A/N: Eeeek! I finally finished chapter 16! I'm so excited because
I've decided that Ch. 17 will be the final chapter! Thank you so much to
those of you have reviewed so far. If you'd like, review again! It means a
lot to me. I know this isn't the best story in the world, and god knows how
many stories I've read without reviewing, but please....anybody review.
It's sad to spend so much time on something like this and not know what
people are thinking! Well anyway, this chapter is kind of happy...kind of
sad. Will their ever be a H/G hookup?! *gasp* Hope you all enjoy this
chapter. I worked pretty hard on it (even though some of it ends kind of
abruptly I'll admit, and maybe is even a bit pointless and crappily
written, but i try!). Happy reading!
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"I....am.....scared...." Ginny muttered under her breath. Bonnie laughed and patted her on the back.
"Yeah, well we all are. Even Gordon, and he doesn't scare easily. Trust me, I've tried." she said and grinned, but her hand was shaking. It was the Quidditch final at Hogwarts: Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw. Surprisingly, Slytherin was last in quidditch standings and house cup standings. This gave Ravenclaw their chance to shine. Harry gripped his broom and stared at his team in the changing room.
" God I hope we win this. I am such a bad captain..." Harry said, sweat already forming on his forehead. Ron's eyes were filled with worry but he stood up tall next to Harry.
"Nonsense. You're a great Captain. Even stricter than Angelina was last year, god save us. Just don't worry about us and do your job catching that snitch. Cho's determined to give her team the win since it's her last game here at Hogwarts." Ron said straightening his robes. Harry's heart did a backflip at the thought of having to face Cho when she was so determined to win. One thing was for sure, he'd have to be even more determined to win for his team. He was captain now! He couldn't let them down! He took a deep breath and looked around at all their smiling faces. Gordon was squeezing Bonnie's hand, Thomas and Lindsay (the beaters) were practicing swinging, and Ginny was biting her nails as she stared off into space. 'Way to hold it together' Harry thought. He was as happy as ever to have Ron by his side. Ron was always by his side, and sometimes he took that for granted. They could all hear the sounds of the stands shouting out their choice of team. Every Gryffindor in the stands was hooting and hollering, same as Ravenclaw was for their own team. The Slytherins, since they had such a negative history with Gryffindors, were favoring the Ravenclaws as well, though they were all wearing badges that read ' Malfoy For Headmaster '. It was amazing how much support they gave him even though he had deserted them all. The Hufflepuffs were practically divided in half for days until most decided to be in favor of Gryffindor. This was due (in large part) to the fact that Harry Potter was on the team. He was quite popular, even if he chose to not notice. Harry looked at the clock on the wall. It was time.
"I believe that's our cue! Lead us to victory Captain Potter!" Bonnie yelled as she jumped up and saluted him. He blushed and motioned for the rest of the team to follow him onto the pitch. The Gryffindor Team soared into the sky on their broomsticks, circling the pitch and waving at their supporters. A moment later the Ravenclaw team was doing the same. Cho felt the need to hurl as she saw the signs with her name plastered on them. So much pressure was on everyone! Harry gave her a smile for comfort as they took their positions across from each other.
" Prepare to lose..." she said quietly, lacking confidence. Harry only smiled wider and gave a slight nod in her direction. She shook on her broom as Madam Hooch appeared in the center of the pitch below them. Harry had never really noticed how high up he was....
" I expect a fair game, though I guess I won't have to worry so much with the Slytherins off in the stands and not in the game. Stop snickering Ron Weasley and get in position! Is everyone ready?" she asked as the clocked ticked down to the game's start. They all nodded and wished their opponents luck. The whistle was blown and the quaffle released. Ginny was off in a flash. Harry sped off to a new position; the snitch was nowhere! He could hear the announcer's voice ringing through his ears.
' Ginny Weasley scores. 10 points to Gryffindor. Ravenclaw has possession! Oh! Gordon Matize steals the quaffle and is off!'
Cho dove downward and Harry quickly looked down where she was. It was a trick, he could tell their was no snitch. Cho was known for her diversion tactics. He thought he saw a glimmer of gold by the Ravenclaw hoops, but in another instant it was gone. He listened in as he heard Lindsay scream.
"Damn Bludger got me in the leg! Don't worry about it Thomas! I don't need my leg to swing!" she shouted and zoomed off again. Harry let out a sigh of relief and zoomed off toward the stands. He noticed Hermione was watching Ron like a hawk, once in awhile glancing up at Harry himself, hoping he would be chasing the snitch.
' Great block by Ron Weasley of Gryffindor! Bonnie Hashcrow has possession.....passes to Gordon Matize!'
Harry searched frantically for Cho. She was hovering low to the ground and searching for the snitch. Harry doged a bludger on his left as Thomas zoomed by.
"Sorry Harry! Got this one. Find that snitch!" he yelled and was gone again. Quite a bit of time passed and still no snitch sighting for either team. Though Harry could have sworn it was right under Cho's broom at one point during the game.
'Rough match this is.... 50 for Gryffindor and 60 for Ravenclaw...'
Harry pretended to see the snitch and dove as fast as he could to the ground, pulling up at the last moment. His plan worked. He turned to see Cho rolling off her broom and onto the ground. He quickly zoomed back up into the sky before she could catch up. Harry's heart stopped. The snitch was by the Slytherins! He took off in a flash. He quickly spun around as he saw the bludger headed straight for him. Lindsay swept over his head. He quickly looked up to find Cho behind him again, her arms stretched out in front of her. The snitch fluttered off toward the professors in the stands. Harry felt his broom lurch forward with more speed. Cho was lagging behind, but not by much! He inched forward on his broom and grabbed with his hand. He felt his fingers close around the snitch as he dropped into the stands, eventually rolling down the seats and knocking Professor Snape in the head. He felt himself drop down onto the pitch below. Cho was on the ground beside him holding back tears as he held up the snitch. Ginny and Ron were running to him as fast as they could. Ron threw hinmself down next to Harry with a huge grin.
"You did it! God I could kiss you!" he screamed. Ginny frowned and Harry laughed, though his sides hurt.
"Heh..please don't." he replied and closed his eyes. The Gryffindor team swarmed around him and helped him up, patting his back and shouting their praises. Harry left the group for a moment, walking over to where Cho was staring blankly up into the sky.
"Cho?" he said softly. She looked at him and sniffled. She pulled him in for a hug and held tight. Harry felt a bit uncomfortable, but spoke anyway.
"Um, you played a good game Cho. I'm sorry that...you know..it..didn't end up how you would want it to." Harry apologized. He heard Cho sniffle into his robes and cough.
"Yeah, well who can beat Harry Potter? I'm going to miss you so much! I'm leaving Harry!" she said and started to cry. Ginny felt her heart break as she watched the two of them. Ron put his hand on her shoulder.
"Hey Gin, we won! Smile for god's sake!" He said and put his arm around her. Ginny gave a small laugh and looked up at him.
"I'm happy.....really. Just um, in shock." she lied. Ron kissed her cheek and ran off to talk to Hermione. Harry pulled away from Cho slowly.
"I'll miss you too Cho. You're a good....friend." he said nervously. Cho frowned and wiped her tears with her sleeve.
"Yeah, I know. You are too. I guess this is it, huh? I mean, for me anyway." she said sadly. Harry shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck.
"You'll be ok Cho," he said simply. She sighed and looked at him silently for awhile.
" Goodbye Harry. I hope things start going better for you...and...well....enjoy your last year at Hogwarts." she said as she turned away.
"Thank you Cho." he called after her. She turned and smiled before disappearing. Harry shivered as he felt a hand touch his arm. Ginny stood beside him with a small smile.
"Cho looked upset," she said. Harry only nodded grimly. He smiled down at her and gave her a hug. This one lasted even longer than his embrace with Cho had. Ginny felt just a little more special for a minute and felt her joy return to her.
" I'm glad to see you. Little miss star chaser.." he said with a chuckle. She blushed and shuffled her feet.
"Yeah, well.... not really. You did the fantastic dive for the snitch. I'd watch out for Snape for the last bit of the year though. He looks pretty angry with that lump you gave him when you kicked him in the head..." Ginny responded with a sly smile. Harry bit his lip and looked over at the emptying stands. Snape was yelling and waving his arms about at McGonagall who was standing with her arms crossed and her face firm. Harry shook his head and turned back to Ginny.
" Well, we won. So what do we do now?" Harry asked. Ginny sighed and scratched her head.
" Party? Of course in the common room. I heard Fred and George paid the houselves to give us extra sweets if we won the game. They were pretty mad mum wouldn't let them come to watch the match..." Ginny answered.
"Perfect. Lets go." Harry said heading off toward the castle. Chants of ' Gryffindor!' and ' Go Harry! ' and ' Weasley is our King!' echoed across the grounds. Life was good.
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A few days later Ginny was shocked to find Cho tapping her on the shoulder. She smiled shyly at the older girl who was twisting her hair around her finger.
"Um.. you're Ginny Weasley, right?" she asked. Ginny smiled nervously.
"Yeah. Uh, you're Cho Chang..." Ginny answered. Cho nodded and pulled Ginny aside.
"Do you mind if I talk to you for a minute?" she asked. Ginny shook her head 'no' and listened as Cho cleared her throat.
"Well, I wanted to talk to you about Harry Potter..." she said nervously. Ginny felt her stomach drop to her feet. She leaned her body up against the wall in the corridor.
"Right, well.. I know you liked him and everything..." Ginny started to say, but Cho laughed and shook her head.
"That's true, I did...but I'm dating Gaven Hashcrow now. He's really nice and I'm happy with him." Cho said happily and smiled brightly.
"Oh..." Ginny replied and blushed with embarassment. ' I wonder when he broke up with Susan....' Ginny thought, but quickly pushed it out of her mind. Cho didn't like Harry!
"I wanted to talk to you about Harry because I think he likes you, and I wanted to let you know that I think you should talk to him...do you like him?" she asked Ginny as she tucked her hair behind her ear. Ginny bit her lip and wondered if what Cho was saying was truthful. Gaven had broken up with Susan Bones....but was Cho really dating him? Was she just trying to get information out of Ginny? ' That's crazy! She's not a Slytherin!' Ginny thought to herself.
" Oh gosh..... well yes. I've liked Harry since....forever..." Ginny answered truthfully. Cho clapped her hands excitedly.
"That's great! That's even longer than me. Well, anyway, I think you should tell him! I mean, I just want to see Harry happy before I go, you know? I did like him before....and I do consider him a friend...." Cho told Ginny. Ginny sighed and looked down at her feet.
"I would, but I just don't think he likes me that way. He never has. I mean, he's my older brother's best friend! Anyway, Harry's got so much to deal with..me having a crush on him would just put more stress on him!" Ginny stated sadly. Cho shook her head.
"Well, I have to get to class. I just thought I'd let you know what I thought. He's always looking at you in that...way, you know? Well....bye Ginny." she said and waved. Ginny let out a long sigh and looked to where Cho had just left. ' It's not true...just...let it go...' she thought to herself and headed back to the common room.
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"Ginny....Ginny...GINNY!" Bonnie yelled to get Ginny's attention. Ginny snapped out of the daze she was in and looked at Bonnie as if to say 'Can I help you?'. Bonnie smiled and looked down at Ginny's elbow. Ginny let out a small squeal and quickly wiped the butter off of her sleeve.
"Gosh! That's the second time I've done that when I was.....uh, nevermind. I'm such a twit." Ginny said, embarassed, and shook her arm to try and dry the wet spot on her elbow. Bonnie smiled knowingly and continued to eat her toast. Harry was fascinated and watched Ginny as she cleaned up.
"Your sister is over me, right?" he asked Ron suddenly. Ron stopped talking about the recent Gryffindor win with Hermione and turned to face his friend.
" That's what she said over the summer. Why do you ask?" Ron asked curiously. Harry nervously looked down at his plate and cleared his throat.
"I was just curious.....since she put her elbow in the butter dish again. I mean, I just remembered that one time.....nevermind," Harry said groggily and moved his fork about. Hermione grinned and nudged Ron. Ron kissed her temple and looked down to where Ginny was also playing with her food.
"A bit sad really, isn't it?" Ron asked Hermione in a whisper. Hermione chuckled and rolled her eyes.
"I guess you could say that, but Harry's a stick in the mud and poor Ginny... it doesn't matter. What are we going to do about today?" she asked him. Ron shrugged and looked around the Gryffindor table.
"Last Hogsmeade trip. I guess we shouldn't go alone again Hermione. I think we should probably spend the time with our friends. Harry's been a bit more quiet than usual lately anyway..." Ron suggested and took a bite of his muffin. Hermione sighed and nodded in agreement.
"Hey Harry.. would you like to go on the last Hogsmeade trip? Ron, Neville, Luna and I are all going together. It would be great if you'd come along," Hermione said to the distracted boy. Harry looked up from the table and shrugged.
"I guess that'd be ok. I haven't been to Hogsmeade in awhile, not to mention all the catching up I have to do with you two," Harry responded with a small smile. Hermione beamed and took a sip of her orange juice.
"That's great. I know you probably don't need to do anymore catching up with Ginny, but invite her and her friends along too if you wouldn't mind. Hermione and I have some studying to do for exams." Ron said with a wink before getting up from the table. Harry's face became a bit flushed, but he waved the two of them goodbye and slid down the table next to Ginny.
"Hey Gin," he greeted when she noticed he was bside her. She choked a bit on her drink and smiled meekily.
"Oh..hi Harry.." she said quietly. Bonnie was laughing to herself and turning away once in awhile to catch her breath.
"Well today's the last Hogsmeade trip and I was wondering if you were going..." Harry said scratching his head. Bonnie laughed again and covered her mouth to silence herself.
"Well, yes... I was planning on it..." Ginny answered, a bit uncomfortable. Harry smiled and sighed before continuing.
"That's great. Well Ron, Hermione, Luna, Neville and I are all going..and I was wondering if you, Bonnie, and Gordon would like to join us?" he asked. Bonnie frowned and snapped her fingers. 'So close!' she thought to herself. Ginny still hadn't answered, so Bonnie spoke up for her.
"We'd all be delighted to come along with you. We'll meet you at the Three Broomsticks when we first arrive." Bonnie answered.
"Yeah, that sounds good," Ginny added a minute later. Harry nodded and clamped his hands together.
"Ooookay then. I'll see you there," he said happily and headed out of the Great Hall. Ginny sighed with relief when he was finally out of sight.
"Don't say a word," she warned Bonnie and shot her a glance. Bonnie threw her hands up in defeat and continued on with her breakfast.
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"Oooo! Lets go to the Shrieking Shack!" Gordon suggested excitedly. Harry, Ron, and Hermione's eyes all grew wide in fear.
"No, no! Gordon, I really don't think that we need to amuse ourselves with silly superstitions about a silly old shack. Why don't we go to Zonkos instead?" Hermione suggested.
"HEY!" Ron and Ginny yelled at the same time. Hermione threw her hands up, exasperated.
"I think it would be quite an experience to see the Shrieking Shack up close. My father published an article about it once and how one student actually became possessed by one of the howling gouls that lives up there. They say that she terrorizes all of her relatives at night and will only be let go of her curse if someone brings her a fizzing-whizbee. Oh! Do you think we could bring her one?" Luna rambled on as she kicked pebbles around with her feet. Bonnie looked at her quizically and grabbed hold of Ron's arm.
"Is she always this strange?" she asked him in a whisper. Ron smirked and chuckled to himself.
"I think so Bonnie. I think so." he answered. Bonnie shrugged and linked her arm with Gordon's.
"Well I'm with Gordon on this one. We've got nothing to lose! I say we see what's up there!" she yelled excitedly. He smiled at her and gave a smug glance to the others. Luna bounced up and down.
"I want to go! Don't you, Neville? Neville's really brave. Did you see him in the department of mysteries?" she asked no one in particular. Harry gulped at the memory of things that happened there. Neville grinned sheepishly and shuffled his feet.
"I go where Luna goes," he said joining the others. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny looked about hesitantly.
"You guys go ahead, I'll stay close by, but I'm not going up there." Harry said quickly. Gordon frowned and shook his head.
"I don't get it, mate. You're the bravest student Hogwarts has ever seen! You're afraid of the Shrieking Shack?" he asked in confusion. Harry sighed and rubbed his temples.
"Look, Gordon, I'm not afraid of the Shrieking Shack. In fact, I've been inside it before. It brings up some painful memories I don't want to relive. Is that a good enough explanation for you?" Harry asked with a tired voice.
"I'm sorry Harry. I didn't know. You can stay behind. If you hear anything, come right away." Gordon stated as the 4 walked away. Ginny shook her head.
"Don't see the point in it really. Who cares what's up on that stupid hill?" Ginny asked her brother and two remaining friends. Hermione just tutted as she normally did and watched them walk off. It wasn't until the sky grew dark that Harry began to worry. His scar was starting to tingle and he had an odd sort of suspicion that something was out of place.
"Guys... I think we should go get them and go back to the castle..." Harry suggested when his nerves got the best of him. Ron raised his eyebrows at him.
"Honestly Harry! Just because of a storm?" he asked, but Hermione and Ginny were already heading towards the shack.
"He's right Ron! Something's a bit off! I think we should get out of here!" Hermione called over her shoulder. Ron trudged behind them as they went, a bit hurt his last Hogsmeade trip of the year would be ruined because of a little rain. The four fell backwards as a flash of grey smoke hit them between the eyes.
"THE DARK MARK!" Ginny yelled and pointed up toward the sky. Harry's scar burned with pain as he looked up at the symbol. Horrible memories flashed through his mind, but he quickly shook them away and helped up his friends.
"You guys? We have to help the others. get your wands ready. Death eaters are here.." he said as calmly as possible.
"I don't get it Harry! Aurors are positioned all through Hogsmeade! Why would they choose to appear here?" Hermione asked. Harry grabbed his wand from his robes and looked around frantically.
"Because I'm here..." he answered simply. Ron shook his head.
"That's no reason harry! They wouldn't be here just for you!" he yelled. Harry whipped around and stared him striaght in the eye.
"Wanna bet?" he asked. Ron trembled with fear and shook his head 'no'. They all followed closely behind Harry.
Four people hooded in dark cloaks came flying out at them suddenly.
"Stupefy!" Hermione shouted quickly, knocking one of them backwards.
"Find the others and get back to the castle!" Harry shouted to Ron. Ron nodded and ran off quickly. Two dementors appeared by the side of the death eaters. Hermione froze as a dementor bent closer to her.
"Think good thoughts Hermione!" Ginny shouted, a tear in her eye. Hermione quivered and sent a spark of silver up out of her wand. Now was not the time to choke!
"Do not try to fight us, Potter!" one called out above the fighting. Harry sent his stag toward the other dementor quickly. He did not bother to listen. He quickly dodged a beam of red light and tumbled to the ground.
"Kill these two, but spare Potter! The Dark Lord wants to do it himself!" another called out. Harry's eyes narrowed.
"Voldemort will NEVER kill me!" he shouted loud for all of them to hear. They quickly shot spells at him. Hermione knocked another backwards and Ginny screamed.
" Expelliarmus!" she cried as a death eater came near her. The death eater quickly re-grabbed their wand and knocked Ginny off her feet.
"Crucio!" they yelled at her. Ginny writhed in pain on the ground. Harry acted quickly.
"Accio Wand!" he cried. The Death Eater's wand flew into his hand and Harry quickly snapped it in half. The death eater yelled in frustration and threw back his hood.
"You'll regret that Potter!" Draco Malfoy yelled angrily. Harry fell to the ground as he was hit with a stunning spell. Ginny punched Draco and ran to help Hermione. Hermione whipped around and saw a death eater mumble "avada kedavra".
"Harry! Watch out!" she screamed. Harry tilted his head just in time, as a green flash sped by him.
"DO NOT KILL THE BOY!!!!" a death eater shouted angrily. Harry had no more time to think. Dumbledore appeared then, surrounded by aurors who had seen the mark. The death eaters scattered everywhere, unorganized and crazed. Harry felt something heavy hit him in the back of the head, and he fell.
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Harry awoke to the oh-so-familar sounds of the Hospital Wing. He lifted his head up to find Ginny in the bed next to him, and the rest of his friends surrounding the two beds.
"Lets go to the shrieking shack you said, it's all in good fun......you said," Bonnie yelled at Gordon, who was hanging his head in shame.
"It's not his fault Bonnie, it's mine," Harry groaned as he sat up in bed. Bonnie sighed and examined Harry closely.
"No it's not. Just because you got hit the head doesn't mean it was your fault. You were the one that stayed behind." Bonnie replied and frowned at Gordon. Harry rolled his eyes.
"None of you understand." he said sadly and looked around him. Ron had his head in his hands.
"God, I'm so tired of these things always happening. I'm gonna become an auror and just....take care of all of 'em." Ron stated. Hermione hugged him.
"Oh Ron, you'd be a great auror!" she said proudly. He blushed and didn't say a word. Ginny sighed and threw off her sheets.
"I just want to get out of here, but Madam Pomfrey...." she said without finishing. Dumbledore appeared between the students and cleared his throat.
"I think you should all go to dinner. Nourishment is what you all need most. I'll inform Madam Pomfrey of the situation." he said calmly. The students left the Hospital Wing and entered the Great Hall silently. ' I wonder why they would come after me like that.... I'll just be back at the Dursleys next weekend.....alone..again...' Harry thought to himself. The entire meal went without sound at the Gryffindor table, until....
"Hey look!" neville shouted and pointed to the ceiling. An owl had flown in through the window and was circling the table above them.
"Wonder what an owl is doing sending messages at this time of day!" Hermione thought aloud. A small envelope dropped in front of Harry and the owl took off again. Harry stared at it bewildered and set down his fork. He didn't move or speak for some time.
"Aren't you going to open it Harry?" Ron asked after awhile. Harry sighed and adjusted his glasses.
"I guess so." he said quietly. 'I wonder who would be sending me mail at a time like this... I never get mail!' Harry thought. He slowly opened the envelope. His heart stopped beating and his jaw dropped in horror as he read the message inside:
' Dear Harry, It's been assigned to me to give you some awful news. I hate to add any more problems into your life, as I consider you like a nephew myself and wish nothing more than for you to be safe. Unfortunately it has come to the Order's attention that a great tradgedy has occured. Friday evening and 2 in the morning, a small group of Death Eaters arrived in Little Whinging. The muggles there had no idea of what was going on until it was too late. Aurors arrived on the scene as quickly as possible and performed memory charms on those who witnessed the event. I'm so sorry to tell you Harry that your Aunt Petunia has passed on. As you know, it will no longer be a necessity to send you to the Dursley's. Your uncle and cousin have moved to Scotland with some relatives. This summer you'll be staying at 12 grimmauld place until we are positive you'll be safe elsewhere. I once again must express my condolances. I'll be waiting for you at the platform in a week. Take care of yourself. I can't bare to lose another.
Remus Lupin '
For a moment Harry did nothing. Eventually, his eyes found their way to where Dumbledore sat. According to the look he was giving Harry, he knew what had happened. What was going to happen now? He was no longer safe! He simply released the letter from his hand and stood up from the table with tremendous force, causing some goblets to spill and silverware to rattle. He turned to run from the Great Hall, but he was stuck. he could feel the invisible force around him holding him back. ' Listen to me Harry' a voice came from inside his head. It was Professor Dumbledore. Harry trembled, but listened carefully. 'Do not do anything rash....' the voice said. Harry just wanted to be alone. ' Please let me go, if you can hear me Professor. Please just let me go.' he thought. As if he had commanded to be let loose aloud, the force let go and Harry ran quickly through the entry way.
Aunt Petunia was dead.
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"I....am.....scared...." Ginny muttered under her breath. Bonnie laughed and patted her on the back.
"Yeah, well we all are. Even Gordon, and he doesn't scare easily. Trust me, I've tried." she said and grinned, but her hand was shaking. It was the Quidditch final at Hogwarts: Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw. Surprisingly, Slytherin was last in quidditch standings and house cup standings. This gave Ravenclaw their chance to shine. Harry gripped his broom and stared at his team in the changing room.
" God I hope we win this. I am such a bad captain..." Harry said, sweat already forming on his forehead. Ron's eyes were filled with worry but he stood up tall next to Harry.
"Nonsense. You're a great Captain. Even stricter than Angelina was last year, god save us. Just don't worry about us and do your job catching that snitch. Cho's determined to give her team the win since it's her last game here at Hogwarts." Ron said straightening his robes. Harry's heart did a backflip at the thought of having to face Cho when she was so determined to win. One thing was for sure, he'd have to be even more determined to win for his team. He was captain now! He couldn't let them down! He took a deep breath and looked around at all their smiling faces. Gordon was squeezing Bonnie's hand, Thomas and Lindsay (the beaters) were practicing swinging, and Ginny was biting her nails as she stared off into space. 'Way to hold it together' Harry thought. He was as happy as ever to have Ron by his side. Ron was always by his side, and sometimes he took that for granted. They could all hear the sounds of the stands shouting out their choice of team. Every Gryffindor in the stands was hooting and hollering, same as Ravenclaw was for their own team. The Slytherins, since they had such a negative history with Gryffindors, were favoring the Ravenclaws as well, though they were all wearing badges that read ' Malfoy For Headmaster '. It was amazing how much support they gave him even though he had deserted them all. The Hufflepuffs were practically divided in half for days until most decided to be in favor of Gryffindor. This was due (in large part) to the fact that Harry Potter was on the team. He was quite popular, even if he chose to not notice. Harry looked at the clock on the wall. It was time.
"I believe that's our cue! Lead us to victory Captain Potter!" Bonnie yelled as she jumped up and saluted him. He blushed and motioned for the rest of the team to follow him onto the pitch. The Gryffindor Team soared into the sky on their broomsticks, circling the pitch and waving at their supporters. A moment later the Ravenclaw team was doing the same. Cho felt the need to hurl as she saw the signs with her name plastered on them. So much pressure was on everyone! Harry gave her a smile for comfort as they took their positions across from each other.
" Prepare to lose..." she said quietly, lacking confidence. Harry only smiled wider and gave a slight nod in her direction. She shook on her broom as Madam Hooch appeared in the center of the pitch below them. Harry had never really noticed how high up he was....
" I expect a fair game, though I guess I won't have to worry so much with the Slytherins off in the stands and not in the game. Stop snickering Ron Weasley and get in position! Is everyone ready?" she asked as the clocked ticked down to the game's start. They all nodded and wished their opponents luck. The whistle was blown and the quaffle released. Ginny was off in a flash. Harry sped off to a new position; the snitch was nowhere! He could hear the announcer's voice ringing through his ears.
' Ginny Weasley scores. 10 points to Gryffindor. Ravenclaw has possession! Oh! Gordon Matize steals the quaffle and is off!'
Cho dove downward and Harry quickly looked down where she was. It was a trick, he could tell their was no snitch. Cho was known for her diversion tactics. He thought he saw a glimmer of gold by the Ravenclaw hoops, but in another instant it was gone. He listened in as he heard Lindsay scream.
"Damn Bludger got me in the leg! Don't worry about it Thomas! I don't need my leg to swing!" she shouted and zoomed off again. Harry let out a sigh of relief and zoomed off toward the stands. He noticed Hermione was watching Ron like a hawk, once in awhile glancing up at Harry himself, hoping he would be chasing the snitch.
' Great block by Ron Weasley of Gryffindor! Bonnie Hashcrow has possession.....passes to Gordon Matize!'
Harry searched frantically for Cho. She was hovering low to the ground and searching for the snitch. Harry doged a bludger on his left as Thomas zoomed by.
"Sorry Harry! Got this one. Find that snitch!" he yelled and was gone again. Quite a bit of time passed and still no snitch sighting for either team. Though Harry could have sworn it was right under Cho's broom at one point during the game.
'Rough match this is.... 50 for Gryffindor and 60 for Ravenclaw...'
Harry pretended to see the snitch and dove as fast as he could to the ground, pulling up at the last moment. His plan worked. He turned to see Cho rolling off her broom and onto the ground. He quickly zoomed back up into the sky before she could catch up. Harry's heart stopped. The snitch was by the Slytherins! He took off in a flash. He quickly spun around as he saw the bludger headed straight for him. Lindsay swept over his head. He quickly looked up to find Cho behind him again, her arms stretched out in front of her. The snitch fluttered off toward the professors in the stands. Harry felt his broom lurch forward with more speed. Cho was lagging behind, but not by much! He inched forward on his broom and grabbed with his hand. He felt his fingers close around the snitch as he dropped into the stands, eventually rolling down the seats and knocking Professor Snape in the head. He felt himself drop down onto the pitch below. Cho was on the ground beside him holding back tears as he held up the snitch. Ginny and Ron were running to him as fast as they could. Ron threw hinmself down next to Harry with a huge grin.
"You did it! God I could kiss you!" he screamed. Ginny frowned and Harry laughed, though his sides hurt.
"Heh..please don't." he replied and closed his eyes. The Gryffindor team swarmed around him and helped him up, patting his back and shouting their praises. Harry left the group for a moment, walking over to where Cho was staring blankly up into the sky.
"Cho?" he said softly. She looked at him and sniffled. She pulled him in for a hug and held tight. Harry felt a bit uncomfortable, but spoke anyway.
"Um, you played a good game Cho. I'm sorry that...you know..it..didn't end up how you would want it to." Harry apologized. He heard Cho sniffle into his robes and cough.
"Yeah, well who can beat Harry Potter? I'm going to miss you so much! I'm leaving Harry!" she said and started to cry. Ginny felt her heart break as she watched the two of them. Ron put his hand on her shoulder.
"Hey Gin, we won! Smile for god's sake!" He said and put his arm around her. Ginny gave a small laugh and looked up at him.
"I'm happy.....really. Just um, in shock." she lied. Ron kissed her cheek and ran off to talk to Hermione. Harry pulled away from Cho slowly.
"I'll miss you too Cho. You're a good....friend." he said nervously. Cho frowned and wiped her tears with her sleeve.
"Yeah, I know. You are too. I guess this is it, huh? I mean, for me anyway." she said sadly. Harry shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck.
"You'll be ok Cho," he said simply. She sighed and looked at him silently for awhile.
" Goodbye Harry. I hope things start going better for you...and...well....enjoy your last year at Hogwarts." she said as she turned away.
"Thank you Cho." he called after her. She turned and smiled before disappearing. Harry shivered as he felt a hand touch his arm. Ginny stood beside him with a small smile.
"Cho looked upset," she said. Harry only nodded grimly. He smiled down at her and gave her a hug. This one lasted even longer than his embrace with Cho had. Ginny felt just a little more special for a minute and felt her joy return to her.
" I'm glad to see you. Little miss star chaser.." he said with a chuckle. She blushed and shuffled her feet.
"Yeah, well.... not really. You did the fantastic dive for the snitch. I'd watch out for Snape for the last bit of the year though. He looks pretty angry with that lump you gave him when you kicked him in the head..." Ginny responded with a sly smile. Harry bit his lip and looked over at the emptying stands. Snape was yelling and waving his arms about at McGonagall who was standing with her arms crossed and her face firm. Harry shook his head and turned back to Ginny.
" Well, we won. So what do we do now?" Harry asked. Ginny sighed and scratched her head.
" Party? Of course in the common room. I heard Fred and George paid the houselves to give us extra sweets if we won the game. They were pretty mad mum wouldn't let them come to watch the match..." Ginny answered.
"Perfect. Lets go." Harry said heading off toward the castle. Chants of ' Gryffindor!' and ' Go Harry! ' and ' Weasley is our King!' echoed across the grounds. Life was good.
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A few days later Ginny was shocked to find Cho tapping her on the shoulder. She smiled shyly at the older girl who was twisting her hair around her finger.
"Um.. you're Ginny Weasley, right?" she asked. Ginny smiled nervously.
"Yeah. Uh, you're Cho Chang..." Ginny answered. Cho nodded and pulled Ginny aside.
"Do you mind if I talk to you for a minute?" she asked. Ginny shook her head 'no' and listened as Cho cleared her throat.
"Well, I wanted to talk to you about Harry Potter..." she said nervously. Ginny felt her stomach drop to her feet. She leaned her body up against the wall in the corridor.
"Right, well.. I know you liked him and everything..." Ginny started to say, but Cho laughed and shook her head.
"That's true, I did...but I'm dating Gaven Hashcrow now. He's really nice and I'm happy with him." Cho said happily and smiled brightly.
"Oh..." Ginny replied and blushed with embarassment. ' I wonder when he broke up with Susan....' Ginny thought, but quickly pushed it out of her mind. Cho didn't like Harry!
"I wanted to talk to you about Harry because I think he likes you, and I wanted to let you know that I think you should talk to him...do you like him?" she asked Ginny as she tucked her hair behind her ear. Ginny bit her lip and wondered if what Cho was saying was truthful. Gaven had broken up with Susan Bones....but was Cho really dating him? Was she just trying to get information out of Ginny? ' That's crazy! She's not a Slytherin!' Ginny thought to herself.
" Oh gosh..... well yes. I've liked Harry since....forever..." Ginny answered truthfully. Cho clapped her hands excitedly.
"That's great! That's even longer than me. Well, anyway, I think you should tell him! I mean, I just want to see Harry happy before I go, you know? I did like him before....and I do consider him a friend...." Cho told Ginny. Ginny sighed and looked down at her feet.
"I would, but I just don't think he likes me that way. He never has. I mean, he's my older brother's best friend! Anyway, Harry's got so much to deal with..me having a crush on him would just put more stress on him!" Ginny stated sadly. Cho shook her head.
"Well, I have to get to class. I just thought I'd let you know what I thought. He's always looking at you in that...way, you know? Well....bye Ginny." she said and waved. Ginny let out a long sigh and looked to where Cho had just left. ' It's not true...just...let it go...' she thought to herself and headed back to the common room.
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"Ginny....Ginny...GINNY!" Bonnie yelled to get Ginny's attention. Ginny snapped out of the daze she was in and looked at Bonnie as if to say 'Can I help you?'. Bonnie smiled and looked down at Ginny's elbow. Ginny let out a small squeal and quickly wiped the butter off of her sleeve.
"Gosh! That's the second time I've done that when I was.....uh, nevermind. I'm such a twit." Ginny said, embarassed, and shook her arm to try and dry the wet spot on her elbow. Bonnie smiled knowingly and continued to eat her toast. Harry was fascinated and watched Ginny as she cleaned up.
"Your sister is over me, right?" he asked Ron suddenly. Ron stopped talking about the recent Gryffindor win with Hermione and turned to face his friend.
" That's what she said over the summer. Why do you ask?" Ron asked curiously. Harry nervously looked down at his plate and cleared his throat.
"I was just curious.....since she put her elbow in the butter dish again. I mean, I just remembered that one time.....nevermind," Harry said groggily and moved his fork about. Hermione grinned and nudged Ron. Ron kissed her temple and looked down to where Ginny was also playing with her food.
"A bit sad really, isn't it?" Ron asked Hermione in a whisper. Hermione chuckled and rolled her eyes.
"I guess you could say that, but Harry's a stick in the mud and poor Ginny... it doesn't matter. What are we going to do about today?" she asked him. Ron shrugged and looked around the Gryffindor table.
"Last Hogsmeade trip. I guess we shouldn't go alone again Hermione. I think we should probably spend the time with our friends. Harry's been a bit more quiet than usual lately anyway..." Ron suggested and took a bite of his muffin. Hermione sighed and nodded in agreement.
"Hey Harry.. would you like to go on the last Hogsmeade trip? Ron, Neville, Luna and I are all going together. It would be great if you'd come along," Hermione said to the distracted boy. Harry looked up from the table and shrugged.
"I guess that'd be ok. I haven't been to Hogsmeade in awhile, not to mention all the catching up I have to do with you two," Harry responded with a small smile. Hermione beamed and took a sip of her orange juice.
"That's great. I know you probably don't need to do anymore catching up with Ginny, but invite her and her friends along too if you wouldn't mind. Hermione and I have some studying to do for exams." Ron said with a wink before getting up from the table. Harry's face became a bit flushed, but he waved the two of them goodbye and slid down the table next to Ginny.
"Hey Gin," he greeted when she noticed he was bside her. She choked a bit on her drink and smiled meekily.
"Oh..hi Harry.." she said quietly. Bonnie was laughing to herself and turning away once in awhile to catch her breath.
"Well today's the last Hogsmeade trip and I was wondering if you were going..." Harry said scratching his head. Bonnie laughed again and covered her mouth to silence herself.
"Well, yes... I was planning on it..." Ginny answered, a bit uncomfortable. Harry smiled and sighed before continuing.
"That's great. Well Ron, Hermione, Luna, Neville and I are all going..and I was wondering if you, Bonnie, and Gordon would like to join us?" he asked. Bonnie frowned and snapped her fingers. 'So close!' she thought to herself. Ginny still hadn't answered, so Bonnie spoke up for her.
"We'd all be delighted to come along with you. We'll meet you at the Three Broomsticks when we first arrive." Bonnie answered.
"Yeah, that sounds good," Ginny added a minute later. Harry nodded and clamped his hands together.
"Ooookay then. I'll see you there," he said happily and headed out of the Great Hall. Ginny sighed with relief when he was finally out of sight.
"Don't say a word," she warned Bonnie and shot her a glance. Bonnie threw her hands up in defeat and continued on with her breakfast.
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"Oooo! Lets go to the Shrieking Shack!" Gordon suggested excitedly. Harry, Ron, and Hermione's eyes all grew wide in fear.
"No, no! Gordon, I really don't think that we need to amuse ourselves with silly superstitions about a silly old shack. Why don't we go to Zonkos instead?" Hermione suggested.
"HEY!" Ron and Ginny yelled at the same time. Hermione threw her hands up, exasperated.
"I think it would be quite an experience to see the Shrieking Shack up close. My father published an article about it once and how one student actually became possessed by one of the howling gouls that lives up there. They say that she terrorizes all of her relatives at night and will only be let go of her curse if someone brings her a fizzing-whizbee. Oh! Do you think we could bring her one?" Luna rambled on as she kicked pebbles around with her feet. Bonnie looked at her quizically and grabbed hold of Ron's arm.
"Is she always this strange?" she asked him in a whisper. Ron smirked and chuckled to himself.
"I think so Bonnie. I think so." he answered. Bonnie shrugged and linked her arm with Gordon's.
"Well I'm with Gordon on this one. We've got nothing to lose! I say we see what's up there!" she yelled excitedly. He smiled at her and gave a smug glance to the others. Luna bounced up and down.
"I want to go! Don't you, Neville? Neville's really brave. Did you see him in the department of mysteries?" she asked no one in particular. Harry gulped at the memory of things that happened there. Neville grinned sheepishly and shuffled his feet.
"I go where Luna goes," he said joining the others. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny looked about hesitantly.
"You guys go ahead, I'll stay close by, but I'm not going up there." Harry said quickly. Gordon frowned and shook his head.
"I don't get it, mate. You're the bravest student Hogwarts has ever seen! You're afraid of the Shrieking Shack?" he asked in confusion. Harry sighed and rubbed his temples.
"Look, Gordon, I'm not afraid of the Shrieking Shack. In fact, I've been inside it before. It brings up some painful memories I don't want to relive. Is that a good enough explanation for you?" Harry asked with a tired voice.
"I'm sorry Harry. I didn't know. You can stay behind. If you hear anything, come right away." Gordon stated as the 4 walked away. Ginny shook her head.
"Don't see the point in it really. Who cares what's up on that stupid hill?" Ginny asked her brother and two remaining friends. Hermione just tutted as she normally did and watched them walk off. It wasn't until the sky grew dark that Harry began to worry. His scar was starting to tingle and he had an odd sort of suspicion that something was out of place.
"Guys... I think we should go get them and go back to the castle..." Harry suggested when his nerves got the best of him. Ron raised his eyebrows at him.
"Honestly Harry! Just because of a storm?" he asked, but Hermione and Ginny were already heading towards the shack.
"He's right Ron! Something's a bit off! I think we should get out of here!" Hermione called over her shoulder. Ron trudged behind them as they went, a bit hurt his last Hogsmeade trip of the year would be ruined because of a little rain. The four fell backwards as a flash of grey smoke hit them between the eyes.
"THE DARK MARK!" Ginny yelled and pointed up toward the sky. Harry's scar burned with pain as he looked up at the symbol. Horrible memories flashed through his mind, but he quickly shook them away and helped up his friends.
"You guys? We have to help the others. get your wands ready. Death eaters are here.." he said as calmly as possible.
"I don't get it Harry! Aurors are positioned all through Hogsmeade! Why would they choose to appear here?" Hermione asked. Harry grabbed his wand from his robes and looked around frantically.
"Because I'm here..." he answered simply. Ron shook his head.
"That's no reason harry! They wouldn't be here just for you!" he yelled. Harry whipped around and stared him striaght in the eye.
"Wanna bet?" he asked. Ron trembled with fear and shook his head 'no'. They all followed closely behind Harry.
Four people hooded in dark cloaks came flying out at them suddenly.
"Stupefy!" Hermione shouted quickly, knocking one of them backwards.
"Find the others and get back to the castle!" Harry shouted to Ron. Ron nodded and ran off quickly. Two dementors appeared by the side of the death eaters. Hermione froze as a dementor bent closer to her.
"Think good thoughts Hermione!" Ginny shouted, a tear in her eye. Hermione quivered and sent a spark of silver up out of her wand. Now was not the time to choke!
"Do not try to fight us, Potter!" one called out above the fighting. Harry sent his stag toward the other dementor quickly. He did not bother to listen. He quickly dodged a beam of red light and tumbled to the ground.
"Kill these two, but spare Potter! The Dark Lord wants to do it himself!" another called out. Harry's eyes narrowed.
"Voldemort will NEVER kill me!" he shouted loud for all of them to hear. They quickly shot spells at him. Hermione knocked another backwards and Ginny screamed.
" Expelliarmus!" she cried as a death eater came near her. The death eater quickly re-grabbed their wand and knocked Ginny off her feet.
"Crucio!" they yelled at her. Ginny writhed in pain on the ground. Harry acted quickly.
"Accio Wand!" he cried. The Death Eater's wand flew into his hand and Harry quickly snapped it in half. The death eater yelled in frustration and threw back his hood.
"You'll regret that Potter!" Draco Malfoy yelled angrily. Harry fell to the ground as he was hit with a stunning spell. Ginny punched Draco and ran to help Hermione. Hermione whipped around and saw a death eater mumble "avada kedavra".
"Harry! Watch out!" she screamed. Harry tilted his head just in time, as a green flash sped by him.
"DO NOT KILL THE BOY!!!!" a death eater shouted angrily. Harry had no more time to think. Dumbledore appeared then, surrounded by aurors who had seen the mark. The death eaters scattered everywhere, unorganized and crazed. Harry felt something heavy hit him in the back of the head, and he fell.
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Harry awoke to the oh-so-familar sounds of the Hospital Wing. He lifted his head up to find Ginny in the bed next to him, and the rest of his friends surrounding the two beds.
"Lets go to the shrieking shack you said, it's all in good fun......you said," Bonnie yelled at Gordon, who was hanging his head in shame.
"It's not his fault Bonnie, it's mine," Harry groaned as he sat up in bed. Bonnie sighed and examined Harry closely.
"No it's not. Just because you got hit the head doesn't mean it was your fault. You were the one that stayed behind." Bonnie replied and frowned at Gordon. Harry rolled his eyes.
"None of you understand." he said sadly and looked around him. Ron had his head in his hands.
"God, I'm so tired of these things always happening. I'm gonna become an auror and just....take care of all of 'em." Ron stated. Hermione hugged him.
"Oh Ron, you'd be a great auror!" she said proudly. He blushed and didn't say a word. Ginny sighed and threw off her sheets.
"I just want to get out of here, but Madam Pomfrey...." she said without finishing. Dumbledore appeared between the students and cleared his throat.
"I think you should all go to dinner. Nourishment is what you all need most. I'll inform Madam Pomfrey of the situation." he said calmly. The students left the Hospital Wing and entered the Great Hall silently. ' I wonder why they would come after me like that.... I'll just be back at the Dursleys next weekend.....alone..again...' Harry thought to himself. The entire meal went without sound at the Gryffindor table, until....
"Hey look!" neville shouted and pointed to the ceiling. An owl had flown in through the window and was circling the table above them.
"Wonder what an owl is doing sending messages at this time of day!" Hermione thought aloud. A small envelope dropped in front of Harry and the owl took off again. Harry stared at it bewildered and set down his fork. He didn't move or speak for some time.
"Aren't you going to open it Harry?" Ron asked after awhile. Harry sighed and adjusted his glasses.
"I guess so." he said quietly. 'I wonder who would be sending me mail at a time like this... I never get mail!' Harry thought. He slowly opened the envelope. His heart stopped beating and his jaw dropped in horror as he read the message inside:
' Dear Harry, It's been assigned to me to give you some awful news. I hate to add any more problems into your life, as I consider you like a nephew myself and wish nothing more than for you to be safe. Unfortunately it has come to the Order's attention that a great tradgedy has occured. Friday evening and 2 in the morning, a small group of Death Eaters arrived in Little Whinging. The muggles there had no idea of what was going on until it was too late. Aurors arrived on the scene as quickly as possible and performed memory charms on those who witnessed the event. I'm so sorry to tell you Harry that your Aunt Petunia has passed on. As you know, it will no longer be a necessity to send you to the Dursley's. Your uncle and cousin have moved to Scotland with some relatives. This summer you'll be staying at 12 grimmauld place until we are positive you'll be safe elsewhere. I once again must express my condolances. I'll be waiting for you at the platform in a week. Take care of yourself. I can't bare to lose another.
Remus Lupin '
For a moment Harry did nothing. Eventually, his eyes found their way to where Dumbledore sat. According to the look he was giving Harry, he knew what had happened. What was going to happen now? He was no longer safe! He simply released the letter from his hand and stood up from the table with tremendous force, causing some goblets to spill and silverware to rattle. He turned to run from the Great Hall, but he was stuck. he could feel the invisible force around him holding him back. ' Listen to me Harry' a voice came from inside his head. It was Professor Dumbledore. Harry trembled, but listened carefully. 'Do not do anything rash....' the voice said. Harry just wanted to be alone. ' Please let me go, if you can hear me Professor. Please just let me go.' he thought. As if he had commanded to be let loose aloud, the force let go and Harry ran quickly through the entry way.
Aunt Petunia was dead.
