Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series. But…

Brain: Hello there!

Me: You again?

Brain: Yes! I have come to take over your body and use you to take over the world!!!

Me: *looks at my readers* I think he needs a trip to the funny farm. What do you think?

Brain: Hey now! Be nice, I only want world domination. It's not like I'm going to go around singing about being a purple crayon or anything.

Me: Did you have to bring that up?

Brain: Yes, yes I did…

Me: *gets out a strait jacket* Ok, time for the funny farm.

Brain: AHHHH!

First off, this would have been up DAYS ago but my internet crapped out I hadn't been able to get online except at school. So finally I figured it out and have been able to put this up! Yayness!

Ok, I know it isn't much of an excuse anymore since I use it so much, but here it is. Between work, school, and band I have had very little time to write. Sorry about the long wait but lets hope that because this chapter has reached the panicle of drama so far in the story, you won't be too mad at me.

You guys are awesome and thank you to everyone that reviewed. Your reviews make my day. Since last I updated, many things have happened in my life. One sticks out most. My five-year-old cousin was killed in a car wreck. The one thing that brightened my black mood was reading several new reviews from you guys. It was the first time I smiled in days. Though nothing erased the pain, knowing that I have oodles of people that love me, or at least my story, made me realize life goes on. And I know he's in a better place and probably fishing up in Heaven right now lol.

Anyway, off the depressing subject… Sorry to keep you so long from the story but one last thing before I let you read on. Thank you for reading my story and I love you all! *gives everyone a cookie*

Finally, without further ado:

Chapter 17

Ginny POV

Life was perfect for me in the following months. Well, as perfect as it could ever be while hiding a major part of my life from my friends and family. The days slowly warmed as winter faded into spring. But with the warming weather, OWLS drew closer. The homework load piled onto the fifth years was tremendous. I didn't have a spare moment and I started seeing less and less of Draco as I had to stay in the library and do homework.

The few times I was with him in the warming weeks he seemed distant and worried. I just shrugged it off, he would tell me in his own time, or maybe not at all. But I knew that pestering him to tell me wouldn't work. But I grew worried as the days dragged by.

It wasn't until one clear warm night, one of the first warm ones of the new year, that I found out why he was nervous. I had noticed the first thing amiss that evening. It was late when Harry came bursting into the common room. He, Ron, and Hermione put there heads together and were talking about who knows what.

Harry dashed upstairs and when he came down, I saw him stuffing his invisibility cloak into his cloak. I frowned in confusion as I watched him dash out the portrait hole. I waited up for a while pretending to read my book, waiting to see if he would come back. But after a while I gave up and headed upstairs to bed.

When I tried to go to sleep, I was kept up by an uneasy feeling in my gut telling me something bad was going to happen. So I lay awake, staring at the canopy of my four-poster bed, for the entire night almost.

It was almost two thirty in the morning when the door of my dormitory flew open. I sat up quickly, startled at the sudden appearance of a person at the door. My wand was alight and pointing at the person before two seconds had passed. It was Hermione. "Come on!" she said in an urgent whisper. I nodded and climbed out of bed confused. I didn't even spare a glance at the still sleeping girls as we raced out the door.

When we got down to the common room I saw Dean, Shamus, Neville, Colin, Ron, and several others waiting for us. "Something is happening. Death Eaters have gotten into the school, the Dark Mark is above the Astronomy Tower. We need to hurry," she said quickly, explaining for those of us who didn't know what was going on already.

As she spoke, she pulled a small, crystal vile from her pocket. "Take a small sip, each of you," she said, taking a sip and passing it to Ron. He took a sip and continued to pass it around. When it reached me I took it gently and sniffed it, trying to find out what it was. It had no smell but, as I took my sip, I realized what it was. The potion Harry had gotten from Slughorn, liquid luck.

Quickly, we made our way down a few stories, meeting up with Luna and a few other people. They drank the last of the potion and we began heading towards the Astronomy Tower. Before we reached it, we could hear footfalls from the corridor ahead of us. Ducking into an empty classroom, we waited for the running people to pass.

I was trembling when I head the high-pitched voice of Belatrix Lestrange cackling in laughter. Neville, who was crouching beside me, tensed and looked ready to bolt out of the door and kill her. But to do so would only get himself killed. I put my hand on his arm. He nodded, but gripped his wand tighter when the running Death Eaters passed our hiding spot.

At a nod from Ron, we crept out the door silently. With another nod, we all shot stunning spells at the backs of the retreating Death Eaters. One person fell. The others, turning slightly to see what happened, saw us. "Hey!" one of them exclaimed before shooting a jet of green light towards us.

It headed for Dean, but he dodged it just in time. Then they started running again, us hot on their heels. Belatrix was shooting curses behind her with glee as they ran. The others did the same, jets of light flying from wand tips. When we came to a wide corridor where several little one halls met, they stopped again to fight.

I gripped my wand and shot hex after hex at them, dodging theirs just in time. The front few of the Death Eaters finally turned so we could see who they were. Snape was standing at the very front, leading their flight. I cursed slightly under my breath, and to think Dumbledore had trusted the slimy snake. But he wasn't who caught my eye.

The blond hair and pale skin of Draco was unmistakable even in the dim light of the corridor. I froze, it couldn't be. I stared at him, uncomprehending for a split second before another Death Eater noticed my distraction and shot a stunning spell at me. I couldn't dodge it. I still couldn't move from the shock. Out of no were, Neville was in front of me. The spell hit him full in the chest and he fell to the ground.

Draco looked towards me now, just noticing me for the first time. I could feel the pressure of hot tears burning my eyes as I looked into his eyes. There was pain in them, pain, fear, and quilt. I'm sure my emotions were plain to read too: disbelief, confusion, betrayal, and sorrow. I didn't know what to do. A spell grazed the side of my face and snapped me back to where I was.

Draco flinched when it drew blood on my cheek. The tears started to flow against my will. I shot a stunning spell at the Death Eater who tried to hit me. He fell to the floor. "Come on Draco!" I heard Snape yell towards Draco as he stared at me. I glanced at him one last time before he dashed down the hall behind Snape. Just then, the sound of running coming from the corridor we had just come from sounded loudly.

I turned to see Harry streaking after the retreating pair. "Come back you coward. Come back and fight like a man!" I wasn't sure which of them he directed his comments at. He glanced and paled when he saw Neville lying on the floor but his feet didn't waver, he kept running.

Seeming to follow Snape's lead, the other Death Eaters retreated too. Teachers were arriving now along with a few wide-eyed students. I raced after them, following the Death Eaters down the stairs and out onto the grounds. Why was Draco with them? I kept asking myself. He had let slip on day about how he never wanted to be evil. Then why was he fleeing with a bunch of Death Eaters? I felt betrayed.

I finally made it out of the front lawn. A few of them had made it to the gate, disapparating as soon as they stepped out. Harry was some hundred yards away, face to face with Snape. He shot a curse only to be blocked my Snape and thrown off his feet with another one from Snape. "He trusted you and you killed him!" I could hear Harry yell over the noise on the grounds, but I didn't take in the meaning. As he got closer to Snape, his voice faded.

I shot a stunning spell at the back of a Death Eater as I continued running. I had to get to Draco before he disapparated. I ran full on after the blond head in the distance. I was getting closer when he made it to the gates. He turned, looking strait into my eyes, and disapparated.

"No," I whispered to myself as my steady flow of tears tuned into a heaving sob as I sank to the ground. The last of the Death Eaters disappeared as Snape, glancing out at the quickly filling front yard, disapparated too.

I looked around with tear filled eyes. Hagrid's hut was on fire, though several of the students were putting it out quickly. He was talking to Harry, but Harry dashed towards the school again, heading towards the ground at the foot of the Astronomy tower were a crowd was starting to gather.

Panic clutched my heart as I remembered Hermione's words from the common room. "Death Eaters have gotten into the school, the Dark Mark is above the Astronomy Tower." I stood shakily, looking towards the sky as I now saw the luminescent green snake and skull of the Dark Mark. I started running again, this time back towards the school. It seemed the entire school was in a semicircle around the Astronomy Tower. Many were crying.

I pushed my way through the crowd of whispering and weeping students. Once at the front I saw Harry leaning on the still chest of Dumbledore. "Dead." The word rang not only through my head, but the many whispers around me. Dumbledore was dead and Draco was a Death Eater.

Wow, that was hard to write! Tons of drama. For those of you that wanted drama, here you go. Tell me what you thought using that handy dandy little review button down there. Yup, right down there. I know you see it. Click it! I know you want too….

What will happen next? Will Ginny be able to ever get over the fact Draco lied to her, plotted Dumbledore's murder while she was with him, and betrayed her? Such a tragic time, so many bad things happening for Ginny. Will she even be able to recover from such a blow? Keep updated to find out!

Love you guys lots for your reading but I would love you more if you reviewed!

Remember, a happy author writes better and faster! So review and make me happy!!!