Chapter Seventeen: Unexpected Attack
Harry wasn't able to see more than brief flashes of Ginny for the remainder of the week. He tried to corner her before breakfast only to find that she had gone down early, he tried to get her alone at lunch, but she didn't show up in the Great Hall for lunch or dinner, and he tried to track her down in the evening, but Ginny was nowhere to be found. He knew she was at the school, because he's seen flashes of her bright Weasley red hair in the halls between classes, and because Hermione assured him that she was around, but if it weren't for that, he would have suspected she wasn't even there.
Tiredly, he posted the Quidditch team list on Friday morning after everyone had left the Common Room for morning classes, in hopes that he wouldn't have to deal with them all. Quietly, he left through the portrait hole and headed for the DADA classroom.
Remus, or Professor Lupin as he made sure to address him, had recovered from the last full moon on Wednesday night, and while he was still looking rather peaked, he was there. He gave Harry a short look as he entered, and nodded, mouthing "after class" at Harry.
So Tonks had told him.
Harry sighed. It was shaping up to be a wonderful weekend, this first Hogsmeade weekend of the year.
Running from the DADA room after class, and after a very brief conversation with Remus, in which Harry learned that Remus had agreed to withhold the information from Dumbledore only until Sunday afternoon, at which time he told Harry he was going to find him and drag him by the ear to the headmaster's office, Harry knew that he was late for Potions, and that Snape was going to fry him.
But to his surprise, Snape merely gave him a rather cold look as he entered, late, and made his way to his seat.
"What kept you?" Ron whispered.
"Talking to Remus," Harry whispered back.
"If you are quite through disrupting my class, Potter, perhaps we could begin?"
"Sorry," Harry nodded to the professor, much to the surprise of the remainder of the students present.
Harry needed to talk to Ginny.
"Where the hell is your sister?" he hissed at Ron.
"Got me, mate. I haven't seen her since DA club," Ron shrugged, pulling out his potions kit and assembling the list of ingredients that Snape had left on the board.
"I've been trying to talk to her ever since, and she's nowhere."
"Oh, she's somewhere," Ron grinned. "Just never where you are."
After a brief pause, during which Ron measured out a half cup of dried lizard skin and transferred it to his mortar, he spoke again.
"Hogsmeade weekend."
"You think I don't know?" Harry hissed back.
"Ahh," Ron ground up the lizard skin and looked at it consideringly. "Is that, perhaps, why you want to track down my sister so badly?"
Harry glared at him, and watched as Ron dumped the lizard skin into their cauldron, only to watch in horror as it began to bubble a sickening green-yellow... and overflow.
It definitely wasn't supposed to do that.
"Weasley!" Snape snapped. "You didn't read it properly, did you?"
"Yes sir..." Ron looked down at the overflowing pot in horror. "It said half a cup of ground lizard skin..."
"Yes... it does!" Snape strode over to their cauldron, vanishing the whole mess. "Not a half of a cup of lizard skin, ground! Pay attention!"
Harry groaned. It couldn't get much worse, could it?
Grumbling, Harry threw his bag on his bed and followed it, burying his head in his pillow. What a truly awful day. He didn't want to face another person again, ever.
"Harry!"
He groaned. Hermione Granger's shrill voice was sometimes enough to send one right over the edge. He loved her dearly, but sometimes it would be nice if she could just go away.
"Harry?"
"What?" he sat up, looking to the doorway and finding her bushy head stuck around it. "Hermione, what are you doing up here?"
"I wanted to know where Ron was. We're going into Hogsmeade together tomorrow, right?"
Groaning again, Harry flopped back against his pillows. "Right."
"Ginny's coming," she said coyly.
"With who?" Harry asked, a trace of bitterness in his voice.
"What do you mean?"
"I've not seen her in days, so I haven't been able to tell who she's hanging all over this week," he snapped.
"Harry," Hermione stepped into the room and closed the door softly. "That's not very nice."
"I'm not feeling very nice, Hermione," Harry sighed. "I'm sorry, I've got a headache, and it's been an awful day. No... make that week."
"Ginny's not going with anyone to Hogsmeade," Hermione said softly, sitting down on the foot of his bed and placing a hand gently on his knee. He jerked at the unexpected contact, and she pulled away. "She's just tagging along with Luna and Neville and Ron and I. You are coming, aren't you?"
"I don't know, Hermione. I don't know if it's a good idea, anyhow..."
"Harry, come on," Hermione looked at him, concerned. "You need to relax a bit. I think a trip into the village is exactly what you need. Come on."
Harry sighed. "Why is she avoiding me, Hermione?"
"She thought you were going to cut her from the team," Hermione admitted softly. "She thought you were trying to get her alone to tell her."
"What?" Harry sat up quickly, looking at the brown-haired witch at his feet. "Cut Ginny? She's the best Chaser we've got!"
"She didn't know that. She heard you and Ron talking about cutting her..."
"She didn't! She heard..."
"What?"
Harry sighed again. "She heard Ron telling me to ask her out."
"How on earth could she get that turned about?" Hermione asked, truly confused.
"I have no idea," Harry said tiredly. "I don't even want to know... I'm... Hermione, I'm tired of all of this. I just wanted to talk to her, and I..."
"What about, Harry?"
"I..." Harry swallowed. "I wanted to talk to her.. to find out why she's been lying to me. I wanted her to tell me..."
"Oh," Hermione looked down at her hands. "Well, she's coming with us tomorrow. Maybe you should come along and try to get an opportunity to talk to her then. I can try to keep the others out of your way."
"Sure, Mione..." Harry nodded. "Right now, I'm really, really tired..."
"You're not coming down to dinner?"
"No... I'm too tired. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay," Hermione smiled, standing and making for the door. "And Harry, we'll be walking down as a group, so get hold of her then, and don't let go once we get to the village, okay?"
Harry snorted. "I'd love to... if I can figure out how."
"I'm sure you'll think of something," Hermione smiled.
Harry watched the door close behind her then, true to his word, crawled into bed and fell asleep.
The following morning dawned bright and sunny. Harry was thrilled that the day was so nice, because walking about Hogsmeade in the rain or snow could be downright depressing. There was no snow yet, and although there was a chill in the air, the sun would warm them easily, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.
Jumping from bed, he quickly showered and dressed, then whipped back the hangings around Ron's bed.
"Oi!" Ron yelled, a sunbeam shining across his face. Bringing up a hand to shade his eyes, he squinted at Harry with one eye. "What're you doing?"
"It's Hogsmeade weekend, Ron! Come on!"
"It's the crack of bloody dawn, Potter!" Ron growled, pulling his covers back up over his head.
"No, it's not. And if you don't get moving, we're not going to get any breakfast."
"Bollocks... I set my alarm for seven thirty, and it's not gone off yet," Ron's voice was muffled under the blankets.
"I turned it off before I hopped in the shower, mate," Harry said cheerfully.
"You what?" Ron leapt from bed and rushed about, grabbing clothes and running for the bath. "I told Hermione I'd meet her in the Common Room at eight! Bloody hell, Harry....!"
As the door to the baths closed behind him, Harry grinned at Seamus, who was just sitting up.
"You're a right git, Potter," Seamus said, peering at his own alarm clock beside his bed. "It's only just gone seven."
"But he doesn't know that," Harry said jovially.
"Not yet, he doesn't," Seamus agreed. "But if I were you, I'd be well gone when he finds out."
Harry grinned again as he exited the dorm and headed for the Great Hall.
After a very solitary breakfast, as few of the other students felt the need to be up at seven in the morning on a Saturday, Harry was just finishing his eggs as Ron and Hermione entered the Hall.
"Prat," Ron grumbled as he sat down across from him.
"I couldn't believe it when Ron came down early, Harry! Seems he woke up before his alarm this morning," Hermione's eyes danced with mischief.
"Imagine that," Harry grinned into his coffee, which was becoming a bit of a habit with him, at least when he didn't have to make it.
"You're still a prat, Potter," Ron grumbled as he ladled out eggs onto his plate and grabbed for three slices of toast.
Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Ginny and Harry were the very first to leave for the village that morning, just before ten. Ron and Hermione walked ahead, hands linked, while Neville blushingly managed to move close to Luna's side, his hand brushing hers every so often. Harry held back a few feet, and Ginny fell into step behind him, almost before she realized it. When she did, she blushed hotly, but didn't move away.
It took approximately ten minutes to reach Hogsmeade, and every step of the way Harry knew that the time was drawing closer for him to speak to Ginny. He shot a look up at Hermione to find the brown-haired witch looked back at him. He glanced at Ginny, and back, and Hermione nodded once, and turned brightly to the others.
"Race you all to the Three Broomsticks? Loser buys the first round?"
Ron turned shocked eyes to Hermione. She'd never, ever suggested rounds before.
"You're on!" Neville grinned, his infectious smile causing Luna to smile dreamily.
As Hermione had hoped, Ron and Neville began to run, Luna close behind them, doing quite an admirable sprint. Hermione grinned at Harry and shot off after them. Just as Ginny was about to put on a burst of speed, Harry grabbed her hand and pulled her in the other direction.
"Harry..." Ginny looked over her shoulder at the others, swiftly disappearing into the Three Broomsticks. "Well, it looks like you're buying, because I don't have enough money to buy a round!"
"I need to talk to you," Harry said, pulling her by the hand down a side street and up the hill. He knew right where they were making for, the Shreiking Shack should offer enough privacy for the conversation they were about to have. But Ginny was having none of it. With a wrench, she pulled her hand from his and stopped dead in the middle of the alleyway, her hands on her hips as she stared him down.
"Harry Potter! Just what are you doing?"
"I'm trying to get you alone and keep you there so that we can talk, Ginny! I'm tired of chasing you around trying to get you to stay still long enough for me to speak to you!"
Ginny stared at him.
"I'm sorry," she said contritely, after a moment of awkward silence. "I've been avoiding you."
"Yes, you have. I want to know why."
"Because I thought you were going to cut me from the team. When you told me at the DA meeting the other night that you needed to talk to me..." she bit her lip. "I'm sorry."
"I couldn't cut you, Gin, you're the best Chaser we've got. This has nothing to do with Quidditch."
"Then... then what does it have to do with?" she asked in a very, very quiet voice.
"I need to know why you've been lying to me," Harry said, ignoring the heat that stole over his cheeks. "You know how important honesty is to me, yet you've been lying to me. I need to know why, Ginny."
He met her eyes directly, watching as they filled with tears. He waited a long time. But just as she opened her mouth to respond, the first screams came.
Hogsmeade was under attack.
Harry turned to look into Ginny's eyes, which had grown wide and dark with fear.
"Stay here," he whispered, pulling out his wand and making to move away towards the main street.
"Not on your life, Potter," she said, close behind him. "'Stay here' indeed!"
"Then be careful, and stay low."
"I've been in your classes, in case you haven't noticed..."
"Oh, I've bloody noticed," Harry muttered.
"... and I can take care of myself!"
"Fine... see if you can take care of yourself long enough to stay alive, okay?"
She glared at him, and then darted around the end of the alley, staying low in the shadows, as he followed.
Down the street, more screams were heard. Harry glanced around the corner of a building to see a line of seven or eight Death Eaters spread out, raining curses down upon students and villagers alike.
And they were facing away from them.
Harry turned and looked at Ginny. Her eyes were still wide, but she was staring at him, ready to move at his slightest indication.
"They're facing away, Gin."
"Away?"
"The other direction. We've only got one shot at this..."
"What do we do?"
"Unless there are more of them around... I think we can get them all in one go. Any we miss are probably going to Disapparate."
"Tell me what to do," she insisted.
"Hit them with whatever you've got. Binding spells, whatever, and then get down!"
She nodded quickly, then followed as he stood and ran out into the middle of the street. Immediately, Harry leveled his wand and began throwing stunners.
It was mayhem. The Death Eaters had not expected the attack from behind, and it showed. Of the eight, Harry managed to stun four, and bind two before the other two turned. Luckily they were both on one end, and Ginny managed to hit one with a Body Bind and the second with a stellar bat-bogey hex. Before the second managed to come to his senses enough to realize what was happening and Disapparate, she'd hit him with another binding charm.
Students poured out of the various buildings, running for Hogwarts and each other, and that was when the real fun began.
Death Eaters appeared out of nowhere, and everywhere. Harry pushed Ginny to the side as a curse flew in her direction, and put up a shield to block as he threw curses back at those around them.
And he was no longer worrying about the effect of his curses. Ginny was at his feet, throwing curses over her shoulder and behind him, covering his back from in front of him, and, it appeared, getting very, very angry.
Within moments, Harry saw three or four students laying in the street, and several Death Eaters were prone, as well, victims of Body Binds and Stunners.
And then the Dementors arrived.
Harry was never so proud as he was in that moment. Students up and down the main street of Hogsmeade turned as one and cast the Patronus Charm en-masse at the oncoming horde. Some few were full corporeal forms, others merely mist, but every one of the students attempted, and to some degree succeeded, in producing a Patronus in the face of fear – and the Dementors were swiftly dealt with.
In the meantime, several students were hit by curses thrown as the Death Eaters took advantage of the distraction the Dementors provided. Ernie MacMillian took a cutting curse to his arm, and Lavender Brown stood over him, screaming like a banshee for a Death Eater to come and take her on, her wand out, as she threw curse after curse at the black robed figures.
Within moments, which were lived as hours, Hogwarts teachers began Apparating in, and joining the fight. By the time Hagrid came lumbering down the centre of the street, his pink umbrella in one hand and giant crossbow in the other, it was nearly over. Harry crouched over Ginny, who was now sweating profusely, terribly pale, and holding her left arm tight to her side.
Ginny had been hit, but Harry didn't know by what.
Two hours later, sitting in Dumbledore's office, Harry leaned back against leather upholstery and allowed the trilling and chirping of Fawkes to soothe him. Dumbledore had told him to wait for him here, and he had no intention of moving until he'd spoken to the headmaster.
"Harry?" Dumbledore's voice came quietly, but Harry's eyes snapped open with surprise. He hadn't heard the old man enter.
"Professor Dumbledore..."
"You are tired," Dumbledore acknowledged. "Understandably so. We will keep this short, shall we, so that you can return to your dormitory and get some rest?"
"I need to go to the Hospital wing..." Harry muttered.
"You are hurt?" Dumbledore looked at him, surprised. The boy had shown no indication of injury in the hours since the attack, had even managed to carry the young Miss Weasley back to the castle after she apparently fainted from pain.
"No, I'm fine. But I have to see how Ginny is."
"Ah, Miss Weasley is fine, Harry. I've just seen her."
"She's awake?"
"Of course."
"I didn't know what spell she was hit with..."
"I do not believe it was a spell, Harry."
"What?"
"Miss Weasley fell to the ground when the second wave of Death Eaters arrived, correct?"
"Yes, but..."
"Her arm was injured in the fall. Broken quite badly, actually. Madam Pomfrey called it a 'spiral fracture' which, I am given to understand, is quite the most serious of bone fractures. In the end, she fainted from the pain."
"But..." Harry stared at the aging headmaster. "She was... she defended my back after she fell... she was..."
"She is a very strong young lady, Harry. And very determined, I believe, to show herself as worthy of your friendship."
Harry swallowed, remembering what they had been discussing before the attack.
"She'll be okay?"
"Madam Pomfrey has already healed her injuries. I believe she returned to the Gryffindor Tower in the care of Miss Granger."
"And... and the others?" Harry asked, almost fearing the answer. "Was anyone else..."
"Several injuries, Harry, yes. But nothing life-threatening. I believe that Mr MacMillian will be spending the night in the hospital wing, but only for Madam Pomfrey's peace of mind. He was trouncing your Mr Finnegan at a game of Wizard's Chess when I left."
Harry sighed. "And the Death Eaters?"
"Yes. Many were captured, I am thrilled to see that Professor Lupin and Miss Tonks have been having such unqualified success with the instruction of the Death Hold..."
Harry flushed guiltily.
"Yes, as I suspected. Professor Lupin was most interested when I explained to him that over half of the Death Eaters captured were held by this little-known spell. You do understand why it is so seldom used, Harry?"
"Yes, sir," Harry said. "Because if you are not released from it within three hours, you die."
"Harry, it is not an unforgivable curse... but like many spells, it has the ability to cause more harm than one might wish. It's use is frowned upon."
"Tell that to Ernie MacMillian, Professor. There are three Death Eaters who were captured by it who were going to finish him off. I'm proud of Lavender and her quick thinking. I didn't even properly teach it... I assigned it as homework. Apparently, the DA club was paying attention."
"And I'm glad they were, Harry," Dumbledore sighed. "I truly am glad they were. Just try and remember that some magic is... borderline acceptable."
Harry started hard at the headmaster. "I understand, Professor."
"Harry... I feel it is also important that you know..."
"What?" Harry was instantly alert at the tone in Dumbledore's voice. "What's happened?"
"Professor Snape was called in this morning," Dumbledore said quietly.
"Voldemort?"
"Yes," Dumbledore nodded. "He returned a short while ago... I met him on the way back from the Hospital wing... Voldemort is very pleased."
"Pleased?" Harry was confused.
"Professor Snape was quite surprised, actually. He couldn't understand why Tom would be so pleased after such an abject failure such as took place in Hogsmeade this morning..."
After a moment's silence, Harry closed his eyes again, leaning back in the chair. "They're planning something, Professor, and this was just a distraction."
"Yes, Harry, I believe so."
"Then where were they probing while we were busy here?"
"It gets worse," Dumbledore said quietly.
"Worse?"
"Tom has enlisted the aid of the Dark creatures..."
"We knew the Dementors..."
"No, Harry. He now has the following of the Vampires... and the Werewolves. I believe that the Giants are only a matter of time."
Whimsical Firefly: There. I did. Did you get your swimming in?
Weselan: Thanks – I enjoyed doing it.
Azn-anime-freak11: Relax... it will all work out – in time!
GiGiFanfic: Thanks – I hope to update a little more often – I'm going away at Christmas and don't want to leave you folks hanging...
Heather: Thanks!
Sabine Strohem-Moss: H/G talks are definitely close...
Larna Mandrea: Ron does have his moments, doesn't he? As for Molly, I hope not, but then, you never know what JKR is capabale of...
UnRealityCheck: See? Normal people don't just jump up and say it... at least, not unless they have a hippogriffs... well. Harry doesn't, so while he'd LIKE to talk to Ginny, he needs to FIND Ginny and keep her in one place long enough to be ABLE to talk to her... don't worry... it is coming, but life seems to be happening around them....
Lozzie: That is, indeed, the question...
Kordolin: Ron knows his sister, and he knows Harry. He may be a surface-dweller most of the time, but he does have a certain amount of insight when it comes to these two, I think.
Sumer's Girl: Harry will manage, I'm sure!
FancyEyes: There you go!
Rhysenn Riddle: Ginny will be back – she plays a large role in this chapter and the next...
Baby Phat: Thanks. I have no intention of stopping anytime soon.
The Blonde One 07: I write H/G stories... and as one reviewer said, I think their time has come...
XiaoXiao: Remus' greatest concern is Harry, but he knows that Harry, given the choice, would hide his abilities to be able to pretend to be "normal" -- I think Remus will be considerate of his feelings, but firm. We'll see...
Ally: H/G action, coming up...
Kitties Rule 878: Harry is getting used to embarrassment, I believe.
Lupin123: I think we all remember the embarrassment of being seventeen, trying to hide something we thought no one else could POSSIBLY have ever felt... Harry, at the core of it, is a normal seventeen year old kid. He could have declared himself to Ginny ten times over, and the sight of Tonks half-naked was going to have a response!
Not Your Average: Not critical, my friend, but you have to remember, I'm not allowing him to levitate Hogwarts, or zip about the world with a mere thought. These are all minor signs of the fact that Harry IS a powerful wizard, which is in canon. Perhaps Harry needs convincing of this.
Merlindamage: The only thing I'm trying to tell you is that Snape is smart enough to not put all his eggs in one basket... he may well have recognized, finally, that Harry is indeed a very powerful wizard. After all, a weak one wouldn't have been able to jump into his head like that. Perhaps Snape has finally recognized that Dumbledore may not always be there, and if he wants to keep his job and his position in the Order, then he needs to start cultivating some sort of relationship with Harry.
CQ