Disclaimer: anything you recognise is not mine … god bless JK!!!
Chapter 1 – Beyond the Grave.
The Greatest Prank Ever!
My story begins with a fateful morning…
I awoke to the sun shining brightly through the window and playing on my face. This in itself confused me for at Hogwarts I made it a rule to sleep with my bed curtains closed, after sharing a house with so many other people I am very fond of my privacy.
When I eventually opened my eyes and they adjusted to the light beaming in through the window that I noticed the familiar pink wallpaper, faded from age, and my desk cluttered with my belongings…
I stretched and let out a yawn realising that I must have dreamed I was at Hogwarts, because how could I have transported myself here overnight, in my sleep no less.
In all it had been a realistic dream and at least it was a deviation from my usual dreams of Hogwarts or more correctly nightmares which always seemed to find they're way to the chamber.
I stepped out of bed, sidestepping my slippers which lay unwanted on the patchy carpet, I couldn't understand why Mam had ever got me them, I was never happier than when I was barefoot, I love the textures of things against me feet, although the occasional thing Fred and George would leave lying around wasn't quite the sensation I found desirable.
Still half asleep I made my way to the kitchen, not pausing to dress or check my appearance, holidays, no need to rush about…
When I reached the kitchen I sat in my favourite chair with my knees pulled up in front of me, Bill and Charlie seemed to be caught up in a heated discussion about the Order of the Phoenix, and Mam stood with her back to me looking out the window as she stood over her cauldron making breakfast, It was die to this that none of them made any sign of notice on my arrival, or at least so I thought.
I made no effort to speak to them, quickly realising that the longer they didn't notice me the more likely I was to get some decent information about what the order were up to. It's something I picked up when I was younger, in a large family like mine the quieter and more unnoticed you are, the more likely you would be to overhear something they didn't necessarily want you to know.
Charlie glanced at mum who was still stood with her back turned, "mum, do you know when they're having the next meeting, when's Snape …"
"Charlie Weasley, you should know better" interrupted Mum, "for all you know the walls themselves could be listening, why you two insist on discussing order matters where anyone can hear you I will ne… "
It was now Mums turn to be interrupted as a black eagle owl flew into the kitchen and landed on the table, Bill reached for the letter,
"Mum, it's for you, it's got the Hogwarts Seal on it" she took the envelope, "Ronald Weasley what have you been up to this time, always getting yourse"
She skimmed the first line of the letter and gripped the edge of the table, her hand covering her mouth, Bill was on his feet in an instant,
"Mum, what is it?"
I also stood, a sense of foreboding running through me, "Mum, what it is?" I asked making my presence known; but she didn't seem to hear me.
She collapsed into a nearby chair, "Mum what is it?" I asked again but still she said nothing, shock! I quickly surmised, Charlie grabbed the letter from her hand where it was held limply, he turned to Bill his face white,
"Get dad quick, tell him, tell him it's Ginny"
I laughed "Charlie, don't be daft, I'm here, I'm fine" but it was as I said this that my stomach sank into my shoes, a thought had occurred to me, Perhaps Hogwarts, perhaps it wasn't a dream….
I spun to face mum's clock, quickly looking at the burrow expecting, or was it hoping? to see my hand, Dads was on work, as was Percy's, even the twins were at work I noted, My sinking feeling growing deeper I sought out Ron and Harry's hands (Harry's had been added when he moved in) and to my dismay my suspicions were confirmed .. they were both at Hogwarts.
Finally I looked at the section labelled Home, Mum's Bill's and Charlie's were there sure enough... But mine? My hand had vanished from the clock.
It was ten minutes later when dad apparated in the kitchen, still no-one seemed to notice me, meanwhile I had finally worked it out – Fred and George, they've put me under a disillusionment charm and a silencing charm, and the apparated me back to the burrow … that had to be it – and Mum and Charlie, they were upset because that letter said I've run away from Hogwarts, boy was I going to get those two, worrying mom like this, they must really be getting good at magic though to tamper with Mam's clock like that.
The letter had fluttered onto the table, instead of reading it I waited for mums explanation to dad…
"Arthur, it's Ginny, the letter, that letter, it says she's gone"
Mum blanched again, whilst Charlie and Bill were striding around the room impatiently, dad ran his fingers through his hair, something he only did when he was worried,
I made up my mind on the spot … Fred and George I'm going to hex you into next Wednesday.
Bill finally turned to Mam and Dad...
"Well come on are we going?"
They nodded and Mam stoked the fire opening the pot of floo powder on the hearth, throwing the powder into the fire she shouted
"Hogwarts Dumbledores Office"
She vanished into the flames, Dad, Bill and Charlie were quick to follow and it was as I grabbed my own handful of powder that I realised I couldn't hold it…. It slipped right through my hand, "Damn you Fred and George" I hissed and added more hexes onto the list of things I would do as soon as I got out of this.
My only chance was to try and apparate, yes I was too young, but I had been sneaking peeks into Ron's Apparition test book all through the summer, the theory was simple enough, you just focused on where you wanted to go and imagined yourself being there.
Praying that I wouldn't splinch myself I quickly thought of Hogwarts, of Professor Dumbledores office, and concentrated on moving my body there…
A moment later I materialised in his office, and grinned... I had done it, youngest apparition ever! Boy would they be surprised when it was my turn to study that!
Mom was looking decidedly white and dad, Bill and Charlie also seemed pretty lost for words, Dumbledore's twinkle had gone from his eyes, and it was Charlie who broke the silence "how?" he whispered, but no-one replied.
Dumbledore rose from the seat, "professor?" I asked, but it was no good, he couldn't hear me either.
He motioned to the rest of them to follow him, and began leading the way to the hospital wing, I began wondering why we would be going there of all places and I began to worry, there was only one person I know of that spent a lot of time in the Hospital wing and I knew in the pit of my stomach that if anything had happened to him things would never be alright again … what if he thought me leaving was his fault, what if he'd done something rash… a memory flitted back to me, a momentary recall but that sight, it was Harry shouting, had we argued? I couldn't remember.
As we walked down the corridor we attracted many looks, It wasn't often that an entire family descended on Hogwarts part way through the school year.
The most surprising however was the Ravenclaw ghost, she smiled gently as we passed, but as I walked by she glanced at me and something like shock flared into her grey eyes, she darted through the wall behind her before I had chance to speak to her.
I decided I would catch up with her later, for now the matter ay hand was more important, and I followed Bill who was taking up the rear through the heavy wooden doors that lead into the Hospital wing.
The usually quiet room was broken by sobbing, and I looked to the source to see Hermione weeping, and Ron sat with his arm around her, his expression one of sadness. They were sat by a bed in the far end of the room and the curtain hid the patient, but I already knew who was in that bed, it would be Harry, and I knew it was entirely my fault.
Madam Pomfrey bustled over to us, a look of pity on her face,
"You're here"
She turned and led us to the bed in the far end of the room. Sure enough Harry was led there, but he was awake, his expression was one I could not recognise, Ton in the meantime had looked up, seeing mum he removed his arm from Hermione's shoulders and ran to give her a hug.
Mum smoothed his hair,
He whispered quietly to her, "it's my fault mum, I should have been watching her, Ginny, she shouldn't have been left alone."
Realising he was that upset over me, that was strange, I had never realised he cared that much. I was really going to kill the twins when I saw them, making everyone think I had run away, this was the worst prank they had ever pulled, but even as I thought this, my heart was sinking, the grey Lady, she had seen something, and that something had shocked her….
And it was as Madam Pomfrey pulled back another curtain to reveal a crisp white cotton sheet that covered something about 5 foot long that another thought struck me… how could I have forgotten, Hermione said it all the time … it was in that book …
Nobody could Apparate in Hogwarts!
Before the sheet was pulled back I knew what I would see, and it was as mom broke down and Bill clutched Charlie's arm that I knew my life would never ever be the same again.
The red hair strewed over the table, I knew that hair, I struggled to tame it every morning, and the face, the pale white face, serene and calm, I knew every feature, every last freckle, It was like looking in a mirror…..
But why did I look calm, when every fibre of my being burned with intensity, and finally the truth struck home… I muttered apologies to Fred and George and revoked the hex threats…
If this was a prank it was the greatest prank of all time, but I knew, it wasn't a prank, my life could never be the same, because my life had become my death.
A/N – so what you think??? Please read and review, I want feedback on this story -
Remorseful Passion – thanks for the review...JK has now announced on her official site that Ginny's canon name is in fact Genevra Molly Weasley. – hope that clears it up for you.
SilvermoonLuna