, you injured yourself upon your arrival in Hogwarts. Right? Yes, right." Dippet finished and confirmed everything before Ginny could even open her mouth.
Yes, he's rather self-assuming and conceited. Ginny noticed wryly. And long winded and BOAR-RING, she added as Dippet began to confirm the rest of her schedule without even bothering to glance up at Ginny a single time – and Ginny began to wonder if he'd perhaps forgotten that there were others in the room besides himself.
"And, you're to be sorted… let's see, 1, 2... next week, coming Monday.. You'd have recovered by then, so the timing's perfect. And… Yes, that's all. Good day to you, Miss Fridwarn."
And with that, Dippet collected his stack of papers with a swift wave of his wand, before swiveling around, and abruptly making for the exit without turning back. He only did so once to call Dumbledore after himself, possibly to continue their highly intellectual and interesting conversation on Hippogriffs.
I hadn't even said a word! Ginny thought, rather upset. He might as well have held a conversation with his broomstick!
She would have continued brooding over Dippet's mis-manners, if not for his last words sinking into her head.
'And you're to be sorted… let's see, 1, 2, next week, coming Monday.'
Sorted? Sorted again! She'd probably end up in Gryffindor! But probably Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff wouldn't be that bad. But if she did get sorted into… well, Slytherin (though there was simply not a single possibility), then Grandpa Weasley would certainly curse her for her ill luck…
Oh, let the matter rest! This was temporary! Temporary, she drilled into herself. But somehow, a fluttering in her stomach warned her that this certainly wasn't temporary.
A/N: My first story! I hope its okay! I really don't mind critiques! :D