Harry Potter and the Seers' Truth
By Lady Lestrange
Chapter 48
Secrets Kept and Thoughts Shared
10 REVIEWS. I really hate blackmailing you into reviewing, but hey, I'm a Slytherin. It's in my nature, so when there are 10 reviews for this chapter, the next one will magically appear. Love my readers and reviewers. Answers to reviews follow the story.
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter characters and previous situations belong to JK Rowlings. No infringement is meant or implied. No money is made from this Fanfic. THANKS JK.
--LADY LESTRANGE
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(A/N: I've been reading a number of fanfics in installments like this one myself, and find it is sometimes hard to remember exactly what has happened before-In a fic as complex as this one is, I thought having a reminder may be helpful for you. If you want to skip it, just page down FIVE times. --Lady Lestrange)
UP TO THIS POINT: Parvati has been having dreams and visions about the Dark Lord, Harry and a Prophecy Child. So far, they are not sure who the prophecy child is, and it is important for them to find him/her. The Sorting Hat is not sorting, so the students have "little brothers and sisters" to show around. The dream team thinks that The Sorting Hat failing is a plot to hide the Prophecy child from the teachers and anyone who can help insure that he/she stays on the side of light. No one is sure that the brothers and sisters actually belong to the house they are currently in.
The Hogwarts Express has been attacked. Dark Marks have been in the sky. The floo network is compromised. The Minister of Magic has been turned. Snape is now teaching both Defense and Advanced Defense, but it looks like Advanced Defense is just an excuse to let the Slytherins and Ginny and Edward visit the Dark Lord. Mrs. Figg is teaching potions and we know very little about her so far, except that she was against Dumbledore's suggestion to make Poly Juice Potion.
Beatrice is an animagus, a bunny. Edward's granny looks like she could have given the Dursleys a few pointers on cruelty. Slytherin is a house at war according to Snape, divided between Death Eaters and those who want to stay on the side of light. Harry uses his Invisibility Cloak and finds out when it is ripped, the Invisibility spell ceases. There is an unwelcome addition to Myrtle's bathroom, Olive Hornby. Peeves is his usual annoying self, but the Baron seems to have a little less control over him.
Samara, for some reason, lofts some wicked, powerful curses. She doesn't look like she has total control over them, which isn't really surprising since she's learned magic on her own from a book, that Harry is sure is a dark book. She seems to like Draco, but don't assume this is a romance. It is not. Ginny is still hearing voices in her head. Harry's scar is hurting more, and neither he nor Ginny know what this means. Ginny is closer with Harry this year, but again, not romantically. There is Edward, the new Gryffindor, who seems interested in Ginny, but Ginny really hasn't gotten over Tom.
We find out about Neville's powerful auror parents. We learn that Neville has a memory charm that was put on him as a baby. He's a more powerful wizard than anyone ever thought as evidenced by his yew wand and the way he reacts to Snape's ministrations in trying to remove the memory charm. We might wonder why Snape is trying to do this himself, instead of enlisting the help of Madam Pomfrey. Sirius and Lupin are on "fieldtrips" with the sixth and seventh years.
Of course we can also wonder why Snape is so determined to teach his classes advanced spells like the Patronus, or we can just chalk it up to Snape, being mean. The Fifth year class starts apparition classes and we meet Professor Sinistra. We also visit Hufflepuff, where we see The Wall, and Slytherin house, where we discover, to our amazement, a magic room that Draco shares with Samara, but Samara has a very unslytherin use for the room. Ravenclaw to come next weekend.
The chapter, CHAINED AND CHARMED, takes place at the same time as DANCING IS AN OUT OF BODY EXPERIENCE-when Samara was in Slytherin, dancing. It is Saturday afternoon. Harry and the Gryffindors examine Samara's Dark Book, after they come back from lunch. They find an extreme potion, and decide they need to make a trip to the Chamber of Secrets. Ghastly Ghostly Dinner is when Gryffindor's meet with Samara after her little trip to Slytherin. Samara and Beatrice are persuaded by Edward to help him steal his snake back from his brother Ethan. Things get a little out of hand, and Samara learns more about Slytherin than she ever wanted to know.
Now the Gryffindors are mad at her. Samara wants to make up and be friends with them, but is it possible to befriend both Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy? How far will she go to make up, or will she just find some valuable information to store away for future use? (So, don't you want one of those Tee shirts?)
LIONS AND TIGERS: We see a very stressed out Snap both in Harry's memory of what happened with Snap and Neville and in the actual DADA class. We find out Trelawney doesn't want Samara in her class and Samara decides to take Ancient Runes instead. McGonagall assures Samara that Trelawney has done her a favor. McGonagall further talks to Samara about her experiences in Gryffindor, opening the door to give Samara someone to talk to, if she so chooses. We also learned lots more about animagi in McGonagall's class. Snape dismisses the Gryffifndors and keeps the Slytherins after class. We find out it's because Snape wants them to practice their patronus because the Slytherins are so lousy at the spell. Could it be because there are so few happy memories to chose from?
In DRAGON BREATH AND BLUDGER BATS, Ginny and Edward set the Slytherins up with fire mints, and Samara gets extremely angry at them both because they hurt her friends. In an effort to contain her anger, she goes to the Quiddich pitch where she meets Fred and George. After lobbing a few quaffles at them in her anger, they decide to ask her to be a Beater for Gryffindor. She refuses, but later when she talks to Draco, he is not very nice to her, (hey, who said Draco was a nice guy?) so she wonders whether or not she should take the Beater job.
In WISH IT REAL; WISH IT NOT we see into one of Ginny's dreams. If you don't remember this dream, go and re-read chapter 28. In Chapter 29, THE SPELLING BEE, Samara is feeling homesick and friendless until Draco invites Samara back to Slytherin. Also, includes a short intro into what's coming up in potions class.
In Chapter 30, CHILD OF GRYFFINDOR, Neville and Snape break the Imperio part of the Memory Charm. The trio discusses the Founders' spells, which put their gifts in the Sorting Hat; however they do not have the original parseltongue version of Salazar's spell. Ginny also sees Edward painting and the reader sees a bit of Ginny and Tom's relationship. In SLYTHERIN GAMES—Well, if you don't remember it, you better re-read. Voldemort is finally out and angry—burning and pillaging and we see a little-known inside version of Slytherin through Ginny's eyes. In STICKY SITUATIONS, Samara uses her adhere charm on the Weasley twins, Neville sticks Beatrice's wand to his with bubble gum, and Edward is sticking in Gryffindor.
In OW POST the Slytherins get even for the Dragon Breath Mints, among other things—
In the Ravenclaw chapter—I'm still trying to think of a good name for it—Help me please—we meet a number of Ravenclaws and find out a little more about the characters, in Ravenclaw as well as Edward and Samara. So do you think either of them are really Ravenclaws? Hmmmm? In chapter 35 we meet Sirius again who plans to have a talk with Dumbledore about his keeping Harry safe and of course what that nasty Snape is doing to poor Neville. The Quiddich Game and then more of Neville's awesome Auror parents.
The war is heating up and touching the lives of the children. This story is rapidly approaching –nasty things. Not for the faint of heart. Last chapter, we had a relaxing time at Hogsmeade. Samara bounces from friend to friend and Harry has some nasty dreams, and Harry is shocked to find out that Ron and Hermione are a couple. We knew that already though, right?
In THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS the trio did some exploring, but failed to find the basilisk eggs. They found other things though. Obviously, they have to go back, but first Ginny gives them some instructions.
In THE CHAMBER, THE WALL, THE WAND AND THE WINDOW, Ginny gives the trio some instructions about the Chamber, the Gryffindor boys are having trouble sleeping and Harry's talking to the Snake, Kauket. Parvati has yet another vision, about a muggle and the earlier one about the wand is explored. Trelawney tells Ginny she will open a window to the past—Didn't she already do that? Is Trelawney a little late with this prediction, or does it mean something else?
In NO MORE GAMES we return to ADADA class and Ginny finds out by using the Quick Quotes Quill that the class is more than she planned, but the notes are stolen, so she has no proof to go to Dumbledore with—So she takes matters into her own hands. In PERVIGILO ARMARO, we see part of Ginny's awesome ward. Doors are opened and Tom is out, but he isn't everything we thought he would be. Could it be that he's keeping secrets from us? Puppy Puffs and the Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw Quiddich game offer a little comic relief. Chapter 44, MORS MORDRE. Ginny gets a dark mark. 'nouf said. BLOOD AND MAGIC MINGLED is Ginny reaction to Voldemort's Imperio curse, and a trip to the Chamber. In THE SEVENTH SUFFERING, We leave Ginny in the Chamber, while we go off with Samara to find out what happened to Ginny in Slytherin this morning, but Samara gets side-tracked, and she learns a personal secret of Draco's—so when is she going to share her secret? Speaking of secrets, Snape has a few, which he unwittingly shares in SNAPE'S SECRET AND SALAZAR'S TREASURE.
And now, back to the Chamber—Where there are--
Secrets Kept and Thoughts Shared
On her way to supper, Ginny heard Harry Potter calling her.
Ginny! Ginny! Wait."
Harry caught up with her just outside of the muggle studies classroom. "I wanted to ask you something—" He hesitated, and then pulled her into the empty classroom.
"It's about Edward—I know this sound crazy, but I've been talking to his snake, and—um-- Ginny. I know it's none of my business, but—I wish—" He took her hand in his. His hand was so warm—so comforting. He brought his other hand up around hers completely encasing her hands in his. He stood for a moment, saying nothing, just looking at her. "I hope that you and he aren't—um—well—er" He took a step closer to her. "And you and he aren't—are you--, a couple?"
"We're friends Harry. That's all," said Ginny.
He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "So, that's all there is between you and Edward—um—friendship?"
"Sure. Right now, anyway." Ginny nervously brushed back non-existent wisps of hair from her face with her free hand. She was acutely aware that Harry Potter, her one time crush was standing just inches away. They were in an empty classroom and he had just asked her if she was part of a couple. The air was electrified. Harry edged a bit closer to her, and then put one hand on her arm, sliding it up beneath her hair at the nape of her neck.. Omygosh, he was going to kiss her. Ginny had imagined this moment since she was eleven. "Ginny," he whispered and his lips, soft and warm brushed against hers.
She had imagined this moment forever. Now that it was here, she found herself far away in her memories of it. She had written of this moment to Tom.
"I wish Harry would kiss me. I could just imagine—"
"What do you imagine, Ginny?"
"What it would feel like to have him kiss me—and me to kiss him back—"
"Tell me," said Tom.
"I—can't."
"He's a year older than you," said Tom. "Let me help you—You don't want him to think you are just a little girl--"
She wrote nothing, staring at what Tom had written, thinking at least the words sunk into the parchment and no one would know she was having this conversation.
"Ginny? Are you still there?" wrote Tom.
"Yes."
"Put up the privacy ward."
"OK."
Ginny put up the ward, but didn't write anything else in the diary.
"Ginny Love?"
"Yes, Tom. I'm still here."
"Is the privacy ward up?"
"Yes."
"This spell needs something of yours— saliva should work."
"Which spell, Tom?"
"Didn't I tell you I would need something of yours to escape the diary."
"Yes, but—this—"
"Would your prefer blood? That would work too," wrote Tom.
She had slammed the diary shut, but after a while, she opened it again.
Ginny whimpered, remembering.
"Ginny?" Harry's voice interrupted her musings. He was still holding her in his arms. "You're shivering."
"I know," she said, turning her gaze on him. Harry met her gaze with another kiss—a warm, chaste kiss that did nothing to quench the burning tangle of emotions that thinking of Tom had unleashed. She wanted to run. She wanted something more--to take the kiss to the next level. She wanted to share her magic with him.
"No don't," Tom warned.
"Jealous Tom?"
"No. Well, yes, actually, but—I think your magic—ours and Salazar's may affect his scar—"
"No," thought Ginny horrified. "That's not fair!" She buried her face on Harry's shoulder, trying not to cry, thinking, "Not fair--Not fair—" the warmth of Harry's hug finally bringing her back to the moment.
"I'm glad you and Edward aren't a couple," Harry said softy, keeping his hands properly at her waist.
Ginny shifted away, reaching out and interlaced her fingers in his. "Let's go to supper," she said.
"Sure."
They walked into the crowded Great Hall together and looked for Ron and Hermione. Once they had filled their plates, Hermione leaned close to them.
"Ron and I were just talking," she said. "We should go to the Chamber tonight."
"Tonight?" said Ginny. "I thought you didn't want to go at night."
"Well, like you said, there aren't any windows, so I guess it doesn't matter, when, and we should break those eggs as soon as we can."
Hermione's words sent a flash of physical pain through her. Nothing can happen to those eggs! She thought, but it was good to go tonight. Then she could get the eggs back to their natural hatching ground tomorrow. "Yes," she agreed. "Let's go tonight, right after supper."
"You're sure you're feeling up to it, Ginny?" asked Harry, reaching for her hand, but she lifted her hand away and pushed back her hair with it.
"I'm fine," said Ginny.
"No you're not. You're under imperio, Ginny Love. That doesn't sound fine to me."
==
The little group decided to use the bathroom between Slytherin and Hufflepuff instead of Myrtle's bathroom, because the ghosts were in Myrtle's bathroom. They could hear Peeves reciting poetry in a sing-song voice outside of the Great Hall.
Ginny froze, listening.
There once was a girl who spoke snake
Who attended her very own wake
'Cause she doesn't dread
The voice in her head
And no doubt that will be her mistake.
That is the worst limerick I've ever heard," said Hermione.
"What do you expect, Hermione," asked Ron. "with Peeves as the poet?"
"But the tense is all confused—"
"Hermione," said Ron, hurrying her forward to catch up with Harry. "Who cares? Come on Ginny," Ron called over his shoulder.
Ginny was still standing in the corridor staring after Peeves.
"The other bathroom will be better anyway," said Harry. "We won't need brooms to get out."
"Brooms?" said Ginny, but Tom hushed her.
"I don't think he really knows how the Chamber works, Ginny Love. There's no need to tell him right now. You need to learn how to keep secrets."
"No, Tom," thought Ginny. "I have too many secrets to keep." She hesitated. "Tom? Did you hear Peeves. Just now?"
"He never liked me much, Ginny Love. I wouldn't count on his poems being the truth where I'm concerned."
"But—"
"Oh come on Ginny," said Tom. "He tells the truth when it suits him and he lies when it suits him. He tried to convince the whole school that Harry Potter was the heir of Slytherin! Remember? Potter, you rotter—"
"OK, you're right," she thought. "But I don't like the idea of my wake—It's just--" she shivered.
"Giving you the heebie geebies?" asked Tom. He gave a mental shrug. "Well, obviously it's not really your funeral if you're attending it."
Ginny sighed, thinking, not if I'm a ghost, and tried to put her morbid thoughts behind her.
"You worry too much," scolded Tom.
When they got to the bathroom, Ginny and Harry looked at each other self-consciously. "You open it, Harry," said Ginny and he nodded.
Kneeling down at a rather awkward angle, he looked at the snake under the tap, and hissed, "Open!"
The sink moved aside, revealing a dark, dank tunnel and Ginny started to sweat. "Go ahead, I'm coming," she said motioning the others forward, but Harry grasped her hand tightly in his.
"I told you, you won't have to be alone in the Chamber and I meant it," he said. "Lumos!"
The foursome proceeded down the long winding staircase and through a corridor, before Harry asked, "Which way to the hatching ground?"
"Just ahead," Ginny answered, as they came to a set of twin, stone basilisks guarding a door.
"Open," Ginny hissed automatically, and the serpents greeted her.
"Good evening, Mistress," hissed the basilisks in parseltongue, as the door slid open. "Ahh-we see you have found the other Speaker. He is a better mate for you than—"
"Silence!" Hissed Ginny abruptly, a blush covering her face in the dim wandlight.
Tom's amusement did nothing for Ginny's embarrassment. "See," said Tom. "The serpents agree with me. Edward is no good for you, Ginny Love.
"What did the snakes say?" asked Ron.
"Nothing," said Harry and Ginny together, Ginny blushing furiously.
Tom's mirth was making it hard for her to think. "Sorry," she hissed to Harry.
"Don't worry about it," said Harry, his voice a soft hiss. "It seems like everyone is trying to fix me up with someone—" He smiled at her.
"But basilisks?" she answered, again in parseltongue and they both started to laugh.
"Stone basilisks, no less," cried Tom, howling with laughter.
"Shut up, Tom. I can't think with you laughing."
"Think?" Tom laughed, his amusement blocking out all other thoughts. "You want to think now? When did you take up that pass-time, Ginny Love?"
"Why are they speaking in parseltongue?" wondered Ron.
"It's a good thing," said Hermione. "They obviously didn't want us to hear."
"Why?" wondered Ron.
"It's called privacy—"
Tom started laughing all over again. Ginny—Ginny—they think you have privacy!
"Yeah? What's that?" asked Ron, putting his arm around Hermione.
"The basilisks called you mistress," said Harry softly. "And with me, they didn't want to let Ron and Hermione through."
"I told you," Ginny replied. "I was here a lot. It's this way--Down this corridor and through a door—"
"Ginny," whispered Harry. "We're speaking in parseltongue."
"Oh, sorry. It's just down this corridor and through a door," she repeated in English, for Ron and Hermione's benefit. "When you are here alone for very long, speaking to the snakes doesn't sound like such a weird idea."
"Either that," said Harry "or the place is enchanted to prefer parseltongue—"
"Oh, it's enchanted to do a lot of things," agreed Ginny. "I just want to get out of here as soon as we check to see if the hatching ground is—"
She paused to lift the ward and open the door to a vast sandy expanse. The room was tidy and the sand swept.
"Empty," finished Ginny, moving aside to let the trio inspect the hatching grounds.
"Potions room," urged Tom.
"Shut up, Tom," thought Ginny.
"Could they have hatched already?" asked Ron hesitantly.
"I don't think so," said Harry. "Unless Voldemort possessed someone before Quirrel."
"You're right, Harry," said Hermione. "There are too many ingredients, and too many of them are obscure. I don't think Quirrel could have put the potion together before October."
"Let's show them the potions room, Ginny."
"Hermione saw it already, Tom."
"It's a wonder Quirrel could do it at all," said Ron. "Werewolves, and Dragons and –"
"He did have a dragon egg though," said Harry.
"Norbert!" said Hermione. "But what about the werewolves? The blood had to be collected for three consecutive months—" Hermione shook her head. "They would have to still be eggs. Would Voldemort have taken them anywhere else?"
"Yes, the potions room," added Tom.
"No," said Harry and Ginny together. "This is the best place for them to hatch," Ginny added.
"So, there were no eggs after all," mused Ron.
"I was so sure," said Harry as they climbed the stairs back up to the bathroom. "I really thought there would be eggs."
"To tell the truth, Harry," said Ginny. "I thought I knew something about that potion, too. I'm relieved that this little trip is over though—"
"Me too," said Hermione, as she and Ron climbed the last of the stairs.
'You really don't think there is any chance that You-know-who got to them first, do you?" asked Ron.
"I don't see how," said Ginny. "I mean, he would need a student wouldn't he? Besides, Dumbledore is the only wizard that He ever feared, and the Chamber is right under Dumbledore's nose."
"There is that," agreed Harry. They discussed what they knew of the prophecies and their homework as they climbed to Gryffindor Tower.
"What a trek!" complained Ron as they reached the portrait hole. "Puppy Puffs," said Ron.
"Did you think of that password?" asked Harry.
"Yes," said Hermione. "I wanted something easy that Neville would remember. Of course, he's doing a lot better these days—"
The Fat Lady opened the door and they were greeted by the sound of Fred and George trying to console Beatrice, Beatrice crying and Samara threatening to curse the two twins into oblivion.
"What happened?" asked Hermione as they entered the Gryffindor Common Room.
Beatrice raised her face out of her hands and looked at Hermione. It was covered with purple spots and a light dusting of bright violet hairs.
"Fred and George!" said Ginny in a low angry voice that would have rivaled Mrs. Weasley's. "You fix her this instant." Behind her Ginny heard a soft snort, and she elbowed Ron in the ribs causing his snort to turn into outright laughter.
Samara whirled on Ron removing his mouth entirely from his face.
"That was uncalled for," snapped Hermione. "Ron didn't do anything to Beatrice."
Samara, turned, wand drawn, glaring at Hermione,
"Don't even think of it," said Hermione, her own wand in her hand, and her eyes flashing fire.
"Everyone calm down," said Harry, stepping between Hermione and Samara. "Fred and George if this is your joke, I think it's time for the antidote, and Samara, I think Ron can control his laughter now."
"It wasn't a joke," said Fred
"And we don't have an antidote," said George.
"She wanted some of our make-up potion, and apparently something in it reacted with her skin." Said Fred.
"We've never seen anything like it," added George. "She must have some kind of sensitive skin. We don't know why she turned purple."
"And until we know why, we can't turn her back," said Fred.
Ron tapped Samara on the shoulder, and she frowned at him for a moment before re-creating his mouth.
He rubbed his face a moment, as if to be sure all the parts were there before he spoke. "What is in this potion?" asked Ron.
"Lacewing flies, leeches, fluxweed and knotgrass " said Fred.
"Horn of bicorn, and skin of boomslang," added George.
Harry interrupted, "It sounds a lot like—"
"Polyjuice potion," Ron and Hermione finished.
"And Beatrice is an animagus," said Hermione. Come on." Hermione took Beatrice by the hand and started to lead her out of Gryffindor Tower.
"No!" she shrieked. "I don't want anyone to see me."
"Pulchra facies," said Samara, but the glamour charm did absolutely nothing. She tried, "Dissimulatum aspectum." Again, Beatrice's skin remained the same.
"I'll be right back," said Harry, sprinting up the stairs.
"Beatrice," said Hermione. "If you let these clowns try to fix this, you might be stuck purple forever. Madam Pomfrey managed to change me back from catwoman in second year. She can fix this."
"Who are you calling clowns," said Fred.
'You," replied Samara, changing Fred's face into a white skinned, red nosed, sad clown. His red hair stuck up at odd angles. She swiveled to George, but he blocked.
"Oh no, you don't," he said to Samara, but another spell came from the doorway, changing his face into a clown identical to his brother's.
Samara glanced over to the doorway to see who had sent the spell.
Hermione was grinning at her, but her grin faded as she looked back at Beatrice. "You better hope Madam Pomfrey can fix Beatrice's face," she said to Fred and George as she pulled Beatrice towards the door. "And in the meantime, don't give any of your make-up potion to animagi. It might turn into a permanent joke."
Beatrice let out a small sob.
"Wait," said Harry. He pressed a small, silky bundle into Hermione's hand. As it unfolded, her hand disappeared. "Don't let anyone see it," he whispered, gesturing to the people in the room. "Except for us."
"See what?" said Samara.
"This," said Hermione, pulling the Invisibility cloak over Beatrice. "Come on Beatrice. Let's go."
"I'm coming with you," said Samara hurrying after Beatrice and Hermione.
==
"I guess we could have them test it on a small portion of their skin," said Fred.
"Maybe they could try it on their arm or something, before they put it on their whole face," said George.
Neville, Lou and Joe came into the common room and glanced around at the room's occupants.
"Who are the clowns?" Neville whispered to Harry.
"Fred and George," he answered.
"Oh, wicked!" said Joe. "Is that what you finally did with your make up potion? So how much is it for a clown face?"
"A-h-h-h," Fred looked at George.
"We have to perfect it a little," said George.
"It should be done some time this week," Said Fred.
"Before the Slytherin-Gryffindor game?" asked Joe hopefully.
"Oh, Yeah," said George.
"We should definitely have it done by then," said Fred.
"So they want students to try this potion on their arm—their inner arm," Tom said. "I wonder—Ginny, we have to try something—"
"What Tom?"
"Your brothers' potion. If it works, I think we've found a solution to that ugly mark on your arm.
"Tom, you're a genius!"
"So I've been told."
==
For the third time this weekend, Ginny prepared herself to go into the Chamber of Secrets—this time—alone.
"Ahh--Ginny Love, you aren't alone. I'm with you," said Tom.
"You were with me—before. It doesn't make me feel very confident."
"Well, why don't you just hit the sack then. The eggs should be fine in the potions room."
"Hit what?," said Ginny, nervously twisting her robe.
"Go to bed—"
"No," said Ginny miserably. "They are safer in the hatching ground. They cannot be found by Harry Potter there, and the temperature and humidity are better regulated for them—"
"Ginny, you are under imperio. Can't you at least try to fight it?"
"I am, Tom. I'm trying. I'm going to go through the kitchen."
"Do you think that your twin brothers will stop you? They won't. They never stopped you in first year. They don't even see you, Ginny Love. Remember what you wrote about them in the diary--"
"Don't," interrupted Ginny as she stepped out into the darkened corridor. "I know," she whispered. It was a little after midnight. Everything was quiet.
"That wasn't me, Ginny Love," said Tom. "That said—the things--about your brothers—"
Ginny was silent. "I know," she said at last. "I know it wasn't your writing." She used the tunnel, hurrying to get to the picture of the bowl of fruit.
"I thought you didn't like the tunnel," said Tom.
"I don't; but you do."
"You went that way because I like it?" asked Tom.
"It is quicker, and no chance of meeting Filch."
"Well, that's what I always thought. No use antagonizing the squib," said Tom. "Are you going to get a snack on the way?"
"I don't think so—"
"Hot chocolate?"
"No."
"Some fruit?"
"No."
"Talk to the house elves?"
"No."
"Ginny, you aren't fighting the imperio. You aren't even delaying it."
"Tom, there's no point. No one is going to stop me and send me back to my room. I'm just going to hurry up and take care of the eggs and then we can go to bed—"
"I wish," muttered Tom and the thought that flashed by was decidedly sexual, bringing to Ginny's mind their moments of shared magic.
"Tom?" Ginny paused, but the imperio would not allow her thoughts to linger. She kept walking, and her attention was drawn back to the Chamber, and the eggs.
"And Tom was uncomfortably silent, burying the brief thought in images of Ginny fighting the imperio and smashing the eggs after all."
Ginny tickled the pear and entered the kitchen.
"Miss Ginny," exclaimed one of the house elves that she didn't recognize. "How may Mickam serve?"
"Just a piece of fruit—anything," Ginny said dismissively. She eyed the Hogwart's towel around the house elf and wasn't sure if he knew about the entrance to the Chamber here. She wasn't sure she wanted to tell him if he didn't know.
"Which fruit?" Mickam questioned.
"Whatever you have," said Ginny. "A pear? Grapes? An Orange? Something here. At Hogwarts. Don't disapparate to the continent to get it—"
"We have them all," said Mickam. "Mickam will—"
"No," interrupted Ginny. "Just the pear then."
Mickam went to get the pear and returned with the pear and Winky, who was wringing her hands and crying. She looked like she had just awakened or perhaps she hadn't slept for days. Her eyes were red from crying and her ears looked crumpled and burnt.
Nonetheless, the imperio caused Ginny to take the pear and begin to walk toward the entrance to the Chamber, without inquiring after Winky.
"Winky is bad," she cried. "Winky must be punished. Winky is so sorry. Winky is not sleeping. Winky is shutting her ears in the oven ever since she took Miss Ginny's papers, but—"
"You took them! You took my Quick Quotes Quill notes. Where are they?" Ginny spun around angrily.
"O-O-O-O! Winky is bad. Bad. Bad. Bad." Winky began pounding her head wildly on the table.
"Winky, no," said Ginny.
"Winky should have shut her whole self in the oven and be burnt up with the papers," said Mickam coldly. "Professor Dumbledore would be angry. House elves is not to touch student's work—ever."
"Stop!" shouted Ginny. "You shouldn't have taken my papers, but you've punished yourself enough, Winky." She looked at the other house elf, still holding the pear on the plate. "Mickam," she said. "Go, see that Winky gets to bed, now and no more punishment."
"Yes, Mistress," said Mickam.
Although Ginny wanted to find out why Winky took the papers, the imperio was pushing her forward toward the entrance to the Chamber and she had already wasted enough time. She took the pear and strode forward, speaking in parseltongue before she even reached the sink. The doorway opened. She stepped through and hissed it closed. She took a bite of the pear as she walked. Within ten steps, she was at the basilisk sentry. "Open," she hissed.
"We have missed our mistress," said one of the basilisks, slithering around the pillar.
"Have you?" she replied.
"You didn't miss them, I guess," said Tom.
"No," she replied, but this was her favorite entrance to the Chamber. She knew it well, and didn't bother to light her wand. She could find her way in the dark, although it wasn't completely dark. Firefly plants bloomed up ahead of her. As far as Ginny knew, they were the only plants that would bloom in complete darkness. They did require magic though, and Ginny didn't know how they were spelled to continue to bloom when no one was around to perform the spells. Their tiny blinking lights reminded her of miniature Christmas trees with twinkle lights. She called this, the Corridor of Lights. She followed their path of lights to the room with the statue of Salazar, the room she called the Hall of Eyes because all of the stone snakes and basilisks had gemstones for eyes—or at least they were supposed to have gemstones for eyes. Some of them were missing.
She stood in the center of the room and hissed the words to open the potions room on the other side of the Chamber. She strode forward, carefully bringing the containers with the eggs into the Hall of Eyes and then opening the hatching ground. She took the eggs into the hatching ground and separated them as much as she could in case no one was present at their hatching.
"It won't matter," said Tom. "If no one is present, they will still kill each other. They travel lightening quick even as hatchlings."
Nonetheless, she separated the containers, burying the bottom of the containers in the sand. She looked carefully at the one which she had dropped when she was here with Edward. Although the egg seemed alright, the toad was dying. It's eyes were closed and the skin had peeled off of it exposing parts of its skeleton below.
"Do you think I should enervate it, Tom? I think the toad is unconscious."
"No," said Tom. "Maybe incendio or avada kadavra."
"Tom!"
He sighed. "Leave it alone. You don't know what enervate will do to the egg.
"Maybe you're right," said Ginny. "I shouldn't use magic until after it hatches. Poor thing."
"What? The toad?"
"No. The basilisk," said Ginny.
"Ginny, you are under imperio. I know that's not you talking. You would never feel sorry for a basilisk."
"I felt sorry for you, didn't I?" thought Ginny. "That's what got me in so deep—"
Tom said nothing, but Ginny felt him retreat from her.
"You heard that didn't you?" asked Ginny.
"Yes. I guess you're turning more Slytherin by the minute, Ginny Love. Must be my influence—"
Ginny stopped in the corridor and sighed. "No. Tom," she said. "I would have never said that aloud, but I would have thought it, even before--I'm sorry—" Ginny thought of a number of times when her thoughts had inadvertently traveled to things she would have rather not shared with Tom, and she knew Tom felt the same.
"I guess," replied Tom, "It's going to take some adjustment—hearing each others' thoughts."
"Forget it," she said.
"I don't want to forget it."
==
Please be a responsible reader. REVIEW.
(A/N: Next chapter: How does Snape keep Ginny away from Voldemort? Or does he?)
Answers to Reviewers:
Silverfox1: I loved Greenie. I would never make fun of him. I always expected the book to be Tom's or to belong to some ancestor of Samara. Me too.
Kemenran: To be expelled, she would have to be caught—publicly caught.
Jager : Missed your reviews. Glad you like. Homework? OBLIVIATE! What homework, TEACHER? You didn't give us homework. What? You're the new substitute? Miss Snape? OPPS.
ennui2: About Ginny, actually, you are right, with Lily Evan's Potter's blood, none of the new Slytherin Death Eaters could probably do old magic which required pure blood. However, the Slytherins would still CALL her a pureblood with a Dark Mark, since none of them would want to admit the "taint" they allowed into themselves with the Dark Mark. Tom isn't a pureblood, but although she shares Tom's consciousness and has shared his magic, she has not shared blood. Gryffindors never pull obnoxious pranks. Everything obnoxious comes from those sneaky Slytherins. McGonagall told me. Remember the prophecy is bilinguis. I'll tell Samara that you want to smack some sense into her. But you've talked to her counterpart in real life haven't you? Bright, pretty, talented, and hopelessly blinded by charm and good looks. You also have to remember, if she fights with Draco, since we only see him through her eyes, we lose Draco in this story, and then all the fanfic Draco fans will be out for your blood—
Lots more Ginny/Tom on the way.
Raven173 Glad you like my Harry. This chapter should have pleased you with the bit of Ginny/Harry at the beginning. I don't neglect Ron. He neglects me. Every time I look for him, he's off with Hermione somewhere. Samara? Voices? When? Glad you liked.
Trillium Glad you love Tom. Funny, devious, intelligent, do they come any better? I don't think so. I like him a lot too. Yes. Salazar was writing down another's words.
The Elemental Sorceress: Got a peeve's poem just for you. More's coming.
Reiven Will satisfy your hunger for evilness and gore. READ REIVEN'S FICS. VERY GOOD!
More riddles, more questions. Yep. I hope you don't die of brain overload! Oh dear, I'm sure I had a potion for that somewhere—I'll just send an owl to Madam Pomfrey. I'm sure she can help you. Yes, I said about 50 chapters and a sequel, but I don't think this is going to be done in 50, maybe 55-57??. I cut a couple in half though, so that increased the number of chapters. I have a lot written and I have to figure out where is a logical place to put a chapter break. The sequel is already in the works, so it will begin immediately after this one.
i can not tell you who i am : No need. I know who you are. This is the "seers' truth" after all, Liz.
Crystal Megan
LOL! That put a smirk on my face. Love those smirks. You wrote, my quote: *Oh, Ginny Love, just when I thought you were all mine—" That was funny, too, but I got the impression that Tom was just mocking Ginny, and not being serious about the comment. *He was mocking, but remember he's also 16, and the selection of girls in Ginny's head is severely limited, so I think he was half serious too, but didn't want Ginny to think that he was. Rejection would be really rough. Where could he go?
Eizoku Glad you liked. You wondered what Severus will do to Edward? Me too. I think I'll leave that to your imagination though--