Disclaimer--None of this is mine. It's all JK Rowling, WB, and Scholastic property. I hope JK, Steve, and my fellow fanfic writers see my imitation in the way it is intended, as the sincerest form of flattery.
Author's Note--Sorry I've been in absentia for so long, guys...I appreciate your patience. I've been sick and distracted by the RL, but I haven't forgotten any of you...or Ginny. I hope I can make it worth the wait. Thanks so much for all your support. Special thanks and apologies to Bill and EEDOE!. *HUGS*
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Ginny was so focused on discovering what had happened, it was as if the rest of the world had completely vanished. She saw nothing. Until she walked into something very large and solid, which knocked her backward to the floor. Stunned, struggling to catch her breath, Ginny looked up. And up. And up. It was Hagrid, faceless and fuzzy in a way somewhere between comic and unsettling.
"Yer class was canceled, too, then?" Hagrid asked, looking vaguely suspicious.
Ginny blinked. "What?" Memory was rising slowly like the ink in Tom's diary...Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets last time...what's he doing here if it really is open again? At the same time, another part of her mind was already arguing, But Hagrid wasn't in the bathroom with the snake-you were. A shudder of doubt immediately ran through her. She had been looking for Harry... Weren't you?
"Say...yeh were out by my hut las' night," Ginny was faintly aware of Hagrid saying. "Don' suppose yeh saw what happened."
"What happened?" Ginny repeated weakly, swallowed in a sudden surge of dread.
Hagrid held up a chicken. It was dead.
Ginny stifled the urge to scream.
"Either foxes or a Blood-suckin' Bugbear. I need the Headmaster's permission to--" Hagrid's voice died off as he stared, temporarily distracted, at something down the corridor.
Ginny turned and looked over her shoulder. Professor Flitwick and Professor Sinistra were walking together, carrying something. As they passed without saying anything, Ginny caught a glimpse of what she was afraid might be someone's hand. It was impossibly still. Behind them...was the strangest sight she had ever seen-Nearly Headless Nick, gone black and cloudy as smoke, head hanging at grotesque angle, face frozen in a strange grimace of fear and disbelief that chilled the very soul, and, behind him, the boy from the library, looking frenzied, fanning Nick along.
"You see," the boy hissed. "You see what your precious Potter has done!"
Ginny opened her mouth, hardly sure what would come out, but the boy was already adding, "Got caught, though, this time. Even Potter can't talk his way out of this one. He's on his way to Dumbledore right now, sure to be expelled. And then we'll all be safe from the Heir of Slytherin." He didn't wait for a reply, but continued inexorably in the direction of the infirmary.
"He didn't do it!" Ginny cried wildly. "Not Harry! He didn't do it, Hagrid! I--" She nearly choked on her inability to say more. A trickle of relief ran through her at the thought that if she couldn't say anything, no one would ever know the shameful possibility she might be a murderer, staining her cheeks red with shame. "I--" she said again, causing Hagrid to pat her on the back so forcefully she stumbled several feet away from him. "Harry's innocent, Hagrid," she said again, pleading, as she fought to stay on her feet.
"Course he is," Hagrid said fiercely. "I know he couldn' have done it a'that. 'E was jes' talking to me not more 'an coupla minutes ago, an' I'll tell Dumbledore so, Ginny, don' you worry."
Ginny would have asked him more, but he was already around the corner, moving with amazing speed for someone so massive. Ginny sucked in a great sobbing breath, feeling as if her entire world were crumbling under feet. Her legs threatened to buckle under her the entire way back to the Common Room, and she was never sure why they hadn't. If it hadn't been for classes, she would have been mobbed by people demanding what she knew. Ginny would never have survived. . If only she knew what was happening...not only to her, but to everyone around her...but she didn't, and it was tearing her apart. She lurched up to the dorm, collapsed on her bed and dissolved into tears it took several hours to get under control.
When she could finally manage to hold a quill, she seized the diary.
--There's been another attack, Tom. I...I thought I did it, but...everyone else thinks it was Harry, and he can speak Parseltongue...but he defeated You-Know-Who, so he would never do anything evil...and then there's Hagrid, you said he opened it last time and do you think I caught it from him somehow or something?-
--Another attack? Was anyone killed?-
--I...I'm not really sure...I mean, I saw what I thought was someone's hand and they weren't moving, but hopefully they were just Petrified and can be cured, and Tom what will I do...how can I ever tell anyone I might be a murderer? For that matter, how could I not be sure whether I was a murderer or not, shouldn't you know?-
--Of course if you killed someone you would know. You're just letting your imagination run away with you because you feel so bad for the victims of the attack, Ginny. You haven't done anything.-
--How do you know? How can you be sure? I'm not even sure. I mean...--
--I know because I know you. You're a sweet, gentle, thoughtful girl and you'd never do anything worse than pull a practical joke on anyone because you hate to hurt people's feelings. You couldn't kill a-
--Chicken?-Ginny interrupted.
--What? Well...sure.-
--You always know the right thing to say, Tom...but even if you're right, and it isn't me, shouldn't I tell someone what's been happening?-
--Ginny, I know it's perfectly normally for a creative little girl to get carried away with, but even suggesting you might have something to do with such an awful attack...do you want to end up at Saint Mungo's for the rest of your life? You'd never see Harry then...and from what you're saying, it sounds like he might need your help.-
--Harry?-
--Well, someone has to prove his innocence. And when that happens, he's sure to be grateful...--
--But how could I possibly help him? I can't even keep myself together.-
--Maybe helping him would give you something to think about and you wouldn't have as many...problems-
--Do you think so?-
--Why not?-
--Maybe you have a point...talk to you later, Tom-
--Looking forward to it, my dear.-
The other girls came clattering in from dinner a bit later, the lingering smells of food making Ginny's stomach twist. Tempest came over to see if she was there, but Ginny didn't feel like trying to talk. She closed her eyes and lay very still, pretending to be asleep. Tempest watched her several seconds, then quietly closed the curtains and walked away.
Author's Note--Sorry I've been in absentia for so long, guys...I appreciate your patience. I've been sick and distracted by the RL, but I haven't forgotten any of you...or Ginny. I hope I can make it worth the wait. Thanks so much for all your support. Special thanks and apologies to Bill and EEDOE!. *HUGS*
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Ginny was so focused on discovering what had happened, it was as if the rest of the world had completely vanished. She saw nothing. Until she walked into something very large and solid, which knocked her backward to the floor. Stunned, struggling to catch her breath, Ginny looked up. And up. And up. It was Hagrid, faceless and fuzzy in a way somewhere between comic and unsettling.
"Yer class was canceled, too, then?" Hagrid asked, looking vaguely suspicious.
Ginny blinked. "What?" Memory was rising slowly like the ink in Tom's diary...Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets last time...what's he doing here if it really is open again? At the same time, another part of her mind was already arguing, But Hagrid wasn't in the bathroom with the snake-you were. A shudder of doubt immediately ran through her. She had been looking for Harry... Weren't you?
"Say...yeh were out by my hut las' night," Ginny was faintly aware of Hagrid saying. "Don' suppose yeh saw what happened."
"What happened?" Ginny repeated weakly, swallowed in a sudden surge of dread.
Hagrid held up a chicken. It was dead.
Ginny stifled the urge to scream.
"Either foxes or a Blood-suckin' Bugbear. I need the Headmaster's permission to--" Hagrid's voice died off as he stared, temporarily distracted, at something down the corridor.
Ginny turned and looked over her shoulder. Professor Flitwick and Professor Sinistra were walking together, carrying something. As they passed without saying anything, Ginny caught a glimpse of what she was afraid might be someone's hand. It was impossibly still. Behind them...was the strangest sight she had ever seen-Nearly Headless Nick, gone black and cloudy as smoke, head hanging at grotesque angle, face frozen in a strange grimace of fear and disbelief that chilled the very soul, and, behind him, the boy from the library, looking frenzied, fanning Nick along.
"You see," the boy hissed. "You see what your precious Potter has done!"
Ginny opened her mouth, hardly sure what would come out, but the boy was already adding, "Got caught, though, this time. Even Potter can't talk his way out of this one. He's on his way to Dumbledore right now, sure to be expelled. And then we'll all be safe from the Heir of Slytherin." He didn't wait for a reply, but continued inexorably in the direction of the infirmary.
"He didn't do it!" Ginny cried wildly. "Not Harry! He didn't do it, Hagrid! I--" She nearly choked on her inability to say more. A trickle of relief ran through her at the thought that if she couldn't say anything, no one would ever know the shameful possibility she might be a murderer, staining her cheeks red with shame. "I--" she said again, causing Hagrid to pat her on the back so forcefully she stumbled several feet away from him. "Harry's innocent, Hagrid," she said again, pleading, as she fought to stay on her feet.
"Course he is," Hagrid said fiercely. "I know he couldn' have done it a'that. 'E was jes' talking to me not more 'an coupla minutes ago, an' I'll tell Dumbledore so, Ginny, don' you worry."
Ginny would have asked him more, but he was already around the corner, moving with amazing speed for someone so massive. Ginny sucked in a great sobbing breath, feeling as if her entire world were crumbling under feet. Her legs threatened to buckle under her the entire way back to the Common Room, and she was never sure why they hadn't. If it hadn't been for classes, she would have been mobbed by people demanding what she knew. Ginny would never have survived. . If only she knew what was happening...not only to her, but to everyone around her...but she didn't, and it was tearing her apart. She lurched up to the dorm, collapsed on her bed and dissolved into tears it took several hours to get under control.
When she could finally manage to hold a quill, she seized the diary.
--There's been another attack, Tom. I...I thought I did it, but...everyone else thinks it was Harry, and he can speak Parseltongue...but he defeated You-Know-Who, so he would never do anything evil...and then there's Hagrid, you said he opened it last time and do you think I caught it from him somehow or something?-
--Another attack? Was anyone killed?-
--I...I'm not really sure...I mean, I saw what I thought was someone's hand and they weren't moving, but hopefully they were just Petrified and can be cured, and Tom what will I do...how can I ever tell anyone I might be a murderer? For that matter, how could I not be sure whether I was a murderer or not, shouldn't you know?-
--Of course if you killed someone you would know. You're just letting your imagination run away with you because you feel so bad for the victims of the attack, Ginny. You haven't done anything.-
--How do you know? How can you be sure? I'm not even sure. I mean...--
--I know because I know you. You're a sweet, gentle, thoughtful girl and you'd never do anything worse than pull a practical joke on anyone because you hate to hurt people's feelings. You couldn't kill a-
--Chicken?-Ginny interrupted.
--What? Well...sure.-
--You always know the right thing to say, Tom...but even if you're right, and it isn't me, shouldn't I tell someone what's been happening?-
--Ginny, I know it's perfectly normally for a creative little girl to get carried away with, but even suggesting you might have something to do with such an awful attack...do you want to end up at Saint Mungo's for the rest of your life? You'd never see Harry then...and from what you're saying, it sounds like he might need your help.-
--Harry?-
--Well, someone has to prove his innocence. And when that happens, he's sure to be grateful...--
--But how could I possibly help him? I can't even keep myself together.-
--Maybe helping him would give you something to think about and you wouldn't have as many...problems-
--Do you think so?-
--Why not?-
--Maybe you have a point...talk to you later, Tom-
--Looking forward to it, my dear.-
The other girls came clattering in from dinner a bit later, the lingering smells of food making Ginny's stomach twist. Tempest came over to see if she was there, but Ginny didn't feel like trying to talk. She closed her eyes and lay very still, pretending to be asleep. Tempest watched her several seconds, then quietly closed the curtains and walked away.
