Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Ugh. Stupid disclaimer. Anyway, I DO own Laura, so don't steal her. I know she's adorable, but please, she's mine. XD
Oh, guys… thank you SO much for cheering me up about high school, all of you. You have no idea how wonderful it was to open up my inbox and see, like, ten reviews! It really cheered up my day, even if high school is still crap. You all get bakeries. Even Becki, lol. Now, Becki, you can even make your own stuff! Although I don't trust you with an oven. Fire is not your friend. It's all mine!
This is the first chapter (after the prologue, I mean) that refers to Ginny as… Ginny. It's also the introduction of Laura. The sequel, assuming you guys want me to write it, will be mostly about Ginny and Laura. Just so you know.
Read the author's note at the bottom if you want to know why I won't be updating tomorrow.
---GINNY---
"Damn straight," Cammie said, pulling Ginny into the room and closing the door. "Talk."
Ginny sighed and sat on a bed, pulling her legs up under her. "What do you need to know?"
"What was that 'I'll curse you into next year' shit? If the Harry in your photo album is dead, how come this Harry looks exactly like him and is perfectly alive? Why does he call you Ginny? What's Obliviating? What's a Muggle?" Cammie fired out question after question.
"OK, I have no idea where the beginning is, but I'll do my best. Please don't get freaked out. Hear me out and then you can make your judgments."
Cammie gasped. "Oh, God, don't tell me you were in a cult!"
Ginny laughed. "No, I wasn't in a cult. You're still going to get freaked out, though." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, closing her eyes. "I'm a witch."
Cammie burst out laughing. "A witch? Nice story, Livy."
"Look, please trust that I'm telling the truth and wait until we get back to Chicago so I can prove it to you. I'd show you everything but it's at home in the apartment. I'm a witch, complete with a cauldron, a flying broomstick, and a wand. I went to a wizarding school called Hogwarts from when I was eleven to when I was seventeen, just before I ran away. It's in Scotland, I think, but I can't show it to you. God, this sounds so stupid when I'm explaining to a Muggle, especially after five years…"
"Go on," Cammie prodded. "You can't show me Hogwarts because…?"
"Because you would see a rubbish dump. It's under charms that prevent Muggles from getting in. Muggles are non-magical people, by the way. With me so far?"
"I think so. Now fast-forward to the part about Harry and why he calls you Ginny."
"Harry was my boyfriend for my fifth year at Hogwarts. He's also this big person in wizarding history. God, this is hard to explain. OK, there was this evil wizard person terrorizing most of Europe before I was born. He murdered people right and left, not caring that he was a murderous freak. He had these followers called Death Eaters killing for him, too. So one day he decided to murder Harry. Harry was a year old, but he stopped Voldemort somehow. Voldemort went into hiding for a long time – either ten years or thirteen years, depending on how you count it. Anyway, Voldemort came back fully, with a body and all, when I was thirteen. Harry was in the ceremony, strapped to a tombstone. And anyway, Harry is my brother Ron's best friend and he was my boyfriend for a few weeks before he broke it off."
"OK, thanks for the history… but why did you say he was dead? And who was that red-haired chick with him? And why does he call you Ginny?"
"My name isn't Livy James. It's Ginevra Molly Weasley. And that red-haired girl was me before I ran away. I had to tell you we were dead; you would have never left it alone."
"I have to give you that. I wouldn't have left it alone, since you were crying. Why aren't you still with your family and Harry?
"I ran away, I told you that," Ginny said, picking at a loose thread on the comforter. "It's a long story and I'm tired."
"Nope," Cammie said. "I wanna hear it."
"It involves a lot of personal history and crap," Ginny said. "And I'm not going to tell you all that tonight. Just know that it was mostly Harry's fault, mixed with the headmaster of my old school. G'night," she said, lying down and turning over. Cammie huffed but made her way to her bed and the two were soon asleep with yesterday's clothes on.
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The next night, Ginny was in her own bed, her wand in a locked nightstand drawer beside her. She was awakened from a slight nightmare involving Snape and a botched potion by screaming outside the building. She ran to the window and looked out to see beams of different colored light shooting and each time a green one hit something, one less scream was heard.
Ginny gasped. It was the Death Eaters, it had to be! She had sworn off the wizarding world and moved to America to avoid this; why did everything from her past come to bite her in the arse in the past week? How could she forgive herself, though, if all her friends in the building were annihilated and she had done nothing about it? Making her mind, she unlocked the drawer and drew out the long piece of wood. She gave it a swish and muttered 'Wingardium Leviosa!' The table lifted and she released the spell, giving a small smile. She still had it.
She snuck down the stairs, thinking that they would probably have stopped the elevator with Muggles inside, just for their own sick amusement. Wand in front of her, she slid through the barely ajar door, mentally thanking the gym for keeping her skinny and in shape. Her foot just barely hit the door, but it was enough to squeak. Ginny winced and kept her wand out. A green spell rushed towards her and she ducked. She couldn't see much, as the Death Eaters had evidently cut the lights in the lobby, but she could definitely not see any human figures. A red spell cut towards her which she also dodged and shot a stunning spell in that general direction. A sound not unlike that of a body falling to the ground sounded and Ginny raced towards the outside, where most of the battle was taking place. Battle was an understatement; massacre was more like it. She couldn't see any more magical people besides her and the Death Eaters, and she hoped that the Aurors would get there soon. In the meantime, she shot several stunners at a clump of Death Eaters. Four out of the five hit their mark, and the fifth Death Eater strode out of the shadows, wand outstretched.
"Crucio," the Death Eater hissed and a beam of red light came out of his wand. Ginny didn't dodge far enough and the curse grazed her side. Immediately, she was in immense pain. Knives must have been piercing into her skin, her skin was on fire, she was surely getting rolled over by a semi… Suddenly, the pain lifted and she was left panting on the ground, clutching her wand. She quickly stood up. She had recognized that voice after hearing it for six years straight, taunting her, her family, and her friends
"Malfoy," Ginny said, her voice wavering slightly. "I always thought you were better than this. Attacking innocent Muggles? You should be ashamed."
In response, he snarled and shot another torture curse at her. This one, she was ready for and deflected it with a stronger version of Protego.
"Does Amanda know you're a Death Eater, Malfoy? I'm sure she'd be devastated. Stupefy!"
He blocked it easily. "Don't talk to me. You're beneath me. Avada Kedavra!
She bent over ninety degrees backwards like her friend had taught her and the curse whistled past her belly button and nose.
"Impedimenta!" Ginny yelled, straightening up and pointing her wand at Malfoy. He was thrown back a few feet, but soon got to his feet.
"I am a pureblood just like you, Malfoy," Ginny taunted. "But that doesn't matter to the pureblood-loving HALF-BLOOD fool that you worship so, does it? Though, I dare you, tell him you killed me. See what he says."
Malfoy was about to speak again when he was stunned from another mysterious source. Ginny looked around wildly. Aurors were apparating onto the lawn in front of the apartment building. Ginny sagged with relief and slipped her wand into her pocket. A child's scream made her draw it out again and run to the girl's side. The girl was around the corner of the building and was screaming her tonsils out. A Death Eater was approaching her, wand drawn.
"Stupefy!" Ginny said lazily, pointing her wand at the Death Eater. The villain hadn't even seen her. Almost too easy.
Putting her wand back in her pocket, Ginny crouched down to the little girl's level. To her horror, she could see the bodies of what appeared to be the girl's family, including a baby brother. The girl was looking at her with wide eyes and started to scramble away. In a flash of moonlight, Ginny immediately recognized her as Laura, the four-year-old that always came trick-or-treating and who Ginny babysat. Ginny had been good friends with her parents, and now they were dead. They had been friends since Ginny had moved to the apartment three years prior. She had been babysitting Laura for almost as long.
"Laura," she said softly. "It's me, Livy. I'm not going to hurt you, sweetie."
Laura looked at her but stayed in the same place. Ginny walked over, being careful to avoid walking on Laura's deceased family's bodies, and crouched again.
"Laura, do you trust me?" she asked. Laura hesitated and then nodded. Ginny hefted her up in her arms and stood up. She walked back around the corner with Laura in her arms and walked towards the Aurors. One of them spotted her and pulled out his wand. Laura whimpered and Ginny hugged her closer.
"Don't," Ginny said, her voice hoarse from shouting curses. "I'm on your side."
"And what were you doing here?" the Auror asked in a deep, rumbling voice, making all the other Aurors turn around and face her and Laura, who was wilting under all the stern looks.
"I live here. Fourth floor, last one from the stairs on your left. Or you can ask Harry Potter. I'm sure he'll tell you."
"Lumos," one of the Aurors said, and Ginny could dimly see the faces of the officers in front of her. She almost laughed as she saw a familiar face. Tonks was in the crowd, her face stern as she could make it.
"And how would you know Harry Potter?" Tonks asked.
"I went to school with him and dated him for a couple weeks," Ginny said. Tonks raised an eyebrow.
"I've never seen you around England. Do you have a name?"
"Wait a sec," Ginny said, turning to Laura. "I'm going to put you down for a sec, OK? Then you can get on my back."
"OK," Laura said in her little-girl voice and Ginny set her, feet-first, on the grass. Then Ginny took out her wand and pointed it at herself. "Finite."
Her brown hair turned red, starting from the roots and going down, her grey eyes turned a warm chocolate brown, and freckles spread like wildfire across her nose and cheeks. As the transformation finished, she bent down and Laura climbed onto her back. She stood up and smirked.
"Long time, no see, huh, Tonks?"
Tonks seemed to be still in shock. "G-Ginny?"
"In the flesh."
The other Aurors were obviously American and had no idea who Ginny was or how she knew Tonks. They scowled at the two as if they were laughing at some inside joke.
"Oh, God, Gin, we were so scared! We thought you had died-"
"Yeah, I'm sure you did," Ginny said quickly, "but there are still stunned Death Eaters around here for you to capture. Go do your job and then we can talk. And I have to figure out what to do with Laura."
"What do you mean, what to do with her? Where's her family?" Tonks asked. Ginny pointed.
"Over there. Go take a look."
Ginny stood there, Laura on her back, until all the Aurors were gone with the Death Eaters, and only Tonks, Ginny, and Lara were left.
"Oh, Ginny… we haven't seen you in so long! Where have you been?"
"I'm tired and cold," Laura complained before Ginny could answer. Tonks laughed and Ginny gave sort of a tired smile.
"OK, Laura, we'll get you somewhere," Ginny said. "Hold tight for a sec, alright?"
Laura yawned and nodded, snuggling closer to Ginny. Ginny looked helplessly at Tonks, who sighed.
"Look, Gin, it's really late and you've been fighting. Why don't you go to bed and I'll take care of the kid?"
Laura whimpered and Ginny muttered, "Hey, Laura, sweetie, it'll be OK. She doesn't bite. She's a nice lady." Louder, Ginny said, "No. I don't know where I'd sleep, and I can't leave Laura. Her whole family died tonight and I don't want to leave her alone, or with someone she doesn't know. No offense."
"None taken… what the heck, take her tonight. We'll deal with this in the morning. We can Obliviate any Muggle po-lease officers that come looking for her."
Ginny looked oddly at Tonks. "You sure? That seems like a lot more trouble than what it's worth. I don't want to get arrested for kidnapping or something completely wrong like that."
"Yeah, sure. Do you know where to go?"
Ginny sighed, looking more tired than normal. "Yes, Nymphadora. Yes, I know where Headquarters is."
"Good, Ginevra. You remember how to Apparate?"
"Yes, but with her? I don't think Muggles are supposed to Apparate."
"Ginny, she has the feel of a wizarding child. A Muggleborn witch. Try it. If not, you can always go by Floo Powder."
"Will she be able to see it? Headquarters, I mean."
"Ginny, since Dumbledore died-"
"DUMBLEDORE DIED!" Ginny exclaimed.
"Yes, last year. Anyway, since then, we put a new spell on it, a newly discovered one. Since he was the Secret-Keeper, he couldn't tell anyone else, so we needed a new spell. This one means that each person who knows can tell only when not coerced and when bad intentions are gone. That means they can't tell when asked to tell, or when they're tortured. There are tons of other charms and spells on top of it, of course, but I think you pass by all of them."
"So I can tell her?" Ginny asked to clarify.
"Yep," Tonks confirmed. "I'll watch you go and then I'll head back to Auror's HQ."
Ginny let Laura slide down her back to the floor, then crouched down at her eye-level. "Laura, I'm taking you with me. We'll be back tomorrow, OK? I need you to remember this address. Repeat after me. Number 12, Grimmauld Place."
"Number 12, Grim-what?"
"Number 12, Grimmauld Place," Ginny repeated.
"Number 12, Grimmauld Place," Laura mimicked. Ginny ruffled her hair.
"Good job," she said, standing up and taking Laura's hand. "Now, Laura, this is going to feel really, really weird, OK? Just hold on."
With that, Ginny closed her eyes, focused on the three D's, and Apparated. They flew through time and space and when they landed, they were outside Number 12, Grimmauld Place.
"Well, this is it," Ginny breathed. She looked down at Laura. "Don't be scared, OK? You're a big girl. Do you remember the address I told you?"
"Number 12, Grimmauld Place," Laura chanted. "Did you live here, Livy? It's big."
"Yes, I used to live here, Laura," Ginny said. "It is big. C'mon, we're going to go in."
"In?" Laura squeaked. "It's scary!"
Ginny let a smile play across her lips. Yes, it was scary for her too. But Laura had no idea exactly how much…
I'm going a lake tomorrow and most of Sunday, but I'll be able to post on Sunday, I THINK. I'm not sure. Definitely not on Saturday. I'll try to double-post on Monday, though. This fic is only 9 chapters long, so don't expect it to go on forever. Sorry. I had to end it somewhere, and if I didn't, it would never get ended.
GOD BLESS THE PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM HURRICANE KATRINA. You are in our thoughts and prayers, and even though any of you probably won't see this until later (if at all… I'm judging the later part from the news), know that I would go down and help if I could… but I can't, so I'll settle for donating to the people at Pick 'N Save. Hey, it's all I can do.
Time for a little self-publicity. My friend Li and I wrote a story on a VERY long (16 hours there, 16 hours back… I think) car ride to drop off my brother at college in Amherst, MA. It's a really cool one, a guess-the-pairing one (but it's SO easy and it's a VERY accepted pairing… I don't think anyone can say it'll never happen.), and it's written in letter format. If you wanna read it, the penname is YouAndIBoth and the story is called "Dear Whoever". Cookies to anyone who reads/reviews it!