AN: I wrote this one pretty quickly, (for me) I hope it measures up to the last ones, I think
this story, which I originally planned to be only the one chapter, has turned into a fair story
and one that I am proud of. I hope I am scratching something deeper than just a story about
the characters from the Harry Potter series and exploring an aspect of human nature or some
other profound subject. That is my goal with every piece of writing I think of. I hope this
story lives up to your aspirations as it has (rather surprisingly) lived up to mine. Enough
rambling (at least about me) and it's time for the story
Aardvark: The Hands of Voldemort Touch All
Harry woke to his first day of school, checking his trunk he found all the supplies
he required packed exactly as they had been in the Leaky Cauldron. He pulled out his
robe to prepare for his day. He picked up his schedule just outside the Griffyndor common
room and read it over a can of toast. Ron sat down across from Harry, throwing a greeting
his way. Harry nodded at Ron and was about to launch into a complaint about Potions with
the Slytherins that afternoon when his eyes were distracted to the presence of Cho standing
inconspicuously near the door to the great hall with her eyes fixed directly on Harry.
Reacting similarly as he had the previous night Harry turned away, hoping she would not
stare so. Along with Harry's normal feelings when in the presence of the object of his
desire he also felt a strange fear come over him, he chalked it up to his fear of being
stupid while she was watching but...
"Hey, Harry are you okay?" Ron shook his shoulder slightly, "Yeah, just got distracted"
Harry assured, Ron didn't look convinced, "You looked like you were going to say something
then went white and started rubbing your head." Harry quickly snatched his hand away from his
head, revealing the scar before his hair fell back over it. "You've done similar things ever
since you came over to our house for the end of summer break. What's wrong?" Harry sighed
"I don't know." He paused before continuing, "Ever since Voldemort came back the
whole world has seemed to turn upside down where I expected no change and the changes I
expected never took place." Harry sighed, "We'd better get to charms or chance being late on
our first day back." Ron nodded, not convinced that was the whole truth, and began to get up.
His eye was caught over at the Slytherin table, Harry followed his friend's gaze and surprisingly
enough it was Draco Malfoy that was the subject of attention.
"He's planning something, I just know it." Harry nodded in consent after examining
Malfoy speaking in hushed tones to his friends. Malfoy then took a hate-filled look at, not
Harry, but the unsuspecting Ginny. Ron, apparently coming to the same conclusion Harry did,
said, "You don't suppose he would..." Harry nodded, "I think he would, we should find a way
to stop him before he hurts Ginny." He felt more emotion than he though he should about the
prospect of his best friend's little sister being hurt but he decided it was the insanity
his life had taken on since the beginning of his fourth year acting up again. Harry suddenly
remembered the approaching Charms class.
"But I'm sure we can do it after class, for now it's time to go." Ron looked at him
strangely, "You sound like Hermione." Harry pitched in, "By the way, where was she at breakfast?"
Ron's eyes twinkled with mirth, it was a joke they had started about the middle of their second
year, it had not lost nearly all of it's humor over the years, "Why I think she was at the
library." Ron continued. "As Usual." they chimed together before heading off in the direction
of their class.
In charms they learned several charms to cause different effects on a subject who
read words enchanted in the proper way. Harry felt proud that he could now cause anyone
who read his notes to magically forget what they just read. The perfect excuse to get out
of any bothersome reading assignment. Ron and Hermione (who joined up at Charms) trailed
Harry towards their next class in Transfiguration. The day progressed slowly for the teens
intent on stopping an evil plot in its tracks, they were used to it but by the time Potions
rolled around they were dying for schooling to cease for the day. Standard procedure before
a Potions lesson of course.
Malfoy and the Slytherins were waiting for them by the time the Gryffindors arrived.
Looking like he felt proud of himself Malfoy smiled heartily at the three friends. Ron,
speaking before thinking asked, "What have you got up your sleeve Malfoy?" the accused simply
shrugged mysteriously, "I will not tell, but it involves your sister." Ron grabbed Malfoy's
lapel, "If you even think about harming a hair on that girl's head I will destroy you!" a
cold voice crept through the passageway, "Mr. Weasley what do you think you're doing?"
Snape seemed to appear suddenly from around a corner, he crossed his arms and looked
disapprovingly at the teenage disturbance before him. Ron reluctantly let the other boy go,
dropping his hands in his pockets, "I thought he threatened my sister, I was trying to defend
her." Snape's eyes took on a look of considering, "Is this true Mr. Malfoy?" Malfoy shook his
head of course, "I was just talking about the weather." Snape narrowed his eyes, "That sounds
like a lie Mr. Malfoy. Is it?" Malfoy was struck by the fact that he had to back up his
statement in front of the head of his own house who generally showed him undue favor. "Yes,
it is." Snape's face hardened, waiting for the truth. When none was forthcoming he finished,
"Five points from Gryffindor for minor assault, Five points from Slytherin for Mr. Malfoy's
inability to tell the truth." Groans were heard from the Slytherins but sighs of relief were
from the Gryffindors. The uncustomary fairness did not last into the classroom as he soon
was giving points back to the Slytherins like popcorn and managed to take an additional ten
points from Gryffindor.
Malfoy managed to disappear as soon as the class let out, making it quite impossible
to trail him to the source of whatever diabolical scheme he was planning. Instead they
tried to find Ginny and warn her of any plot. After searching high and low they were sent
back to their house by a disgruntled Flitch.
"I swear, if he dares harm her I will throttle that self important fool." Ron felt
like elaborating on his current opinion of Malfoy. Harry felt the same with a little more
of a subdued air to him, Hermione was simply alert for any final sign of Ginny while they
were heading back to their dorms. Harry unconsciously lagged behind and was soon outdistanced
by his friends. He was trying to sort out the pieces he had glimpsed so far. A puzzle was
forming itself in front of him and he felt that if he didn't figure it out in time people
close to him would be hurt.
"Pst, Harry, Over here!"
Broken from his reverie Harry looked around for the source of the voice. Seeing a
dark figure hiding in a deep shadow left by a great suit of armor he headed over. It was Cho.
"You're looking for Ginny Weasley right?" Harry wondered where she heard but nodded
anyway, "Well I just saw her go into the Prefect's bath, if you don't hurry she could get in
trouble for being there." Harry had a million questions, many concerning his relationship
with her and even more about the suspicious nature of her appearance, but all he could get
past his throat was a dull nod. With that Cho stepped back and fairly disappeared from view.
Harry looked up the corridor to where his friends walked off to. They were most likely all
the way back at Gryffindor tower and the Prefect bath was only a few steps away. He had made
his first five steps before the sudden realization hit him, Cho knew that Harry knew where
the Prefect bath was.
How did she know? she could have overheard when Cedric had told him of it but somehow
Harry doubted it. Harry's suspicions grew as he thought of why Ginny would have reason to go
there and how Cho happened to come by this information and how she happened to find him.
Nothing made any sense to Harry anymore. He was tempted not to go, it may be some kind of
plot planned by Malfoy. Harry, however, felt he could not learn any more of the situation
unless he went forward. Sighing heavily he opened the bath door and stepped in.
The bath looked as it had the previous year. The swimming pool sized bath was there,
the water was just as magical and exotic as it had been when Harry had come. The water had
a reflective silvery texture that denied penetration of sight through the surface. Harry's
sight caught a pile of cloth near the water's edge. The prospect of clothing shed for a bath
did not cross Harry's mind until a figure broke the surface of the water. The form's
attractive red hair, dripping wet, didn't manage to attract Harry's eyes away from its ample
chest. It took a full three seconds to react, the teenagers were so filled with shock. Harry
turned away and Ginny covered herself, sinking back into the water up to her neck.
"What's the big idea walking in on me like that?" Ginny nearly shouted at the dazed
youth, a blush of embarrassment as much as anger reddening her cheeks. "You could have
knocked." Harry struggled to find words. Every time he opened his mouth to speak his
excuse the image of the girl's naked body tried to force its way into his mind. Harry shook
his head, "Hermione, Ron and I were looking for you. Malfoy was making some threats and we
were trying to warn you to avoid him." Harry coughed embarrassed that he had no really good
reason to have walked into the bath. "I'll just wait outside then." Harry walked to the door
and tried to twist the knob. The door refused to open. Cursing what an idiot he no doubt
looked like he pulled out his wand and tried several opening spells, none of which worked.
"What's wrong?" Harry shook his head, "Door won't open." At that moment all the
faucets turned on as one. The magical spigots poured an insane amount of water through them
quickly and soon the pool-like tub was filling up past it's brim. Harry came to the late
revelation that the drainage grates weren't working and that the room was speedily filling with
good old Hydrogen Hydroxide. Harry looked to Ginny, who apparently just realized the same
thing,
"We have to get out of here." Harry said in the dull horror of realization that if they
didn't get out they would drown. Ginny leapt out of the pool and onto the deck, which
already boasted inch deep water. Harry had a battle within himself to avoid looking, this
was his best friend Ron's own kin. To look at a woman in such a state of undress would be
taking a knife to the tapestry of his honor. Harry closed his eyes tight and struggled not
to take advantage of the situation. In a moment Ginny was safely clothed in her robes.
"I shouldn't have left them on the floor, they got soaked." Indeed her robes did get
wet, they clung to her like a second skin, making Ginny look bedraggled in them. Harry took
a moment to mourn that the school robes were black and not white, but the water was rising at
an astonishing rate and the two of them were no closer to finding their way out.
"Maybe we could somehow stop more water from coming out by closing the spigots."
Ginny suggested, trying to get some sort of brainstorming going. Their attempts to stop the
flow of water were fruitless however and only served to waste the time that it took for the
water to creep up to mid-thigh level. The now panicked teens looked around for any other exit
but none presented themselves. Harry took a deep breath and thought of the comforting words
on the cover of his personal copy of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and thought for a
moment.
"I've got it!" Ginny looked in surprise at Harry's outburst, "We'll just ask Myrtle."
As if the concept was the simplest on earth Harry walked to the plumbing on the wall and
shouted at the top of his lungs, "Myrtle! We need your help!" a few moments later the ghost
pushed her head out of the wall and looked mournfully at the endangered teens.
"Do you need something, or did you just want to bother me and poke fun?" The teens
explained their situation to the pitiable ghost, who simply nodded at the conclusion. "So
what if you die? No one cared when I died so why should you be afforded any consideration?"
Harry was about to press the point and argue when Ginny stepped forward, "Listen
Myrtle." she said in an even and compassionate voice. "The crime that killed you was worse
than atrocious. You died when the chamber of secrets was opened for the first time, a horrible
event by anyone's standard." Ginny paused to consider her words, "If it weren't for Harry, I
would be a ghost floating right next to you right now, if I was lucky enough for that."
Myrtle cried a bemoanment, forming the words "So, no one cares about me." Ginny shook her
head firmly, "No, if Harry had the chance I'm sure he would have saved you in a heartbeat."
Ginny paused, trying to get the maximum effect out of her speech, "Your death has been
avenged, save us now so it may be worth something." Myrtle thought about this for a minute
(enough time for the water to rise to shoulder height) then leapt from the wall to the center
of the now totally submerged pool and told them, "Follow me." before diving into the water.
Ginny and Harry turned to each other and shrugged.
Taking a small hop they quickly dove to follow the ghostly creature to it's destination. Seen
underwater Myrtle was little more than a white blur at the bottom of the pool. Her voice was
as clear as ever in their ears as she gestured to a design on the pool floor. "This is a
drainage plug, pull it open like this." The ghost pantomimed the action before continuing.
"Good luck, you'll need it before you're through this mess."
Not quite sure what she meant by the last comment Harry watched her disappear into
the floor. Harry pulled open the drain and realized his mistake as soon as he had made it.
The water began rushing down into the piping in the walls of Hogwarts, the same water Harry
and Ginny were floating in. The pipe below seemed to open wide like a demonic mouth and
swallowed both Harry and Ginny whole. The sides of the pipe buffeted Harry to the verge of
unconsciousness and unfogivingly dumped him onto a metal grate somewhere deep in the dungeons.
He coughed out almost a pint of water and drew his first breath in what seemed like hours.
a formula that was one part Ginny, five parts water landed on top of him, the fresh air
forced from his lungs. When Harry caught his wind again he noticed that Ginny's weight was
still on top of him, unmoving. Harry rolled her over and realized the girl was knocked out,
blood pouring quickly from a gash across the head.
Harry picked her up and bore her to a more comfortable position, out of the way of
the rushing water and on a dry mat under a lit torch, affording the area a much better locale
for resuscitation. Harry laid Ginny out on the mat and nearly panicked when he saw how white
she was getting. Acting quickly he ripped a ribbon of cloth from the hem of his robe and
bound it around the wound and applied pressure. He placed his hands over her sternum and
gently pressed a
short rhythm, "One... Two... Three... Four... Five." he muttered to himself, keeping pace with
his hands' depressions. He then closed Ginny's nose and gently pushed air through her lips
by using his own diaphragm as a pump. He repeated the action several times before Ginny
began to cough, letting the water out.
Harry felt an enormous weight lifted from him as the young woman opened her eyes,
the feeling of despair he didn't even realize he felt faded away. He leaned over to look
into her eyes. In so doing he jostled her arm. Ginny cried out in pain and squeezed her
eyes shut. He moved away, trying to minimize risk of hurting her further.
"What hurts?" Harry tried to keep anything more than a normal level of concern out
of his voice, he failed abysmally but he tried.
"My arm, it feels like it's tearing in two." Ginny managed to grate out through the
pain. Harry could do nothing but stand where he could not hurt her further and hope the pain
would pass. He had unfortunately only studied lightly on healing spells and now what little
knowledge he possessed on the subject was driven from his mind by the intensity of the
situation. He thought back to his second year when he had fallen from his broom and broken
his arm during a quiddich match. It seemed to him that after the first several moments of
intense pain there was a period where it didn't hurt so much.
Ginny slowly stopped writhing in pain and sat up, clutching her arm at the shoulder
and rubbing.
"It doesn't hurt so bad, is it better?"
Harry shook his head, "Just a temporary reprieve I'm afraid, the pain will be back."
Harry looked around at the dungeon room they were in. "We have to get to Madame Pomfrey.
From my estimate we're down a score of stories or thereabouts." Harry offered his hand for
Ginny's uninjured one. "Do you think you can walk?" Ginny nodded and accepted his hand.
They set off in a direction that seemed to slope generally upward. Soon they had found their
way back on track and were hiking through familiar corridors toward the well known
(to Harry) infirmary. The pain indeed was back in no time and Ginny was soon leaning on
The less badly hurt Harry for support. Harry gently encircled his arm around Ginny,
rubbing her shoulder, "To release natural painkillers." Harry explained. Ginny
didn't know if it was because of the 'natural painkillers' or not, but she certainly did
feel better with Harry's arm around her. She felt so good, so warm and light. She felt like
dozing off in Harry's arms.
Harry felt the jolt of Ginny's full body weight being pressed against him suddenly.
He noticed her eyes were closed and that blood was still flowing from her scalp wound. He
shook her and told her firmly, "Wake up, Ginny." She showed no response. Nearly panicking
he picked her up, Threshold style, and ran the remaining distance to the infirmary.
As he was entering, someone else was exiting. The two parties collided and the
resulting pile contained not only a bedraggled and beaten pair of Gryffindors but a very
stunned professor Snape. Madame Pomfrey was upon them in a second, checking their wounds
and testing for further damage. Harry felt his job complete, Ginny was in good hands, it
would be okay for him to take just a short nap. Harry felt himself lifted off the floor
just before he was lost to the world.
AN: whew, that took me a while. The story overall is approaching a climax and I wish I
had done a better job at keeping the plot confusing and mysterious. I'd say there are
still two or three to write still. The conclusion is already finished, I just have to
bridge the gap.
this story, which I originally planned to be only the one chapter, has turned into a fair story
and one that I am proud of. I hope I am scratching something deeper than just a story about
the characters from the Harry Potter series and exploring an aspect of human nature or some
other profound subject. That is my goal with every piece of writing I think of. I hope this
story lives up to your aspirations as it has (rather surprisingly) lived up to mine. Enough
rambling (at least about me) and it's time for the story
Aardvark: The Hands of Voldemort Touch All
Harry woke to his first day of school, checking his trunk he found all the supplies
he required packed exactly as they had been in the Leaky Cauldron. He pulled out his
robe to prepare for his day. He picked up his schedule just outside the Griffyndor common
room and read it over a can of toast. Ron sat down across from Harry, throwing a greeting
his way. Harry nodded at Ron and was about to launch into a complaint about Potions with
the Slytherins that afternoon when his eyes were distracted to the presence of Cho standing
inconspicuously near the door to the great hall with her eyes fixed directly on Harry.
Reacting similarly as he had the previous night Harry turned away, hoping she would not
stare so. Along with Harry's normal feelings when in the presence of the object of his
desire he also felt a strange fear come over him, he chalked it up to his fear of being
stupid while she was watching but...
"Hey, Harry are you okay?" Ron shook his shoulder slightly, "Yeah, just got distracted"
Harry assured, Ron didn't look convinced, "You looked like you were going to say something
then went white and started rubbing your head." Harry quickly snatched his hand away from his
head, revealing the scar before his hair fell back over it. "You've done similar things ever
since you came over to our house for the end of summer break. What's wrong?" Harry sighed
"I don't know." He paused before continuing, "Ever since Voldemort came back the
whole world has seemed to turn upside down where I expected no change and the changes I
expected never took place." Harry sighed, "We'd better get to charms or chance being late on
our first day back." Ron nodded, not convinced that was the whole truth, and began to get up.
His eye was caught over at the Slytherin table, Harry followed his friend's gaze and surprisingly
enough it was Draco Malfoy that was the subject of attention.
"He's planning something, I just know it." Harry nodded in consent after examining
Malfoy speaking in hushed tones to his friends. Malfoy then took a hate-filled look at, not
Harry, but the unsuspecting Ginny. Ron, apparently coming to the same conclusion Harry did,
said, "You don't suppose he would..." Harry nodded, "I think he would, we should find a way
to stop him before he hurts Ginny." He felt more emotion than he though he should about the
prospect of his best friend's little sister being hurt but he decided it was the insanity
his life had taken on since the beginning of his fourth year acting up again. Harry suddenly
remembered the approaching Charms class.
"But I'm sure we can do it after class, for now it's time to go." Ron looked at him
strangely, "You sound like Hermione." Harry pitched in, "By the way, where was she at breakfast?"
Ron's eyes twinkled with mirth, it was a joke they had started about the middle of their second
year, it had not lost nearly all of it's humor over the years, "Why I think she was at the
library." Ron continued. "As Usual." they chimed together before heading off in the direction
of their class.
In charms they learned several charms to cause different effects on a subject who
read words enchanted in the proper way. Harry felt proud that he could now cause anyone
who read his notes to magically forget what they just read. The perfect excuse to get out
of any bothersome reading assignment. Ron and Hermione (who joined up at Charms) trailed
Harry towards their next class in Transfiguration. The day progressed slowly for the teens
intent on stopping an evil plot in its tracks, they were used to it but by the time Potions
rolled around they were dying for schooling to cease for the day. Standard procedure before
a Potions lesson of course.
Malfoy and the Slytherins were waiting for them by the time the Gryffindors arrived.
Looking like he felt proud of himself Malfoy smiled heartily at the three friends. Ron,
speaking before thinking asked, "What have you got up your sleeve Malfoy?" the accused simply
shrugged mysteriously, "I will not tell, but it involves your sister." Ron grabbed Malfoy's
lapel, "If you even think about harming a hair on that girl's head I will destroy you!" a
cold voice crept through the passageway, "Mr. Weasley what do you think you're doing?"
Snape seemed to appear suddenly from around a corner, he crossed his arms and looked
disapprovingly at the teenage disturbance before him. Ron reluctantly let the other boy go,
dropping his hands in his pockets, "I thought he threatened my sister, I was trying to defend
her." Snape's eyes took on a look of considering, "Is this true Mr. Malfoy?" Malfoy shook his
head of course, "I was just talking about the weather." Snape narrowed his eyes, "That sounds
like a lie Mr. Malfoy. Is it?" Malfoy was struck by the fact that he had to back up his
statement in front of the head of his own house who generally showed him undue favor. "Yes,
it is." Snape's face hardened, waiting for the truth. When none was forthcoming he finished,
"Five points from Gryffindor for minor assault, Five points from Slytherin for Mr. Malfoy's
inability to tell the truth." Groans were heard from the Slytherins but sighs of relief were
from the Gryffindors. The uncustomary fairness did not last into the classroom as he soon
was giving points back to the Slytherins like popcorn and managed to take an additional ten
points from Gryffindor.
Malfoy managed to disappear as soon as the class let out, making it quite impossible
to trail him to the source of whatever diabolical scheme he was planning. Instead they
tried to find Ginny and warn her of any plot. After searching high and low they were sent
back to their house by a disgruntled Flitch.
"I swear, if he dares harm her I will throttle that self important fool." Ron felt
like elaborating on his current opinion of Malfoy. Harry felt the same with a little more
of a subdued air to him, Hermione was simply alert for any final sign of Ginny while they
were heading back to their dorms. Harry unconsciously lagged behind and was soon outdistanced
by his friends. He was trying to sort out the pieces he had glimpsed so far. A puzzle was
forming itself in front of him and he felt that if he didn't figure it out in time people
close to him would be hurt.
"Pst, Harry, Over here!"
Broken from his reverie Harry looked around for the source of the voice. Seeing a
dark figure hiding in a deep shadow left by a great suit of armor he headed over. It was Cho.
"You're looking for Ginny Weasley right?" Harry wondered where she heard but nodded
anyway, "Well I just saw her go into the Prefect's bath, if you don't hurry she could get in
trouble for being there." Harry had a million questions, many concerning his relationship
with her and even more about the suspicious nature of her appearance, but all he could get
past his throat was a dull nod. With that Cho stepped back and fairly disappeared from view.
Harry looked up the corridor to where his friends walked off to. They were most likely all
the way back at Gryffindor tower and the Prefect bath was only a few steps away. He had made
his first five steps before the sudden realization hit him, Cho knew that Harry knew where
the Prefect bath was.
How did she know? she could have overheard when Cedric had told him of it but somehow
Harry doubted it. Harry's suspicions grew as he thought of why Ginny would have reason to go
there and how Cho happened to come by this information and how she happened to find him.
Nothing made any sense to Harry anymore. He was tempted not to go, it may be some kind of
plot planned by Malfoy. Harry, however, felt he could not learn any more of the situation
unless he went forward. Sighing heavily he opened the bath door and stepped in.
The bath looked as it had the previous year. The swimming pool sized bath was there,
the water was just as magical and exotic as it had been when Harry had come. The water had
a reflective silvery texture that denied penetration of sight through the surface. Harry's
sight caught a pile of cloth near the water's edge. The prospect of clothing shed for a bath
did not cross Harry's mind until a figure broke the surface of the water. The form's
attractive red hair, dripping wet, didn't manage to attract Harry's eyes away from its ample
chest. It took a full three seconds to react, the teenagers were so filled with shock. Harry
turned away and Ginny covered herself, sinking back into the water up to her neck.
"What's the big idea walking in on me like that?" Ginny nearly shouted at the dazed
youth, a blush of embarrassment as much as anger reddening her cheeks. "You could have
knocked." Harry struggled to find words. Every time he opened his mouth to speak his
excuse the image of the girl's naked body tried to force its way into his mind. Harry shook
his head, "Hermione, Ron and I were looking for you. Malfoy was making some threats and we
were trying to warn you to avoid him." Harry coughed embarrassed that he had no really good
reason to have walked into the bath. "I'll just wait outside then." Harry walked to the door
and tried to twist the knob. The door refused to open. Cursing what an idiot he no doubt
looked like he pulled out his wand and tried several opening spells, none of which worked.
"What's wrong?" Harry shook his head, "Door won't open." At that moment all the
faucets turned on as one. The magical spigots poured an insane amount of water through them
quickly and soon the pool-like tub was filling up past it's brim. Harry came to the late
revelation that the drainage grates weren't working and that the room was speedily filling with
good old Hydrogen Hydroxide. Harry looked to Ginny, who apparently just realized the same
thing,
"We have to get out of here." Harry said in the dull horror of realization that if they
didn't get out they would drown. Ginny leapt out of the pool and onto the deck, which
already boasted inch deep water. Harry had a battle within himself to avoid looking, this
was his best friend Ron's own kin. To look at a woman in such a state of undress would be
taking a knife to the tapestry of his honor. Harry closed his eyes tight and struggled not
to take advantage of the situation. In a moment Ginny was safely clothed in her robes.
"I shouldn't have left them on the floor, they got soaked." Indeed her robes did get
wet, they clung to her like a second skin, making Ginny look bedraggled in them. Harry took
a moment to mourn that the school robes were black and not white, but the water was rising at
an astonishing rate and the two of them were no closer to finding their way out.
"Maybe we could somehow stop more water from coming out by closing the spigots."
Ginny suggested, trying to get some sort of brainstorming going. Their attempts to stop the
flow of water were fruitless however and only served to waste the time that it took for the
water to creep up to mid-thigh level. The now panicked teens looked around for any other exit
but none presented themselves. Harry took a deep breath and thought of the comforting words
on the cover of his personal copy of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and thought for a
moment.
"I've got it!" Ginny looked in surprise at Harry's outburst, "We'll just ask Myrtle."
As if the concept was the simplest on earth Harry walked to the plumbing on the wall and
shouted at the top of his lungs, "Myrtle! We need your help!" a few moments later the ghost
pushed her head out of the wall and looked mournfully at the endangered teens.
"Do you need something, or did you just want to bother me and poke fun?" The teens
explained their situation to the pitiable ghost, who simply nodded at the conclusion. "So
what if you die? No one cared when I died so why should you be afforded any consideration?"
Harry was about to press the point and argue when Ginny stepped forward, "Listen
Myrtle." she said in an even and compassionate voice. "The crime that killed you was worse
than atrocious. You died when the chamber of secrets was opened for the first time, a horrible
event by anyone's standard." Ginny paused to consider her words, "If it weren't for Harry, I
would be a ghost floating right next to you right now, if I was lucky enough for that."
Myrtle cried a bemoanment, forming the words "So, no one cares about me." Ginny shook her
head firmly, "No, if Harry had the chance I'm sure he would have saved you in a heartbeat."
Ginny paused, trying to get the maximum effect out of her speech, "Your death has been
avenged, save us now so it may be worth something." Myrtle thought about this for a minute
(enough time for the water to rise to shoulder height) then leapt from the wall to the center
of the now totally submerged pool and told them, "Follow me." before diving into the water.
Ginny and Harry turned to each other and shrugged.
Taking a small hop they quickly dove to follow the ghostly creature to it's destination. Seen
underwater Myrtle was little more than a white blur at the bottom of the pool. Her voice was
as clear as ever in their ears as she gestured to a design on the pool floor. "This is a
drainage plug, pull it open like this." The ghost pantomimed the action before continuing.
"Good luck, you'll need it before you're through this mess."
Not quite sure what she meant by the last comment Harry watched her disappear into
the floor. Harry pulled open the drain and realized his mistake as soon as he had made it.
The water began rushing down into the piping in the walls of Hogwarts, the same water Harry
and Ginny were floating in. The pipe below seemed to open wide like a demonic mouth and
swallowed both Harry and Ginny whole. The sides of the pipe buffeted Harry to the verge of
unconsciousness and unfogivingly dumped him onto a metal grate somewhere deep in the dungeons.
He coughed out almost a pint of water and drew his first breath in what seemed like hours.
a formula that was one part Ginny, five parts water landed on top of him, the fresh air
forced from his lungs. When Harry caught his wind again he noticed that Ginny's weight was
still on top of him, unmoving. Harry rolled her over and realized the girl was knocked out,
blood pouring quickly from a gash across the head.
Harry picked her up and bore her to a more comfortable position, out of the way of
the rushing water and on a dry mat under a lit torch, affording the area a much better locale
for resuscitation. Harry laid Ginny out on the mat and nearly panicked when he saw how white
she was getting. Acting quickly he ripped a ribbon of cloth from the hem of his robe and
bound it around the wound and applied pressure. He placed his hands over her sternum and
gently pressed a
short rhythm, "One... Two... Three... Four... Five." he muttered to himself, keeping pace with
his hands' depressions. He then closed Ginny's nose and gently pushed air through her lips
by using his own diaphragm as a pump. He repeated the action several times before Ginny
began to cough, letting the water out.
Harry felt an enormous weight lifted from him as the young woman opened her eyes,
the feeling of despair he didn't even realize he felt faded away. He leaned over to look
into her eyes. In so doing he jostled her arm. Ginny cried out in pain and squeezed her
eyes shut. He moved away, trying to minimize risk of hurting her further.
"What hurts?" Harry tried to keep anything more than a normal level of concern out
of his voice, he failed abysmally but he tried.
"My arm, it feels like it's tearing in two." Ginny managed to grate out through the
pain. Harry could do nothing but stand where he could not hurt her further and hope the pain
would pass. He had unfortunately only studied lightly on healing spells and now what little
knowledge he possessed on the subject was driven from his mind by the intensity of the
situation. He thought back to his second year when he had fallen from his broom and broken
his arm during a quiddich match. It seemed to him that after the first several moments of
intense pain there was a period where it didn't hurt so much.
Ginny slowly stopped writhing in pain and sat up, clutching her arm at the shoulder
and rubbing.
"It doesn't hurt so bad, is it better?"
Harry shook his head, "Just a temporary reprieve I'm afraid, the pain will be back."
Harry looked around at the dungeon room they were in. "We have to get to Madame Pomfrey.
From my estimate we're down a score of stories or thereabouts." Harry offered his hand for
Ginny's uninjured one. "Do you think you can walk?" Ginny nodded and accepted his hand.
They set off in a direction that seemed to slope generally upward. Soon they had found their
way back on track and were hiking through familiar corridors toward the well known
(to Harry) infirmary. The pain indeed was back in no time and Ginny was soon leaning on
The less badly hurt Harry for support. Harry gently encircled his arm around Ginny,
rubbing her shoulder, "To release natural painkillers." Harry explained. Ginny
didn't know if it was because of the 'natural painkillers' or not, but she certainly did
feel better with Harry's arm around her. She felt so good, so warm and light. She felt like
dozing off in Harry's arms.
Harry felt the jolt of Ginny's full body weight being pressed against him suddenly.
He noticed her eyes were closed and that blood was still flowing from her scalp wound. He
shook her and told her firmly, "Wake up, Ginny." She showed no response. Nearly panicking
he picked her up, Threshold style, and ran the remaining distance to the infirmary.
As he was entering, someone else was exiting. The two parties collided and the
resulting pile contained not only a bedraggled and beaten pair of Gryffindors but a very
stunned professor Snape. Madame Pomfrey was upon them in a second, checking their wounds
and testing for further damage. Harry felt his job complete, Ginny was in good hands, it
would be okay for him to take just a short nap. Harry felt himself lifted off the floor
just before he was lost to the world.
AN: whew, that took me a while. The story overall is approaching a climax and I wish I
had done a better job at keeping the plot confusing and mysterious. I'd say there are
still two or three to write still. The conclusion is already finished, I just have to
bridge the gap.