Chapter Eleven
"One Step Forward, Two Steps Back"
Harry and Ginny eventually pulled themselves away from each other. "Maybe we'd better go back downstairs," he said, knowing he didn't really want to.
"Yeah," she agreed. Her freckled face mirrored his uncertainty. "Maybe that would be best…"
Wild thoughts ran through Harry's head as they reluctantly straightened themselves up. Would the people downstairs be able to tell what had happened between Ginny and him… that his whole world had flipped upside down in those few minutes he had been with her? Should they even tell anyone?
Cold panic swept over him. How would her brothers react when they found out that he and Ginny had been snogging in his bedroom - on his bed, no less! They'd kill him.
He caught hold of her and embraced her tightly, not wanting the moment to be lost. She sighed and looked up at him. "Harry, what are we going to tell people?"
"What do you mean?" He knew what she was referring to because he had been thinking the same thing, but he was stalling for time because he didn't know what to tell her.
"About this… us," she said, cocking her head and looking up at him curiously. Her gaze hardened suddenly. "What is this to you, Harry? How do you really feel about me?"
"I don't know what this is, Ginny," he said honestly, "but I really want to find out. I—I've never felt this way about anyone before." He paused as he noticed the relief wash over her, and contemplated his next move. He didn't want to screw this up. "What do you want to tell people?"
She paused before answering. "How about we just keep this between the two of us for now?" she said, much to Harry's relief. "Just until we figure some things out."
He nodded, relieved. He'd like to keep this one thing to himself for now, if at all possible. It was the first good thing he'd had in a long while and he didn't want to ruin it by having to explain something he didn't understand. It would take some of the magic away, and he wanted to savour every minute of this time with her.
Prolonging the inevitable, they couldn't resist each other and exchanged another long kiss before leaving the safety of Harry's room. Neither found themselves holding back as they explored each other's mouths with a ferocity that threatened to delay them even longer. Apparently he was getting good at this kissing stuff, judging from Ginny's reaction. He could feel her practically melt against him and some part of him loved the power he had over her when they were together like this. It was intoxicating to know he could make someone else feel the same kinds of things he was feeling.
They broke apart and Ginny gasped. "Harry, I think we need to go now…" They were so close he could feel her heart beating against his chest.
He didn't answer her because he didn't want to go. His body felt weak and he leaned into her heavily, breathing hard, resting his forehead against hers.
"Ummm… Harry?" she said hesitantly, her own breath coming in short gasps.
"Huh?"
"If we don't leave soon, I may never find the strength to say it again." Her soft brown eyes pleaded with him to understand.
Harry suddenly came to his senses and saw he had pinned her up against the door during their last contact. In fact, he was practically crushing her with his body. He flushed with embarrassment and jumped away, immediately beginning to fret that she would think him too aggressive. He didn't know what had come over him so suddenly that he could back her against a door and not even realise it, but he felt drawn to her like a magnet. It was the most wonderful, intense feeling he had ever had.
"Sorry…"
"That's all right. I don't mind, really." Instead of moving away, she pulled him close and leaned her forehead onto his chest. He heard her muffled groan and knew she was fighting the same feelings. "But as much as I want to stay here with you, I think we do need to go back."
"You're probably right…" he agreed despondently.
As she reached to open the door Harry suddenly stopped her, overcome with a need to express to her how much their time together had helped him.
"Ginny…" he began hesitantly. Not knowing how to say what he was feeling, he simply stammered, "Thanks for everything – for making me feel better and all. You know… earlier…" He pointed to his scar so she would know he wasn't just talking about the snogging. "No one has ever done anything like that for me before."
"Any time, Harry," she replied with a slow smile. "I'd do anything for you. You know that, right?"
He nodded, too choked up to trust his voice. To distract himself he let his mind wander, wondering how long it would be before he would manage to get her alone again. He definitely wasn't looking forward to the questions he was sure to get when they returned to the rest of the group. In this room with Ginny things were simple. Here, he was just a boy who was infatuated with a girl. But he knew it couldn't last.
Together they trudged down the stairs, hand in hand. As soon as they reached the bottom they reluctantly broke apart, knowing that being seen together holding hands would create too many questions they were not ready to answer. Unfortunately, the twins immediately accosted them as they made their way down the hallway towards the kitchen and past the little cupboard that had started it all.
George was the first to speak. "Fred and I were just coming to find you two. How're you feeling, mate?"
Harry silently thanked his lucky stars that he and Ginny had decided to come downstairs when they had. What would Fred and George have done to him if they had found Harry with their little sister upstairs in the compromising position they had been in earlier?
"I'm fine now. Just the normal Voldemort stuff. It's passed." The twins were looking at him doubtfully but he didn't think they'd like hearing how he had almost lost control and hurt their sister. Truthfully, that thought was beginning to worry him. What if it happened again? What if Voldemort actually managed to hurt Ginny or one of his friends through him? How could he live with himself?
"Normal, huh?" Fred said. "If that's normal for you, then you need help."
"Yeah, mate. We have bruises that say that was definitely not normal," George said good-naturedly, rubbing his arm where a large welt was peeking out from under his sleeve.
"And Ron got the worst of it. He's in the kitchen getting some TLC from Hermione right now." Fred and George exchanged knowing smirks. "I'm sure he'll thank you later." They did not seem to notice Harry's troubled expression.
"I'm really sorry about that-" he started to say, but George cut him off.
"Not your fault..." he said, waving his apology off. "Ron explained what happened, and we're used to your unique qualities by now. No worries. Hermione told everyone you got jolted by that elecktricity stuff, but that you'd be fine once the shock wore off. They seemed to buy it, but we've been busy keeping that Claire girl from slipping off to find you – especially when Ron and Hermione came down over twenty minutes ago."
Fred raised his eyebrow at the two of them questioningly. "Just what were you two doing up there all alone this whole time?"
Harry flushed bright pink, but Ginny remained calm. "Not that it's any of your business, but Harry and I were having a serious talk about how he needs to take better care of himself." She caught Harry's eye. "I think he'll listen to reason from now on, won't you Harry?"
"Right…" he stammered. He didn't know what to say because Fred and George obviously weren't buying it. They surprised him, though, by dropping the matter when Ginny gave them a very pointed look.
"Well, with all the drama going on here tonight, we thought it would be nice to liven up the party," Fred told him hopefully.
"Yeah," George chimed in. "This party is sinking fast."
"What did you have in mind?" Harry asked carefully, knowing Fred and George's ideas were often outrageous.
"How about a dance contest?"
Ginny's face lit up. "Oh, that sounds like fun!"
Harry frowned. "I don't know…"
"Aw, come on Harry…" George said persuasively. "It'll be great! And no magic involved at all."
"Please?" all three pleaded.
Harry could say no, especially when Ginny looked at him like that. "You'll have to clear it with Dudley," he warned amidst cheers from the three Weasleys. "Good luck on that…" but his sarcasm was drowned out by the racket Fred, George, and Ginny were making. Secretly, he hoped Dudley would say no.
But Dudley didn't say no. Fred and George, the master manipulators, knew just what to do to get him to agree. They corralled Claire in the hallway and convinced her to ask Dudley for them. Harry couldn't believe they had even thought of it, and was impressed despite his reluctance to take part in anything involving dancing.
As he assimilated himself back into the group he noticed many of his friends look at him with concern. They probably suspected that his collapse in the cupboard had to do with Voldemort. Most of them had either heard the rumours or been present for an attack. They kept shooting him odd, sympathetic looks but did not ask him questions.
The Muggles were a different story. All the girls wanted to know how Harry had managed to electrocute himself, and if he was feeling better now. Claire was especially concerned, and tried her best to comfort him even though he made it clear he was not interested.
"I still think you should be in hospital," she fussed as she handed him another drink.
"How many times do I have to say it? I'm fine," he mumbled irritably.
He was beginning to lose some of the happy feeling he had earlier. However, one glance at Ginny across the room, who was blushing at something Hermione was whispering to her, and all the good feelings returned with a vengeance. He had that longing again to be locked upstairs in his room with her and snogging her senseless. Growing flustered at the thought, he shooed Claire away and turned his attention back to the party.
Piers was flirting with that girl, Daphne, whom Claire had introduced but Harry did not know. Her friend, Mary, was laughing at something Malcolm was saying. Harry could not imagine anything that Malcolm could say that would be intelligent enough for someone to find funny.
Harry was amused to see Ron trying not to look at Hermione but failing miserably. His eye was looking slightly better since Hermione had applied the ice, but it still made Harry feel horrible to know that he had been the cause of it. He hadn't yet had the courage to approach either Ron or Hermione since returning.
Meanwhile, Katie and Lee were conferencing with the twins, helping them decide how to best arrange the room for the dancing. The other girls were still talking amiably, and Gordon and Dennis were refreshing their drinks. Harry noticed with mild trepidation that the amount of alcohol had diminished significantly.
Harry was pleased to note that Ginny kept glancing over at him and had a tendency to turn slightly pink whenever their eyes met. Harry was finding her blushes very appealing, especially knowing what she might be thinking. He hoped desperately that she wanted to sneak away with him as much as he wanted to sneak away with her.
Shaking off his desire to be alone with Ginny, Harry was about to join Ron and apologize for his behaviour upstairs when Fred suddenly clapped his hands for attention.
"Excuse me!" he yelled loudly over the blaring music. "Could someone please turn that down?"
Piers grimaced in irritation but moved to decrease the volume. All eyes in the room turned to Fred who was standing on Aunt Petunia's coffee table.
"That's better," Fred said in a normal voice. "We thought this party needed some excitement-"
"-so we came up with the idea of organizing a friendly little competition," George said, completing his sentence.
"What kind of competition?" someone yelled – Harry couldn't see who, but he thought it was one of the Claire's friends.
"A dance competition," Dudley said loudly, apparently trying to take control of the situation and appear as if he was in charge. Harry knew he was fighting an internal battle between not wanting to look foolish in front of his friends and staying clear of the witches and wizards.
Everyone seemed to really like the idea. "Who's going to judge?" Lee called out.
"And what are the rules? Is this a partner thing, or individual?" Mary asked.
"We don't have enough room in here to have everyone dance at once," Fred said, "so Katie came up with the idea to partner up with someone and have everyone else act as the judges. We'll vote and keep score based on the amount of applause each pair gets. The goal is to have fun, kiddies, so we want this to be as light and carefree as possible. Does anyone have any objections to that?"
Dudley and Piers looked as if they did, but Claire spoke up first. "I choose Harry as my partner!"
All eyes turned as one to him. He wanted nothing more than to sink through the floor, but everyone seemed to want him to answer.
"Er… no, I'm not much of a dancer," he stammered.
"Nonsense!" Claire said, making her way through the crowd to stand in front of him. "I'm sure you're a lovely dancer."
"Really, I'm not," he insisted. He felt a keen sense of panic grab hold of him at even the thought of dancing in front of others. "Besides… I'm still not feeling well, er... you know… from the shock."
Claire's face clouded with sympathy. "Oh, you poor thing – I almost forgot. Of course you don't feel like competing. You need to rest, don't you?" She ran her hand up his arm seductively.
Harry swallowed hard. He felt his panic increase and he didn't dare look over to where he knew Ginny was standing. He could only imagine the look on her face right now.
"Yes, that's right," he said quickly. "I'm sure Dudley would love to partner with you, though." He looked over to his cousin, who was turning purple.
"Actually, I was going to ask Daphne," Dudley said curtly. Harry supposed Claire choosing him first was just too much of a blow to Dudley's ego.
Daphne agreed to partner Dudley, and the group quickly began to pair up. It was no surprise that Fred and Angelina decided to relive their performance at the Yule Ball, which was legendary. Katie agreed to partner with Piers, and Malcolm asked Mary. George asked one of the twins, and Lee asked Alicia. Claire found herself stuck with Dennis – much to her displeasure, judging from the way she turned her nose up at him – for a moment it looked as if she was going to ask Ron, but Hermione had quickly moved in and beat her to it. Ron flushed red and Harry about fell over when he agreed. That left Ginny, the other Muggle twin, and Gordon without partners.
But Ginny was gone. Just as Audra agreed to pair up with Gordon, Harry saw she was nowhere to be seen. No one else seemed to notice. Everyone in the living room with the exception of Harry was noisily looking through the music, picking out song selections, and going over moves. Quietly, he ducked out the door in search of her.
It didn't take long to find her. She was on the back patio, looking up at the stars.
"Ginny?" he said quietly as he slipped out the door. He heard the concern in his own voice. "Why'd you leave?"
He was surprised to hear her sniffle slightly and swipe at her face. She turned to him with a bright smile, but he could see the sadness in her eyes.
"I just needed some air," she said, trying to pretend nothing was wrong.
"Why are you crying?" He moved to put his arms around her but she backed away. He stared at her in confusion. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong," she said stiffly.
"You're lying."
"Am I?" she said angrily. "Are you sure about that, Harry? What makes you an expert on me all of a sudden? Just because we shared a good snog earlier, now all of a sudden you know what I'm thinking!"
Harry recoiled from the venom in her voice, but he found himself getting angry at her tone. He wasn't blind. Any fool could see she was hurt. "Well, if you're not upset, then why are you crying?" he retorted sharply.
He wasn't prepared for the onslaught. Ginny turned on him angrily, fire burning in her eyes. "Maybe I am upset, Harry! Maybe you're right..." She laughed bitterly. "Yes, of course you're right! What am I thinking? You're bloody Harry Potter!"
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked angrily.
She swore under her breath and threw up her hands in frustration. "I don't know what I expected," she said sadly. "This will never work. I was fooling myself into believing it was even possible."
He grabbed hold of her and forced her to look at him. The intensity of the contact was beyond reason, and he felt an attraction for her at that was unsettling. He looked into her eyes and felt himself drowning… Time seemed to stand still for a moment.
"Why don't you tell me what you expected?" he said in a low voice.
"I- I just hoped you'd acknowledge me, Harry," she said brokenly. Her eyes were wet and full of pain. "Just bloody once."
He was confused. "You're the one who wanted to keep this thing between us quiet," he reminded her.
"And some part of me still wants to keep you all to myself," she told him. "But another part of me just wanted you to tell Claire to bugger off because you were already taken, even though I know I have no right to feel that way."
Harry smiled. "You're jealous," he said, very relieved that it was nothing more than that.
Her eyes flashed. "Yes, I'm jealous! Claire is a beautiful girl and she obviously wants you very badly."
He leaned in close and whispered in her ear. "But I want you." He couldn't believe his own bravado. It was testament to how much she had changed him in such a short time. A few hours ago he could not have imagined himself saying anything remotely like that to anyone, let alone Ginny.
He felt her shiver at his words. Her eyes turned upward to look at him, full of amazement and disbelief. "You- you do?"
He nodded and pulled her into his arms. Some kind of soft music was wafting in from the party. It was the kind of music that had just enough tempo to dance to, but not so much that it would be considered fast; it was a song for lovers. As he held her, he found himself listening to the music and swaying a bit, caught up in the feel of the girl in his arms. He could stand here all night like this, holding her and swaying to the music. It was perfect.
She tilted her head again and looked up at him. "Harry… do you realise that we're dancing?"
He looked at her in surprise. "I'm just… I dunno… holding you and moving to the music." He regarded her doubtfully. "I'd hardly call that dancing."
She swung away from him and did a fancy little move that had Harry's jaw dropping wide open. "Where'd you learn that?"
"Sirius. Last summer when we were at Grimmauld Place we used to goof off while we cleaned. He liked to spin me around and around like a top, then laugh his head off when I keeled over. It was mostly out of boredom on both our parts, but it made the drudgery fun."
Harry's stomach dropped at the mention of Sirius. "I wish I could have seen that side of him more. I'll always remember him roaming up and down the halls singing God Rest Ye Merry Hippogriffs at the top of his lungs last Christmas holiday. I think… never mind."
She was back in his arms again, swaying to the music. The tune had changed, but neither noticed.
"What were you going to say?" she asked curiously.
Harry was silent for a moment. He had never said this out loud before, and he wasn't certain how it would sound. "I think he would have been a great person to grow up with. I was really hoping we could have the chance to get to know each other better." He couldn't keep the wistfulness out of his voice, even though he tried. He'd hate it if Ginny thought he was weak.
She squeezed his arm tenderly. "I know… I saw you and him together over the summer and at Christmas. It was like a piece of you that was missing was fit into place when he was around… kind of like a jigsaw puzzle. He helped fill the gaps in your life."
"Yeah…" He couldn't look at her, so he stared off at nothing over her left shoulder. He could feel the lump returning and he tried to push it down.
Ginny obviously noticed how stiff he had become because she said, "I won't mention him anymore, if you like."
He shook his head and made an effort to dance more normally. "No, that's okay. I don't mind, really. I'd rather remember him laughing and having fun than… well, you know."
"Yeah."
They continued to dance in silence as a few more songs were played. Eventually the beat of the changing music got them doing silly things like a horrible parody of the tango and an awkward but hilarious waltz. They were having so much fun that they didn't see Ron and Hermione standing just inside the door until they laughed. Harry jumped away from Ginny self-consciously but immediately regretted it when he saw her frown.
"I think he's feeling better, Hermione," Ron said sarcastically sending Harry and Ginny a sly smile.
Harry was relieved to note his behaviour earlier had been forgiven. Both Ron and Hermione looked relieved he wasn't yelling, and he knew it would be pointless to say something to them by way of an apology. It didn't feel like the right time. They had obviously forgiven him and he knew he could apologize later, when they were alone.
Hermione struggled to hide her glee. "I agree. They do look quite cosy together, don't you think, Ron? I'd say Harry is feeling loads better, and it's about time, too."
Trying to deflect the attention from him, Harry countered with a sideways look at Ginny. "Are my ears failing or did they actually agree on something?"
Ginny grinned. "Nope, I heard it too."
"Honestly, you two," Hermione said, stamping her foot, "we're not that bad!"
"Yes you are," Harry and Ginny said together, and then broke out in laughter which spilled over to the other pair.
"Well… not usually," Hermione giggled, looking at Ron.
"She just hates to admit that I'm not a total dunce," Ron chuckled good-naturedly.
"I do not think you are a dunce, Ronald Weasley!"
"She's right on that one," Ginny teased. "I think her exact words were 'thick as a caldron bottom.'
"Ginny!" Hermione gasped. "I did not say that! I'd never-"
Ginny shrugged. "Okay… maybe it was me that said it. Still true, though."
Ron punched her in the arm. "I'll show you thick!" he said as he pounced on her and began his obligatory brotherly torture. She laughed and tried to fend him off as he tickled her mercilessly.
"Stop! I'm sorry, okay? I meant to say… thick as one of Percy's cauldron bottoms!" she laughed as she tried to twist free.
"Oh you'll pay for that, little sister!" Ron said as he doubled his efforts, much to Harry and Hermione's amusement.
"Don't just stand there, Harry!" Ginny yelled out, laughing. "I thought you were the hero… so help me already!" she shrieked.
Harry smiled wickedly. His eyes twinkled as he shrugged his shoulders and looked sideways at Hermione. "I've been told I have a 'saving people thing' and I'm trying to change my ways. Sorry, Ginny."
"Ooo… I'll get you for that, Harry Potter!" Ginny squealed as she tried to dodge Ron, who was laughing so hard he was having a time catching her. They were playing cat and mouse around the patio furniture now. She stopped suddenly and shot Ron a meaningful look. "I think it's time certain others joined the fun, don't you dear brother?"
As if reading her mind, Ron turned suddenly and lunged for Hermione leaving Ginny free to chase Harry down and tackle him; it left them both tumbling in the grass, laughing hysterically.
"Too late, Ginevra," Harry said out of breathe. He laughed merrily as he lay on his back in the grass. Ginny was next to him, also laughing and trying to catch her breath. "I've already been gotten," he said, flashing her a wicked smile.
Ginny's eyes widened at his words and she pulled herself up to look at him. "Who told you my full name? No one knows that but…" Her angry eyes swerved to Ron, who was still chasing Hermione.
"Wrong brother," he said, his eyes still twinkling with mirth. "It was Bill, actually. I don't remember how it came up but I do remember thinking that it suited you. It's very girlie and feminine… just like you." He felt his face flush in embarrassment. Why was he saying these stupid things? Maybe someone had slipped him Veritaserum in one of his drinks. He could hear Hermione and Ron talking quietly on the other side of the garden, having apparently also abandoned their battle for the moment, but couldn't see them from this vantage point. Then they were suddenly very quiet. Almost too quiet, really.
Ginny raised her eyebrow, and he forgot all about Ron and Hermione. "Am I supposed to be complimented or insulted?" she deadpanned.
He leaned over and kissed her on the lips reverently, not caring who saw him. "Complimented. Definitely."
Ginny grinned under his lips. "I think I like compliments."
"Me, too. Would you care for more?" he said, practically daring her.
"Absolutely."
It was a long time before any of them found their way back to the house and by then the dance contest was over. Fred and Angelina were the clear winners and Claire was nursing a sore toe where Dennis had trod on her foot. Everyone now looked relaxed and comfortable with each other with the exception of Dudley, of course. He was sitting sullenly in the corner, throwing the Weasley brothers dirty looks every chance he got but even he looked less uncomfortable with the situation.
In fact, Harry saw his cousin actually giving the witches in the group appreciatively glances when he thought they weren't paying attention. Inwardly Harry laughed as he imagined what Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia's reaction might be if Dudley ever hooked up with one of Harry's "freak friends" and settled down to have little witches and wizards. It would serve them right, Harry thought, to have a magical daughter-in-law and magical grandchildren. He just wished he could live long enough to see something like that happen.
A cold chill swept over him as he looked around the group. If Voldemort had anything to say about it, everyone in this room would be dead. He could never allow that to happen; coming after him was one thing, but his friends deserved to live their lives freely without the threat of death hanging over them. Trying to quell his current train of thought, he looked around for his abandoned drink and spied it by the chair he had been sitting in earlier. His thoughts once again dark, he sat down as the party raged around him. Ginny was congratulating Fred and Angelina and didn't notice his abrupt change of mood. Taking a long sip, he wished with all his might he was just an ordinary teenager with ordinary problems. So caught up in all this, he missed someone sidling up behind him.
"Why so glum, Harry?" Claire said near his ear. "Did you have an argument with your little girlfriend over there?" She nodded towards Ginny.
"She's not my girlfriend," Harry said lamely. It was true – he has never asked Ginny to be his girlfriend, officially. He didn't know why, but he didn't want to admit to Claire that he and Ginny were an item now. He didn't really care about Claire's reaction one way or another, but it didn't feel right saying that to Claire before he said anything to Ginny.
Claire pursed her lips and gave him a critical look then winked. "Sure, she's not. But it doesn't matter to me, Harry, if she is – I'm used to fighting for what I want…"
She reached over to tousle his hair and Harry moved away, but he had to fight a shiver of something he couldn't name and didn't understand. He glanced over at Ginny anxiously, who was watching them with a frown but not coming over to intervene. His eyes met Claire's blue ones and he saw the determined look imprinted there. In a small way he was fascinated and flattered, even curious. He knew he liked Ginny much better, but he had never had anyone be this forward with him before, and he briefly allowed himself to wonder what it would be like to kiss Claire Smith. Would it be passionate like Ginny, hesitant like Cho, or entirely different?
Her blue eyes bore into his, sending him a message. Her parting words left no doubt in Harry's mind that this thing with Claire was not over and wouldn't be for awhile. As she walked away from him, she glanced back, her blond hair shining in the lamplight. With another wink she whispered, so only he could hear, "…and I usually win."
Harry's eyes trailed with her as she sauntered away confidently, graceful even with a sore toe. He felt confused. Part of him was tempted to take Claire up on her offer – wanted to run after her and see what exactly she had to offer – yet at the same time the thought of it turned his stomach. What was wrong with him? It was as if he were two people having two separate modes of thought. He nervously fingered his glass and then took another sip, hoping to calm his nerves and gain some clarity about his mixed-up feelings. Something felt different, but he couldn't place his finger on what, exactly it was.
"All right, mate?" Ron said, startling him so much that he sloshed drink all over his leg.
"Yeah," he said, mopping up the mess. "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"
Ron shrugged and took a sip from his own drink, avoiding Harry's eyes. Suddenly, Harry understood.
"About that," Harry said. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier, and for hurting you. I don't know why I said those things." He had a hard time meeting Ron's eyes, but forced himself to even though his best mate's eyes were full of sympathy and compassion. He didn't feel like he deserved it at the moment, especially after the thoughts he had just had about Claire.
Ron shrugged again. "S'okay, Harry. It gave me and 'Mione a chance to… talk." He blushed crimson.
Harry smiled. "I take it you two came to an understanding, then."
Ron grinned like a Cheshire cat. "Yep. And I take it you and Ginny had a nice talk too, huh?"
Harry grinned widely now, his previously thoughts of Claire forgotten. "Yep."
"Thought so," Ron said, sounding very self-satisfied.
Their conversation was interrupted by Fred and George, who had once again taken centre stage.
"Okay, ladies and gents, it's time to move on to a new game," Fred said loudly, gathering everyone's attention. Harry narrowed his eyes curiously, wondering what they were up to now. They hadn't mentioned anything else about another activity, and from the looks of it, Dudley was just as clueless.
"We have been looking for the perfect opportunity to unveil our latest invention, guaranteed to amaze and astound you!" George told the group theatrically.
"What is it?" someone asked curiously.
"This!" George said, pulling a small glass ball out of his pocket. Harry paled. It looked just like the ball that contained the prophecies at the Department of Mysteries. Unwillingly, his mind raced back to that night and everything that had happened there.
"The Orb of Truth!" Fred said dramatically. Inside the ball was a faint mist that glowed and swirled, just like the one he had tried to protect with his life. "Inside this glass ball, you'll find your destiny!"
His mind spun out of control. Part of him wanted to take the sphere and run off with it; he would not be denied what was rightfully his any longer! He felt the rage stir inside him and shuddered because it was unconnected to him and he knew instinctively that it was the snake – Voldemort – who was thinking and feeling these things. He fought it off and was rewarded with a woozy sort of dizziness, as if he were about to pass out. Panic took him as he tried to fight to stay in control, but it was no use. He passed out.
A/N: Special thanks to Arnel for Beta reading this chapter and to all of you out there who have taken the time to leave a review. If you leave your email address, I will be sure to get back to you with specific questions.
