In the Words of Ginevra Molly Potter

by thejealousone

The Autobiography of Ginny Weasley. Her point of view from book one to book seven and beyond, complete with missing moments and everything. Over 800 reviews and nearly 130,000 hits! Written before December 1, 2007. Last Updated August 16, 2008.

6. A Different Kind of Hogwarts Champion

Stories that inspired/influenced this chapter:
"Turning the Corner" by GraceHasVictory (HPFF)
"Snitch" by Hettie Hoffleboffle (HPFF)"If only" by Eressea (PhoenixSong)
"Smart Girl, that Hermione" by fitzette (PhoenixSong)
"The Invitation" by Task (HPFF)
"Herm-Own-Inny" by Lily Evans (HPFF)

Chapter Six: A Different Kind of Hogwarts Champion

Professor "Mad-Eye" Moody. He may have been Barty Crouch, Jr. Death Eater extraordinaire; he may have been disguised as a former Auror; he may have been out to kill Harry, but he made one mistake.

He taught us.

He was so determined to fit the part of Moody that he made the mistake and taught us everything we needed to know. In fact, he was a great teacher. We learned a lot from him. It's hard to believe that he wasn't the real thing.

The Ravenclaw and the Gryffindor Third Years waited eagerly in the DADA class room. We had been overly excited to experience Moody's teaching for most of the week. We had heard the story of Malfoy being transfigured into a ferret. We had heard the constant vigilance rumors. We had heard that he was mental, but amazing.

Sitting next to Delia and Luna, we heard the distinct sound. Thunk thunk thunk. Into the door came Mad-Eye Moody. His hair was just as grisly as when we had first seen him. His wooden foot peaked out from beneath his robes.

"Put your books back into your bags," he growled, as if he had said this to every class that he taught thus far. We complied as he read off our names on the roll. Slamming the paper down on the desk again, he paced in front of the class room. He stopped in front of me. "Your Sneakoscope in your bag. Has it been whistling a lot lately?"

Could he really see inside my bag? He was right though, the little gizmo had barely stopped whistling since I stepped foot in the school. I wrapped it in tissue paper to muffle the sound and would pull it every couple hours to tinker with it. "Yes, Professor," I said.

"I suspect all the mischief in this school has something to do with it," Moody growled. "If you give it to me, I might be able to adjust it accordingly." I dug it out of my bag and handed it to him. He pointed his wand at it and the Sneakoscope disappeared.

He addressed the class now. "I have been getting complaints from parents that I shouldn't be here," Moody barked, his magical eye studying each one of us closely. "They say that I've lost my mind, that the years of fighting Dark Wizards have rattled my brain." He pounded a desk loudly and we jumped in our seats. "Codswallop! My mind is just as sharp as ever."

He limped towards the right side of the room and picked up Colin's textbook that he had not put away yet. He flipped through the pages. "The parents say that I shouldn't be teaching you about curses. The Ministry would have a nasty word to add if they knew what we were doing. They say you're too young. I say they're wrong." He slammed the book shut and handed it back to Colin.

"You-Know-Who didn't hesitate to attack because someone was not of age, so if any of you feel you are too young to be taught in this class, there's the door," Moody pointed. "You will not be punished. Dumbledore will give you different lessons to study on your own… effortless, undemanding, meaningless rubbish work!"

I scanned the room. No one stood up to leave. Moody had our full attention.

Moody continued. "That's what I thought," he said. "I have told the other classes the same as I am going to tell you. What use is a countercurse if you don't know what you're up against? A dark wizard is not going to be kind enough to give you a list of the spells and curses he may or may not use against you. You must be ready. You must be prepared."

He searched the room, looking like a snake ready to strike. "There are three Unforgivable Curses. You…!" he pointed at a Gryffindor boy behind me by the name of Ethan Taylor. "Can you give me the name of one of them?"

Ethan nodded, looking horrified. "My dad had one put on him by a Death Eater years ago," he whispered. "The torture curse… the Crusia… the Crucia…"

"The Cruciatus Curse," Moody snarled. He went to his desk and opened a jar on the table. Sticking his hand in, he pulled a spider from it. "Nasty curse…" he muttered and pointed it at the arachnid. "Crucio!"

The spider immediately buckled beneath the spell. I swallowed hard as the creature writhed in Moody's hand. If it had a voice, it would have been screaming.

"Nasty curse indeed," Moody repeated. He stopped the spell and looked around. "The most powerful wizards in the world have fallen prey to this curse. If kept on long enough, I pray for their sanity." He breathed in and looked at me. "Weasley, is it?" and I nodded. "Another curse, if you will."

I had hoped he wouldn't pick me to answer. I was intimidated by him. I did know the next two curses. The Killing Curse was one, but I didn't want to be responsible for the death of an innocent creature, not matter how horrid it was. There was only one other option to pick. "The Imperius Curse," I said.

Moody nodded. "That's the one your brother chose." He pointed the wand at the spider. "Imperio!" The spider stopped moving. Almost instantly, it jumped towards the desk. And as if Moody had done this already, his face was stern. The spider had developed the talent for acrobatics and tap-dancing.

I stared at the creature but refused to laugh as my fellow classmates had started to do. I knew what the curse did. It was total control over someone. I wondered, with great trepidation, if that's what the memory of Tom Riddle had placed on me.

"What should I have it do next?" Moody asked the class. "Jump out the window? Throw itself down one of your throats? Pick up a wand and curse you with it?" No one was laughing anymore. "I hope you understand what kind of problem this curse presents."

Delia raised her hand this time and I was surprised. She spoke softly. "You can make someone kill their family and no one would ever know they were being controlled."

"Exactly," Moody said. "Many people claimed to be under the Imperius Curse after You-Know-Who's downfall. Since there is no way to detect the curse on people, how can we call them liars? We can't!"

I raised my hand into the air this time. "Can it be performed without a wand?" I asked, thinking about how Riddle might have used the diary instead of a wand.

"I have never heard of such things," he replied, and I decided that I was going to talk to Moody later in private.

"You!" Moody pointed to Luna. "Can you tell me the last curse?"

Luna, who usually looked dreamy, appeared scared. "I don't want to," she whispered. She closed her eyes and tried to wish away the scene.

"The Killing Curse," Moody said. I watched the spider pause on the desk before swiftly climbing its jar, attempting to get back inside, as if it knew what was coming. "Avada Kedavra!" Moody shouted. With a flash of green light, the spider fell where it stood, motionless.

"No countercurse," Moody said. "I know of only one person to have survived it, and I met him five days ago."

My mind went to Harry. Had Moody said the same thing when the Fourth Years had this class? Had Harry felt the pain of seeing exactly how his parents died and how he would have died if hadn't been for a miracle?

Ethan spoke up. "Professor, if there's no countercurse, why are you showing it to us?"

"You've… got… to know…." He said, with each word coming closer to Ethan. "Constant vigilance! If you aren't prepared for the worst, you have no chance fighting at all." Moody turned around to write on the board. "I want you all to copy these notes into your pages…" He stopped writing but did not turn around. "Miss Fawcett, I hope you have enough Chocolate Frogs for the whole class."

I glanced back at Sarah and she had this bewildered look on her face. Her hands were below the desk and obviously hiding something.

When our first DADA class was over, I told Delia and Luna that I'd catch up with them later. I lingered behind and waited for the stragglers to leave the room. Tending to something with his back to me, I walked slowly towards Moody.

"Class is dismissed, Miss Weasley," Moody said, without turning around. "And I don't know if I'll have time to fix your Sneakoscope anytime soon."

"I know, Professor, but I had a question for you," I said softly. "About the Imperius Curse."

"Too personal to ask in front of the class, I suspect," Moody asked. "Is this to do with the wandless Imperius?"

"Yes," I said. I hesitated, and then I told him the quick version of my First Year, how the memory of Voldemort had controlled me. "Do you think it was the curse?"

"It would take a strong bit of magic to make something like that work," Moody said as he finally turned around. "If any wizard could do it, I would say it was You-Know-Who. But what you describe sounds more like possession. Very similar, but also logically different."

I nodded. "I just hate the idea of You-Know-Who inside me."

Moody grunted. "You say you were able to fight him off briefly?"

"Yes," I replied.

"Against the most powerful wizard of our time," Moody said, his eye scanning me. "That's impressive." He motioned for the door and walked beside me. "I suspect that you will do well when we practice fighting the Imperius Curse off."

I stopped abruptly. My bag had been open. My DADA book fell out and landed on the floor. Ignoring the fallen object, I said, "You're going to put it on us?" Learning about them was one thing. Witnessing them was another. Having them put on us?

"Constant vigilance," Moody repeated his infamous phrase.

He bent down clumsily and picked up my textbook. It had opened near the end. "I doubt we'll be getting this far," he growled, scanning over the page. He read the hex that was listed and that dominated the text of the page. "Bat-Bogey Hex," he muttered as he handed the book back to me. "Difficult spell to master, though I doubt it would give you much trouble at all."

As I returned to the Common Room, I flipped open to the page that he was reading. I saw an illustration of several vicious bats attacking the face of a dodgy-looking character. I read the description of the spell.

Bat-Bogey Hex

Incantation: Chiroptera

The Bat-Bogey Hex is a fun yet powerful spell. It transfigures the
bogey within a target's nose into several bats.
Following the transfiguration, the bats will immediately attack the target.

The Bat-Bogey Hex is a difficult spell to perform.
It requires experience in transfiguration and control of the newly-formed bats
with use of the Oppugno charm. Many young wizards cannot easily combine
two completely different spells with the same incantation.
It necessitates determination, constant practice, and strength of mind.

I closed the book and muttered the incantation under my breath. I repeated the phrase fun yet powerful to myself. Thinking about how my brothers always portrayed me, I decided that spell's description also described me. Moody had said that he didn't think it would give me much trouble, that he was convinced I could master such a difficult spell. I would have to practice this hex and see if his confidence in me really was justified.

After dinner, Hermione was on another SPEW recruitment process and was becoming annoyed that I didn't want to join her. When Neville fell over a stack of books, I used the distraction to slip out of the Common Room.

I took a stroll beside the lake. I liked being alone every now and then. The best company I could keep was myself sometimes. I picked up a pebble and skipped it on the lake. Where the ripple had formed, bubbles appeared. A green-skinned creature with two horns broke the surface of the water. It was a grindylow. The water creature hissed at me.

Slightly amused, I pulled my wand out and decided to try out my new spell. Pointing it at the grindylow, I shouted, "Chiroptera!" The grindylow looked at me curiously, hissed again, and dove beneath the surface of the water.

Disappointed, I thought maybe the hex couldn't be used on water creatures. I placed my wand back into my robes and journeyed back to Gryffindor Tower. After all, I had homework to take care of and I could always practice on a different day.

The following week, Moody announced to the rest of the class that we were going to practice throwing Imperius Curse off of us. "I've had some complaints earlier this week about my methods of teaching. I say the same that I said last week. If you'd rather learn the hard way when someone is controlling you completely, be my guest. You are excused."

None of my classmates left. One by one, Moody called my peers to experience the effects of the curse. Luna spoke in an unmistakable French accent and laughed uncontrollably. Delia flapped her wings and pretended to fly around the room. Ethan, who never could keep a beat, was able to thump a catchy rhythm on the desks. Slowly, all my classmates had participated and none of them were able to break the curse.

Finally, Moody looked at me. "Weasley, you're next." I stood up from my desk and took my place in front of the classroom. Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself. "Imperio!" Moody growled.

It was a pleasant feeling, nothing like what I had experienced with Riddle. With the diary, I had felt lost, miserable, and not myself. With this curse, I felt free, more myself than I had ever before, and (dare I say it?) happy. I didn't need to worry anymore. Someone else was in charge and I was fine with that.

Spin around, Weasley, I heard Moody's voice. That sounded like such a brilliant idea. I couldn't figure out why I didn't think of it. I made a complete turn and I heard Moody tell me to continue spinning.

And then I heard my own voice inside my head. Won't I get dizzy? I can't do that. This is silly. I think I'd rather stay still. But I spun around anyhow.

Spin again, Weasley.

You listened to Riddle,

I said spin again, Weasley.

No. I won't be controlled again. No no no no

SPIN AGAIN, WEASLEY!

Isn't that what Riddle would do? Didn't he command you? I thought. He made you hurt your friends.

When Moody finally let me out of the curse, it took everything inside of me to keep myself from weeping. It felt too much like the diary. I wanted to curl up and not speak with anyone. Moody dismissed the class and told me to wait.

"Are you okay, Miss Weasley?" he asked.

"Fine," I muttered, gathering up my belongings.

"Mind, it's not shameful to not be able to break the curse," he said.

"You thought I could do it," I replied.

"I still do," Moody said. "Give it time. You were almost there today."

I grunted, annoyed with myself that I had failed where I was hoping I would succeed. Harry had been the only one in the school so far to be able to break free of the curse on the first try. I suppose it was foolish of me to think I could have accomplished the same thing.

On October 30th, both foreign schools arrived at Hogwarts. When the Durmstrang lot stepped out into our view, I heard Ron exclaim, "Harry! It's Krum!"

I was standing with Delia a few rows behind the Trio. Delia was ignorant when it came to most of the Wizarding World's famous people, but even she recognized the international Quidditch player. "I don't have a quill," she hissed.

I rolled my eyes. I glanced over at Hermione. She was trying her best not to look excited. "For heaven's sake, Ron. He's only a Quidditch player!" she said. I smirked because I knew she was covering up her own admiration.

As we followed the school into our Great Hall, I heard several Sixth Years trying to locate their lipstick. Delia heard them. "Do you think he would sign if I had lipstick?" she frantically searched through her pockets. I rolled my eyes. Did she not realize that Krum would be here all year?

Dumbledore explained that the Goblet of Fire would be the impartial judge that would pick each school's champion and that there would be an age restriction, much to many students' dismay, my brothers included. When the feast was over, the tournament officially began.

The following evening, on Halloween night, the Goblet of Fire chose the champions. No one was surprised that Viktor Krum was the champion for Durmstrang. The boys were pleasantly pleased that Fleur Delacour was the Beauxbatons champion. The Hogwarts student body held their breath when it came our turn.

It chose Cedric Diggory. Despite that he lived so close to me and took the Portkey to the World Cup with us, I didn't really know him. I've heard of him, how he was always nice to teachers and respectful to his peers, so I respected him. If we couldn't have a Gryffindor champion, he was an excellent choice. I joined the applause of those around us.

"Harry Potter," I heard Dumbledore say, shaking me out of my thoughts. I looked around and realized what was happening. Dumbledore held a piece of parchment in his hand and a look of bewilderment of his face.

Harry had been chosen as a second Hogwarts champion. The buzz of the room slowly ascended. Harry… was… the second… Hogwarts champion… How was that possible? I knew immediately that something didn't add up. Slowly, as if he in a funeral march, Harry walked past all of us and through the doors that the other three champions proceeded through. The professors, headmasters, Bagman, and Crouch all exchanged looks of confusion and doubt. One by one, they stood from their chairs and followed the last champion.

I jumped out of my seat and replaced Harry's body next to Ron. "What is going on?" I asked, for if anyone knew, it would be them.

"I don't know," Hermione admitted.

Ron had bent the spoon that he was holding. His face said it all. He was angry. "He didn't bother to tell me," Ron growled.

"Didn't you see his face?" I questioned. "He had no idea!" I looked at Hermione for help.

"She's right," Hermione agreed. "He was clueless."

"Like bloody hell he was," Ron muttered. He smacked his plate across the table and walked off towards the Common Room. Hermione yelped as pudding hit her in the face.

This was the first time Ron and Harry found themselves in a row. Hermione and I both took it upon ourselves to talk some sense into the friends. I offered my services for Ron and Hermione took Harry.

I found Ron outside one evening actually doing homework underneath a tree. The cool fall air blew my hair to and fro as I sat down beside my dear brother. I sat patiently for a few minutes, but when he did not acknowledge my presence, I closed his book.

"Ginny!" he growled at me. "I need to finish this."

"No, you need to stop being such a git!" I said.

"Shove off," he muttered and leaned against the tree. "I'm not the one who lied to his best mate." He pointed a finger at himself. "I'm the honest one."

"Do you really think Harry put his name in that Goblet?"

"Of course, he did! He's always showing off."

"Showing off?" I hissed. Was my brother really that daft?

"He doesn't care about the rules," Ron said loudly. "He was the one who HAD to save the Philosopher's Stone. He's the one who HAD to find the Chamber of Secrets. He's the one who HAD to look for Sirius Black."

"Have you forgotten why he was looking for the Chamber, Ron?" I questioned venomously.

Ron shook his head and went on. "What about the other stuff then?"

I explained the best I could. Harry had done all those things to save other people, me included, and not for the fame and attention it would bring him. Putting his name into the Goblet of Fire against Dumbledore's rule would be a selfish act and would only be for personal gain; an action that was completely out of character for him. He saved the Stone to stop Voldemort, not to live forever. He risked a lot to save Sirius.

He looked at me in surprise. "How do you know about Sirius?"

"It doesn't matter," I said quickly. "What matters is that you are wrong on this one-"

Ron cut me off. "Of course, you would take his side. You've fancied him since you first saw him."

"Ronald Bilius Weasley!" I screamed and jumped to my feet, once again feeling much like my mother. "How dare you accuse me…?" I couldn't even finish the sentence. I shot him the nastiest look I had ever given anyone and stormed off towards the castle. Steaming and red in the face, I couldn't believe that Ron would claim that I was taking Harry's side just because I fancied him. The idiot! The prat! The git! I am sure I spoke a few other choice words on my journey back to the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Ron is hopeless," I said to Hermione two mornings before the First Task. I stuck my fork into my eggs and lifted the food to my lips. I blew the heat off with my breath and took the first bite.

"Harry isn't any better," Hermione admitted, taking a bite of toast. "He and I both know that Ron doesn't really believe it. Ron is just jealous."

I could see that. Harry had to be the most talked about wizard in the world and Ron happened to be his best friend. "I hate to see them so angry at each other. I take great comfort in knowing you three will always be together. It's one of the few things I can depend on," I said, sipping my juice.

Hermione blushed. "That means a lot to me."

Deciding the topic of Ron fighting Harry was too depressing, I changed the subject to something far more light. "How is the homework assignment coming along?"

Hermione frowned in thought and finally recalled what we had discussed before the school year began. "Oh yes that," she said, distracting herself with the remainder of her eggs. "It's just, well, I think Harry needs support right now more than Ron does, and I haven't done much research. I, er, I still don't know how to feel about it."

"Couldn't happen to have anything to do with…" I grinned and pointed to an old Daily Prophet laying a few feet away. "…your love for Harry Potter?"

Hermione grabbed the paper and flung it across the room. Pages flew in every direction. "I'm sorry, Ginny. Rita is a foul woman. You don't really believe…"

"Of course not," I said. "You would never do that to me." We sat in silence for a few moments as we continued to shove our breakfast into our mouths. I figured I would raise another interesting topic. "Do you think Krum will do well in the First Task?"

Hermione snorted. "He better, for all the research he's doing. He's always in the library. It's rather annoying, especially when his fan club shows up."

Before I could respond, Harry interrupted our breakfast. "Hermione, I need your help," he said, not bothering to sit down.

"Fancy some breakfast, Harry?" I offered.

He turned, finally noticing me. "Oh hi, Ginny. No, thanks. Not feeling the best."

Hermione quickly wolfed down the remainder of her meal, said goodbye to me, and left me sitting alone. I was hoping this was about reconciling with Ron. Finishing my breakfast, I strolled off to find Ron and see if he was in pleasant mood yet and if he wasn't, I would have someone to practice my Bat-Bogey Hex on.

The First Task was a terrifying ordeal but Harry was phenomenal. He summoned his broom with the spell Hermione taught him. He raced the Horntail around the stadium until he claimed his egg. Gryffindor was ecstatic. Harry may have come out of the task relatively unscathed with the prize, but the real prize was that Ron finally admitted that he was wrong and the two boys made up.

When the announcement of the Yule Ball was finally made, it changed the atmosphere of the school dramatically. I found myself waiting extra long at meals with the Trio, hoping and wishing that Harry would finally notice me. Much to my dismay, he would nervously glance over at Cho. I found myself walking the same hallways after classes that I knew Harry would be taking, begging him silently to ask me to the Ball. Much to my horror, a myriad of girls cornered him at every turn. Harry looked adorable declining each one.

Utterly annoyed, I slumped down on Hermione's bed. I was frustrated. Other boys had begun to notice me. In fact, I declined two offers from boys in Harry's year just so I would still be available if Harry decided to ask. Why could I capture the attention of every one else but not the boy I so desired?

"No luck yet?" Hermione questioned me. I glanced at her and she looked just as frustrated as I felt. She had undoubtedly been doing the same thing, patiently waiting for her Prince Charming to sweep her off her feet. Unfortunately, her Prince Charming was the most clueless redheaded wizard in the school, perhaps the world.

"No." I sighed. "You?"

"No."

Parvati and Lavender came through the door. Lavender turned pink, and smiled wider than I had ever seen her smiling. They saw me and squealed. "Ginny!" Parvati said. "You have to let us do your hair for the Ball!"

"I'm not going," I admitted.

"I thought Michael Corner had asked you," Lavender accused.

Funny thing is, he did. I had never met the boy before until he had spoken to me at lunch. He apparently had been admiring me for most of the school year so far and wanted to take me to the dance. I blushed fiercely and told him I had to decline. Then I ran away.

"I said no," I replied.

"Why?" Parvati asked. "He's a handsome bloke." She looked at me curiously, studied my face, and made a gesture of understanding. "You're waiting for Harry, aren't you?"

"No," I lied. I needed to stop wearing my heart on my sleeve like this. It was getting ridiculous that everyone was so aware of my feelings. Desperate to change the subject, I asked the girls who their dates were.

"Seamus just asked me," Lavender squealed, turning a darker shade of pink than before. Parvati surprised me when she admitted no one had asked her yet. She was a beautiful girl. I bet most boys were intimidated by her and thought she would already have a date.

"Did Ron ask you yet?" Parvati asked Hermione.

Hermione became flustered. "What?" she asked. "No… I mean… why… Ron? Why would he ask me? We're just friends."

'Don't worry. There's still time," Lavender replied. "Or you could always ask him."

"I am not asking him to the Ball!" Hermione shrieked. She stood up. "If you will excuse me, I need to do some research." She grabbed her bag and stormed off from the room, leaving me sitting in her bed.

"I don't know who she is trying to fool," Parvati said. "She's been so flustered around him since the announcement of the Ball."

I shrugged. I felt just as angry as Hermione did. I needed to blow off some steam. It was time for some alone time. I said goodbye to the girls and went to the Quidditch pitch. I took out my wand and practiced a few spells, attempting the Bat-Bogey Hex on a few unsuspecting birds. It was somewhat successful.

"We meet again, Ginny," said a voice from behind me. I turned to the sound and saw Zacharias Smith and two of his Hufflepuff team members standing there, each holding their own broom. I sighed in relief, knowing that Zacharias was in my year, and he couldn't ask me to the Ball.

"Hello, Zacharias," I muttered. "I was just leaving."

"You lucked out, Weasley," Zacharias smirked. "Dumbledore canceling the Quidditch season. Mighty fortunate for you."

I purposefully lifted my wand to eye level, pretending that I was inspecting it. "What's your point, Zacharias?"

"Fancy a race?" he suggested. "If I win, you go to the Ball with Summerby here…" He pointed to his friend. I recognized him as the Seeker. "But you dance with me at the Ball."

Summerby shook his head. "Ginny, you don't have to do this."

I ignored Summerby's remark. I knew, of course, that I was able to fly much faster than Smith and I was eager to prove the idiot wrong. "What if I win?" I asked him curiously.

"Your choice."

I thought for a long second. What would be the worst thing for a boy like him? Quitting the Quidditch team? No. Not embarrassing enough. Leaving me alone forever? Then who would I practice my hexing on? I had it… I liked the girl and had no problem with her, but all the boys detested her. "You have to let Eloise Midgen to take you to the Ball… and you have to be a gentleman."

Smith gritted his teeth. He forcibly took Summerby's broom and threw it to me. "You're on," he hissed as I caught the broom. "Twice around the perimeter of the pitch."

I agreed. We both stood side by side next to one of the Quidditch scoring hoops. Summerby stood in front us and raised his wand into the air. When the red sparks flew up, Smith and I took off around the pitch.

Surprisingly, he was a fast flyer. Watching him on the field during games was misleading. In the game, he was stopping and starting. When it came to straight flying, he was quick but not quick enough that I couldn't keep up with him. I was in line with him as we passed through the first lap.

I pulled ahead. I laughed victoriously as I felt him trying to gain unsuccessfully. I heard him swear as we neared the finish line. Closer, closer… and then I felt the broom fly uncontrollably away from the perimeter. That cheater! He must have hexed my broom as I neared the end. I heard him laugh as the runaway broom flew out of the stadium.

I crashed into a tree. I swore as I spit out a leaf that was in my mouth. Grumbling, I sat there contemplating the many ways I was going to hex him into oblivion.

I heard a voice below me say, "Explain yourself! Andrei says you are in that library every day where that Mudblood studies. We agreed before we left our school that we would not associate with their kind."

I peered through the leaves and saw Igor Karkaroff. He was obviously extremely angry. I tried silently to see who he was talking to.

"No, I haff never agreed to that!" The voice was strong and deep. "I vill not share your prejudice!"

"Viktor, be reasonable!" Karkaroff shouted. So it was Krum he was talking to… and then everything clicked into place. Krum was in the library because he had an interest in Hermione. I put my hand over my mouth in surprise.

"I am being reasonable!" Krum shouted back. "I vill ask her to the Yule Ball. You vill not stop me!"

Karkaroff made a noise of disgust. "You have brought shame to everything Durmstrang stands for!"

"No. You haff done that yourself!" Krum's heavy steps pounded on the grass as he departed. Karkaroff's lighter steps soon followed.

When I climbed from the tree minutes later, I took off towards the library. I contemplated telling Hermione what I had heard, but decided against it. If it were me and Harry was going to ask me, I wouldn't want the surprise ruined. Instead I was going to convince her to stop waiting for Ron.

Madam Pince screamed at me for running in the library. I slowed down to a jog and found Hermione several moments later. She had been crying. To cover it up, she skimmed the pages of a book about the suppression of goblins. I took my seat across from her.

She glanced up. "Hi, Ginny," she muttered and tried to take the attention off her tear-soaked cheeks. "I don't care what Harry says, I know he's having trouble with the next task…"

I honestly wasn't concerned about those things at this time. "I've been thinking," I started. "You should…"

She interrupted me, almost as if she hadn't even hear me speak. "I'm not going to wait for Ron to ask me," she said quietly.

I stared at her. Well, at least it wasn't going to be hard to convince her. "I agree with you," I replied. "You're tearing yourself up over him. He's not worth so many tears…" and I stopped talking and thought of Harry. Was he worth the trouble? Was he worth waiting for?

"I know," Hermione whispered. I took her hand and smiled compassionately. "Do you really want to go to the Ball, Ginny?" I nodded. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but I think you should stop waiting for Harry to ask you."

I nodded solemnly, understanding. He wasn't interested. He wasn't going to ask me. He was going ask Cho. My insides twisted again at the thought of her. For a fleeting moment, I considered trying to hook Cho up with someone else, but that would be evil, and I couldn't do that to Harry.

"We're such silly little girls," Hermione said, followed by a fake laugh. "Crying over stupid boys." She closed the book she was reading and pushed it away. "I'm tired of reading." She placed her head on the desk and sighed. It was a clear sign of frustration if that girl did not want to read anymore.

I took the book from her. "Do you want me to put it away?" I asked her and she mumbled something that resembled I don't care. I stood and journeyed behind one of the bookcases to return the publication. Finding the appropriate place, I pushed a leaning book to the side and looked through the gap in the shelf.

Viktor Krum stood before Hermione at the table. She had not even noticed that he was standing there yet. If she had heard someone approach, she might have thought it was me.

"Excuse me," Krum said as soft as he could, in case Hermione was sleeping.

Hermione's head popped up. If I could see the expression of her face, I'm sure it would have made me laugh. "Oh," she said, a bit too chipper. "Hi."

"I haff vanted to talk to you for some time," Krum said, looking a bit sheepish. "You do not look at me like the other girls do."

"Oh well… I…"

"I haff come here ven you are here but I haff been too shy to approach you."

An international Quidditch star was too shy to approach a girl? Oh, if Ron could only hear this. I wondered what he would think.

"Too shy?" Hermione whispered.

He extended his hand to her. "My name is Viktor Krum," he said, and I rolled my eyes. Who didn't know who he was? He took Hermione's hand and kissed the top of it. "Vat is your name?"

"Hermione Granger." Her voice was trembling slightly.

Krum nodded, trying to comprehend the difficult name. He frowned.

You're going to have a ripe good time with that one, aren't you? I thought.

Krum's frown turned into a smile. "Hermy-own," he said. "The papers say you are Harry Potter's girlfriend."

I think I could feel the heat from Hermione's blushing. "The papers are lying."

Krum's smile widened. That was certainly what he had wanted to hear. "Vill you honor me and take my arm at the Yule Ball?"

"What…? You mean go with you?" Hermione gasped a little bit. "Viktor, I would love to go the Ball with you."

Krum bowed slightly. He turned from the table and left the library. I watched Hermione put her hands to her face and squealed in excitement.

"You can come out now," she called, glancing over her shoulder.

I strolled out like I owned the place and took my seat across from her. I pretended I had not witnessed the scene. "I had a hard time finding where that book was supposed to go," I said nonchalantly.

"Sure you did," she said. Her smile was so bright. "Now we need to find you a date."

Later that day, I stepped out of Potions class with Delia. She was talking about not being able to go the Ball because no one had asked her yet. She said she was going to go the Common Room and wait for the next unsuspecting upperclassman and make him take her. I caught a glimpse of Neville sitting by himself on a bench. He looked so sad. I told Delia to go on without me.

I sat beside the depressed boy. "Why so sad, Neville?"

He glanced up, looking surprised. I doubt he even realized I had sat down until I had greeted him. He forced a smile and said, "Nothing, Ginny."

"I am the master at pretending that nothing is wrong. You can't fool me."

Neville looked slightly embarrassed. I suppose it wasn't his fault. Gryffindors are not known for hiding their emotions easily, and that's both a blessing and a curse. "I asked Hermione to the Ball and she said no."

He had asked Hermione? That was news to me. I never thought of Neville actually liking girls. I suppose it made sense. Hermione had always been very nice to Neville, helped him with lessons, and paid much more attention to him than most girls did.

"Do you think Hermione was lying to me when she said she already had a date?"

"Trust me, Neville. She has a date."

Neville nodded. He didn't really think Hermione would be so superficial. He leaned forward and put his face in his hands. "Ginny," he started.

I knew exactly what he was about to ask before he had said it. Neville was comfortable around me. I knew he didn't fancy me and he knew that I didn't fancy him. And before he even asked, I knew I would accept his offer. He was a sweet young man, maybe not the smartest, handsomest, or most organized bloke, but he wasn't concerned with looks like my brother and Harry. Okay, maybe Harry wasn't concerned with looks and his crush on Cho was about more than her beauty. If Harry wasn't going to ask me to the Yule Ball, I might as well go with Neville and have fun.

"Will you, er, I mean, will you go to the, the, uh, the Ball…"

"Of course I will, Neville." I replied.

"I'm not sure which one is more pathetic." It was Harper exiting the potions classroom. "Whether Longbottom was that desperate to ask a Mudblood and a weasel in the same day," he sneered, "or that the Weasel actually wants to go with him."

Neville didn't say anything when I stood up. "Harper, if you don't shut up, I will hex you like I did at the World Cup."

Harper automatically grabbed the shoulder where the spell had hit him months ago. "I still owe you for that one, Weasley. You better watch your back."

I stepped closer to him. "Why not just do something about it now? I have nowhere else to be." Our noses were touching, and I was secretly begging him to try something. I was itching to try out the Bat-Bogey Hex.

"Making threats, Weasley?" This time it was Snape. He stood behind Harper and demonstrated his trademark sneer. "Ten points from Gryffindor," he said. "And why are you lingering in the dungeon when class has been over for ten minutes now?"

"Longbottom was begging her to go to the dance with him." Harper grinned.

"How… touching," Snape said. He looked at me with disgust. "If his dating technique is anything like his potion making skills, Weasley, it is going to leave something to be desired."

I attempted to restrain my temper and tongue. I couldn't talk back to Snape or it would mean more points taken away. I'd like to hex him but that would mean a considerable amount more punishment. I glanced at Harper. He smirked at me. I shot daggers into him with my eyes.

"Run along, Weasley," Snape commanded. "Or I will take an extra five points away from Gryffindor for loitering in the halls."

I gave Snape the same look, turned around to walk with Neville, but he was gone.

Days later, I slammed open the Fat Lady's picture and exited the Common Room. Standing outside it, I shook with anger and I shook with sadness. You will not cry, Ginny but I couldn't stop at least two tears that managed to escape. I had just found out that Harry had asked Cho to the Ball.

I never thought that Harry would find the courage. After all the nervous looks he had given her since last year, I thought he was too chicken to do it. I had told myself that whomever Harry asked, I was not going to be angry. I swore up and down that I was going to be happy for him.

I kicked the banister of the stairwell and grunted in frustration. I felt the progress dealing with my crush reverting. I started making petty arguments in my head.

He only likes her because she's pretty. Well, aren't I pretty, too? The boys who asked me to the Ball are proof. Someone thinks I'm worth the trouble. Maybe it's because she's a good Quidditch player. I'm good; I just haven't had my chance to prove myself. I know, it's because she's older. Well, there's nothing I can do there. She wins that round.

She already had a date though. That thought alone should have consoled me but it failed to do so. Harry had still asked her… her, not me. I shouldn't have been so angry. Harry wasn't mine to be angry over. He was free to fall in love with whomever he wished.

Then Ron, my stupid brother, had to offer me up as if he owned me to Harry. Harry would have done the nice thing and agreed to take me. That's just the kind of guy he is. I know that if I could just show Harry how fun he could have with me, I could take his mind away from Cho forever. But I had a date. I couldn't have waited a few more days. I just had to have a date.

Shame on you! I scolded myself. Neville was a sweet caring individual and I should be happy to have him as a date. He just wasn't… he just wasn't… Don't you say it, Ginny… Don't you dare say it…

The portrait door swung open and Hermione stepped out. She greeted me with a half-hearted smile. "They finally asked us," she said softly.

"Technically," I said, "Harry didn't ask me. Ron did it for him." I pulled her closer to me and put my arm around her shoulders. "Is he ever going to notice me, Hermione?"

Hermione smiled and shrugged. "He's too caught up with Cho right now," she admitted. She was quiet for a few seconds. "But that's because he doesn't know who you are."

"He knows who I am."

"You're too afraid to be yourself in front of him," Hermione stated. "You are exactly what that boy needs in his life, but all he sees is the shy, blushing, little sister of his best mate. If you relaxed and were yourself, he'd see, but you have to stop waiting for him to notice accidentally and start making him notice purposefully."

She wasn't being mean. She was being truthful. And I knew in the way she said it that she wasn't just referring to Harry and me. She was right. For the first time, I actually considered giving up on Harry, but I declined. "I'm not ready to do that yet."

"Neither am I," she whispered. "Let's get dinner"

Mum sent me simple red robes that showed much of my back. I would have preferred to wow spectators with a better view, if you know what I mean, but I was satisfied. I let Parvati and Lavender finally do my hair and I had to admit that it looked amazing.

Hermione looked gorgeous. She used about ten gallons of hair straightener, but it was well worth it. Her robes were periwinkle blue. It was too bad that she hadn't dressed up to impress Krum. It was all for Ron. It was all to show Ron what he was missing out on.

With no offense to Neville, he is a horrid dancer. My feet killed me by the end of the night. I glanced over at Harry and he was having only a little less trouble than Neville. At least he could stay off his date's feet. Harry looked over at me just as Neville once again found my toes. I winced but said nothing. When I threw my gaze back over to Harry, he looked terrified and I couldn't help to think he was adorable.

I scanned the room and found Ron had not even come out on the dance floor yet. He must have finally saw Hermione with Krum. Serves him right, I thought. He had every opportunity to ask her. While brooding over Ron's stupidity, Harry also found his seat next to my brother. Another dissatisfied customer. At least Hermione was having a good time.

"Neville, do you mind if I ask your lovely date to dance?"

I turned my head and stifled a gasp. Michael Corner stood beside us. He wore blue and bronze colored robes, the same color of Ravenclaw, his house. His dark hair was slicked back in the most precise way. His emerald eyes looked at me with adoration. I daresay, at that moment, I forgot about Harry Potter. Michael Corner was all that I was looking at.

"Er…" Neville said, looking at me, making sure I was okay with it. Realizing that I was, he said, "No, I don't mind."

Michael took my hand and led me away. Gliding across the dance floor, I was lost in his handsomeness, his green eyes, his strong jaw line, the way his robes outlined his muscles ever so slightly. I couldn't bear to say anything, thinking that it couldn't be real.

"You told me you weren't coming to the dance," Michael said, his mouth so close to my ear that I felt his breath on my lobes.

"I changed my mind," I replied softly. I felt safe in his arms. I never desired so much to be in one particular place before. Harry and I had never shared a moment like this.

"If Longbottom was your boyfriend, you could have just told me," Michael said. "I would have understood."

"Neville and I are just friends," I answered.

"That's what I wanted to hear," he stated.

My heart skipped a beat. He was so confident in himself. My arms clenched in an incalculable amount. I could barely detect it, but the Ravenclaw holding me must have. He drew me in closer to himself.

"I was sure when you rejected me that you were taken," Michael admitted. "I must say that I am surprised to find a girl of your beauty lacking a proper suitor."

And charming! This was the first boy that had ever complimented me like that. He had said that I had beauty! Before I could stop myself, I was saying, "I'm not sure why you're so concerned." I continued, putting every ounce of flirtatious expertise into my words, "Unless, of course, you're looking to fill the position."

"It crossed my mind."

The music had stopped and I did not seem to care or notice. Before I could respond, Cedric Diggory and Cho Chang had walked up, hand in hand. Michael and I parted, but his hand lingered ever so lightly on my own.

"I wanted to thank you, Michael, for introducing me such a wonderful girl," Cedric said, and shook Michael's hand. For the first time, I looked at Cho and did not want to hex her brains out. They looked so happy together.

"My pleasure," Michael said.

"I don't believe I have officially met your date," Cedric said, and I didn't bother to correct him. "We took the Portkey to the Quidditch World Cup together, didn't we? You're a Weasley."

"I thought I looked more like a Malfoy, but shows what I know," I said and they laughed. I made a Triwizard Champion laugh. I made an incredible Seeker laugh. I made Michael laugh. I could definitely get used to making Michael laugh. "Ginny," I introduced myself.

"Pleased to meet you," Cedric smiled.

As he smiled, I noticed a fading scar beneath his lip that he had sustained during the First Task against the dragons. Immediately, I recalled how Harry had helped Cedric with that task and what Hermione had said in the library about Harry having trouble with the next one. I mentally kicked myself for being so concerned about Harry when I was standing next to two of the handsomest blokes in Hogwarts.

"I would have said this earlier if we had talked before this," I started, "but good job on the First Task, and I mean that."

"He was very brave," Cho added.

He thanked me, and I asked, "How is the Second Task coming along?" Hopefully, no one would change the subject.

"I had a tough time with it at first," Cedric admitted. "I actually just figured it out this morning. I can relax for awhile now."

I tried to make my next statement as casual as possible. "I heard our Gryffindor champion is having a bit of trouble with it." I had hoped he would catch my hint. You owe him one.

Cedric nodded and didn't say anything. I hoped that was a good thing. He said his farewell and led Cho off to the punch table. I watched them leave, begging Cedric silently that he would seek Harry out tonight, and felt a twinge of annoyance that Harry was having a horrible time because he was not here with Cho.

"Uh oh," Michael said. I thought he had read my mind and found that I was thinking about Harry again. Instead, he pointed towards the tables. "Looks like your brother and Hermione are having a good time."

"What?" I asked, half expecting Ron and Hermione to be dancing together and enjoying each other's company. Instead, Hermione looked furious as she towered over Ron, who looked just as angry. I snuck through the crowd for a better spot to listen. Apparently, their argument had been going on for longer than we had noticed. I only caught the end of it.

"Why don't you go find Vicky, he'll be wondering where you are," Ron said.

"Don't call him Vicky!" Hermione hissed. She turned where she stood and rampaged towards all of us on the dance floor. I stole a glance at Michael and he motioned for me to follow her.

When I caught up with her, she looked furious. As she paced, muttering incoherently, I approached her. When she saw me, she stopped and looked at me. "Your brother infuriates me!" Hermione growled. "I don't understand why he cares so much that I'm here with Viktor. Can't he wrap his head around the idea that someone might be interested in me because I'm actually interesting?"

"It only proves he's starting to notice you, Hermione," I assured her.

She laughed pathetically. "If it's because he's jealous, then he should have asked me!" She let out an exasperated grunt.

"Why don't you stop worrying about Ron and have fun dancing with Krum." I suggested.

She nodded, the look of rage still on her face. "I'll take a page out of your book, Ginny," she said. "I saw you dancing with Michael Corner."

I merely nodded. "He's very charming and handsome, and he wants..." Less than a quarter of an hour before this, I would have been ecstatic to tell Hermione that Michael wanted to be my boyfriend, when I was lost in the dance that he and I shared, transfixed by the words he was saying to me, but the immediate need to help Harry had released me from my hypnotic trance.

"Did he ask you out?" Hermione squealed.

"Not really," I replied, "but I certainly think he wants the job."

"What are you going to do?"

I frowned. I honestly had no idea and I told her so. She scolded me, reminding me what we had talked about before. "Well, what are you going to do if Krum asks you out again?" I questioned.

Her eyes shifted towards the direction she had come from, staring down with fury in her eyes, supposedly towards Ron. She didn't answer me. Krum had come up beside her with two drinks. "Viktor, let's keep dancing." She grabbed the drinks and handed them to me. Without another word, she gripped his hand and pulled him towards the center of the dance floor.

"Ron's Little Sister!" shouted a familiar voice and two hands came over my eyes from behind my head. "Guess who!"

"Gee," I said. "Who else calls me by such an affectionate title?" I turned around and saw Dean Thomas in front of me. I handed him the extra butterbeer and asked, "Who are you here with?"

"Right now?" Dean pondered. He put his had over his brow and scanned the room. "I think all the dames in here are with me right now."

"In your dreams," I mocked him.

He playfully put an arm around my shoulder and I took pleasure in knowing he would never touch me had Ron been watching. "Little Sis," he said, "when are you going to stop playing with my heart and go out with me?"

I shoved his arm away. "When are you going to stop thinking of me as your friend's little sister and treat me like the lady I am?"

"Is tonight too soon?" he asked, but pulled a pocket watch from his robes. "I'm sorry. It's past your bedtime. Maybe tomorrow?"

Ever since Ron had introduced me to his dorm mate, he had been calling me by the aforementioned nickname. We developed an interesting bond right away. He was always teasing me about my age and mock-hitting on me and I was always shooting him down. It was a fun relationship, but if you told me that I'd be dating him by this time in two years, I would have asked you if I'd be taking a love potion.

Excusing myself from Dean's company, I danced with Neville a few more times, much to the horror of my toes. We talked about Hermione, Krum, Ron, and Harry. We spoke of the Tournament and the coming tasks. I loved talking to Neville. He made me comfortable with who I was.

When I searched for Michael in the crowd, I could not find him. I had hoped for one more dance with the boy. I had hoped for one more moment like the one we shared before. Strange how much I wanted to say goodnight to him. Strange how much I wanted to kiss him.

After the Yule Ball, Michael seemed to disappear completely. I caught glimpses of him at meals and in the hallways, but there was no indication that we had shared more than just a friendly dance. I began to think he danced with me to settle a bet or was put up to by Harper and Vaisey to make me a fool.

Hermione and I spoke frequently about all our little problems. She and Ron had made up and were pretending the arguments had never transpired. Ron continued to harbor ill feelings towards Krum. Harry still searched for Cho in large crowds. Hermione was back on her SPEW kick.

She told me to find Michael and settle things, but I refused to play the desperate little girl with a crush again. If Michael was interested, he would find me. Besides, I told Hermione, I still didn't know if I was ready to give up on Harry, although with every glance he gave Cho, the more and more I hoped for Michael to seek me out.

The Second Task looked far easier than the First Task. Braving through Merpeople and grindylows seemed mild compared to fighting dragons. As I had hoped, Cedric passed the information on to Harry, though it took the boy until five minutes before the task begun to figure everything out. It turned out that Harry misinterpreted the clue and thought the ones that weren't saved were going to die. I couldn't help but admire his desire to be everyone's hero.

On an evening not too long after the Second Task, I awoke dreadfully scared from a nap. I awoke so suddenly that I knocked the book I was reading off my bed. I hadn't tried to fall asleep, but I did, and I was back in the Chamber of Secrets for a few long hours.

If I knew Delia and the other girls, they would be back at any moment. I needed some alone time. I needed fresh air. Glancing out the window, I saw flurries of snow descending quietly towards the earth. I grabbed a scarf and other warm winter apparel and took my transgressions outside.

I practiced my Bat-Bogey Hex on some snow pixies. I was pretty sure that I had mastered the spell without flaw but I was still itching to try it on Harper, Malfoy, or Smith. I watched the pixies fly away, annoyed as little bogey bats trailed behind them.

It had stopped snowing. A fresh blanket of white covered the ground. I stood at the edge of the lake, thinking about the previous task. If they had waited a couple more days, the water would have been covered with a sheet of ice. The lake looked peaceful, especially since the gray clouds were rolling away and revealing the evening sky behind them.

I hadn't heard him approach me. The snow must have masked his footsteps. He placed a hand on my shoulder and I didn't need to see his face to recognize his gentle touch. I had been thinking about it since we danced. "I've been looking for you tonight," Michael said softly.

I had questions for him to answer such as where he disappeared to at the Yule Ball and why it took him two months to approach me again, but when I saw his handsome face against the backdrop of the sky, I no longer cared.

"Have you?"

Michael smiled. It was such a wondrous smile. I shivered with excitement and he mistook it for me being cold. He took off his coat and slipped it around my shoulders. I didn't have the heart to tell him I was feeling uncharacteristically warm. I wrapped his coat around me tightly, his scent wafting from the fabric and caressing my senses.

Without saying anything else, Michael came closer to me and I never wanted a kiss more than then, and not just a kiss from Harry that was never going to happen, but a kiss from someone who so desperately wanted it also. He lingered for a moment, stared deep into my eyes, teasing me, keeping from me what I wanted.

And his lips were on mine and that's all it took to be hooked on Michael Corner. Beneath the stars, he kissed me. While a beautiful blanket of snow was our platform, he kissed me. While the lake stood still and frozen, he kissed me. And while he kissed me, I kissed him back.

Much to my dismay, he parted from me. I wanted more. I had not realized how much I loved kissing. I had liked it when Colin kissed me, but I hadn't wanted it. This was different. I craved this. I hungered for this. I needed this.

His green eyes met my brown, and he whispered, "So who's Tom?"

And my dream world came to a screeching halt. My voice changed from the dream-like sound I had been using to much similar to my Mum. "What do you mean Tom?"

Michael didn't smile. It was obvious to him that he had touched a nerve. "I'm sorry, Ginny. Delia said that you say his name in your sleep. Tom Riddle."

As I said before, very few people knew what happened in the Chamber of Secrets. Delia was one of those people who had no clue and I couldn't tell her. She wouldn't understand, not really.

I had no idea what emotion to feel. I had no idea how to react. He didn't know, of course, who Tom Riddle was and what it meant to me. How could I pass up such a handsome bloke just because he made a simple mistake? Despite my reasoning, I could not dismiss the fact that whatever urges fuelled by hormones or affection I had were now melting like the snow eventually would.

Michael was holding my hand, but he dropped it. "I'm sorry. I thought…"

Pressing a finger against his lips, I stopped him from talking. I conjured up the best truthful statement I could. "Tom Riddle," I said, shuddering. "is someone from my past who hurt me deeply. I still have nightmares about him."

He must have regretted dropping my hand because I saw his hand twitch to grab hold again. He decided against it. "What did he do?"

"I don't want to talk about it!" I shouted, much louder than I had intended. He cringed. I took off his coat and handed it back to him. "I like you, Michael, but I think this was a mistake."

I left him standing there beside the lake, the cool wind blowing through the trees, the powdered snow wrapping itself around him as he stood there. I didn't bother to look back, because to look back would mean regret, and I didn't want him to know how much I regretted walking away. I had broken my first heart.

Hermione tried to convince me to give him another chance and I knew she was right. But I also realized that Tom Riddle was going to haunt me for the rest of my life and no handsome boy was going to be able to help that or understand that, except for the one boy who had been able to rescue me from his clutches in the first place, and he was too busy looking at Cho and trying to save the Wizarding world.

When the champions made their way into the maze for the Third Task, no one could have anticipated what would happen. I sat with Ron, Hermione, and my family. We chatted about how exciting the Tournament had been so far and how we hoped that one of our school champions would come out victorious.

When we saw Harry and Cedric appear with the championship cup, Hogwarts cheered loudly. Ron and I jumped to our feet, fist raised in the air, and hugged each other. We had beaten the foreign schools. Somehow through the noise, I heard Harry's desperate voice and my blood ran cold.

"He's back. He's back. Voldemort."

Chaos ensued. "He's DEAD!" I heard people scream. "Cedric Diggory's DEAD!"

I saw Cho shrieking as she raced towards the fallen champions.

Moody grabbed a disorientated Harry and led him away towards the castle. I watched the two disappear into the school doors and I immediately knew something wasn't right. The Moody that had taught us all year had repeatedly reminded us about constant vigilance and being prepared to see the worst. He had placed the Imperius Curse on us just because he said we needed to know. The imposter, as we later discovered, made his second mistake by taking Harry away from scene.

Dumbledore had seen it, too. After trying to calm the masses and Mr. Diggory, he took off with Snape and McGonagall towards Moody's office. Hermione pulled me closer and wept into my shoulder. I don't remember starting to cry, but the tears were there nevertheless.

Hours later, I couldn't handle all the weeping students and adults. I needed alone time and excused myself from my family's company. No one tried to stop me. If Voldemort was back, it would take him time to get into the school. He wasn't going to attack yet, not tonight. I journeyed through the castle corridors and eventually found that I was standing outside of Moody's office.

Word traveled fast in the school, especially though my family. Moody was an imposter. Barty Crouch, Jr. to be exact. Death Eater extraordinaire. But you already knew that. I stood outside his door and noticed that it was still open.

I touched the door slightly, looking in. How could we have missed it? How could I have missed it? My mind focused on the Sneakoscope that Moody had taken from me months before. That little gizmo hadn't missed it. It had whistled and spun and lit up as soon as Barty stepped foot in the castle, I was sure of it. I swore to myself. And Barty knew, that's why he took it.

I pushed the door open. I wondered if he had kept it. I wanted it back, of course, because I knew it would be trustworthy. If I could find it, I would never let go of it again. I stepped carefully into the room.

"Master has been bad!" I heard crying in the back portion of the room. It sounded much like Winky, the same house-elf that had been at the World Cup.

Making as little noise as possible, I found the object a few minutes later in a drawer. It had been smashed. I sighed, and I was about to close the drawer when something caught my eye. The word "Marauders." I threw the papers that were on top of it and pulled the parchment out of the drawer. Sure enough, it was the map that was supposed to be in Harry's possession. How Barty ever came across it was a mystery to me but I understood why a Death Eater would want the map.

The parchment was still in its map form. I looked at it and found Harry's name in the hospital wing. Mum, Bill, Ron, Hermione, and Sirius, most likely in his Animagus form, were placed beside him. Mum was pacing. A few hallways away, Fudge, McGonagall, and Snape were rushing seemingly in their direction. Further away and coming the same way was Dumbledore.

Not even thinking twice, I rushed in the same way, keeping a lookout on the map. By the time I reached the hospital wing, Dumbledore had been inside for some time. I didn't dare go in, but I did not need to. They were arguing rather loudly.

"Voldemort has returned," Dumbledore said, and I could tell it was a point that had been repeated. "If you accept that fact straightaway, Fudge, and take the necessary measures, we may still be able to save the situation…"

But Fudge was not listening to reason. Fudge would hear nothing Dumbledore had to say. He was, as Dumbledore said it, "blinded by the love of the office he held." I eventually heard him say, "We have reached a parting of the ways," and, "If you are against him then we remain, Cornelius, on the same side."

Eventually, Fudge stormed out of the room and slammed the door, looking angry and scared. He noticed me but thought nothing of it. After all, my Mum was in the room with Harry. He muttered, "Preposterous!" and was gone.

Later, when everyone had left Harry's side, I snuck into the hospital wing and sat beside the sleeping boy. I took his hand in mine and fought tears. "Things are changing, Harry," I whispered, knowing he couldn't hear me.

I spoke softly and told him how I'd changed and how I knew that he didn't need me when he had Ron and Hermione. I told him how I'd made an important decision. I told him how much he meant to me, but how I couldn't keep hurting myself like this. I told him that I needed someone to hold me and how I though I'd found someone who wanted the job. I told him… I told him…

"I'm over you," I cried, knowing full well that I wasn't. Seeing him there in a dreamless sleep and knowing he would wake up remembering the horrible events that taken place made me weep even more. I thought about what Hermione said: You are exactly what he needs in his life. But I knew he didn't realize that yet and I didn't know if he would ever realize it, but I couldn't wait for him. I needed to move on.

I placed the map on my lap, pointed the wand at it, and cried, "Mischief Managed." I folded the parchment up and placed it in the pocket of his robes. I stood up, stole one more glance at his peaceful face, and whispered, "I love you, Harry Potter."

The train ride home was relatively peaceful. I rode with Delia and my other roommates. She was asking me about my summer plans but I said very little. She said she didn't know if she was coming back next year since every year she had attended had been dangerous. I didn't respond.

Michael walked by and before I knew it, I jumped from my seat, opened the door, and called his name. He stopped in the corridor and turned to me. His face, his handsome face, told the tale. He was sad, and maybe he had just learned to cope with the rejection, and now I was coming back into his life.

"Hello, Ginny," he said glumly.

I didn't say anything. I walked up to him and embraced him. Putting my arms around his waist, I pulled him close and he hugged me back. He held me tight and I felt safe.

"I like you, Michael," I said to him softly. "If you're still interested in the job, I've begun looking for proper suitors."

He smiled. "What makes you think I'm not over you?"

"This." Standing on my tiptoes, I raised myself to his lips and kissed him gently.

When I pulled back, he took me by the hand and led me to his compartment. I glanced back at Delia and she gave me the thumbs up. We passed by Harry's cart and I caught Hermione's eye. They widened as I held up our entwined hands.

Sitting in his cart with Terry Boot and Anthony Goldstein, I explained to him that I didn't know what this summer was going to be like for me. If I could visit, I would. If I could write, I would. But if not, I would still like to be his girlfriend, that is, if he'd still have me. He agreed.

When the train pulled up to King's Cross, I watched Ron and Hermione walk out from their compartment, followed by Fred and George. They had stopped abruptly and turned back around to face whoever was left in the room. I told Michael I'd catch up with him.

Standing just out of sight, I heard George's voice, "There's got to be a thousand Galleons in here."

"Yeah," Harry's voice said. "Think how many Canary Creams that is. Just don't tell your mum where you got it…"

My mouth popped open. Harry was giving away his Triwizard Championship winnings to Fred and George. It made sense to me that Harry wouldn't want it, but to give it Fred and George for their joke shop? Mum was going to be furious.

Harry exited without noticing me and I jumped over Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle and stepped inside the compartment, just as they were hiding the money inside their bags. "Hello, boys," I greeted. "What are you hiding?"

"What makes you think…?"

I stopped Fred in mid-sentence. "Do you remember who you're talking to?" I asked mischievously. "Do you really think I didn't overhear what just happened?"

Fred and George looked at each other in surprise and then back to me. "I've always said you were a clever little witch," George said.

"Don't forget it," I said.

"Draco?" I heard a familiar voice scream. Turning around, I saw Harper standing there dumbfounded at the three Slytherins lying on the floor with hex marks all over their body. "What the...?" and he looked at us. "Weasleys! I should have known! What have you done?" he shouted.

"A bit of redecorating," Fred laughed.

"Though I don't think I like the new carpeting," I smirked.

"I told you to watch your back, little Weasley!" he hissed.

Harper pulled out his wand. I had never been happier to see it. I may not have been as quick with a wand as I was with a broom, but I beat Harper to the draw. "Chiroptera!" I shouted and black and purple lights hit Harper right in the nose.

The effect was instantaneous. Several bats escaped from his nose and began wildly attacking his face. Screaming and slapping at the bats, he fell into the compartment across from us and the door slammed shut.

My first victim on the Bat-Bogey Hex. Beautiful results, if I do say so myself. I turned my head to catch Fred and George's impressed grins.

"When is he going to learn?" Fred said, putting his hand on my shoulder.

George put his hand on my other shoulder. "Size isn't everything," he finished.