Crash and Burn
Disclaimer: Do I really have to do this every time? *giggles* Anyway, I don't own the Harry Potter characters. Thank you Ms. Rowling, though, for creating them.
Author's Note: Yep. There you have it. And I never really liked Cho. I figured that she was only going out with Cedric because he was popular and pretty. I could see her as stringing someone along. Anyway, on with the fic! And thank you reviewers! This chapter is basically a transitional one. The next should have more of the Cho/Draco angle.
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The night came quickly for Harry and Ginny. Then spent much of it sitting under the tree, talking about what it would be like in a world without Voldemort. Harry had the idea that nobody would ever have to suffer, that everyone would get along and the skirmishes that popped up here and there would be no more. Ginny had much the same idea, only she was beginning to imagine it in terms of horses. Ever since that letter and that prophecy she'd felt more connected to them, like some part of them were inside her. Soon, though, they got up and went back to the Gryffindor common room to get their things that Professor McGonagall had requested for the Animagi class.
When they walked into the Transfiguration classroom there was no sign of McGonagall. Then Harry recognized the tabby with the black markings around its eyes sitting on her desk. "Hello Professor McGonagall. What's in store today?"
You could see that tabby smile a bit before leaping off the desk and transfiguring into the professor. "Today will be quite easy. You will learn the ingredients necessary to make the initial potion. At first you will rely on this potion to transfigure yourselves. In time you will be weaned off the potion until you will not need it and will be readily able to transfigure on your own. In addition to your potion ingredients I'll perform a spell on you which will show me what animal you should become during transformation. This is to indicate exactly what size room we shall need, although I don't expect either of you to be very large animals."
Ginny was hinging on every word Professor McGonagall said. "Well then, how about we get started. Now how long exactly does this potion take to brew and what will we need to find? Do we need to take a trip to Hogsmeade for anything?"
Harry was trying not to laugh at her overenthusiastic approach to this. He let out a short burst of laughter before biting his lower lip to keep himself from exploding with laughter. "Well Professor McGonagall, what do we need ingredients wise? I'm sure if its something we don't have that Professor Snape would allow us to use some things. However, I'd feel better about using my own ingredients."
"Right you are Harry. The ingredients can all be found on the grounds of Hogwarts. Most are various grasses, herbs, tree leaves and such. Some, however, you will indeed need to go into Hogsmeade for. I suggest this weekend would be a good time. You could get the ingredients on Sunday once you finish with your Dreamless Sleep Potion, which, I might add, Professor Snape has personally told me is perfect." She beamed proudly at the pair for their accomplishment. "I'll give you a pass so you don't have to sneak off there with your father's Invisibility Cloak. Now for that spell."
Ginny turned to Harry as the professor searched her notes for the proper spell. "Invisibility Cloak? And when was I going to hear about this," she asked, feigning hurt.
"Well, my lady," he said, bowing low and taking her hand, kissing her knuckles, "as soon as we needed an emergency trip into Hogsmeade. Which reminds me," he added, lowering his voice to a whisper, "would you like to go tonight? I've bought you something and we need to go pick it up. I just hope you like it." He grinned and watched her expression turn to one of delight. She threw her arms around him and kissed him right there in front of the professor.
Professor McGonagall watched this scene in bemused silence. ~I do believe Dumbledore is right. It's a shame, though, that these two had to grow up so fast.~ She cleared her throat, startling the two of them. They jumped apart and looked at the ground guiltily, a red flush coming to their faces. She smiled before going on with the spell. "Now Miss Weasley, as you are so eager for this, I suggest you go first with the spell. Come now and stand before me." Ginny went cautiously up to the professor's desk and stood before it. "This will not hurt a bit, but in order to work properly you need to hold very still." She nodded, tensing her body and willing it to not move. Then Professor McGonagall repeated the words.
Magic of old
We call you tonight
What beast lay within
Come out to the light
Show us your form
Oh mysterious one
You shall be revealed
Your form shall be known
Ginny could feel a strange sensation in her body then the room went dark. A light shone right over her heart and in that light was an image. The image was of a horse with wings, a beautiful white horse, its salt and pepper mane blowing in the wind as it flew over the tree tops, its silhouette against the moon. Professor McGonagall magically recorded this image to show Ginny once woken from the trance this spell induced. As soon as enough was recorded McGonagall took off the spell and the room turned back to light. Ginny slowly woke up and her eyes fluttered. She tried to take a step forward but almost fell. Harry rushed to her side, supporting her.
"My," said Professor McGonagall. "This spell should not leave one so weakened. Perhaps Miss Weasley is sick."
"No professor. She hasn't been sleeping well to tell you the truth. She's a bit spent from it." He turned to Ginny, who was leaning on him for support but looked to be alright. He sat her down in one of the seats and knelt down so he was eye level with her. "Ginny, hun, are you gonna be alright while she does this spell to me or do want me to take you back and do this another day?"
Ginny smiled at him a bit sleepily. "Go on Harry. It's not as bad as you'd think. I'll be fine. Do the spell. It'll be fun knowing what we're gonna change into after that potion is made."
He stood up after kissing her forehead and turned to face Professor McGonagall. "Well, I'm ready." He stood where Ginny had been standing, body rigid, waiting for the spell. The professor repeated the same words she had used on Ginny. The same effect happened, with the room going dark and a light glowing above his heart. In his light was an image of a stag, a beautiful white stag with magnificent horns, galloping through the forest alongside the flying horse, the two in tandem. She smiled as she recorded this.
She took the spell off him and the room came back to light. He stood there and opened his eyes, walking to her desk. "Well Professor, what are we to be?"
"You, my dear, are to be a stag, same as your father. I knew his form well. I saw it when he went around the grounds with Padfoot and Moony. Those three were a team. It seems now you have found yourself a partner as well, so to speak." She turned now to Ginny, showing her what she had seen in the image. "You, Virginia, are to be a winged horse, white as the winter snow. You and the stag run in tandem, hoofbeat for hoofbeat. This should be a very interesting class. Not often do we see magical creatures as possible forms for Animagi. Off you go then. And Mr. Potter, see to it that Ms. Weasley is allowed some rest. Take her to Madame Pomfrey if need be."
"Yes Professor." Harry went to Ginny and, letting her use him as a support, left the room. She appeared to be getting better and soon was walking beside him on her own, unaided. She took his hand and laced his fingers with hers, enjoying his company as they headed back to their dormitories. "So Ginny," Harry began, "you think you're up to taking a quick trip to Hogsmeade? It can wait until tomorrow if you want. It'll be Saturday so we'll have more time to go anyway. We'll get up early. But for now, off to bed. I'm spent." He emphasized this by yawning.
Soon they entered the common room, finding a few people there. It wasn't that late yet, just late enough that people had started trickling off to bed. Harry headed with Ginny up the girl's staircase and they stopped outside her door. He turned to her and kissed her on the cheek. "Go on now and take the potion. Tomorrow's Saturday and we don't have to be up early, but still, sleep as late as you want. If anything is up, come pounding on my door. I'll come for you." Giving his hand a final squeeze, she smiled and went to bed.
Harry, however, was not planning on going to bed just yet. He wanted her to have her gift when she woke up. He went downstairs and found Ron sitting with Hermione. "Hey Herm, you mind if I borrow Ron for a few hours," he whispered. She nodded her head. "Go ahead. Just remember some Sugar Quills for me." She went back to work.
Ron jumped up from his seat. "Off to Hogsmeade are we then?" Harry nodded. "Well then let's go!"
"Hold on a minute Ron. Accio Invisibility Cloak! Accio Map!" The cloak and map flew into Harry's hand. "Alright. Now we're ready."
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About an hour later, after much negotiating around Filch's cat and Snape prowling the halls, Harry and Ron appeared in Honeydukes. Ron, remembering Hermione's request, bought two dozen of the Sugar Quills. It was his gift to her, for now. Harry, however, needed to go someplace special. He found it nestled between Madame Malkins Robe Shop, her outlet in Hogsmeade, and Potions for All Occaisions, where Harry and Ginny would be going tomorrow for some of their ingredients. He entered, finding the man. "Hello Mr. Eeylops. Do you have the one I was looking for?"
"Mr. Potter! Of course. Here he is, and a fine one at that. He'll be 20 Galleons." Harry smiled at the man and paid, leaving him a tip, then left the shop and headed back to Honeydukes. He found Ron in the corner by the odd candies and such. "Well Ron, ready to go?"
"Sure mate. By the way, what did you want to get my sister?" Harry picked up the Invisibility Cloak long enough to show him what was hidden. "Bloody hell mate! She'll love that!"
Harry nodded. "Come on. I'm hoping Hermione hasn't gone to bed yet. I'll be needing her help to get him snuck into her room." Ron nodded and, paying the man at the counter for everything else he had chosen, the pair headed down the stairs and back to Hogwarts.
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Hermione was just heading up to bed when she heard some scrambling and the portrait hole slamming shut. "Hell that was close Harry. I thought you said Filch's cat was on the other side of the school!"
"Guess I must've read the map wrong. What matters is that once again we weren't caught."
Hermione came down the stairs. "Harry? Ron? Take off the cloak. How'd Hogsmeade go?"
"Hermione! I need your help with something." He threw off the cloak, revealing himself, Ron, and Ginny's gift. "I want him to be there when she wakes up in the morning. Can you put him on a chair next to her bed for me please? I know I can't get into the seventh year girls dorms."
Hermione just stared at the beautiful sight. "Of course Harry! Oh she's gonna love this!" She hurried up the stairs and did exactly as Harry had asked, placing him where Ginny would see. She tiptoed around, careful not to wake anyone, then headed back down the stairs. "Mission accomplished!" Ron went up to her and handed her the box wrapped from Honeydukes. "Your sweets, my lady." She blushed a bit and Harry took that moment to yawn exaggeratedly. "Well then. I'm spent. I'll see you upstairs later on Ron." He grabbed the cloak and the map and went upstairs. Taking off his glasses, he changed for bed and went to sleep, a smile on his face, hoping that Ginny would like her gift.