Harry Potter and The Crests of Hogwarts
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Everything belongs to the wonderful J K Rowling. But I do own some OCs: Pixie, Shawn Livinsky and Amanda. Original figments of imagination include a title called 'Famous Figures in the World Known to Magic' (stupid title, isn't it?), the name 'Agnes Barnwell' and Gryffindor password 'Phoenix Eyes'.
23/3/2013: I won't deny that each flame aimed in the story truly hurt but I guess each reader is entitled to their own opinion. But I take comfort and delight that the majority of you guys out there enjoy what I write so that's enough for me to go on. Here we go, more correcting done!
Chapter Ten: An Early Assault
Rating: PG-13
"Stay away from her!" Ginny cried out, her face pale with shock.
The sight she witnessed shocked her to the core. Two girls were before her...one of them was Pixie whose body was still twitching from the Cruciatus curse. Pixie's clothes were torn and bloodied. She was lying on her side, small puddles of crimson blood pooling around her arms and legs. Her face bore light scratches and her spectacles laid in a broken heap next to her head. She was breathing heavily and her eyes glazed over.
The other girl, whose hood was covering her face, knelt over Pixie while chuckling with triumph and madness. Her robes and slender hands were stained with blood. Her left hand was carrying a blood stained dagger, the gold metal glinted cruelly in the candlelight.
The other girl turned to face the frightened redhead. Ginny fell backwards onto her bottom, petrified at the sinister glow within the fiery eyes of the other girl. She resumed her business, uncaring of Ginny's presence.
"What are you doing?!" Ginny screamed as she frantically got up and running to ram the other girl off her friend, "Get away!"
But the stranger caught the redhead swiftly, painfully gripped her arm and threw her aside like a rag doll. Ginny watched with horror as the assailant brought the dagger close to Pixie's chest and tore the blouse apart. Then she made a deep cut in the skin, causing Pixie to whimper in pain. The deep red blood trickled from the gash. An odd silvery glint was present in the ripples...
"You are very attractive for a pathetic squib..." she whispered to Pixie as she took out a small crystal vial and held it near the bleeding cut to collect the blood, "No matter...it's your blood that I need..."
"Get away from her, you sick bitch!" Ginny forced her frozen limbs to move and pointed it at the assailant, "Incendio!"
A weak rain of flames erupted from Ginny's wand and pelted the figure, causing her to shriek as she struggled to extinguish the flames eating her robes.
While the other girl was distracted, the redhead ran to Pixie and propped her up. Gaining more strength, Ginny pushed the larger girl upright and leaned her against the stony wall. She whimpered at the sight of blood on Pixie's chest and pressed a section of her robes, hoping to stop the bleeding.
"Come on, wake up!" Ginny cried as she shook the unconscious girl by the shoulders.
"Uh...what?" Pixie moaned softly as she flickered her eyes open, "Ginny?"
"Thank Merlin, you're conscious..." Ginny sighed with relief.
"Confringo!"
Pixie immediately clutched the smaller girl and pulled her down onto the floor. The spell narrowly missed the two girls instead hitting a stony wall in a fiery explosion. Luckily the stony structure was thick and sturdy and only a few chipped stones fell near them. Pixie winced as she felt pain circulating through her body, especially her chest.
"You stupid brat! You'll pay for interfering in my mission!"
Ginny clutched her her friend close, ready to cast another spell.
"Stupe-!"
"Expelliarmus!"
Ginny's wand bounded towards the other girl who picked it up and aimed at them.
"My wand!"
"Too bad, girlie," the hooded girl giggled as she twirled the stolen wand cleverly between her fingers. Steadying it, she pointed it at Ginny, "I believe it doesn't hurt to have two wands to make me twice as powerful."
Her eyes glinted maniacally to match the malicious smile on her face.
"You'll pay the price...with your life!"
"Hey!" Pixie yelled, crawling in front of the redhead, "Leave her out of this! I don't care what you do to me! She's innocent!"
"I'd rather not have any witnesses, my dear..." the girl whispered as she pointed the wand at Ginny, "After all...I relish in watching people suffer before me...but it's even better to witness their life essence drain away from their eyes..."
"Stop it! Please stop it," angry tears trickled down Pixie's cut face, "I won't let you harm her!"
Pixie circled her arms around the young redhead whose eyes widened with horror.
"If you want her and the jewel that badly..." Pixie's gentle eyes suddenly seemed to flash harshly with intense hatred, "You'll have to kill me first!"
"Pixie, no!" Ginny sobbed, frantically trying to break free from Pixie's iron and protective embrace. But the injured girl obstinately wrapped her arms tighter around the younger student.
"Such foolish bravery..." the assailant whispered mockingly as she pointed the wand at Pixie's bloody forehead, "Such a pity to let someone die of such...questionable divinity."
Pixie's eyes twitched but a determined frown pursed her dry lips.
"Avada-"
"Expelliarmus!"
A red blast of light erupted from nowhere and knocked both wands out of the girl's hand.
"Hold it right there!" a voice boomed out.
"Darn it!" the girl screamed in frustration. She quickly retrieved her own wand and glared threateningly at the two girls, "I'll be back to get you, Pixie Dumbledore! And I'll destroy you when we meet again!"
Within seconds, she disappeared, leaving the two girls alone. The girls turned to see a young boy approaching them.
Pixie shakingly sighed with relief and loosened her grip on the stunned redhead. Ginny caught the girl in her arms to prevent her from falling onto the ground.
"I'm so sorry..." Pixie whispered apologetically as tears leaked from her eyes, "I didn't mean to...I..."
But she fainted before she could speak further. Ginny sniffled and held her older friend closer to her.
"You did nothing wrong..." Ginny whispered, tears of relief trailing down her cheeks, "You didn't mean to hurt me..."
"Are you two all right?" a gentle voice was directed at them.
"Y-yeah...we are...I think..." Ginny shook her head, "N-no...I mean...my friend isn't. Please, you have to help her!"
"Here...let me help you up..."
"Thank you for-" the redhead was about to finish her sentence when she took the chance to see their savior. Her eyes widened as she recognized the boy in front of her, "Malfoy?!"
It was the blonde Slytherin in the flesh. He was kneeling next to them, looking at the redhead with concern shining in his once stony grey eyes. He was about to reach out to carry the unconscious girl. But Ginny, wary of the Slytherin, hugged her friend tighter and glared at him.
"Don't you dare touch her!"
"I won't do anything to her..." Draco said slowly, hoping to calm the youngest Weasley, "I only want to help."
"I don't need any help, thank you," Ginny said indignantly as she struggled to stand up and haul Pixie up. But the attempt was unsuccessful as Pixie was taller and heavier than she was. Just when they were about to hit the ground, Draco caught both of them in his arms.
"Here...please, you don't have the strength to carry her," Draco steadied the girls, "Do you think you can trust me?"
The redhead looked at the older boy in front of her. Although she was full of doubt, she couldn't help noticing the compassion shining in his eyes. The warm look on his icy face made him look handsome and he did save their lives...
Ginny looked around, trying to shy away from the Slytherin. The odds were definitely against her. No one except him around. She sighed in defeat and turned back to face Draco.
"All right..." she relented, shifting the older girl to Draco's arms, "But don't do anything to her or I'll fire something at you."
"I won't...let me at least patch her up..."
Ginny watched in fascination as he supported Pixie in his arms and chanted some charms to bandage her and added splints to her legs. Then he steadied himself to carry her bridal-style.
"Are you sure you can handle the task, Malfoy?"
"Don't worry about me. It's Pixie who needs help," Draco reassured the redhead, "Come on, let's get her to the hospital wing."
"How is Pixie, Madame Pomfrey?" Ginny asked the nurse the moment she stepped out of the curtained cubicle. Draco followed the redhead.
"She's lost a lot of blood and some of the cuts will take some time to heal. But she'll be fine in a few weeks. I must commend you, Mr. Malfoy for bandaging her as much as possible before bringing her here."
Ginny looked up at Draco whose ears turned pink at the compliment.
Madam Pomfrey ushered the two students away from the beds, "Now I think it's best that you leave now. And you have to report this incident to Professor Dumbledore as soon as possible."
Ginny thanked the nurse before leaving the hospital wing with Draco. They walked in an awkward silence, not knowing what to say to each other after what happened. Draco made the first move to break the growing tension between them.
"Oh right...this is yours," Draco reached into his robes to take out Ginny's wand.
"Oh...thanks, Malfoy," Ginny accepted her wand and pocketed it in her robes, "How did you know that we were in that corridor?"
"I left the Great Hall to take a stroll to get away from those buffoon-" he stopped to see Ginny's surprised look, "There are times I want to be alone and their presence are smothering at times."
"Is that so? Please continue."
"Anyway, I heard a commotion coming from beyond the Headmaster's office and that's where I found you two," Draco stopped to see Ginny looking at him curiously, "What is it?"
"Why did you help us? I thought you wouldn't have the spine to save us," Ginny asked defiantly.
"I have a heart! And Pixie is a dear friend to me as she is to you!" Draco countered, "But it's decreed that a Malfoy should not and never show what they feel because emotions make us weak. That name has become a heavy burden to bear..."
"But from what you've acted now..." Ginny gently touched Draco's hand, "I...I don't think that you're that bad as the others say you are."
Draco looked down to see Ginny gently gripping his hand. His eyes softened at the kind gesture. Draco glanced at the young girl. He had to admit that the youngest Weasley had grown more mature and prettier from the last time he saw her, no longer looking so naive and young.
Meanwhile Ginny was beside with surprise why she reached out to touch his hand. But she was certain she did it because she finally saw the vulnerability shining beyond the cold exterior of the Slytherin she and the rest of her siblings were supposed to loathe.
"And...I didn't know that there's a different side to you," she shook her head in disbelief that she was starting a casual conversation with the Slytherin that she was supposed to despise, "It's hard to believe...I mean...for a Slytherin."
"People are quick to judge and this is how they see us...see me..." he carefully pried his hand away from her, "But I can't help feeling hurt especially from that Weasel brother of yours."
"Please don't call Ron like that," Ginny begged softly, "He can't help it. He gets really tensed up whenever people insult us. Our family is that poor and he always gets hand me downs."
"Alright...I'll at least try to be civil to him in my next encounter," Draco sighed in resignation before a mischievous twinkle graced his eyes, "I see you've got Longbottom for your boyfriend, eh? Lucky devil..."
"Malfoy?!" she exclaimed, blushing at the comment. Draco smirked, "How did you-"
"I have my sources," the blonde Slytherin simply stated.
"And you have a crush on Harry, don't you?" now it was Draco's turn to blush and stutter. She giggled at the shocked expression on Draco's face, "You two really put up an entertaining show."
"You saw us...back on the train..."
"Yes..."
"But I thought that most people would be against that kind of relationships," Draco said, feeling slightly uneasy.
"True but there are some who accept them. I do too," Ginny then flashed the Slytherin a small friendly smile, "No one should be dictated who to love. It's your choice and no one else's."
Draco looked at Ginny in amazement at the simple words of wisdom. He found himself smiling in return.
"But if you hurt Harry in any way, I will hunt for your hide. We may not be going out anymore but he is still like a brother to me."
"Point taken...hey, Ginny..."
"What is it?"
Ginny looked to see Draco blushing, "Thanks...thanks for understanding..."
"You're welcome...Draco..." she said softly, testing out saying his first name...it didn't sound too bad now she had seen his other side of character...a side she could grow to like in a friend, "We still have to report this to the Headmaster..."
"You're right...but maybe not tonight since it's very late."
"We'll have to do it soon so that the Headmaster knows what's going on."
"Right..."
"Anyway...I'd better head back to the others..."
"Yeah, me too," Draco started to head towards the opposite direction, "See you."
Ginny watched the retreating back for a few moments until he was gone.
"Yeah...maybe," she whispered as she went straight back to the Gryffindor Tower. She smiled to herself, visioning the warm look on the Slytherin's face, "Maybe...now I can see why Harry fancies him..."
To be continued...