Disclaimer: Must I really say it again?...okay…none of the characters belong to me…I am just using them in my own creative plot.
Also, I want to thank bygalee for pointing out an error. Dumbledor appears to talk to the students and then once again he doesn't, Okay…that was definitely my mistake. I guess I just can't get over it that he actually is gone. So, sorry about that….I will fix it eventually…..for now just put McGonagall in his place! Thanks! Thanks for everyone's kind reviews! They keep me motivated to continue writing! Ok enjoy…this next part …..bye!
Ch 9: Violet the Trickster
Harry and Ginny had spent two hours in the library and their success was zero to none. Many of the other students who had been studying in the library had already left but Ginny egged Harry on about finding the Potion.
"Come ON!" Ginny said angrily turning the page with such force that it ripped. "Whoops…" Ginny tapped the page with her wand and turned the page back to the way it was.
"I can't find anything, Ginny. Want to call it a night?" Harry asked sleepily. It was hard concentrating when you were tired and needed to reread every sentence three times to understand it. Ginny glared at him and then said in a loud whisper.
"No! We will sit here and find this bloody love potion! You got us into this mess so you will help us get out of this!" She glanced over at Harry angrily. "And get Hermione Off you!" Hermione was sleepily leaning her head on his shoulder stroking his hair (which was probably another reason Harry couldn't concentrate).
"Ginny, really…at least she isn't talking or whining about something." Ginny snorted and turned back to skimming through her book.
There was a noise at the library door and Harry and Ginny started.
"What was that?" Ginny asked Harry quietly.
"Oh probably just the librarian leaving for the night." Harry said nonchalantly.
"Are we even allowed to be here then?" Ginny asked.
"never stopped us before." Harry said matter-of-factly. Ginny shrugged and went back to her reading.
"Hi! Guys!"
Harry and Ginny nearly jumped out of their skin. Ginny found her voice first.
"Nev-neville? What are you doing here?" Ginny asked.
"Er…..figured you two would be in the library. What are you doing?" his eyes scanned the table and the array of books scattered upon it. "Studying for potions?"
Ginny and Harry looked at each other. "Yea something like that." Harry said.
"Oh…ok…Why not ask Snape?" Neville said as he took a seat next to Harry.
"Ohh…really good…ask Snape…I bet he would jump for joy to help us." Harry said sarcastically.
"Um….we are just doing some…extra research." Ginny said.
"Oh..ok." Neville said simply taking a book and opening it. Harry had a thought that was bugging him since he came to the library.
"Eh…have you seen Ron?" Harry questioned Neville.
Neville looked up from reading something on anti-wart potions and said, " Yea..actually he is sleeping…has on all his clothes but he's in bed. Don't know how he got there though. No one saw him come in. Weird really….he smells of Fire Whiskey…no idea where he got that from."
Ginny and Harry both looked shocked at Neville.
"He's sleeping? But how could that be? We saw him leave through the tower doors!" Ginny said in surprise.
"Well, I guess he snuck back in or something." Neville said turning the page and now reading something on color changing spells.
"That really is bizarre…" Harry said his voice trailing off. "And Fire Whiskey? Where do you reckon he got that?" Neville shrugged and Ginny looked appalled.
"My own brother….drinking that awful stuff!" Ginny said making a face and Harry had to laugh. Ginny glared at him. "It's not funny!"
"Yea….it is….just think….our dear Ron drunk! Now there would be something you don't see everyday!" Harry was laughing and Neville joined in. At the thought of that a small grin play about Ginny's lips.
"Anyways….enough talking about Ron….we need to find this Love potion!" Ginny said without thinking. Neville looked at her questionably.
"Love potion?"
"Er……yea…..we are doing a research on a love potion…" Ginny trailed off looking at Harry for help. Hermione was still lazily having her head on Harry's shoulder totally oblivious to the conversation.
Neville looked over at Harry. Then back to Ginny and then back to Harry and Hermione.
"So is that why….." Neville's eyes grew large as understanding dawned on him. "Is that why Hermione is acting like that?" Neville pointed a thumb at her and caught Ginny's eye who nodded.
"Thought so! Hermione would never act like that!" Neville felt proud of himself for figuring it out. "Well, so why do you need to find the potion?"
Ginny glanced at Harry who nodded in defeat. Neville had figured them out so he might as well be in on it.
"Ok…I am going to tell you.." Ginny said. "But you have to promise not to tell anyone, okay?" Neville nodded. " Ok..good." Ginny went on to explain what had happened that evening. How Hermione had kissed Harry (Neville chuckled about that and received a glare from Harry) and that Ron had run out of the room after punching Harry in the nose. (Neville's eyes grew wide with that statement.)
"..yea, so now we are looking for an antidote to hopefully counteract the spell!" Ginny finished.
"well…..I guess we don't have a choice do we…" Neville started. "But I can tell you, you probably won't find anything in the Hogwart's library."
Ginny and Harry stopped and looked at Neville questionably.
"Why not?" Harry asked.
"Well….you see….the potion was age restricted meaning that it's very very rare and can only be used when you are off age. I am not even sure if there would be an antidote. I mean the store is only there once in a while."
"Once in a while?" Ginny almost yelled and then quieted down after receiving many "shhhs.." from Harry and Neville. She continued in a whisper. "What do you mean once in a while? That's outrageous! There has to be something….something…in these books." She waved her hands at the books in front of her.
"well…" Neville started again. "It's really old magic."
"Old magic? What do you mean? And how do you know all this?" Harry asked.
Neville looked at them both in turn and then started with his story.
"My grandmother always told me stories about interesting and weird potions that she had learned back in her day. Not that any of it mattered to me really considering I wouldn't be learning them. You see, these potions are very hard to make and there for take a lot of time also to settle."
"So what does that have to do with us?" Harry questioned him.
"Well," Neville started again glancing at Harry. " Your scar has been hurting again right?"
Harry looked startled. Neville saw his expression. " It's ok, I know because I hear you talking in your sleep. Bad dreams?" Harry nodded. "Well, that means one thing. I finally thought of it the other day after we had left Hogsmead and everything. That witch…..all in purple. Did she remind you of anyone?"
Harry and Ginny exchanged glances. "No"
"well, I think……I think…that lady…that witch in the store…" Neville looked at them intently. " I think she is Voldemort's sister!"
"WHAT!" Ginny and Harry exclaimed simultaneously. Neville gave a sad nod.
"B..but…how could that be?" Harry started baffled by the news. "And how do you know for certain."
"Neville! Don't mess with us like that!" Ginny scorned at him.
"I'm not.." Neville looked taken aback. " My grandmother told me. She told me the other night via Owl Post. I had written to her about Hogsmead and going there and the store and she wrote me back telling me to never go to that store again and to warn my friends. My grandmother knew her in school. She is not as bad as Voldemort. Not even half as bad really But obviously she isn't good either. Since they are so close relatives…that is probably why you are having those dreams, Harry."
No one spoke for what seemed an eternity.
"Well….what do we do?" Ginny asked. "I mean..we have to get that love potion. How does it even work?"
"There is an antidote….although I am not sure what it is.." Ginny and Harry both frowned. " But we only have one months time…till the next full moon to be exact or else the spell from the love potion will be permanent!"
"PERMANENT?" Ginny squeaked loudly. "noo……"
Harry patted her arm. "it ok…we will just have to keep looking. We can find the counter potion."
"talk to Snape." Neville said simply.
"WHAT? Are you crazy? You know how much he hates me!" Harry turned on Neville.
Neville shrugged. " Suite yourself. Well, excuse me but I need some shut eye. See you all tomorrow."
"You're not going to help us?" Ginny asked.
"I just did." Neville said and got out of his chair. He walked out of the library with a quick bye.
"Well, that's just perrrfect." Groaned Ginny.
"Ginny, honestly, lets finish this tomorrow. We do have a month!"
"Yea…but who knows how long it will take to make!" Ginny was truly upset. Tiredness had made her emotional and she felt like crying out of stress.
"Listen….Ginny…" Harry went to get up to comfort her but Hermione was still on his shoulder so he had to lean over to Ginny instead. "Let's get some sleep. Tomorrow…right after classes we can continue our search. At least we now know its dark magic that no one sells….for obvious reasons. Seems like a sick joke. Bet Violet gets a real kick out of messing with peoples lives. Let's get out of here before we get caught."
Ginny nodded. She was too tired to argue. "Alright."
Harry smiled, " It will be okay, I promise." He wished he felt as confident about that as his voice portrayed.
"Okay…lets go back to the tower." Said Ginny.
Harry hoisted Hermione up (she had fallen asleep, not that Harry minded) and the three of them left the library.
Side note: Violet is Voldemort's sister. But she doesn't know she even had a brother, for obvious reasons. She isn't really terrible but has the secret store which is like a black market she opens only once a month. Hence, the wall Ron saw was the store in actuality, but at that moment it had been hexed by Violet to resemble the wall…..get it? Ok…just thought I could put that here for better clarification …for now….. The characters will eventually figure it out