Chapter 9:
~ Broken Promises ~
"What?"
Ginny stared at his face, memorizing it. "You promised nothing would happen to me this year." She repeated.
"I know, what's happened?"
She stared at him, her eyes exposed to his, but losing focus. Her eyes rolled back, showing the whites of her eyeball. "It's coming."
She collapsed, all her weight falling on Harry's hands. Ron rushed forward, clearly upset and unstable with the condition his only sister was in.
"What did you do to her?" He growled at Harry.
"I didn't do anything! Come on; let's get her to Madam Pomfrey."
Ron looked at Harry, anger showing in his face.
"Actually, I think you did enough harm for one day." He took Ginny out of Harry's arms. Fred and George came over to help him; they also didn't seem to have the greatest regards for Harry at the moment.
"Ron, I swear I didn't do anything." Harry insisted.
"Bullocks. You were supposed to watch over her, we trusted you." George said, all humor gone from his voice. "Whatever Malfoy did to her, you're to blame."
Harry looked around, searching for someone to side with him. All he received were looks of horror, and disgust, from the surrounding Gryffindor's. He looked towards Hermione, hoping for even a glimpse of understanding. She looked at him almost as if she was scared of him.
The Weasley brothers carried their sister out the portrait hole, destined for the Hospital wing. As they left, Professor McGonagall came in.
"What's this racket all about?" She surveyed the room. Seeing Harry, kneeling on the floor, she sighed. "Potter, come with me."
Harry blinding got up, feeling like death had swept by him. He followed her out of the common room and into the hall. She walked briskly in front of him, not waiting for an answer or response. She led him down to a familiar hallway, guarded by a familiar gargoyle.
"Sugar Quill." The gargoyle sprang to life, revealing an entranceway. She walked through it, Harry still following her mechanically.
Finally, she spoke.
"Professor Dumbledore told me of this, um, added stress that you're unfortunately burdened with. He also mentioned that if I noticed anything strange going on, I should bring you to him. And from what I just saw-" she broke off, arriving at the door. She opened it, gesturing Harry inside.
Harry walked into the circular office, noticing Fawkes on the left of the room, peacefully sleeping on his platform. Directly in front of him was a weary headmaster. Dumbledore smiled wearily at Harry, gesturing him to take a seat. Harry plopped down, his head suddenly seeming a lot heavier.
"Tea?" Harry looked up, a tray in front of him. He nodded gratefully, taking a cup, adding some cream.
"Is there anything you would like to tell me Harry?" Dumbledore quietly questioned. Harry sighed, feeling unbearably tired from all the added stress. "Anything at all."
For a moment, Harry felt like he was twelve again. Remembering the Polyjuice potion, the basilisk, Moaning Myrtle and the spiders. He remembered a night like this too, when Dumbledore had asked the very same question. He looked at Dumbledore, grief and sadness radiating from him.
"Actually there is. Well, sir, you remember how I have the medallion?" Dumbledore nodded. "Well, now I'm feeling tired all the time. And when Gryffindor had their Quidditch practice, I found a sword." He paused, wanting to see how Dumbledore would take this news.
"Yes, Harry, go on."
"Well, you see, on this sword, there is a snake engraved into the end of it, when I touched it, I burnt my hand." He showed Dumbledore the circles of burned flesh on his fingertips. "After it did that, I went down to the common room, and Malfoy was there."
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "Why was Mr. Malfoy in your common room?"
"He's friends with Ciaran, that new exchange student."
"I see."
"Is that even allowed professor?"
"If Mr. Malfoy has indeed made a new friend, there is nothing we can do to stop him from being invited into the Gryffindor tower. I will have a talk with Ciaran, but I can't promise anything. Please continue."
"So anyways, Malfoy was there, and since that, er, duel we had in the Great Hall –" he paused, not wanting to get into trouble.
Dumbledore just nodded. "Professor Lehnor told me about that. Please continue."
"Well, I felt really angry all of a sudden, as if I couldn't control my anger. I felt the new power inside me, and well, I could help it."
Dumbledore sighed, taking off his spectacles, and rubbing his temples. "I feared something like this would happen. Now, could you please tell me what happened to Miss. Weasley?"
Harry continued. "Well, when Malfoy and I were fighting, the power in our wands connected, sort of like with Voldemort last year, there was a beam of energy, and then sparks began flying everywhere. Ginny was hit with one. So was I, but I felt stronger when it did, Ginny just fainted. Afterwards, Malfoy looked completely drained and he left. Ginny woke up, staring at me, and then she said something."
"What did she say?"
"It's coming."
"I see…"
"Professor, what does this mean?"
"I am not exactly sure."
"Professor?"
"Yes?"
"They were all scared of me."
"Who were?"
"Everybody in the Gryffindor common room. Ron hates me now, for something I didn't do." Again Harry had the feeling like he was back in his second year, when everyone thought he was the heir of Slytherin. At least then though, he had the support of Ron and Hermione. Now he had nobody.
"Any thing else?"
"Not now." Harry put his elbows on his knees, resting there.
"Harry, can I please see the amulet?" Harry looked up, startled with the change of subject.
He came up to Dumbledore, taking the amulet out from underneath his shirt. Appearing in the lions' eye was a red gem. Inside it, a fire swirled around. Dumbledore touched the gem, expecting to get burned. Instead the fire glowed on, continuingly burning a brilliant glow of scarlet.
"Remember that book I gave you?" He asked.
"Er, the textbook?" Harry said.
"Yes, maybe it's time you read it."
***
Harry sat upon his bed the next day. Taking all possible time to read the book he was given, he decided to skip lunch and find out what exactly was going on. The large textbook sat in his lap, flipped to a page with the medallion on a diagram. On the diagram, it showed a medallion with the exact same design as Harry's except it was missing the gem. He read the portion of text underneath.
The lion's influence can be quite controlling. The wearer can experience loss of control; such as anger management. Thus, if the wearer can't suppress their anger, the medallion will take over. This means all thought and action will not be of the wearer but of the lion. Godric Gryffindor made this medallion for only the strong-minded. Any other information has not been found.
Harry read and re-read this section. It just seemed to repeat it self. Thinking that the author of the book was just making fun of him, he shut it. As it closed, a picture on one of its pages caught his eye. He opened the book again, turning to that page. On it was a sword. Two actually. One was the one that Dumbledore showed him the first night he arrived at Hogwarts, the other, the one that bothered Harry the most, was the sword he had found on the Quidditch pitch. Searching the page for any clues about it, he saw a hastily scribbled section in between the swords; it looked as if they decided to add it just after they finished the book. It read:
The swords of Gryffindor and Slytherin were made from the same metal. Also, they had the same creator. Although Godric and Salazar were considered rivals, they decided to make swords that match each other's. The reason why
The rest was cut off. It seemed to have been erased. Harry rubbed on the spot; half hoping that he would uncover the rest of the paragraph. But, as he expected, he didn't.
He heard footsteps approaching. Quickly, he shoved the sword under his bed, the textbook along with it. Ron walked into the room. He glared at Harry, walking to his bed.
"You're going to be late for DADA." With that said, Ron gathered his textbooks, and left.
He muttered under his breath, angry with Ron, for Ron being angry with him. He grabbed his textbooks and followed him out of the room. When he caught up to Ron at the bottom of the stairs, he tapped him on the shoulder, quite hard, to get his attention. Ron turned around, and when he saw who disturbed him, he went back to what he was doing.
"Ron, wait!" He exclaimed.
"Why?" Ron simply stated. "My sister is in the Hospital wing, and it's because of you."
"Ron, I didn't do anything." Harry tried to explain.
"Yes, you did. I saw you nod at Ginny, practically inviting her into the fight. You know she would have helped you, because as much as I hate to admit it, she fancies you." He said angrily.
"I didn't want her to get hurt."
"Well, she did. There is nothing you can do about it now." He said this with a note of finality in his voice, closing the subject.
He left through the portrait hole.
Harry almost growled in frustration, scaring the group of first year girls next to him.
***
When he arrived in DADA, almost ten minutes late, he quickly apologized to Professor Lehnor, who was currently discussing the mating habits of dragons, and sat, in his present seat, next to Seamus Finnigan. He muttered a hello to Seamus, and buried his nose into his book. It was a book of curses, and their counter curses, which he had bought in Diagon Alley over the summer. If he was going to have Malfoy on his back, he wanted to be prepared.
As Professor Lehnor lectured on about dragons, the feeding habits, and the way that they lived, Harry continued to absorb more information about dueling and attacks he could use.
As soon as class was over, he raced out of the classroom, almost running over Neville, and hurried to the Hospital Wing. Ginny laid upon a bed, near the end of the room, a curtain slightly hiding her sleeping figure. He walked up to her bed and sat in the stool by the bedside. He took her hand into his, marveling at the smallness of it. He watched her breath, in and out, willing her to wake up. She must have sensed his thoughts, because a few moments later, her eyes met his. Her mouth moved, but no sound came out.
Harry reached for a glass of water, hoping that was what she wanted. She sat up, nodding gratefully. Once that glass and another was gulped down, she was finally able to talk to him.
"Thanks." She said.
"No problem." He smiled, grateful that she wasn't mad at him, like everyone else.
Suddenly, she looked scared. "Harry, it's coming."
"What's coming?" He asked, not wanting to push to far.
"The Essence of Pure Evil."
"What, Malfoy?" he joked, trying to lighten the mood.
She glared at him. "No, something big. I don't know what, all I know that it's coming. It's coming soon."
"How do you know?"
"I'm not sure. It just came to me."
"Then how can you be positive?" He asked, only slightly believing her.
"Because it hurt me."
She pulled back the sleeve of her hospital gown, revealing a pink and puffy scrape; it went all the way down her arm, from her shoulder blade down to her wrist.
He sucked in his breath, gaping at the wound.
"Madame Pomfrey can heal it, can't see?"
"No, she can't. She already tried."
"Ginny, I'm so sorry." He apologized.
"Why? You didn't do it."
"It's my fault, everyone thinks so."
"Do you think so?" she asked.
"I don't know what to think."
She smiled, despite the pain. She reached up, to touch his face.
"It's not your fault, believe me."
"I have no reason not to."
"Good."
With that, Harry lowered his face to hers. Softly brushing her lips with a kiss.
TBC…..
Special Thanks to:
Tigerlily: As much as I am an awed and admiring fan of Ruskbyte, I think that our Malfoy's will become quite different. Malfoy, is not getting stronger necessarily, but there is something different with him, what exactly, is unmentionable. Malfoy is making new friends…. New friends give him certain advantages.
Blue Eyes: * Grins * it'll happen soon enough… basically, we need to get some business underway. But I think we can expect that in the near future.
Geor-sama: Unfortunately, you were not my first reviewer. But I thank you all the same. * smiles *
Darklove : Thanks for the review. Also, glad you like the penname.
Honey666: Yes, I know the weirdness of leaving a review and not knowing what to write. Thankfully you decided to review just the same. Thank-you.
evillalmanotlamma(frogs: As you can see, something happened to Ginny, but what is it? I think we are about to find out.
moneygirl13: Hopefully this chapter made you less confused. Or more, I don't really know. Tell me what parts you need clearing up on, I'm happy to help.