" Ginny!, " yelled Ron," Harry's here." Ginny closed her book. Old Magic: What it is and how to use it. Hermione had sent it to her over the summer. She had thought it was for a book report, but after the triwizard tournament last year, Ginny discover that she was a Lifter. A Lifter is someone who can move things (lift) with their mind. It also means they can levitate themselves. Lifters are a very rare form of Healer, which is someone who can heal without using medicine, and their hadn't been a Lifter in over a thousand years. That was what Ginny had learned so far in the chapter about lifters, in the book. She got up and walked over to her dresser mirror.
" I wonder if Harry will notice how much I've changed?" she asked herself, but it was the mirror who responded.
" He would have to be blind not to, dear." it said lazily. Ginnny silently agreed. Her hair had darkened and was no longer a bright red, but a deep shade of red, that many people paid to have. She now had the figure of a lady, and not a child. Even though she never had as many freckles as her brothers, she did have quite a few, but they had now faded into her white skin, and you would have had to have been nose to nose with her to notice them. Most of her changes had been physical and had to do with her newfound gift, but there were some slight mental changes too. She had learned to become a good listener and her father often came to her with his troubles at the ministry, her mother with the family problems, and her brothers came with problems ranging from girls to dragons. Which in Percy's opinion, were no different ( he had been having problems with his long time girlfriend Penelopy).
Ginny bounded down the stairs and called to her mother. " In here dear, Harry's just arrived!" Ginny felt a since or foreboading, she wasn't sure why but she really did not want to see Harry yet. Although alot of things had changed, some things had not, and she still had a huge crush on Harry.
" Tell him I said, Hi and I'll see him later." she said on her way to the door. A bit of fresh air might help calm her nerves.
" Where are you going young lady?" her mother asked sternly. Ginny scowled. She wasn't young and she hated when people acted as if she was.
" Just outside, I will be home soon." she jumped out the door before her mother could say anything against it. An icy burst of wind blew around her hair, and caused her to shiver. Thats weird, she thought. Its still summer, its not suppose to be cold yet, but as quickly as it came it was gone, and she was perfectly warm again. It was starting to get dark, and there was a pinkish purple glow on the earth from the sunset. She was starting to get tired and decided it was time to head back, but she couldn't will her feet to stop. It felt so nice outside, but it was starting to get spooky, she had the lurking feeling she was being watched. She turned around, and was startled to see herself so far from home. She had never been this far, and didn't recognize the area. Fearful that she would get lost, she looked for someone to ask directions. She saw a patch of cottages in the distance. Most of them were small pebble stone cottages that looked as if they had just popped out of a fairy tale, but there were a few large grand looking homes. They looked as if they were minature castle's from the same fairy tales.
" That must be the Kilstone's." she said when she saw a hous with a big K on the front door. She knew that they lived nearby and were nice people, so she decided to ask to use their fireplace. She was a couple of yards from the cottage with the K when she heard them. A man and a teenage boy having a very heated discussion.
"....but Father this is not what he wanted, you are going to make him angry at us, and I don't want to be intiated with your blunders hanging over me!" yelled a cold voice, that sounded somewhat familar.
" He is my Master, and I believe that I know what he wants more then you." spat a voice that was much colder. " You forget Draco, you are inferior to me, and you always will be. The oracle was wrong." Draco Malfoy? she thought but that mean's....he's there. She felt an uncontrollable anger course through her. Lucious Malfoy, the man who had tried to ruin her, was here. She needed to get home before she lost control of herself and picked up a tree and threw it on him. She looked up at the cottage that she was at. There didn't seem to be any sign of life, but Ginny figured that she might as well try. She went up to the door and knocked, but no one answered. 'I think I can find my own way home, she concluded, and walked swiftly off the Kilstone's porch, and back towards where she thought her house was. She stoped when she heard the Malfoy's again and looked to see where the voices were coming from. They were standing beside the largest cottage.
" You stupid imbecile of a son," said Lucious. " You can't do anything, can you? You are worse then that whore mother of your's." Even from as far as she was she could see Draco wasn't going to take it. His face showed the anger that Ginny herself felt.
" She is not!" he screamed at his father. " We try to please you, but its never enough! Never! You don't let her talk to anyone except the houselves, how can you expect her to love you. No one does, your not worth it!" Lucious hurled Draco against the wall, and said something so quietly that Ginny couldn't hear him. Draco spat in his face. Lucious hastly let go of his son, and slowly he backed up and pointed his wand at him.
" Crucio" he bellowed, and Draco's screams jabbed at Ginny's heart. The night air was filled with such an painful, unearthly sound Ginny felt as if she might be sick. She felt the magic rush to her fingers, she could help him, but she was afraid. Afraid to let it continue, yet afraid to stop it. Lucious would proboblly think that Draco had done it, and punish him even more. She could feel herself shaking. Why did she even care? She thought of all the things he had said against her family, the names he called Hermione, and how he went out of his way to make Harry as miserable as possible. Malfoy had forever harassed everyone she loved, but she knew why she cared. She was a Lifter and they always cared if someone was in pain. The screaming was muffled now, she looked back at Draco who had covered his head with his hands. He seemed determined not to let his father see him suffer. Lucious looked as though he thought Draco had had enough because he lifted the curse, but then he turned so he was looking right where Ginny was standing. He had seen her. He lifted his wand up so that it pointed at the sky. She couldn't hear him, but she knew what he was going to do before the green skull with a serpent protruding from the mouth appeared. He had sent up the dark mark, the sign of voldemort. He gave her an evil smile and then just disapeared, right into thin air. Ginny rushed to the house at which the dark mark was hovering. As she neared the front door, a voice called out to her.
" Don't go in there, young Weasly." It was Draco, he hadn't left yet. " It is not a sight meant for some one like yourself to see." His face was emotionless. She noticed that he seemed taller, and more muscular. He had also stopped slicking back his hair, but Ginny didn't brood on this. She was more worried about what must have happened.
" What have you done?" Ginny said as calmly as possible. He started to walk away. " If you did this," she said louder, making him stop, " it make's you no different then your father." He whirled around and drew back his hand as if to hit her, but then realized what he was about to do. A look of self disgust flashed on his face, but was imideately replaced by a look of fury.
" Stupid little Weasly," he said spitting the words out as if they tasted foul, " you know nothing. About me or what i've done." he then stepped so close to her that she could feel his warm breath on her cheeks. " Stay away from Potter this year, or else you you might be in a postition to learn what I can do." he said. She was just about to reply that she didn't think that was something to be afraid of, when he, like his father, dissapeared into thin air. She was alone now, with the horrible images of what might be inside the house that she was standing beside. 'I have to get home,' thought Ginny, 'right now!' She was just about to run when she saw a nameplate on the front door. It said THE DIGGORYS. Ginny's breath caught in her chest.
She turned on her heel and took off at breakneck speed towards what she thought was home. She channeled all her anger and sympathy into getting home as fast as possible, and it worked. It felt like she had just started running when she found herself in front of the burrow. She dashed in the front door and heard her mother yell " Ginny? Is that you? Everyone's in the back yard, the Tuttle's are over for dinner." Molly was in the kitchen. Ginny scrambled into the kitchen, but Molly wasn't there. Ginny ran through the back door, and everyone stopped what they were doing. They were all staring at her waiting for her to say something, but there was a lump in her throat preventing speech. Her father got up and came over to her.
" Ginny whats wrong? Your shaking! What happend?" he asked, his voice thick with concern. All Ginny could do was mumble.
" Diggorys...dark mark.....Lucious Malfoy....got scared....ran home as fast as I could." she said. This had an extreme effect on all the people gathered aound the table. Mr. and Mrs. Tuttle both jumped up from their seats.
" We'll go there now." said Mr. Tuttle, and then he and his wife disapperated.
" I will go to the ministry and inform them, father." said Percy, and he too disapparated. Arthur turned to look at Molly. Both of them looked as white as snow.
" Take the children inside, Molly. I will be back as soon as I can." he said and her mother nodded, and kissed him on the cheek.
" Come along, inside. Ginny...Ginny? Lets go inside and get something to eat" her mother said in a soft voice, but she didn't budge.
" Dad, when you get home I want to know what happened." she said. For a moment he looked as if he was going to say no, but then nodded reluctantly. She went inside and straight up to her room ignoring her mother's proposal of milk in cookies. She went straight to her bed and tried to go to sleep, but sleep would not come. It was after midnight, and she was starting to get hungry.
" Well, I guess if I can't sleep I might as well eat." she said to herself. She tiptoed down the stairs so as not to wake anyone. She looked around the small living area, and saw that she was alone. She went straight to the tiny kitchen, and made a small bowl of soup. Her mother wouldn't mind as long as Ginny told her tomorrow that she had eaten almost half of the leftover soup. She poured herself a glass of water from the pitcher beside the sink. After collecting up her bowl of soup, glass of water, and crackers from the cubbered, she sank down in their overstuffed sofa that stood in the middle of the living area, that was right beside of the stairs. As hard as she try, she couldn't keep her thoughts from the Diggory's. What would happen to their house and their things, and who would take the place of Mr. Diggory at the ministry? Then another thought flew into Ginny's head. What about Harry? How did he feel about this? She remembered how depressed he was at the end of term the previous year.
'Poor Harry, just when he started to seem better, this had to happen.' She thought bitterly. The weight on her hands reminded her that she still hadn't eaten her soup, she lay down the cup, and ignored it. The weight on her heart made her feel sick with empathy, and she couldn't even bring herself to look at the food before her. Instinctavely, the magic rushed to the tips of her fingers. 'I'm not trained enough yet', she told the magic inside of her, 'if I tried to do anything besides moving things mentally could hurt myself or more importantly I could hurt someone else.' Ginny lay thinking for some time about what to do, and could think of no answer, except to tell her parents of her power, so that they could get her proper training. That might even mean she would have to leave Hogwarts. Although it pained Ginny to no end to think that she would have to leave her friends she would do what she was told. She knew how valuable she could be to the light side, and would be willing to make certain sacrifices if it was necessary.
Ginny could never say for sure when she dozed off, the only thing she could remember, was waking with a horrible feeling. Someone was in trouble, but she couldn't remember who it was. Ginny scrambled of the sofa and dashed toward the stairs. When she had reached the second floor, she heard noises from above. Ginny was almost to the stairs leading to the third floor, when Draco Malfoy steped in front of her. She jumped back, this was the last thing she expected. What the hell was he doing here?
" Hello little Weasly." said Draco calmly. How could he be so calm? Ginny was freaking out, 'but then again', she thought 'he knows whats going on, why would he be freaking out'. He just stood there staring intently at her, but by the look in his eyes she didn't think he was really seeing her.
" What are you doing here, Malfoy?" she asked not even trying to be calm for she kenw it was impossible.
" Nothing to worry you firey little head about." he said ammusedly. " Go back to bed Virginia, we wouldn't want you to get hurt would we." He flashed his signiture smirk, but it didn't look quite as cocky as it usually did. He moved foward and grabbed her just below her shoulders and started to push her back downstairs. The moment he touched her she knew that he wasn't as calm as he pretended to be. She sensed his worry. Ginny remembered Proffesor Binns talking breifly about Lifters , he said that if an emotion was strong enough and the Lifter was also feeling strong emotions then at that moment they could feel what the other was feeling.
" Let me go, Malfoy" she said. She started to squirm trying to get out of his grasp, but it was useless, he was to strong. Must be from quidditch, Ginny thought.
" Sorry, Red," he said his grip tightening, "but if I let you go, you will get killed, and I know that you don't want that." They were halfway down the stairs when there was a scuffeling noise upstairs. She seized the moment. She concentrated on Malfoy's hands and then opened her own. As she did he let go of her.
" What the hell?" he said wildly. She flicked her hand towards the wall and Draco flew back against it. He was pinned and couldn't move, she leaned in close.
" Maybe you don't know me as well as you think." Although his eyes were slightly wider then normal, he didn't seem to be frightened.
" Maybe I don't" he said grinning. Ginny's breath caught. He looked different when he wasn't smirking or scowling. She quickly dashed up the stairs, not only to see what was going on, but mostly to get away from Malfoy and his blue eyes. When she got to the top of the stairs she saw something black rush past into the twins room. Although she didn't know what she was going to do when she got there, she knew she had to go in there.
Ginny ran into her brothers room and saw Lucious Malfoy at the window. Her knee's nearly buckeled. She hadn't been this close to him since the World cup last year, and now he was in her house.
" I wonder if Harry will notice how much I've changed?" she asked herself, but it was the mirror who responded.
" He would have to be blind not to, dear." it said lazily. Ginnny silently agreed. Her hair had darkened and was no longer a bright red, but a deep shade of red, that many people paid to have. She now had the figure of a lady, and not a child. Even though she never had as many freckles as her brothers, she did have quite a few, but they had now faded into her white skin, and you would have had to have been nose to nose with her to notice them. Most of her changes had been physical and had to do with her newfound gift, but there were some slight mental changes too. She had learned to become a good listener and her father often came to her with his troubles at the ministry, her mother with the family problems, and her brothers came with problems ranging from girls to dragons. Which in Percy's opinion, were no different ( he had been having problems with his long time girlfriend Penelopy).
Ginny bounded down the stairs and called to her mother. " In here dear, Harry's just arrived!" Ginny felt a since or foreboading, she wasn't sure why but she really did not want to see Harry yet. Although alot of things had changed, some things had not, and she still had a huge crush on Harry.
" Tell him I said, Hi and I'll see him later." she said on her way to the door. A bit of fresh air might help calm her nerves.
" Where are you going young lady?" her mother asked sternly. Ginny scowled. She wasn't young and she hated when people acted as if she was.
" Just outside, I will be home soon." she jumped out the door before her mother could say anything against it. An icy burst of wind blew around her hair, and caused her to shiver. Thats weird, she thought. Its still summer, its not suppose to be cold yet, but as quickly as it came it was gone, and she was perfectly warm again. It was starting to get dark, and there was a pinkish purple glow on the earth from the sunset. She was starting to get tired and decided it was time to head back, but she couldn't will her feet to stop. It felt so nice outside, but it was starting to get spooky, she had the lurking feeling she was being watched. She turned around, and was startled to see herself so far from home. She had never been this far, and didn't recognize the area. Fearful that she would get lost, she looked for someone to ask directions. She saw a patch of cottages in the distance. Most of them were small pebble stone cottages that looked as if they had just popped out of a fairy tale, but there were a few large grand looking homes. They looked as if they were minature castle's from the same fairy tales.
" That must be the Kilstone's." she said when she saw a hous with a big K on the front door. She knew that they lived nearby and were nice people, so she decided to ask to use their fireplace. She was a couple of yards from the cottage with the K when she heard them. A man and a teenage boy having a very heated discussion.
"....but Father this is not what he wanted, you are going to make him angry at us, and I don't want to be intiated with your blunders hanging over me!" yelled a cold voice, that sounded somewhat familar.
" He is my Master, and I believe that I know what he wants more then you." spat a voice that was much colder. " You forget Draco, you are inferior to me, and you always will be. The oracle was wrong." Draco Malfoy? she thought but that mean's....he's there. She felt an uncontrollable anger course through her. Lucious Malfoy, the man who had tried to ruin her, was here. She needed to get home before she lost control of herself and picked up a tree and threw it on him. She looked up at the cottage that she was at. There didn't seem to be any sign of life, but Ginny figured that she might as well try. She went up to the door and knocked, but no one answered. 'I think I can find my own way home, she concluded, and walked swiftly off the Kilstone's porch, and back towards where she thought her house was. She stoped when she heard the Malfoy's again and looked to see where the voices were coming from. They were standing beside the largest cottage.
" You stupid imbecile of a son," said Lucious. " You can't do anything, can you? You are worse then that whore mother of your's." Even from as far as she was she could see Draco wasn't going to take it. His face showed the anger that Ginny herself felt.
" She is not!" he screamed at his father. " We try to please you, but its never enough! Never! You don't let her talk to anyone except the houselves, how can you expect her to love you. No one does, your not worth it!" Lucious hurled Draco against the wall, and said something so quietly that Ginny couldn't hear him. Draco spat in his face. Lucious hastly let go of his son, and slowly he backed up and pointed his wand at him.
" Crucio" he bellowed, and Draco's screams jabbed at Ginny's heart. The night air was filled with such an painful, unearthly sound Ginny felt as if she might be sick. She felt the magic rush to her fingers, she could help him, but she was afraid. Afraid to let it continue, yet afraid to stop it. Lucious would proboblly think that Draco had done it, and punish him even more. She could feel herself shaking. Why did she even care? She thought of all the things he had said against her family, the names he called Hermione, and how he went out of his way to make Harry as miserable as possible. Malfoy had forever harassed everyone she loved, but she knew why she cared. She was a Lifter and they always cared if someone was in pain. The screaming was muffled now, she looked back at Draco who had covered his head with his hands. He seemed determined not to let his father see him suffer. Lucious looked as though he thought Draco had had enough because he lifted the curse, but then he turned so he was looking right where Ginny was standing. He had seen her. He lifted his wand up so that it pointed at the sky. She couldn't hear him, but she knew what he was going to do before the green skull with a serpent protruding from the mouth appeared. He had sent up the dark mark, the sign of voldemort. He gave her an evil smile and then just disapeared, right into thin air. Ginny rushed to the house at which the dark mark was hovering. As she neared the front door, a voice called out to her.
" Don't go in there, young Weasly." It was Draco, he hadn't left yet. " It is not a sight meant for some one like yourself to see." His face was emotionless. She noticed that he seemed taller, and more muscular. He had also stopped slicking back his hair, but Ginny didn't brood on this. She was more worried about what must have happened.
" What have you done?" Ginny said as calmly as possible. He started to walk away. " If you did this," she said louder, making him stop, " it make's you no different then your father." He whirled around and drew back his hand as if to hit her, but then realized what he was about to do. A look of self disgust flashed on his face, but was imideately replaced by a look of fury.
" Stupid little Weasly," he said spitting the words out as if they tasted foul, " you know nothing. About me or what i've done." he then stepped so close to her that she could feel his warm breath on her cheeks. " Stay away from Potter this year, or else you you might be in a postition to learn what I can do." he said. She was just about to reply that she didn't think that was something to be afraid of, when he, like his father, dissapeared into thin air. She was alone now, with the horrible images of what might be inside the house that she was standing beside. 'I have to get home,' thought Ginny, 'right now!' She was just about to run when she saw a nameplate on the front door. It said THE DIGGORYS. Ginny's breath caught in her chest.
She turned on her heel and took off at breakneck speed towards what she thought was home. She channeled all her anger and sympathy into getting home as fast as possible, and it worked. It felt like she had just started running when she found herself in front of the burrow. She dashed in the front door and heard her mother yell " Ginny? Is that you? Everyone's in the back yard, the Tuttle's are over for dinner." Molly was in the kitchen. Ginny scrambled into the kitchen, but Molly wasn't there. Ginny ran through the back door, and everyone stopped what they were doing. They were all staring at her waiting for her to say something, but there was a lump in her throat preventing speech. Her father got up and came over to her.
" Ginny whats wrong? Your shaking! What happend?" he asked, his voice thick with concern. All Ginny could do was mumble.
" Diggorys...dark mark.....Lucious Malfoy....got scared....ran home as fast as I could." she said. This had an extreme effect on all the people gathered aound the table. Mr. and Mrs. Tuttle both jumped up from their seats.
" We'll go there now." said Mr. Tuttle, and then he and his wife disapperated.
" I will go to the ministry and inform them, father." said Percy, and he too disapparated. Arthur turned to look at Molly. Both of them looked as white as snow.
" Take the children inside, Molly. I will be back as soon as I can." he said and her mother nodded, and kissed him on the cheek.
" Come along, inside. Ginny...Ginny? Lets go inside and get something to eat" her mother said in a soft voice, but she didn't budge.
" Dad, when you get home I want to know what happened." she said. For a moment he looked as if he was going to say no, but then nodded reluctantly. She went inside and straight up to her room ignoring her mother's proposal of milk in cookies. She went straight to her bed and tried to go to sleep, but sleep would not come. It was after midnight, and she was starting to get hungry.
" Well, I guess if I can't sleep I might as well eat." she said to herself. She tiptoed down the stairs so as not to wake anyone. She looked around the small living area, and saw that she was alone. She went straight to the tiny kitchen, and made a small bowl of soup. Her mother wouldn't mind as long as Ginny told her tomorrow that she had eaten almost half of the leftover soup. She poured herself a glass of water from the pitcher beside the sink. After collecting up her bowl of soup, glass of water, and crackers from the cubbered, she sank down in their overstuffed sofa that stood in the middle of the living area, that was right beside of the stairs. As hard as she try, she couldn't keep her thoughts from the Diggory's. What would happen to their house and their things, and who would take the place of Mr. Diggory at the ministry? Then another thought flew into Ginny's head. What about Harry? How did he feel about this? She remembered how depressed he was at the end of term the previous year.
'Poor Harry, just when he started to seem better, this had to happen.' She thought bitterly. The weight on her hands reminded her that she still hadn't eaten her soup, she lay down the cup, and ignored it. The weight on her heart made her feel sick with empathy, and she couldn't even bring herself to look at the food before her. Instinctavely, the magic rushed to the tips of her fingers. 'I'm not trained enough yet', she told the magic inside of her, 'if I tried to do anything besides moving things mentally could hurt myself or more importantly I could hurt someone else.' Ginny lay thinking for some time about what to do, and could think of no answer, except to tell her parents of her power, so that they could get her proper training. That might even mean she would have to leave Hogwarts. Although it pained Ginny to no end to think that she would have to leave her friends she would do what she was told. She knew how valuable she could be to the light side, and would be willing to make certain sacrifices if it was necessary.
Ginny could never say for sure when she dozed off, the only thing she could remember, was waking with a horrible feeling. Someone was in trouble, but she couldn't remember who it was. Ginny scrambled of the sofa and dashed toward the stairs. When she had reached the second floor, she heard noises from above. Ginny was almost to the stairs leading to the third floor, when Draco Malfoy steped in front of her. She jumped back, this was the last thing she expected. What the hell was he doing here?
" Hello little Weasly." said Draco calmly. How could he be so calm? Ginny was freaking out, 'but then again', she thought 'he knows whats going on, why would he be freaking out'. He just stood there staring intently at her, but by the look in his eyes she didn't think he was really seeing her.
" What are you doing here, Malfoy?" she asked not even trying to be calm for she kenw it was impossible.
" Nothing to worry you firey little head about." he said ammusedly. " Go back to bed Virginia, we wouldn't want you to get hurt would we." He flashed his signiture smirk, but it didn't look quite as cocky as it usually did. He moved foward and grabbed her just below her shoulders and started to push her back downstairs. The moment he touched her she knew that he wasn't as calm as he pretended to be. She sensed his worry. Ginny remembered Proffesor Binns talking breifly about Lifters , he said that if an emotion was strong enough and the Lifter was also feeling strong emotions then at that moment they could feel what the other was feeling.
" Let me go, Malfoy" she said. She started to squirm trying to get out of his grasp, but it was useless, he was to strong. Must be from quidditch, Ginny thought.
" Sorry, Red," he said his grip tightening, "but if I let you go, you will get killed, and I know that you don't want that." They were halfway down the stairs when there was a scuffeling noise upstairs. She seized the moment. She concentrated on Malfoy's hands and then opened her own. As she did he let go of her.
" What the hell?" he said wildly. She flicked her hand towards the wall and Draco flew back against it. He was pinned and couldn't move, she leaned in close.
" Maybe you don't know me as well as you think." Although his eyes were slightly wider then normal, he didn't seem to be frightened.
" Maybe I don't" he said grinning. Ginny's breath caught. He looked different when he wasn't smirking or scowling. She quickly dashed up the stairs, not only to see what was going on, but mostly to get away from Malfoy and his blue eyes. When she got to the top of the stairs she saw something black rush past into the twins room. Although she didn't know what she was going to do when she got there, she knew she had to go in there.
Ginny ran into her brothers room and saw Lucious Malfoy at the window. Her knee's nearly buckeled. She hadn't been this close to him since the World cup last year, and now he was in her house.