Crash And Burn
Author's Note: Hey all! I can give you a few hints: Stardust will become important, Cho's plan may happen (dum-dum-DUM!), and another appearance by Lily and Merlin and Epona. On with the fic!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next day dawned and saw many students in their classes, Ron and Hermione included. Harry and Ginny were, once again, sleeping in, enjoying the break Dumbledore was giving them this week. Ginny was becoming increasingly more worried about not telling Ron and Hermione about what they were going to do. She hated keeping secrets from Ron. She was closest to him being just one year younger. They had shared much and she understood how he could be a little blind when it came to her. At least he hadn't attacked Harry when he saw that they were going out. Then there was Harry.
She sighed happily at the thought of him. She couldn't imagine what it was like before him. She had had that crush on him since she first saw him on Platform 9 ¾ and her crush slowly developed into something more. She never dreamed that it would mean any more to him. She always thought he would be with someone else. She rolled over and screamed into her pillow out of sheer excitement about the relationship she had. She also noticed that many of the people who ignored her before were beginning to talk to her. She felt like she could at least talk in a group with his friends and not feel like they were about to run away screaming. She slowly got out of bed and decided to draw herself a bath. Nobody came in the bathrooms during the day as there were classes. She went to her trunk after turning on the water and changing into her bathrobe and got out her bath salts. They were some sort of muggle thing where you took a scoop of some sort and put it in the scented salt and put it in the water. Her favorite was the Juniper Breeze or Storm Watch scented ones. She found them soon and went to the tub, book in hand, ready for a relaxing soak.
She climbed in the tub, sinking slowly in the water, savoring the silence and breathing in deeply the scent of Juniper Breeze. She sighed happily, leaning back and resting her head against the back of the tub. She closed her eyes, closing off the world and leaving nothing but her and her thoughts. She enjoyed the quiet time occasionally, especially growing up in as large a family as she had. She heard something make a clink sort of noise and lazily opened her eyes. She screamed when she turned her head. Standing there was herself. ~Am I dreaming?~ She jumped out of the water only to be pushed back down again by the mysterious double.
"Sit back and watch little girl. I'll destroy you and Harry," said her double.
Ginny thought about it and realized what had happened. "Cho! Where on earth did you get Polyjuice Potion and how'd you get anything from me," she exclaimed, more and more frightened by the moment at this development. Cho was a good actress. She had proven that by her charade after Cedric's death and how it kept the hold over Harry's emotions. Would Harry be able to recognize which one was which?
"Being in the service of the Dark Lord has its advantages," she said, smirking somewhat like Draco. Being in Slytherin really did have an effect on who you were.
"You'll never get away with this. Harry knows me. He'll figure out what happened and figure out that you aren't me. He'll know," she said. She thought about mentioning the Slytherin Ghost but figured it was in her best interest not to. If she came out of this alright and Harry recognized Cho as Ginny, they might need the Slytherin Ghost to warn of future comings. She jumped out of the tub, pushing Cho back and grabbing her robe before running into her room.
Cho chased after her, pulling out her wand and muttering a spell. Suddenly Ginny found herself tied up in ropes, a gag in her mouth. She couldn't mutter a spell to use her wandless magic. She was left helpless for the first time in one of their fights. Cho walked up to her, looking straight into her eyes. "How does it feel you bitch? How does it feel to be tied up and helpless? No matter. You're in for a special treat. I think I have just the room to put you in: The Chamber of Secrets."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry was lying in his bed, staring at the ceiling just wondering what to do. He wanted to read the letter but in the same right he couldn't do it without Ginny being there. He knew that whatever was inside would probably be something he wanted to share with her. He sighed happily, smiling at the thought of her and thinking about everything that had went on. He loved how she could make him smile even when he was sad, how she was always there for him when he needed her, how he could tell her things he couldn't even tell Ron. He was grinning like an idiot by the time he rolled out of bed. He was going to take her into Hogsmeade on a date. Restrictions or not, she deserved it. He got up quickly and showered and dressed. He ran out of his room and over to her door. He knocked, figuring she would still be in there as he hadn't seen her in the common room. He heard movement inside and the door opened.
Cho had taken some of her clothes over, trying to make Ginny seem as promiscuous as possible by the way she was dressing. She was wearing a pair of snake skin pants, tight fitting, and a form fitting black leather top. Harry's eyes bulged at the sight then got confused. "Uh……not that I'm complaining Ginny, but why on earth are you wearing that?"
"I felt like wearing this today. I think I look nice. Don't you," she asked, eyeing him suggestively.
"Uh…….is this a trick question? Come on Gin, put on something a little less……revealing? Please hun," he said, taking her hand. "Do it for me…please?"
"Oh anything for you Harry dear," she said, turning and closing the door. She grimaced as she went over to Ginny's drawers. ~How does this girl survive with such horrid clothing? What does he see in her?~ She kept mumbling about how horrid Ginny and Harry were while she found some clothes to wear.
Meanwhile Harry was standing outside the door, wondering what on earth had gotten into Ginny to make her put on those clothes. He wasn't complaining, they did make her look hot, but still, it wasn't like her. And something was nagging at him, something he couldn't quite figure out. He wanted to go to the owlery to see Hedwig too. He owed her bacon from last letter and he was sure Ginny would want to give Merlin some too. He laughed quietly to himself. Merlin and Hedwig were getting along so well. He was still thinking about the two owls when Cho reemerged, dressed in what Ginny would usually wear. "Ready dear," she asked, taking his arm.
"Of course hun. Come on. I've gotta mail something and give Hedwig her bacon for the day." He took her arm and together they headed off to the owlery.
When they got there Harry caught Hedwig and Merlin sleeping up against one another. He smiled at this and headed over to Hedwig. "Good morning Hedwig. And how are you today," he asked, crumbling some bacon in his hand for her to eat. He turned to Cho. "Hey Ginny, why don't you get Merlin and give him some." He handed her a bit of the crumbled bacon and turned back to Hedwig.
Cho had absolutely no idea which one was Merlin so she called out Merlin and the other Snowy Owl turned his head, looking at her. "Come on Merlin. Don't you want any bacon," she asked, offering her hand. Merlin eyed her suspiciously and gave an angry squawk. Hedwig's head shot up so fast that Harry had to move his head for fear she'd nudge him. He turned to see the problem too and saw that Merlin was looking at Ginny and squawking, not coming any closer. Ginny was creeping closer to him, offering the bacon. When she got too close to him he reached out and nipped her before flying over to a perch by Harry and Hedwig.
"Ouch! That bastard owl bit me," Cho said, looking to see where a bruise was forming on her hand.
"Merlin's never done that to you before has he Gin," he asked, now eyeing her suspiciously. Merlin was so affectionate with her from day one that this development didn't seem right. In fact, nothing seemed right about the whole situation at all. The clothes she was wearing this morning and now this with Merlin. Something wasn't right. He couldn't quite put a finger on it, but something wasn't right. He was getting that chilled feeling he would get his second year when Ginny was taken to the Chamber of Secrets.
"No. This is so strange for him. Come now. Let's go out today. What do you want to do," she asked, hoping she wasn't blowing it.
"Oh nothing. I figured we could work on that potion for class today. I just need to get the last few ingredients. Why don't you go and get your cauldron and meet me in the common room in a few minutes," he said. He was sure he was missing something. He was determined to find it out too.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ginny was shivering when she woke up. She looked around her and saw nothing but darkness. She worked on her mouth gag until she got part of it out. She pointed to her mouth with her hands bound in front of her and muttered the counterspell. Instantly the gag and ropes fell off her and she was free to get up and move around, wherever she was. "Lumos," she said, lighting her way. She realized that she was dressed only in her bathrobe and that wherever she was was very cold. ~I'm gonna freeze to death if I don't do something soon.~ She needed only to step forward a few more steps when suddenly torches and lanterns along the walls, illuminating her prison. She gasped as she looked ahead to see a large shape blocking the way. The dead basilisk. She was in the Chamber of Secrets. Her heart started beating faster, panic starting to kick in. She remembered what happened the last time she was here. True, she wasn't under the influence of Voldemort's diary, but still, it made her stand frozen to her spot, unable to move ahead and knowing she could not move back. "Help," she screamed in her panic. "Help me! Somebody? ANYBODY!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry watched as Ginny left, her walk seeming very uncharacteristic. He went over by where Merlin was, feeding the poor boy some bacon. He stroked his feathers, letting Hedwig sit on the perch next to him and nudge Merlin. He noticed something in his beak. It was some of Ginny's hair. Grabbing it, he took it in his hand and examined it. He could feel whatever was bothering him right there, on the tip of his tongue. Then he startled himself.
The hair was changing. It was no longer Ginny's hair. It was getting longer, much longer, and the color was darkening. When the hair stopped growing he held in his hand not a few strands of Ginny's hair but that of someone with black hair. Who did he know had black hair? Suddenly it dawned on him and he ran out of the owlery, taking the steps down to the different floors three or four at a time. There was no time to waste. He couldn't. Whatever she had done with Ginny couldn't be good.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ginny looked around the Chamber, panicking more and more. She was hyperventilating by now, getting dizzy from the lack of oxygen getting to her. The flames were flickering in the lack of air there. Soon they would go out, and with them, so would she.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry ran into the common room, finding Cho waiting there for him. "Cho you evil fucking bitch! Where is she? Where's my Ginny?!" It was all he could do to restrain himself from choking the life out of her.
Cho gave a cruel laugh. "Why, I have no idea what you're talking about," she said trying to act innocent.
"Don't lie to me Chang. I want Ginny back now or I swear to the gods I'll kill you myself and find her," Harry said, trying desperately to control his temper. He feared he would do something he would regret, something far worse than inflating his aunt.
"Face it Potter. You need me. You can't find her without me. You're too dense to know where to look. You don't even know if she's still in Hogwarts. I want you to beg me Potter," she said, sneering at him. "I want you to get on your knees and beg."
Harry stared at the girl, not willing to believe anyone next to the Dark Lord could be that horrible. How could she hate Ginny so much, and him too? Why? "Never Cho. I'd never do beg, knees or otherwise."
"Then I guess your precious little Ginny will die. Too bad really, not that I can whether she lives or dies. I was your girlfriend and you just threw me to the side like a piece of garbage. Why did you betray me Potter," she said, her face getting more and more red with the passing time.
"Cho, what part of we were never going out don't you understand!!! I was your friend, a shoulder to cry on after Cedric died because I thought you really loved him. Maybe you did, maybe you didn't, but you just strung me along, full well knowing that I had feelings for you. You ignored those feelings and played with my emotions. Then Ginny came along," he said, his face taking on a dreamy look. "Ginny is like nobody I've ever known. She can make me laugh, knows me better than anybody ever has. She's the greatest person I've ever met. I'm so lucky to have found her."
Cho's face was beginning to match the red on the Gryffindor banner on the back wall. "Well Potter, enjoy the time you two had together. Soon she'll run out of air. It's only a matter of time really. Unless you agree to leave her and go out with me. Then we may be able to save her. Her life is in your hands," she said, a smug look on her face. She knew he loved her enough to do anything to save her. She'd break those two up. That prophecy would never go through and she'd have Harry. She could destroy Ginny after Yule's Night.
Harry grimaced. He knew that Cho had him in a corner. He didn't know if he could believe her but he couldn't afford not to. If only there was some clue as to where she took her. ~She wouldn't take her to Slytherin. There's no way she could keep her in there without the Slytherin Ghost finding out and they would've written. The other rooms, closets and such, are monitored by Dumbledore. He'd know where she was.~ He kept thinking about the places where Cho could hide Ginny. She wouldn't have had time to take her out of Hogwarts. There simply wasn't enough time. Suddenly he snapped his fingers. He muttered "Accio Map!" The Marauder's Map flew down the stairs from the boy's dorms and into his hand. He opened the parchment and brought out his wand. "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good." The lines started spidering all over the parchment and soon the map was drawn. He looked to see where Ginny might be. All over the parchment were bubbles of peoples' names. Yet he couldn't find Ginny's. But she couldn't be out of Hogwarts. There really wouldn't be enough time. Where in Hogwarts, though, would there be a place that the Marauders hadn't explored or plotted? Suddenly he looked up at Cho and saw her smug look. There was only one place in Hogwarts the Marauders hadn't known about. They couldn't have gotten in anyway. Not without a certain gift. "Chang! You bitch!" He waved his hand, tying her up with ropes. "How could you? You really are evil. You know, I was kinda sad about the prophecy. I thought you'd realize the mistake you were making. But now I see it's useless. Dumbledore will be hearing about this. In fact, you're coming with me…NOW!" He charmed the ropes and they began to pull her, kicking and screaming, after Harry as he ran out the portrait hole. He had to get to her soon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ginny started turning her head wildly around, the smallest sound scaring her half to death. She was waiting for the basilisk to come back to life and come after her. She knew it probably wouldn't happen, but she could feel that something about this chamber wasn't right. She cautiously began to explore the chamber, cautious steps bringing her closer and closer to the basilisk's body. She could feel herself getting weaker and weaker, the lack of oxygen becoming evident as her movements slowed. She knew she only had a few more minutes. She watched as the torches started to get dimmer, some of them flickering and going out. She was doomed. ~Cho really did get me this time. And the worse part is that I knew she was gonna try this. I knew and I thought she couldn't get into Gryffindor to get me. How did she get the password to get in anyway?~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry ran to Dumbledore's office, shouting out the password and running up the steps to his office. He burst through the door, startling Dumbledore and Fawkes. He left Cho in the chair, taking a few seconds to say "Cho…Ginny…save..." He turned and ran out of the office, down to Moaning Mertyl's bathroom. He went to the sink with the snake carved into the pipe. "Open" he said in Parseltongue. The sink moved to the side, revealing the hole leading down to the Chamber of Secrets. He jumped in, sliding down the slimy slope and landing gracelessly in a head at the bottom. He stood up and started running down the hallway. He dove through the hole that Ron had dug in second year. Running further, he came to the door with the two snakes carved in it, their eyes still glowing. He shouted "Open" in Parseltongue and ran through, hoping beyond hope that he wasn't too late.
He found her collapsed by the basilisk, her head resting frighteningly near the basilisk's broken fangs. They could still hold the poison. He ran up to her, shaking her, finding her unconscious. He picked her up, bellowing "Accio Firebolt!" He heard the Firebolt coming down the tube and soon it was in front of him. He climbed on, putting Ginny in front of him and holding her to him, leaning forward and shooting out of the Chamber. It didn't take long before they were at the top. The hole closed after them.
Harry dismounted from the Firebolt, laying Ginny down on the ground. He listened to her, hearing her heart. But she wasn't breathing! He remembered muggle CPR after having to take the class at school. He tipped her head back and started giving her mouth to mouth breathing. "Ginny, please be alright," he kept repeating between breaths. He kept watching for her chest to start rising. He was about to give up hope, the tears streaming down his face. He kept shaking her shoulders, trying to revive her. He almost had admitted defeat when he saw her chest start to rise. Suddenly she coughed and rolled to her side. She groggily opened her eyes, turning to see Harry's tear stained face watching her, a smile breaking out.
"Harry, how did you find me down there," she asked, beginning to shake remembering the feeling she got from being down there.
"The map. The only place in Hogwarts that wasn't on there was the chamber. When I saw that your bubble wasn't there I knew where Cho had taken you," he said, going over to her and helping her to sit up and lean against him.
"But how did you know it wasn't me? She looked exactly like me. She even had my voice down as scary as that thought is."
"Merlin," he said, chuckling at what Merlin had done this morning. "When he didn't come to her and bit her, I knew there had to be something wrong. I couldn't figure it out til then, although I was beginning to wonder about you after what she had put on this morning," he said, his eyebrow raising at the thought. He had to admit, Ginny would look more irresistible in that. He almost drooled at the thought, catching himself as he looked at Ginny's face.
Ginny was watching him as he remembered something from this morning, his eyes taking on a slightly glazed over look. "Harry, what on earth did she wear," she asked incredulously.
"I bet it's still in your room. You'll see," he said, shaking the thought out of his head. "Come on. We need to get to Dumbledore. You need to explain to him what Cho did. If he doesn't expel her after this I'm gonna expel her myself," he exclaimed.
Ginny nodded, getting up and following him out of the bathroom and up to Dumbledore's office.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Well, we'll find out tomorrow what he's gonna do about it. She's still trying to explain herself," said Harry, climbing through the portrait hole after Ginny.
"If he doesn't do anything about it I'm gonna turn her into a ferret and lock her in a cage til all this nonsense is over," said Ginny. She meant every word too. She wasn't about to put up with all this crap with Cho. If Dumbledore didn't do something about it, she would. "If you'll excuse me, I'll have to put my clothes on now. It's a bit odd running around the school in my robe," she said, heading up to her dorm. Harry lay down on the couch waiting for her to get back down.
When Ginny got upstairs she spotted what Harry must've been talking about on her bed. She picked them up, looking them over. ~So this is what Cho was wearing this morning. Hm….not my usual clothing….let's see what Harry thinks.~ She put on the outfit, admiring herself in the mirror before heading downstairs again.
She snuck up behind Harry, putting her arms around him. "So Harry, what are we gonna do today," she asked.
He smiled, turning around. "Well, I thought--" He suddenly realized that she was wearing the outfit Cho had been wearing when he first went looking for Ginny. He looked her up and down, his face getting a goofy sort of grin and his jaw practically on the floor. "Wow," he said, still looking her over.