Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.

A/N: Thanks to PenguinLord0029 and Gazaran, who beta this story.

Chapter Forty-Seven

Ginny's First Year

The train ride to Hogwarts couldn't have been any better … she was able to make friends with so many people. She was especially happy when the others seemed to like Luna, she knew the other girl was odd, but it was impossible not to like her if only you gave her a chance and it was nice to know that they all seemed to be giving her that chance. She also had fun talking to Hermione, who she barely got to say hello to the other time they had met because the other girl was with Ron and Harry all the time. Then there was Neville, who was easy to talk to and was nice. All in all, she felt like this year was going to shape up to be the best of her life.

Naturally, she had been nervous when it came to being sorted. Her whole family had been in Gryffindor and she knew that was the only house she wanted to be in. It made her a little sad when Luna was sorted into Ravenclaw, but she was still happy that her friend got into the house she wanted to be in. She was the last in her year to be called to be sorted, which didn't help with her nerves at all. However, even with that, she realized that she expected the hat to immediately shout out that she would be a Gryffindor, but what happened was anything but immediate … and it was a little disturbing.

Interesting, she heard a whispering in her head. The voice sounded almost concern but she didn't understand why. I have never sensed anything like this …

What?

It seems like you would do well in several Houses, though Gryffindor and Slytherin would work the best …

A sense of dread filled her when the hat mentioned Slytherin …

Interesting … that seemed to have cleared things up … I know what house you belong to … "Gryffindor!"

The hat shouted the last part and Ginny felt so relieved, but shocked that she had been considered to be put in Slytherin. Okay so she did sneak out and steal her brothers' broom and she was known to pull pranks that no adult would ever expected her of doing, but that wouldn't make her Slytherin like, would it?

She shook herself from these thoughts as she sat next to her brother Ron, and couldn't help the smile that came to her face as she realize that she was finally at Hogwarts … finally a Gryffindor!

O

I don't know what's wrong with me, Tom. I just don't feel like myself.

What is the matter, Ginny?

Ginny could almost hear his voice when she read these words. It has always been like that when she wrote to Tom. His words just seemed to be filled with such concern that it made her feel better every time she wrote in the diary. She didn't know how she would have made it through Hogwarts without all of Tom's help. Things weren't working out as she thought they would at the beginning of the year. No matter how hard she tried she just couldn't seem to talk to anyone … she got really nervous, having a strong feeling that she would make a fool of herself. Tom kept telling her that was ridiculous but she couldn't stop herself from feeling that way.

Just the same as usual. Every time Harry even looks at me I forget how to talk … it's so pathetic …

Don't say that Ginny … I am sure it is not as bad as you think it is …

I just wish I could talk to him like I do with you …

I am sure you will … you just have to keep trying.

Thanks Tom … you really do know how to make me feel better.

O

She woke up hours after that in her bed and looked around the room slightly confused. When did she go to bed? She shrugged, realizing it was late now, and it was probably a good thing she was in bed. Still feeling weird, she fell asleep.

O

She couldn't believe her ears as she looked at Harry (of course she was blushing like mad). He had just included her in the group of people that she realized were his closest friends. People that he could trust. And he picked her to be there! She had been sure that the fact that she couldn't say two words to him had made him forget that she even existed, but here she was, counted as a close friend! She couldn't wait to tell Tom about this!

She was still so shocked about that she had trouble understanding what he was talking about. Something about a special map. When she asked about it, Harry explained that he, and the others, were planning on becoming Animagi. That certainly was shocking news but not as much as the fact that she was offered some potion that would allow her to see what Animagus she would become if she wanted to. Again, she was awed that she would be included in this venture and she happily accepted the potion she was offered along with Luna.

However, the trances like dream she had after she took the potion scared her a little. She seemed to be standing in a forest of some kind. It was dark outside and she couldn't see anything too well. She found this odd, I mean, wasn't she supposed to see the animal she was supposed to become! Then she saw something moving on the ground near her feet. She looked at it, noticing that it was a snake, though she couldn't tell want kind. She felt the oddest sensation as she continued to look at the snake, like a part of her seemed to be bonding with this creature … like a part of her felt as if this should be her Animagus form.

The longer she looked at the snake this feeling increased and she felt like something was trying to take over her …

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a cat pounced at the snake, hissing fiercely. The snake hissed back, showing its fangs and seemed ready to attack the cat.

"No!" Ginny said fearfully, she had always love cats and didn't want to see this one get hurt. The longer she looked at the cat a warm sensation came to her and knowledge of that cat seem to fill her mind. She knelt down, noticing the snake had slithered away at some point, and put her hand on the cat's head, she could see the shape of a house in the distance and realized that she probably wasn't in a forest but someone's back yard. She looked back at the cat and its features started to change; its fur seemed to change so that it was Weasley red, and its eyes turn to match her own.

She woke up and found that everyone was staring at her. She was still sort of worried about what happened at first with the snake, but she pushed that aside when Luna asked her what form her Animagus would be. It was so easy to be happy about everything that happened that day that she didn't worry about the snake again. She had stayed up for hours telling Tom everything that had happened that day.

O

She woke up, there was something red on her robes, and she had no idea how she got into her room. She changed her clothes, looking around the room trying to think of the last thing she remember doing. It was Halloween; she had been about ready to go to the feast, as she had heard that it was supposed to be really amazing at Hogwarts. She remember looking at the map that Harry had given her and seeing a message from him. He had invited her (well all of his friends, which included her) to Nick's Death Day party, whatever that was. She had been confused whether she should go to the feast or with Harry so she decided to ask Tom … What did she do after that?

"Ginny!" one of her dorm mates said, coming into the room.

"Yeah," Ginny said to the other girl.

"Sorry, I didn't see you come upstairs, I didn't think you would be here," the girl said looking slightly nervous. "What do you make of that whole sign business? That's pretty creepy don't you think? And what about Harry Potter standing under it?"

"Er … what?" Ginny asked.

"Er … didn't you see the message on the wall?" the girl asked, looking at Ginny oddly.

"No," Ginny said. "What are you talking about?"

The girl went into a long story about how there had been a message written on the wall warning the Muggle-borns to beware, and how Filch's cat had been killed (which later she was relieve to found out that Mrs. Norris had only been petrified). Then she went on and on about Harry Potter being the one that was found under the message … wondering if Harry was actually the one that wrote it.

Ginny couldn't believe what she was hearing. It didn't make sense, any of it. There was no way that Harry would ever write something like that. Obviously, he wasn't about to hurt any of the Muggle-borns. But what had her stomach squirm painfully was thinking about the message. She didn't understand why she was feeling so sick.

O

She couldn't help but write in great details about the first Quidditch match of the season. It had just been so exciting watching Harry fly … he really was a natural. She really wishes that someday she would be able to show him that she was able to fly as well. She was upset, of course, that Harry had gotten hurt, and very angry that Lockhart had actually vanished Harry's bones so that his broken arm would take all night to heal. She was sure she ranted about what an idiot Lockhart was to Tom for hours … At least judging by the fact that she had fallen asleep on her diary, she had …

O

The next day she was devastated to learn that Colin Creevey had been petrified when he had tried to sneak out to visit Harry at the hospital. Ginny paled at this, she had liked Colin, he was nice, even though he seemed to be more obsessed with Harry than she was, and that was saying something. She couldn't believe that he had actually been petrified. The sickening feeling she had before seemed to double. She was starting to get the feeling that something was wrong with her …

O

You're never going to believe this Tom!

What? Did something happen at the Dueling Club?

Yes! Harry and Malfoy duel … Malfoy conjured a snake and Harry … Harry spoke to it!

It took several moments before Tom's next words came up, and though she didn't know how it worked, she could now hear the shock and thoughtful nature of his words.

He's a Parselmouth

He must be … I had no idea! Ginny wrote and then she told him in details what had happened at the dueling club.

Tom, is it really that bad to be a Parselmouth … everyone in the common room said it was … but I can't believe that Harry can be bad?

Being a Parselmouth is not a sign of evil … it's merely a symbol of power.

There was something about those words that made Ginny feel odd.

I've got to go, Tom … I'll write to you tomorrow.

Okay Ginny, Goodnight.

Goodnight Tom.

She closed the book warily. She didn't understand what had just happened … why she felt so odd. Tom's words just didn't seem as comforting this time as they normal did. Especially, when he said 'merely a symbol of power'. She had almost detected a note of pride and a dark longing when she read those words. She shook herself of those thoughts, as she got ready to go to bed. Something told her that tomorrow was going to be a long day.

She wasn't disappointed. Everyone was acting so wary of Harry and she felt really sorry for him. She remembered opening the diary to tell Tom about how unfair everyone was treating Harry …

O

Ginny stayed in her bed the next day, the sick feeling in her gut was now so bad that she couldn't move. Another student had been attacked the other day along with Nick, the Ghost of Gryffindor. The worst thing of it was that it was the student that everyone thought Harry had sent a snake after. It didn't help at all that Harry was the one that had found Justin. Everyone was now convinced that Harry was the Heir of Slytherin.

But she knew differently.

As she stayed in bed, she tried to think of everything that happened this year and she found things that seemed to be so odd. How she had felt so different than she normally does? How she couldn't speak to anyone, not even when she knew that they wanted to be her friend? That was so unlike her. Then there were those times when she seemed to find herself at places without remembering how she got there. But what scared her most was the fact that most of those hours she couldn't remember seemed to coincide with each of the attacks.

That thought filled her with so much dread. After every attack, she felt more and more like she was the one that actually did them. Tom had said each time that she couldn't have been. But right now, those words sounded hollow to her. How could she believe that she was innocent when she had no idea where she was every single time an attack happened?

She longed to pick up her diary and hear Tom's comforting words … like he believed that she wasn't responsible for this, but she wouldn't let herself do that. She had to get to the bottom of this before she could accept any comfort.

Besides, she was starting to get this uncomfortable feeling about the diary. She noticed that despite the fact that Tom was trying to help her be more outgoing, the longer she wrote in the diary the harder it was for her to do that. Why would that be?

No, she wasn't going to write in the diary until she figured all these questions out.

O

She cheated on Christmas Day. She had to talk to Tom, she longed to write in the diary for the last day and a half and she convinced herself that she was just doing it so she could wish him a Happy Christmas.

Happy Christmas Tom!

Is it Christmas?

She felt the words held some pain in them; he knew that she hadn't written to him as regularly as she normally did.

Happy Christmas Ginny!

The words where filled with his normal comfort and Ginny felt herself relax.

So, has anything interesting happen lately?

Ginny tensed again immediately, the words sounded both causal and expecting at the same time. She didn't know what to say.

No. She didn't know why she didn't tell him about the latest attack, but she just couldn't.

Oh.

The word sounded disappointed and she was starting to feel complied to tell him the truth.

"Happy Christmas!" someone said and Ginny snapped out of her trance looking up to see Hermione smiling at her.

"Oh," she gasped and then tried to smile as she lifted the diary to her chest. "Happy Christmas."

"Er … did you get any good presents this year?" Hermione asked, looking uncomfortable, like she didn't know how to talk to Ginny. Ginny felt awkward about that, because she knew that she really liked Hermione but she couldn't seem to make herself get close to anyone.

"Yes," she said forcing herself to sound normal, and then she pointed at the sweatshirt her mum made her. A natural smile came to her face as she thought of that, "I know she makes one every year, but I always love getting my new Christmas sweater from Mum."

An odd smile comes to Hermione's face as she said, "that's good, although I'm not sure Ron feels the same way about it."

Ginny rolled her eyes; her brother always liked acting that way. "Actually, I'm sure he does, he just likes to act like he doesn't. Oh, thanks for the chocolate frogs Hermione, I didn't expect that," she added as an afterthought. She really hadn't expected to get anything from the other girl and was feeling a little awkward that she didn't give Hermione anything.

"You're welcome," Hermione smiled, she didn't seem to mind she didn't get anything. She looked up stairs for a second before she added, "I was going to go up stairs and wake the boys … do you want to come?"

"Er …" Ginny thought about that for a second, but as she thought of seeing Harry she started blushing, and knew she couldn't handle that. "That's okay."

Hermione looked at her thoughtfully for a moment before she turned and went up the stairs to the boy's dorm.

Once she was left alone again, Ginny looked at the diary with trepidation. She had a strong desire to open the book so she could continued to talk to Tom, but at the same time she couldn't get over the sense that she was almost force to tell him about the attacks that happened the other day. She ran up to her room, still clutching the diary until she placed it in her desk. She got changed quickly and left the room, a sense of dread filling her again.

She thought about the strange feeling that filled her just minutes ago, and she tried to justify what it was. But the longer she thought about it, the more it became clear that she could link all of the odd things that have been happening to her to the diary.

She had never been this close off before she got the diary. She's never had periods of times that she couldn't remember. And as she thought harder about that, she realized that the last things she remembered doing before each of her memory gaps she was writing in the diary. Could it be possible that it … was doing something to her?

It was unbelievable to her that Tom would do anything to her like that. He was her best friend. He was the one that always made her feel better. He was the only person she could talk to.

Was that all fake? Was he using her? Was he controlling her?

O

It had been weeks since she opened the diary and she was feeling terribly. She couldn't go ten minutes without thinking about Tom. She wanted to write to him. No, it was stronger than want … she needed to write to him. It felt physically painful to her not writing to him.

But she made herself stay away from the diary. She knew that this wasn't right. She shouldn't need to write in the diary. She knew that she should be able to tell someone what she was going through, but every time she tried, nothing would come out. She couldn't even tell anyone that she had the diary, let alone all the weird things that have been happening to her.

When the twins had come to her about the prank they wanted to pull she jumped at the chance to help them out. It was just the kind of thing she needed to do to start feeling like herself again. To get Tom out of her mind for a little while. It was brilliant too. Acting like Fred. It was odd how being someone else had made her gather so much of herself.

So much so, that she realized the full truth of what was happening. She was the one that was opening the Chamber … and the diary that she had fallen in love with was the reason for that. This realization did not help her in the least to come clean. It made her sick realizing she had been the one to have her fellow students attacked. It was pure torture, because though she now knew what was happening, she still couldn't tell anyone.

She didn't seem to have control of herself at all and the only thing she could do to stop the attacks was to not write in the book, which was becoming harder every day. She was starting to have dreams of a comforting voice trying to charm her into talking to him. She would always wake up with the desire to open the diary in the morning.

It took everyone ounce of strength she had to go through with her only hope to get away from the diary once and for all. She couldn't just throw it away … no this diary was much too dangerous for that, she couldn't chance anyone else getting the book and having this happen to them too. No, she would have to destroy it. But she didn't know any ways of doing that. In the end, she decided to flush it down the toilet. She was not really sure why she had picked Moaning Myrtle's bathroom; it was like her feet were moving there on its own accords.

It seemed like it took her forever to let the book go, something was trying to make her change her mind … make her keep the book so that she could be used as a tool. Finally, she mastered that feeling, and she threw the book away before running from the bathroom as quickly as she could.

O

She had expected thing to be different … she had expected to be free of her restrains after getting rid of the diary. However, she still couldn't talk. She could still feel the presence of the diary all around her, forcing her to keep her mouth shut. She hated every minute of this, because she couldn't do anything at all as she waited for this to get better. This feeling over came her the most whenever she was near Harry, which completely confused her.

That was until the day that she finally thought she would have enough courage to tell him what she had done, knowing that it would be impossible to tell a professor about this. She had looked on her map to see that he was in the hidden corridor they all liked to use to get away from the rest of the students.

"Tom Riddle! That was the person that was in Quirrell's office the day that he … well you know, the stone was almost stolen." she heard Neville say and her heart dropped to the floor.

Her eyes scanned the passageway and noticed two things immediate. The first thing was that Neville was holding the diary, though Harry seemed to be taking it back from him now. The second thing was that the others didn't notice she was there. She was still as a statue as she listened to them talk for a short time; dread filling her as she realized that Harry has been in possession of the diary this whole time.

She forced herself to leave the corridor, and then she ran to her dorm room trying to come up with an idea to get the diary away from Harry. She had no fear that Tom would tell them what transpired with her … no, he would want to charm Harry into being his next victim and she couldn't let that happen.

So, the next day, when she knew that he would be gone she snuck up to the second year boy's dormitory and looked for the diary. She could feel that it was in the room even before she found it. It was as if the diary was calling to her and she had to find it. The second she touched the book she felt a chill go through her spine and the longing to write in it overwhelmed her. She hurried out of the room, and sat in the common room. Her mind painfully aware of the diary that was in her bag, screaming for her to write in it.

She fought this urge as long as she could, but her resolve was not as strong as it was before, a part of her longed to know what Tom had said to Harry. Though she knew the consequence of giving in to that curiosity, it made it that much more difficult to stop herself from writing.

She gave in …

O

That night she cried herself to sleep. Her foolishness had almost gotten two people killed, one of them being Hermione. The pit of her stomach filled with needles and sharp stabs of guilt as she looked at Harry and Ron's faces, seeing the pain they were feeling for their best friend's fate. It was nothing to the guilt she felt. It was all her fault after all. She had tried to convince herself that it was better that Harry didn't have the diary … that he would have been controlled too, but at the moment, the only thing she knew was those people wouldn't be in the hospital wing right now if it wasn't for her.

O

Seeing Ron's face every morning since Hermione had been petrified was a constant reminder of the terrible crime she had commented. The only good thing about that image was the fact that she was able to use it every time the pull of the diary filled her and made her want to write in it. Ron's face had prevented her from slipping again.

She was feeling so strongly about this that when she sat next to Harry that morning, she was convinced that she would finally be able to tell him the truth. She had even been able to say a few words before Percy had came and her voice was swallowed up by the diary again.

Her almost triumphant led to her greatest defeat. She had given her last effort in the hopes that she would be able to stop the next attack before it could even start, and now she was left with nothing to fight with.

Foolish girl, I'm tired of all this nonsense you have been doing, a voice said in her head, scaring her to no ends. It was the voice she always imagined Tom to have, but the tone was cold and almost mocking. I have no more use for you as a vessel … and seeing as you want to ruin my plans; it is time to do something about you.

What are you talking about? She meant to say this out loud, in hopes that someone would hear her, but she was only able to think the words.

It is time for us to go to the Chamber of Secrets of course.

No! I will not let this …

Silence! You cannot fight me any longer … foolish girl, did you really think you would have the power to stop me! You have no choice in the matter.

She tried not to move, but her legs were not listening to her. She was no longer in control of her body. This must have been what it was like the other times that she had been his tool, but this time she was still able to think … She heard cruel laughter in her head as tears came to her eyes. He was torturing her … letting her see that she had no power … that she could not fight. Her eyes filled with tears as she wrote:

Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever

I'm sure that will work perfectly, the cold and cruel voice spoke to her again as she walked into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. I really must thank you Ginny Weasley, for being foolish enough to tell me all your secrets and hopes … your silly dreams of a future. If not for that, I never would have known what has become of me in your time … known about the boy they said has defeated me!

What? Ginny thought, her mind going wild as a thought formed in her head.

Ah, you get it at last, but much too late to do anything about it, the cruel voice mocked her and she realized that she was no longer in the bathroom but in a passageway with a statue of a man. When she had gotten there she didn't know, but it didn't matter now. I will give you the comforting thought of knowing that you are the reason why Harry Potter will die! You are the reason why Lord Voldemort will rise again.

And he did rise as everything faded to black, she could just make out a figure coming out of the diary.