A/N: Okay. Hey all. Just so you know I am doing the review responses down the bottom, that way I will know I write a decent length chapter.
DISCLAIMER: Nah. Don't own any of it.
Chapter Nine: The Secret Of The Crystal-Stone
Wednesday was probably Ginny's best day she had, had since the start of term. And who could blame her? Blaise was her official boyfriend and definitely the best guy she had dated out of the handful of guys she had dated.
The weekend arrived and first thing on Saturday morning was Quidditch training. The first match was only a week away, next Saturday. Ginny exited the castle dressed in black pants with two white stripes down both legs and a long sleeved hooded white jumper. Her hair was in a ponytail and she was as normal for Quidditch in her sneakers.
As she was walking she heard her name being called.
"Ginny! Wait up!"
Ginny spun around and was startled to see Ron walking towards her. Did he have that stone on him? Or was it in his room?
Ron caught up with her and smiled warmly at her, "It seems like ages since we have spoken. Don't you think?"
"Err… yeah… its does."
"Have I done something? You seem distant and that's not like you."
"Oh, no… well… you have… but it's nothing."
Ron frowned, "Ginny tell me."
"Ahh look there's Harry, we better go."
Before Ron could say another word Ginny ran over to the change room entrance where Harry was patiently waiting.
!G!
"Are you okay?" asked Harry worriedly to Ginny when she reached him.
"I think he's back to normal for now… but he won't be after lunch," said Ginny glancing back at Ron.
Harry frowned confused but Ginny just walked into the change room just as Ron reached them.
"Hi Harry."
"Hey Ron. Ready for a big day of training?"
Ron's hand absently reached into his pocket. Harry watched him as Ron's face went pale.
"I'll be right back, I swear."
"What do y-" started Harry before Ron sprinted off towards the castle.
With a confused sigh Harry walked into the change rooms. He spotted Ginny talking too Pavarti a smile on her face. Harry walked over and pulled Ginny too the side.
"What's wrong?" asked Ginny.
"Ron just ran back to the castle… what's going on Ginny? I know you know something."
"What do you mean Ron's gone back to the castle? What for?"
"He didn't say. Just that he would be back soon… his face went very pale… like he realized something wrong."
Ginny's eyes widened in fear, "And you let him go? Just like that?"
"Ye- what do you know?"
"Harry this isn't good... he's become addicted to it. I need to go to the library."
"After practise."
Ginny sighed, "Fine. Can we please get started then?"
!B!
Blaise strolled out of the Slytherin Common Room, heading to the Great Hall. He was going to savoir his morning because after lunch he had Quidditch practise with the prat, who was the captain, Malfoy. Blaise was dreading to think the drills Malfoy would put him through to try and make him quit. But Blaise knew the Quidditch team would need him against the Gryffindor's.
Humming a song by the Weird Sisters, Blaise crossed the Entrance Hall to the Great Hall, nearly getting barrelled over by Ron, who was dashing out of the castle, something black in his right hand. Blaise glanced at Ron's hand before he disappeared out the door.
Maybe that was what Ginny knew… he had to ask her. But he would have to wait till patrol that night because that would be the only time he could see her. With a sigh Blaise walked into the Great and over to the Slytherin table, reluctantly sitting in the only spare seat, beside Malfoy.
Malfoy turned to Blaise smirking, "Tell me… dear friend, are you dating the Weaselette again?"
"Tell me Malfoy, are you really engaged to Parkinson?" retorted Blaise smirking.
"If I am, at least she's decent blood wise."
"Ginny is a pureblood Malfoy, why should blood matter anyway?"
"Slytherin's have never married a mudblood, half blood or a mudblood lover."
"No that's the Malfoy's saying. In case you forgot your father kissed the hems of Voldemort's robes. And he my not so dear friend was a half blood. So your father is a hypocrite… so if I were you I wouldn't go around preaching your beliefs."
Malfoy glared at Blaise and turned back to flirting with Parkinson. Blaise turned to his plate that had toast, bacon and eggs on it.
After eating till he was bursting, Blaise left the Great Hall and headed to the castle grounds just as Hermione was exiting the castle.
"Hermione!" called Blaise jogging over to her, "Hi."
"Hi Blaise. Ginny is at training," replied Hermione zipping up her pink jacket.
"I know. Listen… you know how I suspect Ginny knows something about Ron's odd behaviour?"
Hermione nodded listening.
"I think I may be right. Earlier he nearly knocked me over clutching something odd in his hand. It looked like black rock."
Hermione bit her lower lip thinking, "It might be a cursed stone of some sort that controls him and what he does."
Blaise nodded, "I'll talk to Ginny about it later tonight. Anyway I just thought you should know."
Hermione nodded, "Thanks for telling me."
"I'd better go and get my homework done. Bye."
Hermione waved bye and Blaise turned back towards the castle to begin his homework.
!G!
Quidditch training came to an end with Rom nearly knocking Ginny off her broom with the quaffle. Harry figured being on the ground was safer than the air, but he didn't know how wrong he was.
Ginny stood between Seamus and Dean listening to Harry explain the training dates for that week. She didn't see Ron walk up behind her until he grabbed her by the arm and spun her around; his eyes were ice blue, his lips a thin line.
Ginny looked at him terrified hearing Pavarti scream in shock. Dean and Seamus reached out to grab Ginny out of his reach but Ron pulled the stone from his pocket and issued too bright red blasts from it, sending them sailing through the air until the came crashing down too the ground, still as rocks.
"Ron… let me go!" cried Ginny her arm hurting.
"You didn't listen to me did you? I told you not to go running back to your lovers arms and you did!" snarled Ron, "You are going to pay for that!"
Ginny struggled in Ron's grasp but he was forced to get go when Harry shot him with a strong stinging charm. Ginny fell to the ground and slid away from Ron till she was beside Harry. Harry helped her up never taking his eyes off Ron.
"Ron! Get out of here now!" snapped Harry in disgust.
Ron glared at Harry, "Watch your back."
With that Ron stalked off from the Quidditch pitch, his hand in his pocket.
"Harry… Seamus and Dean," said Pavarti, "They aren't waking up."
Harry conjured up two long stretchers and floated Dean and Seamus onto them. While Harry and Pavarti walked back to the castle Ginny stayed at the Quidditch Pitch, utterly shaken.
Ron was worse; the curse was growing stronger everyday. Soon Ron wouldn't exist, only the power of the
crystal-stone.
Ginny finally got control of herself and walked back to the castle, heading straight to the Gryffindor tower to find her book.
!B!
Blaise looked at his watch, it was 1:25pm and he was the first on the Quidditch pitch. He could see the other Slytherin's walking to the pitch, Malfoy at the head of them.
After another ten minutes all were on the pitch and looking at Malfoy.
"Next Saturday we face those blasted Gryffindor's… and I am sick of them beating us! Every match we have had with them, we have lost! It is well known they have the Merlin damn best team in the school and have for nearly seven years. But this year… we have a chance, a huge chance to change that fact," Malfoy looked at the all, glaring at Blaise, "So today, we are going to be doing drills. Right everyone line up in a line facing the far end goal posts. We are going to run to them and back here fifth-teen times. That is our warm up, than we will do drills on catching and passing before ending today with a mini game. On the count of three… one… two… three!"
Blaise started running to the posts. He knew Draco would do anything to make Blaise give in, but running was one thing Blaise enjoyed. It cleared his mind and allowed him to think clearly about issues troubling him… like Ginny's situation with Ron.
That was one that was eating away at him. He'd heard rumours at lunch that Ron did something to Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas that sent them to the Hospital Wing unconscious. Many were saying Ron belonged in Slytherin and when Malfoy heard that his comment was, "If that happened my father will be here with an order to have him removed. A Weasley in Slytherin… yeah right!"
Blaise touched the ground and turned running at the same pace back to the other end of the pitch. He could see Draco running with ease like him at the same pace.
But Blaise knew this afternoon would not be so easy.
!G!
Ginny grabbed her book and walked down the girl dorm stairs to the common room. She was heading to the door when it opened revealing Hermione and Harry.
"Ginny what is going on?" was the first thing Hermione said.
Ginny sighed, "Let's not discuss this here. At the Library."
Her two friends nodded and the three walked to the Library in silence. Ginny could feel everyone looking at her, as if they were expecting her too kill them or something.
"Can't they quit starring? Its really annoying," whispered Ginny.
"Ignore them, believe me," said Harry, "It's all you can do."
Ginny nodded and Hermione pushed the door open to enter the Library. Harry found them a corner at the back near the Restricted Section that was quiet. The three sat at a table and Ginny opened her book to a certain page.
"This is what is controlling Ron," said Ginny, "And this is the curse… it, itself explains what it is doing to Ron."
Hermione and Harry read the curse over and looked at Ginny in shock.
"How did you find this?" asked Hermione.
"I found it the box Ron keeps the cursed crystal-stone in, in his beside table. I don't know how he got the crystal-stone but it's killing his personality more everyday. Within… less then a month it will have complete control over him. This curse hasn't been used since 1786. The last person to use it on another was Doreen Wattlesnake. She used it on her husband Marsden Wattlesnake because he wouldn't let her visit her mother. Only she didn't know what the curse would do. His personality changed… and in the end he killed her."
"Why?" asked Harry.
"She wouldn't listen to him and do what he said. He only knew the feelings of anger and hate."
"Just like Ron," said Hermione quietly, "He wants Ginny to obey him and she won't."
"Exactly. We need to get him away from that stone and destroy it. Only then will the curse be broken."
"But who gave him the stone in the first place?" said Harry.
"Or," said Hermione, "Where did he find it?"
"The box he kept it in looked really old, so did the spell," said Ginny, "Maybe it's the same crystal-stone Doreen created."
"You might be right," agreed Harry.
"So… how do we get Ron away from this stone?" asked Hermione.
"I don't know. He has it on him all the time now. He's addicted to its power," sighed Ginny.
"Tonight when he has a shower," said Harry, "I'll check his robe pockets."
Hermione and Ginny agreed with Harry's plan and left the Library a small hope for Ron within their hearts.
!G!B!
The day passed and night arrived. At 9pm Ginny stood in the Entrance Hall waiting for Blaise. She leant on the wall starring at the floor her thoughts focused on Ron. Inside she prayed that Harry would be able to get that crystal-stone from Ron, Merlin only knew what Ron would do if Harry was caught in the act of taking it.
"Hey there."
Ginny looked up removed from her thoughts and smiled when she saw Blaise walking over to her. When he reached her she hugged him and kissed him once on the lips, "Hi. How was your day?"
"Tiring. Malfoy must have been trying to kill the Quidditch team. Yours?"
"Okay I guess."
Before Ginny could say more the other patrol people arrived and gave the two the details, once they left Ginny and Blaise headed for Ravenclaw.
"So… is what being said about Ron true?" asked Blaise holding Ginny's hand.
"About him nearly killing Dean and Seamus?" replied Ginny.
Blaise nodded.
"Yes," started Ginny. Before Blaise could ask anymore Ginny spilled the whole story about the stone, knowing Blaise had a right to know everything there was too know.
Once she finished Blaise was silent.
"That's all," said Ginny looking at Blaise.
"I know. I've heard of that stone… Ginny its not just killing his personality… it's killing his body. Marsden dies a year later after he murdered his wife because the power of the crystal-stone became too strong for him to handle… but if Ron becomes too attached to the stone… he could die if you take it from him as well."
"How do you know this? It wasn't in that text book I was reading."
"Wattlesnake was my mother's maiden name. She inherited the stone when her father died five years ago, only she sold the stone to some shop in Knockturn Alley. Obviously someone brought it and planted it on Ron for some fun… not knowing what it could do to him."
Ginny stopped walking looking at Blaise, "Than what do I do if he's become too attached to the stone? I'm stuck at a dead end Blaise with nowhere to go! I need your help to save my brother!"
Blaise pulled Ginny towards him and hugged her, "Don't loose hope, we will find a way. I know just the person to go too. And it's not Dumbledore."
"Who is it?" asked Ginny pulling away a bit to look Blaise in the face.
"Don't worry. I'll tell you everything when the time comes."
!HP!
Hermione and Harry watched as Ron went up the boy's dorm stairs. A few minutes later Harry stood to follow when Hermione grabbed his hand. Harry looked back at her frowning.
"Be careful," said Hermione seriously.
Harry turned to face her fully and leaned down. He planted a soft kiss on her cheek whispering, "Don't worry."
With that Harry turned and ran up the boys dorm stairs. He stopped outside the bathroom door and could hear the shower running. He knew only Ron was in there because the other guys were too scared to be anywhere near him.
Harry opened the door and crept in. There was a thick blanket of steam allowing Harry to creep around to Ron's clothes. Harry grabbed Ron's school robe and felt the pockets. Nothing. With a sigh Harry checked Ron's school pants pockets, but still no luck. Ron had no pockets in his PJ's so Harry didn't even check. Instead, quietly he crept out of the bathroom and bolted up to the seventh year boy's dorm. He ran over to Ron's bed, opened his bedside draw and found the old box Ginny had described earlier that day. He opened the case, but nothing was in it, only the curse. With a sigh Harry placed the box back in the draw and shut it.
He turned to leave to find Ron looking at him.
"What were you doing?" said Ron coldly.
"Oh err… looking for my quill and I thought maybe I'd leant it too you and that maybe you still had it," lied Harry trying to look innocent.
Ron just nodded, "Perhaps you should ask next time before snooping through my stuff."
"Sorry… I didn't know where you were."
Ron just nodded and Harry left quickly, rushing down the stairs to an anxiously waiting Hermione.
"Did you find it?" asked Hermione grabbing hold of Harry's hands as she sat beside him.
"Nothing. Only that box," said Harry, "He must've had it with him while he showered."
Hermione sighed, "Well… we'll just have to plan another way to get it then."
A/N: Okay… well I hope you all liked that chapter…Dark Vampiresss: Thanks for the review! I couldn't force myself to make Ron evil… so this was my plan for his odd behaviour… I hope you liked the chapter!
dragon-femme-fatale: Sorry about the mistakes. Sometimes I'm writing late at night because it's the only time I get too write. Okay… about what you don't get… I think you wanted me to explain was: Ron kept the box because that was where he kept the stone hidden… but now the stone is with him at all times because he's getting more attached to it. I hope that cleared things up. Thanks for the review!
many.boyz.lil.time: They are a cute couple aren't they? Thanks for the review!
FanFictionFantom: Thanks for the review… and I can't really say anything else coz it will give stuff away…
FallenAngel369: Who did it? I don't know… still working on it. LOL... don't worry my bestie will help me. Won't ya Amz? Anyway thanks for the review!
Flavagurl: I liked the whole kissing thing too… and I agree some stories make the kiss really hard… and not so loving… Thanks for the review!
Vanessa-Black and Zabini: They do need to get it away from him don't they? LOL. Thanks for the review!
RoleModelGirlie: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for the review!
Lady Cantara: I'm glad the story makes you happy! Thankyou for understanding the whole school thing and for patiently waiting for this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it!
Okay well that's all. If I did miss anyone, I'm terribly sorry, just let me know when you review… so yeah… you know… review…
Love yas!
Love Coz!
