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Time Changes Everything

A Fan Fiction by Aelia Chapter twenty three: When Darkness Spread…

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K.R. I only own the plot.

Author's Notes:

I am putting in the Author's Notes here because I couldn't bring myself to write them at the end and I don't think you'll be able to read them then. If you're confused, you may go ahead and read the chapter first but believe me, you'd better read this part first.

This chapter is one of the longest I have ever written in this fiction and the longest I have written in many weeks. This chapter was the most hard to complete so far, I believe that it was on this chapter that a large part of my story was always based. The end, of course, is the real part.

I want to thank my reviewers for reviewing my last update too (but strangely, I didn't find some of my faithful reviewers there when I last checked.). I want to assure you right now that this is not the last chapter. Please…I will update after this if you have any doubts about that after reading this chapter.

However, I have to go on a short trip from 13-17 June and I will be able to update after 18 June only. I'm sorry but I won't have access to a computer to where I'm going for a couple of days.

ShortNSweet, to answer your question, I am currently in Saudi Arabia while I originally come from Pakistan (surprising?) and right now, I'm on summer hols.

Keira Aislin, that's a great theory and I know, it seems quite like MPD – Multiple Personality Disorder. I've read a fiction based on this psychological disorder – Sidney Sheldon's "Tell Me Your Dreams" so I know a little about that. However, she's not suffering from that disorder really…you'll find out soon. Thanx for reviewing! And do keep reading! The end's not too far. :)

And another load of thanks to SatanicGnomes, Ax, EliCa, Julephenia for reviewing chapter 22!

Thanks also to Nimbuschik, Munku-JGSPTV, Ax and Angel for keeping me going! I just love you guys!

 

And now, if you have been patiently reading this before reading the chapter, I thank you profusely and hope you'll like the chapter. I put a lot of effort into this and I hope you'll read and review!

Bye…

*  *  *  *  *

'Ginny?'

Hermione said, standing before the curtains that enclosed Ginny's bed in her dormitory. She had followed Ginny quickly to her dormitory when she saw her enter the Common room, looking very upset.

'Ginny?' She repeated softly when there was no answer. There was silence still and Hermione was about to move towards the bed when the curtains were pulled back slightly.

'Hermione?' Ginny asked, her voice low and timid.

'Ginny, is something wrong? Why're you crying?'

Ginny was silent for a moment, then she pulled back the curtains further to let Hermione enter. Hermione sat on the edge of Ginny's bed, looking closely at her.

'Are you alright? You haven't been looking well for the past few days,' said Hermione concernedly.

Ginny was sitting beside Hermione, looking at her lap.

'I…I…'

'Is it okay? Do you want to talk about it?' Hermione asked cautiously, in a soft tone.

'I…' Ginny said quickly, and then gave a small sob, 'It's…Hermione, …I…said…no…to Harry…'

'What? No to Harry?' Hermione said quickly, surprised.

Ginny sobbed again.

'About…about…us…' Ginny was now sobbing uncontrollably and lifted her hands to her face. Hermione, thoroughly surprised, put an arm around Ginny to comfort her.

'Ginny, why? You wanted the same thing,' said Hermione, not being able to believe what Ginny was saying.

'Hermione, I…' Ginny's voice shook and tears were now flowing freely down her face. Hermione gave her a clean handkerchief to wipe away her tears. Ginny was still sobbing and Hermione quickly got her a glass of water to make her feel better.

When Ginny stopped sobbing, she remained silent, saying nothing more. Hermione sat beside her on the bed, not wanting to say anything that might make Ginny dissolve into tears once more.

'Harry…he…wanted…but…I…I…if only…'

Ginny trailed away and sobbed once. Hermione was looking at her with sympathy.

'You…you don't…like him anymore?' Hermione asked carefully but Ginny's head immediately snapped up at this.

'I…I…do…I do like him…but…'

Ginny looked away, clutching the edges of her bed. Hermione waited for her to go on but after a moment, Ginny said,

'Hermione, I can't talk about this right now…I want to be alone…for sometime…'

Ginny still did not face Hermione and Hermione, stifling further enquiry about her peculiar behavior, got up to go. Ginny sobbed once and Hermione opened her mouth to say something but then closed it.

She drew the curtains around Ginny's bed and left her dormitory silently.

*  *  *  *  *

'Don't you think we should go check on Harry?'

It was lunchtime and Harry still hadn't come back from outside. Hermione sighed sadly.

'You know how it is with him,' she said to Ron, 'He'll come when he's ready…'

*  *  *  *  *

The gale, which had been blowing earlier, had worked itself into an icy wind. Thick clouds were swirling over the castle, adding to the gloom that had already spread since the attack on Hogsmeade in the night. It was evening but the canopy of thick, gray clouds and the icy wind had turned the clock several hours forward, making it seem like dusk in winter.   

Hermione glanced at the sky through the closed window, sighed inaudibly and reverted her gaze to her Arithmancy book. But she could not concentrate. Harry hadn't come in at all and it was evening now. He had been out, in the grounds, for hours now and every time the wind howled, she glanced at the leaden sky worriedly.

Opposite her at the table, Ron had an alarmingly serious expression on his face – he was thinking, Hermione knew it. He was completing his homework but Hermione knew he could never concentrate on his homework that much – and Divination at that. His quill moved over the parchment slowly and then paused as the wind rattled the windows.

Hermione watched him as he flung down his quill.

'He shouldn't be out there right now,' he muttered, not caring that his quill was blotting his homework. Hermione quickly moved the quill out of the way and sighed.

'I know, I think we should go and call –'

'You're right,' said Ron quickly, getting up, as if Hermione had just granted him permission, 'I'll go –'

'Ron, wait!' Hermione said quickly and he paused, 'I should come –'

'No, it's very cold outside, I'll go,' said Ron quickly and got up.

Hermione was about to tell him to get his cloak when the portrait hole opened slowly and Harry stepped in. Ron stopped where he was.

Harry's face was pale from the biting wind and his hair was messy. But his expression – completely blank and his eyes – lifeless were what made Ron stare at him for a moment.

But Harry didn't look at his best friends. He didn't look at the Common Room at all. Hands in his pockets, he trudged up the stairs to the boys' dormitories silently and disappeared around the bend.

Ron turned to Hermione just as the windows rattled again. She shivered and glanced sadly at the staircase to the boys' dormitories once more before forcing herself to turn to her work. Whatever Ginny's reasons had been, she knew and Ron knew too, that Harry didn't deserve being turned down like this.

The words in her Arithmancy book were making no sense at all just then as Hermione's thoughts turned on her short talk with Ginny in the morning. Ginny had seemed terribly upset…as if it was Harry who had turned her down. It made no sense at all.

'Ginny's gone bonkers,' said Ron suddenly, surprising Hermione, 'What's she playing at?'

Ron was visibly irritated, even furious, with his sister for hurting Harry the way she had and causing him to sink into sadness and silence.

'I…' said Hermione uncertainly, 'I'm sure she had her reasons…'

'Reasons?!' Ron said, quite loudly and quite a few people looked up. Hermione motioned him to keep his voice low. He was quite for a moment.

'She's had a crush on him before she even met him and just look how she's been this whole year!'

'I know…' said Hermione thoughtfully, 'But I told you…she was upset too…only, she wouldn't tell me anything more.'

Ron opened his mouth to say something more but then sighed heavily and closed it. There was nothing more that could be said about the matter just then. There was nothing more that they knew.

*  *  *  *  *

Harry lay in his bed, watching the ceiling through half open eyes. There was silence in the dormitory as all the other boys were still downstairs. The sun had set long ago and the dormitory was now in darkness. The cloud cover outside had thickened and it was evident that the night would be stormy.

Harry's thoughts were even darker. His scar was throbbing on his forehead and often it would twinge painfully before resorting to the dull soreness. Above all that, the even bigger worry of Ginny's statements was weighing down heavily on him.

He couldn't understand what had happened. Where had he gone wrong? What had he done? What did she mean to do all those months when they'd been friends…or…'more than friends'…or almost 'more than friends' or…he couldn't think properly.

Harry felt a strange pang of loneliness for the first time in months. He felt terribly alone and turned on his side, hugging his knees to himself, curled up. He wished someone could give him answers…why was he to bear everything? Why was he the Boy Who Lived?

There was the distant sound of thunder and Harry shivered slightly. His scar gave another painful twinge and he closed his eyes, wanting to shut out everything. He shivered again but did not know whether it was from the cold or the terrible feeling of loneliness.

He got up from his bed suddenly and opened his trunk. The photo-album of his parents' pictures rested on the top of his things and he picked it up quickly. He didn't wait to return to his bed. In a shaky voice, he whispered, 'Lumos,' and opened the album.

He had seen those pictures many, many times before but every time he opened the album, it seemed as if he were seeing them for the first time…his mother, father, smiling up at him, holding his infant form, playing with him, the Marauders, his parents' wedding…

The pictures blurred before his eyes and large teardrops silently fell onto the pages of the album. He couldn't think of anything just then and he sank down beside his bed, holding the album to his chest and bending his head between his knees. His scar was now throbbing more painfully than before but his own mental anguish was blocking out the pain.

He hadn't broken down like this since the end of his fourth year when Mrs. Weasley had held him, easing his pain, if only slightly. He longed for that motherly feeling just then…that soft, enveloping warmth…

Instinctively, he turned to his trunk again and looked in, in the light of his wand. When he saw the Charmzirius, he was reminded of Ginny.

She had given it to him on his birthday and he'd treasured it ever since as it radiated a very pure and relaxing warmth. It reminded him of the way Mrs. Weasley had hugged him at the end of his fourth year, in the Hospital Wing.

He looked at the Charmzirius for a moment, sitting in a corner of his trunk and then reached towards it. As his fingers encountered the smooth surface of the Charmzirius, his eyes widened and he jumped back. The Charmzirius was stone cold…even cooler. It was radiating cool waves instead of the usual, pure warmth.

Harry stared at it for a moment, then reached towards it, daring another touch. But this time the feeling was cooler and even painful. Harry suddenly realized that the pain in his scar had increased so that now, it felt as if his scar was on fire.

Even the tips of his fingers, where he had touched the stone cold Charmzirius, were hurting. His scar gave a horrible twinge and he pressed it with the palm of his hand, trying, hoping for it to end. The pain, however, increased and was numbing his entire head. He got up from the floor and stumbled over to his bed and a strange haze spread over his eyes as the pain grew intense. It was unbearable and he had to make a great effort to not cry out.

He fell onto his bed, his fists clenched with the sheer enormity of the pain. Thunder boomed outside, rain poured down on the castle and a flash of lightning was all Harry was able to see before consciousness left him altogether.

*  *  *  *  *

'Master! Please, this is too much!'

'SILENCE!'

'But M-Ma-Master, if -'

'Leave me alone! I will succeed…I will see to his end…whatever it takes tonight…'

'But Master, you are becoming weak again, if you don't stop-' 

'He will not see the light of another day!'

'Master –'

Suddenly, there was the sound of laughter.

'It's over…'

'It is, Master?! He's dead?!'

'No but…but almost…I…I can see…the end of Harry Potter! I can see his blood!'

Cold laughter reverberated all round…cold, painful laughter…piercing…hurting…

Cold…piercing…hurting…

Harry's eyes flew open in the dark to those feelings. Cold…piercing…hurting…

For a second, he stayed still, not being able to form any thought. The cold feeling was still there and then there was a sharp pain in his neck.

He looked up and almost screamed in terror.

A hooded, dark figure was bending over him, its outline only slightly visible in the darkness of the dormitory. Harry's eyes widened and his mouth fell open. There was another sharp pain in the side of his neck and he realized, to his horror, that the hooded figure was piercing his neck with a sharp dagger.

He felt something wet trickle down the side of his neck, into his shirt collar. Blood. His blood.

Harry's first action was to jump away. He wanted to shout out but he could make no sound. He scrambled away, staring at the hooded figure. The stranger was looking at him, dagger paused in midair.

Harry suddenly dove for his wand, which was in his pocket. The hooded figure sensed his action and stepped forward suddenly. Harry's fingers closed around his wand and he lifted it while steadying himself for whatever might happen next.

The storm ended the deadlock. There was a bright flash of lightning followed by thunder that illuminated the whole dormitory and the figure. But its hood had fallen back and the lightning illuminated its face.

Harry almost dropped his wand as he stared at the person, dagger still raised, blood dripping off its end.

Harry did not want to believe what he was seeing before him. There was another brilliant flash of lightning and his doubts were confirmed. He couldn't make a sound, move a muscle or keep his wand raised.

Ginny stood before him, clad in a black robe with a hood. Her face was blank, her eyes only half open and a gleaming, silver dagger raised in her hand.

He lowered his wand, still shocked. Drawing a raspy breath, he said,

'Ginny?'

Her eyes snapped open and Harry realized that she had heard him. Her mouth fell open slightly and she looked confused. Harry was only able to stare as her eyes darted from him to her surroundings, as if trying to understand where she was. Then she realized that she held something in her raised hand and her eyes widened. Blood was still dripping off the dagger and when she saw it, she lifted her hand to her mouth in horror.

Her eyes darted to Harry, on the bed, and when she saw him staring back at her, she suddenly became as if petrified. Her gaze was riveted at Harry and time seemed to have suddenly stopped. Her hand began shaking and the dagger slipped out of her fingers, hitting the stone floor of the boys' dormitory with a sharp sound.

She stumbled back, still staring at Harry, her eyes wide with horror. Her hands shook violently and suddenly, without a word, she whirled around and vanished around the curtains of Harry's bed.

Harry scrambled out of bed, acting purely on instinct. His mind wasn't working properly anymore. All he knew was to go after Ginny. He put on his shoes, grabbed his cloak and dashed out of the dormitory. All was silent but when Harry ran down the stairs, into the Common Room, he found the Portrait hole open. He sprinted out of it and ran down the corridor, not caring about anything else. If she was outside Gryffindor Tower, she would probably have gone out of the castle.

He sprinted into the Great Hall, panting, out of breath but determined. He couldn't think of anything else. He had to get to Ginny.

One of the Great Doors of Hogwarts was open and Harry had only time to see something black disappear around it. He ran towards it and not hesitating for a second, stepped out of the castle. The storm was raging fiercely, thunder booming all round and cracks of lightning illuminating the sky. The downpour had reduced visibility so much that Harry had to squint even in a flash of lightning.

He was immediately drenched to the skin but his gaze roved over the grounds – and then he saw her…

She was running down the steps, onto the grassy grounds of Hogwarts. Harry immediately ran down the steps, his eyes not leaving her running figure for a second. His scar was throbbing and the rain poured down on him but he didn't care about that.

He called out to her but his voice was drowned in the howling wind and claps of thunder. Adrenalin rushed through him and he ran on through the strong gale and heavy downpour. He was gaining on her and suddenly he saw her stumble and collapse on the ground.

He urged his feet to run faster but the pain in his scar was also increasing and it lashed through his entire head mercilessly. He reached the spot where Ginny had tripped and sank to the ground beside her just as the pain in his scar burned to a crescendo.

He saw her body, in another flash of lightning, tense and stiffen while the pain in his scar threatened to make him lose consciousness again. He tried to steady himself and reach out to her but a haze was spreading on his mind. He had to get to her.

The pain lashed through him and then, suddenly, it vanished and Harry almost collapsed completely at the sudden relief. He steadied himself and used every ounce of strength that remained in him to get nearer to Ginny.

The haze on his mind was lifting and he touched her shoulder. It was stiff and wet and extremely cold. At his touch, it twitched slight and Harry tried to turn her onto her back.

He succeeded but the sight terrified him. Her face was stone cold and extremely pale and her eyes were closed.

'Ginny!' He shouted, in the thunder and wind. He shook her shoulder, panicking. This couldn't be happening...

But then, her eyes flickered open and Harry bent down beside her, holding her shoulders and looking into her eyes with a gaze like that of a panicked animal.

'Ginny!' He said, wanting desperately to know that she was fine, that she would be okay.

Her gaze was hazy for a moment but then it settled on his face. An expression of comprehension appeared on her face and she opened her mouth to say something but couldn't manage any sound. Harry cupped his hand on her face, trying to warm it somehow. She was too cold…

'Ginny…'

'H-Harry…' she whispered and Harry only heard it, in the loud thunder and howling wind all round them, since he was bending over her, very close to her. He tried to form proper thought…he had to do something…

Ginny lifted a hand and Harry felt her fingers, shaky and stone cold, touch the wound in his neck. She withdrew her hand and stared at her fingers in a flash of lightning. Blood – his blood – flowed down her fingers in the heavy rain.

Her gaze snapped to Harry's and she stared at him through wide and crystal clear eyes. There was another crack of lightning and Harry saw her eyes, despite the rain pouring down on them, begin to water and overflow with tears.

'S-s-sorry…H-Harry…I…I…'

But she trailed off as her hand fell down.

Her body went limp in Harry's arms and her gaze no longer rested on him. The last of her tears coursed down her face and vanished as Harry, horrified beyond anything he could imagine, cried out her name into the howling wind.

…To be continued…

(Author's Notes are at the beginning of the chapter.)