Ginny Weasley and the Specter of Atonement
by Jedi Amoira
Disclaimer--The Potterverse and its inhabitants don't belong to me, I'm just borrowing them with grateful respect for those who brought it into being for us to visit. Any influences from the books, movies, or fellow fanfic writers are not intended as copyright infringement, only the sincerest form of flattery.
Author's Notes--And...a final post...an ending! This has been an incredible story to write, and I've learned an unbelieveable amount. I hope you all have enjoyed it as much as I have--thanks for your company. :-) I will be posting the first chapter of the sequel "Ginny Weasley and the Shadow of What Remains" simultaneously with this chapter, please check it out and let me know what you think.
I sHoW nO sHaMe--I know how you feel, and I'm sorry...unfortunately, I think more long waits are probably in store. I am going to try to do at least Ginny's third year from her POV--I hope the possibility of longer waits won't keep you away.
SeleneA--Thanks! It really means a lot that you loved this story too! I am going to try to write the next book from Ginny's POV--we'll see how it goes. As for breaking away and writing original stories, I'm a bit confused--you mean original stories about Ginny, right? Anyway, I hope to see you at the sequel! *winks*
EEDOE--Awww...I know! I was there too. *sighs* Hopefully this chapter will ease the disappointment a bit. You are one of the lodestones of my writing--I can't remember how I managed before we met. See you at the next story. *winks* *hugs*
Bill--Without your support and encouragement, where would I be? I hope I never find out.I'm extremely flattered you would even consider comparing me to JK, but I think you're a bit prejudiced in my favor--not that I mind! *winks* I was quite proud of working that phrase into the story...but my plots aren't usually detailed enough for me to know the feasibility of doing the same for future stories...still, it would be a nice way to tie them all together. *laughs* Yes, I do like the bit about Lupin's laugh...*winks* Thanks--I tried to make the link between being a werewolf and someone with a potentially contagious and/or fatal disease pretty clear--that's one of the most potent facets of what Lupin's character represents. I do agree about the correspondence, but I'm not sure how much of a part it will play in the sequel...we'll just have to see. *grins wryly* I liked that final image of Ginny too...but it was so hard to write. *sighs* Thanks...I'm proud of how full this story has become as well...but I can't really take credit, it sort of developed on its own. Looking forward to sharing another sequel with you. *hugs*
*****************
The last thing she wanted was to talk to anyone.
Fred and George were in the Common Room. Feeling impatient even with speeches lamenting Professor Lupin's departure, Ginny marched unceremoniously through the congregation, grabbed either brother by the collar, and hauled them bodily--cracking jokes about the unexpected interruption as they went--into the corner.
"Lupin's leaving."
"Uh, Gin," George said, glancing at Fred, "We kinda know that--"
"It happens to be what we were discussing when you--"
Ginny rolled her eyes and ignored them. "Did you know Snape was the one that let it slip?"
"Well...not as such..."
"There were rumors..."
"Snape's been trying to get Lupin sacked all year," Ginny hissed, feeling the hackles on the back of her neck raise all over again. She hadn't realized that until she said it, but it was true. "I don't know why, but he has. Why do you think he assigned werewolves to every Defense Against the Dark Arts class?"
There were about seven seconds of silence.
Fred swore wildly, and George's oath was so close behind they overlapped into a meaningless jumble whose meaning was comfortingly clear.
"I'd say that pretty much covers it," Ginny agreed bitterly. "So what I want to know is--what are we going to do about it?"
"Something humiliating," Fred said darkly.
"Something impressive," George added.
"Something we haven't done before," Fred elaborated.
"Something--" George broke off as he and Fred blinked at one another. "Wait a mo--we?"
"Ginny, you can't possible be suggesting--" Fred began, the words dying out as she glared balefully at him.
"Look, Gin, we know how you feel," George said not unsympathetically.
"We'll take care of it," Fred promised.
"Just leave it to us," George prompted gently.
Ginny crossed her arms and raised her chin to stare them both in the eye. "No."
"Gin, be reasonable," George said.
"If you get us caught ahead of time, Snape will get off free." Fred pointed out.
"I won't." Ginny said.
"Ah, now that's more--"
"Get you caught, I mean."
Fred and George snorted in obvious disbelief. Ginny just stared at them, arms crossed, unyielding.
"Oh, sod it," George said disgustedly.
"If it means that much to you--" Fred sighed.
"You can help," George muttered.
"Ah, now that's more like it," Ginny said, and smirked.
They may have decided on a simple muggle-inspired prank in the end, but it was still more than worth it to see the look on Professor Snape's face when he walked into his classroom and found himself (really a clever dummy they'd managed to transfigure) clutching a big red purse and wearing a green dress, a tall hat with a stuffed vulture perched on it, and a ragged fox fur. And, of course, the more he'd tried to banish the dummy, the more it started to do...first it simply said "The subtle art of keeping secrets is too much for me to grasp", but as the attempts went on, the responses did too, until by the end of the day, Professor Dumbledore found it doing a jig on top of Snape's desk.
Ginny, Lee (whom the twins had insisted on inviting in honour of his inspired prank on them at the Halloween Feast), Fred and George were proud to confess. It spared Dumbledore the trouble of trying to prove they did it, and enraged Snape even further. At Ginny's insistence, they all went out of their to assure both Dumbledore and Snape that Neville had no idea they were going to attempt anything, and had nothing whatsoever to do with it, which both Professors seemed to believe. The four of them had detention every night until the end of term, but they wore it with pride as a badge of victory.
Dozens of people--even a few Slytherins--made it a point to congratulate them, and not a single Gryffindor complained about the points they'd lost--possibly because Gryffindor won the House Championship just the same.
Before she knew it, Ginny was sharing a compartment on the Hogwarts Express with Neville, Colin, and Tempest. After a long and energetic discussion of their past year, and a good deal of speculation on what would happen next, Ginny retreated to a corner by herself, and pulled the beautiful journal Ron had given her out of her pocket. The still-blank pages spread smoothly across her lap, greeting her with an air of suppressed expectation.
---No one is ever innocent.---
The feel of the quill tracing her thought across the parchment was almost electric.
---But sometimes the least innocent of us all can be the most compassionate--We are all of us haunted by specters of atonement...even for the smallest and most innocent mistakes. But sometimes those specters can lead us to places we're needed...places we might not have found on our own...and that can be very powerful magic.---
She was so lost in writing, telling the story of Egypt and Bill, of the library and Hermione, of the Astronomy Tower and Professor Lupin, of herself and Occulumency, and how the world had become a completely different place, where she not only fit but was really needed, Ginny almost didn't notice when the train pulled into the station.
She closed the journal reluctantly to gather up her bags, and as she staggered out onto Platform 9 3/4 and saw Mum and Dad waiting side-by-side, she knew she had come home. Ginny Weasley wasn't lost any more, and while she might be confused, uncertain, or simply in places she didn't know, she would always be able to find her way back to where she belonged.
by Jedi Amoira
Disclaimer--The Potterverse and its inhabitants don't belong to me, I'm just borrowing them with grateful respect for those who brought it into being for us to visit. Any influences from the books, movies, or fellow fanfic writers are not intended as copyright infringement, only the sincerest form of flattery.
Author's Notes--And...a final post...an ending! This has been an incredible story to write, and I've learned an unbelieveable amount. I hope you all have enjoyed it as much as I have--thanks for your company. :-) I will be posting the first chapter of the sequel "Ginny Weasley and the Shadow of What Remains" simultaneously with this chapter, please check it out and let me know what you think.
I sHoW nO sHaMe--I know how you feel, and I'm sorry...unfortunately, I think more long waits are probably in store. I am going to try to do at least Ginny's third year from her POV--I hope the possibility of longer waits won't keep you away.
SeleneA--Thanks! It really means a lot that you loved this story too! I am going to try to write the next book from Ginny's POV--we'll see how it goes. As for breaking away and writing original stories, I'm a bit confused--you mean original stories about Ginny, right? Anyway, I hope to see you at the sequel! *winks*
EEDOE--Awww...I know! I was there too. *sighs* Hopefully this chapter will ease the disappointment a bit. You are one of the lodestones of my writing--I can't remember how I managed before we met. See you at the next story. *winks* *hugs*
Bill--Without your support and encouragement, where would I be? I hope I never find out.I'm extremely flattered you would even consider comparing me to JK, but I think you're a bit prejudiced in my favor--not that I mind! *winks* I was quite proud of working that phrase into the story...but my plots aren't usually detailed enough for me to know the feasibility of doing the same for future stories...still, it would be a nice way to tie them all together. *laughs* Yes, I do like the bit about Lupin's laugh...*winks* Thanks--I tried to make the link between being a werewolf and someone with a potentially contagious and/or fatal disease pretty clear--that's one of the most potent facets of what Lupin's character represents. I do agree about the correspondence, but I'm not sure how much of a part it will play in the sequel...we'll just have to see. *grins wryly* I liked that final image of Ginny too...but it was so hard to write. *sighs* Thanks...I'm proud of how full this story has become as well...but I can't really take credit, it sort of developed on its own. Looking forward to sharing another sequel with you. *hugs*
*****************
The last thing she wanted was to talk to anyone.
Fred and George were in the Common Room. Feeling impatient even with speeches lamenting Professor Lupin's departure, Ginny marched unceremoniously through the congregation, grabbed either brother by the collar, and hauled them bodily--cracking jokes about the unexpected interruption as they went--into the corner.
"Lupin's leaving."
"Uh, Gin," George said, glancing at Fred, "We kinda know that--"
"It happens to be what we were discussing when you--"
Ginny rolled her eyes and ignored them. "Did you know Snape was the one that let it slip?"
"Well...not as such..."
"There were rumors..."
"Snape's been trying to get Lupin sacked all year," Ginny hissed, feeling the hackles on the back of her neck raise all over again. She hadn't realized that until she said it, but it was true. "I don't know why, but he has. Why do you think he assigned werewolves to every Defense Against the Dark Arts class?"
There were about seven seconds of silence.
Fred swore wildly, and George's oath was so close behind they overlapped into a meaningless jumble whose meaning was comfortingly clear.
"I'd say that pretty much covers it," Ginny agreed bitterly. "So what I want to know is--what are we going to do about it?"
"Something humiliating," Fred said darkly.
"Something impressive," George added.
"Something we haven't done before," Fred elaborated.
"Something--" George broke off as he and Fred blinked at one another. "Wait a mo--we?"
"Ginny, you can't possible be suggesting--" Fred began, the words dying out as she glared balefully at him.
"Look, Gin, we know how you feel," George said not unsympathetically.
"We'll take care of it," Fred promised.
"Just leave it to us," George prompted gently.
Ginny crossed her arms and raised her chin to stare them both in the eye. "No."
"Gin, be reasonable," George said.
"If you get us caught ahead of time, Snape will get off free." Fred pointed out.
"I won't." Ginny said.
"Ah, now that's more--"
"Get you caught, I mean."
Fred and George snorted in obvious disbelief. Ginny just stared at them, arms crossed, unyielding.
"Oh, sod it," George said disgustedly.
"If it means that much to you--" Fred sighed.
"You can help," George muttered.
"Ah, now that's more like it," Ginny said, and smirked.
They may have decided on a simple muggle-inspired prank in the end, but it was still more than worth it to see the look on Professor Snape's face when he walked into his classroom and found himself (really a clever dummy they'd managed to transfigure) clutching a big red purse and wearing a green dress, a tall hat with a stuffed vulture perched on it, and a ragged fox fur. And, of course, the more he'd tried to banish the dummy, the more it started to do...first it simply said "The subtle art of keeping secrets is too much for me to grasp", but as the attempts went on, the responses did too, until by the end of the day, Professor Dumbledore found it doing a jig on top of Snape's desk.
Ginny, Lee (whom the twins had insisted on inviting in honour of his inspired prank on them at the Halloween Feast), Fred and George were proud to confess. It spared Dumbledore the trouble of trying to prove they did it, and enraged Snape even further. At Ginny's insistence, they all went out of their to assure both Dumbledore and Snape that Neville had no idea they were going to attempt anything, and had nothing whatsoever to do with it, which both Professors seemed to believe. The four of them had detention every night until the end of term, but they wore it with pride as a badge of victory.
Dozens of people--even a few Slytherins--made it a point to congratulate them, and not a single Gryffindor complained about the points they'd lost--possibly because Gryffindor won the House Championship just the same.
Before she knew it, Ginny was sharing a compartment on the Hogwarts Express with Neville, Colin, and Tempest. After a long and energetic discussion of their past year, and a good deal of speculation on what would happen next, Ginny retreated to a corner by herself, and pulled the beautiful journal Ron had given her out of her pocket. The still-blank pages spread smoothly across her lap, greeting her with an air of suppressed expectation.
---No one is ever innocent.---
The feel of the quill tracing her thought across the parchment was almost electric.
---But sometimes the least innocent of us all can be the most compassionate--We are all of us haunted by specters of atonement...even for the smallest and most innocent mistakes. But sometimes those specters can lead us to places we're needed...places we might not have found on our own...and that can be very powerful magic.---
She was so lost in writing, telling the story of Egypt and Bill, of the library and Hermione, of the Astronomy Tower and Professor Lupin, of herself and Occulumency, and how the world had become a completely different place, where she not only fit but was really needed, Ginny almost didn't notice when the train pulled into the station.
She closed the journal reluctantly to gather up her bags, and as she staggered out onto Platform 9 3/4 and saw Mum and Dad waiting side-by-side, she knew she had come home. Ginny Weasley wasn't lost any more, and while she might be confused, uncertain, or simply in places she didn't know, she would always be able to find her way back to where she belonged.