Chapter Three: Up Against the Wall

Dumbledore had sat down not that long ago. Ginny stared across the table and a seat over at the messy haired boy she'd once swooned over. Had he really caught the Slytherins cheating? What on Earth was going on? She ate quietly and surveyed the seventh year, wanting to know all the hidden details behind this little incident. What had Slytherin done?

"POTTER!" her thoughts were suddenly disturbed and she spun her head left to watch a tanned boy approach; the rest of the Gryffindors, and probably the whole school, had their eyes on the forthcoming boy. He stopped at the empty seat to Ginny's right and put both his hands on it, gripping its back firmly. "What is this? What the bloody hell do you think you're calling?" he demanded and Harry looked over his black rimmed glasses at Blaise.

"We're calling Slytherin on cheating," Harry answered as if Blaise was a bit asinine.

From the corner of her eye Ginny watched Blaise's hands tighten around the chair's back; his knuckles whitening ever so slightly. "You know Slytherin didn't cheat Potter," he spat Harry's name with much venom. "You just can't handle losing to us, can you?"

"Gryffindor wouldn't have lost had your team not cheated." Harry was laying his responses very calmly and cooly, making it seem like Blaise was the bad guy and as if this trivial argument didn't bother him.

"You know we didn't cheat. You know it." His dark eyes narrowed and he challenged Harry, releasing his grasp on the chair.

"Mister Zabini," came Dumbledore's raspy voice and all eyes turned to the aged Headmaster, "please take your seat."

Blaise looked from Dumbledore back to Harry and pulled out the empty chair. Not finished with he had to say, Blaise took a seat. Ginny put two fingers to her temple and turned her head in the opposite direction; she could feel colour rising to her cheeks.

"Withdraw the call Potter," his voice was still threatening but much more hushed. "You know it's false."

"Leave Zabini," Harry's voice matched Blaise's in volume. "We'll be leaving the call in until it's found that you cheated. If your team has nothing to hide than why are you so worried?"

Blaise's eyes darkened even more at Harry's snide comment. "Because I can't stand sore losers and Potter you're the epitome of that."

"No, you just can't bear the idea that I'm right. Slytherin had to cheat to beat Gryffindor."

Angrily Blaise pushed back from the table and stood. "For Christ's sake Potter, you know that's not true." His voice was again loud and it was heard in all corners of the Hall.

"Mister Zabini," Dumbledore's voice boomed with a firmness no one knew he had in him. "That is the end of your heated conversation. Either return to the Slytherin Table or leave this Hall immediately."

Blaise ambled off, away from the Gryffindors. He didn't return to the Slytherins on the opposite side of the Hall, but made way for the grand doors, going to leave. Only one door was open and as he went to walk through it he pounded his fist upon the other. Any eyes that hadn't been on him before then, were definitely on him now. He walked out and slowly the students returned to their own businesses.

Ginny looked back up at Harry, running a hand over her head and pulling the auburn hair from her eyes. She had to wonder who was telling the truth. Was it Harry? Had the Slytherin Quidditch team really cheated to win against their rivals? Or had it been Blaise? Had the Gryffindors come up with a fake call because they couldn't cope with the knowledge that Slytherin had beaten them fair and square?

"Zabini's just upset that Slytherin was finally caught cheating," Ron mumbled, his mouth full of food.

"Ron, chew, swallow, speak," Ginny said pathetically, narrowing her eyes at her older brother. There were times when his actions were just plain rude and disgusting.

Gulping down the bolus of food in his mouth Ron spoke again. "Slytherin has been cheating for years now. It's just that nobody's been able to prove it - until now."

What was that? Ginny searched Harry's eyes. The moment Ron had finished speech she had detected an odd look come to his freakishly green eyes. But what was it? Was it uncertainty? If that's what it was, Harry was hiding something. Ginny felt like there was much more to this whole thing than Harry was letting onto. She hoped, for Gryffindors sake that he wasn't lying to win over Slytherin. But he couldn't - that just didn't seem like something Harry Potter would do. Or was it?

"Where are you off to?" Quin asked as Ginny stood from the table. Her chestnut hair was in two braids pouring over her shoulders.

"I have some things I have to do before going to the library to work on Ancient Runes." Ginny's answer was simple and very mellow. She shrugged her shoulders and walked from the Great Hall. She didn't really have anything she had to tend to before meeting with Ben, she just needed to be on her own, somewhere quiet. She also needed to know what the hell was going on. But that didn't really seem like it was information she was easily going to get.



How was he going to find out the truth? Blaise paced the hallway. He hadn't gone very far when he'd left the Hall. He'd marched the hallway and come to stop just before a tucked away staircase by a painting of a great, golden griffin. It was a dark corridor and Blaise had begun pacing; he'd take five steps, turn and take another five steps before only turning to repeat the action.

He needed to know what was behind Potter's accusations. There was no way Gryffindor had caught Slytherin cheating, because Slytherin hadn't cheated. The older team members knew better than that and wouldn't cheat - it wasn't their style to win that way. The younger players couldn't have pulled it off even if they wanted to. They didn't have the experience or the knowledge to successfully cheat and get away with it. Blaise just wanted to know what was behind all this, but how would he get that? Only the Gryffindor team would hold that information and hell would have to freeze over before they told what this was about. If only there was a way.

Friday. That's when he needed to know by. He had to find out some way to prove Gryffindor was lying by Friday. October thirtieth, the day before the Hallowe'en Feast, Dumbledore said he would announce the outcome of his, Hooch and Flitwick's decision. How could he possibly come up with that proof by then? He needed some inside link to get him the information he wanted. He paused. A faint stepping of feet could be heard coming toward him.

Blaise watched a girl with flaming red hair slowly make her way down the corridor. Ginny Weasley. Perhaps she knew something about this; perhaps Potter had confided in the Weasley girl and had told her what was really going on. He stood there and waited. If he were lucky, maybe she would let him in on the information and provide excellent grounds to prove that Potter was fibbing about this cheating call of his.

"Weasley," he acknowledged and the redhead jumped in surprise, looking up at him with absurd shock, "can I have a word?"

He knew she was confused but he took her by the elbow and pulled her down an even darker hall off to the side. He stopped and released his hand from her. She looked to him with perplexed golden eyes and crossed an arm over her stomach, leaving the other by her side. Blaise lent up against the wall. "Listen," he started softly, "I know that Potter's call is a hoax; I know Slytherin didn't cheat. And I doubt you'll tell me anything, but has Potter said anything to you about this? Anything at all?"

Ginny tilted her head and furrowed her brow, her mouth turning in a half-sided grace. "No," she brought her hand to her hip, "why would he?"

"Why wouldn't he?" Blaise shrugged, stepping away from the wall. "I thought that perhaps he would confide in you. I need to prove him wrong. I've got to show Dumbledore that his call his a fake."

"Harry hasn't told me anything, and it's not likely he will -" She looked from his nose, where she'd been looking instead of his eyes, to the floor. "- even if Slytherin cheated."

Was that a good comment or a bad comment? Blaise was confused and narrowed his black eyes. What had she meant? Did she believe that Slytherin had cheated or was that a comment that showed she believed otherwise? "Do you think we're innocent?"

Ginny looked back up to him, catching his eyes this time. Her cheeks were a shade of flushed pink. "I don't know, but I'm not sure if I believe Harry's telling the truth." She was not telling him this. He was a Slytherin, the enemy. How could she even think of going against Gryffindor like this? But then Ginny realized all she'd told him was the truth. She didn't know if what Harry was saying was the truth, and right now she doubted all that he told her.

Eyes widening Blaise smirked. She was a suspicious about Potter, which gave him sign to hope that maybe things would turn out to benefit Slytherin. Now if only he could get something to show Dumbledore this. She went to walk away but Blaise put his hand around her wrist and she rotated to look at him; first at the hand around her wrist, next to his face. "Ginny if you do hear anything, please you have to help us out."

"Why would I do that?" came her irritated question. "Why would I possibly go against my House and tell Slytherin anything?"

She had a point, and there his hopes just washed away. The likelihood of her telling him anything seemed next to nil. "Because you know it's the truth," his soft voice pleaded with her.

The sixth year shook her head and pulled her hand from him. She turned and hotly left, disappearing around the corner and up that tucked away staircase by the griffin up to Gryffindor Tower.

She got to her dorm, empty as everyone was done for dinner, and closed the door. She lent on it and sank down it to the floor. She bent her knees and perched her elbows on them, supporting her head with her hands. She'd known Harry for a long time now, six years, and she'd known Blaise for all of the ten minutes they'd just talked. However, she couldn't help but lean to believe in Blaise's story over Harry's.

There had been a sort of serenity in his eyes that she hadn't seen in Harry's. Harry's green eyes had been full to the brim with a mixed look of deceit, reservation and confusion. Ginny doubted that he'd been telling the whole truth, it just didn't seem plausible. But Blaise, for the brief moment she'd actually looked to his eyes there was something different. His eyes had been holding moral and certainty. She wasn't sure if she was just gullible because of her crush for him, or if she actually believed him. There was just something about it that lead her to credit Blaise with the truth over Harry.

"I need to find out," she whispered aloud and ran her hands from the sides of her face through her hair and coming to rest at the back of her neck. She pulled lightly on her neck in frustration. Ginny wanted to find out for herself who was telling the truth. She wanted to know if she could still trust Harry, or if this affair had just spoiled all that. One of the two boys was lying; one of the two teams wasn't telling the truth, which one it was Ginny desired to know. And in order to get that she'd need to talk to Harry.



Returning from the library near eight-thirty, Ginny entered the Common Room and confronted her two friends. "Have you seen Harry?"

"Hi to you to," Quin shot sarcastically, peeling her eyes from her Divination textbook to look to Ginny's face. "I think he's out, why?"

"I need to speak with him." She wasn't about to let in on the finer details of what exactly she needed to talk to him about. So they could forget about it.

"About?"

Ginny knew Quin was going to ask. "Nothing," she rushed and quickly fled up the stairs to her dorm. She deposited her bag and Ancient Runes book only to pick up the black hard covered book from of the table to the bedside. She took a swift drink from the glass that was there and returned to the Common Room. She didn't go to the sixth years as she normally would've done, but instead took a seat in the armchair closest to the portrait hole. There she would wait until Harry came back, but in the meantime she submersed herself in Tolkein's second book, almost being finished.

When the first person entered the Common Room, she looked up to see his tousled hair and glasses. "Harry," she called smoothly, motioning with a finger for him to approach her, "we need to talk." She stood next to him, feeling rather short beside his towering figure, and brought him to a barren back corner where she sat on the maroon couch. Harry cautiously sat next to her, eyeing her suspiciously. He gave her a look that urged her to continue and took of his cloak, placing it on the table in front.

"Harry, what's behind this whole call you've placed on Slytherin? They couldn't've really cheated, could they?" she asked innocently, making it seem as if she didn't accuse him of lying.

"Both James and Riley have claimed that if I brought the call forward to Hooch, they'd be able to supply the evidence." He began fumbling with the sleeve of his robes.

"You're trusting your two Beaters?" she asked in disbelief. Common knowledge brought her to the understanding that even though Harry's two Beaters did have Quidditch talent, they weren't all that trustworthy. "Do you even know what that evidence is Harry?"

Harry looked away from her golden eyes and to the black material of his school uniform in his hands. "Listen Gin, Gryffindor comes out of this with no worries of losing anything. Dumbledore calls in our favour we win, good for us. He calls in Slytherin's favour the outcome of the game is the same. Gryffindor's no worse off."

"But that's not my question Harry. Did Slytherin really cheat? Or are you just calling this because you can't face losing to Malfoy?" She tucked hair behind her ears.

Harry looked to her cheeks. They no longer had the deepened freckles they did over the summer. The lack of sunshine dimmed them to a very pale, almost unseen brown. "Gin, all you need to know is that we put the call in against Slytherin. If they cheated and are caught so be it."

"But if they didn't cheat and are caught? How is that going to ride on your conscious Harry?" She became flustered with Harry's attitude toward this; it was something she'd never seen in him before. Something different. She didn't like it.

"If it turns out in our favour then they cheated."

"But what if they didn't?" demanded Ginny sternly.

"Are you accusing us of lying then Ginny? Are you taking Slytherin's side?"

He was pushing her buttons, Ginny didn't know if it was on purpose or accidental, but he was slowly making her more and more angry with him. "Yes Harry I am. I am accusing Gryffindor of lying. I, just like anyone else, want to see Gryffindor win and beat Slytherin, but not like that. What are you doing for Gryffindor? Lying to win?" She made a fist with her right hand, tightly squeezing her thumb, holding onto her anger.

Finally breaking contact with her eyes, Harry looked away. His eyes had gone from a brilliant emerald when he had entered Gryffindor Tower, to the greenish hue of grey that they were now. Ginny rose from the couch, her book in hand, and went straight for her dormitory.

Sitting on her bed, Ginny violently shut the crimson coloured bed hangings, encasing herself in a cage of red material. She was ready to pull all the hairs from her head she was so upset. She put the Two Towers down and let the green and gold eye stare up at her from the bed while she seethed over the conversation she'd just had with Harry.

He was lying, to her and to the rest of the school. He'd never right out admitted it, never said that Slytherin hadn't cheated, but that wasn't the point. He vaguely evaded it every time Ginny would bring up the question of whether the Slytherin team had really stolen the win or whether they had won it honestly. But she knew that Gryffindor wasn't telling the truth; Slytherin hadn't cheated. Ginny just didn't know if she should come forward with her knowledge or not.



It was already Wednesday; Dumbledore would be making his call in two days time. Rare it was, but no rumours were even surfacing about what the outcome may be. All students and staff were still a bit shocked to see the call raised. Such a call had not been brought up since twenty years prior, and even before then it was rare.

The Slytherins had two classes with the Gryffindors. Care of Magical Creatures which had taken place on Tuesday afternoon. Luckily the class was straight after lunch and only lasted a period. It hadn't been an enjoyable class, but than they rarely found Hagrid's teachings of the creatures he found interesting very enjoyable.

The other class was Potions, the charming double period would mean that the two rival houses spent the entire afternoon together down in Snape's dungeon classroom.

"I bloody wish Dumbledore would just tell us his damn decision and we could all get on with our lives," muttered Draco as the Slytherins made their way slowly down into the dungeon passages.

Blaise entered the classroom after Draco and took his seat next to the blonde Malfoy. "This is all a load of crap. If it's found that we cheated I will wring Potter's neck with my own hands."

"Hopefully it won't come to that," Draco said and pulled out his Potions books. "Though, we will see tomorrow what is to come of this."

"It better not wreck our bloody Hallowe'en weekend." Blaise glared acidly toward the room entrance as Potter, Granger and Weasley came in, only to take their seats at the front of the class. He bit angrily on his bottom lip, holding back all urges to say or do something out of stupidity.

His thoughts then strayed to Ginny Weasley. She hadn't come to him with any information about what was really going on and Blaise doubted she ever would. He had doubted all along. She was a Gryffindor. She wasn't about to turn her back on her house and side with Slytherin. There had been that short moment when Blaise had seen a hope that she would, but that shattered long ago.

"Silence," threatened Snape menacingly as he stepped into the classroom and all eyes focused on him. He was equally as upset as the Slytherins. He too was being kept in the dark until tomorrow evening as to what was going to happen. That did not make for one happy Potionsmaster.

With only a quick and brief lesson the class promptly got underway with the concoction of the Invisibility Potion. As they measured and mixed, cut and cooked, they were all scrutinized under the watchful eyes of Snape. He slowly made his rounds about the room, critising this potion, complimenting that one; giving advise to this group and heckling another.

"Draco, Blaise," he said quietly coming to the back where the two seventh year boys were sitting and fabricating their potion, "I wish to have a discussion with you both. Please remain behind after class." He swept away without further word, the two looking at each other knowing exactly what this was to be about.

"I just wanted to wish you both good luck with tomorrow's decision." Snape didn't look up from the papers as the two approached him at his desk. "I believe that Slytherin didn't cheat, but as I have no say I cannot speak for the deciding teachers. "

"You've heard nothing, sir?" Blaise questioned curiously.

"No, only Professor Dumbledore, Professor Flitwick and Madam Hooch have any idea as to what will be said. It is unfortunate, but the way things must go. As I stated previously I do hope Slytherin is found innocent, you are my House and I must believe that you are both wise enough to have done the right thing. Good day to you both, I hope all is well tomorrow."

Draco and Blaise walked from the classroom, quietly, neither ushering a word. God how they both hoped things would turn in their favour tomorrow. How they wished that Potter would eat his own words for calling them with that bogus complaint.

Blaise looked ahead to the darkened dungeon corridor to see a figure standing underneath one of the torches. With further analyzation he was able to conclude that it was in fact Ginny Weasley, leaning against the wall, watching the floor. Blaise felt a rush of adrenaline surge through his body as he hoped she would bring him news he wanted to hear.

"I need to speak with you," she said as the two boys approached and she looked up at them. Blaise nodded Draco's dismissal and Ginny waited until he was out of hearing range until she next spoke. "I've been killing myself trying to figure out what to do here. I didn't know whether I should keep my mouth shut or if I should come to you, and that's why I took so long. After you spoke with me last Saturday I talked to Harry about all this ..." she trailed off, looking from his eyes down to the floor and folding both her arms over the book she was holding.

"And?" Blaise pressed on, wanting and needing for her to continue. She needed to say it; say that Potter was forging this whole thing so that Gryffindor might have a chance against Slytherin.

"He's lying." It had taken Ginny a little while, but she finally let it out in one sigh as if of relief.

"You're certain?" Blaise's dark eyes were wide and he searched her for his answer.

Ginny stepped away from the wall, taking a step closer to him. Her eyes looked now to her hand wrapped tightly around the second of Tolkien's books. She couldn't bring herself to make eye contact with him, not for long at least. "I can't be for sure. Harry never came right out and said it. But I know," Ginny finally looked up at him, "Harry's lying, the call's a hoax."

"How can you be certain? He's never come and told you?"

Ginny looked down the hall at Blaise's questions. "You don't know him like I do. Harry doesn't need to tell me what's going on, the way he looked at me said enough."

"But is your instinct on Potter enough?"

"Listen, I know Harry's not being honest here, he can't lie straight out to me. That's why he never said that the call was the truth. That would've been lying to me. Please, just go talk to Dumbledore, tell him what I've told you. Tell him you know it's not the truth."

"He's not going to take my word for it." Blaise knew he'd need more than that, he'd need Ginny to come forward and talk to Dumbledore.

"Try it." Ginny didn't want to go forward to Dumbledore, if this ever got out ... "If the need comes that Dumbledore won't hear you out, tell him you heard it from me. But please, I beg of you, don't use my name unless you have to. Please," she pleaded, looking cautiously to him. She could feel all that was in her shake with nerves.

"You have my word Ginny, I won't speak of you unless it comes to that. And only to Dumbledore. I stick to my word." She looked scared, but Blaise figured she had every right to be. Merlin knew what would happen to her if the Gryffindors found out she'd come to him saying that Slytherin was innocent. Her eyes looked petrified.

"Thanks," she muttered next incoherently. Ginny fumbled with the cover of her book.

"No, I should thank you ... and I do. You don't know what this is for us Slytherins." He gave her a court little smile and turned to leave. He didn't go to his Common Room, or to the Great Hall. Nor did he go to the school grounds, or in search of any other Slytherins. Blaise went straight to Professor Dumbledore and told him all Ginny had said.



Ginny had this gutless feeling of guilt. Probably the fact that she'd gone to her house's rival Quidditch team and given them information that would surely wind up with Slytherin winning the Quidditch match in question had a fair deal to do with why she was feeling this way.

The likelihood of Ginny having to speak with Dumbledore before tomorrow was quite likely. Ginny doubted that the Headmaster would only take Blaise's word. No, he would definitely need more to go on than that. She was kind of worried about that. The more people who knew she'd gone to Blaise, the more of a chance there would be that some Gryffindor would find out. What was she to do if that ever came about? Ginny doubted now if she'd made the right choice in doing what she did. But none the less she couldn't undo it now. There was no point in worrying.

She'd just have to wait. Wait until Dumbledore asked to see her. Wait until tomorrow night when he would announce who actually won the Quidditch match. Wait until this was all over. Then she could go on; living her sixteen year old life, fussing over her course grades, having a crush on that seventeen year old boy. Everything would be able to return to the same old, same old.