Chapter 8

Back to Hogwarts

Harry and Ginny slammed hard into the cool grass outside the Quidditch pitch. It took a moment for Harry to shake it off. He looked at Ginny. She again fell back into unconsciousness.
Ron had been pacing since they left through the portkey, wringing his hands.
"Harry!" He ran to them when he saw them hit the ground, but slowed as he noticed that they were both drenched in blood. "Oh, no . . . "
Hermione was close behind him shrieking, "Ginny!"
Ron crouched down to help them but Harry shouted, "Don't touch her!"
Ron flinched at his words. "But Harry,"
Harry ignored him and turned to Hermione, who was stifling a cry. "Go find Madame Pomfrey and meet us in the hospital wing."
"Yes, of course!" she said already running off.
Once Harry gained his feet again, he picked Ginny up in his arms and ran to the infirmary. Ron followed close behind, saying nothing as he continued to wring his hands in worry.
Hermione and Madame Pomfrey were waiting when they arrived. Harry carried Ginny to the nearest bed and laid her down gently.
"She was stabbed in the back by a poison blade, but I was given this vial of an antidote to stop the poison." Harry said, handing the vial to Madame Pomfrey.
Pomfrey sniffed the vial cautiously. "Yes, this is Deerwood root. It can stop some of the most deadly poisons, but it's very difficult to come by. Who gave this to you?"
Harry, not wanting to mention Snape's name said, "I don't know who it was. It was dark and I couldn't see their face."
She looked at him suspiciously, "Alright then. Now if you will please leave me to her, I will attend to her injuries."
Pomfrey turned the unconscious Ginny on her side to look at the gaping wound in her back.
Hermione gasped and ran into the arms of a shocked Ron for comfort. But it was obvious that it was Ron who needed comfort more than she.
Harry glared at Madame Pomfrey sternly. " I'm not leaving her."
With perfect timing, Dumbledore strode into the infirmary.
"Harry, what has happened?" Dumbledore asked calmly.
Harry looked at Ginny's pale face. He was beginning to come out of the shock. He muttered softly, " . . . she came through the portkey with me . . . she wanted to protect me . . . Wormtail was there . . . the death eaters . . . I couldn't help her . . . she fell."
Dumbledore crossed over to him. Harry felt the strong, warm hands on his shoulders.
"Harry, Harry." He said softly. "She will be fine now. She is here with us."
Harry turned around and looked up at him wearily, tears streaking his face.
Dumbledore squeezed his shoulders. "I would like you to come up to my office please and tell me what happened." He regarded Ron and Hermione for a moment. "Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger, you may also join us if you wish."
Ron shook his head. "If you don't mind, I would like to stay here with my sister for a while. We won't get in the way." Hermione straightened and wiped the tears from her face. She nodded in agreement with Ron." Very well then." Dumbledore said. "Come along Harry."
The last thing that Harry wanted was to leave Ginny now. But he knew he couldn't argue with Dumbledore.
Harry gave Ginny's hand one last squeeze, and looked at Ron. "Will you let me know if she wakes up?"
Ron nodded his head, continuing to look at the lifeless body of his sister.
Dumbledore listened intently as Harry spilled his guts about everything that had happened over the course of the last few weeks. However, he was still careful not to mention his newfound romance with Ginny.
Harry tried to keep his composure as he told Dumbledore of that evening in Godric's Hollow, although it pained him to do so. He hoped that Ginny was feeling no pain as was resting peacefully in the hospital wing.
When Harry finished his confession, Dumbledore sat back in his chair with a slight furrow to his brow. "Harry, I am quite disappointed with you as well as Sirius. You both know better than to be so reckless with your lives. Especially with all that is happening in our world right now."
Harry felt the need to justify himself. "Honestly, Sirius didn't realize that we would all be in danger. And Ginny told us that they were supposed to be looking for they key, not the vault. He thought we were safe."
"You of all people should know that visions, however vivid, are not always reliable."
"I know." Harry said guiltily. "Do you think that Sirius and Lupin are alright?"
"Yes, I have the greatest confidence in them. And I also know that Snape, although not on the best terms with Sirius, would never let him die, especially at the hands of someone as despicable as Peter Pettigrew."
Harry wasn't sure that he agreed with him, but stranger things have happened. After all, Snape did save Ginny's life.
"That reminds me," Harry remembered. "Snape asked me to give this to you sir." He handed Dumbledore the letter from his pocket.
"Thank you Harry." Dumbledore said, leaning over his desk to take the letter from him. "Now I must ask you to keep quiet about Snape. He is risking his life for us all every day. I would hate to see his efforts go to waste." He slipped the letter beneath his robes.
Harry was becoming impatient. "Sir, may I go back to the hospital wing please?"
Dumbledore gave him an amused smile. "Yes of course, but I must ask you about one more thing. I am curious about this second keyhole. Would you please tell me more about it if you could."
Harry described the keyhole to him. That it was unlike any other keyhole that he had seen before. Harry hoped that Dumbledore could shed some light on this mystery keyhole.
Dumbledore scratched his chin underneath is long white beard. "Have you ever heard of Melodius Incantatem?"
Harry gave him a quizzical look.
"Well by the look on you face, I can see that you have not. Well it is a rather simple, but ancient spell in which uses a particular song as a key to a lock. Playing or singing the song will unlock it.
Harry thought about that a moment before it hit him. It had been there in front of his face the entire time.
"Of course!" Harry jumped from his seat. "The song! The melody from the music box is the second key!"
Dumbledore smiled at him. "Your mother was quite fond of the musical arts here at Hogwarts. She even composed several pieces herself during her stay here. Being the fan of music that she was, it is likely that she used Melodius Incantatem as the second lock."
"Does this mean that we can attempt another try at the vault?" Harry asked excitedly.
"I'm afraid not." Dumbledore said solemnly. "Now that Voldemort knows where the vault is, it will be some time before it will be safe to return to Godric's Hollow.
Harry nodded his head in understanding.
"Thank you sir. May I go, please?"
"Yes, of course" Dumbledore said getting up from his chair. "I would assume that Madame Pomfrey has repaired our precious Miss Weasley by now."
As he walked to the door, he put his hand again on Harry's shoulder. "There are many things that you can keep locked away from the world, but being in love is not one of them. Nor should it be."
Harry smiled warmly at the clever old wizard. "I couldn't agree with you more sir."
"I will inform Madame Pomfrey that you will be staying with Miss Weasley as long as you wish this evening. Now go to her. She needs your strength."
By the time Harry had reached the infirmary Ron and Hermione had already left. He went to Ginny's bed and bent over to kiss her on the forehead. He sat down next to her in a nearby chair, clasping his hands around hers, looking into her angelic face as she slept.
Harry felt the soothing caress of a warm hand running through his thick black hair as he woke the next morning. He opened his eyes and saw Ginny's bright face smiling back at him.
"Hey there." She said.
He lifted his head from the edge of her bed. "Hi." He said, rubbing his eyes behind his glasses before adjusting them. "How are you feeling?"
"Groggy." Ginny said. She suddenly became aware of his bloodstained shirt as he sat up. "What happened? Are you alright?"
"Yes, yes, I'm fine." Harry said assuringly.
Harry explained the events of the night before. Snape having saved her life, and his discussion of the music box with Dumbledore in his office.
Harry squeezed her hand. "Ginny, I was so scared that I had lost you. It would have destroyed me if you had left me."
"I doubt that." Ginny said. "We have both lost the people that mean the most to us in our lives and we lived through it. To be destroyed by ones death, well, it would simply be a waste of spirit." She giggled, "Besides, it will take more than poison for you to get rid of me, Harry Potter."
Harry chuckled back, "Well if something did ever happen to you, would you still haunt me for the rest of my life?"
"I'm not so sure." Ginny laughed. "Moaning Myrtle might get jealous."
The doors flew open and Mrs. Weasley ran straight to Ginny's bed, Ron and Hermione following close behind. "Ginny! Are you alright!"
Ron came over to the other side of the bed where Harry sat, a pile of clothes in his arms. "You didn't come back last night. I figured you would want a change of clothes."
"Thanks Ron," Harry said guiltily. "I'm really sorry that I yelled at you last night."
"I understand. "Ron said, handing him his shirt. "I know you were just trying to help her."
Harry went behind the curtain of a nearby bed to change. He could hear Mrs. Weasley fussing over her daughter.
"My poor dear, you could have been killed!" she said smoothing her hair down.
"Mum, cut it out! I'm fine, really!" Ginny said irritably. Harry sat back down next to Ginny at her bed. Mrs. Weasley looked him over. "Harry dear, you look terrible. You should go and get some rest. We can take care of her."
"No, that's okay." He said, holding Ginny's hand once more. "I want to stay."
Harry looked into Ginny's sparkling eyes. She knew what he was thinking. She smiled at him in agreement. He kept looking into her sweet face, giving him strength as he said the words.
"You see, I'm in love with her."
Hermione threw her hands together in happiness. Ron's jaw dropped slightly, again in shock.

"What?!" he said confusedly.
Mrs. Weasley however, simply got up from the edge of the bed where she was sitting, walked over to Harry and hugged him. She drew back a bit and looked into his bright green eyes, filled with surprise by the strange reaction.
"I knew that you would come 'round sooner or later, my dear." Kissing him on the cheek.
Ron sat down at the end of the bed shaking his head and sighing deeply.
"Ron what is it?" Hermione asked, putting her arm around him for comfort.
"I'm always the last to know about everything!" he said, rolling his eyes.

* * *

A week had passed and Harry stood there in front of the doors to the Great Hall before dinner with Ron and Hermione. Ginny had recovered even more quickly than Madame Pomfrey had expected, and was releasing her that evening. Ginny was on her way to join them.
Ron walked over to Harry who was re-reading a letter from Sirius that he had received just that morning. Sirius and Lupin had in fact escaped before the other Death Eaters had arrived. Snape had in chasing Harry down, created enough of a diversion to escape safely and go back into hiding.
"Reading it again are you?" Ron asked.
Ron had taken the news of his sister and best friend's involvement quite well. Ginny laughed when Harry told her that Ron only threatened his life if he hurt her only once since he found out. Then again, Hermione gave him a good lecture which may have deterred him from doing it again.
"Yeah," Harry said relieved. "There were just so many things that went wrong that night. We all just barely escaped with our lives."
"You know my dad told me once," Ron put a welcomed hand on Harry's shoulder. "Don't dwell on the what ifs," Ron nodded at the staircase "You might miss out on the here and now."
Harry looked up at the staircase too. Ginny was standing at the top of the staircase in her black robes with a smile as brilliant as her auburn hair.
Ron nudged Harry. "Don't just stand there you silly bloke. She's waiting!"
Harry wasn't listening. He was already walking towards the stairs, staring at her beautiful face.
Ginny sped down the stairs at top speed towards Harry. They embraced each other and kissed passionately, as though they had been apart for at least a hundred years, if not more.
They separated, but only enough to look into each others eyes.
"I missed you." Harry said, holding her about the waist.
Ginny giggled, her arms still wrapped around his neck. "You just saw me this morning!"
"Just barely. Madme Pomfrey kicked me out." "Well you don't have to worry about that anymore." She kissed him sweetly again. " By the way, I have something for you."
Ginny pulled out the music box from her robe and handed it to Harry. "It belonged to your mother. You should keep it."

Harry put his hands over hers around the box. "No, I want you to keep it. There are more memories attached to it for you than there are for me. I know that you will keep it safe for me."
Ginny looked down at the tiny box in her hands, and her eyes welled up. "Thank you. I don't know what to say."
"Just say you love me."
Ginny smiled and put the music box back in her robes before she pressed her forehead to his.
"I love you."
"Me too."
"Come on you two! Lets go in and eat already, I'm starving!" Ron said impatiently.
Hermione pinched his arm.
"OW!"
"Shall we?" Harry said holding out his elbow.
"Lets." Ginny took his arm winking at him.
And the four friends entered the Great Hall together.