"Shh," Amelia whispered, as she and Ginny trod through the thick, pea-soup fog covering the Hogwarts grounds. They had been planning to venture through the mysterious substance for a while now, and they didn't want to get caught and miss out on what secrets it might hold.
The light coming from the heart of the fog was nearing, and as the two neared the bright white light, they were almost blinded. Ginny stepped forward with an arm held out tentatively, for safety. Then, with the blink of an eye, they were pulled from all directions, the light brighter than ever.
Thump.
They landed on cold, soft soil. It was darker in this place, and it took both Amelia and Ginny a while to settle their eyes from the great change of contrast. As soon as they could see normally, they set off to find out what this place was, speaking in hushed whispers.
"What do you think it could be? Or more importantly, where are we?" Ginny asked Amelia quietly. She looked back around, and saw a kind of hole in the air, bright light emitting from it. That must have been where they came from, she thought. "I think it's a rip between dimensions, like that book.."
"Oh, don't be silly Gin, nothing like that happens in real life. We were obviously transported by some kind of portal. Kind of like a portkey, except with a higher amount of power. That would explain the light. I'm guessing that the fog was there to cover the portal." Amelia whispered thoughtfully.
"You read too many Agatha Christies." Ginny said, smiling mischievously.
"At least I don't read comics..." Amelia said, and Ginny thwacked her over the head playfully. She was referring to Ginny and Draco's 'conversation' in the Cauldron Cafe.
As they were walking, sort of hunched over to hide themselves from anyone who might see them, they did not realise that they were nearing a very familiar looking cabin, surrounded by trees. The two walked past a thicket of bushes, and then saw the small house.
"What's that?" Amelia asked.
"A cabin, you idiot!" Ginny said, a bit too loud, and they ducked behind the bushes quickly as a face popped out of the window. Ginny almost shrieked, but Amelia put a hand over her mouth.
"Who's there?" The scratchy voice asked.. it was an unusual voice, and it sort of echoed with every syllable it said. "No-one's there? Good. Goooood... I might have to put a hex on you if you come nearer.. beware.. beware..."
The face had scars all over it. Across the nose, forehead, under the eyes, cheekbones, everywhere. Long, curly, filthy blonde hair flecked with grey drooped down the face, and an overgrown fringe hung over the purple-blue eyes, which glowed angrily.
Amelia and Ginny looked at each other and said one word at the same time: "Maya."
They creeped up to the window, now aware not to make any noise. Then, they slowly and carefully lifted their heads so that just the top and their eyes were shown, and peeped through the window.
What they saw nearly made Ginny shriek again, but in a different way. The last time was shock, this time it was fear.
The person they were assuming was Maya was lighting candles on a kind of shrine... which had sticks arranged in the word 'VOLDEMORT' at the top. There was a wooden figurine in between the candles. It showed a man with a snake curling around his body, the man was smiling and he had the features more of a snake, than that of a man. This half man half snake was obviously Voldemort himself. She was humming a ferocious tune, her lips sometimes forming words they did not understand. She arranged something on a shelf nearby, then she turned to the shrine, and kind of bowed.
"My Lord, Lord Voldemort, night and day, day and night," Her words were said in a kind of tuneful voice, very different to the scratchy one at the window. "Maya Greenword is truly faithful, unlike those other dunderheads who left when you died... oh, 'twas a terrible day." She then got up and almost went to the window, where Amelia and Ginny ducked and luckily were not seen, but then went to a corner of the room. Amelia looked there and gasped. Ginny mouthed 'What?' and Amelia mouthed back 'Look.'
Ginny turned. In the corner, was a dead body. This Maya person was cutting off a part of the dead person, but then Ginny realised it wasn't dead. She looked closely and saw an eyelid flutter, then a muffled noise from the mouth came out, and its eyes opened fully, shockingly looking around. The person was in a great deal of pain, muffled noises were coming from its mouth and its face was set in one of painful structure. Amelia was closing her eyes, not wanting to see the person in its terrible state. Ginny looked closer, not because she wanted to see someone mutilated, but because the person seemed familiar, even though they were hurt so much. She looked closer. The person was tall, even though sitting down... he was dressed shabbily... dusty coloured hair... and then it fainted. The body turned limp, and Ginny looked away, shuddering. A name flickered across her brain, but it was too quick for her to catch it.
Meanwhile, Maya was putting the person's body part in front of the Voldemort shrine, and obviously giving it as an offering.
"Great Lord Voldemort, I give Mr. Lupin's hand to you as a sacrifice, just as I gave you Miss Minos' heart a little while back." She smiled cruelly. "Please enjoy."
When Ginny heard the last name 'Minos', she flinched. That was Zilde's last name. Maya Greenword had given Zilde's heart as a sacrifice to Voldemort on that stupid shrine.
Then, she was giving Remus Lupin's hand to the shrine! The beloved Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, whom Harry loved the most, out of many people. Ginny thought it best to just keep that under her hat for now, she didn't want to earn any more grief.
Ginny tapped Amelia on the shoulder, Amelia opened her eyes. Ginny mouthed 'Let's go.' and they did so.
What they had seen through the window of the cabin absolutely convinced them that Maya Greenword was evil. Especially Ginny, who had been recieving dream sequences from her most of the year. But what did James Potter, Harry's father, have anything to do with it? One of her first dreams with Maya in it had someone saying something like "Oh, you're getting married to James! What does Remus think?". Remus Lupin. His hand. James Potter. Killed by Voldemort, along with Lily Potter. There was some kind of link between the two, and Sirius Black being put stuck Azkaban guilty, then escaping later on, and Peter Pettigrew killed, supposedly by Sirius Black. It was all very convenient. Almost too convenient.
But wasn't James married to Lily? ... This all seemed very deadly to Ginny. Something was covered up very efficiently.
As she sat at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, the dinner was being served. Dumbledore was sitting at head table with the other teachers, along with the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Magnayon. She was a bright and happy teacher, and taught her subject with much presision.
Ginny couldn't eat her food. To know what a half-dead person looked like was a scarring thing. Especially to know that one of her best friends was killed just so an important body part could be stacked on some stupid box. Amelia didn't eat that day either, she occasionally felt sick at the sight of blood, so that was her excuse.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked Amelia, who was sitting next to him. "You look all pale."
"I- I just feel a bit sick, is all." Amelia said, looking at her food. "I don't want to eat tonight."
"You're not starving yourself, are you?" Hermione asked, from across the table. "Look, you've already got a fabulous figure--"
"No, it's not that, I just, I don't feel like eating. I feel sick."
"Hmm. If you say so.." She said, casting a wary look over her.
Ginny was startled that they hadn't payed any attention to her. Ah well. She was used to it, after all. She looked over at the Slytherin table. Draco Malfoy caught her eye, and did a small wave. Ginny did the same, and two Slytherin girls looked at her weirdly. They leaned over and said something to Pansy Parkinson, and she moved over and sat next to Draco. Pansy glared at Ginny and kissed Draco on the cheek. Draco looked at Pansy and said something that Ginny didn't hear, but looked rude. He then looked around at Ginny and shook his head as if to say 'That didn't mean anything'. Ginny raised her eyebrows, and went back to her food, but then she remembered that she didn't feel like eating, and just sat.
She was awoken from her small daze by Neville, who walked around and sat in the chair next to her. Hermione looked at him like he was something Crookshanks had just dragged in, he had made a move on her last year and she hadn't responded happily.
"What?" She asked venomously, even though Neville was sitting next to Ginny, and not her.
Neville gave a little squeak. "Nothing." He gulped. Neville was obviously quite scared of Hermione now, as she had slapped him across the face and done the binding charm on him when he had had a go at her. "There are no other seats, I was late from Snape..." he said very quickly, and Hermione directed softer eyes towards Ron.
"Shot down, eh?" Ginny asked delicately.
"Don't remind me." Neville said. He'd had a massive crush on Hermione since around third year, or so the rumour went, so he was obviously heartbroken. Ginny had danced with him at the Yule Ball, and that was after Hermione had refused him, so he had been pretty traumatised after that. Ginny had to console him for half the night, and eventually his spirits had brightened when he drank some butterbeer, but that usually happened anyway.
"There there, Longbottom." Ginny said, absentmindedly picking at her food. "You know she won't leave Ron though, so you have to find someone else. What about Parvati?" Ginny knew Parvati didn'y have a current boy of the moment, and it did seem mean, but it just suited for some reason.
"Hell no. She's Satan." They shared a laugh.
After dinner, Ginny went back to her dorm with Amelia, and Amethyst and Sarah at their heels, chatting mindlessly while making their way up the spiral staircase.
"Isn't that hairstyle, like, last season or something?" Sarah asked, commenting on an actress in a current movie released. Sarah had been transferred from California, America the previous year. Dumbledore's latest idea was that students from foreign countries came to study at Hogwarts to give the pupils a broader mindspan of life. Sarah, with her beach blonde hair, blue eyes and tanned skin looks, was the item of controversy about Gryffindor house. She didn't seem brave enough to kill a spider, nor valiant at all. Amelia supposed she was in the crimson house because she had the guts to wax her eyebrows.
They all trooped up to the dorm. Ginny did a sort of tango dance to her bed, which Amelia laughed at and flopped on hers. There was another girl in the fifth year female Gryffindor dorms, but she was only seen half the time, and Ginny had the impression that she was either a werewolf, vampire or something else.
As Ginny was searching around her pillows to look for her wand, her hand clasped on something papery. She pulled it up from being hidden in between the sheets and pillows, and saw, to her surprise, it was an old letter from Draco that she hadn't bothered to put away. She didn't remember leaving it there, and clumsily folded it back into a cardboard box in her drawer.
"Love letters, eh, Gin?" Amethyst asked angelically.
Ginny's face flushed. "N-No. And don't call me Gin, I'm scared that you'll suffocate me with your ego."
Amelia laughed again, and mumbled 'silly sows' into her pillow.
"Well, whoopdeedoo, Gin's got a guy and Amelia's got an insult." Sarah said.
"Shut up, snotbum." Amelia declared, and Ginny and her giggled like mad.
"Ugh, you are like, SO immature." And Sarah and Amethyst went on doing what they should have been doing: organising their wardrobe for the next day.
Relief waved over Ginny like a tsunami. Even though what she had seen and heard in the cabin in the woods was disturbing, she had gotten over it more quickly than she had expected. It was a week since they had seen Maya in person, and their hatred for her grew almost every day, even though Amelia had no idea who Zilde Minos was, nor Professor Lupin. The fog outside was getting thicker, to their dismay, and a farfetched plan was working its way in Ginny's mind.
She got a piece of parchment out from her drawer, a quill, and some ink, and began to write.
Draco,
This's Gin. How are you? I'm okay. I want to propose a plan. Would you be able to help me on a mystery? Me and Mill've just found out that there's some kinda evil plan going on.. I'm not saying that you're experienced with these matters, but anyone can help, and I'd rather you than Ron and Hermione ogling each other and getting us killed. Maybe Harry too? I want you two to get along for once. We found a portal to this person called Maya Greenword's house in a forest or something and she had a shrine to You-Know-Who, and she cut of Prof. Lupin's hand and she killed my friend! So I want you to help! There's no obligation, and I'll give you more details later, but it's all just a bit puzzling now and we need help! I know Harry'll help, cause he'll do anything Mill tells him to (she's so compelling) and I'm hoping you will because, you know why.
Love,
Ginny.
P.S. Pansy Parkinson is a bimbo.
When it was finished, Ginny raced out of the dorm with Amelia questioning, down the spiral staircase, and then skidded to a stop at the boy's dorms. By luck, or cue, Hedwig was perched on the railing next to the Sixth year male Gryffindor dorms. Ginny smiled at the bird, and it gave a low hoot in reply.
"Hooo..." Hedwig said, her eyes half-closing and her wings ruffling.
"Hi Hedwig.." Ginny said softly. "Can you do me a favour?"
"Hoot." She hooted.
"I'm taking that as a yes. Can you deliver this letter to Draco Malfoy in the Sixth year male Slytherin dorms? Can you put it on the end of his bed?"
"Hooooo." She looked sourly at Ginny, and she had an overwhelming sense of deja vu.
"Oh, come on, why do all these owls have a grudge on Draco? What did he do to you? Oh, I get it, you're jealous of his eagle!"
"Hoot!" She said, obviously offended. She flew and snatched the letter from Ginny's hand in her beak, and flew off.
"I knew that'd work." Ginny sighed, smiling proudly.
By the time the letter was replied, Ginny was fast asleep, and the letter was laid on her chest. When she sniffily woke up, it gave her a fright, because she hadn't expected a reply so soon. She unfolded the sheet, sneezed off to the side, wiped her nose, and commenced reading.
Hi Gin,
I'm good. A mystery, eh? Maybe. But I have to admit, I have no idea what you're talking about. Evil plans? Sounds like something Potter and his minions/friends would associate with. Whereas, if this person has killed various other people, then she (I'm assuming it's a she) should be warned about. If she's one of those Voldemort followers who doesn't accept that the bastard's dead, then that's bad too. She's probably gone mad, if so. Professor Lupin was a good teacher, even if he made a sweeping fashion statement. Are you sure it was him? And about your friend, my deepest condolances. I'll help you, and I'll try not to offend Potter either. Are Ron and Hermione going to help too? I'll be outnumbered, but I don't mind. Oh, and I agree about Pansy Parkinson, I never really liked her. She bribed me to dance with her at the Yule Ball back in fourth year, but that's another story.
You too,
~Draco.
Upon reading this, Ginny got up and dressed (Amelia was still asleep, and Ginny left her there), and headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast. With Crookshanks hurrying along behind her for reasons unknown, Hermione rushed down the staircase to catch up with Ginny.
"Ginny, Ginny!" She called after her, stumbling down a few stairs, holding onto the rail.
"Hermione? What?" Ginny asked, flicking her hair over her shoulder.
"I've just recieved an owl from Viktor ... Ron went mad over it ... I need help ..." Her tone of voice was rushed, and she seemed to be fighting to get the words out.
"Ron's not that possessive, he'll get over it." Ginny said.
"B-but he seems really pissed off!" Hermione spoke, sounding more like a mouse than the confident and intelligent person she was.
"Leave him to himself for a while. I repeat, he'll get over it. Just wait a bit."
"Okay, thanks! Walk to breakfast with me?" She asked meekly.
"Sure." Ginny shrugged. "So, what did the letter say?"
"It said," She pulled it out of her pocket. "I miss you a lot, my Hermione. Bulgaria is good. We are winning in our Quidditch matches. How is Hogwarts?"
Ginny listened on, as Hermione repeated what was in the letter. It ended with a short 'I miss you, lots of love from Viktor'.
"And that's it." Hermione said shortly, as they were nearing the Hall. She folded the letter back into her pocket. "What d'you think?"
"Er, I don't know. It's too early in the morning." She glanced at Hermione, who smiled, and pushed the doors of the Hall open.
They strolled over to the Gryffindor table, Ginny looking around and, not seeing Draco anywhere, sat down. Ron was sitting at the other end of the long table looking sorrowfully into his porridge.
Hermione was silent, but looked over at him sadly.
"He's sulking." Ginny said. She knew her brother's moods like the back of her hand. "Give him a day, he'll come begging."
Today they were excused from their classes, because it was the final Quidditch match of the season. On the last two, Ginny had been too busy with homework, so she missed it, to her dismay. Ravenclaw had won against Slytherin, and Gryffindor had won against Hufflepuff. Today, Gryffindor would be playing against Ravenclaw.
"I just hope he isn't this bad on the field." Hermione said, worried.
Ron was a good beater, and with George as the other one (Fred had quit, deciding he had better things to do), they were a good team. Harry was co-leader of the team, along with a seventh year girl.
"He's looking really annoyed." Hermione was feeling guilty, even though Ron's mood had nothing really to do with her.
"Ugh, just let him get over himself and he'll be good as new." Ginny said, lowering a forkful of scrambled egg.
"We'll kill those Ravenclaws, won't we, Gin?" Amelia asked, suddenly popping up from behind. "I went to the other Gryffindor game, but I watched the Ravenclaw and Slytherin one from afar... they're looking good, and I'm afraid we'll lose!"
"Oh, they're a pushover, don't worry about them, Mill." Hermione said. "Ron'll do well." She shot a last glance down the table at Ron, who was joined by Harry. He was still moping. Hermione sniffed. "Well, I'm just going to get ready now." And she went.
"What's wrong with Hermione?" Amelia asked, suddenly interested.
"Oh, she got a letter from Viktor Krum-"
"Oooooh, THE Viktor Krum?" Amelia squealed.
"Yes. Her old spouse. Anyway, they left each other because it was a long-distance relationship and-"
"They were dating?"
"Yes, and-"
"Oooooooooooooh!"
"Let me finish! Anyway, Krum wrote to Hermione, and Ron read it, and it said all this stuff that he didn't like and now he's all annoyed about it." Ginny shrugged, as if to say that she didn't know why Hermione was stressing over the subject. "You seem more excited over Krum than Harry." Ginny swiftly added.
"Oh, MY Harry, you mean." She winked. "Oh, well, I've always been a fan of the Bulgaria team since we went there with Dad. I s'pose I'm one of their biggest fans... but anyway, he's my fave wizarding sportsperson."
"Ick, that team sucks. The Cannons have been our team for ages..."
They finished their humble breakfast, and went back to the dorm. Amelia wanted to get the flag she had prepared for the match.
It was a brilliant red number, with 'FOREVER GRYFFINDOR' painted on in copperplate writing at the top, and a picture of a Ravenclaw blackbird looking sad, with a big anime sweatdrop on its head, and the Gryffindor lion jumping up and down with joy, with a broom in his right hand and the cup in his other. It was, overall, a very splendid job. A very colourful snitch was flying around the top, its movement catching Ginny's eye.
"That's fantastic. Artist, Milly darling?" Ginny said, still surveying the lion gloating to the blackbird, who was throwing a massive tantrum on the ground.
"Non, Madamoiselle Virginia.."
"Ick, don't call me that!"
They walked down to the Quidditch field, which was magically moved from its original place to the side of the castle, so that it didn't spoil the view of the lake and the Forbidden Forest. It was a longer walk this way, but it was nearer to the Quidditch sheds and supply places.
Ginny, Amelia, Parvati, Lavender, and Hermione all walked down to the field. Fred had walked down to the commentating place with Lee, helping with the magical microphones.
They took their seats, attaching the banner on the railing separating the seating from the action. Dumbledore sat, with Professor Snape and Hagrid, at the head of the field. He was looking pale, and even from this far away, Ginny could see dark circles under his eyes. A small portion of the fog was spilling over the field, and Dumbledore, Hagrid, Filch and Snape had decided to ignore it, deciding it just because of the weather (even though it was supposed to be Spring at the moment).
"I hope Gryffindor wins," Parvati said, bouncing up and down excitedly in her seat, her hands balled up and at her chin. "I hope Harry catches the snitch, and little miss priss Cho Chang falls off her broom in frustration!"
Hermione bristled, but said nothing.
Lavender and Amelia giggled.
Ginny sat, watching to see if she could see any of her friends in the moving crowd.
She saw Hikari, but she was walking with the boy she was talking to ages ago, and seemed a bit distracted. Persephone was nowhere to be seen, although Ginny supposed she was still getting to the venue. Seamus, Dean and Neville sat behind them in the process.
It seemed like a short time, but in around five minutes Madam Hooch had blown her whistle, and the match had started.
"Off we go," Lee started, in a semi-slow voice which got faster as he went along. "Weasley bats the ball at Dickory... narrow miss, there, Ronny."
While all this was happening, Harry was sitting atop the moving blue and red figures, surveying the landscape, and also, looking for the tiny, winged, golden snitch. He saw a flurry of gold that looked like the snitch, but it turned out to be Katie Bell's hair ribbons on her braids. This annoyed him. But, he went on searching, nonetheless. A bludger hurtled past his face like a bat out of hell a second later, and he cursed himself for lingering so long. It was getting hard to see through the light folds of fog that lingered around.
"Close one there, Potter, mate." Lee said, with Professor McGonagall glaring at him for talking too personally. "Wait-- Eddimus gets past Biggs... Ravenclaw score." He sounded a bit disappointed on the last sentence, the Ravenclaw portion of the crowd went crazy, and the rest cheered, but the Gryffindors clapped politely, the odd complaint issued every now and then.
"UN-FAIR!!" Neville yelled, almost in Amelia's ear. She turned around and hit his shoulder to shut him up. Ginny frowned. Harry wasn't doing much, he seemed to be just looking around. Cho, however, was darting to and fro, watching everyone else energetically.
Harry looked over at Cho. He used to like her a whole lot, but then the liking just died, and went away somewhere. She sure was good at Quidditch.
He whipped his head around to see a red blur go past his arm. Memories from second year scattered across his mind, but he ignored them, and went on searching. The fog was getting a little bit thicker, to what it was a few minutes ago. He decided to do what Cho was doing, and actually look, instead of survey from afar.
"And Potter's started getting his groove on, I mean, he's started moving. Quick score check: Gryffindor, 20, Ravenclaw, 30. Ravenclaw lead-"
"JORDAN! Get on with it!" Professor McGonagall screeched at his procrastination, her voice bursting into the megaphone.
"Okay, okay, okay..." He cleared his throat, and went on. "Bell passes to Johnson, Johnson to Spinnet, YES! We have another point to Gryffindor which evens out the score! Whoohoo! I have to admit, the Ravenclaws are being very well-mannered in this game..." Lee went on.
Silently, the ghost girl named Callista burst into form next to Ginny. She held a glamour over herself, so no-one could see her. Several white feathers flew around, but she gathered them up and put them back in her pocket messily. She was here to watch the match, not be discovered. "Whoo," She said, watching the players darting around. "I haven't been to a game for ages! I wonder who won the Australia vs. Spain match in 1998..."
"GO RON!!" Hermione screeched, to which Amelia yelled "GO HARRY!!". Callista jumped at the noise. Ginny frowned. Something in the air was tightening up, like a rubber band twisting and twisting until it snaps.
And then, she saw Cho darting to the ground. Harry looked around at her, but looked back with a slight chuckle. Even Ginny saw this coming. Harry had done it himself, in an earlier match, speeding to the ground pretending he saw the snitch, when he really hadn't, and just made the opposition follow him and end up in confusion. But wait...
"Oh my GOD!" Hermione yelled, at the top of her voice, ending the silence that everybody held their breath with. Parvati and Lavender looked up at her in question. Hermione could say no more. Ravenclaw cheers filled the field.
"THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!" Lee screamed into the megaphone. "THIS REALLY, REALLY CAN'T BE HAPPENING!"
Callista shrugged. "Oh well. It was going to happen anyway." And with that, she flicked her hand, and she materialised back in the Skyward Temple.
Even Professor McGonagall was speechless. She was faintly moving her hands around, her mouth open wide. She did nothing to stop Lee violently swearing into the microphone.
"Ravenclaw... Chang... catches the snitch." He said, in obvious defeat and shame. "Ravenclaw win. With 180 points, to... 40." He then sniffed, gasped, and as he switched off the megaphone, many people could hear agonized sobs.
Professor McGonagall was sitting on the ground, her robe flapped about, in obvious sadness. Her hat was sitting in front of her, squashed, as she had stomped on it minutes beforehand.
Hermione and Amelia were hugging each other, looking kind of frightened. Hermione was pale, and Amelia's face was looking slightly green.
Parvati was still sitting down, her head in her hands.
Lavender and Ginny were both standing up, watching Cho circle the field with happiness and pride. They both looked, and felt, dead. Behind them, Neville, Seamus, and Dean were screaming 'NO!' in unison. Seamus toppled over, and sat down floppily.
The cup was given to Cho, on the podium. She sat on the shoulders of the team captain, Benaige Lovet, and held the cup up, its golden exterior shining in the misty sun. Her face was a picture of ecstasy, this being both her last year at Hogwarts, and her first big win at Quidditch. Ginny kind of half-smiled, seeing her so happy. She looked to her lap, and found a single, pure white feather.
In the midst of all this, Harry had flown to the ground, and fell to the grass, landing on all fours. His hair dripped with sweat, and flipped down his forehead, concealing his scar. His glasses slipped off his nose, and also landed on the ground. One silent tear ran a trail down his nose and dropped to the ground. He hastily wiped his nose, tousled his hair to make it look more normal, and put his glasses back on. He looked to the mass of Ravenclaw bodies that was the crowd adoring their Quidditch team. They sounded and looked very happy indeed. He shakily stood up. Angelina, Katie and Alicia were all huddled, and they all seemed to be crying as well. They were all talking in low and depressed voices. George and Ron were running to Harry, and he looked to them as they neared.
"Harry-" Ron said, but didn't finish, as he saw his eyes glistening.
"Look, Hazza, don't worry about it." George said reassuringly, over the din. "It doesn't matter. We've won lots of times before. You're the one who's given us those wins. You're allowed to lose once or twice."
"Thanks." Harry said shortly. "I appreciate it." A small tear drooped down near his eye, and he wiped it away.
"We don't mind if you're crying. It's not illegal." Ron said. His eyes were glazed over too, but he was fighting not to let the tears slip.
"Look at yourselves!" George said. "It's only a loss."
"Yeah, only a loss! Idiot!" Harry leaned forward and shoved George by the shoulders. He staggered back, but did not reply to Harry's invitation.
"Oh, please." He said, then stalked off the field.
"I hate to say this, but you shouldn't have done that." Ron said. He was mentally debating whether to stay with Harry or go and talk to George. He decided upon neither. "I'm going to go and see Elysium. Please try and feel better." Ron started off towards the new Keeper, Luccia Elysium (a French exchange student), the person who had won the role of captain instead of Harry.
Harry wiped his eyes again, got himself together, and went over to the Ravenclaws. The crowd parted at his steps, and he walked to the podium, calmly, rationally, and held out his hand for Cho to shake. Cho took it lightly, and femininely smiled, batting her eyelashes at him. She moved her hand, then took it back, with the same graceful movement she used to put it there. Harry smiled weakly back.
"Good game," She purred, getting down from Lovet's shoulders. "I'm sorry I had to do that to you."
"You too. Luccia thinks losing character building, so it's okay with me." Harry roughly replied, lying through his teeth.
The crowd had gone silent. They were all straining to hear Cho and Harry's conversation. Off in the distance, the sound of Hagrid blowing his nose into his giant handkerchief could be heard.
"If I could, I'd give the cup to Gryffindor," She whispered, leaning close. "But I can't, so I won't." She gave Harry a quick kiss on the cheek, and Harry smiled and thanked her, then walked away. Calls of 'Oooo-oooooo!' could be heard as he went.
His spirits were slightly higher than they were before, as he trotted to the change rooms. No more tears, he thought. He then grinned to himself, even though such a loss was quite intimidating. Harry only wished that no-one would be in the change rooms so he could have a bit of privacy.
He turned the corner, and stopped, mid-step.
Draco Malfoy leaned in the doorframe, his long, slender figure stretched out, and his elbow touching the door. "Hi." He said.
"Er, hi, Malfoy." He looked suspiciously at him. "What do you want?"
"I want to talk to you." He said. Harry was surprised not to hear an insult of any kind.
"Why aren't you insulting me with every second word?" Harry voiced his concern.
"Because I want to offer a proposition." Draco said lazily, sustaining a yawn.
"Fine. Explain. Then get out of the way." Harry put his hands on his hips, and frowned.
"Me and Gin, well, we really like each other." He stopped to look at Harry's face. "I don't necessarily know how you feel about that, but I'm sure you won't like it. We may well seem like a pretty unbelievable couple, but, well, as you can see in Weasley and Granger's case, opposites attract, I suppose."
"What's your point?" Harry asked rudely.
"I want you to apologise for all the mean and nasty stuff you've done to me over the years."
"What?! Me?! I haven't done anything! It was all retaliating!" Harry was starting to lose the happiness he had gained before. "You said Ron was a peasant, Hermione was a mudblood with large teeth, and Hagrid was an oaf! I haven't done anything!"
"You'll get an apology in return, I assure you."
"I should very well think so!"
"Stress less, take a chill pill."
"Well, you say sorry first." Harry shrugged.
"Fine with me. Okay, I'm sorry for everything I've said or done in the past years of school." He held out his hand. "Friends?"
"Well, I wouldn't call it that. Oh, yeah, and the same thing goes for me too." Harry took Draco's hand. It felt a bit cold. He let it go.
"Good. Now I'll explain. Ginny and Amelia have seen many things, possibly more horrifying than you've seen in all your wussy adventures around this school and with Voldemort and the Death Eaters and everything." His voice tone was coated with ice, and he began all that Ginny had told him, while Harry listened in silence. Draco still leaned in the doorframe of the boys' Quidditch changing rooms, and his voice reverberated around the room. Harry wished he had chosen a more isolated place. But still, he listened in silence. His mouth opened and closed at different intervals, but however weird or frightening the details, he said nothing. When Draco had finished, there was more silence from Harry.
He broke it. "So.. you're telling me that Professor Lupin is dead, he's been tortured, and his hand's on some goddamned Voldemort shrine?"
"You heard right. I don't understand it either."
"Oh my God. I... don't believe it. That job really is cursed..." He put a hand to his forehead, his thumb and middle finger resting on his temples. More tears threatened to release themselves, but he restrained them, and went on. "Why didn't Ginny say anything to anyone? She usually voices her opinion..."
"She told me. And Amelia was with her. They've probably discussed it a thousand times."
"Why are you telling this to me?"
"Think of this as a kind of quest. It's going to be hard, and if father ever finds out, I'm a dog's breakfast. But, nevertheless, I'd rather live in times like now, than with some weird person ruling the wizarding world." He sighed. "Ginny and I have an understanding. We've decided that we're going to go after this sicko lady, and most likely destroy the bitch."
"Oh, lovely. You want Ron and Hermione in on this too?"
"No. I'll be outnumbered." He almost laughed as he remembered he'd said that before, but he stopped, so that his iciness would not melt. "Amelia's going to help as well. We'll basically be re-acting a Scooby Doo episode--"
"Did you watch that show?" Harry interrupted.
"Yes. Anyway, Ginny says it's got fog, and it's a dark, scary forest. And that the psycho lady, Maya, I think her name was, lives in some ugly, wooden cabin in the forest."
"Okay, give me the details some other time. Maybe in an owl? I dunno. Let me past now."
Draco stepped aside, and, with a fancy twirl of his hand, bowed. "There you go, Harry Potter, my friend."
Harry chuckled. "I wouldn't call it that, my friend." He headed into the change rooms, and Draco walked off.
-To be continued...-
Fanfiction
Author's Note:
Dum dee dee... I completed this with school AND homework! I'm so proud of myself... I hope you like this chapter. I kind of liked writing it. I rushed the Quidditch scene. I don't like writing Quidditch matches. I need to practise, don't I? Oh well. Add me on AIM, if you have the program. Me name's 'Anna the Aussie', without the quotation marks, of course. Hm. Well. Err, reviews are always appreciated. ^_^ And if I get any complaints about Draco, and that he wouldn't be friends with Harry ever, then go and eat green beans and potatoes. It's part of the storyline, so accept it, or ignore it. Thanks.