Chapter 4

The Chain

Harry had the best morning he had had since school had let out. As it turned out, Hermione's cat Crookshanks liked snakes, so he and Sally got along.

Ron, Hermione and Harry were walking around the padlock the Weasley's owned. It was a quiet brake from the explosions coming from Fred and George's room.

"So why did you name your snake Sally?"

"I didn't, all snakes have names, that's just what her name translates to in English. You can only name snakes when their babies."

Sally was around Harry's neck, where she had become accustom to staying. Suddenly, she slid off his neck and on to his arm, then on to his leg, and finally she reached the ground. She slid away fast.

"Where are you going?" Harry called, but it had come out in English.

Sal must have guessed what he said though, because she called back to him, "Be right back!"

"You two go ahead," Harry said to Ron and Hermione. "I'll catch up." Harry went in the direction Sally had gone. He looked for her on the ground, wondering why she would run off like that.

"Harry," said a voice from behind him, and it was in English. Harry spun around to see Ginny sitting with her back against a tree that was big enough to hide her from anybody on the other side. She had a book open on her lap and Sally on her knee.

"Sally, don't run off like that without telling me where your going." Harry scolded.

"Yesss, Mummy."

"Hello, Ginny,"

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "She just came out of no where."

"Your always sorry," Harry said sitting down across from her. "Not everything is your fault you know." Ginny said nothing, just looked at her hands. Harry started shredding a piece of grass.

After a few minutes of silence Ginny spoke suddenly, as if she finally decided to say it. "Harry, do you hate me?" she said quickly, blushing at her own daring.

"Hate you?" Harry asked looking up from his piece of grass. "Why would I hate you?"

"B-because of what I did. A lot of people hate me for it, and you above all have every right to." Ginny sounded close to tears.

"Ginny stop. If I hated you, I never would have brought you back out of that chamber. Plus the fact I don't hate anyone, not even Voldemort," Ginny flinched. "It might sound stupid, but I can't hate. Sally explained why to me, but I don't remember what she said. So no Ginny, I don't hate you. What do you mean a lot of people hate you for it?"

"M-my roommates, all the people who were Petrified, the world it seems like," she whispered.

Harry looked at her for a minute. "Do you have any friends, Ginny?" Harry asked.

Ginny turned red and shook her head 'no.' Harry stood up. "Keep Sal for a bit for me," and he left to find Ron and Hermione.

After lunch, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all in Ron's room. Hermione and Ron were playing chess and Harry was fiddling with his ring, lost in his own thoughts.

Suddenly, there was a small snap and Harry looked down to see that the leather had broken. "Damn," he said under his breath. "Hey Ron, which room is Ginny's?"

"2nd floor on the right. Why?"

"She has Sally," He wasn't really lying, she did have Sally.

Harry came to the 2nd floor and knocked on Ginny's door.

"Can I have a word?" The door opened and Ginny's face appeared looking surprised and even a bit worried. She nodded silently and let him in. Sally slid over to him and went up his waiting arm. Ginny looked at Harry questioningly.

"Um, I just wanted to ask you something." Ginny still hadn't spoken, and it was making Harry uncomfortable. "I didn't know who else to ask and it's a bit of an emergency," Ginny nodded again.

"Look could you say something, you're making me nervous."

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, looking down. "Why don't you sit down?" Harry sat on her bed and she sat on the other side, totally avoiding his eyes.

"Why are you so quiet Ginny? Are you always like that, or is just around me? Two years ago, Ron said you never shut up." Ginny flushed and Sally went over to her.

"I-I guess it's around you. But not just you, I'm shy, I can't help it. I'm not shy around my family, that's why Ron said that. I'm only shy and quiet around people I don't know."

"Well then, let's get to know each other better. What's your favorite color?"

"White," she said quietly.

"That's nice. Mine is green. When's your birthday?"

"June 21,"

"That's coming up isn't it? Well mine is July 31. Now we know each other a little better, so no need to be shy." Ginny smiled slightly.

"What is it you wanted to ask me?"

"Oh yeah," Harry checked his hand, making sure the ring was still safely in it. "I need a chain, just a plain chain. I had a piece of leather but it broke. Do you have one you don't use?" Ginny silently stood and retreated to a corner where there sat a small box. She opened it and pulled out a gold chain.

"You may have this, I don't use it."

"Are you sure?" She nodded, but her eyes were filled with question. Harry sighed. "You want to know why, don't you?"

"No, that's okay. It's none of my bussiness."

"Sure it is, your donating for the cause, you deserve to know what it is." Harry took her hand and pressed the ring in to it. Ginny looked at it closly.

"This is a wedding ring," she said quietly.

"My mother's,"

"Oh Harry, I'm so sorry,"

"Ginny," Harry said forcing a weak smile, "stop being sorry for everything that goes wrong in this world. It doesn't help." Ginny didn't respond, she strung the chain on the ring and handed it to him.

"Bye Harry," Harry took a hint, got Sally and left.

"Harry, dear, will you please come back soon?"

"Well Mrs Weasley, in two fridays, the Dursleys are going to leave me with Mrs. Figg, and I would love to get out of it."

"The 21st? Yes dear that would be fine."

"But wait," Harry said, "I just relised that's Ginny's birthday!"

"That's right it is, well I'm sure she won't mind you here, dear."

"Thank you, where is Ginny anyway?"

"In her room I think. Well we'll see you in a few days."

"Harry," said Mr. Weasley, "how did you get here on broom without the muggles seeing you?"

Harry shifted uncomfortably and glanced at Ron. In truth, the cloak was on Ron's window sill. Harry was going to fly above the house, wait till everybody had gone in, then fly down and get it. "Mr. Weasley, it's a secret from my dad, I really don't want to share it." Mr. Weasley didn't say anything else.

"Well bye everybody." Harry mounted his broom and flew over the house. Insted of just hovering there, Harry had something he wanted to do. He flew down in front of Ginny's window. The curtains were closed, Harry nocked on the window.

The curtains flew open and Ginny apeared, eyes wide with surprise, shock, and bewildedment. When she saw Harry though, she visable relaxed and opened the window.

"I guess I gave you a bit of a fright there, sorry about that. I just wanted to ask you not to say anything about the ring, I'd like it to be kept a secret okay?"

"Why did you tell me then?"

"Because my friends can know, I just don't want the world in on it. Okay?"

"Yes," she said quietly.

"Great, I'll see you in two Fridays, bye." He flew off.

Ginny calmly shut the window and curtains, walked over to her bed, layed down on it, put her face in the pillow, and screamed. Harry Potter had just called her his friend! She couldn't believe it! A few hours ago, she was still fighting with herself wheter or not he hated her.

Sally poked her head out of Harry's pocket. "That wasss fun! When are we doing it again?"

"The 21st, Ginny's birthday."

"I like her,"

"I noticed,"

"Wish I could talk to her without you there though,"

"Well unfortunetly, the only other known Parselmouth in the world is Voldemort. But, maybe,"

"What?"

"Nothing. Just an off the wall theory."

"Ssso what are you getting Ginny for her birthday?"

"I know what I want to get her, but how?"