Chapter 30
The Other Side of the Story
Cassie, Ginny, Hermione and Ron happily closed their books and put away quills and parchments
about six that evening. Harry had come in a little earlier and told Ginny that he had a meeting with
Professor Dumbledore before dinner. Cassie immediately thought that the meeting was about her
but Harry assured her that this time it was nothing related to her situation. Cassie was a lot
happier about that at first but from the slightly worried expression on Ginny's face she realized
that maybe she was not realizing the seriousness of this. Harry left and Cassie turned to Ginny. "Is
something wrong? I thought Harry talked to Professor Dumbledore all the time."
"Well, he does . . . but it always worries me. It shouldn't I guess. He said he'd see us in a few
minutes. I'm probably worrying over nothing." She smiled but Cassie could tell it was extremely
forced. A few minutes later, the four of them headed down to dinner, hoping that they would
meet Harry as they went.
As they walked down the corridors to descend into the Great Hall, Ginny and Cassie recounted
the story of what had happened with Draco in the library.
"What is with him?" Ron asked. "I just don't get it. You've told him to get lost. There are tons of
other girls in this school who would love to go out with him. I just don't know why he's being so .
. . annoying."
Cassie's stomach clenched in fear as she whispered the one thing that secretly terrified her about
Draco's seeming obsession with her. She glanced around to assure they were alone. "Maybe he
knows about me. Maybe he's just keeping tabs on me for his father." The other three stopped so
suddenly that she literally ran into Ginny.
"No, no. That's not how they work." Ginny was quite sure about this and seemed anxious for
Cassie to realize it, too. "If he was on to you, he'd have actually hurt you rather than just, uh, I
guess flirted with you. He'd have just stunned you or silenced you and dragged you out of the
library or something."
Cassie's stomach sank again as she realized what Ginny had just said. "He could have just done a
silencing charm on me, couldn't he have?"
"Sure. If he wanted to. Why?" Ginny and Ron were both looking at Cassie with concern. She was
sure her face was totally white and she felt faint.
"I just . . . I was so nervous but I kept thinking that if I really got in trouble, I could scream. But,
if I were really in trouble, he wouldn't have let me. I just realized what horrible danger I was in, I
guess."
Ron cussed rather loudly. Hermione didn't correct him. Ginny then added what she obviously
thought was the clincher on the story. "He took her wand, too. I saw him give it back to her
afterward."
"He took your wand?" Hermione looked quite upset about this. "Why? What did he say?"
"Well, I had pulled it out to threaten him with it. I thought maybe it would make him back away.
He just said I wasn't going to use it on him and he reached out and took it. I tried to grab it back,
I think, but he put it in his pocket. That's when Ginny came."
They walked in silence for a few minutes as another group of students caught up with them and
passed them. Hermione was the first one to speak after they were alone again in the hallway. "As
for his being so . . . stubborn, I don't think that's anything we have to worry about. He's just not
used to being denied anything. So, he thinks you'll come around. Even more than that, though, is
the fact that most of the school, or at least his friends, know he's been trying to hook up with you.
If he gave up now, he'd look like a fool. So my guess is that he'll get worse before he gets better.
But I recommend you never draw your wand on him again, Pia, without one of us to back you up.
You can tell when someone is about to cast a spell, there's a certain . . . oh, force in the eyes. He'd
be able to tell from a mile away you weren't really ready to do anything."
"We've got to do something, Hermione. Something permanent." Ginny was obviously quite
concerned.
"I think you should just knee him in the groin, Pia. That'll teach him a lesson." Pia blushed bright
red as she looked at Ron.
"Um, I guess I could do that. But it wouldn't be permanent." Ron laughed in response.
"Could be long lasting, though. What do you think, Hermione?"
"I don't think that's a really good idea, Ron. For one thing, if he really wants to avoid that, he can
easily put either a leg locking spell or a petrifying spell on her, and then she'd really be in a bad
way. So, she'd just be upping the ante, so to speak, making herself even more vulnerable."
"I wish I knew how to hex him for real. That scares him away from Ginny." The group of them
were now descending the steps and the entrance hall was crowded with students so they couldn't
really talk freely.
"I'd hex him on your behalf. . . you know, so he'd think it was from you. But you'd get in all sorts
of trouble. Probably get detention and everything. Maybe with Filch if you're caught in the
corridors."
"Filch doesn't scare me."
"He should. Look, the point is . . ." Ginny leaned very close to Cassie so that she could speak
without being overheard, " . . . when you told what he had been doing, you'd probably both be in
detention together. And I really don't think that's a good idea."
They had reached the entrance hall and they couldn't speak anymore, but Cassie let an idea form
in her mind. If she told one of the professors what Draco was doing, maybe he'd get in trouble and
then be forced to leave her alone. And even if she did get detention, they certainly wouldn't make
her be in the same room with him unsupervised. That would just be ridiculous, if he were being
punished for harassing her. So, she decided that she would do that. It might be sort of
underhanded and sneaky, but if it kept him away from her, it would be worth it.
Ginny looked around for a moment before they actually entered the Great Hall and then did a
thorough scan of the Gryffindor table, obviously looking for Harry. But he was nowhere to be
seen. "I'm sure he'll be here in a minute, Ginny," Ron said. "We've got Quidditch practice tonight,
after all, and he won't want to miss dinner. Don't worry so much about him." Ginny grimaced,
obviously not pleased with the advice.
They all ate fairly quietly, talking softly and now all four of them were shooting concerned glances
at the doorway every few seconds and Cassie couldn't help but look at her watch to notice that it
had really been quite a long time since Harry had got to the Headmaster's office. The food was
good, chicken and mashed potatoes, and Cassie enjoyed it. The cooking here was really good
although certainly heavier than she was used to at home. Cassie enjoyed the dinner and
conversation, and even took seconds on the salad and mashed potatoes. Ron and Hermione, who
had been having yet another lively discussion, had finally stopped arguing about the lack of
vegetables on his plate and Neville, who had sat down next to Ron, had made them laugh with his
description of an exam from which he had just come. The only down side to the dinner was when
Cassie noticed Draco Malfoy eyeing her with a smug expression. She did her best to ignore him
and focus on the conversation.
Finally, Harry walked through the doors into the Hall and Cassie breathed a sigh of relief. She
wasn't exactly sure what she had been worried about, but she had certainly sensed Ginny's concern
and was glad now that they could all relax. Harry approached them and stood behind Ginny, his
hands on her shoulders. Where Cassie thought that Ginny should be all smiles and relaxed giggles
now, the redhead was tense and there was a stiffness in her movements that had not been there a
few minutes before.
"Ginny." Cassie watched as Ginny bit her lip and closed her eyes. "I need to talk to you."
"Okay, Harry." Ginny stood up from her barely-touched meal and Cassie glanced over at
Hermione and Ron who were also sitting there, pale and stiff. Ginny stood up from the table and
Harry took her arm. They walked down the table and out the doors.
"I can't . . . I won't let him. Not again!" Ron was standing up to follow his sister out the doorway,
but Hermione grabbed his sleeve.
"There's no use arguing, Ron. Nothing's changed." Ron sat down, scowling, but didn't take his
eyes off the door. Cassie wanted to ask what was wrong, but she was too frightened to do it. She
had a growing terror in her heart and she was afraid to find out that she was right. So, instead she
stared at the table and tried not to break down into tears. A few moments later, both Harry and
Ginny walked into the Great Hall again, hand in hand. Ginny looked wan, but her jaw was set.
Cassie could tell that she was on the verge of hysteria, and she held Harry's hand like it was the
only anchor holding her together.
"Ron, Hermione. I've got to go again. We've got really good information this time and I think this
may be it." He opened his mouth to say more but closed it again. Cassie knew then that her fear
was realized. Harry smiled warmly at all four of them. "I need to leave now. I'll see you later,
okay? I promise."
"Harry -" Hermione spit out quickly. "Be careful, okay? Don't take foolish chances."
"I want to come with you, Harry." Ron had stood up again but Harry just nodded.
"I know. You can't. I'll be all right. Don't worry so much." And then he turned and he was gone.
Cassie stared with blurry vision at the door he had gone through. It was unbelievable to her. That
was it? No . . . nothing? He was just gone. Tonight? Now? She had the wildly inappropriate
thought that this probably meant Ron would have to cancel Quidditch practice, but she bit her lip
in sudden pain. Ginny was still standing behind her and Cassie stood quickly, grabbing her hand.
"Come on. Let's go upstairs." She didn't know why, but she wanted more than anything at that
moment to be away from all the prying eyes and knowing looks and she imagined Ginny felt the
same way. Not too many people had really noticed what had happened although their standing at
the table was starting to draw some questioning eyes. Neville looked upset and his hand was
shaking as he laid his fork down but he made no comment. She dared a glance over at Draco, who
had been watching the whole scene. He flashed a very joyful smile and any thought of relaxing her
guard around him suddenly flew out of her mind. He obviously knew what was going on and was
happy! Cassie felt suddenly sick and swore that if she did throw up, she would make sure it was
over by him!
Ron and Hermione stood up, unmindful as was Ginny of that nasty smile, and the small group
trudged up the dark staircases and long halls until they reached the fat lady, who had always
seemed welcoming to Cassie but now just looked foreign and out of place.
"Jingle Bells" Ron managed to croak out and all four of them slid through into the silence of the
empty room. Cassie was unsure, now, what to do. She wanted to somehow offer some words of
comfort, but knew they would be stupid. She had no idea what Harry was going to be doing
tonight, other than facing Voldemort. They knew it all better than she did so for her to offer trite
platitudes like "I'm sure he'll come back" would be grating and out of place. Instead, they all sat
down and stared at each other. Long minutes passed in total quiet, no one willing to break the
calm, as if they were all afraid that if they did, all four of them would shatter into a million pieces.
When the portrait hole opened after a seemingly endless five minutes, and some laughing young
Gryffindors came into the common room, the stunning spell dissipated and all four of them looked
around, seeming to come back to reality. "I guess I better let everyone know practice is canceled.
We could play without him, but I don't think I'm up for it." He took a small round object out of
his pocket and tapped it twice with his wand.
"What is that?" Cassie couldn't help but ask, even though she supposed it was not really the best
thing to be doing at the moment. Still, it was all she could think to say. She was surprised that the
words came out sounding fairly normal. Her throat was so tight that she thought they would come
out as a squeak.
"It's a . . . Protean-Charmed miniature snitch. Hermione made them for the team last year. Quite
brilliant, really." At Cassie's blank look, Ron explained farther. "We all have one. When I, usually,
need to tell everyone else on the team something, I can use this as a sort of . . . message board.
Two taps means practice canceled and then their snitches get warm and they can pull them out of
their pocket and read what it says. See. Ginny, get yours out, would you?"
"Sorry, what?" Ginny looked blankly at Ron. " Did you say something?"
"No. It's all right. Never mind." Ron put the miniature snitch back in his robe pocket. "It's a
complicated charm, bloody brilliant of her to figure it out. She did it first during fifth year, for the
D.A." He snapped his jaw shut suddenly and walked away from Cassie. All four of them dutifully
got out their school books and stared at them for a long time and then got out parchment and
stared at it for a long time. Cassie didn't say anything more and was glad that she didn't have any
homework due the next day. Cassie glanced at her watch ever so often, amazed at how slowly
time was creeping by. By 10, they had all given up any pretense of getting any studying done.
Ginny sat on the couch in a place that Cassie had realized very early on was her favorite. She had
picked up one of the throw pillows and was holding it against her, staring at the flickering flames
of the fireplace like they held the mysteries of the universe.
Ron and Hermione were drifting around the common room, visiting occasionally with someone
but generally just watching as the other students played games or worked on other projects. By
10:30 all four of them were sitting around the fire and Cassie was grateful for its warmth. She was
so cold, so absolutely frozen, and the heat from the hearth seemed to be the only thing keeping
her alive. Ginny was shivering slightly and Cassie wondered if there was a blanket or something
she could throw over her.
Cassie honestly didn't know what had made her realize something as she sat there, feeling Ginny's
rapid tremors, staring into the flames, but she instantly had an abject horrid crash into reality and
the pain of it was so intense that she gasped, making the other three look up at her in curiosity.
Cassie tried to explain, but after a few stammered words, she gave up and no one pushed her to
complete her thoughts. Cassie suddenly realized that she was seeing things from the other side,
now. Harry had gone out one evening last June for a battle that could have been much like this
one. He had said goodbye to Ron and Hermione and told them not to worry. He had told them,
promised them, that he would come back soon. And then . . . he hadn't. He hadn't come back.
Cassie could feel a huge lump forming in the back of her throat and she tried to swallow so that
she wouldn't break down in tears. Ginny did not need that. Ginny needed her to be strong for her.
But Cassie honestly was not sure she could manage it. They had thought he was dead. For three
weeks, they had lived with the sure conviction that he never would come back from that battle.
That he would never smile at them again or that his green eyes would never again flash behind his
glasses. That he would never slide through the portrait hole again. That he would never again fly.
The ache was overwhelming, and Cassie stood up, muttered something about needing to use the
toilet, and she ran out of the common room. She pushed the heels of her palms hard into her eyes
as she stood in the toilet, her back against the cold wall. She had to get it together. He hadn't died
then. He wasn't going to die tonight. He had survived all these other times . . . tonight was no
different, was it? But still . . . somewhere in her brain she kept imaging the scene if he didn't come
back. A horrible replay for them. A first time terror for her. She cried for what seemed like hours,
although she knew it was no longer than 10 minutes. Then she rinsed her eyes carefully with cold
water, and patted her face dry. She took a deep calming breath and climbed the remaining steps to
her bedroom. She said hello to Saffron and Rhiannon and then pulled her heavy comforter off the
bed and carried it downstairs as she went to rejoin her friends. Cassie tucked it around Ginny
carefully, and Ginny smiled faintly in gratitude as Cassie tried to make sure she was completely
wrapped. Her shivering diminished slightly.
The common room gradually emptied. Neville had spoken briefly to them as he went up to bed
and Elspeth and Colin also came over to offer encouragement. This was all acknowledged with
gratitude and a false bravado that Harry knew what he was doing and that they really shouldn't
worry. If anyone should be worrying, it should be the Death Eaters, but Cassie remembered that
sickening smile on Draco's face, and knew that it wasn't really that easy. At 11:30, Neville and
Seamus came down dressed in their bathrobes to see if they had received any word. Ginny's pale
face had moved sideways in a negative response. The two boys had turned and gone back up the
steps to their dorm - to Harry's dorm - when Ginny gasped. Cassie turned immediately toward
her but Ginny was just staring with rapt attention at the flames. "I saw it! They sent it!" Her face
looked suddenly calm and Cassie wondered if she was having hallucinations.
"Are you sure?" Ron looked skeptically at his sister. Apparently the thought of hallucinations was
in his mind, also.
"Yes, I'm positive. They should send it again in a minute." Cassie stared at the fire along with Ron
and Hermione, but Ginny closed her eyes for the first time all evening and leaned back against the
arm of the couch. For one instant, the flames of the fire burned bright green, almost flourescent,
and then they burned yellow again. Cassie started, stared, and looked at Hermione to see if she
was also having hallucinations. Maybe they were all losing their minds. But Hermione had gotten
the same look of almost heavenly calm on her face that Ginny had and Cassie had the brief
thought that maybe something in the fire was hypnotizing them. "Did you see it, Ron?" Ginny
asked, her eyes closed, her face pointed up to the ceiling.
"Yes. You were right. It's over." Cassie wanted to ask what was going on but the atmosphere of
relief was so thick that she knew that whatever happened with the flames had something to do
with Harry - and that somehow it told them Harry was okay. Ron stood up and paced around
their little enclave of couch and chairs. "This is the last time I let him go alone. I hate this. I hate
having him leave and I'm sitting here like a big lump of pudding."
"Ron." Hermione sounded pleading, like she didn't even want to think about Ron going. Not that
Cassie could blame her. "You know they won't let you go until you join the Order and you can't
do that until after you finish school."
"Yeah, I know that's the case. But I may not wait for permission next time. I may just go with him
anyway." Cassie saw Hermione pale again but she sensed that this was not the time for a pointless
argument.
"I'm sure Harry would love to have you there." Ginny said that rather suddenly, looking up and
directly at Ron. "He once said he misses you." Hermione snorted.
"I'm going up to bed. Tomorrow is going to be a long day as it is." She walked toward the stairs.
"Are you coming up, Pia?" Cassie looked at Ginny who had closed her eyes and leaned against the
back of the couch again. She was still wrapped in her bedding, so unless she pried it off her -
which she really did not want to do - or used Ginny's bedding, there was no use going up the
stairs. She wanted to stay with Ginny and keep her company. After all Ginny had done for her,
this was the least she could do.
"Uh, I'll stay up with Ginny, unless of course, you'd prefer to wait alone."
Ginny smiled, "No, I'd love to have you stay with me."
The girls settled back down on the couch and again stared into the fire. After a short time Cassie
looked at Ginny. "How long does it usually take for Harry to return?"
"It all depends on what's going on. It shouldn't be too much longer."
"Oh Ginny, I don't know how you can handle the stress of watching Harry go off and waiting to
see if he returns. Is it this bad all the time?
"Basically. What choice do I have, though, Pia, except to be patient and wait. I've seen the
alternative, and it's not good."
"Oh. I'm sorry, Ginny. I didn't mean to bring up a bad memory."
"It's okay, Pia. It's over. Harry's alive and that's what matters."
"So the green flame was some sort of signal?"
"Yes. Dad knows how worried we always are so he uses a little Floo powder thrown into a
fireplace to tell us the news."
"That's really nice of him." Cassie seriously debated whether to bring this up but decided that she
really did want to know. "I bet it was horrible to be waiting for the green flame to appear and it
never did."
Ginny gave a wan smile. "Dad just started that this year, for me. After the battle here in June."
"Oh." Now she felt like an idiot.
"But it was terrible. But that night he went I had to continue to act like I didn't care. I waited for a
while with Ron and Hermione and then went up to bed. I didn't want to be seen by Harry and let
him know how much I cared. I laid up there in my bed waiting to hear Hermione's footsteps on
the stairs so I'd know he was back and was OK. I waited and waited, and finally fell asleep out of
sheer exhaustion. When I woke up in the morning, I assumed he had comeback and I'd see the
three of them in the commons room or at breakfast. They weren't there in the commons room, nor
the Great Hall. I know something was seriously wrong. I picked at my food and kept looking for
them to come walking in and everything would be back to normal. I had even decided to forget
the stupid angry act and let him know I'd never stopped loving him." Ginny's eyes watered and she
fought to hold back the tears again. Cassie waited patiently for Ginny to continue. "I knew there
was something wrong. I could tell. Rumors were already being whispered about. Professor
McGonagal came in and walked toward me. It was obvious she had been crying. She came up to
me and asked me to come with her. I thought I was going to faint. I was sitting next to Elspeth
and she literally had to help hold me up. We . . . we went to Dumbledore's office and . . . Oh God!
I thought I was going to die. I wanted to die. I had no hope and no purpose. I would have died if
it hadn't been for my family and friends. It was the worst experience in my life. I don't think I
could do it again."
Cassie put her arm around her and quietly comforted her. She marveled to herself how Ginny or
any of the others could continue to handle the stress and turmoil of having loved ones go off to
fight night after night. "And I didn't know any of this until Ron and Hermione showed up on
Harry's front porch. I never, in my wildest dreams, would have guessed about any of this."
Ginny looked at Cassie appraisingly. "I know. May I ask you a question? What did Harry say
about me? Did he talk about me before Ron and Hermione showed up?"
"Yes. He did mention you. Several times. It was obvious he really cared about you. I . . . uh, saw
how much he cared before he ever came back."
"Oh, Pia. I'm so sorry." Cassie just tightened her arm around the other girl.
"You have no reason to apologize. You have been absolutely wonderful, you know." Ginny took
a deep shuddering breath and Cassie felt her relax further. Good. They sat there together, waiting
for Harry to come back. It was at least another hour before the portal hole opened and in slid a
tired-looking Harry Potter. The girls, who had been dozing, both got up and Ginny ran to him and
hugged and kissed him. Cassie followed a little bit behind and, from a short distance smiled and
welcomed him back. Harry smiled back at her.
Cassie decided it was time to let them be alone and bade both of them goodnight. She gathered up
her comforter which was very warm, and started toward the steps. She heard Ginny ask about her
family and she turned back. She hadn't even stopped to think any of Ginny's family would be with
Harry. But it made sense. Of course Arthur would be there. Harry smiled into Ginny's eyes.
"They're all fine. Your dad, Bill, Fred, and George were there. No one was hurt."
Cassie gave an involuntary gasp and Harry looked at her in puzzlement. Cassie just turned away
and ran up the steps, the tears coming closer and closer to the surface as she climbed. She hoped
she made it up to her bed before they spilled over. It wouldn't do for her to be seen as so upset,
now that Harry was home safely. But her heart was just pounding and it wasn't all from the
exertion of the stairs. Cassie had forgotten George was a member of the Order of the Phoenix. He
had mentioned it in a letter but it had been so long ago. Cassie felt sick to her stomach that
George had been there tonight and she hadn't given him a thought.
She barely made it, throwing aside the curtains and climbing in, quickly pulling the comforter over
herself as she curled into a little ball, trying to contain her sobs. She pulled the curtains shut. As
exhausted as she was, she didn't think she would be able to sleep tonight. All she could do was
think about George, dark wizards, blasts from wands, screams of pain and a haunting feeling of
helplessness. She laid in her bed and cried into her covers so she wouldn't wake the other girls.
After what seemed like a long time, Cassie heard Ginny quietly enter the room. She wiped her
face and opened the curtain a little to say goodnight to her. Ginny noticed Cassie's tear-stained
face. "Pia, are you okay?" I'm sorry. I thought George would have been there and I should have
told you. But I was selfish, worrying about myself, and not thinking of you."
Cassie suddenly felt very self-conscious. "I guess it's kind of silly for me to be crying when
George and I have hardly even dated."
"It isn't silly." Ginny climbed onto Cassie's bed and closed the curtain. "It doesn't change what you
feel, just because you haven't known him for a very long time."
Cassie nodded and began to cry again. Frustrated and worried she would wake the others, she
fought to hold back the tears, burying her hot, sticky face in her pillow, trying to muffle any
sounds. Ginny took her wand out and did a silencing spell on the curtains. She then reached out
and took Cassie into her arms. "It's okay, Cassie. Go ahead and cry. You deserve it. I think we all
do." With that, Cassie opened up and cried for George, Ginny, Harry, her other friends in the
wizarding world, for her family, and for herself. Ginny held her tightly and also wept.
