"Stop laughing, Hermione, it isn't funny!" Ron's face was twisted with frustration as he glared at his girlfriend, who was currently laughing hysterically and holding on to her sides.
"I'm so-sorry," Hermione clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles but it didn't stop her shoulders from shaking. It was Friday and Harry and Ron had just returned to the hospital wing from their last class of the day, Transfiguration. Ginny had taken one look at her brother and broken into hysterics and it didn't take Hermione long to see why.
As Harry explained it, they were taking turns in Transfiguration changing an aspect of their partner's appearance. When it came time for Harry to try, he'd successfully joined both of Ron's eyebrows together to create a single line across his forehead. Unfortunately for Ron, Harry was unable to reverse the spell. McGonagall had simply said that the spell would wear off on its own, though she couldn't tell him when that would be. Ron had been growing steadily more annoyed at his sister and friends, who were taking great delight in his current distress.
To Ginny's credit, she'd stopped laughing several minutes before but that was due to the fact that laughing caused her pain to come back. It didn't stop her from grinning broadly at the situation and letting out a snort of laughter once in a while.
Hermione was wiping the tears from her eyes when she did a double-take of Ron's face, "Look, Ron, you're back to normal!"
"Really?" Ron practically ran to the nearest window and looked at his reflection, sighing with relief when he saw that he once again had two eyebrows. "Some friends you are," Ron turned to scowl at the rest of them.
"Come on, Ron, you have to admit you looked pretty funny," Ginny grinned at him.
"Why don't you try walking through Hogwarts with one eyebrow," Ron glowered at her.
Ginny opened her mouth to respond, but Madam Pomfrey swept into the room carrying several small bottles and set them down on a table. She turned to face Hermione and placed her hands on her hips, "Alright, Miss Granger, let's get you up."
Hermione smiled and began removing the covers from on top of her. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and let herself adjust. Madam Pomfrey stood to her left and had instructed Ron to stand on the right in case Hermione needed the extra help. When she was ready, Hermione pushed off from the bed and put some weight on her legs. There was no pain, only an incredibly frustrating feeling of weakness. She made it a couple of inches off the bed before she had to sit again. Ron stood a hair's breadth away from her, ready to catch her if she fell. Hermione tried again and again to stand, making it a little further each time.
Seeing that she was out of breath from the effort, Madam Pomfrey suggested she rest and try again in a bit but Hermione wanted to do one more. Using the rest of her energy, Hermione forced herself up and onto her feet. She stood still for a second, testing herself to see if she could stay up. Taking a little breath, Hermione moved one step forward but as soon as she put her foot down both of her legs gave out. She heard Ginny give a small gasp and saw Harry take a step towards her as Ron lurched forward to catch her, wrapping his arms around her waist and helping her back to bed.
"Not bad at all, Miss Granger. I know it's a strange feeling not being able to have full control over your legs but it will come back with time. You rest now and we can try again later," Madam Pomfrey handed Hermione one of the small bottles and instructed her to drink. Hermione did as she was told and swallowed the horribly bitter contents of the bottle, a warm feeling flowing down her legs and leaving her with a renewed sense of energy.
"Are you alright, 'Mione?" Ron hovered over her.
Smiling at him, Hermione nodded her head, "Yes, I feel good, actually. Now that I know what to expect, I think I'll be able to make it a few steps. Maybe Madam Pomfrey will let me try during dinnertime."
"No," Ron said.
Hermione frowned, "Why not? You just heard her say that I did well and I feel even better after taking that awful medicine."
"You've done too much, you should try again tomorrow," Ron shook his head, the worry plain on his face.
Hermione wanted to argue with Ron, but she knew she couldn't. If he were the one that was hurt, she'd be telling him he needed to heal more before trying to get out of bed. "Ron, I'm fine. We both knew that it wasn't going to be easy for me to get out of bed but I won't get better if I stay here."
Ron scrunched up his mouth and Ginny recognized the look. It was the one he got when he really wanted to say more but knew it wasn't going to get him what he wanted. Hoping to distract him, Ginny turned to look at Hermione, "You did really good, Hermione! How did it feel?"
Hermione thought about how to describe the feeling she'd had, "It was odd. I could feel that my legs were there but they didn't have any strength in them."
"At least I have an idea of what to expect when I get up," Ginny said thoughtfully.
Harry looked at her with exasperation, "You just got out of the hospital, you can't get out of bed."
Ginny waved him off, "Of course I'm not trying today." Harry smiled with relief which quickly turned into a frown when Ginny added on, "I'm going to try on Sunday. And before you say anything, Madam Pomfrey already said I could." Ginny grinned triumphantly at him, eliciting a chuckle from Hermione who seemed to remember something and quickly rounded on Ron.
"Did you bring my homework?" Hermione looked behind him.
Ron huffed in disbelief, "Yes, I did. Had to bring your bag with me to carry it all." Ron walked over to the infirmary doors and grabbed a bag from the floor. He heaved it onto the end of Hermione's bed and shook his head as Hermione instantly pulled the sheets of parchment out.
"Thank you, Ron! I didn't want to get behind."
Ron snorted, "Hermione, you're already studying for next year. There's no way you could get behind."
Ginny turned to face Harry, "Harry, would you mind getting my homework, too?"
Harry still had a disgruntled look on his face from earlier but he nodded his head. Ginny sighed to herself. She knew it was going to be difficult to get Harry to stop worrying about her so much but there was no way she was going to spend the rest of the year in the hospital wing. She was going to do the same thing she did after she fell off her broom: she was going to force herself up and she was going to walk into the Great Hall. More than that, she wanted to see the look on Malfoy's face when he once again saw her up much earlier than expected and she wanted to enjoy the moment that she walked in with Harry and Cho saw that they were still together.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
"Maybe you should stay in bed a while longer. You could always try tomorrow." Harry had tried everything he could think of to stop Ginny from getting out of bed. Saturday had come and gone and Sunday had brought nothing but anxiety for Harry. The only thing he could think about was that this was the day Ginny was going to get out of bed for the first time since she'd been brought to the hospital.
It's not that Harry didn't want Ginny to start going to classes or eating with him and Ron in the Great Hall again, he just wanted to be sure she was healed enough. Ginny was practically bursting with excitement when he and Ron had walked into the hospital wing that morning. She'd wanted to start right away but Madam Pomfrey had made her start taking a series of potions before letting her try getting up. Now, though, the last potion was long gone and Madam Pomfrey would be coming back from her office any minute.
"Harry, she's fine," Hermione had been watching Harry's attempts to keep Ginny in bed with great amusement. Ginny had shot her several exasperated looks throughout the morning, making Hermione bite her lip to keep from laughing out loud. Ginny sent her an appreciative smile as Madam Pomfrey entered the room and took up her spot to Ginny's right with Harry on her left.
"When you get your legs over the edge, it helps if you let yourself get used to things for a minute before trying to stand," Hermione offered when she saw a fleeting look of nervousness pass through Ginny's eyes.
Ginny nodded her head in understanding and began taking the covers off her legs. Slowly, Ginny inched her legs over the edge of the bed, flinching in pain every once in a while. Madam Pomfrey had warned her that her attempts to walk were going to be extremely painful. Eventually, Ginny managed to place her feet on the floor, surprised at how much the simple act hurt. Taking Hermione's advice, Ginny took some deep breaths and let herself get used to the feeling. When she was ready, she braced her arms on the bed and pushed as hard as she could. She just barely made it to the same height that Hermione had reached her first time up when her body gave out. She took some more breaths and pushed herself up again, making it up a little further this time. Ginny made it slightly farther this time before she had to sit back down. If she was being honest with herself, she didn't feel well at all. Her stomach was churning, it was getting harder to breathe, and sweat was starting to form on her forehead.
"Let's go again," Ginny said.
"No," Harry's firm tone made Ginny look up at him. His jaw was set and his eyes were pleading with her to listen to him.
"I'm fine, I want to try again."
"I'm afraid I must agree with Mr. Potter, you need to rest. We can try again later." Madam Pomfrey lifted Ginny's legs into the bed for her and handed her a bottle of the same potion she'd given Hermione earlier.
Ginny's face twisted as the horrible liquid went down her throat, making Hermione laugh, "I know, it's not the best."
Before anyone could say anything else, the infirmary doors opened and Professor Dumbledore swept into the room, followed by Professor McGonagall. He came to a stop between Ginny and Hermione's beds and smiled happily at them both. "Miss Granger, Miss Weasley, I can't express how delighted I am that you are back and well on your way to recovery."
Ginny and Hermione beamed at him, but Ginny felt like she should say something else, "Professor Dumbledore, I'm very sorry for all of the trouble I caused. It was stupid of me to leave the rest of the class. Hermione's already accepted my apology to her—"
"I didn't accept your apology, Ginny, because you don't owe me one," Hermione interrupted her. "It's not your fault what happened."
"I must say I agree with Miss Granger," Dumbledore smiled kindly at Ginny. "Far older and more experienced wizards than you have been overwhelmed by the Death Eaters, but not many have lived through their experience. This group does seem to have a way of escaping the most dire of circumstances relatively unscathed. Wouldn't you agree, Professor McGonagall?"
The four students turned to look at their Transfiguration teacher, who simply gave them a wry look, "Yes, however they also have a knack for getting themselves into dire circumstances."
Dumbledore smiled again and returned his attention to the group, focusing on Ginny, "Miss Weasley, I know you must be tired still but I have a favor to ask of you, if I may?"
Ginny looked surprised but nodded her head, "Yes, sir?"
"I don't want to bring up bad memories for you, but I'd like you to tell me as much as you can about your time with the Death Eaters."
Ginny looked around the room at the waiting faces. She knew she could tell Dumbledore about the Death Eaters, Harry had already told her that he knew about the prophecy. She just didn't want anyone else to overhear, however slight that chance might be. Dumbledore seemed to sense her hesitation and removed his wand from his pocket. He raised it above his head and flicked it in a circle, "There, the room now has a silencing charm on it. You may feel free to say whatever you wish without anyone else hearing you."
Ginny nodded her head in appreciation, "I don't know what happened right after we got to the Shrieking Shack, they must have knocked me out. When I woke up I recognized the room and then they all came in. They wanted to know about the, um, about the prophecy." Ginny's gaze flicked to Harry quickly before going back to Dumbledore.
"Harry is not in any trouble for telling you about the prophecy, Miss Weasley. I don't think it's wise to carry such a burden by oneself, so I am pleased Harry has friends who are close enough that he can trust with such knowledge," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled and Ginny's fear of getting Harry in trouble vanished, making her feel more at ease telling the rest of her story.
"I told them I wouldn't tell them about it so they threatened me. When that didn't work, Bellatrix took out a knife and started to cut my arms. She got mad when that didn't work, so she started putting some kind of poison on it before cutting me again." Harry had sat next to Ginny on her bed and grabbed her hand when she started telling her story. The more of it she told, the harder Harry squeezed her hand. Despite the pain it caused in her arm, Ginny didn't want him to let go. Holding his hand reminded her that she was safe at Hogwarts and not trapped in the Shrieking Shack again.
"Do you know what the poison she used was?" Dumbledore's question pulled Ginny from her thoughts.
Thinking back, Ginny found the memory of Bellatrix displaying a small jar in her hands, "Raexian, I think."
"What's Raexian poison?" Ron questioned.
"A Raexian is a nasty little creature that lives in the darkest parts of the forests. Usually, it keeps to itself but if it is disturbed, it will bite. The bite itself is painful but it's the poison from the Raexian that's dangerous. Without instant treatment, it will kill you but not before you suffer a terribly painful death." Dumbledore spoke simply as if he were describing how to make pumpkin juice. Ron had a horrified look on his face as he started learning just how much had been done to Ginny. Hermione looked at him sympathetically and grabbed his hand.
"Lupin tells me that the doctor who cared for you at the hospital was very impressed with you, Miss Granger, for your quick-thinking in applying that salve to Miss Weasley's wounds," Dumbledore smiled as Hermione blushed. "Now, please continue, Miss Weasley."
Ginny nodded, "Bellatrix used the poison for a while, but I still wouldn't say anything. Malfoy's father started getting angry, he said they were running out of time. That's when Dolohov came over and...and started using the Cruciatus curse," Ginny shuddered, sucking in a breath at the spark of pain it caused. Harry was holding her hand so tight she thought her hand would fall off, but she couldn't chance looking at him just yet. Not until she finished talking.
"He started asking me about the prophecy but all I could see were my uncles, so I scratched his face. He used the Cruciatus curse again and I passed out. When I woke up again, I tried to think of how I could let people know where I was and then I found these charms from Hermione's bracelet in my pocket."
"Ah, yes," Dumbledore started. "I know how you used the charms, but how did you come to be in possession of them if they belonged to Miss Granger?"
Ginny looked over at Hermione, who nodded her head, giving permission for Ginny to tell everyone about the bracelet. "Hermione had asked that I hold on to the charms for her."
Ron looked confused, "Why?"
"The chain broke the day before. It got caught when I was putting a book away and Ginny held on to the charms for me so I could get the chain fixed while we were in Hogsmeade. I didn't want you to be upset, so I didn't tell you," Hermione sent an apologetic look to Ron who just gripped her hand tighter.
Dumbledore waved his hand towards Ginny, "Go on, Miss Weasley."
"I used the charms to send a message to Hermione and then the Death Eaters came back. They used the curse on me again and that's the last thing I remember before I woke up in the hospital."
There was silence in the room as everyone turned over in their minds what Ginny had said. This was the first time anyone had heard from Ginny about what had happened at the Shrieking Shack. Finally, Dumbledore looked at Ginny, "I thank you for telling us what happened. If I may, I'd like to ask another favor of you?"
"Yes?"
"I'm not sure if you know this, but there is a way for others to see peoples' memories. I, myself, do this often if there is a particular memory that I'd like to save so I can study it later on. I wonder if you would allow me to save your memory of the Shrieking Shack? You see, even though you were not awake during much of your ordeal, I would be able to listen to what the Death Eaters were saying. I think it could provide some very valuable information." Dumbledore waited patiently while Ginny thought about his request.
"Would I forget what happened once you took the memory?"
"Not at all, I would simply make a copy of it."
Ginny didn't want to sound demanding but there was one thing she needed to be sure of before agreeing, "May I make a request of you, as well, sir?"
Dumbledore chuckled, "Of course."
"You can make a copy of the memory, but I only want you and whoever you think is absolutely necessary to see it." Ginny knew that once Dumbledore had the memory, Harry would try to see it. She knew he'd want to see exactly what happened at the shack and she didn't want him to shut himself away from her or Ron or Hermione to try and protect them.
Dumbledore looked at Ginny for several moments before he nodded his head once, "Miss Weasley, no one will see this memory unless I think it necessary."
Ginny smiled at Dumbledore in relief and watched as he took his wand and a small glass bottle from inside his robes. Placing the tip of his wand against Ginny's temple, Dumbledore concentrated for a moment before slowly pulling away. Ginny felt a cooling sensation where the memory was being taken from, and as soon as it started it stopped. She watched as Dumbledore placed the wispy piece of silver into the glass bottle and closed the lid.
"Wicked," Ron said, making everyone laugh.
"I thank you, Miss Weasley." Dumbledore tucked his wand and the memory into his pocket and smiled at them, "Now, I will leave you to get your rest. I should warn you, however, that there are a great many people who are very anxious to come see you. I asked that they give you some more time to heal, but there are a couple of people who I know won't overstay their welcome if you're feeling up to it?"
Ginny looked over to Hermione and both girls smiled, "Yes, who is it?"
Smiling, Dumbledore said, "You're entire family, as a matter of fact, Miss Weasley. Shall I tell them to come in a little while?"
"Yes, please!" The girls chorused together. Dumbledore removed the silencing charm from the room and left, followed by Professor McGonagall.
"How did it feel, Ginny?" Ron looked at her curiously and she knew he was talking about Dumbledore taking her memory.
"The side of my head felt cold when he was taking the memory, but that was all. I hope it's as helpful as he thinks it might be." Ginny built up her courage before looking over at Harry.
He hadn't moved since she finished telling her story and he sat very still, a pensive look in his eyes. "Harry, are you alright?"
"You didn't want me to see the memory, did you?" He asked quietly.
"No," Ginny said simply. Harry just nodded his head in understanding and sent her a weak smile. Ginny hoped he did understand, because couldn't watch him go back to how he was after Sirius died: quiet, less open, and rarely smiling. The Cruciatus curse didn't kill her but watching that happen to Harry again would.
