Everyone knew that one day the courageous trio would face Lord Voldemort and wouldn't be able to leave without a great casualty. Though they expected it would happen it still caught them by surprise when it did. Even before the mangled duo of Hermione and Ron could return, a feeling of something horrible had hit the school. In a way they knew Harry was gone, especially those who had been close to him. As the now duo entered the school they looked around with desperation, hoping something would distract them from the fact Harry was dead. But they found no such luck, in fact the gloominess, and eeriness the school always held at night made things worse. Together they let out a sigh, never before had they felt so alone, so unnoticed by the world.
Yet they were not. They were oblivious to the fact that they were watched by ghost of girl who was used to being ignored by many members of the school. Ginny had been standing in shadows for hours waiting for the return of Harry. Yet when what remained of the trio returned, her heart dropped, her worst fears confirmed. When they trudged on Ginny let out a sob and couldn't stop. She did manage to stop, as all people are able to stop, once Ms. Felix, giving her a back hair rising glare.
When she reached the common room, she could barely see, as tears started to form again. The tears werecoming together with firey red hair strands to form some kind of veil that didn't want her to see the outside world. She stumbled her way across the room bumping into nearly everything, as if she was a pinball in one of those Muggle games that Harry hadshowed her once. Evidently, she ended up bumping into Fred and George, who as always were up to no good, andwho almost looked as bad as she did. They gave her an awfully long inquiring stare then finally opened their mouths. "Harry's d….." Fred started to comment, but seeing Ginny's expression, George cut in. "What are you doing about so late at night?" Normally Ginny would have snapped at thembut she could care less at that moment. Fred and George took their leave, leaving Ginny to sit dangerously close to the fire.
Dawn came and went and students started to rise and prepare for the day. There was an unusual quiet to the common room, as if everyone knew something was up and holding the air within them. There was no sign of Ron or Hermione and that only made Ginny worry even more. Her mind was so crowded with despair and worry that she barely noticed that someone had sat beside her. Eventually a light, comforting hand went to rest on her arm. Thinking it was one of her brothers, she did not tear her eyes away from the entrancing fire. Feeling stiff Ginny stretched, bringing her legs even closer to the fire, daring the fire to bite. Eventually the fire accepted the dare, as aspark laid to rest on the edge of her robe, starting to burn a hole in the hand-me down,raggedy robe. Unexpectedly the hand that was resting on her arm flew to the spark trying to stop it, but only causing pain to the owner of the hand.
There was a sharp intake of breath then a steady flow of curses coming from the boy's mouth, dragging Ginny's eyes from the fire and to his face. Shock came to her when she realized it wasn't one of her brothers but a boy from her class. A boy she had paid little attention to during her life at Hogwarts, as she once and still only had eyes for Harry. As she stared at him a little longer, the despair edged away as if an eraser was forced to drag across her brain. The more her brain became erased the more she was able to focus on something different then despair and Harry. With the impact similarto being hit with an eighteen-wheeler, memories of the old rushed upon Ginny and she realized that Michael Corner was the boy in front of her. Ginny bowed her head ashamed of how she had treated him, especially since he was being so nice now.
A sheepish grin danced across Michael's lips, as he cradled his slightly burnt hand. He felt at lost for words, normally he would say that he was sorry for herbut that just didn't seem the right words plus he knew Ginny would snap, saying that he had no right to say something like that, that he didn't understand. To his relief the time came to go tobreakfast and people started to file out. Michael held out the hand that hadn't been harmed by the fire, to Ginny. "Come on, we should go eat breakfast." He pleaded, eyesfilled withworry, watchedGinny closely.
Ginny returned his request with deadly glare and looked as if she was tempted to bite off his hand. Michael returned her glare with a pleading look in his eyes. Shakily Ginny rose out of the chair, looking even more like a porcelain doll that was dangling on the edge, inches from breaking. "I don't think I could eat, there's nothing left of me that could. I'll only go if you stop looking at me that way." Michael agreed, he would agree to anything to get her to eat. Though way she carried herself, shoulders sagging, head drooped, made Micheal thinkthat the despair was already starting to eat away at her.
Ginny could never remember breakfast being so quite, not even during the holidays when barely anybody was there to make noise. Sullen faces seemed to be the fad of the day, showing the fact that everyone knew something was wrong. Rumors spread, in hope of covering the fact of their true despair. Even Draco was quiet, though he was still making the occasionalsnide comment; his tumid ego seemed to have deflated. Fred and George tried to giveGinny comfort by makingher laugh, but their feeble attempts just bounced back towards them. Worst of all Michael was watching her with the worst kind of puppy eyes that made her an inch closer to breaking.
As the breakfast from hell came to an end, Dumbledore rose trying to put a cheery smile to cover the sadness that seemed to radiate from him. "Students, I know it has come to your attention that something very grave has happened…" He paused unsure how to break the news he decided to stall a bit. "Ron and Hermione were badly hurt, but nothing the nurse can't fix, and Harry…" Everyone held their breath, unmoving as if they were in a movie and somebody hadpressed freeze. But this was real, there was no fixing it. Dumbledore looked down at the floor, collecting himself before opening his mouth again. "Unfortunately Harry is dead." Sounds of disbelief, despair, and grief mixed together, making a deafening sound yet it wasn't much louder then a mouse's squeak. Dumbledore commanded attention as he opened his mouth to begin the tale of Harry's great attributes.
Listening to Dumbledore prattle on about Harry drove Ginny insane. Making sure the knife, she had swiped off the table during Dumbledore's speech, was hidden, Ginny jumped out of her seat and darted towards the door. She had to get away from the people who acted as if they care, as if they understood,but didn't theyreally andthey didn't want to. The coolness of the blade gave Ginny a strange relief. She was afraid of it, afraid of what she may do with it, yet she worshipped the fact how it could end the grief, if only she let it. Will this porcelain doll break? Will the despair eat her compeletly? Or will she follow the light at the end of the tunnel of despair.