Everything belongs to J.K.R.
'Why Potter, it's a small world, isn't it?'
Malfoy was taken aback for a moment at the tone of surprise in Harry's voice but he quickly recovered and stepped into the Entrance Hall smugly.
All Harry could do was immediately relate the person out in the rain to Malfoy – it was so very possible. Malfoy had every reason of being associated with the Dark side. His father was already a supposed Death Eater.
But, Harry thought, the person who had been in the rain had wet robes and had obviously already walked past the Entrance Hall already…Malfoy was absolutely dry and he had just come in.
Harry ignored Draco's remark and looked back at him coolly.
'Taking your bunch of clowns out to the playground? I hope you don't wander off too far – or too high. The Forbidden Forest's full of man eating beasts…the inexperienced slugs that you are –'
Fred and George didn't have time to retaliate. The burden of the events of the night, of previous days and so many other things piling up within him caused something to go 'ping' in Harry's mind. He leapt towards Malfoy, aiming a blow at his face and would have succeeded if it hadn't been for Ron grabbing Harry's arm at the right time. Malfoy backed away a few steps as Harry pulled at his arm to lunge at Malfoy. But Ron had been right in holding Harry back as in a moment, Argus Filch was at the scene. He looked furious.
'What's going on here?' he demanded, his nostrils flaring and his eyes bloodshot.
'Potter here was attempting to manhandle me – ' said Malfoy, putting on his usual show of innocence. Filch's gaze snapped to Malfoy's.
'Quiet!' he almost bellowed. He gazed up and down Malfoy and his gaze seemed to still at Malfoy's muddy shoes.
'Where have you been?' he demanded. Filch's gaze swept to the door where several muddy footsteps now adorned the shiny floor.
'Er…I was…'
Harry saw hesitation in Malfoy's tone.
'I expected as much!' Filch was furious. 'Dirtying the floor and engaging in fights! It's high time you, Mr. Malfoy, learned a lesson!'
Without so much as a glance at Harry or anyone else, Filch grabbed Malfoy's arm fiercely and dragged him away to his office. Harry didn't feel sorry for Malfoy. Some things were just fitting.
~*~*~*~
Harry didn't have reason to be reminded of the mysterious figure he had seen in the rain (he hadn't believed it was Malfoy entirely but he was now leaning towards that suspicion) all day. But it was later that evening when his scar, once again throbbed painfully on his forehead that he was reminded of the strange events of the previous night.
His gaze swept across the room. Ron had Hermione were engaged in a game of Exploding Snap – Ron had finally persuaded Hermione to take a break from excessive studying. When he thought no one was really looking, some times, Ron leaned across and kissed Hermione.
Harry looked away quickly when he caught them at that once and looked around the Commonroom. Fred and George were studying for once, preparing for their N.E.W.T.s.
Harry automatically looked around for the youngest Weasley. He found her curled up in an armchair with a book she didn't seem to be reading. He eyes were narrowed. Harry's smile faltered slightly. He got up, hesitating for a moment, then walked over to her.
'Hello, Ginny,' he said brightly. Ginny looked up from her book, then flung the book on the armchair beside her. Harry was startled.
'Hello,' she said carelessly and Harry was surprised. She seemed to be…furious. She stared ahead into space, her eyebrows knitting together.
'Is everything okay, Ginny?' he asked slowly, cautiously slipping into an armchair beside her. She turned to him and Harry saw a strange fire burning in her eyes that he hadn't ever seen before.
'Wouldn't you be mad if someone ate up your favorite Sugarquills?' Ginny snapped. Harry began chuckling but fell quiet at the dead serious look on Ginny's face.
'Who ate your Sugarquills?' he tried. Ginny didn't seem to be simmering down and Harry felt, in spite of his deep affection for her, that she was overreacting.
'Colin,' she breathed, not meeting Harry's eyes.
'Er…' Harry felt awkward. 'I've got some Sugarquills with me…if you want them…'
Ginny shook her head.
'Forget it,' she grumbled, without looking at him.
'I won't leave him…he's going to pay…' Ginny muttered under her breath but Harry heard her. He also noticed how her fists were balled up in apparent fury.
'Ginny, are you okay?' Harry asked, not understanding what was going on with her. He had rarely…no…never seen her like this.
Ginny eyes flashed at him suddenly.
'Just leave me alone, will you?! You think everything's your personal business?!'
The Commonroom fell silent all of a sudden at Ginny's fairly loud outburst. Harry stared at her, stupefied, springing up from his seat. He could feel the eyes of every other person in the Commonroom on himself and Ginny. Ginny had fixed him with a glare and didn't seem to feel the others' presence. He found her stare strange…cold…almost…he couldn't pinpoint the feeling or what he could compare with that gaze. He felt as if he couldn't move a single muscle.
'What's going on here?' Timothy Knight, a senior Prefect, broke through the silence, sounding very much like Percy. He looked from Ginny to Harry and Harry looked up at him, averting his gaze from Ginny's.
'Er…I…'
Timothy, however, hadn't expected or wanted an explanation.
'I didn't ask for an explanation, Potter,' he stated but then seemed to soften slightly. 'Up to your dormitory now…it's lights-off in ten minutes.'
Harry's eyes were still quite wide and his scar throbbed savagely. He glanced one last time at Ginny, hoping for some answer but she had already gotten up from her sofa and didn't meet his eyes as she crossed him to get to the girls' staircase to the dormitories.
~*~*~*~
Harry was glad to escape from the strange looks the people in the Commonroom had been giving him. He threw himself on to his bed and rested his head in his hands. His scar was already giving him pain and now he knew he'd certainly be down with a headache.
Everything…everything…that had been happening for a few days was so muddling. And then…Ginny's behavior. Harry couldn't take out any conclusions. Why had she snapped at him? And even more…what was in the gaze with which she had held his own…the cold, sinking feeling…
Harry fell back onto his pillows and fell a sharp knot of pain in his back. He sprang up and turned to see a small, metal ball on his bed. The Charmzirius.
He recalled having left it, rather carelessly on his bed the night before when he had hurried down to the Commonroom, feeling very strange. He reached out to the Charmzirius, feeling the need for the warmth of a hug more than anything…but he recoiled suddenly.
The Charmzirius was ice-cold to the touch and as Harry's fingers came into contact with it, it glowed green, once. Harry was amazed – and he let out a gasp of surprise. The Charmzirius was usually only pleasantly warm…but it was now so cold, Harry could feel numbness spread through his finger and into the palm of his hand. It was an unnatural, painful, cold wave and he was shocked.
Harry couldn't think of anything. But slowly, grabbing a fistful of his blanket, he picked up the Charmzirius. He could feel an eerie, cool wave flow into his hand through the material and he quickly dropped it into his trunk, having no idea of what was going on. He snapped the lid of the trunk shut and sat back, his mind dazed. What was going on?
He heard the sound of footsteps and the door of the dormitory was hurriedly opened. Harry sat back from his trunk, not wanting to arouse any suspicion. Ron came into view, his lanky form a dark silhouette against the moonlight filtering through the windows.
'Harry?'
'Yeah,' said Harry, acknowledging his presence.
'Are you alright? What happened?' Ron was anxious and he came to Harry's side. Harry was blank for a moment, not understanding what Ron was asking him about. So many things seemed to be happening all at the same time.
'I…uh…'
'What happened with Ginny?' Ron was genuinely worried; he sounded so from the tone of his voice. Harry looked up. Ron's face was visible across him, as he sat down on his bed. He suddenly understood what Ron was talking about.
'I don't know,' he said, desperately…it was true…he didn't know why Ginny was angry, why the Charmzirius was so cold and had glowed red, why there was someone out in the rain the previous night and had then vanished and why his scar continued to hurt him.
'She was acting pretty weird,' said Ron. Harry didn't respond. He couldn't think of what to say. He had no theories…no answers…no speculations…
'But then again, you haven't seen her when she's really mad, I expect…it's quite natural, really. Harry?'
'Huh?' Harry was still blank. All of a sudden he felt too tired to do anything. Ron understood but wasn't happy at all. He got up and moved to Harry's side.
'Forget it, you look as if you haven't slept well in ages!'
He urged Harry slightly back onto his pillows and Harry didn't argue. He had fallen asleep before another thought could come to his mind.
Author's Notes:-Okay, here was Chapter 17! Pretty quick, huh? Well, I had the content in mind so I wrote it down quickly. I hope the next chapter will be up just as soon.
Meanwhile, I hope I didn't confuse any of you…I know this chapter was difficult, if you know what I mean. There are some hints within this chapter and some of you may be able to recognize them.
And yes, Ananova is an online digital news agency where a digital newscaster reads the news. The website is Ananova.com and it usually gives very good news about the development of things related to Harry Potter.
I appreciate the theories set forwards by my reviewers. They are quite good and I'd like to tell that the theories you put forward were very good
Meanwhile, we have heard nothing about HP 5. I mean, we have heard a lot but there is no fixed date. Some people say it isn't finished yet and some people say it's gone for printing…there's no fixed answer from anywhere. Let's just say it'll come when it'll come…meanwhile, you can sign up at amazon.com for the alert for the coming of Book 5…that way you'll find out anyway.
Also, you may be getting another fic about Ginny from me very soon. It won't be a series, just a single chapter thing. I want to wholly thank Poppy P at the Sugarquill and Gryffindortower for the inspiration from her Ginny fic, He Doesn't See Me. It's a beautiful story.
'Hope to see you all soon!
Love, Pottergirl