Lily bent low over the fifteen-year-old red head and sighed. She slipped a potion down her throat and waited. Nothing happened. The potion had no effect on Ginny. The Weasley's – all of them, including Harry and Hermione – were waiting outside the closed curtain, while Sirius and James ran around fetching things for her.
'Honey, ask Madam Promfey if she has one of these potions please,' Lily asked while handing James a piece of paper. James winced at the name of it; he had once taken one of those potions, and they didn't do anything for his taste buds.
Mrs. Weasley could be heard crying, and her brothers weren't doing much better, only slightly being able to hold themselves together. Cries from the other students surrounded them, but at that moment the young girl was all that mattered to Lily.
'Okay, Ginny, darling, listen, I need you to wake up now, okay,' Lily whispered as James returned with the potion and she poured it down her throat. Sirius checked for a pulse and shook his head sadly.
'Oh no missy, I'm not loosing you now,' Lily said angrily, shoving a text book into Sirius' hands and making him look up another potion.
'I think she's outside the body,' Lily said 'we need a spell to put her back inside,' Sirius nodded and James looked at her curiously but didn't ask.
'Got it,' Sirius said, passing the book to James who ran off to get ingredients.
'Hang on, Ginny, hang on,' Lily held her hand tightly and motioned her wand to stir a potion for when she woke up.
'Lily, it's a lost hope, however said it may be,' the nurse said, wiping away a tear.
'I'm not giving up, not now,' Lily replied, staring down at the pale face.
It was a few more minutes before James returned, but he had everything they needed. Madam Promfey instructed him on how to brew the potion, and all they could do was wait until it was ready.
'Okay, it's done,' James muttered and carefully handed Lily of it.
'Ginny, its time to come home,' Lily muttered the incantation over the potion before dabbing a bit of it onto Ginny's for-head before tipping the rest down her throat. After a moment, Ginny coughed and spluttered, letting everyone breathe a sigh of relief.
'Molly, you can come in,' Lily said, wiping away a tear. She opened the curtain just as Ginny opened her eyes.
A few hours later Ginny was sitting up in bed, surrounded by family and friends. Lily was talking to Madam Promfey while James and Sirius stood close by.
'How are you feeling?' Lily asked, coming over.
'Fine, and thank you,' Ginny replied, smiling, though in a quiet voice. She coughed and had a sip of water.
'I'm afraid you'll be in here for a few weeks, but classes aren't going to start soon, and the school might be closed down, so you won't miss much,'
'They're shutting the school?' Hermione cried.
'It is not safe here anymore,' Dumbledore replied as he stepped into the hospital wing.
'But it won't be safe at home either! As long as we stick together, we'll be okay, but send students home and in two days half of them and their families will be dead!' Hermione argued.
'She has a point,' Sirius said, standing beside them all.
'I don't think any of you should be worrying, it's matters of the council,' Lily said sternly, trying to end the conversation.
'We should at least get a choice,' Harry said 'maybe those who want to can go home, but at least give people a choice!'
'Some parents may not want to have to worry about their kids at home, at least here they have a chance of survival!' James put in.
'Survival? Tell that to the students that died!' Lily cried.
Dumbledore held up a hand to stop the arguing.
'No dissuasion has been made yet, but it's up to the ministry,'
'Since when have the ministry been right about anything?' Harry nearly yelled. Lily put a hand on his shoulder.
'I think it's time for this discussion to end,' Dumbledore put in 'Molly, James, Lily, Sirius, Madam Promfey, may I please speak with you all?'
Dumbledore led the adults over to an empty corner of the wing.
'They can't shut down the school,' Ginny cried.
'They can,' Fred said angrily 'but we'll be dammed if they will,' George finished.
'Dumbledore never listens to the ministry, he can't start now!' Ron said.
'But…maybe it's for the best…' Hermione said in a quiet voice. Then she shook her head 'no, for gods' sake, what the hell am I thinking? They can't shut down the school!' she cried after a moment.
'We need a plan,' Fred began 'like what we did with Umbridge…but of the Minister…'
'No! Just a protest,' Ginny said 'and a petition; we can get the whole school to join in. And we'll refuse to leave…'
'You think a piece of paper's going to solve this?' Ron cried angrily at his little sister.
'Yes! If it's the will of the school, and the ministry have our best interests at heart, then yes!' She replied.
'The minister's coming to view the damage of the school tomorrow…he'll decide then whether or not to shut it down. That's when we'll strike,' Sirius said, coming up behind them and grinning mischievously. The adults came back over. Just before he left, Dumbledore winked at them all.
'I'm having no part in this…but I'll help you plan,' Molly said, sighing and sitting down.
'Listen…I hear the twins took over from us when we left…so you two are going to help me and Sirius plan a prank,' James said, a glint in his eye. Lily clicked her tongue.
'I'm on spell research aren't I?' She asked, smiling. James nodded and kissed her cheek before she had Hermione hurried off to the library,'
'Harry…I believe you have my old cloak and map?' James said to his son. Harry smiled, nodded then ran off, Ron following.
'Ginny, you have friends, and an idea,' Sirius said to Ginny, helping her out of bed. Ginny grinned, grabbed a piece of paper and a quill, then ran off to make a petition.
'So, any ideas?' James asked the twins.
The two shared a grin before spilling all their ideas and previous pranks onto the two marauders.
'I think, if you're going to do anything, you need to plan it first…and a prank this big needs a lot of planning,'
The four who surrounded the bed looked up. In had walked the last remaining marauder that wasn't evil.
'Remus! Ready for a little pranking?' Sirius asked, slapping him on the back as he joined them.
'As always,' he replied, pulling up a chair and looking over the plans they had drawn up on the bed.
Okay, I have loads and loads and loads of apologies! PLEASE READ;
FIRST; to my brand new beta…I'm really sorry, Jess-88, I haven't sent this through you first, but honestly, you'll get the next chap. THANKS!
SECONDLY TO ALL MY BRILLIANT READERS; get on hands and knees and begs for forgiveness I know I haven't updated in ages, and I'm sorry this chap is so short, but the next one will be really long, I promise!
I'm still really sorry guys!
PLEASE REVIEW!