A/N:*SPOILER WARNING, at the end of the chapter, about who dies. I keep forgetting there're still people who haven't finished. Thanks to Darcel for reminding me :).* Alright, it's been a couple of weeks, but I've finished the last chapter yesterday :). Wow, this story ended up being at least twice as long as I expected. I don't know; maybe I just like to improvise. And this is really the first story I've actually completed. Thanks to my reviewers, the people who made this all possible: Diiniam, Rjk2005, A.Dee, Wicked Lee, Kryptonite, Darcel, SporkGoddess, and Sache8. *becomes every Mrs. America you've ever seen* I couldn't have done it without you! *tears up and fans self*
Now, some completely off-topic stuff: my sister's pregnant! Yay! I've finally got the house to myself (my cousin and brother are out-of-town [yay!]). I've been listening to John Mayer and drawing all day. This afternoon I drew Bellatrix LeStrange with her Death Eater robes. It came out pretty good, considering it was me who drew it. Pity I don't have a scanner.
Well, anyway, enough of that. At long last, the thirteenth and final chapter, "Extundo Inhabilis." Enjoy :).
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Chapter Thirteen
Extundo Inhabilis
Dumbledore pocketed his wand, turning to face Ginny.
"Follow me," he murmured quietly, beginning to climb down the stairs. He paused to speak to the house full of confused students.
"That's enough excitement for tonight, wouldn't you say?" he stated tiredly, checking his watch. "Oh dear me, it's already past four. Please, return to your dormitories and get some sleep – you've got a ball today!"
Murmuring their puzzlement as a whole, they all began to head back to their own rooms. Ginny continued to follow Dumbledore down the footsteps; here and there, someone from the clearing crowd would stop to ask her what happened. She just shrugged. She didn't know either.
Once the two of them were out of the Gryffindor tower and walking down the corridor, Dumbledore spoke again.
"First things first," he said, looking to Ginny as they strolled. "You're probably wondering what just happened."
She nodded. "Did you destroy him?"
His expression turned grim. "Well, Ms. Weasley, I am afraid the thing you saw back there cannot be destroyed. I have simply restored your strength and its weakness, forcing it back into the host…hence all the screaming."
Her eyes widened, staring at him in disbelief, now noticing the feeling of light taps behind her ears.
"Why would you do a thing like that?"
He chuckled. "It's so much easier and safer to flush out a parasite from within the host these days… Besides, he was draining you of your strength to use at his own advantage, and I am sure none of us wanted to see that.
"As for Rebecca Cwalino, she was a real girl. Yes, I remember Rebecca. Very bright indeed, transferred here from a small private school in Ireland. Always seemed to be sick though, the poor girl…"
"And she died nine years ago of pneumonia," added Ginny. Dumbledore nodded.
"So it was Tom, but you saw Rebecca, correct?"
She nodded and looked forward despondently. "Yes, sir… Where exactly are we going?"
"There's a spell that you can do to get rid of the parasite," he explained, "but I forgot what it was. The only way I know is the only other way: destroying the host. Thus, we head to the library. Not a word to Madame Pince – I told her I had been visiting during the night a few years back, and she nearly had me expelled."
She walked in silence the rest of the way, listening absently to Dumbledore's adventures.
"But then I realised," he was saying, "that in my hurry get see what all the commotion was about, I had forgotten to put on my trousers. Luckily, I had only made it as far as the first block – oh, here we are."
Magicking the lock, they quietly slipped into the library. The whole building was pitch dark, minus a few spots by the window. Dumbledore lit his wand, and Ginny followed him further into the back portion. She'd never been in this part of the library, looking around curiously. She was faintly aware that some of the books were snoring or growling at them as they passed by.
They stopped about halfway into the second-to-last isle. Dumbledore passed his wand over the books, reading the titles and looking for the right one. He paused for a second, pulling one off the shelf.
"Ah, here we go," he said lightly, handing her the book. In the wand light she read the title: So You Have a Murderous Parasite? Under it the subtitle read, Get rid of that little bugger before it gets rid of you! If she hadn't been so shaken up, she was sure she would've laughed.
"You should find what you need in there," he said, beginning to lead her back out of the library. "A parasitic memory is very similar to chicken pox; once you've had it, it never comes back. I trust you can perform the spell yourself. Try to find a remote area because it latches onto the person or organism closest to it. It doesn't like to travel great distances so it becomes absorbed in the grass or some other kind of plant. I suggest somewhere on the far side of the lake; it might occupy a tree."
"But…" began Ginny thoughtfully. "If it only occupies other living things, how come it was in a diary first?"
"It can only occupy abiotic objects if the creator puts it there," explained Dumbledore. "You did not create it and therefore cannot choose where it goes. You can help control it, though."
"But," said Ginny again, glancing up at him, "if this spell gets rid of memories…couldn't I get amnesia?"
Dumbledore smiled softly. "Sure, if all of your memories weren't yours. You see, Ms. Weasley, when a memory finds a new home, it's considered a parasite. It needs to feed off of the strength of another."
"And if it doesn't?"
"Well, it just becomes severely weakened. Almost the equivalent to the results of a Dementor's Kiss. Worse than dead."
A silence followed. She stared silently at the world outside, seeing by the dim light of the moon that it was snowing again as they returned to the Gryffindor tower. They were soon back at the portrait of the Fat Lady, who was snoozing peacefully within her frames. As Ginny was about to wake her up and give her the password, another question came to mind.
"Professor?" she said mildly.
"Yes?"
"I was just wondering… Has this happened before?"
He did, after all, seem pretty calm about it.
He looked down at her, eyes twinkling slightly.
"It has, actually… I don't think the intentions were such as yours, but the headaches were terrible all the same… Well, good evening, Ms. Weasley. Remember, secluded area."
And with that, he left an inquisitive-looking Ginny, staring after him in curiosity.
She didn't sleep at all after the events that evening. She didn't even really return to her dormitory except to get her blanket from her four-poster, feeling paranoid the whole time she was in the room. She spent the last hours of the night and first of the morning in front of the common room fireplace, which was currently void of fire.
It didn't take her long to find the right spell in the book after looking in the index. After reading the page on parasitic memories – and that's all it was, a page – she scoffed quietly in disbelief.
I could've done this ages ago.
She thought of a recluse place where she could do the spell as she watched the milky sky glow lighter with the rising sun, picking somewhere where she'd hopefully never have to worry about this again. It was half past six when she decided to go, before everyone woke up that morning.
One hand was carrying the book; the other clutched her cloak around her in the brisk weather. She had to squint in the howling wind to see her way to the Forbidden Forest. Briefly she glanced down at the ground and mildly regarded the few, visible patches of frozen grass, remembering Dumbledore's words that she was likely walking on thousands of other stray memories.
She paused under the trees gathered on the outskirts of the forest and, looking around in slight caution, removed the wand from her robes and opened the book to the marked page. Nervously pointing the wand to her head, she managed to clearly pronounce the spell.
"Extundo inhabilis."
It was like a cold breath was being sucked from her, a wind-swept sensation filing through her mouth, nose, ears, and eyes as he left her body. Her eyes widened in panic, finding she suddenly couldn't breathe. It lasted only a few seconds longer, after which she gasped for air, blinking a few times to remoisten her eyes.
And then she saw it. It was shapeless and whiter than the snow, resembling a small, opaque cloud. Noiselessly, it began to drift away, aimlessly heading deeper into the woods. In amazement, she watched it disappear into the dense mass of trees.
He's gone. A new feeling of redemption overcame her.
She lingered for a few moments before an especially powerful gust of wind passed over, blowing her hair into her eyes. As if just realising where she was, she pocketed her wand and turned back towards the castle, still looking astonished. She glanced back at the forest one more time and smiled in relief.
She was remotely aware that it was Christmas, there was a ball that evening, and she'd been wearing the same clothes since yesterday. She passed some other students in the corridors going down to breakfast, a few of them Gryffindors. She guessed that some of them were talking about what had happened last night; as she passed, their avid conversations halted and they fixed her with curious glances. She didn't really notice, with a bounce apparent in her step, for Tom was gone at last…she hoped.
Her dormitory was still empty when she entered it. For a fleeting moment she wondered where Becky was when a little reminder popped up in her brain.
Becky's not real.
Ginny's smile faltered as she stared at the vacant sheets of the bed that neighbored her. She felt suddenly deprived. While she realised the true identity and now knew that Rebecca was just a deception…her best friend was gone.
With a sigh, she dropped heavily onto her own bed, still staring and lost in thought. A few minutes later, the door opened behind her. Startled, she whirled around to see who had entered.
Daphne now stood at the door, staring back at Ginny. Her blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail; the neck brace and the scar on her cheek were gone. Giving Ginny a small smile, she closed the door behind her.
"Hello," she greeted from where she stood.
"Hi," replied Ginny awkwardly. "Er… How're you feeling?"
"Oh, I'm fine," said Daphne, proceeding to her trunk. "All better now. I have to pack – my parents are taking me home for a little while."
Ginny nodded a little and looked down at the floor, feeling a small twinge of guilt. There was a pause for a few seconds before Daphne spoke up again.
"I know it wasn't you, Ginny," she said simply, putting some of her schoolbooks into the trunk. Ginny looked up at her, eyeing her with interest.
"Dumbledore explained it to me and Madame Pomfrey this morning in the hospital wing," Daphne continued as she packed. "I think I saw the girl too, a couple days ago. She fitted your description, except she was kinda…clear. I suppose that at the moment I thought I was just seeing things, what with the fall down the stairs. She didn't stay long, after all…"
"She's gone now," informed Ginny, glancing back at the bed to her side. "We won't have to worry about it anymore."
"I hope so," said Daphne with a nervous chuckle. "Erm, by the way, I'm sorry I assumed you were…well, crazy. I admit that was wrong of me."
Ginny smiled gently. "It's okay. I kind of thought it was you."
Daphne smirked again, closing her trunk. "Well, I have to go now. Have a Happy Christmas."
"Happy Christmas."
And with that, she levitated her trunk with her wand, directing it ahead of her and out of the dormitory, leaving Ginny alone in the dormitory once again. She looked around her dormitory at her deserted surroundings and sighed once more, getting up for a quick shower before breakfast.
As she approached the Gryffindor table, she was instantly showered with several questions from some of the previous night's spectators while some just sat and stared, whispering to each other. She sat with Harry, Ron and Hermione that morning, all of whom were fending off the inquiries. When things had quieted down a bit, Harry glanced at her sideways, smiling kindly.
"So what'd Dumbledore say?" he asked quietly. She gave him an indignant look.
"Didn't you just fight off dozens of people asking that same question?"
"Yeah, but we're your friends."
"And family," added Ron, leaning in case she was going to tell them something. Hermione rolled her eyes at them.
"Boys," she muttered, then also turning to Ginny concernedly. "But did he take you to the hospital wing? Did they find what was wrong?"
Ginny made her answer short and simple. "No, he didn't. He already knew what was wrong, and the problem is all gone now. Pass the eggs."
They all took the hint and fell silent.
After breakfast she sat in the common room, wrapped in her blanket and dozing off. Most everyone was now outside in the snow or in Hogsmeade. Exhausted, she decided to just stay in. She could do her celebrating tomorrow; today, she was utterly exhausted.
It wasn't long before there was a set of footsteps behind her, descending from the dormitory stairs. She opened her eyes and looked up to see Harry, hands jammed in his pockets. She smiled calmly at him, glad it wasn't someone else, the one who was prone to show up while she was alone.
She watched as he took the armchair next to her.
"Hello, Harry," she said in a yawn, shifting to better face him.
"Hey," he said cheerily in response. "What are you doing in here by yourself? It's Christmas – you're supposed to be rejoicing."
"I don't have the energy to rejoice," she said in defense, blinking slowly. "Dead tired. I didn't sleep at all last night."
Harry's answer was delayed. "What happened last night?"
Ginny sighed, looking up at him. She knew he was going to ask that. I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell him; after all, he was about to get attacked…
"Might as well tell you… Remember Tom?"
She saw Harry's eyes widen slightly. "Riddle…?"
She nodded lethargically. "He almost got us again. Well, you, anyway," she said sourly. "He already had me."
He stared at her in confusion. "You mean to say…that thing in your dormitory…"
"…Was Tom Riddle," she finished dully.
He continued to stare, shaking his head idly. "But I destroyed his diary, that should've –"
"Memories can't die," explained Ginny. "When you destroyed his diary, his memory found a new home." She languidly tapped at her head. Harry's mouth opened in disbelief. He was silent for a long time, then speaking cautiously.
"Let me get this straight… I destroy the diary, and his memory gets into your head? And he's been living there all this time?"
She nodded again. His bewildered expression turned into a remorseful one.
"I'm sorry," he said apologetically, his voice soft. "I didn't know –"
"I know you didn't," she interrupted. "It was better for you to do it in any case, or he'd have just outright killed me. Anyway, remember my friend I told you about, Becky?"
"Yeah."
Taking a deep breath, she told him about what Rebecca really was, what had happened in the dormitory, and what she'd done that morning.
"So now, he's drifting somewhere in the Forbidden Forest?" said Harry nervously.
"Probably attached to a tree somewhere by now," added Ginny quickly. "And he can't leave the host until the host frees him, dies or gives him enough strength to leave."
"Alright…" said Harry thoughtfully. "But…I'm not trying to say anything, but why didn't he just…kill you?"
"He'd have lost his source of power. He can't survive on his own without taking all my strength first." She gave him a meaningful glance. "I suppose he didn't want to wait that long."
They stared at each other for a long time.
"For what it's worth, I didn't really think you pushed her down the stairs," said Harry quietly. "Sorry if I sounded suspicious."
"You were just upset," said Ginny benevolently. "So was I. I didn't really think you were coming on to Cho, either. I think Tom was just trying to make me suspicious."
Harry shook his head slowly. Choosing to change the topic, Ginny was the first to break their silence.
"Don't you have a present you were supposed to give to me?"
Harry's face lit up in realisation. "Oh, yeah… It should be under the tree somewhere…" He got back up and went to the Christmas tree, picking up a medium-sized gift. He handed it to her over his shoulder, then retrieving his own present.
"Gee, I wonder what this could be," said Harry in mock curiosity. Ginny turned to watch him rip off the wrapping paper. Harry gasped dramatically at the Canary Creams.
"How'd you know?"
"I thought you'd like them," she said flatly, turning back around and began to unwrap her own present. "Happy Christmas."
She saw Harry returning to his chair out of the corner of her eye, sitting on the edge of it. Paper gone, she opened the exposed white box. Underneath the tissue paper were neatly folded midnight blue robes. Not unlike the ones she had upstairs in her trunk. Her jaw dropped in shock as she silently stared at them.
"Those were the ones you saw in Gladrags, right?" said Harry, apparently oblivious that she had already bought them. "Thought you could wear them to the ball, if you still want to go."
"Yeah…" she said distantly, lifting them out of the box by the shoulders. "Do you know how much these robes cost?"
"Fifty Galleons. It's okay, though; it's money I really don't need. I'd just give it away, but no one seems to want it," he added earnestly, seeing the suddenly forlorn expression on Ginny's face.
For a brief moment, she considered telling him that she had another set of the same robes upstairs. She quickly decided against it.
The boy just saved me fifty Galleons.
"They're beautiful, Harry," she said, her face softening. "Wait…what do you mean, 'if I still want to go?'"
"Nothing, it's just…" he said, considering his words carefully, "it's been a long night and all…and everyone's asking questions…I understand if you just want to stay in tonight."
She grinned slowly. "I've never been so popular," she said in a humourous tone.
Harry smirked softly, sitting back in his chair. "Welcome to the club."
There was a short silence, both of them staring into the crackling fire. Ginny turned to look at him.
"If I stay in, will you stay in?"
He returned her gaze. "Most likely, seeing as how you're my date."
"Good, 'cause I need some rest," she said, putting the box on the floor and recovering herself with the blanket. Harry looked affronted.
"And what am I supposed to do?"
"I'll tell you what," she said with closed eyes. "Go down to the kitchens, get some marshmallows, and we'll roast them with an untwisted wire hanger. That way, I don't have to move too much."
"Marshmallows, it is!" cheered Harry, jumping up from his chair. "I'll be back."
Ginny sighed softly, listening to the portrait open and shut, and rested her head against the back of the chair and listened. It was so quiet now, with just the popping flames and the wind gently rattling the windows.
She almost expected Becky to come down and talk with her at that moment, but no, Becky – or Tom, rather – was gone. He was now beyond prospect, trapped in the forest, his plans foiled once again. And he couldn't come back to her, give her some delusion of a friend.
She smiled delicately. There's hope for you yet, Ginny.
***********************************************************************Yay! He...! Er, she...! It's gone! Let us all celebrate and frolic through the streets like children of the night! He he. Well, I'm now working on a MWPP fanfic, starring my favorite character (guess who :P). It's going pretty well; I may already have a first chapter :).
Okay, some quick stuff on the book: I have, of course, finished OotP, and I loved it. Angsty!Harry all the way! I do, however, grieve for the honorable (well, sorta, after the Pensieve thing) Sirius Black. Poor Remus - he's the last Marauder now (the last true Marauder, anyway *glares at Peter*). Rest in Peace, Mr. Padfoot.
*raises pretend glass* To Mr. Remus J. Lupin, the lone Marauder.
Well, I'm off to my room to cry now. Thanks for reading :).
