Chapter 16
Ginny decided, that after the shock of Harry's unknowing announcement, that she needed to calm down, and as such, after setting up the appropriate alarm charms and leaving a note for Ron, she went to the local Pub. As the house Ron and Harry shared was quite far away from Hogwarts, she could safely come here without the risk of being seen by a fellow student. Ginny bought a Butterbeer, and sat at the bar to reflect. Harry Potter, who she had admired ever since before she had even seen him, had just said the very words she never expected to hear. "What am I going to do?" She asked herself. Fleetingly, she wondered about Hogwarts, and what she was missing. "Life got you down?" A familiar voice asked from next to her. She turned incredulously to see Nitrotic, drinking from a goblet, and dressed in blue robes with a silver trim. "Hiya Ginny. So, what's up with you?" "Nitrotic? What are you doing here?" She demanded. "Me? Oh, nothing much, nothing much at all. Not much to being a figment of your imagination, is there?" Nitrotic sounded bored. "What do you mean by that?" Ginny asked. "Oh, nothing. Now, tell me about your problems." He ordered. And so Ginny poured out her heart to Nitrotic, everything from her first year at Hogwarts, up until the three fatal words. As she did so, Ginny felt strangely unburdened, as though slowly pouring a great load of water off her back. Nitrotic just sat there, nodding at the correct intervals, and making sympathetic noises, but never saying anything, his eyes twinkling as though preparing for some huge joke. ". And then I came here. I'm terrified, to tell the truth!" Ginny finished, taking a swig of her Butterbeer, which until then had lain forgotten on the bar. Nitrotic also took a drink from his goblet, closing his eyes and savouring the taste. "Butterbeer tastes a lot better when you mix it with spirits. Mind you, it's not bad on it's own." Nitrotic sighed happily. "However, you Potter predicament poses a problem. Sorry, couldn't help that." Nitrotic grinned. "Now, as I see it, you thought that the Great Harry Potter, defeater of Voldemort, and all that stuff, would never say 'I love you' to you as long as you ever lived. Now, if you were to ask my opinion, and many people would rather not, I say that you are every bit deserving of Harry Potter as a person, and as a witch. I mean, when I was raiding the Staff Room to find my test results, I saw yours and his, and you're just as good in the magical department, and as you're one of my best friends, I know you're worthy as a person. I mean, after all the prankery I've pulled, you stood by me, and we never REALLY asked anything major of each other. So I order you, do not ask yourself "Am I worthy of Harry Potter," ask yourself "Is Harry Potter worthy of me? That's my two Knuts, anyways. I have a history of messing these things up, so." Nitrotic trailed off. Ginny beamed at Nitrotic. "You know, I think that's the most insightful thing you've ever said Nitrotic. And that's saying something, as you're a complete idiot most of the time. You're right. I don't need to be afraid." Ginny said resolutely. "That's the ticket! Now, You're going to do two things. Firstly, you're going to look down at that nearly empty mug of Butterbeer, then look up and I'll be gone, leaving you kinda confused, and then later on, you're going to lose your nerve, and be very shy when you confess your feelings for Mr Potter. Then of course, you'll be all caught up in a sickeningly happy love scene, and not even remember to thank me when you REALLY see me, instead of this figment of your imagination right here." Nitrotic predicted. "Really?" Ginny asked. Without thinking she looked at her mug, then looked up to see that Nitrotic really had gone. "How does he do that? Even as a figment of my imagination, he's still a smart ass." Ginny grinned, payed for the Butterbeer, and went back to Harry's place. As soon as she arrived, she noticed that the door was open and that a broomstick was leaning against the window from inside. "Must be Hermione." Ginny said to herself. She walked in, upstairs, and Hermione was standing at the foot of Harry's bed, watching his every breath. Hermione looked up quickly, as if startled. She seemed to relax when she saw that it was just Ginny. "Hey, Ginny. I didn't hear you come in." Ginny just nodded her way as she walked over to Harry, and touched his forehead. Hermione smiled slightly as she witnessed this, and then she asked. "I hear that you've been helping Harry getting better as much as possible. I never knew that you were one of those people. You know, your talent for healing somebody's mind." Ginny looked up, but didn't smile at Hermonie's comment. "It's just a talent for me, I guess. Harry doesn't seem to be getting better, though." She said, pausing to sigh a little bit. "I just wish I was more powerful, to completely save him!" Hermione shook her head at this statement. "That's not true Ginny! If you weren't here, I don't know what would have happened. Maybe Harry would be dead, or worse...You're making your talents worthwhile this way." Ginny smiled at that, but her smile faded away again as she looked at Harry. "Thank you...but I still stand with what I said. I'm not strong enough alone... Hermione, I saw something dark and horrible in his mind... It seems to be overpowering him. That's what made him like this." Hermione blinked. "Dark and horrible...? Surely, you don't mean... You-know-who?" Ginny shook her head. "No. Don't ask me how I know, but I don't think it's him that is doing this, I think it's somebody else MUCH worse." Hermione looked down to Harry again. "Somebody much worse than Voldemort? How is that even possible?" "I don't know. It might not even be that. But if it is, then we are in a lot of trouble."
Ginny decided, that after the shock of Harry's unknowing announcement, that she needed to calm down, and as such, after setting up the appropriate alarm charms and leaving a note for Ron, she went to the local Pub. As the house Ron and Harry shared was quite far away from Hogwarts, she could safely come here without the risk of being seen by a fellow student. Ginny bought a Butterbeer, and sat at the bar to reflect. Harry Potter, who she had admired ever since before she had even seen him, had just said the very words she never expected to hear. "What am I going to do?" She asked herself. Fleetingly, she wondered about Hogwarts, and what she was missing. "Life got you down?" A familiar voice asked from next to her. She turned incredulously to see Nitrotic, drinking from a goblet, and dressed in blue robes with a silver trim. "Hiya Ginny. So, what's up with you?" "Nitrotic? What are you doing here?" She demanded. "Me? Oh, nothing much, nothing much at all. Not much to being a figment of your imagination, is there?" Nitrotic sounded bored. "What do you mean by that?" Ginny asked. "Oh, nothing. Now, tell me about your problems." He ordered. And so Ginny poured out her heart to Nitrotic, everything from her first year at Hogwarts, up until the three fatal words. As she did so, Ginny felt strangely unburdened, as though slowly pouring a great load of water off her back. Nitrotic just sat there, nodding at the correct intervals, and making sympathetic noises, but never saying anything, his eyes twinkling as though preparing for some huge joke. ". And then I came here. I'm terrified, to tell the truth!" Ginny finished, taking a swig of her Butterbeer, which until then had lain forgotten on the bar. Nitrotic also took a drink from his goblet, closing his eyes and savouring the taste. "Butterbeer tastes a lot better when you mix it with spirits. Mind you, it's not bad on it's own." Nitrotic sighed happily. "However, you Potter predicament poses a problem. Sorry, couldn't help that." Nitrotic grinned. "Now, as I see it, you thought that the Great Harry Potter, defeater of Voldemort, and all that stuff, would never say 'I love you' to you as long as you ever lived. Now, if you were to ask my opinion, and many people would rather not, I say that you are every bit deserving of Harry Potter as a person, and as a witch. I mean, when I was raiding the Staff Room to find my test results, I saw yours and his, and you're just as good in the magical department, and as you're one of my best friends, I know you're worthy as a person. I mean, after all the prankery I've pulled, you stood by me, and we never REALLY asked anything major of each other. So I order you, do not ask yourself "Am I worthy of Harry Potter," ask yourself "Is Harry Potter worthy of me? That's my two Knuts, anyways. I have a history of messing these things up, so." Nitrotic trailed off. Ginny beamed at Nitrotic. "You know, I think that's the most insightful thing you've ever said Nitrotic. And that's saying something, as you're a complete idiot most of the time. You're right. I don't need to be afraid." Ginny said resolutely. "That's the ticket! Now, You're going to do two things. Firstly, you're going to look down at that nearly empty mug of Butterbeer, then look up and I'll be gone, leaving you kinda confused, and then later on, you're going to lose your nerve, and be very shy when you confess your feelings for Mr Potter. Then of course, you'll be all caught up in a sickeningly happy love scene, and not even remember to thank me when you REALLY see me, instead of this figment of your imagination right here." Nitrotic predicted. "Really?" Ginny asked. Without thinking she looked at her mug, then looked up to see that Nitrotic really had gone. "How does he do that? Even as a figment of my imagination, he's still a smart ass." Ginny grinned, payed for the Butterbeer, and went back to Harry's place. As soon as she arrived, she noticed that the door was open and that a broomstick was leaning against the window from inside. "Must be Hermione." Ginny said to herself. She walked in, upstairs, and Hermione was standing at the foot of Harry's bed, watching his every breath. Hermione looked up quickly, as if startled. She seemed to relax when she saw that it was just Ginny. "Hey, Ginny. I didn't hear you come in." Ginny just nodded her way as she walked over to Harry, and touched his forehead. Hermione smiled slightly as she witnessed this, and then she asked. "I hear that you've been helping Harry getting better as much as possible. I never knew that you were one of those people. You know, your talent for healing somebody's mind." Ginny looked up, but didn't smile at Hermonie's comment. "It's just a talent for me, I guess. Harry doesn't seem to be getting better, though." She said, pausing to sigh a little bit. "I just wish I was more powerful, to completely save him!" Hermione shook her head at this statement. "That's not true Ginny! If you weren't here, I don't know what would have happened. Maybe Harry would be dead, or worse...You're making your talents worthwhile this way." Ginny smiled at that, but her smile faded away again as she looked at Harry. "Thank you...but I still stand with what I said. I'm not strong enough alone... Hermione, I saw something dark and horrible in his mind... It seems to be overpowering him. That's what made him like this." Hermione blinked. "Dark and horrible...? Surely, you don't mean... You-know-who?" Ginny shook her head. "No. Don't ask me how I know, but I don't think it's him that is doing this, I think it's somebody else MUCH worse." Hermione looked down to Harry again. "Somebody much worse than Voldemort? How is that even possible?" "I don't know. It might not even be that. But if it is, then we are in a lot of trouble."
