When Harry, Ron, and Ginny reached the Gryffindor Common Room, the party had already started. There was a large banner that hung across one of the walls that said 'Congratulations on Whomping Hufflepuff!' The whole house couldn't have been any happier. Someone walked over and brought the three of them drinks, making a toast in the teams honor. Ginny looked around the room in awe. She saw Colin sitting in a corner by himself. Halloween still felt like it was yesterday, even though a week had passed. Ron had called an emergency team meeting the day after and made everyone make up. Ginny and Harry had both accepted Colin's apology, but things between Ginny and Colin were still strained. She missed having her best friend around to talk to, but at the same time she just couldn't shake the look in his eyes when he had hit Harry. She met Colin's gaze and he stood up like he was going to come talk to her, but went to the punch bowl instead.
"Oh that was brilliant!" Hermione exclaimed as she wrapped each one of them in a hug. "You should have seen the look on Malfoy's face when he realized what the final score was. He looked like he was going to kill Harry."
"Well, Ron was the brilliant one," Harry said, grinning at his best friend. "Where did I put my drink? Ah, here it is. To the Gryffindor keeper!" Harry raised his glass towards Ron, making him blush. Soon, Ron was swept away from his friends by a crowd of admirers. Harry and Ginny took it as an opportunity to sneak off by themselves for a bit.
"He really was good, only allowing three goals," Ginny said smiling as she and Harry walked towards the Room of Requirement.
"Yeah, but you chasers were complete rubbish! I mean we were only up by 200 when I caught the snitch." Harry laughed and reached out for Ginny's hand. He opened the door to the Room of Requirement, where there was a large plush couch in front of a fire. They sat down, Ginny cuddled next to Harry. "I'm so tired." Harry suddenly felt as if he didn't have enough energy to hold his head up.
"Are you okay? You look a little pale?" Ginny looked at Harry concerned.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Ginny shot Harry a look. "Okay, no I'm not. I don't think I can feel my legs." Ginny sat up, looking very nervous. "I think- ," Harry's voice cut off and his eyes closed. His head fell uncontrollably down against his arm.
"Holy shit," Ginny whispered, trying to maintain her composure. She dragged his limp body into the hall, collapsing on the ground from exhaustion. "HELP!" Suddenly she saw Tonks appear from no where.
"What happened?" Tonks cried running over to Ginny. Ginny tried to explain through her sobs, but honestly didn't know what had happened. Tonks began to levitate Harry to the hospital wing. "Go back to the common room right now!" she ordered Ginny. "Things will only be worse if people find out you were with him. I know it's going to be hard, but please try to act like nothings wrong." Ginny stood frozen in place. "GO!" Ginny arrived outside the Fat Lady's portrait, not remembering how she had gotten there. She mumbled the password and walked into the common room where the party was still going full force. Apparently she had not been missed. She saw Colin walking towards her and she inwardly groaned. She didn't think she had the strength for him right then.
"Hey Ginny," Colin said, sounding as if he thought she would bite his head off.
"Hey."
"Listen, I know I've already apologized, but I need to again. I really don't know what came over me. I care about you so much, and when I thought that he was trying to hurt you, I just lost it."
"He cares about me too." Ginny couldn't bring herself to say Harry's name, knowing he was in the hospital unconscious.
"I know that, but the way he was manhandling you, I got scared."
"You scared me Colin. You looked like you wanted to kill him."
"Never! You know he's always been my idol. It was just that then, he wasn't Harry. He was someone who was trying to hurt you. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you. I miss you."
"I miss you too Colin."
"Can we try to go back to the way things were?"
Ginny realized that very soon Harry wasn't going to be there, and she was going to need a friend's unconditional support. "I'd like that Colin. But now I need to go find Ron and Hermione." Colin grinned and pulled her into a tight hug.
"I promise, I won't let you down. I'm here for you!" Ginny forced a smile and walked to where Ron and Hermione were standing. She felt a sharp pain in her stomach when she saw them joking and laughing. If they knew what she knew, their moods would be much different.
"Ginny!" Hermione cried, obviously tipsy. "You've been missing out on all the fun! Try some punch it's really good!" Normally the combination of Hermione and alcohol would have made Ginny's night, but tonight all she could manage was trying not to look upset.
"My little sister!" Ron was drunk beyond comprehension. He hugged her so tightly she almost fell to the floor. She couldn't believe that Ron and Hermione were so completely oblivious to the fact that Harry was missing. "Where've you been?"
"Bathroom." Ginny was trying to fight back her anger. "Why aren't they asking where is Harry?"
"Doesn't 'Mione look beautiful?" Ron asked grinning as Hermione blushed.
"Very."
"Oh Ron, you're too sloshed to know what you're saying..." Hermione was snapped back into a completely sober state when she saw Professor McGonagall enter the room. "Oh Merlin, we're going to be expelled," she whispered frantically as the Professor walked towards them.
"You three need to come with me." Ron only responded by laughing, mumbling something incoherently. "Soberis!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed, pointing her wand at Ron. He snapped out of his state, somewhat confused.
"Where's Harry?" he asked, suddenly aware of his friend's absence.
"Follow me," was the only response he got. She led them to Dumbledore's office. Hermione looked terrified and Ron seemed completely confused. Only Ginny looked calm, as she tried her hardest not to completely lose control. They sat down on a couch, looking anxiously at Professor Dumbledore across the room.
"It's Harry."
a/n Okay, I've come to a conclusion. Since I've been so good about updating very quickly (like 8 in 4 days) I'm going to leave you with my very first cliff hanger. Evil? Yes. But I'm going to continue writing my story, just going to make you sweat it out a little bit first! Let me know what you think about the latest chapter or about how evil I am. (Oh, I had apparently accidentally blocked anonymous reviews, but the problem is now remedied. Sorry if that affected anyone!)
"Oh that was brilliant!" Hermione exclaimed as she wrapped each one of them in a hug. "You should have seen the look on Malfoy's face when he realized what the final score was. He looked like he was going to kill Harry."
"Well, Ron was the brilliant one," Harry said, grinning at his best friend. "Where did I put my drink? Ah, here it is. To the Gryffindor keeper!" Harry raised his glass towards Ron, making him blush. Soon, Ron was swept away from his friends by a crowd of admirers. Harry and Ginny took it as an opportunity to sneak off by themselves for a bit.
"He really was good, only allowing three goals," Ginny said smiling as she and Harry walked towards the Room of Requirement.
"Yeah, but you chasers were complete rubbish! I mean we were only up by 200 when I caught the snitch." Harry laughed and reached out for Ginny's hand. He opened the door to the Room of Requirement, where there was a large plush couch in front of a fire. They sat down, Ginny cuddled next to Harry. "I'm so tired." Harry suddenly felt as if he didn't have enough energy to hold his head up.
"Are you okay? You look a little pale?" Ginny looked at Harry concerned.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Ginny shot Harry a look. "Okay, no I'm not. I don't think I can feel my legs." Ginny sat up, looking very nervous. "I think- ," Harry's voice cut off and his eyes closed. His head fell uncontrollably down against his arm.
"Holy shit," Ginny whispered, trying to maintain her composure. She dragged his limp body into the hall, collapsing on the ground from exhaustion. "HELP!" Suddenly she saw Tonks appear from no where.
"What happened?" Tonks cried running over to Ginny. Ginny tried to explain through her sobs, but honestly didn't know what had happened. Tonks began to levitate Harry to the hospital wing. "Go back to the common room right now!" she ordered Ginny. "Things will only be worse if people find out you were with him. I know it's going to be hard, but please try to act like nothings wrong." Ginny stood frozen in place. "GO!" Ginny arrived outside the Fat Lady's portrait, not remembering how she had gotten there. She mumbled the password and walked into the common room where the party was still going full force. Apparently she had not been missed. She saw Colin walking towards her and she inwardly groaned. She didn't think she had the strength for him right then.
"Hey Ginny," Colin said, sounding as if he thought she would bite his head off.
"Hey."
"Listen, I know I've already apologized, but I need to again. I really don't know what came over me. I care about you so much, and when I thought that he was trying to hurt you, I just lost it."
"He cares about me too." Ginny couldn't bring herself to say Harry's name, knowing he was in the hospital unconscious.
"I know that, but the way he was manhandling you, I got scared."
"You scared me Colin. You looked like you wanted to kill him."
"Never! You know he's always been my idol. It was just that then, he wasn't Harry. He was someone who was trying to hurt you. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you. I miss you."
"I miss you too Colin."
"Can we try to go back to the way things were?"
Ginny realized that very soon Harry wasn't going to be there, and she was going to need a friend's unconditional support. "I'd like that Colin. But now I need to go find Ron and Hermione." Colin grinned and pulled her into a tight hug.
"I promise, I won't let you down. I'm here for you!" Ginny forced a smile and walked to where Ron and Hermione were standing. She felt a sharp pain in her stomach when she saw them joking and laughing. If they knew what she knew, their moods would be much different.
"Ginny!" Hermione cried, obviously tipsy. "You've been missing out on all the fun! Try some punch it's really good!" Normally the combination of Hermione and alcohol would have made Ginny's night, but tonight all she could manage was trying not to look upset.
"My little sister!" Ron was drunk beyond comprehension. He hugged her so tightly she almost fell to the floor. She couldn't believe that Ron and Hermione were so completely oblivious to the fact that Harry was missing. "Where've you been?"
"Bathroom." Ginny was trying to fight back her anger. "Why aren't they asking where is Harry?"
"Doesn't 'Mione look beautiful?" Ron asked grinning as Hermione blushed.
"Very."
"Oh Ron, you're too sloshed to know what you're saying..." Hermione was snapped back into a completely sober state when she saw Professor McGonagall enter the room. "Oh Merlin, we're going to be expelled," she whispered frantically as the Professor walked towards them.
"You three need to come with me." Ron only responded by laughing, mumbling something incoherently. "Soberis!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed, pointing her wand at Ron. He snapped out of his state, somewhat confused.
"Where's Harry?" he asked, suddenly aware of his friend's absence.
"Follow me," was the only response he got. She led them to Dumbledore's office. Hermione looked terrified and Ron seemed completely confused. Only Ginny looked calm, as she tried her hardest not to completely lose control. They sat down on a couch, looking anxiously at Professor Dumbledore across the room.
"It's Harry."
a/n Okay, I've come to a conclusion. Since I've been so good about updating very quickly (like 8 in 4 days) I'm going to leave you with my very first cliff hanger. Evil? Yes. But I'm going to continue writing my story, just going to make you sweat it out a little bit first! Let me know what you think about the latest chapter or about how evil I am. (Oh, I had apparently accidentally blocked anonymous reviews, but the problem is now remedied. Sorry if that affected anyone!)