Chapter 5: Struggle
"Ginny?" A voice called behind the red-haired girl bringing her out of her reverie.
She turned around immediately, wand aimed at whoever was behind her, ready to attack with a stunning spell. However, all she saw was a balding red- haired man, arms raised up in defence, a smile plastered on his face and pride in his eyes, standing behind her. She kept her wand in her robes and turned around to face the lake once again.
"Hi Dad." She said plainly, but boiling with rage beneath her hard exterior.
"Hello Ginny...how are you dear?" Arthur Weasley said, sitting by his daughter scrutinizing her keenly.
"Good dad," she said sighing, "Better than before." She finished smiling.
"So how are you and others?" She asked.
"They're ok Ginny." Arthur replied eyeing her warily. "You're upset Ginny, I can tell."
"I am fine dad. Why would I be upset?" She said smiling.
She was old enough to be responsible for her problems. Besides, her parents had enough problems of their own to deal with hers.
"You are my daughter Ginny,"
"I am fine, I am not upset."
"Don't lie to me Ginny," Arthur said with a frown.
"You know I wouldn't think any less of you." He added in a gentler voice later.
Ginny stayed silent for sometime, before sighing and answering her father,
"Dad...what will you do if I die tomorrow?"
"Ginny what..."Arthur tried to reply but was cut off.
"What will you dad?" Ginny repeated, her gaze still fixed at the lake.
"I don't know...I..."
"Are you going to bring me back to life?" She asked, looking at Arthur for the first time.
Arthur knew where this was leading,
"Ginny is this..."
"There is a war coming up dad," Ginny interrupted returning her gaze to the lake, "you know it too...and you know it will be...disastrous...What if...what if...some of you die during the war...or are lost...what will happen then? Will the world stop spinning? Will the sun not rise?"
"Everything will the same Ginny...nothing will change," Arthur said now looking out at the river, "people will continue..."
"And I will have to continue too...who will be there to protect me dad? Are you going to come back from the dead?"
Arthur just stared at his daughter as she spoke.
"If something happens to you, I will be left alone. I will have to survive, no one will be there to help me, I will have to learn to live...but how will I do it, dad? How will I do it if you don't give me the chance?"
Arthur Weasley was at a loss of words as his daughter continued,
"Quidditch is just a game, you always get hurt in a game...remember you used to tell me that. If you want to play then learn to cope with injuries...remember?"
Arthur simply nodded.
"Then why can't you accept that I got hurt while playing a game." She looked at her father for a brief moment before turning back to the lake.
"We are just...afraid to...lose you. You are still our little girl, you know." Arthur replied also turning towards the lake.
"I know dad, and I always be. But I do have a life, and I must be given a chance to live it. When I started to walk, I must've fallen down...sometimes harder than the others, and must've hurt myself often?"
Arthur nodded.
"But you didn't keep me trapped in, did you? You let me stand up again."
Arthur nodded in affirmative.
"That's why I can run today dad...just because you let me stand up and walk then." Ginny said looking at her father, who turned towards her, with moist eyes. She continued,
"If I don't get a chance to live right now...with all of you around, then I will never be able to face the world alone later...when—not if—when all of you are gone..."
"Dad, during the war...when all of you are fighting out there, I don't want to be locked up in the house safely, I want to be fighting out there, fighting against the evil, fighting by your side. You may never know dad...I might be safer out there fighting, than I will be safer locked up in home..."
Arthur simply stared at his daughter, pride evident in his eyes. His daughter had grown up too soon...a lot sooner than she was supposed to...she accepted truths that most elders denied...he didn't want that...but he was proud...proud at her strength, her bravery...her wisdom. She was always closer to him, and he loved her the most, but today she had outdone herself...she had something no one else, not even Dumbledore was able to do...she had made him see the reality clearly, told him the extent of the situation. He knew it was a dangerous road ahead, and there will be many losses, but she made him realise how dangerous it was...that no matter how much they try, they will just be destroying the lives of their loved ones by overprotecting them...that all of the people needed a chance to live today...to prepare for tomorrow.
Arthur looked at his daughter, before enveloping her in a hug.
"I'll try to make Molly understand..." He whispered to her.
"Thanks dad...thanks a lot...for understanding." Ginny said.
Arthur released her from the hug, looking at her, proud at his daughter for being so brave and wise, before he said,
"Its getting late now...go and rest...everything will turn back to normal," He said kissing her forehead, "Goodnight princess."
"Goodnight Daddy." Ginny replied, before giving her father one more hug and returned to her dormitory, hoping that as her father said, things would return to normal...
********** XXXXX **********
School started, and everyone was once again busy in their work. Ginny worked hard because she had missed quite a lot of classes, and the NEWTS already stressed her. She didn't see Harry, Ron or Hermione after the incident, since she hardly went into the common room now, and was busy with school work or had her nose buried in a book.
Harry, on the other hand, was having a tough time. After what she had said to him the other day, he was disturbed. However, that was not the reason he was standing in front of the Defence against the Dark Arts class, waiting for Ginny. Over the past two weeks, ever since that night in the common room, Harry had hardly seen Ginny. She would return late to the common room, often skipped her meals and completely engrossed herself in her studies. To put it bluntly, Harry missed her...he missed their late night conversations, their silly jokes, her advices, her anecdotes about her childhood, but most of all her presence. With Ginny, Harry found himself opening up; he shared his secrets with her, his hopes, fears...he could even talk about Sirius' death to her with ease. He could share anything with her; from his childhood to his nightmares...with her he felt normal, happy, content...even the nightmares had stopped haunting him until...
Until she was propelled to the infirmary...until, she stopped talking to him. Harry was distraught during that time. He could not bear to see her hurt, to see her lying on a bed lifeless while she should have be making a snowman outside. When she woke up, Harry felt joy course through him. She was alive and well, he did not want anything else. When Mrs Weasley had told him to take her off the team, he had gladly agreed; she should not play in the team, it was too dangerous for her. She, however, had a different opinion. Harry didn't know why she was making such a big deal out of it, he was just protecting her; but she did not understand that. She had stopped talking to him after that, so now he was here waiting for her, hoping she would let him explain, hoping she would understand.
Harry returned to earth when he heard the shuffling of students heading for the next class. He searched through the crowd and quickly found his target, a red haired girl. He headed towards her and once there, he grabbed Ginny and took her into a quiet corner, a bit harshly.
"Get your hands off me Potter!" Ginny spat.
"Ginny, why are you doing this? What happened?" Harry asked irritably.
"Why am I doing this? What happened?" Ginny repeated mocking him, "What don't you ask those questions to yourself Potter?"
"I took you off your team for your own good." Harry replied firmly.
"I know what's good for me Potter; I don't need anyone to tell me that. Besides, how would you know what's good for me?" Ginny replied angrily, trying to shove past Harry.
"I know about a lot of things," Harry said losing his temper, and blocking her way.
"Really? And you thought you would rule me with that." Ginny replied mockingly looking up to him, "No matter what Harry, I won't listen to you, and I won't back down."
"You don't understand Ginny, do? You don't understand why I am doing this? You don't see the pressure I am in, do you?" Harry said looking at her angrily.
"We are all under a lot of pressure, Potter. All of us have lives." Ginny replied.
Harry snorted.
"Well, I don't see Voldemort coming after you. I am the one he's after, I am the one who fights him every time, I am the one who faces him, I am the one who had to fight death all the time. I don't see you doing it." Harry finished irked.
Ginny's head was bent low, she was quiet. Harry calmed down, maybe she would understand now, maybe she will agree...but what happened next was completely unexpected.
"Who do you think you are Potter?" Ginny asked in a dangerous voice.
"What?" Harry replied shocked.
"Who do you think you are?" Ginny repeated, anger evident on her face. Harry even noticed, her brown eyes were stony with a tint of red in them.
"Gin..." He tried to say but was interrupted.
"You think you are great don't you. So what if you fought You-Know-Who? It does not give you the right to rule everyone. You are not the only one fighting him Potter, everyone is. I don't recall you being in Diagon Alley last week when You-Know-Who attacked; I don't recall you being present at the muggle street he attacked a month ago. If he is after you then why did he attack there, why didn't he simply finish you off during the summer? YOU don't get it Potter, he is not after you. He is after power, after innocents. You are a mere human Potter, a mere sixteen-year-old boy in school. You are an ordinary human being, just like the rest of us. You don't even know what they discuss in the Order; how can you say you know a lot of things? How can you rule lives when you are just like all of us?"
Harry stared at what Ginny had just said but another voice reached his ears before he could reply.
"So Potter and Weasley meeting in a lonely corridor, should I take off points for snogging in a corridor when you should be in class?" Malfoy's voice came from behind Ginny.
Harry looked up from Ginny to Malfoy, his anger returning.
'You have a very bad timing Malfoy' Ginny thought as her hands curled into fists.
She could feel Malfoy behind her and knew that if she moved one-step back she would bump into him.
"Or may be," Malfoy continued with a smug face, "Potter and Weasley are having a fight...told you Weasel I was better..."
Before Malfoy could complete his sentence, Ginny turned around and punched him, breaking his nose. She immediately took out her wand and performed the furnunculus curse on Malfoy and his cronies.
"Stay out of my way Malfoy," she said her wand aimed at him, "next time it will not be JUST a furnunculus curse."
"You to Potter," She turned towards Harry, who noticed that her eyes were red, "Watch out!"
Saying that, she walked away, leaving Harry standing in the corridor staring at her in shock, as Malfoy was led to the infirmary by his cronies.
Ginny's words rang in ears, ordinary human being, a mere human, an ordinary sixteen-year-old boy. No one ever said that to him before, not even Ron or Hermione; true Ron and Hermione did not think of him as the boy-who-lived, but they sometime treated him as if he was a hero. Ginny did not; she called him normal, just like others, and his heart swelled at that. He always wanted to be called that, and now when he was called that, he was not happy...the reason:
Ginny Weasley was now even madder at him than before...
********** XXXXX **********
The next two weeks or so passed without any big event. Ginny hardly saw Harry after that day in the corridor, and she busied herself in her work again. Harry, on the other hand, thought about Ginny constantly, about what she had said, and the more she thought about it, the more he wanted Ginny to talk to him again, to be there by his side. Yet, he saw very less of Ginny.
It was Friday night, and the trio was sitting in the common room. Hermione was studying as usual, Ron was trying to complete his potions work; it was really a miracle he passed the potions OWL, and Harry was staring at his homework while thinking about Ginny.
A tapping at the window brought Harry back to reality. He turned towards the window to see Errol with a letter tried to its leg. Ron opened the window, expecting the letter to be for him, but Errol simply flew towards Harry, crashed into his homework, delivered the letter, accepted a treat and flew back to where it arrived from, but not before crashing into the wall on its way back.
Harry looked at the letter, with Ron recognising the writing on it,
"Hey, that's from mum. Wonder what's wrong, open it Harry." Ron said looking at Harry.
Harry opened the letter and read it in shock. He could not believe his eyes. Hermione noticed his shock and said,
"What's wrong Harry? What's in it?" She asked curious and concerned.
Harry reread to confirm what he read was correct before putting the letter in his pocket.
"Nothing. Everything is fine. Just wishing well." Harry lied, and left for his dormitory.
In reality, everything was far from being right, or so he thought.
********** XXXXX **********
The next morning Harry woke up early, and shook Ron awake, who grumpily headed for the washroom. It was quidditch practice today and they could not afford to be late. Before leaving to start the day, Harry scribbled a quick note, and sent it to its destination via Hedwig, in the owlery.
Ginny was sitting on the Gryffindor table when the owl post arrived. She, not expecting any post, was surprised when Hedwig dropped a note in her lap. Ginny quickly read the note.
Ginny,
Please come to the quidditch practice. Meet the team in the changing room.
It is important.
Harry.
Ginny looked up the table at Harry, who mouthed a please, before returning to his breakfast. Ginny wondered what he wanted.
'Probably wants me to attend the tryouts. Well might as well wait till its time.' She thought before continuing her breakfast.
********** XXXXX **********
Ginny made her way to the changing rooms after breakfast, and found the whole team gathered there.
"What are YOU doing here? You are off the team, remember." Ron said, as soon as he saw Ginny.
"I called her here, Ron." Harry said from behind her.
"What Har..." Ron started before Harry cut him off with a "Later."
"Good you're here," Harry started as the whole team settled down. "We did a good job against Slytherins and Hufflepuffs. Now we have to defeat Ravenclaw to get a chance for the cup again this year. The Ravenclaw team is quite good, and we need to practice hard to beat them, but before I review the strategies with you, I would like to welcome back our star chaser, Ginny Weasley."
The Gryffindor team cheered, except for Ron and a distinguished "WHAT?!" was heard from him, as Ginny stared at Harry, who stared back with a not-so- happy face...
********** XXXXX **********
A/N: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. I am glad you liked it. I hope you like this one too.
jenny (): You will get the answer to that very soon.
mary-v: Don't worry it has got nothing to do with phoenixes.
Jim: I like you idea of curses. I wasn't able to put it in this chapter, but I made Ginny curse Malfoy. I will try to put it in the upcoming chapter. As for the showdown with the parents it wasn't fitting, so maybe later. I will keep it in mind. I don't know about letting her obliterating herself form the trio's memory, but I will see.
Thank you again for you reviews. Keep them coming.
My exams are finished and I have about a 20-day break before my finals start, so I will try to update sooner, but then again, it all depends on the number of reviews I get.
Till next time, take care,
Bye.
"Ginny?" A voice called behind the red-haired girl bringing her out of her reverie.
She turned around immediately, wand aimed at whoever was behind her, ready to attack with a stunning spell. However, all she saw was a balding red- haired man, arms raised up in defence, a smile plastered on his face and pride in his eyes, standing behind her. She kept her wand in her robes and turned around to face the lake once again.
"Hi Dad." She said plainly, but boiling with rage beneath her hard exterior.
"Hello Ginny...how are you dear?" Arthur Weasley said, sitting by his daughter scrutinizing her keenly.
"Good dad," she said sighing, "Better than before." She finished smiling.
"So how are you and others?" She asked.
"They're ok Ginny." Arthur replied eyeing her warily. "You're upset Ginny, I can tell."
"I am fine dad. Why would I be upset?" She said smiling.
She was old enough to be responsible for her problems. Besides, her parents had enough problems of their own to deal with hers.
"You are my daughter Ginny,"
"I am fine, I am not upset."
"Don't lie to me Ginny," Arthur said with a frown.
"You know I wouldn't think any less of you." He added in a gentler voice later.
Ginny stayed silent for sometime, before sighing and answering her father,
"Dad...what will you do if I die tomorrow?"
"Ginny what..."Arthur tried to reply but was cut off.
"What will you dad?" Ginny repeated, her gaze still fixed at the lake.
"I don't know...I..."
"Are you going to bring me back to life?" She asked, looking at Arthur for the first time.
Arthur knew where this was leading,
"Ginny is this..."
"There is a war coming up dad," Ginny interrupted returning her gaze to the lake, "you know it too...and you know it will be...disastrous...What if...what if...some of you die during the war...or are lost...what will happen then? Will the world stop spinning? Will the sun not rise?"
"Everything will the same Ginny...nothing will change," Arthur said now looking out at the river, "people will continue..."
"And I will have to continue too...who will be there to protect me dad? Are you going to come back from the dead?"
Arthur just stared at his daughter as she spoke.
"If something happens to you, I will be left alone. I will have to survive, no one will be there to help me, I will have to learn to live...but how will I do it, dad? How will I do it if you don't give me the chance?"
Arthur Weasley was at a loss of words as his daughter continued,
"Quidditch is just a game, you always get hurt in a game...remember you used to tell me that. If you want to play then learn to cope with injuries...remember?"
Arthur simply nodded.
"Then why can't you accept that I got hurt while playing a game." She looked at her father for a brief moment before turning back to the lake.
"We are just...afraid to...lose you. You are still our little girl, you know." Arthur replied also turning towards the lake.
"I know dad, and I always be. But I do have a life, and I must be given a chance to live it. When I started to walk, I must've fallen down...sometimes harder than the others, and must've hurt myself often?"
Arthur nodded.
"But you didn't keep me trapped in, did you? You let me stand up again."
Arthur nodded in affirmative.
"That's why I can run today dad...just because you let me stand up and walk then." Ginny said looking at her father, who turned towards her, with moist eyes. She continued,
"If I don't get a chance to live right now...with all of you around, then I will never be able to face the world alone later...when—not if—when all of you are gone..."
"Dad, during the war...when all of you are fighting out there, I don't want to be locked up in the house safely, I want to be fighting out there, fighting against the evil, fighting by your side. You may never know dad...I might be safer out there fighting, than I will be safer locked up in home..."
Arthur simply stared at his daughter, pride evident in his eyes. His daughter had grown up too soon...a lot sooner than she was supposed to...she accepted truths that most elders denied...he didn't want that...but he was proud...proud at her strength, her bravery...her wisdom. She was always closer to him, and he loved her the most, but today she had outdone herself...she had something no one else, not even Dumbledore was able to do...she had made him see the reality clearly, told him the extent of the situation. He knew it was a dangerous road ahead, and there will be many losses, but she made him realise how dangerous it was...that no matter how much they try, they will just be destroying the lives of their loved ones by overprotecting them...that all of the people needed a chance to live today...to prepare for tomorrow.
Arthur looked at his daughter, before enveloping her in a hug.
"I'll try to make Molly understand..." He whispered to her.
"Thanks dad...thanks a lot...for understanding." Ginny said.
Arthur released her from the hug, looking at her, proud at his daughter for being so brave and wise, before he said,
"Its getting late now...go and rest...everything will turn back to normal," He said kissing her forehead, "Goodnight princess."
"Goodnight Daddy." Ginny replied, before giving her father one more hug and returned to her dormitory, hoping that as her father said, things would return to normal...
********** XXXXX **********
School started, and everyone was once again busy in their work. Ginny worked hard because she had missed quite a lot of classes, and the NEWTS already stressed her. She didn't see Harry, Ron or Hermione after the incident, since she hardly went into the common room now, and was busy with school work or had her nose buried in a book.
Harry, on the other hand, was having a tough time. After what she had said to him the other day, he was disturbed. However, that was not the reason he was standing in front of the Defence against the Dark Arts class, waiting for Ginny. Over the past two weeks, ever since that night in the common room, Harry had hardly seen Ginny. She would return late to the common room, often skipped her meals and completely engrossed herself in her studies. To put it bluntly, Harry missed her...he missed their late night conversations, their silly jokes, her advices, her anecdotes about her childhood, but most of all her presence. With Ginny, Harry found himself opening up; he shared his secrets with her, his hopes, fears...he could even talk about Sirius' death to her with ease. He could share anything with her; from his childhood to his nightmares...with her he felt normal, happy, content...even the nightmares had stopped haunting him until...
Until she was propelled to the infirmary...until, she stopped talking to him. Harry was distraught during that time. He could not bear to see her hurt, to see her lying on a bed lifeless while she should have be making a snowman outside. When she woke up, Harry felt joy course through him. She was alive and well, he did not want anything else. When Mrs Weasley had told him to take her off the team, he had gladly agreed; she should not play in the team, it was too dangerous for her. She, however, had a different opinion. Harry didn't know why she was making such a big deal out of it, he was just protecting her; but she did not understand that. She had stopped talking to him after that, so now he was here waiting for her, hoping she would let him explain, hoping she would understand.
Harry returned to earth when he heard the shuffling of students heading for the next class. He searched through the crowd and quickly found his target, a red haired girl. He headed towards her and once there, he grabbed Ginny and took her into a quiet corner, a bit harshly.
"Get your hands off me Potter!" Ginny spat.
"Ginny, why are you doing this? What happened?" Harry asked irritably.
"Why am I doing this? What happened?" Ginny repeated mocking him, "What don't you ask those questions to yourself Potter?"
"I took you off your team for your own good." Harry replied firmly.
"I know what's good for me Potter; I don't need anyone to tell me that. Besides, how would you know what's good for me?" Ginny replied angrily, trying to shove past Harry.
"I know about a lot of things," Harry said losing his temper, and blocking her way.
"Really? And you thought you would rule me with that." Ginny replied mockingly looking up to him, "No matter what Harry, I won't listen to you, and I won't back down."
"You don't understand Ginny, do? You don't understand why I am doing this? You don't see the pressure I am in, do you?" Harry said looking at her angrily.
"We are all under a lot of pressure, Potter. All of us have lives." Ginny replied.
Harry snorted.
"Well, I don't see Voldemort coming after you. I am the one he's after, I am the one who fights him every time, I am the one who faces him, I am the one who had to fight death all the time. I don't see you doing it." Harry finished irked.
Ginny's head was bent low, she was quiet. Harry calmed down, maybe she would understand now, maybe she will agree...but what happened next was completely unexpected.
"Who do you think you are Potter?" Ginny asked in a dangerous voice.
"What?" Harry replied shocked.
"Who do you think you are?" Ginny repeated, anger evident on her face. Harry even noticed, her brown eyes were stony with a tint of red in them.
"Gin..." He tried to say but was interrupted.
"You think you are great don't you. So what if you fought You-Know-Who? It does not give you the right to rule everyone. You are not the only one fighting him Potter, everyone is. I don't recall you being in Diagon Alley last week when You-Know-Who attacked; I don't recall you being present at the muggle street he attacked a month ago. If he is after you then why did he attack there, why didn't he simply finish you off during the summer? YOU don't get it Potter, he is not after you. He is after power, after innocents. You are a mere human Potter, a mere sixteen-year-old boy in school. You are an ordinary human being, just like the rest of us. You don't even know what they discuss in the Order; how can you say you know a lot of things? How can you rule lives when you are just like all of us?"
Harry stared at what Ginny had just said but another voice reached his ears before he could reply.
"So Potter and Weasley meeting in a lonely corridor, should I take off points for snogging in a corridor when you should be in class?" Malfoy's voice came from behind Ginny.
Harry looked up from Ginny to Malfoy, his anger returning.
'You have a very bad timing Malfoy' Ginny thought as her hands curled into fists.
She could feel Malfoy behind her and knew that if she moved one-step back she would bump into him.
"Or may be," Malfoy continued with a smug face, "Potter and Weasley are having a fight...told you Weasel I was better..."
Before Malfoy could complete his sentence, Ginny turned around and punched him, breaking his nose. She immediately took out her wand and performed the furnunculus curse on Malfoy and his cronies.
"Stay out of my way Malfoy," she said her wand aimed at him, "next time it will not be JUST a furnunculus curse."
"You to Potter," She turned towards Harry, who noticed that her eyes were red, "Watch out!"
Saying that, she walked away, leaving Harry standing in the corridor staring at her in shock, as Malfoy was led to the infirmary by his cronies.
Ginny's words rang in ears, ordinary human being, a mere human, an ordinary sixteen-year-old boy. No one ever said that to him before, not even Ron or Hermione; true Ron and Hermione did not think of him as the boy-who-lived, but they sometime treated him as if he was a hero. Ginny did not; she called him normal, just like others, and his heart swelled at that. He always wanted to be called that, and now when he was called that, he was not happy...the reason:
Ginny Weasley was now even madder at him than before...
********** XXXXX **********
The next two weeks or so passed without any big event. Ginny hardly saw Harry after that day in the corridor, and she busied herself in her work again. Harry, on the other hand, thought about Ginny constantly, about what she had said, and the more she thought about it, the more he wanted Ginny to talk to him again, to be there by his side. Yet, he saw very less of Ginny.
It was Friday night, and the trio was sitting in the common room. Hermione was studying as usual, Ron was trying to complete his potions work; it was really a miracle he passed the potions OWL, and Harry was staring at his homework while thinking about Ginny.
A tapping at the window brought Harry back to reality. He turned towards the window to see Errol with a letter tried to its leg. Ron opened the window, expecting the letter to be for him, but Errol simply flew towards Harry, crashed into his homework, delivered the letter, accepted a treat and flew back to where it arrived from, but not before crashing into the wall on its way back.
Harry looked at the letter, with Ron recognising the writing on it,
"Hey, that's from mum. Wonder what's wrong, open it Harry." Ron said looking at Harry.
Harry opened the letter and read it in shock. He could not believe his eyes. Hermione noticed his shock and said,
"What's wrong Harry? What's in it?" She asked curious and concerned.
Harry reread to confirm what he read was correct before putting the letter in his pocket.
"Nothing. Everything is fine. Just wishing well." Harry lied, and left for his dormitory.
In reality, everything was far from being right, or so he thought.
********** XXXXX **********
The next morning Harry woke up early, and shook Ron awake, who grumpily headed for the washroom. It was quidditch practice today and they could not afford to be late. Before leaving to start the day, Harry scribbled a quick note, and sent it to its destination via Hedwig, in the owlery.
Ginny was sitting on the Gryffindor table when the owl post arrived. She, not expecting any post, was surprised when Hedwig dropped a note in her lap. Ginny quickly read the note.
Ginny,
Please come to the quidditch practice. Meet the team in the changing room.
It is important.
Harry.
Ginny looked up the table at Harry, who mouthed a please, before returning to his breakfast. Ginny wondered what he wanted.
'Probably wants me to attend the tryouts. Well might as well wait till its time.' She thought before continuing her breakfast.
********** XXXXX **********
Ginny made her way to the changing rooms after breakfast, and found the whole team gathered there.
"What are YOU doing here? You are off the team, remember." Ron said, as soon as he saw Ginny.
"I called her here, Ron." Harry said from behind her.
"What Har..." Ron started before Harry cut him off with a "Later."
"Good you're here," Harry started as the whole team settled down. "We did a good job against Slytherins and Hufflepuffs. Now we have to defeat Ravenclaw to get a chance for the cup again this year. The Ravenclaw team is quite good, and we need to practice hard to beat them, but before I review the strategies with you, I would like to welcome back our star chaser, Ginny Weasley."
The Gryffindor team cheered, except for Ron and a distinguished "WHAT?!" was heard from him, as Ginny stared at Harry, who stared back with a not-so- happy face...
********** XXXXX **********
A/N: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. I am glad you liked it. I hope you like this one too.
jenny (): You will get the answer to that very soon.
mary-v: Don't worry it has got nothing to do with phoenixes.
Jim: I like you idea of curses. I wasn't able to put it in this chapter, but I made Ginny curse Malfoy. I will try to put it in the upcoming chapter. As for the showdown with the parents it wasn't fitting, so maybe later. I will keep it in mind. I don't know about letting her obliterating herself form the trio's memory, but I will see.
Thank you again for you reviews. Keep them coming.
My exams are finished and I have about a 20-day break before my finals start, so I will try to update sooner, but then again, it all depends on the number of reviews I get.
Till next time, take care,
Bye.