Ch2
Harry awoke with a sudden start, his head throbbing and a loud ringing in his ears. Harry realized he couldn't see and stuck his hands out to reach for his glasses. The noise blasted into his ears again and he put his hands to his ears. The sound stopped and he begin his search for his glasses again. But the ringing continued, the multiple deep sounds becoming a terrible cacophony to his ears.
"Wh-where am I?" Harry asked more to himself than anything else, but his own voice too blended and boomed with the cacophony. Harry couldn't remember where he was or where he had been, but he remembered that his name was Harry. Harry… something. The noise, no, Harry could now tell it was another voice, echoed into Harry's ears, but Harry could only discern the vowels.
A searing pain flashed into Harry's head and he began to remember everything. He remembered Ginny, his confessions to her, her rejections and his childish attempt to escape from the pains of life. That was the worst part of it all. He had been drunk. That explained everything except for where he was.
The last thing he remembered was Ginny's face, the most beautiful thing that Harry had ever seen, a light pulling him back from the darkness. And he remembered a kiss. No, there couldn't have been a kiss. Ginny didn't love him, or even like him anymore. It was all just a crush on his fame. There was no kiss. That was the alcohol playing tricks on him. Ginny probably hadn't even come looking for him, much less found him, which meant that he was still in the back room of the bar.
What had he done? He was the most foolish, selfish idiot in the world. Harry's vision began to focus and he could see a man sitting at a desk. A man with a long white beard. This was not the pub. It was Hogwarts, and he was in a far too familiar room: Dumbledore's office.
And there at the desk was Dumbledore. Dumbledore. Harry's stomach gave a lurch and he knew it wasn't a part of the hangover. Harry had always admired the headmaster and he knew that the old wizard would be disappointed in him. Then an even worse thought struck him.
"Am I…" Harry gulped, "going to be…" Harry stopped and a tear rolled down his cheek. He would trade a million battles with Voldemort just to take back what he had done.
"Expelled?" Dumbledore offered. Tears flooded down Harry's face. He wiped his eyes in a futile attempt. Harry couldn't believe it. He was going to be expelled this time. So many times before he had been able to push the rules, but now he had exceeded his limits. Every year he did something against the rules which was out of bounds but this was the final straw.
What would his friends think of him? Hagrid might let him stay with him, but now that he was removed from the blame of the Chamber of Secrets, even he might not allow him to stay. And Hermione would most definitely never speak to him again. He could hear her voice now: "Harry I can't believe you! Don't say I didn't warn you about this kind of thing. I can't believe I was ever even your friend." The tears burst out again at this and he made another attempt to wipe them.
Sirius' heart would be broken. His Godfather would be the most disappointed in him, feeling as if he had failed his job to teach and protect Harry. After all Sirius had done for Harry, even in the short time he had known him, he would probably never even get to see him again. He could see Sirius' bright and happy face converting into the old "Azkaban" face when he heard the news about Harry.
And what would Ron say? He most likely would be heart broken that his best friend was gone. He had no idea how Ron would react, but it would probably similar to what Hermione would say. He thought of the rest of the Weasleys and how Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would most likely never allow him into their house again. Fred and George had done wild things in their days at Hogwart's, but never anything as rash and unreasonable as this. Percy would probably give him a speech before anything else.
And then Harry thought of Ginny. There was no way she would ever love him now. Even if she had loved him in the first place, he had ruined everything between them. As if he hadn't ruined enough of her life he had to go out and do something rash, something which could easily be blamed on her.
Harry's mind had begun to trail off wondering if he could somehow keep his wand and then go battle to the death against Voldemort, trying to make a heroic attempt of his pathetic life. His scar burned as his mind flashed back to the green light hitting his mother.
"No Harry. You are not going to be expelled." Harry's head jerked up which caused the throbbing pain to jam back into his head, but he didn't care. Harry couldn't believe it. He didn't believe it. He shot Dumbledore a questioning look which cost him another shock of pain. "Things like this often happen. In fact, once or twice I myself have gone a little…" but Dumbledore stopped. He didn't seem to want to go any further on the subject. "Naturally you will be given punishments, but not so far as to be expelled."
Harry fell back onto his bed. He was going to stay at Hogwart's. Suddenly Harry heard a yawn. He looked up at Dumbledore only to find that the old man was not yawning, instead staring intently across the room. Harry turned his head to see familiar red hair draped across Ginny's face. "Don't worry Harry. Nothing happened to her." Harry exhaled and turned back to Dumbledore. "I had no clue where you were, but I knew that Miss Weasley, if anyone, could find you. I followed her to you. It was almost as if she knew where you were…" Harry turned back to see that Ginny was beginning to wake. "She was quite upset…"
Ginny yawned again and then wiped her eyes. "Harry!" she screamed out. She dashed over to him and threw her arms around him. "Oh Harry! I was so worried, I went and I stole and then I just…" she stopped short. Harry smiled at how quickly she spoke. Ginny stopped speaking for a moment. She had been so worried. Ginny smacked Harry right across the face, then dashed out of the Headmaster's office. Outside, Ginny smiled to herself. She was so happy.
Yet Harry sat shocked and confused, with pain still searing on his cheek. "That girl is an angel," Dumbledore laughed out. "I still have yet to understand the method behind Miss Weasley's madness, but it always amuses me." Harry did not take the same approach of thought that Dumbledore had, instead beginning to worry about what might have happened to Ginny if she had been… well, caught. Voldemort was doing everything he could to try and get at Harry, even the Dursley's had been moved into the wizard world for their own protection, with many protests from Mr. Dursley.
"Now Harry, I believe we have nothing further to discuss. I must take back your invisibility cloak, however, you will be allowed to resume your duties to your Quidditch team whenever you feel ready. And you may keep your Firebolt." Harry was happy for all this, but was still worried about Ginny. He wished that she had slapped him harder. He knew that she could. He deserved worse than that. Harry smiled at the Headmaster, who handed him the listings for his multiple detentions and added tasks. Harry walked out of the room to pursue Ginny, but by the time he had closed the door he changed his mind and decided not to bother her any more.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Ginny, in the meantime, had gone to the library where she knew she could find Hermione. Hermione was once again reading over Hogwarts: A History, but was not disturbed to see Ginny enter the room. "Ah Ginny! Over here!" Hermione said too loudly.
"You! Granger, I thought you knew better than to yell in the library," Madame Pince said disappointedly. The look of anxiousness on Ginny's face, however, made Hermione ignore the librarian's concern and motioned to her friend. She slammed the book shut and then recklessly pushed it off the table to clear way for hers and Ginny's hands. This earned Hermione another look from Madame Pince, but she ignored it.
"What happened? Where were you last night?" Hermione asked with concern. Ginny had to laugh at the concern in her friend's voice. It was one of the few voices that ever sounded genuine. "Does it have anything to do with Harry?"
Ginny could hardly stifle another laugh at this, but she chose to contain it and move on. "Well, when Harry left yesterday," Hermione nodded vigorously, a smile widening across her face, "it was kind of because of me. Harry tried to ask me out yesterday." Hermione gasped. "Twice." Hermione gasped again. "After the second rejection that I gave him, I think he got a little upset and kind of just… left."
Hermione looked astonished. "You rejected him? Why? How? I mean, don't you have a huge crush on him?" Hermione's face was a mixture of confusion, amazement and even a little bit of anger. "And so what happened? If I was him I would probably have a broken heart and go out and do something crazy and rash." Ginny nodded. "So what happened?"
"Well, after I rejected him the second time I thought about it a little bit. I don't really know what happened, something just came over me and I decided to go after him and talk to him. I don't really know why, I just felt that I should." Hermione nodded vigorously then motioned with her hand to make Ginny continue. "When I got to the school Ron told me that Harry had taken his Firebolt and just left. Of course I knew the real reasons. I snuck past McGonagall and Dumbledore…"
"You snuck past Dumbledore? How? That is impossible! You're lying aren't you!" Hermione burst out. "Even with an invisibility cloak Dumbledore could see you, how do you explain that?"
"I don't Hermione. He saw me and pretended like he didn't see me. He followed me afterwards I think, he knew I could find Harry and he knew that he couldn't. I don't know how I found him, it was like I could feel his presence, like he was a part of me." Hermione looked dumbstruck. "I found him at a pub in a muggle town. He looked terrible." Ginny stopped and decided not to go any further.
"So… you still do like Harry don't you?" Ginny didn't answer. She herself hadn't quite come up with an answer. It had just been a crush, nothing more. She brushed the topic off her mind and quickly changed the subject. "So you and Ron were all alone without us last night weren't you?"
* * * * * * * * * *
Harry had looked everywhere to Ginny but to no avail. It was like she knew where he was and could avoid him perfectly. After a while of searching, Harry's heart began to pound with desperation to even just see her, and he was gasping for air. What was it about her that he needed so badly? It was obvious that Ginny was beautiful, but there was something more. There was everything more. Everything about Ginny was perfect. The way she could turn anything that came her way into something positive, the way she was so quick on her feet, that fiery temper that matcher her hair.
She moved with such grace that Harry felt as if he might be swept up in her movements. The way her smile illuminated even the darkest rooms. The way she could so easily control and dominate things. She was so sweet and innocent, yet not in a naïve manner. She had experienced evil before and knew the dangers that the world held.
Harry went back to Gryffindor tower to find that she was not there either. After a detailed information to Ron about what had happened, he was shocked to find that Ron did not object to Harry having an "overly strong affection" for Ginny. After a game of chess and some chocolate frogs, Ron headed to bed, while Harry sat on the sofa waiting for Ginny to come back. After a while of waiting, Harry fell asleep, right when Ginny walked in. She smiled at how pathetic he could be the gently placed a blanket over him and headed up to the girls' dorm.
Harry awoke with a sudden start, his head throbbing and a loud ringing in his ears. Harry realized he couldn't see and stuck his hands out to reach for his glasses. The noise blasted into his ears again and he put his hands to his ears. The sound stopped and he begin his search for his glasses again. But the ringing continued, the multiple deep sounds becoming a terrible cacophony to his ears.
"Wh-where am I?" Harry asked more to himself than anything else, but his own voice too blended and boomed with the cacophony. Harry couldn't remember where he was or where he had been, but he remembered that his name was Harry. Harry… something. The noise, no, Harry could now tell it was another voice, echoed into Harry's ears, but Harry could only discern the vowels.
A searing pain flashed into Harry's head and he began to remember everything. He remembered Ginny, his confessions to her, her rejections and his childish attempt to escape from the pains of life. That was the worst part of it all. He had been drunk. That explained everything except for where he was.
The last thing he remembered was Ginny's face, the most beautiful thing that Harry had ever seen, a light pulling him back from the darkness. And he remembered a kiss. No, there couldn't have been a kiss. Ginny didn't love him, or even like him anymore. It was all just a crush on his fame. There was no kiss. That was the alcohol playing tricks on him. Ginny probably hadn't even come looking for him, much less found him, which meant that he was still in the back room of the bar.
What had he done? He was the most foolish, selfish idiot in the world. Harry's vision began to focus and he could see a man sitting at a desk. A man with a long white beard. This was not the pub. It was Hogwarts, and he was in a far too familiar room: Dumbledore's office.
And there at the desk was Dumbledore. Dumbledore. Harry's stomach gave a lurch and he knew it wasn't a part of the hangover. Harry had always admired the headmaster and he knew that the old wizard would be disappointed in him. Then an even worse thought struck him.
"Am I…" Harry gulped, "going to be…" Harry stopped and a tear rolled down his cheek. He would trade a million battles with Voldemort just to take back what he had done.
"Expelled?" Dumbledore offered. Tears flooded down Harry's face. He wiped his eyes in a futile attempt. Harry couldn't believe it. He was going to be expelled this time. So many times before he had been able to push the rules, but now he had exceeded his limits. Every year he did something against the rules which was out of bounds but this was the final straw.
What would his friends think of him? Hagrid might let him stay with him, but now that he was removed from the blame of the Chamber of Secrets, even he might not allow him to stay. And Hermione would most definitely never speak to him again. He could hear her voice now: "Harry I can't believe you! Don't say I didn't warn you about this kind of thing. I can't believe I was ever even your friend." The tears burst out again at this and he made another attempt to wipe them.
Sirius' heart would be broken. His Godfather would be the most disappointed in him, feeling as if he had failed his job to teach and protect Harry. After all Sirius had done for Harry, even in the short time he had known him, he would probably never even get to see him again. He could see Sirius' bright and happy face converting into the old "Azkaban" face when he heard the news about Harry.
And what would Ron say? He most likely would be heart broken that his best friend was gone. He had no idea how Ron would react, but it would probably similar to what Hermione would say. He thought of the rest of the Weasleys and how Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would most likely never allow him into their house again. Fred and George had done wild things in their days at Hogwart's, but never anything as rash and unreasonable as this. Percy would probably give him a speech before anything else.
And then Harry thought of Ginny. There was no way she would ever love him now. Even if she had loved him in the first place, he had ruined everything between them. As if he hadn't ruined enough of her life he had to go out and do something rash, something which could easily be blamed on her.
Harry's mind had begun to trail off wondering if he could somehow keep his wand and then go battle to the death against Voldemort, trying to make a heroic attempt of his pathetic life. His scar burned as his mind flashed back to the green light hitting his mother.
"No Harry. You are not going to be expelled." Harry's head jerked up which caused the throbbing pain to jam back into his head, but he didn't care. Harry couldn't believe it. He didn't believe it. He shot Dumbledore a questioning look which cost him another shock of pain. "Things like this often happen. In fact, once or twice I myself have gone a little…" but Dumbledore stopped. He didn't seem to want to go any further on the subject. "Naturally you will be given punishments, but not so far as to be expelled."
Harry fell back onto his bed. He was going to stay at Hogwart's. Suddenly Harry heard a yawn. He looked up at Dumbledore only to find that the old man was not yawning, instead staring intently across the room. Harry turned his head to see familiar red hair draped across Ginny's face. "Don't worry Harry. Nothing happened to her." Harry exhaled and turned back to Dumbledore. "I had no clue where you were, but I knew that Miss Weasley, if anyone, could find you. I followed her to you. It was almost as if she knew where you were…" Harry turned back to see that Ginny was beginning to wake. "She was quite upset…"
Ginny yawned again and then wiped her eyes. "Harry!" she screamed out. She dashed over to him and threw her arms around him. "Oh Harry! I was so worried, I went and I stole and then I just…" she stopped short. Harry smiled at how quickly she spoke. Ginny stopped speaking for a moment. She had been so worried. Ginny smacked Harry right across the face, then dashed out of the Headmaster's office. Outside, Ginny smiled to herself. She was so happy.
Yet Harry sat shocked and confused, with pain still searing on his cheek. "That girl is an angel," Dumbledore laughed out. "I still have yet to understand the method behind Miss Weasley's madness, but it always amuses me." Harry did not take the same approach of thought that Dumbledore had, instead beginning to worry about what might have happened to Ginny if she had been… well, caught. Voldemort was doing everything he could to try and get at Harry, even the Dursley's had been moved into the wizard world for their own protection, with many protests from Mr. Dursley.
"Now Harry, I believe we have nothing further to discuss. I must take back your invisibility cloak, however, you will be allowed to resume your duties to your Quidditch team whenever you feel ready. And you may keep your Firebolt." Harry was happy for all this, but was still worried about Ginny. He wished that she had slapped him harder. He knew that she could. He deserved worse than that. Harry smiled at the Headmaster, who handed him the listings for his multiple detentions and added tasks. Harry walked out of the room to pursue Ginny, but by the time he had closed the door he changed his mind and decided not to bother her any more.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Ginny, in the meantime, had gone to the library where she knew she could find Hermione. Hermione was once again reading over Hogwarts: A History, but was not disturbed to see Ginny enter the room. "Ah Ginny! Over here!" Hermione said too loudly.
"You! Granger, I thought you knew better than to yell in the library," Madame Pince said disappointedly. The look of anxiousness on Ginny's face, however, made Hermione ignore the librarian's concern and motioned to her friend. She slammed the book shut and then recklessly pushed it off the table to clear way for hers and Ginny's hands. This earned Hermione another look from Madame Pince, but she ignored it.
"What happened? Where were you last night?" Hermione asked with concern. Ginny had to laugh at the concern in her friend's voice. It was one of the few voices that ever sounded genuine. "Does it have anything to do with Harry?"
Ginny could hardly stifle another laugh at this, but she chose to contain it and move on. "Well, when Harry left yesterday," Hermione nodded vigorously, a smile widening across her face, "it was kind of because of me. Harry tried to ask me out yesterday." Hermione gasped. "Twice." Hermione gasped again. "After the second rejection that I gave him, I think he got a little upset and kind of just… left."
Hermione looked astonished. "You rejected him? Why? How? I mean, don't you have a huge crush on him?" Hermione's face was a mixture of confusion, amazement and even a little bit of anger. "And so what happened? If I was him I would probably have a broken heart and go out and do something crazy and rash." Ginny nodded. "So what happened?"
"Well, after I rejected him the second time I thought about it a little bit. I don't really know what happened, something just came over me and I decided to go after him and talk to him. I don't really know why, I just felt that I should." Hermione nodded vigorously then motioned with her hand to make Ginny continue. "When I got to the school Ron told me that Harry had taken his Firebolt and just left. Of course I knew the real reasons. I snuck past McGonagall and Dumbledore…"
"You snuck past Dumbledore? How? That is impossible! You're lying aren't you!" Hermione burst out. "Even with an invisibility cloak Dumbledore could see you, how do you explain that?"
"I don't Hermione. He saw me and pretended like he didn't see me. He followed me afterwards I think, he knew I could find Harry and he knew that he couldn't. I don't know how I found him, it was like I could feel his presence, like he was a part of me." Hermione looked dumbstruck. "I found him at a pub in a muggle town. He looked terrible." Ginny stopped and decided not to go any further.
"So… you still do like Harry don't you?" Ginny didn't answer. She herself hadn't quite come up with an answer. It had just been a crush, nothing more. She brushed the topic off her mind and quickly changed the subject. "So you and Ron were all alone without us last night weren't you?"
* * * * * * * * * *
Harry had looked everywhere to Ginny but to no avail. It was like she knew where he was and could avoid him perfectly. After a while of searching, Harry's heart began to pound with desperation to even just see her, and he was gasping for air. What was it about her that he needed so badly? It was obvious that Ginny was beautiful, but there was something more. There was everything more. Everything about Ginny was perfect. The way she could turn anything that came her way into something positive, the way she was so quick on her feet, that fiery temper that matcher her hair.
She moved with such grace that Harry felt as if he might be swept up in her movements. The way her smile illuminated even the darkest rooms. The way she could so easily control and dominate things. She was so sweet and innocent, yet not in a naïve manner. She had experienced evil before and knew the dangers that the world held.
Harry went back to Gryffindor tower to find that she was not there either. After a detailed information to Ron about what had happened, he was shocked to find that Ron did not object to Harry having an "overly strong affection" for Ginny. After a game of chess and some chocolate frogs, Ron headed to bed, while Harry sat on the sofa waiting for Ginny to come back. After a while of waiting, Harry fell asleep, right when Ginny walked in. She smiled at how pathetic he could be the gently placed a blanket over him and headed up to the girls' dorm.