The next day, Ginny had a swordplay lesson (she was very interested in defending herself) with Selena. During that time, Selena mentioned, "Dilandau has a new nemesis- Harry Potter."
Ginny dropped her sword with a clang and gasped. "Harry? He's my brother's best friend! And besides," she added, "he saved my life once." She picked up her sword.
Selena shrugged. "I've told Dilandau that he should stop his hatred, but that's how he is. He's the half with the hate. We're opposite in several qualities, while parallel in others. In fact, we're both only halves of a whole. I wish we were two wholes instead." She demonstrated to Ginny how to counter an attack.
"I hope Harry & Ron are safe, then," said Ginny nervously. "Dilandau and the DragonSlayers will probably do something drastic."
"Only we would probably be able to watch over all of them, and make sure no one gets mauled or killed," declared Selena grimly. Ginny nodded in agreement, and the two girls had a sham duel for the sake of Ginny's education.
Later on that same day, Ginny had a talk with Ron after Dilandau's new obsession. "He's after Harry!" she exclaimed.
Ron's face crinkled in confusion and dismay. "What? But Ginny, how do you know this? I mean, you didn't ask them, did you?"
Ginny shook her head. "I heard them talking about it," she said truthfully. She'd also participated in the recent conversation, asking the others not to do anything. Ginny was actually surprised that Ron didn't know who her friends were. Of course, they didn't always stay in the common room, and Ron wasn't usually in the common room at the same times.
Ron grabbed Ginny's hand. "What did they say?" he demanded to know fiercely.
She paused. "Well, the tower incident- they were talking about that, and-"
Ron drew in his breath sharply. "What tower incident?" he demanded to know. Ginny's eyes widened as she realized what Harry had been keeping from his friends.
"It's just something that happened earlier on this week, but it's Harry's affair. It's his business, and if he didn't tell you, I can't." Ginny shook her head, then just as Ron was about to grab her again, Viole entered the room.
He waved to Ginny, who waved back to him as he approached. "Hello and good evening," he greeted, and sat down besides Ginny. "What are you doing tonight?" he asked her.
This infuriated Ron, especially since Ginny seemed to be going to answer the fellow. "Who are you?" he snarled.
"Viole," Ginny said to Ron. "I don't think I'll be doing anything tonight, unless my Medical Magic homework gets hopelessly lost," she answered Viole. But Ron was not satisfied with just the name of this odd fellow.
"Do you know Ginny?" he asked.
"Yes," answered Viole simply, and noticed the other DragonSlayers. Dilandau, Selena and Van entering the common room in a large, noisy group. As usual, Van and Dilandau tried to stay away from each other.
"Ginny! Viole!" Van called out, waving to the two from the Gaeans' favorite corner. "Come over here!" The two nodded to him, and rose, leaving Ron in utter dismay.
Ron hadn't known who Ginny's friends were (or if she even had any) for the past few years at Hogwarts. Neither had he really given any thought or worry to it. But now Ginny was hanging around with the 'bad' crowd, who wanted to eliminate Harry from life. Apparently Ginny's crush had fizzled out painfully.
Ron knew what he had to do: talk to Harry.
He sprinted out of the common room, and ran to the Quidditch pitch, where practice had just concluded. There he met Harry and Hermione, who were woefully discussing the sharp turn their love lives had taken.
"Guys," he panted, "Ginny's in the criminal group- you know the criminal group, with Albatou- and she just told me, they've chosen Harry, or at least Albatou has, to be their new enemy." He stopped to regain his breath, and looked up at Harry suspiciously. "And what is the tower incident?"
Hermione looked indifferent at first. "Didn't you notice who Ginny was hanging around with? I certainly did." Then a frown crossed her face. "But these people- they're trained fighters, and their marks in magic are quite good. Therefore? Harry really doesn't stand much of a chance."
"Thanks, Hermione," interrupted Harry sarcastically.
"The only chance of you coming away from this affair scot-free," continued Hermione, "is if Harry plays on the sympathy of one of them. Namely Selena, Ginny, and the dark-haired boy who's on the Quidditch team."
"Van?" Harry asked.
Hermione nodded, and Ron cut in to the conversation. "Will no one tell me what the tower incident is? What about you, Hermione? You've hidden so many secrets before, I'm sure that revealing one wouldn't hurt."
Hermione looked startled. "I don't know what you're talking about! You just keep on going on about this tower, but I've never heard of this."
"I, sadly, have," spoke up Harry. "Between the time when I stabbed Dilandau (accidentally, mind) and when he dragged me down to the office, Dilandau dragged me up to a tower, stole my glasses and wand, and tied me onto the outside wall of this tower." Harry shuddered, trying to repress the horrible experience. "Even Dudley's antics haven't compared to it."
There was silence for several minutes as Harry's friends stood , flabbergasted at this odd revelation. It was Hermione that broke this silence. "You have to tell one of the teachers!" she exclaimed worriedly to Harry, vividly reminding him of Mrs. Weasley when she greeted him in the hospital wing the previous year.
Ron called Dilandau something unexpurgated which never would've been heard in a class, causing Hermione to look at him reproachfully.
"But while we're being anxious about that," said Harry cuttingly, "shall we at least think of the problem at stake?" He'd found out that sarcasm was quite a strong quality with him lately.
Ron made an impatient gesture, and summed up his idea of the whole ordeal. "I just think that you should do what Hermione said. In my opinion, they could've done something if they'd wanted to. They haven't, and you're probably safe. Besides, talking to them while holding your wand and being on guard can't hurt- not too much, anyway."
"I'm doing it now, then. Wish me luck- I'll probably need it." With that, the Boy Who Lived ran quickly in the direction of the castle, his best friends staring after him with apprehensive faces.
Upon reaching the Gryffindor common room, he muttered the password (Pompeii) and strode purposefully into the room. He scanned the room quickly, and when he caught sight of the small group sitting in a corner, he pulled out his wand and continued over.
He was unnoticed by them at first. Selena was talking quietly but furiously at several other people (the DragonSlayers), with Ginny by her side. Harry started listening to the conversation, having heard his name.
"... and he's not very different from us- he told me he'd been in these large conflicts before. If you can remember, he stabbed Dilandau accidentally. All in all, he's never done anything to us, unless he's the reborn Dornkirk, and I really believe your hatred is unfounded and unreasonable. None of you are able to give me a good, legitimate reason for hating or wanting to hurt him in any way, therefore it should not be DONE!"
At this strong outburst of anger, Selena was gone, and Dilandau appeared in her place. He glared at Harry, but didn't do anything yet.
"Have you a problem with me?" he said clearly to the large group. Dilandau glanced at him, and looked at the DragonSlayers.
"I'm sure it's something that can be settled," Dalet told him smoothly.
Ginny looked quite pale. Harry smiled kindly at her, saying, "Hullo, Ginny." She gave him a slight grin, and nodded her head at him. Before any of them could say anything, Dilandau himself suddenly ran to his dorm, where he took a while to form Selena into her own body. She emerged very tired, and collapsed in a heavy state of sleep on Dilandau's bed.
He smiled wanly, tired out himself from his efforts. Dilandau smoothed back Selena's hair, and tucked her into the bed. It would be better to leave her where she was than to disturb her.
Dilandau yawned.
Hermione was feeling like the epitome of anxiety. Harry was one of her best friends, and she was quite worried about him. Of course, he'd get through his escapades in the end- but there was always a first time for misfortune. Hermione cursed herself, figuratively, for ever having a mad crush on Dilandau in the first place.
She still liked him- there was some irresistible pull that kept you from hating him, at least if you were female, in Hermione's opinion. Although it could've just been that Dilandau was invigoratingly different. His whole crowd was.
But the reason Hermione was turning the corners towards the boys' side of Gryffindor tower was because of both Dilandau and Harry. She was hoping to be able to resolve several things with Dilandau, including his enmity towards Harry. Besides, she'd always been extremely curious about what the dorms were like for the males.
She examined the labels on the doors carefully, and stopped when she came to one that said, "Fifth Years Boys, II: The DragonSlayers, the Commander, and the King." Hermione found this very confusing and odd. She assumed that it probably wasn't true, but privately believed that if it was, Dilandau would be either the Commander or the King.
With all of her cunning, she carefully nudged the door open, and scuttled farther away until the door was open a sufficient crack. Hermione inched carefully towards the door, and slipped through it.
Inklings of Celebrity
By: ellequoi
A story I started when I was 12, in which Van & the gang, especially the ones we thought were dead, go to Hogwarts. Utter foolishness - not that I thought so at the time - ensues.
Rated: Fiction T - English - Drama - Chapters: 20 - Words: 80,853 - Reviews: 131 - Favs: 13 - Follows: 9 - Updated: Sep 25, 2003 - Published: Mar 8, 2001 - id: 224211
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