Chapter Six: Slytherin Vs. Gryffindor



The weather was still rather dreary outside for the first Quidditch match of the season, Slytherin vs. Gryffindor.

Ginny had joined Ron and Hermione in the bleachers; good seats at the edge of the stands, at Hermione's request. "I don't think that Pepperup potion is working too well, perhaps some fresh air will do you some good."

Hermione was right, a week had passed since the attack, and it was the first time that she had felt halfway decent. And she was grateful to Hermione for wanting to include her.

But for Ginny, the best part of her day was this earlier this morning. She had finally mustered up enough courage to wish Harry luck in the match at breakfast. He had simply thanked her and gave her a smile, but it had meant the world to Ginny, making her feel better than any potion ever could.

Ginny smiled to herself at the thought as the balls were released onto the pitch. She could hear the mad clicking of Colin's camera not too far away from her.

She continued to watch Harry, who now appeared to be talking to Malfoy. She thought that Malfoy was no doubt insulting Harry somehow. But suddenly, the pair of Quidditch players were interrupted by a Bludger whipping past Harry's head.

"Whoa! That was a close one!" Ron said to Hermione, who had also seen the near miss.

George pelted the Bludger away from Harry, but it turned around back towards Harry, barely missing his head again.

Ginny watched Harry, her teeth gritted, as he tried to outrun the Bludger at the other end of the pitch. She knew instantly, that something had gone terribly wrong.

She was relieved momentarily as Fred hit the Bludger away before it had caught up to Harry again.

Colin had now made his way up to the front of the stands, continuing to take pictures shouting, "What a great shot!" as he leaned over for a better one.

Meanwhile, the Slytherins were scoring left and right. Now that Fred and George were flying close to protect him, Angelina, Katie and Alicia were having trouble keeping the other Bludger at bay. The scoreboard now read Slytherin 60, Gryffindor 0.

Ginny's jaw clenched even harder as it began to rain, making the visibility even worse for the team. She could make out Harry, and could see that he was constantly wiping the rain away from his glasses, in a vain attempt to keep it from impairing his vision.
"Ron, I don't believe that Bludger is supposed to do that," Hermione asked, with concern in her voice.

And then Ron saw it too.

"You're right, Hermione," he said slowly, not taking his eyes off his friend. "There's something not right about that Bludger."

While Ron and Hermione discussed the obviously troublesome Bludger, Ginny sighed again in relief as George finally signaled to Wood, the Gryffindor team captain to call for a timeout. A most surprising act, considering the competitiveness of the Gryffindors and the Slytherins"George will do the right thing, and ask Wood for a forfeit, I know it," she told herself, knowing her brother wouldn't allow any harm come to Harry if he could help it.

"Why is that Bludger after Harry in the first place?" Hermione asked Ron.

"I wouldn't be surprised if it was Malfoy who cursed that ruddy thing," Ron said with a sneer. "He would do anything to take Harry out of the game."

Ginny peered once again out onto the pitch, shielding her eyes from the rain with her hand. But the Gryffindor team had not left the pitch as she expected. Instead, Wood had signaled to Madam Hooch, the referee, to begin the game again. She saw as Harry mount his broomstick and zoom back out into the pitch, looking more determined than ever, while Fred and George shook their heads in helplessness.

"Are they mad?" Ginny shouted angrily, causing Ron and Hermione to turn around."They can't let him back out onto the pitch! That thing'll kill him!"

"What?" Ron said.

"Look!" Ginny said to them, pointing at the team, now rising back into the air.

Like before, the Bludger was once again chasing after Harry, but Fred and George weren't protecting him as they had previously. He began zigzagging about like a madman, desperately trying to outrun it. Ginny could hear the crowd around her laughing at him.

"Ron, Ginny's right, that Bludger will kill him if we don't figure out a way to stop this game quickly," Hermione said. "We have to do something!"

"Okay, Hermione and I will go find some help. Ginny, you stay here--Ginny?"


But she was already gone.

Ginny ran down the bleacher stairs as quickly as she could, searching for Hagrid, the only person she could think of with enough sense to help her protect Harry before his head was bashed in.
She stood at the end of the stairs and looked up into the crowd. Hagrid was sitting in the next section over, waving a red and gold flag. She tried shouting to him, but there was no point. The cheers from the crowd simply drowned her out.

She scanned the pitch again for Harry. Again he had stopped for a moment, just meters away from Malfoy.

"Why has he stopped?" she thought. "The Bludger is heading straight for him. Harry, NO!"



But Harry couldn't hear her screams over the crowd of cheering and shouting of fans. The Bludger hit him hard in the elbow, almost knocking him from his broomstick.

Ginny wiped the rain from her face as she watched Harry dangle from his broom, arm hanging uselessly at his side. Incredibly, she saw him somehow right himself on his broom, and even more miraculously, dive towards Malfoy.

"What on earth is he doing?" she wondered as she made her way through the crowd to the pitch, nearly running into a large jade green cloak underneath a gold umbrella.

"Pardon me, Miss Weasley," said Professor Lockhart, a gleaming smile on his face. "You seem to be in a bit of a hurry. Tell me, what's the trouble?"

Ginny gave him an irritated look. Ron had told her all about the episode with the Cornish Pixies and she was well aware of Professor Lockhart's so-called 'abilities'. "Well is it not completely obvious that Harry has been injured and that I'm looking for someone to help him?"



"Well then, you've run into the right person. I can help Mr. Potter with whatever may be ailing him."

But Ginny simply ignored him. She saw Harry hit the ground hard, rolling off of his broomstick.

"Harry–" she said softly, as she watched him pass out on the muddy lawn. His hand was clutched around a small gleam of gold.

Madam Hooch blew her whistle. "Potter has the Snitch! Gryffindor wins!" she shouted. The crowd erupted in a roar of cheers and whistles.
Ginny ran as fast as her legs could carry her to the other end of the pitch, leaving a bewildered Lockhart still in the stands. At that moment, she didn't care if anyone saw her, or if they knew her feelings about Harry. All she wanted was to help him. And even through the chilly rain, she could feel the warm tears that were beginning to fall down her face.

She knelt down at Harry's side. "Harry—please be all right—please," she said trying to gently shake him awake.

"Ginny! Look out!"

She glanced upwards to see Ron and Hermione racing across the field with Hagrid, bounding behind them shouting. "The Bludger Ginny! It's comin' at yeh!"

Ginny turned around on her knees to see the crazy Bludger only a few meters away. She ducked down, her small frame shielding Harry from the ball. A great gust of wind blew over her and Harry, and she heard a familiar 'clack' of a beating club against the hard ball.

She raised her head, only slightly to see the back of her brother, Fred as he knocked the Bludger to George, who had caught it, and was now trying desperately to wrangle the ball back into the trunk.

She heard a slight moan from beneath her. Harry was beginning to stir. Sighing with relief, Ginny brushed the wet hair from his forehead.

"Harry? Harry?"

"Ginny, are you nutters?" Ron yelled at her, falling to his knees on Harry's other side."You could have been killed!"

Ginny wiped the rain and tears from her face. "And you say that I sound like Mum?" she said with a sarcastic tone to her voice.

"Is he all right?" asked Hermione.

"Yes, I think so," Ginny said. "His arm is broken though."

"I can take care of that Miss Weasley," Professor Lockhart said, forcing her aside. "I've mended the bones of hundreds of wizards."

Hermione's eyes lit up. "Oh, Professor Lockhart! We're so glad you're here. Can you really help him?"

"But of course I can," he said, brandishing his most winning smile, "Now if you will please stand aside for a moment,"
Ginny tried to push her way back to Harry, but swarms of people were now all around him, pushing her further away.

Again she saw the familiar flashing of Colin Creevey's camera behind her.

"Colin, why can't you just leave him alone for once!" she shouted angrily, but Ginny, and her shouts, were quickly ignored and forgotten by the horde of people now surrounding Harry on the pitch.
* * *



"... Tom, I just don't understand how they could have so easily pushed me aside like that! It's so unfair! Even Colin Creevey, who only wanted his photographs, was able to worm his way through the crowd to him. All I wanted was to be there for him, and I couldn't even do that!"Ginny wrote in the diary, nearly breaking the tip of her quill out of anger.

"Colin Creevey! What does he know about Harry anyway? He's a Muggleborn! He didn't even know about Harry until he came here to Hogwarts. He just sees him as the great hero that defeated You-know-who, just like everyone else. Why can't he just leave him be? Harry doesn't want to be famous. I see how Harry cringes every time Colin comes near him. He doesn't want that. He never did. Nobody sees Harry like I do, as the truly wonderful person he is. All they can see is the savior of the wizarding world, and he can't even recall doing it!"

"Ginny, I know it's not always easy to understand, but some people need someone to lookup to, to inspire them, or to make them feel special, like Harry. Colin may not see everything that you see in Harry, but he can see at least one or two honorable traits in him. Why else would he idolize him so much." Tom responded.

Ginny huffed in frustration and wrote, "Yes Tom, I suppose you're right. I guess I just wish that Harry would notice me for who I am too, not just Ron's silly little sister. At least I know I always have you to turn to and listen to me when I really need it. No ones ever understood me like you do, Tom. Well, it's been a long day. I think I will turn in early this evening. Thanksagain for listening to me Tom."

"Thank you Ginny for turning to me for support. I've never felt more fulfilled. Goodnight, and sleep well my dear girl."

Ginny closed the diary, again overcome with the soothing warmth that came from talking to Tom and always made her feel better. She slipped the diary underneath her pillow and fell into another deep sleep.

As Ginny slept, she fell yet again into another peculiar dream. Still blanketed in the warmth that seemed to blur her dreams, she walked down another dark corridor. Though this time she was following someone. She tried to make out the figure before her as they beckoned her to follow them. He seemed to look very much like Harry; gangly, with dark hair. Only he was taller. Older than Harry was now.

She followed him into the room with her reflection again. He whispered into her ear, telling her something important it seemed, but she couldn't hear him. She tried to tell him, but she began talking in gibberish like before.

The older Harry beckoned her to follow him again. She followed him down another corridor. Suddenly, she saw him leading her towards a great flashing light at the end of the corridor. She ran to see where the light was coming from. She could make out the silhouette of a small blond boy holding a camera. She knew it had to be Colin. She found Harry there as well, but Colin wanted to take his picture. The flashes from his camera began to fade Harry's image until he completely disappeared. She screamed at Colin to stop, but her words again came out as gibberish. Another flash of light, and Colin vanished as well.

A very upset Ginny ran back down the corridor, searching for Harry and running from the flashes of light which seemed to remain, even though Colin was gone. She felt herself begin to fade away into the flashes of light, felt her very soul being taken away . . .

Ginny woke suddenly in the common room on the sofa, the diary open next to her. She looked at the clock on the wall. It read three thirty in the morning.

Thankful that she had not wandered too far in her sleep, she made her way upstairs to her dorm and crawled back into bed. The disturbing dream was still fresh in her mind though, and it took some time before she was able to fall back asleep again.