Chapter 4 (Everything Changes)

Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling; I own nothing.

This chapter is slow but necessarily so. It's the calm before the storm. I hope you all like it. I suggest you read the bold stuff or the things that are italicized. Thank you to all of my lovely reviewers, I love you.

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By February 28- four days after the second task- I was getting anxious to find out exactly what Hermione and Ron knew. I, however, much preferred to comb Hermione's mind rather than my brother's. Hermione's mind was very organized. I thought, looking around the library in a bored manner.

Getting Hermione alone was very hard, but getting her alone long enough for me to do what I had to do was very difficult indeed. Whether she knew it or not, Hermione was very sheltered by Ron and Harry. I wasn't faring well with Harry these days. My regard for Harry was far from platonic, but it wasn't sexual either. For some reason, my attraction to him wasn't as strong as it once was. I cared for him; I didn't want to see him hurt. Still, my feelings for him had changed.

"Relax, Harry." I said, looking down at my book rather than up at him. "The champions always learn of one task-"

Harry frowned. "Ginny, they haven't told us the next challenge. I doubt they ever will." Harry grumbled.

I sighed. "Harry, I've read about the tournament's history-"

Harry groaned. "You're worse than Hermione. You can't learn everything from a book."

I pursed my lip, looking up at Harry icily. "Look, if you're just going to be a git-"

"Me! I'm being a git." Harry whispered, his emerald eyes flashing angrily. "You should look in the mirror, Ginny."

I glared coldly at him. "Harry, don't." I sighed, regaining my composure. "I don't want to fight."

Harry leaned back in his chair and looked at a book in front of him. "I'm sorry, Gin. I didn't mean to snap-"

"I get it, Harry, I do. You're going through a lot. You probably feel alone. We're here for you, but I promise you that I won't stick around if you keep biting my head off." I said, turning my attention back to the book in front of me.

Harry looked down at the book and frowned. I knew why. The book was decked out in Gryffindor colors, and I obviously wasn't a Gryffindor.

"Don't worry," I drawled, seeing his expression. "This diary doesn't write back." I said lightly.

Harry threw me an awkward look and I wanted to laugh. Making Harry feel uncomfortable was entirely too easy.

The book was not a diary. It was a book of ideas that held spells and potions, most of my own invention. Almost every spell and potion in that book was a variation of something already in existence. It was my most prized possession, worth more to me than gold and even grades. This book, in my eyes, had so much potential; it was practically limitless, which is exactly the way I wanted it to be. I wanted magic to rise above its limits. But, more than anything, I wanted to show the world that Ginny Weasley was not feeble and stupid.

Still, despite the brilliancy of this book, it still wouldn't help me with Hermione. That was a solution I'd have to find on my own.

"Ginny, are you alright. You just spaced out." Harry said concernedly.

I shook my head. "I'm fine, Harry. Look, I'll see you later. There's something I want to check out." I said, standing hastily to make my way over to the book shelves in the library.

Harry grinned and shook his head at me. "You know, Gin, I think you're worse than Hermione." He said fondly.

I threw him a smile, walking deeper into the library (The Restricted Section) to find exactly what I needed.

A book on Memory Charms.

It was now a Hogsmeade weekend. I would be having a date with Michael Corner. The Ravenclaw boy was annoying and very self-centered, but he served his purpose well. Corner was simply another person of great use to me. I was tired of Malfoy's smart remarks about me pining after Harry. What made it so bad was that people actually believed the prat, especially the Slytherins. If only they knew the truth!

Corner was of good stock, so the Slytherins couldn't disparage him or me in any way. Still, I knew they would insult us both. I was satisfied to know that my brothers couldn't find immediate fault with Corner, especially since they didn't know a thing about him.

Hermione knew about "my first date". She was thrilled to keep it a secret from Ron and Harry.

Good, I thought. Let her think that we have this so-called deep bond.

I liked Hermione a lot more beyond her usefulness. It was very rare to find a person so pure, so very genuine and nice. She was innocent, very innocent. I liked having her around me, but I couldn't afford to let my emotions corrupt my goals. I wanted to know everything she knew about Ron and Harry.

I didn't feel terrible about my deception. In a way, Hermione and I were somewhat friends. Still, I trusted no one and that included the Gryffindor girl who I was using.

"Have fun on your date, Ginny." Hermione said, smiling and waving a goodbye to me. I watched the girl leave the library to find her friends.

My plans for Hermione would simply have to wait. I thought agitatedly, heading to Hogsmeade for my date with Corner.

I was finally able to devise a suitable plan to get what I needed from Hermione.

Together, we would go to the kitchens and talk to the house elves about their situation. I knew Hermione would love that. She would think that someone was finally appreciating the things that truly mattered to her; someone was now taking her seriously. She just couldn't miss the opportunity to go to the kitchens with me after that.

I'd only found out about the kitchens by chance. One day, in the corridor, Fred and George found me. They wanted to borrow Theodris and send a letter to Bagman. I knew he owed them money and was avoiding them. I told the twins I'd let them borrow my owl anytime, if only they would tell me exactly where the kitchens were. They quickly agreed and walked me straight there. Upon entering, I saw the elves and my eyes widened in excitement. Fred and George thought that I was excited by the sight of all the food. I, however, knew that the elves were the perfect way to get Hermione away from Ron and Harry.

"I know you've already been down here, but I doubt Harry and Ron were patient enough to actually seriously talk to the elves." I said, smiling at Hermione.

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "All they care about is food and pastries, especially Ron. He thinks their all happy with their situation. Ron just doesn't want any part in S.P.E.W." Hermione said, her voice low and disappointed.

I slung an arm around her shoulder and smiled. "Don't worry. That's why I'm here. Let's go see what those elves are up to." I said, leading the way to the kitchen.

When we'd reached the outside of the kitchens, I tickled the pear and waited for the portrait to allow us entrance. Upon entering the kitchens, I smirked, seeing that most of the elves were elsewhere, handling their duties in the castle. That was the beauty of nighttime. This would just be too easy. I found the entire thing hilarious.

"How can you say that?" Hermione asked, frustration and desperation marring her voice. The house elf had just confessed that it would always remain loyal to its former abusive masters.

"You dedicated your whole life to serving them, and how did they repay you? They repaid you with cruelty and-"

"Miss is wrong." The little elf said. "I must go now." The elf said, disapparating to do Merlin knows what.

Hermione looked up at me with wide, unbelieving eyes. I shrugged, shaking my head.

"We'll come back." I said, grabbing a pastry from one of the elves in the kitchen.

"Here, have some tea." I said, offering the cup to Hermione, who shook her head no.

"Hermione, you're not going to win over the elves by rejecting their food. Drink the tea." I sighed, annoyed. Hermione nodded, walking over to me and taking a little sip from the cup.

I smiled. "See. I bet you feel better already. Come on, I'll walk you back to your tower." I said, making my way to the kitchen's exit. I knew I didn't have long before the sleeping potion kicked in.

Hermione followed after me. Once we reached the empty corridor, I fell back a little and waited. When Hermione hit the floor, I dragged her to a cupboard near the kitchens. I was almost caught by two house elves, but that didn't matter to me. Once the cupboard was secure, I performed Legilimens on Hermione.

My plan worked well. Hermione was in a very deep slumber and I was thankful that she wouldn't be able to remember anything at all. Upon entering her mind, I saw Rita Skeeter and some flashes of Hermione's hand covered in thick bandages.

More thoughts surfaced to Hermione's mind- this time, a memory of Harry describing something. I was about to ignore it, when he commented about Crouch. What did Crouch have to do with all this?

Apparently, Hermione had been thinking about this as well. I learned from the memory that Crouch had been on the grounds one night. He admitted that Voldemort was getting stronger.

My theory about the Voldemort was finally confirmed.

He was getting stronger, and Hermione was using a lot of logic to figure out a connection between Crouch and Voldemort himself. Other than his son (who'd I'd learned of from Hermione's mind), I could find no other connection to You-Know-Who. Crouch Jr. was dead, so he didn't matter at all.

I dropped Hermione off at the Hospital Wing. I made sure to be quiet, when I entered the infirmary. Thankfully, Madame Pomfrey was nowhere to be seen. I deposited Hermione on a bed, and I hurried out of the wing and to the Slytherin dorms.

I thought about Crouch and his link to Tom all the way on my walk back to the room. I'd heard enough of Hermione's recollection to know that Crouch hated the Dark Arts. If he hated the Dark Arts, then how could he know so much about Voldemort?

Upon entering my room, I saw Astoria and Blaise. They were sitting together on her bed. I plopped down onto my bed, grabbing a book that would teach me how to make an illegal Portkey. I absolutely hated using the Floo Connection. Since I now understood the theory of Portkeys so well, I decided to read about Memory Charms.

Obliviating someone greatly interested me, especially after all of the trouble I'd went through with Hermione. I could've used the Imperious Curse on her, but I really didn't want to do that, which was incredibly stupid of me.

"Reading to help your boyfriend, Weasley?" Zabini teased, snickering along with Astoria. I remained cool and level-headed, choosing not to respond to the little idiot.

"Did I hit a nerve?" Blaise asked." Read all you want, Weasley. Potter will never win that tournament." He spat, glaring at me. He was clearly jealous of Harry.

"Astoria, I'm tired of you boyfriend. If you don't silence him, I will." I said coldly, looking at my book.

My words further infuriated Zabini. He drew his wand.

"I'm going to show you your place, Weasley. Once and for all." He said, glaring at me.

My wand was already in my hand. I didn't like Zabini. Every time he came over, his goal was to annoy me. Sometimes I felt like he focused more on me than his girlfriend, which he actually did all the time.

Astoria was now trying to calm Zabini, telling him that a blood traitor like me wasn't worth his time or attention. Zabini, however, would hear nothing of it.

Getting tired of hearing them both, I pointed my wand at Zabini.

"Everte Statum." I said, bored. The boy was blasted hard into a wall, crumpling weakly onto the floor.

I smirked, seeing that he'd broken Astoria's precious vanity. Astoria's eyes stared coldly at me in fury. She began to yell.

"I don't curse Theodore-"

"Clearly! You wouldn't dare raise your wand at Nott." I drawled. "Get him out of here, before he becomes my little guinea pig. Now!" I ordered, my voice sharp.

"And don't bring him around me anymore." I said, glaring at Astoria.

Astoria narrowed her eyes at me challengingly. I raised my left eyebrow, daring her to try and curse me. She backed down and tried to stir Zabini awake. I rolled my eyes. How could I be surrounded by complete idiots?

I pointed my wand at the door. "Alohomara." The door opened.

I then pointed my wand at him. "Locomotor Zabini."

Zabini was lifted into the air. I levitated him out of the room, locking the door afterward.

Astoria glared at me. "I could've blasted him out of the room." I sneered.

Astoria sighed and got under the covers. I returned to my reading in peace.

Turning the page in my book, I thought about what Zabini had said. For some reason, I couldn't get the word tournament out of my head.

Tournament, I pondered over and over to myself. The Triwizard Tournament. CROUCH! He's the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. That's all Percy talked about this summer. Crouch and Bagman had worked so hard to get the tournament up and started after all of these years.

But how did that relate to Voldemort getting stronger? How could a Triwizard Tournament alone make him stronger?

"Ginevra, what is it?" Astoria asked, her gaze curious to learn what I was thinking so hard about.

I shook my head, wanting her to drop it.

The tournament alone couldn't be making Voldemort stronger. But Harry was in the tournament and that certainly wouldn't make him stronger, would it?

Crouch.

Crouch's dead son.

Tom and Harry.

I went to bed that night, thinking this over and overin my head. Still, I couldn't make sense of anything. I was lost.

On the train ride home, I was watched the landscape pass me by. Luck alone wasn't the reason why my compartment was empty. I threatened to curse anyone who decided to come inside. I needed to think about my future and the future of everyone I love.

Voldemort was back.

A storm was coming, and not all of us would make it to safe shores: Diggory didn't; Crouch and his son didn't; and Harry barely made it back with his life. People were going to die, and the people I loved could possibly become the victims of this war.

I felt completely powerless. There was nothing I could do.

My situation in Slytherin had changed, just like everyone else's. I now had to choose which side I would take in this war. The decision could mean my life in more ways than one could possibly imagine. Things would be very different from now on.

Nothing would ever be the same.

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