A/N: Wow I can't tell you how sorry I am that I have not updated in months. I am a lazy and evil author and I deserve to be punished. I actually have had the chapter done for a while but was unable to figure out the bolding and such so I put up that blasted author's note which no one responded to! Lot of good you are… Alleluia I finally read the directions in Document manager and fixed it…you have no idea how absurdly happy this makes me…it should make you happy too because it's easier to read my lovely handiwork now!!!! Guess what? My favorite Orlando website has been taken down. This makes me very sad and depressed. It was orlandobloom.co.nz. The web mistress got bored with it. Now, will someone PLEASE tell me how one can be bored with Orlando?!?!?! O.K., anyway, lately I've been doing a LOT of fic reading (instead of writing…sorry!) and I have decided on my three favorite couples! They are:
Ginny/Draco Ron/Hermione Harry/Blaise (Note: Blaise is a girl in this story, I like him/her both ways)Unfortunately, they do not coincide with the current storyline and I am debating on whether I should convert the whole fic, abandon it and write a new one, or what. So, I'm dreadfully sorry if your hopes were unintentionally raised, but this will not be a chapter.
WAIT! Hold! Inspiration has just struck me! And guess what it was? Myself! I inspire myself! From now on I shall never be without inspiration! Do you know what this means? This means that Ginny will have my personality! Yay! It is known that authors tend to be loopy sometimes but this is becoming extreme…I will move on now…OK, this will be a chappy. Ahahahahahahaahaha I am so happy I have an idea finally! The creative juices have been running a little dry, you know. I think 3 stories at once was too much to start out with, since I'm very busy getting my high school education ^_^! Not that you want or need to know any of this, really, but…..hey, I finally have time to update? Doesn't that alone make your heart overflow with happiness? On with the story! This time it will be 3rd person POV, and will jump around several times. Italics will generally be when a character is talking inside their heads. Scary, huh?
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Reviewers~ Thank you so so so much for reviewing my story! You guys are my motivation! xoxoxo to all of ya!
Queen Flare~ Thanks! I'm glad someone likes my stories! I'll try to write lots more soon!
Orangecrush3~ Ouch. Glad ya like my fics though ^_~
EmeraldDragon4/Kronc's Girl~ Please stick to one penname? Please? Hey, I know you don't like Draco, but I have plans to convert you. Be afraid, be very afraid…Thanks for the review! (ROTK was THE BOMB)!!!!
MJTMGURL~ aaaww thank you! I do try to give my characters personality, you know. And yes, she is right, my LOTR fic does rock…. Even if it is only 2 chapters. It will be receiving a similar makeover soon.
The Blair Witch~ Thanks! I am never really sure if I am being funny or if it is my own stupidity…And by the way I'm very honored to be on your faves and author's watch list! It makes me so happy ;-) *happy tears*!
oooo~ Well that was a rather interesting review…I confess I was unable to derive any significant meaning from it, but nevertheless I thank you from the bottom of my heart for reviewing and putting me on your faves list!
Auroura~ I'm sorry about the spacing I was a young newbie then and didn't understand…but like I said before I will try to fix it. Feast your eyes on the beauty of this chap. Don't worry there will be PLENTY of D/G *rubs hands evilly*, that being the sole purpose of this fic. And you'll just have to wait and see about him saving her… (I love the suspense!
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Disclaimer: The usual. Don't own it, probably never will. Will promptly die of happiness if I do.
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Chapter Three: Falling into Oblivion
Anyone standing on the grounds of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry would have observed the following sequence of events:
9:00 pm. All lights in the many stone windows of the school flicker out, but not before the name "Ginny" is heard over and over. It would seem as if they were looking for someone. However, a faint glowing light can be seen in the highest, farthest tower. A figure is outlined in its glow.
9:30 pm. A black shape hurtles out the window of the tower. Another shape falls out soon after it. A jet of light and the first form stops its descent. The second keeps falling, falling, falling. It hits the snow covered ground with a muffled thump. Then all is quiet. Deadly quiet.
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The Next Morning
Hagrid whistled as he walked to the castle to make his early morning report to Dumbledore. It was so early that the sun had just risen and gave baby rays of light to the world. There was almost a path worn in the track where he walked from his hut to the school. After all, it was his routine. Same thing every day.
Then, he saw something that he certainly did not see every day. A red haired body hung limp in midair (A Weasley! He mentally exclaimed in surprise), about 50 feet off the ground. Directly below he glimpsed a second pair of black Hogwarts robes lying in the white blanket of snow. In. Literally. The snow was about 5 feet deep, the student must have fallen from quite some height to bury itself like that. Bloody students, Hagrid thought while running over to the scene (he was the only one who could have run in that depth). Always dueling in the middle of the night. As he drew nearer the body on the ground stirred At least it's alive. In a moment it was sitting up slowly and shaking off its snow covered head. It froze in place as he saw the giant form lumbering towards it. It fumbled around for a second then, right before Hagrid's disbelieving eyes, disappeared. "Are yeh all righ'? Hey, come back! I just wanna help yeh!" But it was futile. The mysterious student had vanished.
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"Mr. Weasley! Mr. Weasley wake up!"
"Wha? What is it? Harry? Go away! It's Saturday and I want to sleep in!" Ron buried his head under the pillow.
"It's about Ginny. Come on, get up! She needs you!"
"No! Not now! I'll talk to her bloody later. Why don't YOU talk to her? You seemed to want to enough yesterday night. Oi, what is the deal with this anyway? You're going out with Hermione, well you can't really call it that, you're just screw partners, but anyway that is beside the point~ you're going out with her and hitting on my baby sister! I heard that you called her sexy, is that right? C'mon Harry. You can tell me anything. Well maybe not anything because when you told me about Hermione's favorite position I nearly puked…Harry? Harry are you all right?"
Ron rolled over and took the pillow off his head only to see a very disturbed looking Minerva McGonagall staring at him with an appalled expression on her face. He promptly turned scarlet.
"Ahem. I would discipline you on the spot, Mr. Weasley, but due to current circumstances…" Professor McGonagall trailed off.
"Oh, no. Oh no oh no oh no. They've taken her haven't they? THEY'VE TAKEN HER BACK TO THE CHAMBER?! I'll kill them, I'll kill every last one of them! Where's Malfoy? He's behind it! I know he is! I'll…"
"Mr. Weasly, your sister is not in the Chamber. You know as well as I do that the Headmaster sealed it at the end of your second year. Ginny is, however, currently in the Hospital Wing."
"But…"
"Silence, Weasley. You will accompany me to the Hospital Wing, since none of your other siblings are currently attending Hogwarts."
Ron followed his Head of House dumbly, unable to say anything intelligible.
"Now, to answer your questions. It seems that she fell out of the North Tower last night. Someone used wingardium leviosa to prevent her from falling all the way. Again, we are ignoring that both students were out past curfew in light of recent events. According to Hagrid, who found her, she was floating in the air. The student who had presumably saved her was lying unconscious in the snow below. Assuming he or she fell from that height it was probably the snow that saved his life. However, the mystery hero disappeared before Hagrid could identify them. He notified the Headmaster who woke up Madame Hooch who flew up there with a stretcher and brought her to Madame Pomfrey. Since she suffered no injury it is probable that her current condition is a result of shock. Of course, the whole thing could have been set up; there were no witnesses."
After trying to take all this in, the cleared his throat and proclaimed, "I bet that the mystery person disapparated."
At that moment Hermione appeared before them with a pop and said, "Ron, how many times do I have to tell you? You can't apparate or disapparate within the Hogwarts grounds! Honestly, haven't you read Hogwarts, A History by now?" She gave an exasperated sigh and disappeared with another clearly audible pop.
Ron, eyes wide, whispered, "Is it just me or did she just apparate?"
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Ginny's head swam. Nothing was clear. There was cold, then warmth. Everything seemed to be underwater. She couldn't see, couldn't breathe. Everything was distorted and watery.
What was happening to her?
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Draco held his breath and didn't move under his invisibility cloak until Hagrid had gone inside the castle. It would seem odd if footprints just started appearing in the snow and walking towards the castle. His head was reeling, and not just from the fall. Why did I do that? She's the enemy. Why should I have cared if she fell to her death? He shook his head impatiently and began to do an inventory of himself to make sure he was still intact. It was a miracle he hadn't broken anything. A bump on the head and a sprained ankle and wrist was all he got. He couldn't help but wonder if he had jumped from the tower window for the wrong reasons he would have killed himself. It was an interesting subject to ponder, but he decided on saving it for later contemplation. He'd need a very good story to explain how he had gotten battered up.
"Password." The evil looking portrait demanded.
With a jolt he realized he had forgotten it. I must have hit my head harder than I thought. Draco absently rubbed his bruised cranium. He sighed. "Look, don't you know who I am by now?"
"For all I know you could be a Gryffindor using a polyjuice potion to sabotage the common room. Now give me the password, young Malfoy."
He muttered something under his breath that included the phrases "see I told you" and "good for nothing friends."
At that moment, the portrait's eyes bulged and it swung forward suddenly. Pansy rushed at him and shrieked, "Drakie Poo! Where have you been baby? Oh, I pined for you so!" And with that, attempted to smother him in kisses. "Oh! You're hurt!"
"Sod off, Parkinson," Draco muttered and stalked towards his private rooms.
Pansy whimpered and sat on the couch, wringing her hands. Blaise eyed him coolly and raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow at him. She had probably heard the news about the youngest Weasley and had guessed what happened. He knew she would be paying him a visit soon. But she was a good friend. She would go along with him and tell everyone that he had fallen when a staircase shifted underneath him.
With a sigh he plopped down on his bed and waited. Soon, there was a knock on the door. He smirked and shouted, "Come in."
Blaise promptly entered the room and shut the door noiselessly. This was their anti-Pansy measure so she wouldn't try to gain access as well. She swiftly crossed the room and sat down on a pouf by the fire directly facing where he was lying. She crossed her arms and legs and glared at him until he raised his head and propped his chin in his hands, gazing lazily into her violet eyes.
She looks like the devil incarnate with that black hair of hers. Indeed she did, and the flames licking hungrily in the fireplace that outlined her form didn't help clear that image very much.
After a long pause she finally opened her blood red lips and simply said, "Why did you do it?"
He sighed and rolled over on his back and began staring interestedly at the ceiling. "I don't know."
"Well if you don't I don't know who does."
"Look, something just made me do it, okay? I don't know what it was and it will never happen again, I assure you. I know what you're going to say next so don't even bother opening your pretty little mouth. (Her lips slammed shut). No, I do not have a "thing" for the little Weasel. I told you, it won't happen again." But will it? A voice in the back of his head questioned. Draco groaned irritably "Now leave me alone."
"Fine. I'll send Parkinson in. She's been fussing all about her darling Drakie Poo all morning. I think she wants to give you a bath," Blaise said with an evil smirk.
Draco knew that he had lost even before the fight had started. "Whatever. Stay. But I am not entertaining you. I'm taking a shower. Not one word of this to anyone, anyone at all. Understand?"
"When have I ever betrayed you, Draco?"
He smiled and patted her green-clad back. "You're a great friend, Blaise." With that he walked to his private bathrooms and shut the door. She watched him go.
"You are too, Draco," she whispered and exited, shutting the door softly behind her with a vaguely forlorn look in her eyes.
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Days after the accident, Ginny was still in what Madame Pomfrey called a coma. A haggard looking Ron sat by her bed, his eyes either riveted on her or his head rested miserably in his hands. The school was wisely waiting to see if Ginny's condition would clear in a week before contacting her parents, who would most likely go ballistic. Every day after school hours a crowd of Gryffindors hovered around her bed. A handful of Ravenclaws and a sprinkling of Hufflepuffs in Ginny's year were present as well. Her best friends Parvati and Lavender sobbed against one another's shoulders. There were no Slytherins present.
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HOGWARTS GIRL NEARLY FALLS TO HER DEATH
Written by the celebrated Rita Skeeter
Late on the night of December 24, young 5th year Virginia Weasly ("WHAT?!" Mrs. Weasly shrieked) took a plunge off the North Tower of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Tower is the highest point in the school. It appears that the nighttime security of the school is inadequate ("That woman…" McGonagall muttered, for the girl surely would have fallen to her death had not a mystery hero saved her with Wingardium Leviosa. The faculty is conducting a school wide priori incantem ("Damn" muttered Draco. "Flippendo") on all the student's wands so they can properly reward the student for his or her heroic actions.
Could it have been Harry Potter? It is known that the youngest Weasly has mooned over the famous "Boy Who Lived" since she first set eyes on him at platform nine and three-quarters ("Oh, poor Gin," Ron groaned, gazing at the sleeping form of his baby sister). Has he finally returned her well placed emotions? ("No! How dare she…" Harry jumped up at the breakfast table in indignation and didn't sit until Hermione calmed him.) Though, he is known to be "dating" (Slytherins snicker) Hermione Granger, he certainly can be assured that any Hogwarts girl would be glad to be his girlfriend ("Not me!" Pansy proclaimed).
The young Miss Weasly remains in critical condition but is "stabilizing and slowly beginning to recover," says Poppy Pomfrey, the school nurse. When asked to comment on why Arthur Weasley and his wife Molly have not yet been contacted, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore "We have not notified her parents yet because we did not wish to unnecessarily worry them that their daughter was in danger if her condition should clear rapidly. Though, I am sure they will know by now since this undoubtedly will make its way to the front page of the Daily Prophet," he said with an unnerving twinkle in his eye.
Is Dumbledore accessing others' minds using Occulemency? Is he psychic? For in depth coverage on this issue, turn to page 45…
All readers lost interest at this point, but none other Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, kept on reading and cackled evilly to himself in his dimly lit office. He made a tally mark on the wall and said in a singsong voice, "Another Bumbledore for Dumbledore… eeehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehheheheheheheheeeeeee…"
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An Ending Note: Wow I really hoped I didn't depress you. That chapter was very gloomy and long…). I did try to cheer it up there at the end (got a bit mental, didn't I?)! I am terribly sorry for all the clichés. I hope that wasn't terribly boring-I'm afraid I'm a bit to wordy at times. By the way, can an eyebrow be manicured? As you have probably noticed, I've dramatically changed the format of my chapters. They will all look like this from now on and I am going to find time to fix the spacing and grammar in the previous chaps. I'll also try to respond to everyone's lovely reviews. Please review~ you know you want to. *evil grin*
~*~Halowyn Greenleaf~*~