--Beyond the Grave--

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize isn't mine – god bless JK!

Beta Reader: Sir Darlon – big thanks I couldn't do this without you!

Chapter 23 – Beyond the Grave

Reminder: So there was only one question left. Who was taking the Polyjuice potion?

--Bewitched & Bewildered --

Once again I found myself regretting my feelings of hate for Harry, Just when you thought things couldn't be any stranger they took a nosedive right into the realms of downright weird.

Of course who was I to talk about weird? It's not like a ghost who is in love with her potential killer is particularly normal…

But now, now I was caught in a race against time, or more to the point against Ron, because it was only a matter of time before he came after an unsuspecting Harry, and Harry would not raise a wand against his only friend, or indeed a palm.

I needed to find out who was pretending to be Harry. It had to be someone close enough to know the trio well, someone working from the inside, but then again not that well... after all they didn't know about the wandless magic.

But who could it be? Someone at Hogwarts?

My first thought as always was Snape, but the pieces didn't seem to fit. I couldn't believe it of Snape because as hateful as he was, and as often as we had suspected him in the past, he still had Dumbledore's trust and Dumbledore wasn't a person to be easily deceived.

Besides why would he go to such an elaborate scheme when he was more than capable of creating a draught of sleeping death and slipping it in Harry's food?

As I sat on my favorite chair in the corner of the Gryffindor Common Room, one that had not been used since my death, I looked at the faces of the people around me, could it be one of them?

Neville sat at a desk on the corner trying unsuccessfully to transfigure a book into what I think was meant to be a plant. Unfortunately the result was a very square looking tree with a red trunk and white leaves. Could it be Neville? Could it just be a separate ploy to split the trio?

"No" I told myself, I was right the first time, it had to be something to do with Voldemort, either a plan orchestrated by him, or someone trying to get in his good books by removing Dumbledore golden boy from the picture.

Dean and Seamus sat in front of the fireplace bickering over who was the best quidditch player and several of the girls from my year sat just across the room giggling at them.

It couldn't have been these people, they were Gryffindor's every one, courageous noble and true.

Besides if it was someone trying to get in Voldemort's good graces it was most likely to be a Slytherin.

And then it struck me, A Slytherin whose family had been disgraced, someone who had let Voldemort down, someone needing to get back in his good graces.

Someone who swaggered about Hogwarts as if it were his property, someone who thought of himself as a "real man"… Draco Malfoy.

He fit the criteria perfectly, and I had even thought Harry sounded like him in the attack on Ron and Hermione.

So now I needed to warn Harry, I needed to tell him that Ron was out for his blood. I needed to tell him that Draco had framed him,

I needed to tell him I loved him…

I needed to warn him of the danger he was in.

But how could I? I was a ghost, not permitted contact with the outside world, unable to get even the smallest message across.

Even now my hands were tied, I had worked it out, and I was unable to reach him. But before I did any of this I would have to find him, because at that moment it occurred to me, not just Ron…. Dumbledore, The Ministry, they would be looking too.

In their eyes Harry had performed an unforgivable curse and he would have to pay the consequences.

A/N – had to end this chapter here – or it would have been too long – posted two chapters anyway so hopefully not too disappointing.

Thanks for all your reviews – got me writing again after a period of block.

Nightmare175 – I'm sorry but your wrong, JK has never stated that none of the Weasley's will die – and going by the sheer number of them its more than likely, I have read every interview she has done, visit her site frequently for updates, and checked this with a person I know who is just as bad if not worse than me when it comes to the Harry Potter. She has even gone so far as to imply that Ron may die before the end of book 7 in her interviews. Thank you for your advice but I am afraid it is wrong. As for a disclaimer stating this story does not follow the facts, I remind you that the name of this site is the meaning of the word fiction alone shows that it will not necessarily be factual. Saying this, I have tried to keep the story as canon as possible to the first 5 books, - Slivermoonluna