CHAPTER SEVEN: HIS DREAM
"Oh Harry! You're awake! Exclaimed Mrs. Weasley looking like she was going to bust with relief and happiness. Mrs. Weasley abandoned her daughters bedside long enough to give Harry a kiss on the cheek. "We were all so worried about you, you were so brave to try and save Ginny."
When she said Ginny's name his eyes flew open, "Ginny! Is she okay?!" he exclaimed.
"I'm fine Harry, how about you?" Ginny piped up from her bed before her mother could answer for her. Mrs. Weasley moved away from Harry so he could see her for himself.
Harry smiled a bit when he saw that she was okay. "I'm in a lot of pain honestly," he said, her face fell when he said that.
"I'm so sorry about last night," she said.
"Don't be, it wasn't your fault you were attacked, I'm just glad that you're okay." Harry said, then dizziness overcame Harry once again and he laid back and went back to sleep.
"Mrs. Weasley? What happened? Harry was awake and acting fine and now he's out cold again." asked Persephone.
Mrs. Weasley fussed over Harry's blanket for a moment before answering. "He's been through a lot in a short amount of time; his body needs time and sleep to regenerate itself."
She looked back at Ginny and she saw that Ginny's eyes had filled. "Don't you do that Ginevra Molly Weasley! Don't you go feeling sorry for yourself, or blaming yourself, he doesn't blame you," she said her hand sweeping back at Harry.
Ginny bit back her tears and all of the sudden she felt very sleepy, her mother saw this and quietly as Ginny's eyes closed she told the others to leave. They left promising to try to check back later tonight.
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"Sit
him down in this chair Minerva," Dumbledore said, she sat him
down in the chair and he then proceeded to ask her to go to Madame
Pomphrey and ask her for some pepper up potion. Minerva went and did
as she was bid and Dumbledore pulled up a chair and sat it front of
Neville, and he waited.
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When Professor McGonagall came back with the pepper up potion she put a few drops on Neville's tongue and immediately he perked up.
"Hello Neville," said Dumbledore softly.
"Lo" said Neville.
"Can you tell Professor McGonagall and myself why you happened to be knocked out in one of the Greenhouses?" Asked Dumbledore gently.
Neville's eyes took on immediate fear when he asked that question. "NO! They told me if I did something would happen to my friends!"
Dumbledore leaned forward, "Neville, something bad has already happened to two of your friends."
"Who?"
"Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley."
Neville's eyes went huge as saucers when he heard that and fear was very apparent in them. "Are they okay?" he asked his voice barely above a whisper.
"Ginny is but as far as Harry, he has yet to regain consciousness." said Dumbledore after confirming it with Professor McGonagall. She nodded her head in confirmation so Dumbledore continued. "Will you tell us now Neville what has happened? He prodded quietly.
Neville swallowed hard and slowly nodded his head.
"Take your time Neville." said Dumbledore knowing full well that Neville was very scared.
He didn't say anything for a few moments, and he appeared to be thinking about where to start. Finally he took a deep breath and started.
"I was in the Greenhouse where Professor Sprout usually works when she mixes herbs up for potions, usually for Madame Pomphrey or Professor Snape. She lets me work beside her sometimes because she knows I'm studying to be a healer and I need to know my potions, sometimes she even entrusts me to mix together some of the more simple herbs and such for potions without her being there." He stopped and smiled, he was proud of himself and he should be so says Professor Sprout many a time.
"Madame Pomphrey asked Professor Sprout to mix some herbs for her for her Light Sleep Draught potion last week and Professor Sprout said she would do it for her, but she became very busy so she asked me if I would like to mix the herbs myself, I eagerly agreed, but I told her, then later Madame Pomphrey that it would take awhile before it was done because I had to fit it in around school and homework, they both said it was fine and I told them I would have it done by this Tuesday, tomorrow now." He paused again and Dumbledore saw that this is where it was going to get difficult.
Neville slowly drew in another breath and pushed it out through pursed lips. "On Sunday after lunch I went to the Greenhouse to complete the mix. I had been working on gathering the herbs throughout the week and now was the day for me to finish. I saw nothing out of the ordinary for awhile until Harry, Ron and Hermione were heading down to Hagrid's hut. Nothing new there, but the reason it caught my attention was because Ginny was not with them, I found that odd because Ginny had been with them all last week except for when classes were going on." he stopped for another minute then continued.
"I wanted to step out and say hi to them but just as I was about to call out something else caught my eye. I saw someone walking alone near the Forbidden Forest, he was too far for me to see who he was but I knew it was a he. He got about halfway around the perimeter of the Forest and then some hands shot out and grabbed him and yanked him into the Forest, I started to go and see if I could find anyone to help after all like I said Harry and his friends were just at Hagrid's, but wasn't able to make more then a few steps before a pair of hands grabbed me too, and yanked me back into the greenhouse."
"Before I could scream another pair of hands clamped over my mouth and the first person yanked a bunch of hair's out of my head, it hurt terribly. Then the person who was clamping their hands around my mouth told me that if I told anyone especially Dumbledore something would happen to my friends. Then they knocked me down against a table and I remember nothing until Professor's Sprout and McGonagall were hovering over me waking me up, and taking me here." Neville finished.
"Neville, I need you to think very hard and carefully, did you recognize anyone? Do you remember anything about the person in the forest or the people attacking you? Did you recognize a voice? Asked Dumbledore urgently.
Professor McGonagall shot Dumbledore a look that clearly said "are you forgetting that you are asking possibly the most forgetful boy or wizard ever?" She never said these words aloud though.
Neville screwed up apparently trying to think very hard about anything else. "The person who took that boy into the woods had one regular hand and one silver hand, I remember that. The person who spoke to me had a very smooth, silky voice. And the one I'm not sure which one but he had a strand of almost white hair peeking out of his hood."
Dumbledore and McGonagall gave each other very meaningful looks over Neville's head, and then Dumbledore said, "Thank you Neville, you have been most helpful."
"I have?" he asked shocked.
Dumbledore smiled and said, "Yes, you have, now off with you but be careful."
"Yes sir," and Neville bounced out of his chair nearly skipping with excitement, he had been helpful! He remembered important things!
That night at dinner Ron and Hermione were surprised that Professor McGonagall walked up to them and handed them a note. It read...
Ron
and Hermione,
We found out that Neville was being impersonated.
The Neville that is sitting with you at the table is the real
one.
We've already told your mum Ron so don't worry about telling
Harry and Ginny.
DD
They looked a ways down toward where Neville was sitting with Dean, Seamus, Parvati and Lavender. He was talking, laughing and eating with them.
Hermione let out a sigh of relief, "I knew it couldn't've been Neville, he would never turn on us, Ginny or Harry."
Hermione and Ron felt that a huge burden was lifted off their shoulders. Ron and Hermione went to the Hospital Wing after dinner to see about Harry and Ginny. They found Ginny awake and arguing with Mrs. Weasley about something.
She was so happy to see them, "Hermione, big brother can you please tell mum and Madame Pomphrey that I'm well enough to go back to classes tomorrow, PLEASE? She pleaded with them.
They looked form Ginny's pleading face to Mrs. Weasley determined one. "Sorry Ginny, I wouldn't want to risk mum's wrath." said Ron.
Ginny glared at him and then turned pleading eyes on Hermione, "Hermione?"
Hermione splayed her hands out helplessly, "I'm going to have to agree with Ron, sorry Ginny," she said apologetically.
Ginny, "humphed" and crossed her arms angrily across her chest. She looked so much like Mrs. Weasley always does when they're in trouble that Mrs. Weasley, Hermione and Ron laughed. "What?" asked Ginny angrily, that caused them to laugh harder. They heard Ginny murmur "mental" under her breath as they continued laughing.
After they had a good laugh Hermione and Ron looked over at Harry's bed. Ginny read their minds, "He hasn't woken up since the last time when you were here," she sad sadly.
Hermione and Ron stayed as long as they could and then when curfew was approaching they said goodnight to Mrs. Weasley and Ginny and headed back hand and hand to the common room.
Mrs. Weasley stayed with Ginny a little longer then she looked at her watch and saw it was 11 at night, she looked at Ginny and asked. "Will you be okay in here tonight by yourself? I really should go home tonight and be with your father."
"I'll be fine mum, I'm well and now that whoever attacked me is gone Hogwarts is still the safest place for me." Said Ginny, she was actually kind of excited to be alone, she wouldn't dare tell her mother though, she loved her mum very much, but she wanted to be on her own.
Mrs. Weasley looked doubtful a minute so Ginny took her hands and looked lovingly at her mother, "Mum, honest, I'll be fine, Madame Pomphrey is right there in the adjoining room and I'm sure Professor Dumbledore has his own way to look in on us."
"We-ell if you're sure," said Mrs. Weasley hesitantly. Ginny smiled and kissed her mother. "Alright, I'll use the Fireplace in Madame Pomphrey's room. That way I can tell her I'm leaving. She hugged and kissed Ginny and whispered, "I love you, my Ginny."
Ginny's eyes stung and she whispered back, "I love you to mum, and thank you for everything." She watched her mother get up and walk to the room.
Ginny and her mother always had a special bond, perhaps it was because she was the only girl of seven kids, or because she was the baby, or both. She lay back on her pillows after her mother disappeared.
She sighed, finally she was alone she was thinking to herself. Well she corrected herself, not completely alone, and she turned her head towards Harry, and watched him sleep. "I hope he gets better soon, I'm so worried about him, everyone is."
She looked at Harry's face for a little bit longer, and then she lowered her pillows, turned on her side and fell asleep, dreaming about Harry, and how one day she hoped they would be together.
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Not so far away now, Voldemort and his Death Eaters were starting to assemble to prepare for their first conquest over Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore, and Hogwarts.
"Severus" said a harsh, high-pitched voice.
A dark cloaked and hooded figure stepped forward. "Yes, my Lord?" he asked, his normal silky, smooth voice was cool and reserved.
"What can you tell me of the status of Potter and Dumbledore?" Voldemort asked.
"Dumbledore has found Neville Longbottom, Harry Potter is still in the Hospital Wing unconscious, and his precious Weasley is awake and well." said Snape's cool, reserved voice.
"Not
for long though!" and Voldemort let out a harsh, humorless
laugh, and Snape joined him.
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Back in
Dumbledore's office, an alarm sounded to alert him. He took out his
golden bowl and viewed its contents grimly.
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Ginny didn't know what awoke her, or for how long she was sleeping, but when she was startled awake, it was black as pitch, so she knew it was either very late or very early. She tried to find the source of the sound that had awoken her but couldn't see anything. She heard it again; it was a kind of crying or moaning.
She looked over at Harry's bed and saw that he was starting to thrash around. His moans escalated a little louder and words were starting to form.
She opened her mouth to say something when Harry cried out "Mum! Dad! Don't go!" Ginny was confused he had never said those words he was only one year when they died.
"Harry! Harry, wake up, you're having a nightmare" said Ginny urgently. When he wouldn't wake up she quietly got out of bed hoping that Madame Pomphrey didn't hear Harry, or herself. She went to his bed and started to speak again. But before she could say anything he cried out again.
"Mum! Dad! Don't leave me again to fight him alone! Come back, please come back!" he cried out, a few tears leaking from his eyes.
Ginny shook Harry awake, "HARRY! WAKE UP! You're having a bad dream! Wake up!" she said louder this time more urgently. Harry's green eyes shot open and he grabbed Ginny around the neck and pulled her into a hug and he just sobbed.
Ginny tried to "shush" him and since he was holding her down she awkwardly tried to pat his back all the while cooing to him. She managed to pull him up into a sitting position, and she gently rubbed his back with one hand and lightly caressed his face with her other hand. Softly, gently, and quietly she held him and said over and over again, "SHHH, Harry, it was just a bad dream, I'm here now, it was only a bad dream." Finally Harry's sobs quieted down but his whole body still trembling. Ginny just continued to hold him and say those words over and over again.
Harry cried for a few minutes longer on Ginny's shoulders, and then he realized what he was doing and pulled back, ferociously wiping the tears off his face. He couldn't have been more horrified with himself then he was right now. He cried in front of someone, and that someone in particular Ginny, the one he never wanted to be seen crying in front of. The last time he had cried like that in front of Ginny was when he and Parvati had broken up. He was embarrassed then to and he promised himself to never let him see her cry like that again.
Ginny was startled that Harry pulled away so suddenly, and he had looked away. "Why doesn't he want me to see him cry? I have before." she thought sadly to herself. When she had seen him cry before she had been happy, not because he and Parvati were finally over with but because she had seen a different side of him which she felt privileged to see since she knew not even Ron and Hermione had seen him cry. That had been Harry's softer side, instead of his all together side which he fronted on a daily basis. She had also seen his brave side, the one she was sure he used every time he fought Voldemort. She tried to figure out how she could tell him that it was okay to cry in front of her, but she couldn't find the right words.
When she didn't say anything Harry got angry, not at her though but at himself, "Strike one for Harry" he thought and "Score one for Landon" He wasn't angry at Ginny but he took it out on her by saying through clenched teeth, "Look I'm sorry I cried on you okay? I'll never do it again."
Ginny felt like she had been slapped in the face and hit in the stomach at his cold words. Tears stung her eyes and the wind was knocked out of her for second. She took a look at his face and saw he was embarrassed and angry, but his eyes told her that he was not angry at her, but he was angry at himself.
She took Harry's hands in hers and he tried to pull away, she wouldn't let him, quietly she said, "Harry, Harry look at me," when he didn't look at here she did exactly the same thing that Hermione had done to her not long ago. She took one of her hands away from his and firmly placed it on his chin she then turned his head towards her. He tried to wrench his chin out of her hands but just as she wouldn't let his hands go, she didn't let his chin go either.
She fixed her soft, chocolate eyes on his angry green ones and said, "Why are you so angry?"
He continued to look at her but said nothing.
"Harry, I'm glad you cried, you don't have to be embarrassed about it in front of me, I feel honored being the one you showed your feelings to." She told him and Harry could tell she meant it. She still hadn't let go of his chin, "Now, do you want to tell me what you dreamed about? Maybe telling me will help you." She finished.
Harry felt his reserve melt, Ginny wasn't going to laugh at him he could see it in her eyes, she would understand him. Harry took her hand that was still grasping his chin and gently placed it with her other hand on his lap and held them tight. Slowly he took a breath and began.
"I was dreaming about my mum and dad," he stopped to make sure she was going to laugh or think he was crazy. All he saw was quiet understanding in her soft, dark eyes. He almost drowned in them, but he shook himself and continued. "I was in a dark place and the only light that I had came from a dull white glow further down in this place. Slowly the white light came closer to me and two figures emerged, bathed in pale pink light, one had long hair, and the other had messy hair, I knew they were my parents. They came into my view with smiles on their faces." Harry stopped forbidding his eyes to leak out his sadness.
"I ran to them and gave them both a hug, they hugged me back smiling, and then their expressions sobered, and I knew that whatever they were here for it was not good news." Ginny noticed that Harry's face had gone blank and his eyes vacant, she knew he was re-living the dream right in front of her and not just telling it. "My Dad said 'Harry, we know you are angry and hurt that we weren't there for you while you grew up, we had to leave you that night in order for you to grow up the way you have, and we're so proud of the man you have become. We didn't want to leave you, that's why we appointed a Secret Keeper, so you wouldn't have to grow up without us, but as you know, we were betrayed.'"
"My dad stopped talking and my mum brushed a tear out of her eye. Then my dad continued. 'We had to leave you physically that night, but we never left you where it counted the most, we never left your heart. We were able to come back now only because we need to warn you'"
Harry's voice cracked at the end of this statement, his eyes threatened to fill again but he bravely fought them back and continued. "I said 'warn me?' Then my mum spoke her voice sounded like soft music to me, almost like a phoenix song"
"Yes Harry, warn you. The Dark Lords vengeance is very real he will be coming for you before the end of October. He will strike out and take whom you care the most for, and turn her over to her worst enemy to do what he pleases with her. Her enemy and the Dark Lord know you will do anything to save her. Take caution my love, we must leave now."
"I saw tears glistening in my mum's eyes, my dad took her hand and slowly they started walking back into the white light, the pink surrounding them slowly faded to white. I was calling for my mum and dad to come back when you awoke me." Harry looked up at Ginny and saw her eyes were filled with tears. "Ginny? Why are you crying?" he asked wiping a stray tear that betrayed her off of her face.
Ginny took her hands out of his and wiped more tears from her face. "It's just so sad Harry, your dream, and it's sad that you never knew them." She cried burying her face in her hands. She couldn't, wouldn't dare tell Harry what else made her cry.
"There's more, isn't there Ginny?" asked Harry, clearly seeing distress in her beautiful eyes.
Ginny wiped a few more tears away and bravely shook her head. "No Harry, there isn't more." she said.
Harry took her hands back and held them fast to his heart. He said the same thing to Ginny that she had said to him. "Ginny, look at me," she took a deep breath and let it out before she looked at him. With his green eyes, fixed on her soft, tear-filled brown ones he said, "Ginny, what my mum said, the one I care for the most..." he trailed off, then "is you."
Stunned silence filled the already quiet infirmary after Harry's revelation, when Ginny didn't say anything he got nervous and tripped over his next words. "I...uh...I...know that you...er...like Landon now...but...I n-needed t-to tell...you...so you." The rest of Harry's words were cut off when Ginny leaned down and kissed his lips softly but firmly. "Would be ready." Harry finished his words after she pulled away. He smiled the first real smile he has truly had since coming to Hogwarts, three weeks ago.
"Do you have any idea how long I've waited to do that?" asked Ginny. She didn't get a chance to tell him because Harry pulled her tenderly to him and he kissed her softly.
When he pulled away from her he could see a soft flush of happiness creeping up her already beautiful face, the flush just enhanced it. "I don't know how long you've been waiting, anymore than I know I actually...er...cared for you." He almost let it slip out that he loved her, but he didn't want to scare her away.
He sobered instantly, "Ginny, what about Landon? I thought that for sure after he well, you two shared that kiss that you were his." he said carefully.
"Ginny's flush paled, she realized that he had actually taken Landon seriously. "Harry, there was NEVER anything between us, he wanted it, and I didn't" she said.
Relief flooded all through his body and showed through on his face and he smiled. "But what about your heart belonging to someone?" he asked fearfully, his smile vanishing.
Ginny took her hand and propped it under his chin and said. "Harry, the person that my heart belongs to is..." this time it was her turn to falter, then "is you, Harry James Potter, it has always belonged to you, you just never wanted it before...or maybe, maybe still you don't want it." Her eyes filled again.
"Don't you dare start crying I couldn't take it!" said Harry and Ginny's tears were replaced by fear. He softened his voce, "Ginny, I want your heart so badly that sometimes it hurts, if you're willing to give it to me, I'll protect it and love it with all my heart and power, I could never let you get hurt."
Ginny had to bite back her tears as she smiled brilliantly. "I will be pleased to give you my heart." she said very softly. Harry smiled hugely and they sealed their love with a kiss.
