Disclaimer - still not mine

Thank you for the reviews!!!!!! I was just going to an exam when I stopped by the computer room to check my e- mail. They gave me a nice, happy, confident feeling

Lil Lupin - Sirius may appear at some point - be patient young one.

ABANDONED - CHAPTER 5

The bell signalling the end of class rang out loudly. Harry stood up threw his stuff into his bag and walked out of the classroom with Ron and Hermione. As he walked out he cast a sidelong look over his shoulder at Snape who was looking angrier than usual. "You alright Harry?"

"Huh?" replied Harry who was still looking at Snape. "Oh, yeah. Bit disoriented"

"Do you need to go the hospital wing?" Hermione replied.

"No, lets just go back to the common room." The three of them traipsed back to the common room, Ron carrying Harry's bag and Hermione muttering about how 'unprofessional' it was that Snape kept picking on Harry.

As both Ron and Harry had not done their charms homework over the summer that was due in tomorrow they sat by the fire surrounded by dull textbooks.

"I think you should write to Sirius. Tell him about the assassin and Snape."

"He's on business for Dumbledore, so I don't want to worry him. Anyway, could you imagine what Sirius would do if I told him about Snape! He'd curse him into the next millennium!"

"And that would be bad because.."

"Hmm.Maybe I should" The two boys continued writing with amused smiles on their faces as they pictured Sirius cursing Snape. 'This is it'. Harry thought. 'Tell him now'. He took a deep breath.

"Ron, stop writing for a moment there's something I need to tell you."

"Ok" said Ron slowly, looking puzzled.

"Well, uh. When I came to your house over the summer, your mum sent Ginny and me outside to pick the apples from the orchard. And we got talking. We talked for hours before realising - "

"Realising what?" Ron asked when Harry paused

"We realised that we had.feelings" Harry had now turned a deep shade of red that could rival a typical 'Weasley' blush.

"Feelings?" Ron asked suspiciously

"Yeah. We um.. we're kind of going out. She's my girlfriend."

"Your girlfriend. That's funny. You and Ginny, yeah. That's gonna happen." Ginny chose this moment to walk over and ask Ron what time he was going downstairs for dinner. Ron turned to Ginny, apparently wanting to turn the joke back on Harry "Harry says that you and him are going out."

"Yes" Ginny said looking very relieved "we are."

Ron looked amused as he sized his sister up. "You're not joking. Are you?"

"No. I'm not." Ron paled.

"go to dinner Ginny. I need to talk to Harry." Ginny stood, mouthed 'good luck' at Harry and left the room - very quickly. "how Dare you?" said Ron.

"what?"

"you and my little sister. Without even telling me!"

"she's not little Ron. She is only a year below me, it's not like I'm cradle robbing!"

"But you should have told me earlier. Hermione knows doesn't she? That's why she kept grinning at you!" Ron seemed to be desperately trying to find fault with Harry as they argued.

"Hermione walked in on us kissing this morning! You're the first person I've actually told."

"Kissing?!"

Fred and George came walking up and stood between Harry and Ron. "My God! What on earth is going on here!"

"Harry, whom we fed and housed, is dating our sister! Can you believe the nerve!"

"Harry?" Said George in disbelief "Wow. Who'd of thought? Our little Ginny dating the boy who lived. Well done mate." The twins clapped him on the back with broad smiled before continuing "you do realise though that if you hurt her we'll have to kill you, don't you?"

Harry stood mutely back, unsure how exactly he was supposed to react, when the feelings that he had been having in potions returned with full force. He felt the seething anger in Ron that was directed towards him. The twins were thrilled. But an emotion Harry didn't expect were within all three of them. Extreme distrust. They must be thinking that he was going to hurt Ginny!

"I will never do anything that could hurt Ginny! I swear!" The feeling intensified.

Fred answered "I know you wouldn't. But the people who get close to you tend to- " Harry had heard enough. He turned and fled from the room. They knew what happened to Cedric. They knew it wasn't his fault - didn't they? And Ron! Why was he so angry? Harry went to the great Hall. He needed to talk to Ginny. As he entered the hall however, Dumbledore was giving a speech.

"I am afraid that the attack left twelve people dead and a further 6 wounded. The ministry has not yet left the names out to be publicly viewed, but I'm leaving the fireplaces in the hall open to anybody who thinks that their families may have been in Gringotts at the time of the attack.

Everyone in the Hall looked panicked. Again Harry felt the emotions in the Hall. It was nearly overwhelming him. 'Have to get to Dumbledore' was the only clear thought running through his mind. Harry staggered to the front of the hall. Ginny ran up to him and grasped his elbow for support. "Harry, What's wrong?"

"Dumbledore." Harry rasped.

The two of them walked slowly to the front of the hall. Harry leaned on the table. Dumbledore stood and moved around the table next to Harry "What is it? Your scar?"

"No - help me please. It's too much. Too much fear."

"Harry what are you talking about?" Harry staggered away from the table and headed for the door, hands clasping his head. Dumbledore helped him into an empty corridor, Ginny closely behind. As they got further from the hall, some colour returned to Harry's cheeks.

"I don't know what's happening. I think when people are feeling strong emotions, I can sometimes feel it too. I can't block it out." Harry felt warmth and love (!) coming from Ginny. He grasped onto this like an anchor.

"Ok. I want you to come to the teachers' tower with me. There's nobody there at the moment so you should be alright. Miss Weasley. Please tell Professor McGonagall to inform the rest of the students of the attack and to supervise use of the fireplaces. Tell her I may be some time." Ginny reluctantly turned and headed back.

In the common room of the teachers tower (which contained a magical radio, and a huge selection of books and chess sets) Harry sat down in a large armchair and leaned back with his eyes closed. Appreciating the silence of his own mind.

Dumbledore selected a larger armchair and sat regarding Harry for about ten minutes. "Professor. What attack, was it Voldemort?"

"No. It was some death eaters. It seems that Voldemort is most anxious to confirm his presence to the wizarding world but does not yet feel powerful enough to go himself. I am sure that there will now be several students here who are now missing a family member. If it wasn't for Arthur Weasley's quick evacuation of the bank the situation would have been much worse."

Waves of sadness came from Dumbledore, although it did seem as though he was trying to control them.

"is Mr Weasley alright?"

"He'll be fine. I think he'll have a nice curse scar on his back from a deatheater who used the fire curse on him though." The two sat in silence for a few moments more before Dumbledore spoke up again "I need you to tell me now what's wrong."

Harry told Dumbledore about Snape and that he had had an argument with Ron and what happened in the hall. "and sitting here now, I can feel your curiosity and worry and sadness and even some anger. I can guess what they are about but I can't like read your mind. It's so confusing! How can I feel anything if there are always loads of other people's feelings as well getting in the way?" Harry looked at Dumbledore expectantly for a while until the answer came.

"You have inherited this from your father's mother. It's called empathy. Everyone can sometimes feel what others do but usually by reading body language. Occasionally when people walk into a room they get a strong feeling, like they just know that something bad happened there, or when you spend all day worrying about a person you haven't seen in years, only to discover that they are ill or have lost a relative. You and a small number of others can feel this all the time."

"Are they insane? I don't see how you couldn't be with constantly feeling every feeling there is from other people."

Dumbledore smiled kindly "No Harry, they aren't insane. If you can feel emotions, you have to learn to block them out."

"How?"

"You already know. You just need to remember - it's like an instinct for an empath. I'll help you."

Harry and Dumbledore sat in the teachers lounge all night, and most of the following day trying different techniques to see which worked best for Harry. Eventually, they found that Harry could block out other feelings by visualising a large stone wall around his mind. If he wanted to let someone's feelings in he had to imagine a drawbridge opening towards that person.

"It's gonna take some practice Harry", Dumbledore said. "You'll always be feeling the general mood of the people within the castle and will be able to tell how many people are in a room before you enter it." Dumbledore's eyes gave an extra twinkle as he added "What your father wouldn't have given for this power. Never to get caught doing anything. Even passing notes in class."

"how?"

"Well you'd always be able to tell who their attention was focused on wouldn't you. If I catch you doing this however, I will not be impressed."

"Er, right thanks Professor." Harry left the teachers' lounge and went towards Griffindor tower. The last classes had just finished so he could finally go to bed.

As Harry entered the tower, he felt a sombre mood, not surprising after yesterday but it was nothing he couldn't handle. He stopped at Ginny's side as he walked toward the dormitory, told her that he needed to talk to her in the morning and kissed her lightly on the cheek before going to bed.

As Harry walked into the dorm he could tell that Ron was in his bed with the curtains closed there but decided to ignore him and go to sleep.

Harry awoke when he felt a rather large jab on his arm. It was Ron. The sky was Dark and everyone was asleep. "What? I was trying to sleep."

"It's about yesterday. I'm sorry for getting so upset. I mean, to others my sister is probably quite attractive so I can understand that you fancy her but I don't want you to go out. She could get hurt."

"Ron, I'll try to keep her safe I promise. But Ginny is old enough to decide for herself. You can't stop her from doing what she will. When Hermione was her age she was going out with Krum. He's years older than Hermione!"

"OK. I'll drop it but I'm not happy about it, and if any thing, I repeat anything happens to my sister I'll never forgive you. I know that it's not your fault what You-know-who does but you do know he's after you so please don't be too public about it. I don't want the slytherins to find out!"

"I promise." As Ron turned away, Harry's mind was racing. What if Ginny got in the way between him and Voldemort; like Cedric, his parents and even (but in a different way) Sirius?



A/N: Any suggestions for the Harry / Ginny relationship? I already have a story plan but I wanna see where others want it to go.