Ginny, Harry, Hermione, Ron and Amelia squatted, hidden, behind the outer wall of the Astronomy Tower, watching the second most evil and powerful entity in the world at that very moment. A large, red crucifix was standing right next to the tower, and was directed at Harry.
"I don't like this very much..." He whispered, looking at the others meaningfully.
"Neither," Amelia said. And at that very moment, her eyes turned wide and glassy, and she spoke in a weird, almost robotic voice. "I know what to do. I'll be going."
"Let me come too-" Hermione started, but Amelia poked her in the shoulder.
"I can go by myself." She said, and stood up. Ginny winced, and was sure that Maya Greenword (who was circling the red crucifix at the moment) would see her and kill her in an instant. "See you guys later." And she dropped herself down the ladder that led to the landing that they were on at the moment. As soon as she left, Ginny immediately felt vunerable.
Since the start of the 'evil Maya Greenword' fiasco, she had been feeling more tense and stressed out than ever before. The last fifteen minutes they had spent hidden up at the top of the Astronomy Tower was hell for her, but it must have been worse for Harry, being told that someone wanted to nail him to a cross. Ginny wished, like she had a few weeks ago, but more this time, that Draco was up here with them. He must have seen the crucifix that was erected in the middle of the grounds. Maybe he was looking for her right now? Maybe Amelia was going to look for him? What if he was put into slow motion as well as everyone else? But asking 'what if's and 'maybe's was useless. They had to take action. Ginny's face grew stern and concentrated.
"Look, we have to get this into action." She said, in such an angry tone that surprised even her. "Hermione, Ron, go to the library, even the Restricted Section, it doesn't matter. Find a powerful spell, and jot down how to do it. Now." They flinched at her voice, and hobbled off, their backs hunched so they wouldn't be seen over the wall. "Harry..." Ginny said, but didn't finish.
"I know what to do." He nodded. "Maybe this time it'll be different, though, since I've got an accomplice with me." He smiled, though it looked a bit forced. "We'll be okay."
Ginny's lip trembled. "I hope so." She said, whilst a tear welled in her eye and slipped down her cheek. This was a sudden change of heart, and Ginny was yet again surprised at herself. She was too wound up. Harry brushed the tear away and spoke in a hushed voice.
"Gin..."
A clunking sound from behind them made Harry jump, and Ginny wheel around. Draco was scooting his way towards them, on his hands and knees. He looked at Harry a bit suspiciously, but nevertheless, nodded to him in a greeting.
"You're not...?" Ginny warbled, wiping her eyes and moving to Draco. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and they hugged each other.
"No, I'm not affected by the slow-motion charm. Neither are you guys, I see... what're you doing up here?" He asked, looking at Harry in particular, as if bursting to say something offensive, but holding the words in.
"The rest were up here, but they went." Ginny said, quietly, into Draco's neck. "Oh, and keep your voice down... she," She pointed at the powerful-looking Maya Greenword, who was still circling the crucifix, chanting unheard words. "Might hear you."
"Oh. Cool." Draco said. "How're you going?" He asked towards Harry.
"Er, fine." Harry wasn't yet quite used to his and Draco's friendship, though their tempers sparked against each others' every odd minute, they had found a good friendship in each other, even though they had been rivals since first year. It seemed like a hundred years ago when they had first met.
"Alright, even though this bitch of a woman just proclaimed to the whole of Hogwarts that she wants to nail me to that cross over there." He looked to his knees. "Quite shocking. I wish she'd sod off."
"Ouch," Draco said. "That's gotta sting. Anything I can do?"
"Stay with us," Ginny said, looking into his eyes. Harry looked around the other way and pretended to be busy watching Maya still swivelling around her gigantic cross. "We're waiting until Ron and Hermione find a powerful enough spell, at least, I think we are."
"Where did Amelia go?" Draco asked, his eyes darkening.
"We dunno, she just left..." Harry said.
"I thought she went to find you." Ginny added.
"Nah, I saw her running down the corridor as I was coming up here to find you, I tried to stop her, but she pushed me into the wal. Really hard, too." He rubbed his lower back. "I figured if she's in such a bad mood, I may as well not talk to her." Draco said, sounding a bit arrogant.
"Hmm," Harry mumbled. "Should we act now?"
"I dunno..." Draco said. "it might be wise, but then again, you never know. This psycho could be able to read thoughts."
Ginny shivered. She wondered if there was any way of tracking what level her power was. Hermione and Ron should have found out and jotted it down by now.
"Ron!" Hermione screeched. "Don't pull that one! Look for ones on evil entities! Dark powers! Ugh..." She put a hand to her forehead, and felt dizzy. Hermione wasn't usually this frantic.
"Yeah, yeah, keep your knickers on..." Ron said hurriedly, pulling a random book from the Reestricted Section. A slow-motion Madam Pince was yelling at them, but they couldn't hear her words because she was talking too slow, so they just ignored her. "Ooh, what about this one?" He picked one up, entitled 'Yep, That Monster's Evil. What Should We Do??'. "You could help, you know..."
"I am helping, you idiot! Mentorism!" She yelled, to which Ron frowned.
"You could help with the books, if you can..." He snapped.
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
"Listen, Hermione, we're just fighting because we're under stress. Can we please just find a curse and be done with it? Ginny and Harry are up in the tower, and I don't really trust them to take action." He said, with a reasonable tone.
"Good idea. I'm sorry." Hermione said.
"That's alright. Now, let's have a look at these books, shall we?"
"Eureka!" Ron shouted, jumping up and brandishing a book in his hand. "I've got it!"
"...Archemedes..." Hermione mumbled.
"No, a book!" He shouted again. "'Top Ten Curses To Kill An Evil Entity'!! Whoohoo!"
"Ohh..." Hermione's eyes turned bright, and she whipped the book from his hand. "Hmm... Paleficius curse... Avada Ke-- Ron! Avada Kedrava!"
"Ow." Ron said, wiping his nose, where it had started to bleed. "Be careful, would you?"
"It's that powerful..." Hermione said. "I didn't even point my wand at you. But, d'you think Harry'll mind that we're using The Spell?"
"Yeah, he might, actually. Just pinch the book and let's go up to the Astronomy Tower. Does it have instuctions on how to do the spells?" Ron asked.
"Yep... ouch, any kid in this school could be able to learn how to do The Spell, then. I'll have to talk to Madam Pince about that one." Hermione complained as they rushed out the door.
*****
"Is it just me, or are we sitting ducks out here?" Draco asked, with a bossy tone in his voice. "She could hit us at any moment."
"Thanks a lot, Einstein. Ron and Hermione'll be here in a sec." Harry said. "Then, and only then, we'll be able to act."
"I bet you were a war general in your past life..." Ginny muttered.
"I heard that." Harry snapped.
"Good." Ginny said defiantly as Draco looked helplessly from one to the other.
"I remember an old show called Red Dwarf, where this guy Arnold Rimmer got told he was one of Alexander the Great's chief eunuchs in his past life. I never thought about Alexander the Great in the same way again." Draco said, during a poisonous silence.
Soon thereafter, Ron and Hermione came to the top of the tower, with one book.
"'Top Ten Curses To Kill An Evil Entity'." Hermione panted. She then explained that they had ran all the way to the Tower.
"Cool." Harry and Draco said at the same time.
Ginny opened the book carefully. "Hmm, let's see the index. They have different curses for different types of evil entities..."
"Groundwalkers, Firebreathers, Airborne, and Swimmers. Weird, eh?" Ron said. "I guess ours is Airborne."
"Hmm, yeah." Hermione agreed. "Go to that page; page 34."
"Hokaay..." Harry breathed, frowning at the page. "We have... Avada Ke-"
"Erm, please, no. Don't say it out aloud." Ron said, with plead in his voice.
"Alrighty, then we have Dracosalutatious." Harry said, to which Draco looked proud of, because his name was in the spell. "And some other name I can't pronounce."
"Car-te-or-tyn-ra-ius. Carte Ortynraius." Hermione corrected.
"I hate to say this, but I'm going for ... Av Ked." Harry said, remembering Ron's displeasure at the name of the spell.
"I suppose that'll finish her off." Draco agreed, to which Ginny nodded in agreement.
Hermione shrugged.
"I suppose..." Ron said. "But just point your wand at the person directly, please..."
Harry raised an eyebrow.
"Well, who's the one who's going to do it?" Ginny asked. "And where in the hell did Mill go??"
"Surely we won't go to Azkaban for killing someone evil with an Unforgivable Curse. We might even be honoured." Draco said reasonably, shrugging his shoulders.
"You never know." Hermione added thoughtfully. "There could be a loophole in the bilaws."
"True." Ginny said, nodding towards Ron. "Dad's broken plenty of those. Self-writing books, wobbly wands, flying cars... claimed they were all tests, and if he didn't use them against people"
"That's beside the point." Ron butted in, offering no apology. "We need to choose a backup one, just in case the main one doesn't work. In many cases the enemy may deflect an attack..."
"Okay, he's either been playing too much Pokemon, or been listening to Hermione too much." Harry interjected, to which Ginny giggled at.
"What the hell is Pokemon? Are you all insane? Can we keep to the task at hand?" Ron asked, with desperation in his voice.
Hermione nodded in agreement, and spoke. "I've been watching her for some time, and from what I've seen, she seems pretty repetitive. Just look at the cow, circling that malicious cross like some weird psycho." They all looked over to her, and Hermione spoke again. "Oh, wait, she is a psycho. My mistake."
"Are we going to do Avada Kedrava or what?" Draco asked angrily, obviously impatient. "I want her to stop this damned spell, and I want her to be gone. We had such a peaceful year, everything just has to happen while the exams are about to take place. I need to study, dammit..."
"Draco..." Ginny almost whispered, taking a hold of his arm. He quietened down, and looked at her.
"DOMINUS SALUTAT SERVUM." Maya roared suddenly, making them jump. Her voice was illuminated on the wind, and echoed in itself, whilst being very loud also. "SERVUS SALUTAT DOMINUM."
Dirty, brown corpses rose from the ground. Ginny realised Peter Pettigrew, Mr. Crouch's son, and many other supporters of Voldemort who were executed in Azkaban. They all bowed down to Maya, and started chanting 'servus salutat dominum', like their master.
"Er- do you want me to contact..." Ginny swallowed the tears that sprang to her eyes. "Grandma?"
"What?" Ron swung around. "Our Grandma?"
"Yes." Ginny nodded sincerely.
"If you think it'll help..." And he sniffed down tears of sadness as well. All of the Weasley family missed their grandmother very much.
Ginny immediately put her hands to her forehead, and focussed on contacting Anastasia Weasley, repeating the required minds over and over in her head. Once she heard the bell sound in her mind, she reached out towards the soul she was trying to contact, with tears welled in her eyes.
"Grandma?" Ginny asked, her inner voice shaky yet confident.
"Ginny?" An elderly, feminine voice replied. "Ginny!" She repeated, as if confirming. "How are you? I haven't spoken to you in a long time..."
Ginny burst into tears, and felt an arm shift around her shoulder. "H-hello..."
"Oh, don't cry, your friends are looking at you." Ginny felt, rather than saw, her grandmother's smile. "Are you wanting advice on how to tarnish Ms. Greenword?"
"Yes, Grandma." Ginny said. "We're thinking of Avada Kedrava, but..."
"Don't worry. Ronny and Hermione'll stay at the top of the tower. Harry's parents will be protecting him. I'll be protecting you. We'll do the spells."
Ginny stifled another sob, which came out in a hiccup. "Protecting us with what? A force field? How will you help? What spell are you using?" Questions tumbled out of her mind like a waterfall spilling water. Ginny felt a barrier closing around her psychic field. "We don't have much time to talk... I'm losing the psychic connection..."
"One, everyone in the Temple is rooting for you. Two, we'll be protecting you with a kind of makeshift shield. Three, we use our inner psychi, not spells, we are not allowed to use aggressive spells up here. Four, tell everyone to stay calm. Five, I love you." And as the connection snapped in two, Ginny could do nothing but wipe her eyes and feel the ripping of the psychic cables in her mind. There was silence on the other end of the line.
"Are you alright?" Draco's voice in a caring tone asked, leaning over.
"Fine." Was her reply, as he kissed her cheek and worried some more. "She told us to get to action. Ron-" She pointed at him and Hermione. "You two stay up here, away from danger. Call it Skyward intervention. Me and Harry're going down there."
Harry looked around. "We are?"
"Yes." Ginny's choky, strong voice replied.
"What about me?"
Draco's question reverberated around each of the other teenagers, sitting in a circle now.
"You can come with me." Ginny said. "Grandma'd let you come, afterall, you are my..." She coughed, not wanting to say the obvious word. "She'll happily accommodate you, I'm sure. And you're of good use, too, cause you've got good Dark senses." Ginny smiled at him, to which he smiled back.
"Come on, let's go." Harry said, his voice slightly shaky.
"Yep." Ginny said.
"Alrighty then." Draco got a hold of Ginny's hand, and squeezed.
"Break a leg, you guys!" Ron said. Hermione nodded, looking very pale and nervous.
"Wait, can I have a word with Ginny for one second?" Draco asked, while the rest looked at him as if he was insane. "In private?"
"Sure." Harry and Ron said, both annoyed and very edgy.
Once they were out of earshot, Draco turned to Ginny, and flicked a strand of hair out of his eye. "Erm, Gin."
"Yes?" She asked, with a weak smile.
"My ginger-haired friend, you look very nervous." He said it with unnecessary care, yet it still sounded like a half-insult.
"Well, I am, considering the circumstances..." She tamed her hair by pushing it behind her ears. "You look quite calm. Except your voice is kind of shaky."
"Thanks." He said dryly. "Anyway, I'd like you to have this." He plucked something from his pocket, and produced a small golden trinket, in an obsure shape, almost like a maple leaf. "It's meant to be on a necklace chain, but I keep it in my pocket. It's always given me good luck."
"But you're going down there too, you need it just as much as I do--" Ginny argued, but Draco interjected.
"Just take it, Gin. With my promise that as soon as we get out of school, I am so asking for your hand in marriage." Draco grinned slyly.
"What the...?" Ginny smiled too, but also thought that Draco was slightly overdoing it. It was a nice gesture nonetheless, and they joined together, kissing lovingly.
"Get a room, you two." Ron called from over the other side of the tower. They reluctantly parted.
Draco chuckled. "Shut up, Ronnikins."
"Hey, Ronny is tolerable but never, ever call me Ronnikins." He waggled a finger at them.
"Do you think we'd better be going?" Ginny asked Draco innocently, her voice shaking.
"I suppose." He said, his voice also wavering, but he lifted his chin high in the air, held out his arm for Ginny to hold, and spoke. "Let us go and beateth this bitcheth, Ginny my dear." He said, putting on the voice of a 17th century English nobleman.
"Thou art brave, Sir Draco!" Ginny giggled, feeling sick and trying not to worry about it. Hermione laughed, a short and forced sound. Harry, standing near the wall of the Tower laughed also, except his was natural.
"Let's eat this enchilada." He said.
Draco and Ginny nodded. As if they were thinking the same thing, the three of them hopped onto the Tower wall, and stepped off.
Hermione and Ron's startled voices were drowned by the rushing wind past their faces, whistling past their ears, whipping at their raven coloured robes, and the exhilaration of the ground become nearer and nearer. As soon as they were around two metres from the ground, they slowed down, and all stood safely on the ground, feeling a bit dizzy, but certainly awake. Draco hit the ground harder than Ginny and Harry, and his feet and spine were jolted, but he continued with them on their quest - to pursue Maya Greenword and cut off her life supply.
They approached the crucifix. She floated down towards them, her eyes glinting, mercilessly hollow and staring at the three students who dared to challenge her. She spoke, her voice much quieter than it was before.
"Children, children. Ginny Weasley, aged fifteen. Draco Malfoy, aged sixteen. And ... Harry Potter, aged sixteen also. Potter... Potter... Potter..."
They said nothing.
"Potter... Harry, son of James Potter and Lily Evans. You... you..."
They said nothing.
"You... anger me so. You deserve no such place in the Dark circle that is earth."
They said nothing, but Harry glared at her, his green eyes blazing with hatred.
"How glad my master was to slaughter your parents. How glad I will be to slaughter you."
They were still, silent. A quiet premonition flickered across Ginny's mind, but went unnoticed.
"Why do you despise me so?" Maya asked, her voice suddenly innocent and child-like.
"Guess." Harry's one word burnt through the air like a hot poker.
"Why, because you're ... afraid of me? Because ... I am more powerful than thee? Because I can kill you in one second? Oh no, it couldn't be that. Of course not. Draco Malfoy!" Her voice now changed, to a silky, seductive tone. "My, my, you're a handsome one."
"Thank-you." He spat, a harsh voice full of malevolence.
"What initially made you change from Dark to Light, eh, boy?" No answer. She looked to Ginny. "Virginia Weasley."
Ginny refused to speak, though looked Maya straight in the face.
"I've heard something about you. Was that you and your golden-haired friend, at my house? I saw you. I heard you. I sensed you. I knew you were there. You foolish girl. You never took the required precautions when approaching an entity more powerful then thyself. Insolent. Stupid. Fool."
Ginny glared at her, and when she felt an intense burning of hatred simmering inside her chest, a bright light engulfed her. Harry, beside her, was also engulfed in light, although Draco was not. He looked shocked, annoyed, but most of all vulnerable. Maya didn't seem to notice.
"High Light of the Sky!" Ginny felt herself saying. "Condemn the guilty follower... OBSCURUM PER OBSCURUS!"
Two lights beamed from Harry and Ginny's chests, and hit Maya square in the stomach. The crucifix vanished, and she dropped to the ground, her limp body flopping over.
"What's that weird light?" Ron asked.
"They're being protected..." Hermione mumbled.
There was a tapping noise behind them, but they both ignored it. Hermione sighed, but something in the corner of her eye made her look around.
"RON!!" She screeched, and he moved at just the last minute, when a blurred figure lunged at him with a glinting, silver stiletto knife.
"Jesus Christ..." He yelled. Then, they both realised who the person was.
"AMELIA!!" Hermione screeched again, putting a hand in front of her mouth.
"That's right ... hehe ... I'm going to kill you ... hehe ... hehe ..." Her eyes were dead and troll-like, her words were slurred and in a quite different tone and voice to her own.
"My God, she's been possessed." Hermione said, with a matronly, nurse-y tone. "Ron, get out of the way! Run!"
They both raced out of the Tower, Amelia close on their heels.
"When she wakes up, there's going to be hell to pay..." Ron grunted as they ran, fast down a corridor whilst students were still fleeing, very slowly, to their common rooms in fear of the giant crucifix and evil entity outside.
"Hehe ... run, imbeciles, run... hehe ..." She said, calmly, although she was running full-out.
To their surprise, they ran straight into the main doors, leading outside, and opened them. They went through, and closed them. They heard a thump. Amelia had run into the door, but didn't seem to give up.
"What's that ... banging noise?" Hermione panted.
A knife, a bigger, longer and more stronger looking one than the previous stiletto stabbed its way through the door.
"There's your answer..." Ron said.
"Listen, there's nothing we can do about this Amelia situation so we're just going to have to run around and wait until either Maya gets killed and she returns to normal, or until she dies. We can't undo the possession." Hermione said matter-of-factly, although very fast.
"Alright, let's keep going then." Ron said, and he pulled her by the hand. As the door creaked open and Amelia sprinted out, they ran down the path, both hoping that Harry, Ginny and Draco would hurry.
Ginny half-smiled, light pouring down onto her. The sky was quickly darkening, and brilliant, blood-red shades spread across the span above them.
"D'you think we finished her off?" Draco muttered warily.
She groaned and rolled over from where she was lying on the ground.
Ginny fingered the lucky golden trinket in her pocket. "Well, the cross's gone, that's a good sign."
"Let's have a look, we haven't got anything to lose." Harry said.
They walked to her, and looked down at the half-dead figure sprawled on the grass, her arms and legs akimbo. Ginny squinted at her face. It looked familiar. Dark, violent eyes... stringy, blonde hair... she looked a lot like Amelia, though older and more rough-looking. Plus the horrible scars that covered her body, as much as they could see at the moment.
"Ginny, child..." She coughed, her voice ragged and intense. "Grant this dying woman her last wish."
The three looked at each other warily. Ginny's judgemental system got the better of her.
"Yes...?" She asked in a fragile voice.
"Come here." Maya whispered, looking as if she were in immense, abnormal pain. "Come here." She repeated.
Ginny bobbed down, still keeping her distance from Maya.
"I want to tell you something." Another cough, another pained expression.
"What?" Ginny asked in a soft and compassionate voice, leaning forward so she could hear properly.
"Big mistake." Maya hissed, and flicked her wand out from her sleeve, then pointed it at Harry with a flourish. "AVADA KEDRAVA!"
Ginny's eyes grew wide with fear and shock as the rushing bolt of torture and death flew from the wand. It hit Harry, but rebounded off the light and hit Draco instead.
"DRACO!" Ginny screamed, running to him.
"G-g-g-" Was his only reply. He smiled weakly at her, before his eyes closed and his body went limp.
Ginny choked back a sob, and lay her head on his chest. No heartbeat.
"Draco..." She said again, tears welling in her eyes, and threatening to spill out. Before she stood up, she planted a soft kiss on his deathly pale forehead.
She walked calmly to Maya Greenword, who was still lying on the ground, smiling maliciously, though annoyed that she hadn't killed Harry.
"Damn it, it hit the wrong boy." She said silkily. "Too bad."
"You evil, insane bitch." Ginny said with gritted teeth. She took her wand and poked it to Maya's neck, right on top of her main artery.
"Kill me." Maya said simply. "Go ahead, rid the world of an--"
"My pleasure." Ginny said ferociously. "Crucio!"
Maya curled into the foetal position, and shuddered with the pain of lingering upon slow, painful death and whispered three words. "Omnis... Cubis... Veneratio..."
Almost instantly, all the punished Death Eaters lingering around the place were drawn into her. Ginny's attention focused on one in particular - Amelia, her body thrashing against being pulled into Maya. She saw Ginny and spoke.
"Ginny- understand this- I was under a coercion! I didn't mean to do anything- Ginnyyyy!" And she was pulled into Maya's body, which promptly dimmed, and exploded with a giant mushroom cloud.
Ron and Hermione ran to Harry, who was just standing in the folds of the dark, thick smoke, thankful that there was no more evil entity plaguing Hogwarts.
Ginny sped to Draco's body, and flopped down beside it. She took a hold of his hand for the last time. Hermione walked to Ginny.
"After being my enemy for six years, Gin, he was kind when he wanted to be. Honour his memory." Hermione's voice wavered with on-coming tears, but she held them where they started, and put on an act of defiancy. "Gin, you probably feel really anguished right now. Do you want us to go and get Professor..."
"Potter! Weasley! Granger! Weasley! ... Malfoy?" Professor McGonagall barked.
They had forgotten that the slow-motion charm had perished along with Maya Greenword.
"Professor!" Hermione ran to Professor McGonagall and flung her arms around her. "I'm so happy you're here... Draco's..."
"Oh my Lord..." Professor McGonagall saw Ginny huddled next to Draco's body. "Albus! Severus!"
Professors Dumbledore and Snape rushed down the path to where the battle had been. The smoke had cleared, and the wildlife looked healthier than ever now that Maya had gone.
"Draco!" Professor Snape called, seeing him lying on the ground. "Oh my God, what's happened?" He flicked his greasy hair out of his eyes.
"We killed Maya Greenword." Harry said, simply.
"I remember her," Professor Dumbledore said absentmindedly. "Always shivering, even in Summer."
"Professor Dumbledore! You're alive!" Hermione let go of Professor McGonagall and attached herself to Professor Dumbledore.
"I certainly am." He said, chuckling, but then looked seriously at everyone else. "What's happened here?"
"We killed Maya Greenword." Harry said for the second time.
"She was trying to take over Hogwarts in the name of You-know-who." Ginny explained shakily, in a small voice.
"But we killed her, and Draco was caught up in the accident..." Harry said.
Ginny wiped her eyes, which had started to leak tears of pain and nostalgia.
"Maya aimed for me with the Avada Kedrava spell, but it rebounded off our shields, and it hit him instead." Harry said slowly.
"Why wasn't Draco protected by this so-called 'shield'? Hmm? I think this was a plot..." Professor Snape accused in a venomous voice.
"It was nothing of the sort, Severus." Professor Dumbledore told him. "I think you should all go to Madam Pomfrey. You all need some rest. We'll take care of this situation."
Harry, Ron and Hermione all walked up to the infirmary together, but Ginny refused to let go of Draco.
"Ginny," Professor Dumbledore said softly. "You have to go to Madam Pomfrey. There will be time for formal goodbyes later. In the meantime, here's a tissue."
Ginny took the tissue, wiped her eyes, and let go of Draco's cold, limp hand. She nodded at Professor Dumbledore and walked slowly to the infirmary, crying the whole distance.
"We are gathered here today in kindred spirits to honour the memory of a good student, friend, son, and family member." The priest said in a solemn tone.
Ginny didn't listen to the rest of what he said. She wished Draco was still alive. But there was no known way in the wizarding world to bring back the dead, so she would just have to do with the happy memories of them being together. The park, running into him in the corridor, walking to the Great Hall for dinner, when she was drunk after Professor Dumbledore's birthday party and they kissed for the first time, walking down the main street of Hogsmeade, watching him walk away at Platform Nine and Three Quarters... they were all dear to her. And now he was gone. It seemed like a surreal world.
Ginny lowered her eyes to the gravestone that everyone was crowded around. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Crabbe, Goyle, Draco's parents, some of Draco's other friends, and teachers were all looking sombre as the priest muttered his last words, and crossed himself. Ginny uttered a small sob, wiped her bleary eyes, and felt Hermione put an arm around her shoulders.
Crabbe and Goyle left as soon as the priest did, which showed their compassion for their deceased friend. Draco's mother, Narcissa, was weeping and sniffling, a gold-spun handkerchief folded in her spindly fingers. The teachers left in a little while, spinning excuses like they had to do paperwork, and such.
Professor Dumbledore spoke.
"Lucius, Narcissa, you must be grief-stricken. Come to my office for a spot of tea." He reached for Narcissa's hand, but Lucius batted it away with bruising force.
"If Draco went to Durmstrang, this never would have happened." He hissed angrily. "This has something to do with either you, or the Weasley brat."
Ginny flinched at the harsh way her family name was used.
"If you had one ounce of love for your child, this wouldn't have happened either." Ginny snapped, in a teary voice.
"Impudent little..." Lucius snarled.
"I'm not going to take this any longer." Professor Dumbledore said calmly. "Lucius." He nodded goodbye to him. "Narcissa." He took a hold of her hand, and kissed it formally. He then strode off to the castle.
"That stupid bastard." Lucius said, watching Professor Dumbledore's retreating back. "I have no reason to mourn for my son. He was useless to our towering empi--" WHACK.
Ginny had walked to him, and slapped him hard across the face. He reeled, put a hand to his cheek, and focused his venomous gaze upon her.
"You stupid pauper, you have no idea what you've just done." He said, and walked away strongly, with Narcissa following after him like a small puppy.
Harry, Ron and Hermione, who were standing silently nearby, walked to Ginny, who was breathing heavily and angrily, looking rather uncannily like a dragon. Hermione walked to her and patted her on the shoulder.
"We've all got good memories of Draco," She said reasonably. "But I think that makes them seem more worthwhile than usual."
"What, that I hit that idiot around the face?"
"No, that we were the ones that, basically, loved him the most. Even though we weren't his friends most of the time." Hermione smiled. "Just remember him as he was - a lively young boy in his prime. We will, too."
"Ginny, we'd like to tell you something." Ron said slowly. "We're..." He looked at Harry, who continued his sentence for him.
"We're leaving Hogwarts." Harry said.
"WHAT?!" Ginny yelled, startling the pure silence of the secluded part of the Hogwarts grounds where Draco was buried. "Hermione, you too?!"
"Yes..." Hermione started, but got interjected.
"Why?!" Ginny was on the verge of tears again.
"Because this school has brought me more grief than happiness, to be frank." She said, her eyes closed, and breathing slowly.
"Me too." Harry said in agreement.
"Same for me." Ron said, entwining his fingers with Hermione's.
"Ron, Mum'll be so angry with you..."
"If we see her again. Me and Hermione're moving away." Ron went a bit red.
"You guys are only sixteen! How can you expect to pull this off?" Ginny demanded.
"We'll work it out, somehow. I, however, am going to Winchester. I found out one of my cousins lives there, so..." Harry didn't finish.
"This is the last time I'm going to see you? You're leaving now?" Ginny asked, tears welling in her eyes.
"I suppose..." Hermione said, and brought Ginny into her arms with a hug. "I'll miss you, little sister." She smiled, and looked at Ron.
"Me too." Ron hugged her also, and kissed her lightly on the cheek.
"Me three." Harry said, and they hugged as well, though for a slightly longer time than with Ron or Hermione.
"I'll miss you all too, and I'm sure Draco and Amelia would as well." Ginny allowed a small, weak smile to filter through her cheerless mood.
"We'll ... see you later, then." Ron in a slow tone. "I'm assuming you want to stay here for a while, pay your respects..."
"Yes." She swallowed. "Yes please. We'll meet up for a coffee in Hogsmeade one day, eh?"
They all hugged each other again, and Ron, Harry, and Hermione left.
A tear slowly dripped down Ginny's cheek. She had no-one left, bar her family and a few friends. She hastily wiped the lone tear away - she promised herself not to cry too much, especially in front of Draco's grave. She squatted down in front of the elaborately decorated tombstone.
She hated the sound of that word. It sounded like he had been dead for years. Ginny felt like smashing the designs, there was a large and hard-looking rock nearby, but she didn't have the courage. The fleur-de-lis-like shapes' and the swirly, yet old fashioned, contours were making it just look pretty, not honour the memory of a great friend and and student. She felt like hitting Lucius Malfoy again. Harder, this time, though.
"Wish you were here," She said, abyssmally. Another tear threatened to let slip, but she refused it. She closed her eyes sleepily. "Plus, crying makes you tired. You should've lived. Don't blame Harry, either. He didn't do it on purpose." She laughed a short and rather forced laugh. "I hope you enjoy the Skyward Temple. Say hi to Grandma and Callista for me. I'm sure you understand, but I'm not going to contact you via the soul contact Divination technique, it'll only make things worse." Ginny's throat tightened. She managed to choke through a few more words. "I do..."
She then lowered her head to her knees, and sobbed, the small golden trinket Draco gave her slipping from her fingers, and into the long grass.
-To Be Continued...-
Author's Note:
I felt so bad about cutting off the series the way I did... it just plagued me for ages, and I've decided to end the series in the way it was originally planned. You can choose to believe one ending - the dream one, or this one, which has another part to go (I've started it, and it's quite humorous..). Nyah, this is like that movie Clue, one of my personal faves... heehee. ^_^ That's got FIVE endings! Hokay, maybe I won't go that far. *wink* Anyway, I wrote this ending whilst watching The Lion King. I love that movie! Oh well, I hope you enjoyed this part, and, as always, reviews are appreciated! And I don't care if you have any *cough* 'constructive criticism' AKA "WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR??? THEY'D NEVER LEAVE HOGWARTS!!!". Adds to the controversy. ^_-