Disclaimer: Don't own HP and all that jazz.
Chapter 7: Speaking of the Devil
The dorm was quiet, too quiet. Ginny knew something was wrong from the moment her head hit the pillow; something was in the castle that shouldn't be. Should I get up?, Ginny wondered. Should I lay still? All of the other girls in the dorms were peacefully snoozing, as usually. Ginny, usually didn't sleep well. All of her dreams were plagued recently, since Voldemorts second uprising, with memories of the chamber, the acts she committed against her will, and what she worried most about. What Voldemort would do to her family, to mankind. This would be a normal worry of anyone living in those days, but to everyone in the castle, they were safe. As long as Dumbledore was there, nothing bad could happen. It was a popular and noble theory, truly. Ginny knew better, he was only one man. One very wise, powerful, yet old man. There was too much pressure on him as well, a man that age should be enjoying his great-grand children, not planning the war of the millennium.
Yes, war had started. At the end of Ginny's 5th year, the world was plunged head first, and the world was forced to take it's head out of the covers and fight back. Cornelius Fudge, the then Minister of Magic, was clinging to what political power he could have. Once the public learned of his deceit, of his disbelief of what happened to Harry in his fourth year at Hogwarts, they were outraged. Many wanted to take permanent action, if you catch my drift, they wanted blood, the chocolate kind.
Why Dumbledore forgave him, Ginny couldn't understand, but she acknowledged him as the current minister, even though the rest of Britain didn't, because her father was part of the ministry, because her brothers were, because united we stand. United we stand. This phrase, which was popular in America to rally support, was topic of much discussion in the common room.
"I am so against this war, we have no reason to be fighting!" Pavarati, in her usual confusion, had advocated the position to which the fashion most suited her. She realized, that even though to be against fighting would cause her dimise, being of Muggle decent, she truly didn't understand what was going on. So she followed her usually stand-by, follow the trends. "I mean they are trying to make us all fall for the United we Stand thing. I find that I accomplish more sitting down. Too much effort is involved about taking a stand."
" YOU DITZ! WHY WOULD The PHRASE BE UNITED WE SIT? WHAT KIND OF STATEMENT DOES THAT MAKE? PARDON US, WAIT UNTIL WE ROLL OVER AND PLAY DEAD TO KILL US? This is not like a God Damned Vietnam Pavarati, this is not a choice. It's kill or be killed. It was then too, actually now that I think about it, but that's beyond the point, you don't understand," Hermione was gathering her steam now, Ron, Harry and Ginny saw it.
"Hermione, I hate to interrupt, but what the hell is Vietnam?" Ron had clearly summoned his courage here, but today was not the day to stop Hermione from completely making her point.
"Ronald Weasley! When are you ever going to take Muggle Studies, it clearly states that in lesson 4 about muggle war, America, in the sixties, and seventies, that America and The Allied Forces went over, committed themselves on a war of freedom, got over commited and tragically lost thousands of man and women, maybe even millions, I can't exactly remember. This caused the so called, hippie movement. It is my opinion that this change would have occurred in America anyway."
Ron's eyebrow's went up as he leaned back in the huge, scarlet armchair and said sarcastically, "I wonder why nobody in here knew all that? What morons we are, to not know what those muggle get up to."
"Ron, for the LOVE OF GOD, stop being such an idiot. This is exactly the attitude that makes us so vulnerable to the dark side," She was still yelling, but now in an exasperated way, "Don't you ever try to think beyond what's ahead of you nose?" Hermione's face was now inches from his, her stare intent and glaring.
Ron shifted uncomfortably at first, then his eye's lit up and he got a mischievous grin, "Why look beyond my nose when such a pretty sight awaits me there?"
Harry knew what was coming next, he felt it. Ginny knew what was coming next, experience taught her well. The entire common room now realized that she discussion about the war was over. This was about Ron and Hermione. They all knew what was coming next, Hermione knew it. Ron seemed to be the only one out of the loop.
))SMACK(( She slapped him right around the face, "When will you stop thinking of women in such a sexist, perverse way requarding women?" Her anger wasn't nearly enough to hide how flattered she was, this was like adding gasoline to a fire.
Ron wasn't mad now, just embarrassed. This caused him to raise his voice in turn. "1, you hit like a girl, 2, I don't think of women like that, just you."
Hermione was now thoroughly fuming, " YOUR IMPOSSIBLE!" She turned and quickly stormed out of the common room, Ron right on her heals, equally as mad now. The portrait door slammed, and everyone heard them arguing all down the corridor.
Dean Thomas, as was the custom after a blazing row, whipped out his little red book, " Okay mates, Neville, your still a long shot for them getting together in the next three hours, but we can always settle-up and re-bet tomorrow. Ginny and Harry, your bets have a snowball in hell, but I'll offer you excellent odds. OY! Seamus, your new bet is what exactly mate?"
Seamus pulled out his wallet, pulled a look of psychic concentration, and announced, "Tomorrow, around dinner time."
At this Dean laughed, "So Harry, Ginny and Seams all think tomorrow's the day the finally admit they like each other...I'll go against you, as the house, and we all know," he added with a wink towards Ginny, "the house never loses."
Ginny couldn't help herself, she just couldn't let him, her ex, have the last word against her in this big debate. So instead of coming up with a witty remark, or something along those lines, she discretely whipped out her wand, temper rising, and muttered, "Opalioso".
Before anyone knew what was happening, Dean, was thrown against the wall, and just as he got his footing, little, yellow Canaries began floating around him in at an annoying rate and chirping in the world's most obnoxious way.
"House never loses, Hun?" Ginny chose this moment to wink, "I can't imagine what that's like." With this, Ginny stormed out of the room. Clearly, it was a night to be in the red.
So now, hours later , she still lay in bed. Her boiling anger was now replaced by the normal fear of night.
Distract yourself Gin, think of anything else. Dean, what a moron, they had broken up at the beginning of her 6th year, he claimed he needed someone older, which meant someone that would put-out, or Padma Patil. This was extremely foolish to announce to the general public of Hogwarts as an excuse for dumping Ginny. Ron, congratulated Ginny, and then proceeded to, along with Harry, hunt Dean down one weekend and beat the shit out of him for "messing with my sisters emotions and shit." Ron wouldn't know what emotions were if they slapped him on the face.
Ginny picked at a spot on her face, something she usually did when she was nervous. She wasn't a huge acne person, but she had the occasional zit here or there. No big.
A creak was coming from the hall, Ginny was going to pee herself in fright. She was right, there was something in the castle coming to get her.
The creak could be heard more often, louder, and the occasional breathing could be heard, then the door opened.
Slowly, so slowly it seemed like it wasn't really happening. Ginny now wished, more than ever, she was home. Where the house was warm and cozy. Where you could hear everybody's conversations. She wished she was home.
A mass of shaggy, untidy, black hair was apparent at first. Then a face, torso and finally the whole body was visible. Suddenly, embarrassment replaced fear as she recognized the frightening figure. It was Harry.
"Harry, what are you doing in here, its a girls dorm!" Ginny immediately reprimand herself for stating the obvious.
Harry, for his part, just chuckled silently, "I figured that. What you should be marveling at is how I got up here."
"What, oh yes, the barrier they put on the stairs to keep boys out. How did you do it?"
"I summoned my firebolt, went as fast as I could and made it. However now you should be asking what I want." Harry had already planned what he was going to say before he came up, because otherwise he would have been a clumsy blundering fool.
Ginny could tell Harry was pulling Ron tactics, planning what he was going to say before he actually got around to it, figuring he would sound cool, what an amateur, did he really think he could fool her? " So Harry, what is it you do want," Ginny put on her most seductive voice, just to throw him off guard.
Harry couldn't believe it, he had planned it so that everything would go his way, SHE WAS ON TO HIM. "Okay Gin, you caught me, I took a leaf out of Ron's book."
"Potter, when will you learn you can't fool the best?"
A girl in the room was beginning to stir,"Gin, come one, I need you help."
Ginny was puzzled. Was she about to become part of one of the famous Harry Potter adventures. She began to hope so.
"OK Gin, I'll level with you. That curse you put on Dean, none of us can remove it. And he went to bed with ear-plugs in. So, um, if you wouldn't mind..."
"Oh, yes, of course, " Ginny played it off, glad the dark was hiding her blush.
Quietly, she and Harry crept down the girls stairs to the boys dorms. Upon opening the door, Ginny understood why they couldn't sleep, the bird's were going crazy. She also noted the the room looked like a hurricane or tornado had thoroughly given it a good lashing. Havoc was all around the room. Neville was hiding under the covers, with half of the curtains on his fours poster bed drawn. Seamus was putting up a gallant fight. Dean was asleep, like the log she always knew him to be. Ron was...
"Harry, where's my brother?" Ginny didn't mean to put a panic in her voice, but her brother, alone, tonight, she shuddered to think.
"Harry, smirked, "Well, he hasn't returned with Hermione yet now that you mention it, not that its any of our business."
"Oh," Ginny caught his drift. "Well, we'll be collecting on our bet tomorrow?"
"I wouldn't count on it." Harry sighed, "It's been about a month, but they think nobody know, its quite the thing, Dean's going to place a bet after we get some recognizance on the two."
"I see, so, I'll get down to business," She walked over to Dean's bed, pulled out her wand, and muttered the counter-curse, which accidentally turned his hair slytherin green. "Sorry Harry, he'll be pissed off when he wakes, but I can't let him win."
"Don't apologize to me, it's always better to be pissed off than on."
She laughed, it was a simple statement, but a joking comment from Harry to her was worth as much as a pile of gold.
Neville's snores were now apparent and loud from across the room. The moonlight hit Harry's face just right and Ginny grinned in spite of herself.
"I better go,..." She turned but still couldn't tear herself away from Harry's piercing eyes, because of this, she tripped over a pair of sneakers, and then a trunk, Landing, spectacularly on her face.
Harry, laughed in spite of himself. It wasn't every day a beautiful girl fell head over heals in front of you. He quietly, and safely, made his way over to her.
"Sorry about that, I just have weak ankles, you lot should really tidy up in here, this is a disgrace!"
Harry leant over and picked her up off the floor, "Ginny, we're guys, we could care less about being tidy, instead, we focus on things that matter."
Harry hadn't realized it, neither had Ginny. Somehow, he had lifted her up, placed her on her feet, and still had her in her arms, they were, very close.
"POTTER," It was at this moment that Ron chose to make his amazing entrance at the worlds worst timing. "What IN GODS NAME ARE YOU DOING WITH MY SISTER, IN MY DORM!"
Ron had snapped. He grabbed Ginny by the arm and led her to the door, and almost got her out of it before turning around and saying, "Potter, not in our dorm, no sisters, in this dorm," Ron looked like he was about to have a heart attack.
Ginny was mad at this point. One mad Weasley was a dangerous occurrence. Two mad Weasley's was a death threat. "RONALD! IF I CHOSE TO BE IN A DORM, THEN THAT WOULD BE MY DECISION!"
Ron was almost beaten, but not without his one interruption, a bold and wonderful, "BUT!"
"NO RON, LISTEN, I AM SO TIRED OF YOU ACTING LIKE YOU NEED TO PROTECT ME ALL OF THE TIME. I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF. SECONDLY, NOTHING WAS GOING ON, HARRY CAME AND GOT ME TO TAKE THE DRATTED CURSE OFF OF DEAN!"
She stormed out of the Room at this point, lost in thought, knowing she would never get back to sleep, she decided a walk around the grounds would help her relax.
"Harry, sorry mate, but I've decided all women are evil, they are evil."
Harry couldn't help himself, he smiled, "So I take it things with Hermione have taken a turn for the worse?"
Ron didn't reply he just went to bed.
Monday morning dawned with a dispairing twist. Ginny had been missing for three days. It was determined that after she left the boys dorm, she went outside, then she disappeared. Ron was taking it, bad.
For the first few days all of the students had searched everywhere for her, the Forrest and the vanishing cabinet were even searched.
A week later she was declared a prisoner of Voldemort. Two weeks later she was presumed dead.
Ron took this as a personal blow, "She was my sister, I was responsible, if I hadn't blown up at her, she wouldn't have went for that walk.
Everyone was stressed to the breaking point. Somehow, the practical Hermione didn't know the right thing to say and began what was to become WWIII. They began having huge arguments all over the place and the entire castle was avoiding them.
Harry, knew Ginny wasn't dead, he could feel it. And he would find her.
The next morning at Breakfast tempers, guilt, and emotions were at a all time high. Malfoy was strutting around in such a pompous way that even Crabbe and Goyle had tried to curse the life out of him.
With tension thick enough to be cut with a knife, the Great F F started, Short for the Great Food Fight.
This wasn't started for fun, but out of a tired, lonely guilty rage, that is common among the young. Often, teenagers do not know how to react to negative feelings, the students of Hogwarts were not an exception.
The hall was draped in its usually flags, festive and colorful, for Easter Break was coming, and many students were looking forward to seeing their families.
Now let it be told, that most of the people were rather glum, not in the mood for a feast, party, or celebration. Strangely enough, Dumbledore, through years of experience, knew how to cheer people up, in the darkest of hours.
For some reason, when Harry walked into the hall, not only were Ron and Hermione on opposite ends of the Gryffindor table, but it appeared that he had missed the main course. He had been outside, with the Mauders map, scouring every inch of the grounds with the map, praying to turn up some clue that had been missed previously.
It was at times like this, Harry wished he had a parent to talk to. He wished that he had Sirius. It was partially out of that guilt that he was now trying tirelessly to find Ginny. It was that and, well, Harry knew she was alive. Alive. A word that was so strange and true. When all the world had recognized what was supposedly fact, Harry was still determined not to give up on Ginny.
The tables in the hall, were now laden with the oddest variety of pies, cookies and things that are yummy. Harry noticed that there was a strange atmosphere surrounding the crowd. Many were gorging themselves, whilst others talked animatedly about what they were planning on doing on vacation. The abduction, was now a distant memory. A memory that they were all becoming accustomed to in the world that had for the past two years of all the students lives turned to chaos.
Yet, when Harry walked in, all was silent. They all reguarded him still as the boy who lived. Ron had joked at the end of their sixth year that he was the boy who lived, and lived, and lived, and lived and lived.
At the end of fifth year, Harry was told the truth. That it was he alone that must defeat Voldemort. There was never any sort of announcement, no public statement made available, but everyone just assumed that this seventeen year old boy would save them all.
Everyone, even Harry's best friends, were convinced of it. Everyone but Harry. It just didn't make logically sense to Harry that he could save all of mankind, when he couldn't even save the one person he would give anything to have back. To have a father, someone who was older to guide him. Ron often complained of being poor, but he was missing something very important, you could be poor in many ways. Harry was poor as well. He was poor in family. Maybe that's why he was always so close to his friends, they were all he had. Ginny was the only sister Ron had, and the only other girl he trusted besides Hermione. Harry knew right then that he had to get her. He had lost too many people in his life, he was not about to lose anymore. No matter what the cost. Harry really didn't care what happened to himself anymore. He really wasn't needed here on this Earth. What he wanted, desperately, was to fix things, and then fall into a normal life.
What happened next was an act or extreme stupidity. When a man like Harry resolves himself to do something, he wants to do it right then. Things getting in his way, do not fare very well.
"OY Potter!" It was Malfoy, just as sure of himself as every,"Been out looking for the muggle lover?"
Harry, was not a patient person with Malfoy on a good day. Today was the absolute worst day to test Harry. Malfoy was always managed to have to worst timing.
FLASH, all of the desserts popped up into the air, and with another twirl of his wand, Harry sent all of the desserts hurling over to the exact spot Malfoy was.
He tried to run, bad idea, the desserts followed him so he was now pinned against the wall.
Almost in slow motion, the desserts all attacked him, viciously and deservedly. This, prompted everyone else in the hall to stand up and start throwing the remaining rolls, cookies, and puddings at each other.
Professor McGonagal nearly cried out in rage, "Albus, we cannot allow such a valiant disregard for the rules."
"Minerva, sometimes we need to break the rules for the common good," He ducked as he said the next part,"Look at them, these children haven't had good news in two years, they need to relax, they need to let go, they need to be children."
"Yes, Albus I'm all for them having a good time, but surely, this is a breach of decency?"
The old man stood up, smiled that strange smile, that extended to his crooked nose and twinkling blue eyes. "You know what, if you can't stop them, you might as well join them!" At this eye conjured a pie and promptly threw it a close range at Professor McGonagles face.
She was covered, "Why don't we just apply that rule to everything, just surrender, I would have thought that you, of all people would believe in the rules!"
"Shut it Minerva, help me corner Ms. Granger, she's raised and army and is attacking Mr. Weasley and those other Gryffindors," As he turned and saw her protest, "or should I just attack you again?"
The hall was yelling, and screaming, and jumping and dodging. It was chaos. Harry stared in wonderment at what he had started. Malfoy, was still laying on the moaning, and trying to get some sympathy. Harry was glad to see nobody was having it. So he took a note from Dumbledore and joined in, completely at a loss for everything, except for the need to feel normal. He would think of ways to find Ginny later.
Harry, dove across the battleground that was the great hall. He finally found Ron and "THE TROOP" as they had spelled out in syrup on their robes. "Oh Harry, glad to see you've decide to join in." Ron was either very drunk or sugar high. Harry wasn't sure there was a difference anymore. "Here's the grand plan, plan, hic, Hermione's over there, now, I'm gonna go over, and tell her I love her. And when I do, attack her crew!"
"Ron, you sure you wanna say tha to her?" Harry wasn't gonna let Ron go embarrassing himself.
"Naw,...ATTACK!" He barked the order and everyone went, except Harry, he had heard something interesting.
"OY, Lovegood, go back to the bat cave!"
Cave, cave, cave..
Something clicked and a fire was suddenly lit beneath Harry's ass and you couldn't have stopped him for anything. He knew where to find her, and he knew what he had to do, almost.
This is kinda long, thanks to all my readers and reviewers. Review please.
Next chapter will either be present day or the final battle, surprise.
Chapter 7: Speaking of the Devil
The dorm was quiet, too quiet. Ginny knew something was wrong from the moment her head hit the pillow; something was in the castle that shouldn't be. Should I get up?, Ginny wondered. Should I lay still? All of the other girls in the dorms were peacefully snoozing, as usually. Ginny, usually didn't sleep well. All of her dreams were plagued recently, since Voldemorts second uprising, with memories of the chamber, the acts she committed against her will, and what she worried most about. What Voldemort would do to her family, to mankind. This would be a normal worry of anyone living in those days, but to everyone in the castle, they were safe. As long as Dumbledore was there, nothing bad could happen. It was a popular and noble theory, truly. Ginny knew better, he was only one man. One very wise, powerful, yet old man. There was too much pressure on him as well, a man that age should be enjoying his great-grand children, not planning the war of the millennium.
Yes, war had started. At the end of Ginny's 5th year, the world was plunged head first, and the world was forced to take it's head out of the covers and fight back. Cornelius Fudge, the then Minister of Magic, was clinging to what political power he could have. Once the public learned of his deceit, of his disbelief of what happened to Harry in his fourth year at Hogwarts, they were outraged. Many wanted to take permanent action, if you catch my drift, they wanted blood, the chocolate kind.
Why Dumbledore forgave him, Ginny couldn't understand, but she acknowledged him as the current minister, even though the rest of Britain didn't, because her father was part of the ministry, because her brothers were, because united we stand. United we stand. This phrase, which was popular in America to rally support, was topic of much discussion in the common room.
"I am so against this war, we have no reason to be fighting!" Pavarati, in her usual confusion, had advocated the position to which the fashion most suited her. She realized, that even though to be against fighting would cause her dimise, being of Muggle decent, she truly didn't understand what was going on. So she followed her usually stand-by, follow the trends. "I mean they are trying to make us all fall for the United we Stand thing. I find that I accomplish more sitting down. Too much effort is involved about taking a stand."
" YOU DITZ! WHY WOULD The PHRASE BE UNITED WE SIT? WHAT KIND OF STATEMENT DOES THAT MAKE? PARDON US, WAIT UNTIL WE ROLL OVER AND PLAY DEAD TO KILL US? This is not like a God Damned Vietnam Pavarati, this is not a choice. It's kill or be killed. It was then too, actually now that I think about it, but that's beyond the point, you don't understand," Hermione was gathering her steam now, Ron, Harry and Ginny saw it.
"Hermione, I hate to interrupt, but what the hell is Vietnam?" Ron had clearly summoned his courage here, but today was not the day to stop Hermione from completely making her point.
"Ronald Weasley! When are you ever going to take Muggle Studies, it clearly states that in lesson 4 about muggle war, America, in the sixties, and seventies, that America and The Allied Forces went over, committed themselves on a war of freedom, got over commited and tragically lost thousands of man and women, maybe even millions, I can't exactly remember. This caused the so called, hippie movement. It is my opinion that this change would have occurred in America anyway."
Ron's eyebrow's went up as he leaned back in the huge, scarlet armchair and said sarcastically, "I wonder why nobody in here knew all that? What morons we are, to not know what those muggle get up to."
"Ron, for the LOVE OF GOD, stop being such an idiot. This is exactly the attitude that makes us so vulnerable to the dark side," She was still yelling, but now in an exasperated way, "Don't you ever try to think beyond what's ahead of you nose?" Hermione's face was now inches from his, her stare intent and glaring.
Ron shifted uncomfortably at first, then his eye's lit up and he got a mischievous grin, "Why look beyond my nose when such a pretty sight awaits me there?"
Harry knew what was coming next, he felt it. Ginny knew what was coming next, experience taught her well. The entire common room now realized that she discussion about the war was over. This was about Ron and Hermione. They all knew what was coming next, Hermione knew it. Ron seemed to be the only one out of the loop.
))SMACK(( She slapped him right around the face, "When will you stop thinking of women in such a sexist, perverse way requarding women?" Her anger wasn't nearly enough to hide how flattered she was, this was like adding gasoline to a fire.
Ron wasn't mad now, just embarrassed. This caused him to raise his voice in turn. "1, you hit like a girl, 2, I don't think of women like that, just you."
Hermione was now thoroughly fuming, " YOUR IMPOSSIBLE!" She turned and quickly stormed out of the common room, Ron right on her heals, equally as mad now. The portrait door slammed, and everyone heard them arguing all down the corridor.
Dean Thomas, as was the custom after a blazing row, whipped out his little red book, " Okay mates, Neville, your still a long shot for them getting together in the next three hours, but we can always settle-up and re-bet tomorrow. Ginny and Harry, your bets have a snowball in hell, but I'll offer you excellent odds. OY! Seamus, your new bet is what exactly mate?"
Seamus pulled out his wallet, pulled a look of psychic concentration, and announced, "Tomorrow, around dinner time."
At this Dean laughed, "So Harry, Ginny and Seams all think tomorrow's the day the finally admit they like each other...I'll go against you, as the house, and we all know," he added with a wink towards Ginny, "the house never loses."
Ginny couldn't help herself, she just couldn't let him, her ex, have the last word against her in this big debate. So instead of coming up with a witty remark, or something along those lines, she discretely whipped out her wand, temper rising, and muttered, "Opalioso".
Before anyone knew what was happening, Dean, was thrown against the wall, and just as he got his footing, little, yellow Canaries began floating around him in at an annoying rate and chirping in the world's most obnoxious way.
"House never loses, Hun?" Ginny chose this moment to wink, "I can't imagine what that's like." With this, Ginny stormed out of the room. Clearly, it was a night to be in the red.
So now, hours later , she still lay in bed. Her boiling anger was now replaced by the normal fear of night.
Distract yourself Gin, think of anything else. Dean, what a moron, they had broken up at the beginning of her 6th year, he claimed he needed someone older, which meant someone that would put-out, or Padma Patil. This was extremely foolish to announce to the general public of Hogwarts as an excuse for dumping Ginny. Ron, congratulated Ginny, and then proceeded to, along with Harry, hunt Dean down one weekend and beat the shit out of him for "messing with my sisters emotions and shit." Ron wouldn't know what emotions were if they slapped him on the face.
Ginny picked at a spot on her face, something she usually did when she was nervous. She wasn't a huge acne person, but she had the occasional zit here or there. No big.
A creak was coming from the hall, Ginny was going to pee herself in fright. She was right, there was something in the castle coming to get her.
The creak could be heard more often, louder, and the occasional breathing could be heard, then the door opened.
Slowly, so slowly it seemed like it wasn't really happening. Ginny now wished, more than ever, she was home. Where the house was warm and cozy. Where you could hear everybody's conversations. She wished she was home.
A mass of shaggy, untidy, black hair was apparent at first. Then a face, torso and finally the whole body was visible. Suddenly, embarrassment replaced fear as she recognized the frightening figure. It was Harry.
"Harry, what are you doing in here, its a girls dorm!" Ginny immediately reprimand herself for stating the obvious.
Harry, for his part, just chuckled silently, "I figured that. What you should be marveling at is how I got up here."
"What, oh yes, the barrier they put on the stairs to keep boys out. How did you do it?"
"I summoned my firebolt, went as fast as I could and made it. However now you should be asking what I want." Harry had already planned what he was going to say before he came up, because otherwise he would have been a clumsy blundering fool.
Ginny could tell Harry was pulling Ron tactics, planning what he was going to say before he actually got around to it, figuring he would sound cool, what an amateur, did he really think he could fool her? " So Harry, what is it you do want," Ginny put on her most seductive voice, just to throw him off guard.
Harry couldn't believe it, he had planned it so that everything would go his way, SHE WAS ON TO HIM. "Okay Gin, you caught me, I took a leaf out of Ron's book."
"Potter, when will you learn you can't fool the best?"
A girl in the room was beginning to stir,"Gin, come one, I need you help."
Ginny was puzzled. Was she about to become part of one of the famous Harry Potter adventures. She began to hope so.
"OK Gin, I'll level with you. That curse you put on Dean, none of us can remove it. And he went to bed with ear-plugs in. So, um, if you wouldn't mind..."
"Oh, yes, of course, " Ginny played it off, glad the dark was hiding her blush.
Quietly, she and Harry crept down the girls stairs to the boys dorms. Upon opening the door, Ginny understood why they couldn't sleep, the bird's were going crazy. She also noted the the room looked like a hurricane or tornado had thoroughly given it a good lashing. Havoc was all around the room. Neville was hiding under the covers, with half of the curtains on his fours poster bed drawn. Seamus was putting up a gallant fight. Dean was asleep, like the log she always knew him to be. Ron was...
"Harry, where's my brother?" Ginny didn't mean to put a panic in her voice, but her brother, alone, tonight, she shuddered to think.
"Harry, smirked, "Well, he hasn't returned with Hermione yet now that you mention it, not that its any of our business."
"Oh," Ginny caught his drift. "Well, we'll be collecting on our bet tomorrow?"
"I wouldn't count on it." Harry sighed, "It's been about a month, but they think nobody know, its quite the thing, Dean's going to place a bet after we get some recognizance on the two."
"I see, so, I'll get down to business," She walked over to Dean's bed, pulled out her wand, and muttered the counter-curse, which accidentally turned his hair slytherin green. "Sorry Harry, he'll be pissed off when he wakes, but I can't let him win."
"Don't apologize to me, it's always better to be pissed off than on."
She laughed, it was a simple statement, but a joking comment from Harry to her was worth as much as a pile of gold.
Neville's snores were now apparent and loud from across the room. The moonlight hit Harry's face just right and Ginny grinned in spite of herself.
"I better go,..." She turned but still couldn't tear herself away from Harry's piercing eyes, because of this, she tripped over a pair of sneakers, and then a trunk, Landing, spectacularly on her face.
Harry, laughed in spite of himself. It wasn't every day a beautiful girl fell head over heals in front of you. He quietly, and safely, made his way over to her.
"Sorry about that, I just have weak ankles, you lot should really tidy up in here, this is a disgrace!"
Harry leant over and picked her up off the floor, "Ginny, we're guys, we could care less about being tidy, instead, we focus on things that matter."
Harry hadn't realized it, neither had Ginny. Somehow, he had lifted her up, placed her on her feet, and still had her in her arms, they were, very close.
"POTTER," It was at this moment that Ron chose to make his amazing entrance at the worlds worst timing. "What IN GODS NAME ARE YOU DOING WITH MY SISTER, IN MY DORM!"
Ron had snapped. He grabbed Ginny by the arm and led her to the door, and almost got her out of it before turning around and saying, "Potter, not in our dorm, no sisters, in this dorm," Ron looked like he was about to have a heart attack.
Ginny was mad at this point. One mad Weasley was a dangerous occurrence. Two mad Weasley's was a death threat. "RONALD! IF I CHOSE TO BE IN A DORM, THEN THAT WOULD BE MY DECISION!"
Ron was almost beaten, but not without his one interruption, a bold and wonderful, "BUT!"
"NO RON, LISTEN, I AM SO TIRED OF YOU ACTING LIKE YOU NEED TO PROTECT ME ALL OF THE TIME. I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF. SECONDLY, NOTHING WAS GOING ON, HARRY CAME AND GOT ME TO TAKE THE DRATTED CURSE OFF OF DEAN!"
She stormed out of the Room at this point, lost in thought, knowing she would never get back to sleep, she decided a walk around the grounds would help her relax.
"Harry, sorry mate, but I've decided all women are evil, they are evil."
Harry couldn't help himself, he smiled, "So I take it things with Hermione have taken a turn for the worse?"
Ron didn't reply he just went to bed.
Monday morning dawned with a dispairing twist. Ginny had been missing for three days. It was determined that after she left the boys dorm, she went outside, then she disappeared. Ron was taking it, bad.
For the first few days all of the students had searched everywhere for her, the Forrest and the vanishing cabinet were even searched.
A week later she was declared a prisoner of Voldemort. Two weeks later she was presumed dead.
Ron took this as a personal blow, "She was my sister, I was responsible, if I hadn't blown up at her, she wouldn't have went for that walk.
Everyone was stressed to the breaking point. Somehow, the practical Hermione didn't know the right thing to say and began what was to become WWIII. They began having huge arguments all over the place and the entire castle was avoiding them.
Harry, knew Ginny wasn't dead, he could feel it. And he would find her.
The next morning at Breakfast tempers, guilt, and emotions were at a all time high. Malfoy was strutting around in such a pompous way that even Crabbe and Goyle had tried to curse the life out of him.
With tension thick enough to be cut with a knife, the Great F F started, Short for the Great Food Fight.
This wasn't started for fun, but out of a tired, lonely guilty rage, that is common among the young. Often, teenagers do not know how to react to negative feelings, the students of Hogwarts were not an exception.
The hall was draped in its usually flags, festive and colorful, for Easter Break was coming, and many students were looking forward to seeing their families.
Now let it be told, that most of the people were rather glum, not in the mood for a feast, party, or celebration. Strangely enough, Dumbledore, through years of experience, knew how to cheer people up, in the darkest of hours.
For some reason, when Harry walked into the hall, not only were Ron and Hermione on opposite ends of the Gryffindor table, but it appeared that he had missed the main course. He had been outside, with the Mauders map, scouring every inch of the grounds with the map, praying to turn up some clue that had been missed previously.
It was at times like this, Harry wished he had a parent to talk to. He wished that he had Sirius. It was partially out of that guilt that he was now trying tirelessly to find Ginny. It was that and, well, Harry knew she was alive. Alive. A word that was so strange and true. When all the world had recognized what was supposedly fact, Harry was still determined not to give up on Ginny.
The tables in the hall, were now laden with the oddest variety of pies, cookies and things that are yummy. Harry noticed that there was a strange atmosphere surrounding the crowd. Many were gorging themselves, whilst others talked animatedly about what they were planning on doing on vacation. The abduction, was now a distant memory. A memory that they were all becoming accustomed to in the world that had for the past two years of all the students lives turned to chaos.
Yet, when Harry walked in, all was silent. They all reguarded him still as the boy who lived. Ron had joked at the end of their sixth year that he was the boy who lived, and lived, and lived, and lived and lived.
At the end of fifth year, Harry was told the truth. That it was he alone that must defeat Voldemort. There was never any sort of announcement, no public statement made available, but everyone just assumed that this seventeen year old boy would save them all.
Everyone, even Harry's best friends, were convinced of it. Everyone but Harry. It just didn't make logically sense to Harry that he could save all of mankind, when he couldn't even save the one person he would give anything to have back. To have a father, someone who was older to guide him. Ron often complained of being poor, but he was missing something very important, you could be poor in many ways. Harry was poor as well. He was poor in family. Maybe that's why he was always so close to his friends, they were all he had. Ginny was the only sister Ron had, and the only other girl he trusted besides Hermione. Harry knew right then that he had to get her. He had lost too many people in his life, he was not about to lose anymore. No matter what the cost. Harry really didn't care what happened to himself anymore. He really wasn't needed here on this Earth. What he wanted, desperately, was to fix things, and then fall into a normal life.
What happened next was an act or extreme stupidity. When a man like Harry resolves himself to do something, he wants to do it right then. Things getting in his way, do not fare very well.
"OY Potter!" It was Malfoy, just as sure of himself as every,"Been out looking for the muggle lover?"
Harry, was not a patient person with Malfoy on a good day. Today was the absolute worst day to test Harry. Malfoy was always managed to have to worst timing.
FLASH, all of the desserts popped up into the air, and with another twirl of his wand, Harry sent all of the desserts hurling over to the exact spot Malfoy was.
He tried to run, bad idea, the desserts followed him so he was now pinned against the wall.
Almost in slow motion, the desserts all attacked him, viciously and deservedly. This, prompted everyone else in the hall to stand up and start throwing the remaining rolls, cookies, and puddings at each other.
Professor McGonagal nearly cried out in rage, "Albus, we cannot allow such a valiant disregard for the rules."
"Minerva, sometimes we need to break the rules for the common good," He ducked as he said the next part,"Look at them, these children haven't had good news in two years, they need to relax, they need to let go, they need to be children."
"Yes, Albus I'm all for them having a good time, but surely, this is a breach of decency?"
The old man stood up, smiled that strange smile, that extended to his crooked nose and twinkling blue eyes. "You know what, if you can't stop them, you might as well join them!" At this eye conjured a pie and promptly threw it a close range at Professor McGonagles face.
She was covered, "Why don't we just apply that rule to everything, just surrender, I would have thought that you, of all people would believe in the rules!"
"Shut it Minerva, help me corner Ms. Granger, she's raised and army and is attacking Mr. Weasley and those other Gryffindors," As he turned and saw her protest, "or should I just attack you again?"
The hall was yelling, and screaming, and jumping and dodging. It was chaos. Harry stared in wonderment at what he had started. Malfoy, was still laying on the moaning, and trying to get some sympathy. Harry was glad to see nobody was having it. So he took a note from Dumbledore and joined in, completely at a loss for everything, except for the need to feel normal. He would think of ways to find Ginny later.
Harry, dove across the battleground that was the great hall. He finally found Ron and "THE TROOP" as they had spelled out in syrup on their robes. "Oh Harry, glad to see you've decide to join in." Ron was either very drunk or sugar high. Harry wasn't sure there was a difference anymore. "Here's the grand plan, plan, hic, Hermione's over there, now, I'm gonna go over, and tell her I love her. And when I do, attack her crew!"
"Ron, you sure you wanna say tha to her?" Harry wasn't gonna let Ron go embarrassing himself.
"Naw,...ATTACK!" He barked the order and everyone went, except Harry, he had heard something interesting.
"OY, Lovegood, go back to the bat cave!"
Cave, cave, cave..
Something clicked and a fire was suddenly lit beneath Harry's ass and you couldn't have stopped him for anything. He knew where to find her, and he knew what he had to do, almost.
This is kinda long, thanks to all my readers and reviewers. Review please.
Next chapter will either be present day or the final battle, surprise.