Hi All,

Welcome to chapter 17 of Little Red Bird. Thanks for showing it love.

As always, keep the flames low, any constructive criticism is welcome. Drop a comment, it's always refreshing and gives more ideas on how I could improve the fic, or maybe even take the plot forward.

Disclaimer: All HP rights and characters owned by JK Rowling, and fics are created for entertainment only

As always,Don't like, Don't read. - DZ2

About half an hour later she moved into the castle and went towards the first floor bathroom to freshen up. She was in the corridor when she heard someone call her name from behind.

"Ginny! Wait up! I've been looking for you! Wait, I wanna talk to you." Ron trudged up behind her as she halted and turned to face her brother.

It felt weird when she stood, like a light breeze went past her, or someone moved past her, he was alone, so she trusted him and didn't quite reach for her wand.

"What do you want, brother?" Ginny asked impatiently, crossing her arms.

Ron felt a bit flustered and blurted, "I want to see both your ears!"

Ginny couldn't keep a straight face at his tactlessness and burst out laughing.

"Stop laughing, Ginny! I'm serious! Just lift your hair to the sides and let me look. Or-" Ron moved forward threateningly.

The laughter faded and Ginny's face morphed into a sneer at the threat, "Or WHAT! You're gonna hex me, dear Ronald. You have tried it before, and I don't think that wand of yours is any useful." Ginny covertly moved back and her right arm was ready for the wand to snap out.

"Don't make me force you Ginny. I'm being nice just because you're my sister." Ron's face was trembling at her insolence. How dare she take him lightly, he'd show the little snake.

"Oh, please! Ro-" Ginny's reply was cut as she felt a searing pain emanating from her ribs as Ron kicked her hard. The wand snapped into her hands as her back collided with the wall. She felt winded and short of breath, yet she managed to stay upright supporting her body on the wall.

Ron rushed forward to pin her but she was able to get a powerful enough Knockback jinx to stop him. She kicked herself forward and was hit with the Disarming hex by Harry from the opposite end of the corridor. The wand was flipped from her hands and hit the wall nearby and she was knocked a bit further down away from Ron's body. Breathing was becoming difficult for her but she was adamant not to let the duo win. Before Harry could reach Ron, she crawled to the wand that fell nearby to try and hex Potter which would give her time to escape. She was on a knee and grabbed her wand before Potter could cast another spell she hit him with a Knockback.

In a moment of respite, she let her wand limp and struggled to get up holding the walls, tears streaking her eyes as taking every breath hurt her ribs. Ginny attempted to get away, when she felt a hand yank her hair, she turned and tried to kick and pull when her hands pulled off an invisibility cloak and revealed the third member of the Trio trying to take a look at her ears hidden by her hair.

"Arrghhh, let...GO of me, YOU fi… Bitch!" Ginny struggled against the grip and as a last resort let her head smack into the mudblood's face. Both reared back in pain, Hermione more so annoyed, flipped her wand and shot a powerful Stunner (an advanced spell for her year) at Ginny, who was ready with her wand was barely able to get the words 'Bomba-' out, when she was hit with a red light and crashed into the Knight's armor behind her.

There was no fight left in her as she dropped unconscious, her leg twisted at an unnatural angle and a piece of metal poking out from the side of her guts.

"Shit! Harry, come quickly. I… I didn't mean to injure her so badly, Harry." Hermione panicked and went close to Ginny's body crying out for losing her temper.

"Hermione! Get it together, we need to help her. Come on, we can't leave her here. Ron! Get up mate." Harry kneeled in front of them and implored both his friends trying to remove the metal lodged in Ginny's body, just when they heard footsteps approaching the corridor.

"Harry! Mate, someone's coming this way. We'll be expelled if we're caught like this. Quick! Let's leave! Come on 'Mione, we haven't got time." Ron pleaded both of them taking hold of the invisibility cloak.

"But Ron, she needs help. We can't-" Ron hissed in anger, "Come on 'Mione, we'll be caught, quickly, you too mate." Hermione acceded to Ron and the Trio fled the corridors as Snape came through from the other end of it when his eyes found signs of a scuffle in the corridor and saw a leg poking out from the alcove along with pieces of armor lying around.

He rushed to the alcove and found a bloodied and battered body of Ginny Weasley. Her body was losing a lot of blood so he knelt down and carefully removed the broken piece of the armor's spear from her gut. He cleaned up the wound and applied a few healing spells to mend the wound. Satisfied that she was out of danger, he levitated her body and rushed her towards the infirmary.

The doors to the infirmary burst open as Severus Snape levitated his student into the nearest bed, while the resident healer came rushing out at the sound.

"What on Earth are you doing, Severus? This is an infirmary, patients are resting." the Healer complained as she was cut off by an angry Snape, "Poppy! We have no time for this. Check her quickly, she was attacked and left to die in the corridor. I have mended the bleeding but she has lost a lot of blood!"

Chastised, the healer ran diagnostic tests on her entire body and was abhorred at the results. She rushed back to the cabinets and got a few potions. Before administering the potions, she methodically cleaned up each wound and fixed every broken bone. The infirmary's silence was broken by cracking sounds of bones being mended and set. After half an hour of intense work, Madam Pomfrey wiped the sweat off her brow while Severus Snape stood watching in brooding silence. Who dared attacked his student. Was it one of his own snakes, or was it someone else. He wouldn't spare the culprit one way or another.

Meanwhile, Madam Pomfrey administered the blood replenishing potion, a dreamless sleep potion along with a small dosage of Skele-Gro.

"Merlin, what happened Severus!" Madam Pomfrey asked the professor collapsing exhausted in her chair.

"I don't know, Poppy! I found her unconscious and bleeding profusely in the first floor corridor. How badly was she injured?" Severus came forward looking at the peacefully sleeping form of Ginny Weasley.

"How Bad? How bad, you ask Severus?" the veteran healer looked up rubbing her face in exasperation. "She had a busted gut and only you mending it fast enough saved her life. She had two broken ribs, a broken nose, her forehead split open, the back of her head had concussion, her ankle cartilage was shattered and has to be regrown. You tell me, Severus!"

"How many days for her to heal completely?" he responded solemnly.

"4-5 days atleast. I'll keep her on few high power nutrition potions diet to augment her recovery." the healer responded, noting down the potions she might need for the patient.

"Thank you, Poppy, for all the help. I'll leave her be in your care. I have to inform the Headmaster and write a letter to her parents. Please let me know if you need any potions from my stores. Good Night." Severus bid her a good night and left as she nodded in understanding.

Few days later

Ginny groggily tried to open her eyes, but shut it immediately with bright sunlight hitting her eyes. "Damn the mornings!" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"Good morning Gin! Finally you're awake." she heard a familiar voice address her.

"Tori? Is that you? Shut the curtains, will you?" Ginny looked at the blurred figure coming into focus slowly as her friend closed the curtains. "Better?"

"Yeah, how'd I get here though? The last I remember I was…" Ginny fell silent remembering why she was in the Hospital wing. The Bloody Golden Trio, they attacked her, three-on-one. The mudblood! The bloody bitch attacked her before she could fight back.

"Ginny! Ginny? Are you listening, Gin?" Astoria prodded her friend out of her musings.

"Sorry, Astoria. I can't tell you, not here, not now. Who brought me here? What happened? What day is it?" Ginny's mind was running a mile a minute when Astoria decided to stop her, "Okay, okay, Gin! Hold on! You're going too fast. Calm down, I'll tell you everything"

Ginny stopped her ramblings and waited expectantly for answers as her friend released a deep sigh before she began, "So, whatever happened on Sunday, I didn't see you for dinner and waited for you in the common room before going to our room around 9PM. We were summoned to the common room sometime after 10PM, I guess and I've never seen Professor Snape in such a furious mood. He announced that you had been brutally attacked and he asked if anyone from our House was responsible. The next couple of days, he questioned everyone personally, but that didn't yield anything. It seemed someone outside our House attacked you. I've been coming everyday before and after our classes, and Madam Pomfrey told me you'd gain consciousness soon. I am assuming Professor Snape found you and took you to the Hospital as his robes had splashes of blood when I saw him that night. Your parents came a couple of days back and your mother blamed Professor Snape and our House, as you might expect, she demanded your resorting. Oh yeah! That was funny. Headmaster came in and then I was asked to leave, so I don't know what happened later. Today is Saturday, November the 7th, which means it's our Quidditch match against Gryffindor, probably completed as it's almost 12.30PM and it was supposed to start about 9AM. So, any more questions? Did I miss anything?"

"Wow! That… is quite a lot to take in." Ginny sunk back into her pillow, staring at the ceiling, "You missed one thing though, Tori."

"What's that?"

Ginny turned facing her friend with a stormy look in her eyes, "How bad were my injuries?"

Astoria gave a tentative sad smile, "I can't tell you Gin! I was horrified when I found out."

"How. Bad." Ginny hissed, gritting her teeth, once again staring fiercely at the ceiling.

"You were hurt very badly Gin! Fatally, is the word Madam Pomfrey used. She wouldn't tell me for the first few days but I pestered her into answering, and I know why she was hesitant. You had multiple broken ribs, shattered bones and concussions and a puncture wound that would have killed you had it been anyone else other than Professor Snape that found you." Astoria finished tears streaking down her hazel eyes.

"I'm sorry Astoria! But I had to know this." Ginny replied with a sigh.

"Gin, will you tell the Headmaster about the person who attacked you?" Astoria questioned Ginny, who responded with a slow shake of her head. "Why, Gin?"

"Because they won't be punished! They're someone you know that have a track record of escaping punishment with a wrap on the knuckles at best. No, they don't get off so easy. Don't worry Tori, they've signed their death warrants. If there is anyone that shall never get my mercy is them. Let them enjoy it, they're living on borrowed time."

Astoria was feeling worried about her friend and tried to interject, "Gin! What are you saying? Were there more than one? Was it Ha-"

"Don't say it. Yes! You're right it was them. Every wound, every bit of pain was courtesy them. Do not speak of this to anyone, Tori. They're mine to destroy. All three. They called me a snake,right; well, they'll get the Viper!" Ginny remarked staring into the ceiling, the purple flecks in her eyes glowing briefly.

Astoria nodded in support holding her hands warmly. "I'll be with you every step of the way, Gin! I meant it before and I mean it now, you're my friend and friends lookout for each other."

"Thanks Tori, I wouldn't want you on this path though. It's of darkness as I said before."

"And I am from a dark family, Gin. So, don't worry about darkness. Now, rest well, I'll be back later." Astoria interjected reassuringly before she tucked Ginny in the bed and left the Infirmary.

Ginny was released from the Infirmary the next day and was summoned to the Headmaster's office. She was accompanied by her Head of House who stood besides her, and on the other side stood her father who had been called upon by the Headmaster himself. Apart from them, the Deputy Headmistress, Professor McGonagal stood beside the seated Headmaster.

"Miss Weasley, care for a lemon drop?" the eccentric Headmaster asked in his grandfatherly tone.

"No, thank you, Headmaster." Ginny refused politely looking down.

"Don't worry, Miss Weasley, we've called upon you only to find out what happened and who attacked you. Was it someone from your own House?" Dumbledore questioned her with a small twinkle in his eye.

"No, Headmaster, I don't think it was anyone from my House. I was blindsided with a cloak or rag over my face when they attacked me. I don't know who or how many but they did call me a snake. I was beaten and hexed until I crashed and fell unconscious. That's all I know, Sir." Ginny replied meekly almost opposite her usual confident demeanor. With an act like that she could have made a career in acting for plays.

Severus Snape was slightly surprised but held his mask in place. This wasn't the time, he knew she was lying, but why would she unless it was… He would ask her later, for now he would let things play out on their own.

"I deeply regret and apologize what happened to you Miss Weasley. You may take another week off to recuperate. Severus will help you in case you need any assistance, although I know you should pick everything easily with your excellent academic performance so far. Now, Severus, why don't you escort Miss Weasley to the common room. I will speak with you later tonight." Dumbledore felt sad for Arthur's daughter but he couldn't do anything, it wasn't his fault she got sorted into the house of snakes. It was likely an upper year who attacked her, he would ask Severus to punish a few usual culprits.

Both of them walked quietly down the stairs and into the dungeons. When Ginny moved to speak the password, the professor held her shoulders lightly.

"Miss Weasley, I'd like to have a few words before you retire for the day. Follow me." The potions professor walked away towards his office and held the door for her to enter, shutting it with a silencing ward non-verbally.

The potions professor turned towards Ginny with an impassive facial expression, "You know your attackers."

"What? No, Sir, I don-" Ginny attempted a response, "Do not take me for a fool, Miss Weasley. It was your brother, wasn't it? Why did you lie?"

Ginny dropped the meek act and stood proud, "I was attacked 3 on 1, professor. I was left to die. Thank Merlin for your help or I'd have been buried 6 feet under by now. Do you really think, Headmaster would punish his Golden Trio for a Snake like me? My life and blood isn't important for him. I've been attacked thrice within a month of sorting into Slytherin. What did you expect me to do, Sir?"

She looked at the professor, his face not giving away any emotion.

"They deserve a punishment, Sir. Headmaster isn't going to do it himself and he won't let you either. I promise you one thing though, I'll punish them when I'm capable enough and I'll punish them as per their crimes. I have let my intentions known Sir. You may punish me if you see fit."

The professor walked right past her and pulled an old book from his bookshelf handing it in front of Ginny as she read the title in amazement 'Musclebuilding: A Complete Primer for Wizards Edition 23 by Kerathon Rosier'

"Sir?" "Take it Miss Weasley. This is one of the discontinued subjects at Hogwarts. I expect the book to be returned in pristine condition once you're done. I believe classroom 419 on the fourth floor should be helpful."

Severus walked away from her and unlocked the door, a clear sign of being dismissed.

"Thank you Sir, for everything." Ginny thanked the professor genuinely surprised at the gesture.

"Think nothing of it. I would hate to find you in a similar predicament again. I'm merely reducing my future work. Make good use of it Miss Weasley, Good night." he replied shortly. The only expression that showed his amusement was the slight uptick of his lips as she bid him a Good night.

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