A/N: And here I am again. My gosh, Draco-and-Ginerva-4-ever, how fast do you want me to be updating? Two chapters a day or something! ;o) But I'm glad you're liking it and that you keep me aware that I have to keep writing it. This chapter is more Harry than Ginny, just so you guys know. But don't worry, Ginny and Draco will be back.

Chapter 14

"Do you suppose that Ginny will be all right back there?" Ron and Harry were making their way back to the Gryffindor dormitories.

"Ron, I'm positive that she'll be fine," Harry looked at his friend, "Why are you so worried about her this term anyway?"

"Dunno," Ron shrugged, "She's my little sister, so I'm a bit protective of her."

"A bit? I think that might be an understatement..." Harry laughed.

"Oh all right. A lot. I just...I dunno. Something's not right."

"Ron, she's fifteen. You've got to give her her space," Harry wasn't sure what was getting to Ron so much. He'd always kept a careful eye on his younger sister, but this was getting ridiculous.

"Ok ok," Ron perked up again, "Did you know that Bill and Fleur are still together? She's always at the house."

"Is she?" Harry grinned in spite of himself, at the thought of Fleur Delacour.

"Yeah. Driving Mum absolutely mad. She can't stand her. Thinks Fleur's going to usurp her or something. Mum doesn't like her around us," but by the look on Ron's face, Harry thought it looked as though Ron didn't particularly mind have the part veela girl around.

"She wasn't there when I was there."

"No. She had to be at Gringotts with Bill. She talks about you a lot though, mate. ''Arry ees such a wonderful person, 'E saved my sister,' and on like that," Ron did a fair imitation of the young woman's french accent and both boys laughed, "According to her, Gabriella fancies you."

Harry raised an eyebrow, "Her sister?" Harry remembered the small girl he'd brought up with him from the bottom of the lake.

"Yeah, it's really rather funny especially when--" here Ron stopped talking.

"What?" Harry looked about him, hand tightening on his wand. They'd made it this far without being caught, and if they got caught now, Harry knew that they'd really be in trouble, "it's not Peeves again, is it?"

Ron shook his head, "No. Definitely not Peeves."

"I don't see anything; what're you looking at?"

"Right down there," Ron pointed, his voice coming out in a squeak, "There's something white moving around."

And just as he said that, Harry saw what Ron was talking about. There was a white, shapeless blob bobbing down at the end of the corridor. Rather like the cobwebby thing Harry had woken up to over the summer.

"Shh. If we're quiet it won't notice us. I don't think it'll be able to see through the--"

"Harry," a breeze with his name on it circled the two boys crouching under the cloak.

The two boys looked at eachother, Ron's eyes were widened in fright and Harry's jaw was set in determination.

The blob glided toward them, and then, when it reached them it began to change. It began to have a shape, a head, arms, and a torso, but even when the transformation was complete the figure was surrounded in a haze of bluish-white light.

"Ealia," Harry felt anger rush through him and memories come back. She had threatened to put an end to Hermione's search for what she was. Unless he was very much mistaken, Ealia was at the root of whatever had happened that night in the girls' dormitory.

"Darling Harry," her voice was low and seductive, "Why don't you take off that cloak and come out and play," her lips curled up in a smile.

"Harry..." Ron squeaked.

"It's all right Ron," and with that Harry yanked off the cloak, holding his wand out and ponting it at the spirit before him.

"There you go," Ealia's voice flowed over him, caressing him, "No need to be angry," she had accurately picked-up on his emotion.

"Of course there's a need to be angry! You're following me around all over the place, you cursed Hermione, probably possessed Lucy, and--" another thought struck Harry, "What were you doing with Draco Malfoy?"

Ealia's laugh was like the tinkling of bells, but it made the hair on the back of Harry's neck stand-up, "That certainly doesn't concern you," she glided closer to him, reaching out a hand and running it through the boy's dark hair.

Fighting the feeling to give in to her, Harry jumped back, "Oh but it does concern me, and Ron too."

Ron, who was standing behind Harry and clearly trying to look as insignificant as possible, gulped and nodded.

Ealia glanced at him, her eyes become icy, "We don't need your little friend, Harry, just you and me."

"I'm not going anywhere," Ron snapped, "He's my friend. I'm not just going to abandon him."

"I think you will go away...NOW," Ealia waved her hand and Ron suddenly gave another squeak of fear.

"Harry...Harry...spiders..." Ron was backing away, watching something that Harry couldn't see.

"Ron, there's nothing there, nothing. She's just trying to frighten you."

"No, Harry, they're there," Suddenly Ron fled down the hallway, leaving Harry alone, miffed and his mind racing. How had Ealia known about Ron's fear? How much did she know?

"There. Much better. Now we're all alone, Potter. All alone," Ealia came toward him again and Harry hurriedly backed away.

"I think you ought to stop coming near me," Harry said.

"But why?' she gave her laugh again, "I have a task to fulfill, dear boy. The sooner it's done the sooner I get my reward," Ealia's blue eyes flashed with sudden desire, "And I want my reward."

"What's your task then?" Harry had taken a better grip on his wand, prepared to use it if it became necessary.

"Oh I can't tell you that. But I can tell you that the fact that you wander about in the deserted halls in the middle of the night makes it so much easier. SO much easier," that sly smile returned to her face and in spite of himself, Harry felt a jump in his stomach. This creature was dangerous. Harry knew it. And then, while Harry was still mulling that over Ealia's hand slithered down his chest. He jumped back--into the wall.

A sudden fear gripped Harry's chest as Ealia moved even closer. She was evil. Harry knew it just as he knew that she couldn't be allowed to get any closer to him than she already was or--he'd rather not think about it. His fast reflex skills gained in Quidditch gave him an advantage. As the girl's face came towards his, Harry dodged sideways, landing on the floor. Scrambling to his feet, he snatched up the cloak, throwing it over himself and raced down the hall. It was not like him to run, and he knew it, but he wasn't prepared to face that--that--whatever she was. Just as he reached the entrance to the common room. A ghostly, tinkling laugh reached his ears. Without a backwards glance, Harry climbed in through the portrait hole, slamming the portrait behind him.

"HARRY!" Ron appeared around the corner, "What happened? Are you all right?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," Harry rubbed his temples, trying to get the image of Ealia out of his head.

"I would've stayed...but the spiders..." Ron shuddered visibly.

"Yeah. I don't know how she knew that you hate them. And I still don't know what she and Malfoy were doing. He's tangled-up in this somehow. I really think he is."

"And Ginny had better stay away from him," glowered Ron.

Ignoring his friend, Harry plowed on, "I think we're going to have to do something more drastic than simply making that Memorium Potion if we're actually ever going to get anywhere with this," plus, Harry added to himself, he didn't like the way the creature had seemed to mark him down as a target. Perhaps she was connected to Voldemort in some way? It would make sense...kind of.

"Things would be so much better if we had Hermione back," Ron sank down into his favorite chair, "She already had an idea about what that...thing was, remember?"

Harry nodded, Hermione had known. Only this time she hadn't left behind any piece of paper with the answer scribbled on it. Suddenly he sat up straight, or had she? Hermione hadn't been attacked until that night. However, she'd been in the library nearly all day. Surely she would have discovered something.

Ron noticed the change in Harry, "What?"

A smile creeping back over Harry's features, Harry told Ron what he thought, "So if she found the answer, it's probably somewhere in her stuff."

"Which is in the girl's dorm," Ron frowned thoughtfully.

"Right. Which means we somehow have to get at it, but boys can't get up there."

"Ginny! Ginny can get Hermione's stuff and bring it down here and we can all go through it."

"Excellent idea. When she gets back," Harry looked at his watch which read quarter to three, "Or, rather, tomorrow morning, we'll ask her about it. I'm too tired to wait up another two hours for her."

"Yeah. I think I'll turn in too," Ron stifled a yawn, "We've got McGonagall and Snape tomorrow and I don't fancy trying to sit through those classes half asleep."

"Especially when Hermione's not around to copy notes from," Harry added and both boys sobered, each hoping fervently that their friend would be ok.

"OH! Oh no...oh please. Please, someone!" a frantic cry brought both Harry and Ron to their feet, looking wildly about them.

The door to the girls' dormitory flew open and a half-crazed looking Lucy came flying down the stairs at them.

"It came back. Oh Harry, Ron. What do I do? She's always around me. Always. And so cold. Oh she's cold. And she hurts me." tears pooled in Lucy's wide eyes.

"Hang on. What's going on?" Harry took Lucy's cool hand in his own and led her to a chair, "Sit down." Lucy sat and looked at the two boys.

"You're going to think that I'm evil, horrible," Lucy sniffled.

"No. We wouldn't think that," Harry shook his head, and Ron shook his in agreement, though he didn't seem to want to get too close.

"It's the spirit that McGonagall warned us about, The one that's been loose in the halls. She--she looks like me and I guess that's why she won't leave me alone."

"Harry's her target," Ron said slowly, "She probably thinks she'll have an easier time getting to Harry if she can stay in you."

Harry nodded, "That's probably true. If she knows that Ron's scared of spiders she's got to know that you and I are friends."

Lucy wiped her eyes, "I feel so silly, but I'm afraid. I don't know what to do. I love Hogwarts, but I've never had to go through anything like this before."

"Nor have we," said Ron grumpily, as though he felt that Lucy was attacking Hogwarts.

"No, no of course not," she added hurriedly.

"Go to McGonagall. You've got to tell someone about this," Harry said urgently, "You can't keep trying to fight it off on your own, Lucy."

"I know. It's just...I.." Lucy's shoulders sank.

"What?" Harry asked.

"It's...don't worry about it. I'll go to McGonagall tomorrow," the girl stood-up and smiled wanly at the two boys, "Thank you for being here. I think I'll go back up now; I don't think she'll be up there anymore. I hope," Lucy left them and went back into the dorm. As there were no shouts, Harry assumed that everything was all right.

"That was weird. Did you get the feeling that she was hiding something?" Harry looked at Ron.

"Yeah I did. That whole bit where something else was clearly keeping her from wanting to talk to McGonagall but she wouldn't say what it was," Ron was struck by a sudden idea, "Harry, you don't suppose she remembers anything from the night Hermione got attacked, do you?"

"I don't know," Harry turned the idea around in his head, "It's possible. We should try to talk to her tomorrow--along with Ginny--but now I'm really going to turn-in."

"Yeah, me too."

Harry and Ron made their way into the darkened dormitory, listening to the snores of their housemates. Ron fell asleep immediately, but Harry stayed awake for a long time, thinking. It was past four-thirty when sleep finally claimed him. And so it was that when Ginny returned, she had no idea that new revelations had been made about the intricate weave of events.

A/N: So there you have it, Chapter 14, in its entirety. I'm sure that Chapter 15 will be quick to follow--if I can get it up tomorrow. I leave Tuesday to look at colleges and I won't be able to update until I get back--maybe I should leave you with a cliff-hanger to drive you crazy... ;o) And if you've yet to review...do it. I'll love you forever and ever.