Author's (Very Important) Note: I need to know, I really need to know, what do you, my readers, think of this chapter. I spent a fair bit of effort to write this. You must review, please. Please tell me what you think.

Chapter 14 Shattered Dreams

    FLASHBACK.......

    Hermione's blood was boiling. For the second time in her life, Hermione felt like giving Draco Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins a resounding slap on the face. She stood behind the pillar, teeth clenched, eyes narrowed.

    After what it seems to be a lifetime,  the three Slytherins left. Hermione came out of her hiding place. Her face was grim. She had no plans to go back to the ball. She needed to get Harry. So She ran quickly but silently back to the Gryffindor common room.

    "Sugarlumps" she said to the Fat Lady and the portrait hole swung open. She saw Harry, sitting alone at the fireplace, his sad eyes staring into the fire.

    "Harry, where's Ron?" Hermione asked.

    Harry looked up. "Oh, hi Hermione. Ron's in the dormitory, sulking."

    Hermione gave an exasperated sigh. "He should have known better than to yell at Ginny. Now he's feeling guilty eh?" But Hermione quickly moved on. She had no time to waste.

    "Harry, come with me now!"

    "Why? Where to?"

    "I tell you along the way. We have no time to lose. The sooner we get over this, the better." Hermione grimaced.

    Hermione ran out of the Gryffindor common room, a puzzled Harry following close behind.

    Hermione explained in a panting voice about the conversation she heard between Malfoy, MacDougal and Goyle.

    "I want to kill him!" Harry shouted.

    "Not so loud Harry......" Hermione hushed him.

    "What are we going to do?" Harry asked.

    "We are going to do what we did in the second year. Kidnap Goyle, that fat idiot."

    "And then......." Harry suddenly looked at Hermione as if she was mental.

    "Leave the rest to me. We wouldn't get into trouble." Hermione said with confidence.

    "Quiet, here he comes." Hermione whispered.

    And sure enough, Gregory Goyle came walking up, his arm full of cakes and sweets from the ball.

    "Petrificus Totalus!" Harry cried, pointing his wand at Goyle. Goyle immediately fell flat onto the cold stone floor.

    "Accio Goyle" Hermione muttered and Goyle flew up from the ground to Hermione's side.

    "Come on, Harry, you get him to the Trophy room. I go get Ginny." Hermione instructed. Harry nodded grimly.

    Unknown to them, Vincent Crabbe, who had just finished snogging Mandy Brocklehurst behind a wall, had saw them. He furrowed his eyebrows. What did the two Gryffindors want with Goyle?

    "Vincy dear, what's the matter?" cooled Mandy from behind the wall.

    "Nothing" said Crabbe. Five more minutes of snogging and then he would have to inform the Slytherins. But snogging would come first.

    IN THE TROPHY'S ROOM

    The clock struck with a long chime. It was already way past midnight.

    Ginny, still in her ball gown, followed Hermione from her dormitory to the Trophy room. On their way, they past students, tired from the ball, going back to their respective houses. Ginny and Hermione were walking in the opposite direction, and Ginny was trembling. What did Hermione wanted to show her?

    "Oh Ginny, please don't hate me. It's for the best." Hermione pleaded.

    Ginny saw Goyle lying on a heap on the floor.

    "What's the matter with him?" Ginny asked, amazed.

    From her dress robe, Hermione took out a small glass bottle of completely clear liquid. It was the Veritaserum, the truth potion. Hermione poured the liquid down Goyle's throat.

    "Enervate" Hermione whispered.

    "Can you hear me?" Hermione asked Goyle quietly.

    "Yes," Goyle's voice came.

    "Can you tell us what you, Malfoy and MacDougal talked about at the corridor just now?"

    "Yes," Goyle said.

    "Our plan was a success. Of course Draco was the brillant mind behind it." Goyle's dull voice said.

    "What plan?" Hermione asked.

    "It was during Potions. Draco observed that Potter had a thing for Ginny Weasley. When MacDougal teased Harry about Ginny, Potter blushed, like a girl." Goyle sneered, although his voice was still dull.

    "I did not!" Harry began to protest.

    "Quiet Harry!" Hermione commanded.

    "Draco wanted Ginny Weasley. To spite Pot-head. For being the Boy-Who-Lived. For rejecting his offer of friendship in the first-year. For helping Gryffindors win Quidditch and the House Cup every year. For always being the hero. For hexing us in the fourth year. Draco hated Potter for that. Especially the hexing incident. We all hate Harry Potter and the Gryffindors. A house of mudbloods and mudblood-lovers. A pollution to the wizarding world."

    "So he mastermind the plan. To take away someone which Harry Potter holds dear. Draco said that the most painful thing for a Gryffindor is to lose someone they love. Particularly because Gryffindors are so emotional and tempermental. It's their weak point. Unlike Slytherins, who are cold and detached. Draco said we must attack the enemy where they are most vulnerable. Then they will hurt like hell."

    "He courted Ginny Weasley. Makes her fall in love with him. Purposely bribed the events management company who was organizing the ball to pair him up with Ginny Weasley. Took her to the Astronomy Tower and stole a kiss from her. The most important part is to have Potter witness it all. MacDougal stall for time by pretending to fight Harry Potter until Draco had enough time to seduce Ginny at the Tower."

    Hermione looked at Ginny anxiously. Her expression was vacant.

    "Draco said Ginny is naive. In no time, he would have her eating out of his hand. Gryffindor stupidity....."

    "Hermione, I think that's quite enough......" Harry begin, looking at Ginny.

    Ginny finally spoke up, tears streaming down her eyes "Does Draco Malfoy ever like Ginny Weasley?" she asked softly, her voice pleading pitifully to Goyle, as if begging him to say yes.

    Goyle answered. "No."

    "I think, Virginia, that is hardly an appropriate question for Goyle to answer." Draco Malfoy's icy voice commanded from behind her.

    The three Gryffindors turned around to face Draco Malfoy. He had changed into his Hogwarts school robes, and his Slytherin blazer glistened in the light. MacDougall and Crabbe stood outside the door, wands in their hands.

    "What do you want, Malfoy? Haven't you caused enough damage?" Harry's voice shook with anger, his hand on his wand, ready to hex him anytime.

    Draco ignored Harry and turned to Hermione, his eyes blazing at her. "Very clever of you, Mudblood. To kidnap Goyle and present him to Virginia. Save you a considerable effort to convince her yourself." Draco's icy voice came.

    "She's innocent, Malfoy. Why do you have to do that, to her?" Hermione said bitterly.

    "Let Goyle go, Mudblood. No Gryffindor takes a Slytherin hostage." Draco said in a slow, commanding voice.

    "Gladly. We have no more use of him." Hermione shot Draco a dirty look.

    Draco looked at Ginny, a blank expression on his face. Inwardly he was quite startled at how miserable Ginny looked. Ginny stared back at him, but there were no tears in her eyes. She just stared back at him.

    No, Virgina was not staring at Draco Malfoy. She was looking at Tom Riddle. It's very boring, having to listen to the silly little troubles of an eleven-year-old girl, Riddle's voice was ringing in her head. No one ever understood me like you, Tom. I'm so glad I've got this diary to confide in...It's like having a friend I can carry round in my pocket....

    Draco said Ginny is naive. In no time, he would have her eating out of his hand. Gryffindor stupidity.....Goyle's voice came.

    I like you, Virginia. I cannot explain it. Draco's voice was coming to her.

    "Is it true, what Goyle said?" Ginny whispered to Draco.

    Draco Malfoy's cold grey eyes stared back at her, then he looked away. There was no answer. Draco Malfoy refused to answer.

    Ginny gave a sob. She took a step and slowly walked out of the trophy room, as if she was hypnotized, with Harry and Hermione staring sorrowfully after her.

    MacDougal shifted uncomfortably. There was a slight show of guilt on his face. He opened his mouth as if to say something to Draco, but then thought the better of it, and shut it again.

    Ginny Weasley walked down the dark corridor. She suddenly tripped on her gown and fell down hard onto the floor. Her knees were throbbing. But she hardly feel the pain. She tried to picked herself up, tripped again, picked herself up for the second time and continue walking in the darkness.

    Draco Malfoy's eyes looked on.

    MORNING

    When Ginny Weasley woke up the next morning, it was as if all that happened last night was a bad dream. Only the ball gown lying on her chair served to remind her that it indeed had happened.

    Ginny felt as if her world had shattered. She didn't know how she was going to make it through the day. Thank goodness it was a Saturday. Most of the students would be sleeping late because of the ball the night before. Many of them will go to Hogsmeade in the afternoon. Ginny decided she will stay in the dormitory today. She cannot face anyone today.

    So much had happened last night. Within a span of a few hours, her emotions were lifted to heaven and then it came crashing down.

    Ginny skipped breakfast. Ron wanted to go look for her, but Hermione stopped him. Ron had no idea what happened, and Hermione and Harry intend to keep it from him. There was no purpose in letting him know. Ron would only kill Malfoy, and get himself into trouble, and it would not be worth it.

    Ginny skipped lunch too. She had spent her morning crying softly at the Owlery. All the school owls looked sad for her. They didn't understand what made the kind girl who used to feed them, so miserable.

    Ginny wiped her tears away. She still feel bad, as if her insides were chewing her. She headed towards the lake, the only place where she could find real solitude.

    To Ginny's surprise, she saw Professor Dumbledore walking, with Fawkes the Phoenix circling around him. He seemed to be chatting to Fawkes animatedly.

    Ginny turned away. She didn't want Professor Dumbledore to see her cry. But it was too late. Dumbledore had seen her, and he beckoned her with his hand, smiling kindly at her.

    Ginny walked hesistantingly to Dumbledore. "Ah, the youngest Weasley. Also the kindest, sweetest one." Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling at her.

    "He...Hello, Headmaster."

    "Hello, Ginny, now why aren't you in Hogsmeade with the others?"

    "I...I...don't feel like it." And with that, Ginny started to cry. She couldn't stop it. She was cracking up inside.

    "There there, there's nothing to be upset about." Dumbledore said kindly.

    Ginny continue to sob.

    "Now Ginny, if someone as young as you would care to listen to an old fool like me," and Dumbledore's eyes started to twinke again.

    "Headmaster, you, you're not an....an..old..."

    "Hm, Rita Skeeter seemed to think so...." Dumbledore grinned, referring to Daily Prophet's notorious reporter.

    "Ginny, I have lived for a long, long time, and have seen many things in this lifetime." Dumbledore began.

    Ginny looked at the kindly Headmaster. Was he trying to tell her something?

    "Life is like a school, Ginny. It imparts wisdom to us through lessons thrown our way. We must not be destroyed by these harsh lessons, but to learn from them. Sometimes when the lesson given to us is too harsh, we despair and cannot see the light. But we must learn to walk out of the valley of the shadow of death into the lightness, and learn from it. We must help ourselves. But first we must be willing, for the gods help those who help themselves."

    "We must try, but do not despair. There is magic in life. When you are willing, then life always will lend a helping hand. Nothing happens by accident, remember that. Muggles have a saying, when a door closes, another opens. That is magic at its highest order, and it applies to both wizards and muggles."

    "Let me elaborate, Ginny. You were born into a huge family with very little wealth. Your brothers teased you constantly. And you come to school with second-hand robes while others had brand new ones. It was unfortunate that you came upon Tom Riddle's diary and was made a victim in his quest to come back to power. You thought you found a friend, but you realized that you were made use of. You felt hurt."

    "The same with what happened to Mr Malfoy. Again, you were used, when you gave your heart and soul to love him."

    Ginny looked up in surprise. How did Dumbedore know?

    "I have learnt that while it is important to love others, it is even more important to know how to love ourselves, and not let our self-worth be determined by others and their actions towards us. Of course, others would always have their opinion. Some are kindly advice, some are just not so."

    "There's more to life than seeking love and acceptance from others. We are put into this world to do good, to contribute, to make a difference, to make the world a better place for wizards and muggles alike. Do not let the vicious actions of others destroy our goodness, Ginny. Always remember that."

    "Love is important. But The most important love is one which we can give to ourselves. Only when we love ourselves can we love others. And only that, can we impart wisdom, kindness and strength to others."

    "Do you understand Ginny?"

    Ginny nodded slowly. "But I don't know if I can do go through with this. It hurts badly." Ginny looked at Dumbledore sadly.

    "Covert your sorrow into strength, Ginny. For the betterment of yourself. You've always been a good student. Why not set your sights higher to be an outstanding student, for a start? And, Madam Pomfrey is seeking a student nurse to help her with her chores at the Hospital Wing. Would you like to do so? That will take up a bit of your time as well. And why not try to make new friends? I'm sure there are some fine students outside of your house which you don't know yet. All these are good for you and will take your mind off unnecessary thoughts."

    "I will try."

    Dumbledore's eyes twinkled again. "Good, well, if you need someone to chat, come to me or owl me if I'm not around, or you can speak to Professor McGonagall. She's quite a softie actually."

    Ginny let out a sudden burst of giggle at Professor McGonagall being called a softie. Miraculously, she felt better already.

    "Thank you Headmaster."

    "Anytime, Ginny" and the kindly Headmaster walked back to the castle, leaving Ginny standing at the lake.

Author's Note (2): Did I mislead you for thinking that Draco will fall for Ginny? Do you hate me for making Draco a first-class jerk? But he's not beyond salvation. Shall I dive into his point of view? Or shall I stop the story here, and your imagination takes it from here? Let me know………ok?