Chapter 30

Disappearances and Reappearances

Harry blinked once. The whole room looked like a mess of pictures blurring together. He blinked again and the world started to come back into focus. He realized that he was lying in a bed and noticed someone sitting to the right of him. A couple of more furious blinks caused things to brighten up a bit. He could see that the person had red hair. It must be Ron he thought. The cobwebs started to leave his head and his brain started to slowly process the situation however he still couldn't see clearly. But it only took him another instant to realize it was because he didn't have his glasses on. Instinctually he turned to his left and found his glasses sitting on a table to the side of the bed. He put them on and turned back to find Ginny. She was sleeping in a chair next to his bed. Harry stared at her thinking about how beautiful she looked. But that smile was quickly wiped away as the memories of the previous night began flooding him.

"You!" Harry yelled angrily. He jumped up from his bed trying to ignore the pain that shot through his left shoulder. He was searching for his wand, but he was not wearing his robes so his search was futile.

Ginny had stirred awake and had a terrified look on her face as she tried to approach Harry.

"It's all right Harry." She started. "You're back at Hogwarts. You're in the hospital wing."

"No get away from me." Harry yelled so that hopefully someone could hear him. "You cursed me when I was running for the woods."

"Of course I didn't Harry." Ginny said as tears began to well up into her eyes. "How could you even think that?" She was now only about ten feet away from him. He kept backing up trying to keep his distance from her when he noticed his robes lying on a chair next to his bed. He quickly made a dash for them and in one motion pulled his wand out of his pocket and had it fixed on Ginny.

"Where are Ron and Hermione?" Harry asked excitedly. "Where's Hagrid. What happened to them? What have you done to them?" Ginny had her hands out pleadingly in front of her. Harry could see the fear in her eyes.

"Harry I didn't do anything." Ginny begged. "Please put your wand away. I'll get Ron and Hermione. We'll explain everything." But Harry just kept the wand focused on her. He didn't waver. He wasn't going to let her manipulate him.

"HARRY WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Ron yelled as he came through the door accompanied by Hermione and Aberforth. Harry dropped his wand to his side and hurried to Ron's side.

"It was her." Harry explained. "She cursed me as I was trying to escape from Bellatrix." Ginny began sobbing uncontrollably and ran out of the hospital wing. Hermione took off after her.

"I think it would be best if you lay back down." Aberforth stated. Harry started to feel the urge to do just that and he retreated back to his bed. His head was spinning from all the excitement. "Ron here was just about to explain everything that happened to me. It seems that you are in need of an explanation too."

"The last thing I remember is running out of Malfoy Manor." Harry started. "I was trying to make it to the woods when all of a sudden Ginny popped out and sent a curse at me and then I was unconscious."

"Ginny didn't hit you with a curse." Ron broke in. "Bellatrix did. It hit you from behind. Ginny saw Bellatrix running behind you and hit her with a stunner." Harry reached behind and felt a wound on the back of his right shoulder. It was bandaged up. He quickly sprung up.

"I have to go find Ginny." Harry started rambling. "What a lousy git I am. She'll never forgive me. How could I have thought… she would never… I need to find her."

"Settle down." Aberforth said motioning for Harry to lie back again. Exhaustion began to settle over him and he did indeed lie back down. "It was a mistake indeed Harry, but one that could have been made by anyone. I am certain she will come to see that." Aberforth's eyes went to Ron and nodded to him to continue.

"Thankfully Bellatrix wasn't expecting it and it was powerful enough." Ron began. "She was out cold. When Hermione and I saw what happened, we quickly ran to Ginny and the three of us grabbed you and pulled you into the forest. But then we had a problem because now we had you and Hagrid and no idea how to get you both back." Aberforth's eyes shifted questioningly to Harry. Harry started to feel guilt well up inside him for deliberately disobeying Aberforth.

"I'm sorry." Harry blurted out. "I'm sorry that we went. But we had too."

"Let's save that discussion for another time shall we." Aberforth said as he glanced at Harry over his half-moon glasses.

"Anyways." Ron continued. "Hermione remembered your idea from before. She grabbed on to you and apparated a few feet to see if it would work, and it did. You went with her. So we decided that we would try to apparate away. But before we could try it, Ministry wizards started apparating in all over the place. It seems they monitor underage apparition very closely, especially when they saw that one of the people doing it was Harry Potter." A sense of relief started to pour over Harry.

"So what else happened?" Harry asked. "Did they catch any of the Death Eaters?"

"They got Bellatrix." Ron said. "But that's it. Dad's got her under special supervision. He's not going to leave her in the hands of the Dementors. And Malfoy Manor was in bad shape. Half the thing burned down."

"Yea, I remember seeing that out of the corner of my eye." Harry stated. "How did that happen?'

"Well let's just say that Ginny knows how to create a diversion." Ron replied. Harry thought to himself for a second and couldn't believe that he had not trusted Ginny even for a second.

"So what about Hagrid?" Harry asked. "Is he alright?"

"I'm afraid it is too early to tell Harry." Aberforth said. "We have the best mediwizards working on him, but he sustained quite a lot of damage at the hands of the Death Eaters."

"Is he in St. Mungo's?" Harry asked.

"No I thought he would be better off here." Aberforth stated. "He is in his hut with plenty of medical attention and plenty of security."

"Can I see him?" Harry asked.

"Not right now Harry." Aberforth replied. "You sustained a pretty nasty injury of your own. Now you need to rest." Harry nodded and laid his head back onto the pillow. Just then Madam Pomfrey appeared from around the corner and told Ron and Aberforth that they should go. She gave Harry three different potions to drink, one of which was a dreamless sleep potion and very quickly he was dead to the world.

When Harry woke again, he didn't know what day or time it was. Thankfully, Ron and Hermione where there next to his bed.

"How are you feeling Harry?" Hermione asked.

"All right. My shoulder is still a little sore but I do feel much better. How long have I been asleep?

"Quite a while." Hermione replied. "A full day at least."

"Any news on Hagrid?"

"Actually yes." Ron said as his face lit up a little. "He woke up. He doesn't know where he is, or even who he is but he woke up."

"He went through a lot." Hermione conceded. "Of course the giant blood in him made him a lot more resilient than other wizards would be. But they just don't know what the long term effects will be." It was good news that he was alive though Harry thought.

"What about Ginny?" Harry asked. "Is she okay?"

"It'll be alright mate." Ron responded. "Hermione and I have had some long talks with her."

"I think she understands." Hermione jumped in. "But you will need to talk to her." Harry nodded. He understood completely. Ginny had become very important to him and he would do anything to get her to realize that.

"So what time and day is it?" Harry asked.

"It's lunchtime on Tuesday." Ron answered. "We actually have to go soon to get to class."

"Maybe I can go too." Harry replied. Hermione got Madam Pomfrey and Harry asked her if he could leave. She checked him over and of course told him that he would have to stay a little longer.

"Rest for a while longer and perhaps you can go at dinner time." She said with a smile.

"We'll come back and check around dinner time then." Ron added as he and Hermione left the hospital wing.

Madam Pomfrey kept a close watch on Harry throughout the rest of the day and as dinnertime came she conceded that he could leave the hospital wing. And sure enough around that time, the door to the hospital wing opened. But it wasn't Ron and Hermione like he expected, it was Ginny.

"Hi." She said quietly as she approached Harry. Harry didn't know what else to do so he just threw his arms around her.

"I'm so sorry Ginny." He started as he pulled away a little. "I never should have thought… it's just that I have grown up not really ever having anyone I could trust. The Dursley's well they you know… and then I found out about Pettigrew betraying my parents and the traitor in the Order. I just never know what to expect." Ginny brought Harry back into an embrace.

"You never have to worry about those things with us Harry." Ginny replied sympathetically. "We love you. We would never betray you." Harry starred into her eyes and knew it was true. They sat there for another few minutes before breaking the embrace.

"Come on let's get out of here." Harry said as he grabbed his belongings and began to lead her by the hand out the door. "I've seen enough of the hospital wing for a whole lifetime."

"You must be starving by now." Ginny laughed.

"Yea, I might even be able to out eat Ron right now."

"That's not possible." She replied with a smile.

"Do we have time to drop my things off?" Harry asked not knowing exactly what time it was.

"Yea, dinner has only just started." She replied as they set off for the Gryffindor common room. On the way, Ginny explained that Ron had held a Quidditch practice a day earlier. She thought that it was probably his way of dealing with the fact that he and Hagrid where held up in the hospital.

"Hopping Hipogriff." Ginny said when they got to the portrait of the fat lady. "They changed the password." She explained. Harry nodded and was about to ask her why they changed the password when he walked through the common room door and found his two best friends snogging on the couch. They were obviously too caught up in each other to realize that the door had opened and someone had come in. Harry stifled a laugh and turned to Ginny whose face had a mixture of horror and amusement. Harry held a finger to his lips to encourage Ginny to keep quiet. Then he began to quietly sneak up on them.

"IS THIS ANY EXAMPLE FOR TWO PREFECTS TO SET?" Harry yelled when he was right behind them. Ron jumped about two feet in the air and ended up sprawled out on the floor while Hermione confidently straightened herself out.

"Uh Harry, we were just ah…" Ron started but Harry quickly cut him off.

"I can see what you were uh doing." Harry said with a big smile on his face. Ron's face was redder than Harry had every seen it which was saying something. Ginny began to laugh hysterically talking about how she couldn't wait to tell Fred and George. Upon hearing that, Ron started chasing Ginny all around the common room with his wand out. Eventually Ginny yelled to Harry that she'd see him down at dinner and retreated out the door with Ron quickly on her tail.

"So..." Harry said smirking at Hermione. "I see there has been some excitement while I was gone."

"Oh shut up Harry." She replied trying to hold back a laugh of her own. Eventually she broke down and they laughed their way down to dinner.

"You know, you guys could be like a normal couple and go to the Astronomy Tower or the Room or Requirements." Harry chimed in as they approached the Great Hall.

"Yes well… I'll keep that in mind thanks." Hermione replied. It was not often that Hermione Granger was left speechless and Harry thought that he would remember this moment for a long time.

When they got to the Gryffindor table, Ron and Ginny were sitting across the table from each other starring daggers at one another. Ron had a fresh pair of horns growing out of his head and Ginny's hair looked to be about 6 feet long and still growing.

"Settle your differences?" Harry asked.

"Honestly." Hermione huffed and with a few flicks of her wand she restored both Weasley's back to normal. "Ron, have a sense of humor. And Ginny, as a favor to me, don't tell Fred and George. They both agknowledged Hermione before looking at each other and coming to a silent truce.

"Now that that's all settled." Harry interrupted. "Anyone want to tell me what happened to the Slytherins?" Harry looked up and down the Slytherin table and noticed that there were about half the usual amount of students sitting there.

"That's right we didn't tell you." Hermione began. "It happened Monday morning. We came down to breakfast and noticed a lot of students missing. Apparently they just left in the middle of the night."

"And it's not just Slytherins." Ron jumped in. "Of course it's mostly Slytherins but there are some students from every house gone. Six from Ravenclaw, four from Hufflepuff and even two from Gryffindor."

"From Gryffindor?" Harry replied. "Who."

"A girl from my year. Emma Roseburrow." Ginny explained. "And some second year boy Jack Copper."

"Where did they all go?" Harry asked.

"No one knows." Hermione responded. "But it can't be for any good reason can it?"

"No. I suppose it can't" Harry remarked.

After dinner Harry, Ron, and Hermione took a walk down to Hagrid's hut to drop in on their old friend. Ginny had prefect duties to attend to so she couldn't join them. When they got to the hut, they saw a familiar face sitting outside on the steps.

"Tonks." Harry yelled as they approached her. "What are you doing here?"

"Hello great to see you all." Tonks said as she and Hermione engaged in a quick hug. "I'm serving as security, to make sure no one unsavory can get to Hagrid. So I guess I should keep you lot out." They all had a quick chuckle at that.

"So how is he today?" Ron asked.

"Not much different." She replied. "Still has no memory, but his vital signs are improving. The mediwizards figure he won't have any lasting physical effects, but it's anyone's guess about the mental effects."

"Well can we go in?" Harry asked.

"Sure, go ahead." She replied. "It's just a couple of nurses and Dumbledore in there now." Harry led Hermione and Ron through the door and into the hut. Harry was a little apprehensive about seeing Aberforth. He knew eventually he was going to have to explain why he directly disobeyed him and he wasn't looking forward to doing it.

As they approached Hagrid's bed they saw Aberforth sitting in a chair with his head down next to Hagrid. It looked as though he had dozed off. Hagrid was also sleeping and emitting such loud snores that the whole hut seemed to shake every time he exhaled.

"Hasn't left his side." One of the mediwitches said pointing to Aberforth. Another of the mediwitches woke him and Hagrid both up explaining that it was time to take his medicine.

"What… where… what's going on." Hagrid bellowed as he woke up.

"This happens every time he wakes up." The mediwitch whispered to Harry. They started explaining to Hagrid who he was and where he was and that he had been injured and needed to take his medicine. Eventually he calmed down and it wasn't until that point that Aberforth noticed that Harry, Ron and Hermione were there.

"Ah hello kids." Aberforth said. Although a quick wink told Harry that this might not be Aberforth but Albus.

"Professor Dumbledore." Harry tried to say aloud but it came out as a whisper.

"Yes Harry, hello." He replied. "Would you mind joining me outside?" Harry nodded and joined the headmaster leaving Ron and Hermione inside.

"I was going to go into the forest to inform Grawp of his brother's situation and I thought he might like to see you." Dumbledore said. "Plus it will give us a chance to catch up on a few things."

Harry agreed and together they set out through the Forbidden Forest.