Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. If you didn't know that, then
you need to read the books before you get to the fanfiction. The plot is
mine, however, and since I am a poor college student, please do not worry
about suing me for any part of this. Since you really want to read the
fic, not this note or any disclaimers, I am not going to add it to future
chapters. So please remember I don't own any of it. The rest of the
author's notes are at the end.
Chapter 3: Diagon Alley
Ginny went up to her room and changed just as Hermione woke up. With her back turned, she cleaned the bloodstain from her shirt before her friend could say anything about it. When she turned around, Hermione was sitting up, staring at her.
"What? Did the twins turn my hair green again?" she asked, shaking her head.
"Huh? No, I was just thinking. Hey, are you getting enough sleep? You look a little pale," Hermione said.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I've just had some problems with nightmares is all. So how did the chess game go? Where my pieces nice to you?"
"Ron won again, as usual, and your pieces are brutal. Isn't right, and certainly not ethical."
"Kids! Hurry up! You need to get to Diagon Alley to get your things. We don't have all day!" Molly Weasley's voice echoed throughout the Burrow. An hour later, all four kids stood in front of the fireplace ready to depart. "Now, remember, don't let yourselves get separated from each other and get only the things you need. The dark forces are more powerful than they used to be so I don't want you kids out there any longer than necessary. If nothing else, there is power in numbers. So stay together! Oh, and don't forget about your emergency port-key!"
"We know, Mum. Can we go now?" Ron asked. Mrs. Weasley sighed and looked at the four. With a tutting noise, she sent them on their way through to the Leaky Cauldron.
Harry was the first one through and he quickly rolled out of the way before Ginny came through. Her entrance was far from graceful and she landed hard on her injured shoulder and rolled. She couldn't help her cry of pain and Harry was immediately at her side, gently helping her up.
"Ya know, you really do need to take better care of yourself if you refuse to have someone look at your shoulder," he said, pulling her out of the way just as Ron and Hermione came through. "Well, everyone ready?" At the three nods, they left and went to get their books for the next year.
The day was uneventful as they got their supplies. Both Ginny and Harry forgot about their dreams and their troubles. The four had replenished all their potion supplies, bought new robes, and taken an ice cream break. That left Flourish and Blotts as their last destination and a very antsy Hermione. Once they finished their ice cream, they headed over to the bookstore.
Upon entering the store, Hermione looked like a child on Christmas morning as she dragged Ron off to some shelf towards the back somewhere. Harry and Ginny just laughed at Ron's terrified expression.
"Well, shall we get our stuff, Miss Weasley?" Harry asked.
"I think that would be a wonderful idea, Mr. Potter. What is it that you need?" she answered sweetly. He chuckled as he led her to the DADA section. Once there, he scanned the shelves looking for the book Lupin required for this year. Harry smiled as he remembered the day when his old friend returned to teach DADA classes. The look on Snape's face was priceless when he was told that he had to go back to potions full time.
Harry's trip down memory lane was cut short as Ginny let out a cry just before the book she was trying to reach for came crashing down on her. Harry's hand shot out and caught the book before it could hit her. As he handed it to Ginny, he noticed her eyes were laced with pain.
"Ginny, I really-"
"Don't. Don't say it, Harry. I know what you're going to say and I don't want to hear it. There's nothing I can do to fix or stop it, so don't say anything," she cut in, her eyes suddenly flashing. Harry shook his head as the Weasley temper flared to life.
Ginny took her book back from Harry and returned to scanning the titles on the shelf. She heard Harry talking to himself about something but she didn't know what. However, she did know that he was right. Something had to be done about her dreams. First her leg, then her shoulder. She was very surprised that only Harry knew about her injuries. Well, kind of surprised. Her brothers were all about as dense as they come. Hermione, though, was another story. With her staying in Ginny's room, it would be a lot harder to keep the dreams a secret. Especially if she picked up on the fact that Ginny was lacking sleep.
With a newfound determination, she went back to perusing the shelves before her. This time she was hunting for a book that might shed some light on her problem. She found one that looked rather promising so she reached for it with her good arm. As she pulled it down, an uneasy feeling washed over her and a chill ran down her back. She threw a glance at Harry and realized that he had frozen in place, too.
"Harry? I-is something wrong?" she asked.
"Um, maybe we should get out of here. I just got a very bad feeling about- "
"Sorry, Harry, but we are leaving NOW! Ron, Hermione," Ginny called as they walked by. "We need to leave now!"
Suddenly, Harry's scar began to throb so he pulled out his Port-key and instructed everyone to grab onto it just before it activated. The last thing any of them saw was a bunch of black hooded figures coming towards them. In the next instant, they were back at the Burrow. Ron and Hermione turned to the other two in bewilderment.
"How in the world did you two know about that?" Ron asked.
"My scar hurt which only confirmed an uneasy feeling. As for Ginny, I don't know, but I would love to be enlightened as well," Harry answered. All three turned to look at Ginny.
"I don't know why but I just got a very uneasy feeling followed by a chill down my spine. I freaked out when it turned into a sharp flash," she answered. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but my arms hurt so I'm gonna take all this upstairs." With that, she disappeared up the stairs.
"Have you guys noticed any other times when she was able to predict danger or even possible danger?" Harry asked. Both his friends shook their heads, no. He sighed and carried his bags up to Ron's room. On his bed, sat a letter from Hogwarts and Hedwig rested peacefully in her cage. He quickly scanned the letter and was disappointed to find that the older man had no pearls of wisdom for him and Harry was supposed to keep him informed. Harry put the letter in the bottom of his trunk along with his purchases from Diagon Alley.
After awhile, he meandered on downstairs and found the area completely deserted. However, on the kitchen table laid a note from Mrs. Weasley saying that she went to town and if they got back while she was gone, not to worry. Well, he thought, that explains why it is so quiet here. Harry took the opportunity to go outside and enjoy the summer afternoon.
He walked down the country road and off to the hills. After sometime, he began hearing a soft whimpering coming through the trees. Curious, he followed the sound into a small clearing that was sheltered by the branches of some towering trees and bushes around it almost creating a ring. But it was the object in the middle that caught his attention. The red splash of hair against the green surrounding made his heart twist unexpectedly as he realized the whimpering was coming from Ginny. Suddenly, she cried out in her sleep, a gash appeared on her lower arm and Harry's scar burned.
******************
After Ginny dropped her bags off in her room, she crawled out her window and began heading off to her little clearing. As she went out of her property line, she turned around and saw Ron and Hermione walking off, hand in hand. She smiled at them; very glad she took the window so she wouldn't have to talk to them again. Right now, she thought, I just need some time to myself. Finally, she reached her destination. She sighed and walked into the middle of the clearing and laid down in the sun, letting it melt her problems away. She quickly dozed off in the warmth and her sleep deprived state.
*******************
Ginny sighed and opened her eyes. She let out a groan as she recognized the manor entryway that she stood in. She tried to turn away but her feet took her deeper into the house. As before, she heard voices and her feet took her towards them as she tried to yell at herself to turn back.
"I'm sorry, Master. I don't know what happened or how they knew. It was like they were forewarned or-"
"Silence! I have tolerated you and your failures for long enough. But no more," a serpentine voice hissed. Ginny didn't have to see their faces to know that they belonged to Peter Pettigrew and Voldemort. Through a hole in the door, she saw Voldemort raise his wand, pointing it at Wormtail.
"Accio!" he hissed. His wand snapped away from the original victim and over to her in a mere blink of an eye. Suddenly, she found herself flying across the room, into a chair across from the dark wizards. Restraints suddenly grew out of it and latched onto her.
"Well, now that you're here, perhaps you'd like to explain what made the four of you leave in such a hurry. We had such a nice surprise planned for you," Voldemort sneered.
"No. I don't think I would like that," Ginny replied defiantly.
"Refusing will get you nowhere. Or have you forgotten that you are in my world, my power? I'm sure you remember, just think, really hard," he said as he place a hand over her cuts on her leg, then up to her shoulder. She glared at him and tried to move but the restraints held her too firmly.
"No. I won't tell you anything!"
"Pity. I guess I will just have to convince you myself," he said as he pulled out the dagger that Ginny was becoming all too familiar with. Her eyes widened and she whimpered as he came towards her again. "This is your last chance. Don't waste it, I warn you."
"I can't te-"
Suddenly, the dagger flew at her face and she barely had enough time to throw her arms up to shield her face before the blade sank into her lower arm. She cried out in pain as she jerked awake, back in the clearing. Only Wormtail noticed the burst of power that came from Ginny, shattering the restraints and several objects around the room in its wake.
Ginny slowly sat up, attempting to catch her breath when she heard a twig snap behind her. Forgetting her bleeding arm, she whirled around and came face to face with twin emerald eyes looking very worried.
"H-Harry. Uh, what are you doing here?" she asked giving him an innocent look and hiding her throbbing arm.
"I was taking a walk when I found you," he replied obviously not bying the innocent look.
"How long were you standing there?" she asked, defeated.
"Long enough. Ginny, please tell me what's going on. As your good friend, I think I deserve to know. Not only that, but I believe you can tell me why my scar hurts and I don't remember any nightmares. I also know it helps to let things out or have someone else keep an eye on you," he replied gently.
She sighed and spilled the whole story, beginning with the first mirror breaking and finishing with her last dream. While she talked, Harry gently took her injured arm and tried to heal it as much as possible. Again, all he was able to accomplish was stopping the bleeding.
"I just don't understand why he's doing this to me or even how he's managing it. It seems like he's even able to hide his activities from you if you don't know what he's been doing to me." Then, as an afterthought, she added "How was I able to break through those restraints to block myself?"
Harry looked at her. "All I have are guesses for you."
"Right now, I don't care. I'm willing to hear anything; anything that might explain this."
"Okay. I think you are a very powerful witch with a vast reserve of power that is now being made available for you. Things like the mug and mirrors break because you aren't controlling the extra power. Don't worry, though. I did the same thing when I first discovered mine. However, with training it is very easily controlled. That would also explain why you were able to break the restraints after awhile. You became desperate enough to call forth that extra power to protect yourself."
"That makes sense but where did the power come from and why do I have it now? Is that why I'm Voldemort's new target?" she asked. Harry just shook his head.
"I have know idea why you have the powers or why they are coming up now. But I do think it is part of the reason Voldemort is targeting you. The other reason is that you, like me, are connected with him."
"What! No way! There is absolutely no way I can be connected to him. It's impossible!"
"Is it? I hate to say this, but I think the connection was made when you used his diary. I know it's not a pleasant thought, but that's all I can think of."
Ginny paled significantly as she thought about the reasoning. She had to admit, it did make sense. That connections could also explain the feeling she got when she was in the bookstore. She was so lost in her own world that she didn't notice Harry at all. He on the other hand, was watching her closely. After a few seconds, he couldn't stand her looking like that. He had to fix it. So, he pulled her to him and, careful of her injuries, held her tightly. Ginny gasped as she was pulled into his arms but quickly relaxed and took in the comfort that he offered.
"What should we do about it?" she quietly asked Harry.
"I think we should tell Professor Dumbledore for starters. He would probably know what to do or tell us where to look to find out, at least."
"I suppose that would be alright, but let's not tell anyone else. I don't want anyone else to know. Please Harry?"
Harry looked at her for a short time thinking it over. He looked into her eyes and saw the fear, trust, pain, and hope that swirled in there. Finally, he sighed. "Alright, as long as Dumbledore knows."
"Thank you so much!" she exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around him in a quick hug. Both kids marveled at how right the embrace felt but before their thoughts strayed down that direction too much, Ginny pulled back, blushing. "We should probably head back home now. Mum must have returned by now and she probably even heard of the attack in Diagon Alley this morning. She's most probably worried sick by now, especially if Ron and Hermione are still gone too," Ginny said standing up.
"Uh, Gin. How are you planning on hiding the cut?"
"Like this." Ginny waived her wand over her injured arm, effectively hiding the gash. With that taken care of, Harry threw his arm around her shoulders and together, they walked back up to the Burrow.
A/N: Sorry it took so long to get out. I know I said I would get this chapter out quicker but I had a case of writer's block. I knew what I wanted to happen but not how to get there. I hope it worked for you guys and was worth the wait. Please tell me what you think in a review. Thank you so much to those of you who have reviewed. I love reading them and they really make my day. I don't mind constructive criticism either. Please no flames unless there is something useful in it. Okay, well, the next chapter should be out soon so, until then. Bye!
Chapter 3: Diagon Alley
Ginny went up to her room and changed just as Hermione woke up. With her back turned, she cleaned the bloodstain from her shirt before her friend could say anything about it. When she turned around, Hermione was sitting up, staring at her.
"What? Did the twins turn my hair green again?" she asked, shaking her head.
"Huh? No, I was just thinking. Hey, are you getting enough sleep? You look a little pale," Hermione said.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I've just had some problems with nightmares is all. So how did the chess game go? Where my pieces nice to you?"
"Ron won again, as usual, and your pieces are brutal. Isn't right, and certainly not ethical."
"Kids! Hurry up! You need to get to Diagon Alley to get your things. We don't have all day!" Molly Weasley's voice echoed throughout the Burrow. An hour later, all four kids stood in front of the fireplace ready to depart. "Now, remember, don't let yourselves get separated from each other and get only the things you need. The dark forces are more powerful than they used to be so I don't want you kids out there any longer than necessary. If nothing else, there is power in numbers. So stay together! Oh, and don't forget about your emergency port-key!"
"We know, Mum. Can we go now?" Ron asked. Mrs. Weasley sighed and looked at the four. With a tutting noise, she sent them on their way through to the Leaky Cauldron.
Harry was the first one through and he quickly rolled out of the way before Ginny came through. Her entrance was far from graceful and she landed hard on her injured shoulder and rolled. She couldn't help her cry of pain and Harry was immediately at her side, gently helping her up.
"Ya know, you really do need to take better care of yourself if you refuse to have someone look at your shoulder," he said, pulling her out of the way just as Ron and Hermione came through. "Well, everyone ready?" At the three nods, they left and went to get their books for the next year.
The day was uneventful as they got their supplies. Both Ginny and Harry forgot about their dreams and their troubles. The four had replenished all their potion supplies, bought new robes, and taken an ice cream break. That left Flourish and Blotts as their last destination and a very antsy Hermione. Once they finished their ice cream, they headed over to the bookstore.
Upon entering the store, Hermione looked like a child on Christmas morning as she dragged Ron off to some shelf towards the back somewhere. Harry and Ginny just laughed at Ron's terrified expression.
"Well, shall we get our stuff, Miss Weasley?" Harry asked.
"I think that would be a wonderful idea, Mr. Potter. What is it that you need?" she answered sweetly. He chuckled as he led her to the DADA section. Once there, he scanned the shelves looking for the book Lupin required for this year. Harry smiled as he remembered the day when his old friend returned to teach DADA classes. The look on Snape's face was priceless when he was told that he had to go back to potions full time.
Harry's trip down memory lane was cut short as Ginny let out a cry just before the book she was trying to reach for came crashing down on her. Harry's hand shot out and caught the book before it could hit her. As he handed it to Ginny, he noticed her eyes were laced with pain.
"Ginny, I really-"
"Don't. Don't say it, Harry. I know what you're going to say and I don't want to hear it. There's nothing I can do to fix or stop it, so don't say anything," she cut in, her eyes suddenly flashing. Harry shook his head as the Weasley temper flared to life.
Ginny took her book back from Harry and returned to scanning the titles on the shelf. She heard Harry talking to himself about something but she didn't know what. However, she did know that he was right. Something had to be done about her dreams. First her leg, then her shoulder. She was very surprised that only Harry knew about her injuries. Well, kind of surprised. Her brothers were all about as dense as they come. Hermione, though, was another story. With her staying in Ginny's room, it would be a lot harder to keep the dreams a secret. Especially if she picked up on the fact that Ginny was lacking sleep.
With a newfound determination, she went back to perusing the shelves before her. This time she was hunting for a book that might shed some light on her problem. She found one that looked rather promising so she reached for it with her good arm. As she pulled it down, an uneasy feeling washed over her and a chill ran down her back. She threw a glance at Harry and realized that he had frozen in place, too.
"Harry? I-is something wrong?" she asked.
"Um, maybe we should get out of here. I just got a very bad feeling about- "
"Sorry, Harry, but we are leaving NOW! Ron, Hermione," Ginny called as they walked by. "We need to leave now!"
Suddenly, Harry's scar began to throb so he pulled out his Port-key and instructed everyone to grab onto it just before it activated. The last thing any of them saw was a bunch of black hooded figures coming towards them. In the next instant, they were back at the Burrow. Ron and Hermione turned to the other two in bewilderment.
"How in the world did you two know about that?" Ron asked.
"My scar hurt which only confirmed an uneasy feeling. As for Ginny, I don't know, but I would love to be enlightened as well," Harry answered. All three turned to look at Ginny.
"I don't know why but I just got a very uneasy feeling followed by a chill down my spine. I freaked out when it turned into a sharp flash," she answered. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but my arms hurt so I'm gonna take all this upstairs." With that, she disappeared up the stairs.
"Have you guys noticed any other times when she was able to predict danger or even possible danger?" Harry asked. Both his friends shook their heads, no. He sighed and carried his bags up to Ron's room. On his bed, sat a letter from Hogwarts and Hedwig rested peacefully in her cage. He quickly scanned the letter and was disappointed to find that the older man had no pearls of wisdom for him and Harry was supposed to keep him informed. Harry put the letter in the bottom of his trunk along with his purchases from Diagon Alley.
After awhile, he meandered on downstairs and found the area completely deserted. However, on the kitchen table laid a note from Mrs. Weasley saying that she went to town and if they got back while she was gone, not to worry. Well, he thought, that explains why it is so quiet here. Harry took the opportunity to go outside and enjoy the summer afternoon.
He walked down the country road and off to the hills. After sometime, he began hearing a soft whimpering coming through the trees. Curious, he followed the sound into a small clearing that was sheltered by the branches of some towering trees and bushes around it almost creating a ring. But it was the object in the middle that caught his attention. The red splash of hair against the green surrounding made his heart twist unexpectedly as he realized the whimpering was coming from Ginny. Suddenly, she cried out in her sleep, a gash appeared on her lower arm and Harry's scar burned.
******************
After Ginny dropped her bags off in her room, she crawled out her window and began heading off to her little clearing. As she went out of her property line, she turned around and saw Ron and Hermione walking off, hand in hand. She smiled at them; very glad she took the window so she wouldn't have to talk to them again. Right now, she thought, I just need some time to myself. Finally, she reached her destination. She sighed and walked into the middle of the clearing and laid down in the sun, letting it melt her problems away. She quickly dozed off in the warmth and her sleep deprived state.
*******************
Ginny sighed and opened her eyes. She let out a groan as she recognized the manor entryway that she stood in. She tried to turn away but her feet took her deeper into the house. As before, she heard voices and her feet took her towards them as she tried to yell at herself to turn back.
"I'm sorry, Master. I don't know what happened or how they knew. It was like they were forewarned or-"
"Silence! I have tolerated you and your failures for long enough. But no more," a serpentine voice hissed. Ginny didn't have to see their faces to know that they belonged to Peter Pettigrew and Voldemort. Through a hole in the door, she saw Voldemort raise his wand, pointing it at Wormtail.
"Accio!" he hissed. His wand snapped away from the original victim and over to her in a mere blink of an eye. Suddenly, she found herself flying across the room, into a chair across from the dark wizards. Restraints suddenly grew out of it and latched onto her.
"Well, now that you're here, perhaps you'd like to explain what made the four of you leave in such a hurry. We had such a nice surprise planned for you," Voldemort sneered.
"No. I don't think I would like that," Ginny replied defiantly.
"Refusing will get you nowhere. Or have you forgotten that you are in my world, my power? I'm sure you remember, just think, really hard," he said as he place a hand over her cuts on her leg, then up to her shoulder. She glared at him and tried to move but the restraints held her too firmly.
"No. I won't tell you anything!"
"Pity. I guess I will just have to convince you myself," he said as he pulled out the dagger that Ginny was becoming all too familiar with. Her eyes widened and she whimpered as he came towards her again. "This is your last chance. Don't waste it, I warn you."
"I can't te-"
Suddenly, the dagger flew at her face and she barely had enough time to throw her arms up to shield her face before the blade sank into her lower arm. She cried out in pain as she jerked awake, back in the clearing. Only Wormtail noticed the burst of power that came from Ginny, shattering the restraints and several objects around the room in its wake.
Ginny slowly sat up, attempting to catch her breath when she heard a twig snap behind her. Forgetting her bleeding arm, she whirled around and came face to face with twin emerald eyes looking very worried.
"H-Harry. Uh, what are you doing here?" she asked giving him an innocent look and hiding her throbbing arm.
"I was taking a walk when I found you," he replied obviously not bying the innocent look.
"How long were you standing there?" she asked, defeated.
"Long enough. Ginny, please tell me what's going on. As your good friend, I think I deserve to know. Not only that, but I believe you can tell me why my scar hurts and I don't remember any nightmares. I also know it helps to let things out or have someone else keep an eye on you," he replied gently.
She sighed and spilled the whole story, beginning with the first mirror breaking and finishing with her last dream. While she talked, Harry gently took her injured arm and tried to heal it as much as possible. Again, all he was able to accomplish was stopping the bleeding.
"I just don't understand why he's doing this to me or even how he's managing it. It seems like he's even able to hide his activities from you if you don't know what he's been doing to me." Then, as an afterthought, she added "How was I able to break through those restraints to block myself?"
Harry looked at her. "All I have are guesses for you."
"Right now, I don't care. I'm willing to hear anything; anything that might explain this."
"Okay. I think you are a very powerful witch with a vast reserve of power that is now being made available for you. Things like the mug and mirrors break because you aren't controlling the extra power. Don't worry, though. I did the same thing when I first discovered mine. However, with training it is very easily controlled. That would also explain why you were able to break the restraints after awhile. You became desperate enough to call forth that extra power to protect yourself."
"That makes sense but where did the power come from and why do I have it now? Is that why I'm Voldemort's new target?" she asked. Harry just shook his head.
"I have know idea why you have the powers or why they are coming up now. But I do think it is part of the reason Voldemort is targeting you. The other reason is that you, like me, are connected with him."
"What! No way! There is absolutely no way I can be connected to him. It's impossible!"
"Is it? I hate to say this, but I think the connection was made when you used his diary. I know it's not a pleasant thought, but that's all I can think of."
Ginny paled significantly as she thought about the reasoning. She had to admit, it did make sense. That connections could also explain the feeling she got when she was in the bookstore. She was so lost in her own world that she didn't notice Harry at all. He on the other hand, was watching her closely. After a few seconds, he couldn't stand her looking like that. He had to fix it. So, he pulled her to him and, careful of her injuries, held her tightly. Ginny gasped as she was pulled into his arms but quickly relaxed and took in the comfort that he offered.
"What should we do about it?" she quietly asked Harry.
"I think we should tell Professor Dumbledore for starters. He would probably know what to do or tell us where to look to find out, at least."
"I suppose that would be alright, but let's not tell anyone else. I don't want anyone else to know. Please Harry?"
Harry looked at her for a short time thinking it over. He looked into her eyes and saw the fear, trust, pain, and hope that swirled in there. Finally, he sighed. "Alright, as long as Dumbledore knows."
"Thank you so much!" she exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around him in a quick hug. Both kids marveled at how right the embrace felt but before their thoughts strayed down that direction too much, Ginny pulled back, blushing. "We should probably head back home now. Mum must have returned by now and she probably even heard of the attack in Diagon Alley this morning. She's most probably worried sick by now, especially if Ron and Hermione are still gone too," Ginny said standing up.
"Uh, Gin. How are you planning on hiding the cut?"
"Like this." Ginny waived her wand over her injured arm, effectively hiding the gash. With that taken care of, Harry threw his arm around her shoulders and together, they walked back up to the Burrow.
A/N: Sorry it took so long to get out. I know I said I would get this chapter out quicker but I had a case of writer's block. I knew what I wanted to happen but not how to get there. I hope it worked for you guys and was worth the wait. Please tell me what you think in a review. Thank you so much to those of you who have reviewed. I love reading them and they really make my day. I don't mind constructive criticism either. Please no flames unless there is something useful in it. Okay, well, the next chapter should be out soon so, until then. Bye!