Reunion

            "So, they're recruiting the giants?"  Daniel asks.  "And Snape definitely is in on it…"
            "I don't think so…" Harry replies.  "Snape's on our side.  Dumbledore trusts him.  I think he's just playing along with Zimmermann.  To make sure he still trusts him, you know?"

            Daniel and Harry, as well as Ron, Hermione, and Colby, are sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room.  "What if that's what Snape wants us to think?" Ron asks.  "What's to keep him from spying on us while he's got Dumbledore's confidence?"

            "Until Snape actually does something, we can't just assume he's the bad guy.  That never works out," Hermione says.  "But it is safe to assume that Zimmermann's got it out for Harry and is going to use Johnny to do something to him.  Something involving the giants."

            "Does Johnny know anything about this?" Colby asks.

            "I don't think so," Harry says.  "He was saying something about her moving too slow.  Why would she be dragging her heels if she knew what was happening and was participating willingly?"

            Daniel frowns.  "Unless she feels she has to do something for him.  I wouldn't put it past that guy to blackmail her into something like this."

            Colby's eye light up.  "She did say that she didn't belong in Slytherin.  And that she was taken away from us…"

            Daniel shakes his head.  "Figures.  So, what do we do?"

            "Just ask her," Ron says.  "She'd tell us, right?"

            Hermione chews her lip.  "Probably not.  She won't do anything to jeopardize being here.  She doesn't want to make Zimmermann mad enough to really expel her."

            "Do you think he really will, though?" Harry asks.  "After all this and now she's in Slytherin… Maybe that's what Zimmermann wanted."

            "Why?" Ron asks.

            "To have Snape keep an eye on her!" Hermione exclaims.  "And while she's there, she can't play Quidditch so she has more time to focus on her studies, which is making her get to be a better wizard.  And all that's leading up to when she can attack Harry!"

            "Who's going to attack Harry?" Ginny asks suddenly.

            "No one is, now that we know what's going on," Hermione says quickly, glancing at the boys around her.  "Come on, guys.  We need to hurry!"

            "Why?" Ron asks.  "What can we do now?"

Hermione rolls her eyes.  "We need to find out what she really knows.  Then we can decide on a plan."

Ginny frowns.  "You're talking about Johnny, aren't you?  Why's she going to attack Harry?"

"No one's going to attack me," Harry says.  He stands up.  "I want everyone to calm down.  This is my life, remember?  I think I should decide what goes on in it, you know?"

Ginny puts her books down in Hermione's pile, barely making it any noticeably higher.  "I'm going to go find her and talk to her.  She can't go around threatening to attack people just because she's a big bad Slytherin now…" there are tears welling up in her eyes.

"Knock it off," Daniel says.  "Johnny's not going to attack Harry.  Slytherin or not, she's still our friend.  And she's too good a friend to attack Harry.  If anything happens, it's not going to be her fault.  It's all Zimmermann."

"Zimmermann?" Ginny feels very out of the loop.  All she wants is for Johnny to hold her close and make her feel wanted again.  She shakes the thought from her head.  Johnny isn't interested in her, she has to remind herself.  Johnny wants Hermione.

Harry nods.  "Why don't you come with me and I'll explain.  We need to find Johnny and let her know what's going on."

"That's probably not the greatest idea, Harry," Hermione starts.

"I'd love to," Ginny says hurriedly.  She gives Hermione a pleading look.  Hermione just sighs and goes back to her own books.  "Where would she be right now?"

"Hagrid's," Colby says.  "That's where she goes after all the Quidditch games."

Harry nods.  "Great.  Come on, Ginny."

Daniel grins.  "Hey, tell Johnny we need to talk, too, when you see her."

The pair walks swiftly through the school.  They avoid the Slytherins when possible, hearing angry hisses of "cheaters" and stupid kids' songs about baby carriages as they walk by.  The Slytherins are still mad because they just lost the recent match.

"You're in a hurry," Snape's voice says suddenly.  "Where could you be off to?  Shouldn't you be celebrating your victory in your Common Room?"

"We're visiting Hagrid," Harry says.  "We haven't done much of that yet this year."

Snape narrows his eyes.  "Where are your other friends, Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley?  Don't they usually accompany you on your visits?"

Harry wishes he had brought Ron and Hermione.  He had thought that traveling in the smaller group would attract less attention.  "They're studying, Professor Snape.  Hermione says they're not to be disturbed till Ron understands every last paragraph in his Divination book.  Just because it's not a real form of magic, she says, is no excuse for him to do poorly in it, since he chose to take it."

Snape frowns.  "Very well.  Hurry up and be in your Common Room before it gets too dark.  It's not safe at night on the grounds, you know."

With that, Snape leaves them alone.  Harry looks at Ginny, an impressed expression on his face.  "You really know how to wrap them around your fingers."

Ginny smiles and shrugs.  "I'm used to not being noticed.  Getting people to ignore me is pretty easy."

Johnny is leaving from Hagrid's hut when she sees Harry and Ginny walking toward her.  She takes a deep breath and wonders briefly if she should just start walking away.  "Hey, Johnny.  We need to talk to you."
            Johnny smiles weakly.  "Sure.  I'm on my way inside anyway.  See you later, Hagrid."

Hagrid, who has been dragging huge piles of firewood from the Forbidden Forest all afternoon, grins at the group.  "A' right.  Be careful gettin' back inside.  See yeh tomorrow, Johnny."

When they're far enough away, Harry whispers to Johnny.  "How much contact have you had with Zimmermann since you got moved to Slytherin?"

Johnny makes a face.  "Practically none.  Only class time and even then I barely speak to him.  He messed me up big time.  This is going to go on my record and everything."

"If you'd just tell them where you'd been, things wouldn't be this way," Ginny says.

"Where were you?" Harry asks, shocked that Ginny knows something they hadn't known.

Johnny frowns.  "I can't tell.  And it doesn't matter anyway.  Look at how well I'm doing now.  Maybe I did just belong in Slytherin."

"No," Harry says.  "Zimmermann put you there for some reason.  We don't know why yet but he's got some plan for you that involves attacking me."

"No matter what he blackmails me with, I ain't never going to attack you, Harry!" Johnny gasps.  "I know I'm supposed to hate you and all, but I just can't.  You're too good a guy.  Now Malfoy… there's a kid that I wouldn't mind attacking."

Harry shakes his head.  "As much as I'd like to see you beat the heck out of Draco Malfoy, you can't attack anyone for the rest of the time here.  You're on thin ice as it is.  One more screw up and Snape might be kicking you out for good."

"If Zimmermann wants me to attack you, why would Snape kick me out?  I thought they were on the same page, all working for the Dark Lord and junk," Johnny asks.

"Snape's not out to get you or Harry," Ginny says.  "He's not working for You-Know-Who, either.  He may not like Harry very much, but he doesn't seem to like anyone very much so it might not be as personal as everyone likes to believe.  He's been trying to save Harry's life for about five years.  Why kill him now?  If Snape wants you gone, he might just be trying to save both your lives."

"My thoughts exactly," Harry agrees.  "So, what we have to do is make sure you don't step on anyone's toes, Johnny, and keep you from getting into anymore trouble.  You have to stay with someone at all times to make sure that someone always knows what you're up to.  That way Dr. Zimmermann can't make anything else up."

Ginny glares at Johnny.  "It doesn't matter if there's anyone else there or not.  Johnny still won't speak up to save herself."

Harry shakes his head.  "This is really important.  We need you keeping a clean record till we figure out what's going on.  Can you do that?"

"I ain't stupid," Johnny says.  "I just keep a low profile.  Easy as pie."

Harry grins.  "Great," he sighs.  "I have to go help Ron figure out what our tea leaves read tonight, so I'd better head up to the Common Room to make sure he hasn't stirred them up too much.  Can you walk her back to her house, Ginny?"

Ginny nods once.  She looks at Johnny, a slightly upset look on her face.  Johnny just shrugs and smiles as best as she can.  Harry, not noticing their exchange, smiles.  "Oh, and Daniel wants to talk to you at some point, too.  Okay?"

Johnny starts to walk away, not waiting for Ginny, who runs after her.  "Where do you think you're going?  You need someone following you at all times!"

"I'll bet you love that," Johnny snaps.  "You going to make sure I don't fall head over heels for someone else?"

"I don't care what you do.  It's not like you care what I feel anyway," Ginny says angrily.

Johnny grabs Ginny by the arm and lifts her into her arms.  She kisses the younger girl deeply, running a hand through her bright red hair.  She is about to stop when she feels Ginny kiss back, wrapping her arms around her neck.  They stay close like that for a dangerously long time.  Finally, she puts Ginny down.  "Don't ever accuse me of not caring about you.  Ever!" she storms away from Ginny.