How Ginny Really Got Over Harry

"Hermione?" Ginny asked. "How did you get McGonagall to let you have that Time Turner in your third year?" The seventh year redhead looked at her fingernails as she waited for her best friend to answer.

"I just told her I wanted to study more," Hermione responded. "It was me, Gin. Could I really have had an ulterior motive?" Both girls laughed. Hermione closed the thick book on the table in front of her with a thump. "Are you coming out to eat with me tomorrow for my birthday lunch?"

"Definitely," said the redhead. "Of course McGonagall trusted the nerd." Ginny stuck her tongue out at the brunette. "You are the only person I know that's gone on to graduate school. I didn't even think witches and wizards could do that."

"I still don't know what I want to do," Hermione defended herself. "I don't want to choose the wrong career and end up unhappy." She opened her book at random and shut it again.

"Even if you did, you could always use that Time Turner to go back and tell yourself to make the right decisions," Ginny joked. "Did they let you keep it?" She opened a packet of cauldron cakes. "Want one?"

"I'd love one. I had to turn my Time Turner in at the end of that year," Hermione said, remembering how they saved Sirius.

"Pity," said Ginny. "I guess I'll have to apply for one myself." She munched on her snack.

Hermione almost choked. "What do you need one for?" she said, coughing.

Ginny looked surprised. "I just want to do a couple more classes this year, that's all." She frowned. "Is that so hard to believe?" she pouted.

Hermione laughed in her face.


"Here you are, Miss Weasley," Professor McGonagall said sternly, handing a shiny gold Time Turner to the young student. "Do not break the rules. Although, you are Head Girl, so you wouldn't have planned to break any to begin with." Ginny nodded eagerly, her fingers closing around the hourglass.

She gasped in horror as the pendant slipped through her fingers. The chain caught around her thumb, and the hourglass smashed on the floor. She looked up at her professor, who was clearly equally terrified. Professor McGonagall's face was the last thing the green eyed, redheaded girl saw before her world turned black.


Ginny opened her eyes. "Professor McGonagall?" she said, feeling stupid.

"No," said a black haired boy curiously. "Lily, are you okay? You took a nasty fall." His brown eyes were full of genuine concern.

"Lily?" Ginny said, bewildered. She sat up.

"Sorry, I forgot. 'Evans' it is," said the boy bitterly. Ginny was lost.

"What are you talking about, Harry?" she said. The boy's eyes widened.

"I'm not Harry," he said. Ginny closed her eyes. This could not be happening. She got up off the floor and dusted herself off.

She took a deep breath. "I'm not Lily," she said. "My name is Ginny Weasley, and I'd like to know where I am, please." The hallway did not look familiar.

The boy's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Okay, not-Lily. This is a new one, I have to say." Ginny waited. After a couple seconds, she realized the boy thought she was kidding.

"No, I meant it," she said impatiently. "Where am I?"

"We're in a hallway," the boy said.

"Yes, I can see that," she retorted. "Where, precisely?"

"Hogwarts," he said. "I think that fall really did mess you up." He peered at her. "Lils, maybe you should go to the hospital wing."

Ginny didn't notice the nickname. She had just remembered about smashing the Time Turner. "What's today?" she demanded. She couldn't be..

"September 18, 1976," said not-Harry. "That fall really did do something to you. We're going to the hospital wing."

Ginny gave up and let herself be led along by the strangely familiar boy. "What's your name, anyway?" she asked.

"James," said the brown eyed, black haired boy. "James Potter. And you're Lily Evans, not Gin-thing Whatsit."


After her hospital wing visit, Ginny made James bring her to Dumbledore's office. James blew her a kiss and left her in the office with the not-so-elderly headmaster. "See you around, Evans," he said cheekily as he strolled away.

"Sir," she began nervously. He smiled over his steepled fingers at her. "Sir, I'm in the wrong time," she blurted out. His smile faded.

"What?" he said, confused. "Miss Evans, I assure you. You belong in this time."

"I'm not Miss Evans!" Ginny said loudly. "My name is Ginny Weasley and I belong in the future, I know it's 1976 now but I belong in 1998 with Harry and Hermione and everyone but I dropped my Time Turner and fell and then I was in the hall with that boy, James or whoever he is, and.." she rambled. She did not see the look of sadness in Dumbledore's eyes.

"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, Miss Ev- Weasley," he said gently when she had finished. "There's no way for you to go home." She gasped, tears rushing to her eyes. "Time Turner accidents are irreparable," he added. "What happened to you, I assume, is that the grains from within the hourglass were absorbed into your skin when you fell on top of the shattered trinket. You will only be able to return home once the effect wears off."

Unable to think, she asked, "What happened to Lily?"

The head master sighed. "I'm afraid we don't know," he said finally, after a long pause. "Only time will tell." Ginny bowed her head and wept.

Ginny and the Headmaster agreed to keep her true identity a secret, and that Ginny would be Lily with amnesia. "If word gets out that you are from the future," the headmaster said gravely, "your time might not exist when you want to go back to it. It's best if everyone thinks you are making things up. Try not to let on that you know anything you aren't supposed to." Ginny nodded silently. She was not happy. "And Miss Evans," the headmaster added gently, "this is your time now. Make yourself at home."


An announcement was made that night about Lily's unfortunate accident. Ginny learned that Lily was Head Girl, excellent at charms, and came from a Muggleborn family. The scariest part was how much they looked alike, Ginny decided as she looked at the photos on the table next to Lily's bed. Ginny had almost dropped the picture frame the first time she'd seen herself hugging the other girls in the dorm and waving happily at the camera.

Ginny went through the wardrobe, and was shocked to find that every article of clothing fit her perfectly. They were all new clothes, too, she marvelled. Only a couple of them barely resembled hand-me-downs, and those looked like Lily's favorite clothes. She settled into being Lily Evans in no time.


After a couple months, Ginny had gotten used to being called Lily, and even referred to herself as such. In her heart, though, she knew she belonged to the future. Every time she came close to breaking down, she recalled Dumbledore's words to her – "You will only be able to return home once the effect wears off.. Make yourself at home.."

Ginny threw herself into life. She got good grades, because she didn't want to mess up someone else's life. She was nice to everyone, because she didn't want to make enemies for Lily. She was so selfless and at the same time selfish, because she was Lily Evans now. She admitted that she preferred to hang around with James though, because of how much he resembled Harry.

She even let herself date the boy. His incessant flirting made her want to alternately strangle and kiss the boy. His friends were her friends, and the two of them were inseparable. She had always harboured a crush on Harry but this was too good to be true. James was so devoted to her in a way that Harry had never been.


Seventh year passed so quickly for Ginny. At graduation, she found herself tearing up at the thought of leaving the school she had loved for so long. She hugged all the classmates that had become friends within the span of the school year that she had been Lily Evans, and promised to keep in touch. She couldn't seem to find James though. All of a sudden, she felt familiar arms slip around her waist from behind, and she sighed.

"There you are, James," she said. She slipped out of his arms and turned around. Smiling, he knelt before her, pulling a small box out of his pocket. Ginny gasped and felt more tears well up, but this time they were tears of pure joy.

"Lily Evans," James said formally, "Will you marry me?" Ginny squealed and launched herself at the man she loved. "Of course!"


James and Ginny were married one year later, on the grounds at Hogwarts the day after all the children had gone home for the summer. It was a small affair. They invited their close friends – Sirius, Remus, Peter, the girls in Ginny's dorm, and their families.

"I do," James said.

"I do," Ginny repeated, her mind swirling. Would the real Lily have wanted to marry James? From what she'd heard, the two of them had fought like cats and dogs. No matter- this was what Ginny wanted. And Ginny was Lily now, wasn't she?

It had been two years since the switch, and Ginny found herself remembering less and less about her previous life, and looking forward to her new one more and more. James went though Auror training, and she studied to become a Healer. The lived a wonderfully happy life together in their small house in the tiny town of Godric's Hollow. Sirius, Remus, and Peter were always in and out of their house, and Ginny went out to lunch occasionally with her friends. She was happy just being with James.


About a year and a half after their wedding, Ginny was conducting her monthly pregnancy test on herself. Every time before, her wand glowed white, meaning she was not pregnant. This month, however, the bathroom filled with blue pulsing light. Ginny dropped her wand and ran down the stairs into the arms of her husband. "We're going to have a baby!" she squealed. He picked her up and swung her around. Tears of joy ran down Ginny's cheeks.


On July 31, 1980, Ginny gave birth to a bouncing baby boy. "What are we going to name him, James?" she said, tickling the tiny baby.

"Harry sounds nice, doesn't it?" James said, idly flipping through a magazine.

Ginny fainted.


So Harry was indeed the baby's name. As Ginny played with her son, more and more about her previous life returned to her, and she spent her free time curled up and spacing out, wondering what happened to her family and her friends. James grew worried for his young wife, and spent less time at work and more time trying to cheer her up. They went on vacations, day trips, anything to try and make Ginny snap out of it. James took care of Harry most of the time. Ginny separated herself from the family as much as possible. She dreaded the arrival of Halloween, 1981.


And it was Halloween, 1981. James noticed how jumpy his wife was that night. "Lily, are you okay?" he asked, real concern lacing his voice.

"Yes, I'm fine, James," she replied shakily. "No matter what happens to us, James," she said earnestly, fear in her eyes, "remember that I love you." James nodded and leaned over to kiss his wife, and was surprised at the passion she put into that one kiss. Just then there was a knock on the door.

It was Voldemort.

"Take Harry and go! Run, Lily!" James yelled, attempting to face down the monster. Ginny fled up the stairs, her child in her arms. She felt as if she were in a bad horror film as she glimpsed green light flooding her living room.

She laid Harry in his crib in the bedroom, and whirled around to face Voldemort in the doorway. With an evil grin, he raised his wand. "No!" she cried. "Not Harry! Kill me, but leave Harry alone!"

"Out of the way, foolish woman," he growled. Ginny thrust herself between the man and her baby, her heart beating wildly. "Okay, have it your way – Avada Kedavra!"

Ginny saw fog creep in through the windows and swirl around her, lifting her out of her body. From above, she saw green light fill the room and watched her body slump to the floor. Her world went black.


Ginny opened her eyes, and was once again lying on the floor, although this time she was in her bedroom at the Burrow. It took her several minutes to realize it. She sat up and looked around in wonderment.

Harry and Ron came rushing into her room. "Ginny!" said Harry, sounding worried. "We heard a crash, so we came to see if you were all right." Ginny looked at him, seeing him in a new light. I gave birth to him, she thought. Look at how wonderfully he turned out.

"Earth to Ginny," Ron said impatiently, waving his hand in front of her face. "That's Harry, you've met him before."

It felt wrong to be called Ginny after all this time. "Ron," she said slowly. "What's today?"

"It's Halloween, Gin," he said. "Remember? We carved a pumpkin yesterday, like what Muggles do?" He was worried.

"And it's …" she did some quick math. "Two thousand and three?"

Ron and Harry looked at each other. "Yes.." they said at the same time. "Are you okay?"

"What have I been doing for the past five years?" she demanded. The boys looked at each other again, nervously.

"Is this a trick question?" began Harry.

"No," said Ginny. "What have I been doing? I can only remember what happened before seventh year."

"Well," said Ron, obviously uncomfortable. "You got amnesia.."

"Never mind, thank you," she interrupted. "It's all coming back to me now." She looked at the boy, Harry in particular. That's my son, she thought. And he's a year older than I am.