A/N: Please forgive me for the lateness of this chapter. I had problems getting this chapter to my beta, and she had a hard time receiving it. Also, I have another new beta, everybody say thank-you to both Angie and          Geor-sama. They both helped me get through this horrible thing called grammar. Since spelling and I have indeed been through counseling, we are coming to terms with each other. Or, that's at least what I'm told. Again, not every update will take this long, I hope to have the next chapter up by the weekend, but hopefully life won't ignore my plans. Thanks. Remember, Read and Review.

Chapter 10

~ Facing the Music ~

Again, Harry woke up in a sense of comfortableness. But later, as he thought back on it, he couldn't see why he was so comfortable. His head was resting on a metal bar that lined Ginny's bed; he could feel the coolness of it soothing his once troubled mind. His books were sitting in his lap, his legs painfully squeezed into an impossible amount of space, and his arms were stretched over his head, one hand resting in Ginny's. But when he woke up, he couldn't have been more contented. Maybe it was the fact that the sun gently shone through the windows, peaceful and relaxing, although, more than likely, it was the fact that his hand was gently held by Ginny. He raised his head, to glance at the sleeping figure on the bed. She lay there, looking quite happy. A wisp of reddish gold hair lined her freckle-dusted face. He just sat there, smiling at her.

Slowly she started to wake up. At first it was a move of her arm, and then her eyelids started to flicker open. She turned her head. Seeing Harry there, she smiled. She looked down toward their grasped hands and grinned again.

"Did you sleep here all night?"

"I guess you can call it that."

Her eyes searched his face, and suddenly she laughed.

"What?"

"You have a red line across your forehead." She raised her arm to trace the line that the bar had left, and then she traced the red scar that always decorated his face.

He looked up towards his forehead, seeing a delicate finger there. He grinned; he could feel designs being drawn onto his forehead.

"What are you doing?"

"Having fun."

"I can see that."

Ginny pulled her hand back grinning, then she suddenly winced. A look of pain flashed across her face.

"What's wrong?"

She shook her head, and then slowly pulled back the sleeve of her pajamas. The scrape was there still, looking slightly better, but still quite painful. Harry looked at her with sympathy. In a way, even after what she said to him, he felt slightly responsible.

"I'm sorry Gin."

She looked up at him.

"It's not your fault."

Harry sighed, shaking his head, wanting to believe her, but he still had this twinge of guilt.

"Believe me."

"If I must."

She laughed. "I order you to…"

He stood up and bowed, not paying attention to the sound of his books dropping to the floor. "Glad to be of service." He sat back down, taking both her hands into his. "You know, I'm probably going to be late for Charms."

"Too bad for Professor Flitwick."

***

Harry did indeed arrive late for Professor Flitwick's class. Apologizing profusely for being so, Harry took his seat next to Seamus.

"What did I miss?" he asked, trying to pay attention, but not succeeding.

Seamus shrugged.  "Some kind of truth charm."

Harry nodded, looking around at his classmates. All seemed only half interested with the class, making occasional notes on their own parchment. Only Hermione seemed to be truly interested as she constantly scribbled away, not bothering to look up.

He glanced down at his own books, remembering that they were DADA books, not his Charm ones. He had rushed here after being with Ginny all night, without even bothering to go to the dormitory and change his books. But seeing that he had his book on curses from the previous night, he decided he had nothing better to do then keep reading.

Ductios ( d-uh-k-tea-oshus ):

This curse was popular in the 16-1700's. As witch-hunting was quite common at the time, Magic peoples found it amusing to curse muggles with simple, yet effective curses. This one, when said right, will make the persons' hands and feet webbed. Even though there is a counter-curse, the cured person will still have an undeniable urge to be in the water. But, be cautious, if it is said wrong, the person will be fully transformed into a duck. Fredrick the Feathered, who loved to bait muggle witch hunters with his witty sense of humor and amusing spells, used this curse almost daily.

Ecantiuos:  ( Ee-can-tee-o-shush ) Dark wizards in the rein of Lord Voldemort often used this complicated spell.

Harry noticed that even written down, the Dark Lord's name was hurryingly scribbled, as if the Scribe did not want Voldemort knowing that he used his name.

This negative thinking curse will make the object of the wizard intentions, only be able to think the worst of everything. Thus, making them extremely vulnerable. The Dark Lord's followers would use this on their strongest opponents, in an attempt to make their weaknesses larger, and easier to penetrate. Even though this spell does have a counter-curse, and when the counter-curse has been used the victim will be back to normal, it is very hard to spot someone in this state. Someone who is indeed under this spell may appear to someone else as a simple phobic person.

Harry simply let his book fall shut. His brain was busy absorbing multiple amounts of new information, thus making him tired. Finally registering that everyone else was packing up to leave for lunch, and noticing that his stomach felt like it was eating itself, he decided that it was time for him to have lunch.

***

Walking into the Great Hall, his hunger pains went from bearable rumblings to him wondering if anyone else in Japan could hear the noise, due to the delicious smells wavering from the tables. From these constant rumbles, Harry remembered that he had not eaten since yesterday's lunch. Walking as fast as he could without looking crazed, he walked to the Gryffindor table and sat down next to Dean Thomas and Ginny's friend Jen.

Smiling at the newly made couple, he remembered the eventful, yet embarrassing morning he had awoken in Ginny Weasley's bed. A blush rising to his cheeks, he turned away from the couple, back to the platter filled heaps in front of him. Loading his plate with a little bit of everything, Harry listened with an ear to the conversations around him. What seemed to happen, strange enough was that as soon as he sat down, all conversations seemed to stop, or became hushed.

Harry looked around, but only raised his head a little bit, not wanting to be obvious. Seeing only friends near him, he wondered why the conversations had suddenly halted. Then it hit him; probably Malfoy and his goons were probably standing behind him, wanting yet again. He sighed, turning around in his chair, expecting to see a pale-faced boy with white blond hair. Instead, an empty aisle between tables awaited him. Again, he looked around, puzzled.

When he turned back towards his food, he noticed that the once full chairs opposite to him were now quite empty. This brainteaser that was now troubling him did not indeed seem like something to think about on an empty stomach. Harry quickly ate, wiped him mouth, and then raced out of the hall. What he did not fail to notice was, as he was leaving, the once hushed Gryffindor table was now almost noisy. 

Not glancing back, he went to go visit Ginny, wondering if she had any idea of what was going on. As he reached to hospital wing, he saw that Ron and the twins were already with her. Harry didn't really feel like getting in another tiff with them, so he hid in the shadows until they left. Ginny was facing the opposite wall, eyes closed. Harry wondered if he should leave and come back later when a voice broke through the silent room.

"Harry, come over here, I need some good news."

Harry, startled by Ginny's voice, did as she asked. He sat down upon the edge of her bed, gently taking her hand in his. She turned her head and smiled; the one person who seemed happy to see him.

"I guess I should get someone else if you really want good news."

She looked at him questioningly.

"What do you mean?"

"Has anyone been acting weird around you lately?"

"Well, since I was cooped up in here since yesterday, and the only people to visit me were you, my brothers, Hermione, and Jen, and all of you have been acting like I'm about to break, I really wouldn't know." She smiled wryly, a corner of her mouth tucked in to a smirk. "By now you should know I'm not one to easily break."

Now it was Harry's turn to look confused.

"What do you mean?" 

Ginny smiled. "This summer, we were playing Quidditch in the apple orchard, when I, being distracted, flew into an apple tree. I fell 12 feet. It hurt." She grinned. "It really did. But strangely enough, I was in one piece."

Harry, knowing what it feels like to fall into, and out of, a tree, squeezed her hand sympathetically.

"I know what that feels like. Ouch."

Still wondering if she knew anything, but deciding to drop the subject, Harry took her hand in both of his and pretended to study it carefully, as if to read her fortune. She laughed, knowing what he was going to do.

"Have you studied Palmistry in Divination yet?" She asked.

"Yeah, did you know I was supposed to die-" he paused, "like 5 times already this year? It isn't even Halloween yet." Harry grinned. "Professor Trelawney would have such a boring life without me."

Ginny nodded, silently agreeing with him. "What does the future have in store for me?"

Harry peered at her palm, as if it held the key to the world. "You have troubles that are coming nearer." He put on a mystical voice, mocking the Divination teacher. "But the will be a bright light at the end of the long, dark tunnel."

"I hope that doesn't mean I'm going to die." She said half jokingly.

"Not if I have anything to do with it." With that, Harry kissed her nose, and gathered his books. "Sorry, but I've been late for so many classes lately, I need to go to Care of Magical Creatures."

Ginny smiled, understanding. "Hopefully I'll be out of here tonight."

"The gods only know." He kissed her forehead quickly, and then turned to leave. He started walking, but he turned, gave one final smile to Ginny, and then he left.

***

All throughout Care of Magical Creatures, Harry's mind switched between the Fire Salamanders he was supposed to be studying the eating habits of, and the way everyone reacted to him in the Great Hall. They had shunned him, not obviously, but still, that is the reaction he had received. Every so often, his thought would be broken into by poof sounds coming from the salamanders as they changed into the color of the fire. But mainly, he was able to contemplate what was being done to him.

He felt a poke in the back, turning to see who was causing the disturbance to his thinking. Standing there was Ciaran.

"Oh, you got to be kidding me." Harry sneered, not having the greatest respect for him at the moment. In fact, he didn't even have respect to be given to him, only hatred.

"No, Potter, I never thought I was joking." He stepped closer to Harry, forcing Harry back.  "I think you got the point."

"By what? Getting Malfoy to do your dirty work?" Harry's patience had reached its limit.

"Malfoy didn't do anything that he didn't want to do. I just helped him get to what he did want." He smirked; liking Harry's almost amusing, on edge attitude.  "I'm not going away, I'll be watching, waiting. When you least expect it- " he snapped his fingers. "You'll be gone."

***

Harry walked back to his room alone after the lesson. It was dark in the room when he arrived, but sitting on his pillow was a letter, this letter gave off a brilliant glow. Looking oddly familiar, Harry opened it. It read:

            Gryffindor or Slytherin, whatever you may be; only the truest of the brave, can get away from me.

Again, the mysterious envelope vanished, and Harry was left in darkness.

TBC…

Special Thanks to:

Honey666- Just letting me know that someone's reading it is always good. Yes, "Stupid Overprotective brothers!" I know what you mean.

Shdurrani- Thank-you. I'm trying my best.

Evillalmanotlamma(frogs- At least Ginny isn't mad at him, yes he has someone on his side, but most of the time, one is only company.

Cyqnus Crux- I already talked to you. You know what I have in mind, well sort of. Thanks for reviewing anyways. It's greatly appreciated.

Geor-sama- What has Ginny become? You have ideas? Let me hear them, I'll tell you if there are what I have planned or not, Mysteries, cliffhangers… my friends. * grins * Don't worry the truth will come out soon.

Blue eyes- More action in the love department? * laughs * You've been asking for that since I started. Don't worry; they'll get there eventually.

Moonygirl13- Thanks for reviewing. Does this chapter make you even more confused? Sorry if it does.

Angelis- Thank-you for reviewing, I really enjoy reading them. Interesting? Is that a good thing?

TigerLily- Don't worry, all will be revealed. Everything. But, It takes a matter of time.

Thank you everyone who reviewed.

Happy Reading