Disclaimer:
J.K. Rowling is the owner of Harry Potter. Stories she has written and characters that she created are not mine. I don't take credit for any of her work. I do thank her for providing such a wonderful universe to dream about and write in.
Harry Potter and the Shadow of Evil
By: Starwin
Chapter 25 – All Hallows Eve
Harry rolled over in bed. It felt like a Monday. Snoring was heavy in the room. Ron's nose was practically vibrating the walls. Groggily Harry dragged himself down to the washroom for a shower.
When Harry returned to his room he felt much more awake. The shower had felt good and clean clothing seemed to invigorate him for another hard day of school. He no longer even had the school wand to practice with and even though he had been able to cast some magic without a wand he had only used simple spells. Since he was in his sixth year most of Harry's classes would be anything but simple spells.
Harry noticed a letter addressed to him on the nightstand. It had not been there when he left. Quickly Harry picked it up. It was from Mr. Olivander but the letter was far too light to contain a new wand. Pulling the envelope apart Harry retrieved a very short message scrawled in untidy handwriting.
Your new wand will be ready by the 31st of October.
Well at least that was something, if not very much. Harry had been expecting more like, 'what an incredible phoenix feather' or 'my word a vial of Nightmare flame!' but he was also relieved that those questions hadn't been asked as Harry wasn't sure how he would explain where he had got them.
But October 30th, that was more then three weeks away and Harry wasn't sure how he was going to survive three more weeks without a wand. He was already almost a month behind on his homework. Harry crumpled up the letter and tossed it into the waste paper basket.
"Tis it bad new, Mr. Harry Potter?" said a small voice from on top of Harry's bed. Harry turned startled and found Dobby standing on his bed.
"Dobby!" Harry cried in surprise, "Don't sneak up like that."
"Sorry sir," Dobby said his ears drooping.
"It's alright, don't worry about it," Harry said waving it off. "What are you doing here?"
"Dobby came to give Harry Potter his letter, sir," Dobby said his ears raising a little. "It just arrived for you and Dobby sees you going to check the owlery most every days, sir. So Dobby figured you were waiting for something."
"Thanks, Dobby," Harry said smiling, "but you didn't have to."
"Oh I wanted to sir, it's Dobby's pleasure to serve Hogwarts, and Mr. Harry Potter!" Dobby said with a bow and glow in his large round eyes.
"Uh, thanks?" Harry said not sure how to reply to this. "Look I'll see you later Dobby." Harry said. His stomach was rumbling and he wanted to get down to breakfast before the first years ate everything. Waving goodbye to Dobby, Harry headed to the common room.
Harry froze as he arrived at the bottom of the stairs. Gathered around the Gryffindor message board was a large group of girls, and they were all talking in whispers and giggling. Warning bells began to go off in Harry's head. He knew nothing good could come of this.
Some of the girls turned and looked at him with knowing smiles and whispered to each other. There could be only one thing that would cause such a commotion, an event involving some kind of dancing. Harry moved over to a group of first year boys who were struggling to finish their homework before class.
"No, no!" one of the boys with sandy blond hair shouted. "Levi-a-sa."
"Hey," Harry interrupted looking down at the first years. They all looked up at him startled. Harry was having a hard time believing he had ever been that small or ever looked so frightened to be talked to by an older student.
"Sorry," the boy said panicked. "I didn't mean to shout…"
"No, it's alright," Harry said waving a hand and shaking his head. "Do any of you know what's going on?" Harry said jerking his thumb at the message board.
"Some kind of dance I think," said a first year girl with very straight brown hair. "I'm not sure what all the fuss is about."
"You're just angry because it's fourth year and up!" a boy with ear length black hair said. "Besides who would want to go with a mudblood like you?" The girl whipped out her wand and pointed it between the boy's eyes.
"Hey!" Harry shouted. "Watch what you say. What the hell wrong with you, you're all Gryffindors, act like it."
"Todd wanted to be a Slytherin," the girl hissed. The boy grabbed his homework and stormed off up the boy's stairs not looking back. Harry shook his head, he couldn't remember ever acting like that either.
"Look I know it's stressful, the first year was a bit hard on me to," Harry said to the group of first years still remaining. A bit hard might have been an understatement. "But you're all in the same house, you all need to stick together."
"Against what?" the blond boy said sarcastically. "There aren't any other first year students in any of the other houses. A lot of people are unhappy, Todd's not the only one like that. It would have been better if the sorting hat had done its job proper."
"Maybe it did," said Harry. "Thanks and good luck finishing your homework, and it's Levi-o-sa by the way."
---
Harry hadn't taken more then a few steps outside the portrait hole before something hit him. The whole reason he had talked to the group of first years. The dance. Why did there have to be a dance on Halloween? Was it just some form of torture devised by the teachers? Harry let out a sigh. Maybe he should ask Ginny to go. But would she even want to? Harry was fairly sure she did as she had gone with Neville to the last dance just so she could go to it. She was after all a girl and girls liked dances, didn't they?
'I dono, should I ask her?' Harry thought to himself.
'Yes,' a tiny voice I the back of his head answered.
"Thanks," Harry said aloud shaking his head. The voice that had answered had been Hermione's. He still hadn't gotten used to that. Harry was almost sure he heard a, 'your welcome.'
Harry reentered the Gryffindor common room. Should he wait here for Ginny and ask her when she came down? No, that didn't seem like a good idea. Too many girls were eyeing him and Harry thought that one might ask him at any moment. Also what if she had already gone down to breakfast?
The only thing Harry could think of was the secret passage into the girls' dormitory, but this time he would go prepared. Hurrying back up to his room he pulled the Marauders map from his truck and activated it with a poke from his finger. Ginny was still in her room, but so were two of her three roommates. Becky Blair and Erin Malove. Harry pulled his invisibility cloak from his chest. It would be worth the risk.
Without a second thought Harry rushed to the bathroom, magicd open the last stall, turned the knobs and rushed down the narrow stone passage, checking the map only once to ensure he was on the right path.
At last Harry emerged in the girls' washroom on the fifth floor of the Gryffindor tower. Harry checked the map again. He felt a lump in his throat, what had he done? How could he have been so stupid! Every stall, except the one he was in was full. The sound of running water and talking and laughing filled the air. Harry had walked into a minefield with only a thin cloak of invisibility standing between him and who knew what type of horrible punishment.
Harry's eyes moved up the map, there was no one outside in the hallway at the moment. Keeping the map up in front of him and ensuring that the cloak covered his whole body. Harry made his way out of the last stall and as quickly as he could he moved down the row of shower doors, his heart pounding in his chest, knowing that at any moment half naked girls might emerge. At last Harry made it to the end of the row. Chatter and giggles still filled the air.
Harry looked at the map again to make sure the way was clear. Someone was right outside. The door opened and Harry quickly pressed up against the wall to avoid being collided with. The door separated him for the person on the other side, she had not seen him. Harry remembered a moment latter that even if she had he was wearing the invisibility cloak
The girl walked past not glancing back. She had only a towel wrapped around her. Before the door could swing shut Harry rushed out into the hall. He was the only person in the hallway but he was still glad to have his invisibility cloak on all the same.
Harry made his way down to Ginny's room. From the look of the map the girls were still in their beds. Carefully Harry tested the doorknob remembering his last experience. The door, however, was not locked. Harry opened it and slid inside. One of the two other girls in the room had her bed curtains pulled closed around her bed. The other's head was the only thing visible from the lump under he sheets.
Harry moved to Ginny's bedside, she was so cute when she was asleep. Gently Harry lifted the bed sheets and slid under the covers with her and pulled the invisibility cloak over the top of them.
Harry put his hand gently around Ginny's waist. She was wearing only a long night shirt. Harry put his face against the back of her head smelling her sweet hair.
Ginny stirred moving a little. Harry felt her fingers slide into his.
"Good morning," Ginny said sleepily.
"Good morning," Harry whispered quietly into her ear. "I didn't mean to wake you."
"Mmm," Ginny said, "you can wake me up any time."
"I'll hold you to that, Gin," Harry said softly with a smile. Ginny's head jerked back to look at Harry, her eyes wide in surprise. She sat bolt upright clinging the sheets to her chest.
"Harry!" Ginny said, "What… what are you doing here!"
"What, I… uh… wait a minute…" Harry said pushing himself up. "Were you expecting someone else?"
"No," Ginny said her chest was bouncing up and down under her night shirt as she tried to calm herself from panic. She lowered her voice. "I wasn't expecting anyone! You're in the girls' dormitory again, in my room, in my bed." She angrily narrowed her eyes. Harry felt a sudden wave of panic. Was she going to start yelling at him? "And I like it when you break the rules for me." Ginny pulled him into a passionate kiss. It was a long time before they broke apart, both Harry and Ginny were out of breath.
"Wow…" Harry said between breaths. Ginny smiled.
"So," Ginny said slyly. "Did you risk life and limb for some snooggle time?"
"Ah, no," Harry said. Ginny seemed a little disappointed. "Actually, there's a dance." Ginny looked at him like as if to say, 'okay and…?' "And I was wondering if you want to go… you know with me…" Ginny smiled.
"Oh, I don't know Harry," she said in mock earnest. "There are so many other boys that might want to ask me. But none of them are as handsome," Ginny kissed him on his chin, "or as brave as you." Ginny's smile grew broader. "Are you asking me on a date?"
"Well… uh… I," Harry stammered his brain seemed to have frozen. 'YES,' something in the back of his mind shouted. "Yes," Harry said quickly trying to smile.
"You're cute when you're shy," Ginny said kissing him on the side of his face. "Okay, Mr. Potter, I accept your invitation," she kissed him again on the other side of his face. "but I think because you came all this way to ask there should be a reward." Ginny walked her fingers up Harry's chest.
All Harry could manage was an 'uh.' Ginny licked her lips, grinning and crossed her arms taking the hem of her shirt and pulling it slowly upwards. Harry's mind had frozen. It felt like his eyes were bugging out of his head. Ginny held it right below her breast teasing him.
"Do you like your reward so far?" Ginny asked. Harry didn't know what to say. He wasn't even entirely sure what was going on.
"What about your roommates!" Harry said looking around. It was the only thing his brain could think of.
"Well you'll just have to find a way to keep me quiet won't you?" Ginny said pulling her shirt the rest of the way off and dragging the invisibility cloak away with it. Harry felt an ache in his groin that he couldn't will away. His eyes moved uncontrollably to stare at her soft round breast. He couldn't look away.
"Hehe," Ginny said taking hold of the invisibility cloak. "You didn't try and sneak in under this did you!" Ginny said holding the cloak in her hand. Panic gripped Harry. Ginny was sitting naked, in front of him, in bed with him and the only thing that had been hiding them she had just pulled away.
Ginny wrapped the cloak around her. But something strange happened. The cloak did not make her invisible. It was just a silver brown cloak.
"What!" Harry said in surprise.
"Invisibility doesn't work in the girls' dormitories," Ginny said shaking her head and continuing to smile. "Hermione is right, you really should read Hogwarts, a History." Ginny pulled the cloak off and tossed it down her bed. A grin spread around her face and she put her arms around Harry's neck pulling his forehead against hers and pressing her breast into his chest.
"Gin," Harry said. His mind was blanking. Everything he had been taught told him that this was wrong that, it was a bad thing. "I don't know, I'm not sure I'm ready for, you know, sex." Harry said nervously. Ginny gave him a brief kiss on the mouth and pulled one of his hands up to her breast. Harry's brain reacted without his consent and he toppled out of bed.
"Gin," Harry said looking up at her from the floor. "I'm…I'm sorry I just can't do this yet." Ginny looked longingly down at him, there was sadness in her eyes. She pulled the blankets over her body.
"So you don't love me?" She asked haltingly.
"No!" Harry cried, why had this turned so badly? "I do love you, with all my heart, Gin. But I'm just not… I just don't want it to be this way. Not yet. Please." A yawn came from behind Harry. He turned his head and froze.
For an instant the girl in the bed across the room looked sleepily at Harry as though not seeing him and then her eyes opened full and she started shouting. Harry felt like a deer caught in headlights. He couldn't move.
"GET OUT, GET OUT! BOY IN THE DORMITORY!" the girl shouted. A pillow hit him in the back of his head. Moments later the doors outside the room began to echo with shouting. Harry pushed himself up and moved towards the door.
Ginny's other roommate sat up in her bed, wide eyed. The first one was still shouting for him to get out. Another pillow flew through the air and hit the wall next to him. Harry heard a knock on the door as he gripped the handle.
"Open this door right now!" It was Professor McGonagall's voice. There wasn't any way out. The girls in the room had seen him. If he became a phoenix now he would be in a lot more trouble for being an unregistered animagus. Quickly Harry pulled the map from his pocket and tossed it at Ginny. With a flick of his eyes he looked down at the invisibility cloak lying on her bed. She instantly understood. Wrapping them together she swung them under her bed.
Harry took a deep breath then turned and opened the door. A group of girls had gathered behind Professor McGonagall.
"Potter!" McGonagall said in a disgusted voice. "I should have known." She grabbed his wrist and pulled him out down the hall. Whispers and giggles followed after him. It was humiliating.
---
"Normally, student relationships are none of my business," McGonagall said pacing back and forth behind her desk. "But what you have done is a most serious offence, Potter."
"I'm sorry," Harry said. "I didn't know there were any rules against being in the girls' dormitories."
"Maybe if you had listened to the advice from Miss Granger and taken the time to read Hogwarts, a History you would know better." Harry was really getting sick of everyone telling him that. "Fifty points from Gryffindor," McGonagall said shaking her head. "Next time, Potter it will be 150 and suspension from school."
"What!" Harry cried that was unfair! "Professor, it can't be that serious! I mean I was just visiting my friend." McGonagall stopped pacing and put her hands down hard on her desk, leaning over it looking at Harry with narrowed eyes.
"Mr. Potter, you can do it in the common room. But sleeping in bed with another student is not a laughing matter. This is a school!"
"What, no! Me and Ginny we didn't…" Harry had been about to say, 'have sex' but the look on McGonagall's face seemed to tell him that it would be a bad move even to mention it. "Professor I swear, I'm sorry it will never happen again."
"It better not Potter," McGonagall said straightening up.
---
Harry trotted down to breakfast. He wondered if losing fifty points for Gryffindor had been worth sneaking into Ginny's room. The answer was yes. Harry bit his lip as he remembered Ginny naked in front of him. What had he been thinking? Why had he pushed her away? Why couldn't he just be a man like every other boy his age and have gone for it! She obviously wanted him to.
The answer was simple really. He was afraid he was doing something wrong. The whole thing just didn't feel right. There was also a fear that going all the way would ruin his relationship with Ginny, not make it better. The funny thing was he couldn't explain why he thought that.
---
The following week was horrible. With no wand classes were very difficult and homework was impossible. Finally Hermione suggested that Harry use her wand to try and do his homework, since she always finished before anyone else, even Ginny. Harry found that Hermione's wand seemed to be just the right size as it were. It didn't feel exactly the same as his old wand but it did work much better then the school wand.
Hufflepuff lost in a very close game against Ravenclaw. Cho had become a chaser, much to Harry disgust. She was okay, but nowhere as good a flyer as Ginny. The Hufflepuff keeper was exceptional stopping all but a two shots against her. The final game ended with Hufflepuff 80 and Ravenclaw 170. And so the score currently stood with Ravenclaw in first, Gryffindor a close second, Slytherin in third and Hufflepuff last.
Hufflepuff would be the next team they would have to play against. Their excellent keeper meant that Harry would have to find the snitch quickly and try and keep his team in the lead because he had a feeling that that Slytherin was going to slaughtered by Ravenclaw.
Quidditch practice went very well and assuming that no one attacked any of his players during the game Harry was fairly sure that they would be able to win against Hufflepuff in their next match.
All they really had to worry about now was Ravenclaw. Their chasers were very good but Ginny was better. Even still Harry knew when they played it would be a close match.
The DA meeting was about the only thing other than Quidditch practice that went right. Lilith's training had taken a step up and members were sparring now against each other. Many members were becoming very good, including Harry and to his surprise, Ginny was doing exceptionally well. In fact Harry was sure that she was much better at fighting with a baton than he was. The down side to that was that she was his sparring partner for the night.
They were using weighted fighting sticks that had a padding wrapped round the outside. They felt like the metal batons but inflicted far less damage. During the first round Harry had tried to go easy on Ginny—she was a girl after all and his girlfriend—only to have his ass handed to him as she quickly knocked him to the ground.
"Come on Harry!" Ginny said offering him a hand and pulling him up. "I know you're better than that, you don't have to let me win."
"Just trying to be a gentleman," Harry smiled jokingly as Ginny helped pull him to his feet.
Harry stood holding his training baton with both hands. His stance gave him the ability to block almost any attack at his upper body and gave him much more power when striking. But his attacks would be very slow in this stance. It was a defensive stance. Ginny was using one-handed stance. Her positioning let her attack faster but with much less power. It also left most of her body open to attack.
Ginny made the first move. Harry was quick to strike it away. There was a hole for a moment but Ginny swung her foot around covering it, no good Harry would have to wait for another chance. Ginny attacked again and Harry deflected stepping back and readying to defend from the next attack, which came a second later. Ginny stepped away not letting her guard down but moving out of striking distance.
"You won't win by just blocking my attacks," Ginny said. "You have to fight back."
"I know," said Harry calmly. Ginny frowned. With two quick steps her baton was in the air and rushing at Harry. He moved to block. He felt the impact but a moment later there was a hard jab in his ribs that knocked him to his butt. Ginny offered a hand up shaking her head.
"You've really been practicing at this haven't you?" Harry asked.
"Using two hands you're too slow," Ginny said. "You should try one hand like me."
"But you can't defend yourself as well," Harry said. "You leave too much of yourself open to your opponent." Ginny laughed.
"Well your not doing such a good job defending yourself now, are you? Besides, we're going to be fighting wizards, with wands," Ginny said shaking her head. "They won't be fighting back like this and your baton won't defend you against spells. It's best to practice attack, not defenses." Harry had to admit she had a point. He changed his grip to one hand. It didn't feel as comfortable or as safe.
The two of them began again. It was much easier to match Ginny's movements now, and he even got her a couple times. But she was still much better and Harry had a feeling that she was trying to go easy on him.
At the end of the night Harry felt very bruised but exhilarated. He'd had fun tonight, something that he hadn't had in the DA for a long time. Ginny was a very good fighter and Harry was glad she was on his side.
Suddenly it was like he had run into a wall. Harry's head began to spin, his scar ached with pain. Happy. Voldemort was extremely happy. Harry didn't know what had happened but he knew that it was something horrible.
---
"I don't believe it!" Hermione cried her eyes wide as she read the Daily Prophet the next morning at breakfast. Harry looked up from his eggs.
"What," Ron asked, "are they having a sale on dress robes?" Ron had been making comments like that all week to Hermione. Ron had told Harry that he'd asked her to the dance, she'd accepted but told him they were just going as friends and Ron had been snippety every since.
"No," Hermione said completely ignoring Ron's comment. There was panic in her eyes. "It's Fudge, he's been murdered!" Harry felt his fork drop from his hand. Ginny covered her mouth. Harry hadn't liked Fudge. He had been an arrogant, pompous, fool, but even still he hadn't deserved to be killed. "And the ministry is saying the Order of the Phoenix has already claimed responsibility for it! The ministry has branded any Order member a traitor and authorized the use of the killing curse on sight."
"That's impossible," said Harry. "Dumbledore would never…" Harry trailed off. Two years ago Harry's resolve would have been absolute but now he found himself doubting.
"No," Hermione said forcefully. "He wouldn't. The Order didn't like Fudge but they would never kill him. It's obviously a lie."
"It has to be Voldemort," Harry said firmly. "Last night, after the DA meeting he was happy, very happy." Reflexively Harry rubbed his scar.
"But I don't understand why he would want to kill Fudge," Hermione said continuing to read the article with extreme attentiveness.
"Why not?" Ron asked confused. "Wasn't Fudge a threat against, Vold…" Ron's voice broke. Harry looked at Ron, that had been the first time ever he had almost said Voldemort's name. "you… you-know-who?" Ron stuttered out.
"Not really," Hermione said surprised at Ron. "Fudge was the best thing that could have happened for Voldemort actually, a Minister that didn't really understand the seriousness of the situation. Since Voldemort's reappearance last year Fudge hasn't taken one step in tracking him down and fighting him. He's just been on the defensive. Most of the papers are trying to make it sound like the ministry is winning, but I think they're lying. The Quibbler seems to be the only unaffected paper. Unfortunately they aren't very concerned with events beyond the fantastic.
"And look at this," Hermione said pointing down the article, "They've already elected a new Minister of Magic, but it can't be, this can't be right." Hermione looked up there was panic in her eyes.
"What?" Ginny and Harry cried together.
"Lucius Malfoy is to take office tomorrow as the new Minister of Magic…" Hermione read looking slowly up at Harry over the top of the paper.
---
In the weeks leading up Halloween dance Harry became very distant. He had been concentrating so hard on the problems at school that it never occurred to him the things that were going on in the real world. The shock of Lucius Malfoy taking office as Minister of Magic was almost unreal to Harry.
Oddly Malfoy hadn't been gloating about it. He had been keeping his distance from Harry and was hiding his face as though he was afraid to look at him. It wasn't until after one of the classes with Slytherin that Malfoy turned reflexively to listen to someone, that Harry saw it.
A long, ugly, scar ran down the side of Malfoy's face. It had been the place where Harry had struck him with the baton. Malfoy had seen him looking and quickly turned away, stalking off.
Harry's heart was beating very fast in his chest. It wasn't possible. All this time he had been telling himself none of the things he had seen about the future were real. But this seemed to throw it all into question again. It was the same scar he had seen on the older Malfoy's face. The scar Malfoy had said Harry had inflicted upon him and that he had not had a chance to pay Harry back.
---
The only bright spots were Quidditch practice, DA meetings and Ginny's surprise dance lessons. It had been Ginny's idea to try and teach Harry how to dance before the ball. At first Harry had been reluctant but Ginny told him that knowing how to dance would help him become a better fighter because the two skills were very closely related.
Harry was still not convinced but accepted all the same. She was trying to do something nice for him and Harry was willing to at least give it a try. Though Ginny was very good at dodging Harry's attacks with a baton, his feet almost always seemed to get hers. And after only a few practices Harry was ready to give up, he just wasn't made to be a dancer.
"The problem is," Ginny said as she sat on Harry's bed rubbing her bare foot that Harry had just managed to crush. "that you're thinking of it like dancing."
"What else should I think of it as!" Harry protested irritably.
"It's combat, it's a sport, two things you're very good at!" Ginny said shaking her head. "You're trying too hard. You need to relax and let it happen, naturally, like flying." This was nothing like flying. Harry wasn't sure how she could even compare the two. Ginny stood and took his hands.
"Focus on me, don't think about where your feet are going, you've already practiced the steps," Ginny said.
"Alone," Harry said. "but it's a lot harder to dance with someone else."
"It's always harder to play any sport with someone else," Ginny said, "because you have someone to judge yourself against. But it's always more rewarding." She said putting Harry's arm around her waist. "You're feet know the steps, just let them do it."
---
The Halloween ball was almost here now, barely a week away. And Harry had only gotten a little better at dancing. At least he wasn't crushing Ginny's feet anymore.
---
At last Halloween came, the 31st of October. Today Harry would get his new wand and tonight he would go dancing with Ginny. Butterflies were moving around his stomach most of the day. The two of them had been dancing for two weeks now and though Harry wasn't going to win any prizes he could at least keep up her for he most part. It was just the prospect of dancing in front of a crowd of people made Harry feel nervous. What if he did something stupid and the whole school started laughing at him.
However his thoughts about the dance took a backseat as he waiting in the common room. He had been here most of the day, catching up on homework, but mostly waiting for his new wand to arrive. Mr. Olivander had promised it would arrive today. But it was already past noon time and there had been no post or anything else to signal the arrival of his new wand.
Neville of all people was the person that reminded Harry that the dance would be starting in just under twenty minutes and Harry hadn't gotten ready at all. He hurried upstairs and pulled his dress robes on. It was time. His wand had not arrived but there were still many hours left in the day and it might be waiting for him when he got back.
Harry waited down in the common room with a fairly large group of other Gryffindor boys. Harry was really surprised how grownup everyone looked in their dress robes. Even Ron look dashing in his new robes his brothers had bought for him.
"Do you think they are making us wait on purpose?" Dean asked breaking the nervous silence. There was some uneasy laughter.
"No," Harry said, "I know they're making us wait." There was more laughter this time and Harry was starting to feel less tense about the dance. Quiet suddenly filled the room as a parade of girls emerged at the bottom of the stairs. Harry knew he was staring but he couldn't help himself. He had never realized before just how beautiful most of the Gryffindor girls were.
Ginny made her way out of the parade and moved to Harry. She was in a very pretty dress. It was green, like Harry's eyes and was cut very low across the front. It held tight in all the right places and light seemed to fall into it directing Harry's eyes where to look. Ginny spun around to show herself off to Harry, who couldn't seem to close him mouth.
"I see I have your attention," Ginny said with a smile. Harry gave a nervous laugh and licked his dry lips.
"You always have my attention, Gin," Harry said as he stepped up and wrapped his hands round her waste. Ginny smiled as Harry held her.
"Not that I don't enjoy this," Ginny said with a sly smile, "but we do have a dance to get to." Harry let her go and she took his arm. The two of them headed downstairs to the great hall for the dance.
This was nothing like the dance he'd had to endure in his fourth year. Once they were inside and dancing, very slowly and very close together, Harry couldn't stop. He didn't want to stop. He just wanted to be there with Ginny, holding her all night long.
Harry didn't know what was different this time. It was still a dance, there was still music and things like that but Harry was having fun. Maybe, Harry thought, it's not about the dance at all. Harry's attention was drawn away and he spotted Ron and Hermione dancing together. She was shaking her head at him and Harry had the odd feeling that she was 'tutting' him.
She was wearing a very pretty dark red dress that was far less revealing than Ginny's. She winced and looked back at Ron to say something. He must have trod on her foot.
It was Ginny who finally said that she needed to sit down. She looked flushed. Harry went to get them drinks. Ron was sitting alone by the punch bowl he looked sullen and Hermione was nowhere insight.
"Ron," Harry asked concerned as he held the drinks in his hands, "Where's Hermione?"
"Oh, she had to go to the bathroom," Ron said. "Harry, I keep stepping on her feet, I'm so nervous, I feel horrible." Harry sat down next to him balancing the cups on he knees.
"A little advice," Harry said. "Don't think about dancing, just think about her and you'll get it right." Ron looked at him skeptically.
"Since when did you learn how to dance anyhow," Ron asked.
"Me? Oh it wasn't hard," Harry said jokingly. "It just like fighting really, you have to fight against your fear of making an ass of yourself instead of the person you're dancing with." Harry looked down the table to see Ginny looking at him wondering what the hold up was. "Sorry, mate gotta go. Just remember, avoid her feet."
It was very late when at last the dance concluded. A fair amount of people had stayed till the end, but it was not a large crowd. Except for a few breaks to rest, Ginny and Harry had danced the whole night. Harry had been able to spot Ron and Hermione again as the dance floor thinned out. Ther were not dancing as closely together as him and Ginny were, but at least Hermione didn't seem to be wincing anymore. Ginny had Harry by the arm as they headed for the doors to the great hall.
"Mr. Potter?" said a raspy voice from outside the doorway. Harry stopped, Ginny still holding onto his arm. A man stood in the shadows next to the archway. He had on a black hooded robe and Harry could not see his face.
"Yeah, that's me," Harry said looking at the man and readjusting Ginny's arm nervously. Harry wasn't sure who this person was, or what he wanted or even how he had gotten into the school, but Harry suddenly felt very aware that tonight he had not brought his baton with him and he had not gotten his new wand yet.
The man reached into his robe and Harry felt his heart jump. Slowly the man withdrew a long, black, polished, wooden box and held it out to Harry. Cautiously Harry took it not really sure what to expect. It couldn't be, this wasn't… his new wand, was it? Harry looked up at the man who waited expectantly, he seemed nervous. Harry pulled away the top of the black polished box. Sitting inside on a cushion of white cotton was a long black polished wand that almost seemed to glow in the torch light of the hallway.
With a shaking hand Harry moved to take it out. The wand vibrated as his hand got close to it, as though it couldn't wait for him to pick it up. Harry's hand hovered over the wand for a long moment and then Harry reached in and pulled it from the box. It was like the wand was vibrating in his hand. A swirl of flame spiraled up around the wand and erupted in a burst of magic at the tip. Harry looked at the long black wooden wand. It felt cool in his hand. It was just the right size and shape. It was almost like an extension of his arm. Except for Ginny he had never seen something so beautiful before in his life.
"It's incredible," Harry said looking back up at the hooded man. For a moment Harry had almost expected him to of vanish into the shadows but the man was still there. "Mr. Olivander?" Harry asked guessing. The man leaned closer and Harry could see some of his face, it was Olivander.
"Mr. Potter I have made wands all my life, I have seen wands crafted by greatest wand masters of all time but there has never been a wand made like the one you hold now." Intoned Mr. Olivander. "The tail feather of an unknown Phoenix makes it core combine with the flames of a Nightmare, eleven and a half inches long and made of raven wood."
"What's raven wood?" Harry asked he had never heard of that before.
"Raven wood comes from a very rare magical tree, it's very hard to obtain, I have never used it to make a wand before, but I felt that your wand needed it to be perfect," Mr. Olivander said. Harry looked at his new wand again. It was impressive beyond words. Even now Harry could feel the power within the wand.
"How much do I owe you for this?" Harry asked.
"Nothing," Mr. Olivander said quickly. Harry was surprised to say the least.
"Nothing?" Harry asked. "Surely there is some amount I can pay."
"Consider it a gift," Mr. Olivander said and Harry was sure this time the man sounded a little distraught.
"I can't just take it," Harry said feeling guilty. Mr. Olivander had obviously put a lot of hard work and time into this wand.
"I insist," Mr. Olivander said backing away. "Good evening to you, Mr. Potter." Harry turned the wand slowly in his hand admiring it. It was like light just vanished into it.
"Harry," Ginny said shaking his arm to remind him she was there.
"Sorry," Harry said pulling his eyes away from his wand to look at Ginny. Harry smiled at her.
"That was a little creepy," Ginny said looking after the man as he vanished down the hallway.
"Yeah," Harry said looking back at his wand. "I wonder why he wanted to be so mysterious. It really is an incredible wand though."
Authors Notes:
And we come round to my favorite part, the part where I don't have to remember any of the facts, character names, plots, story lines, romantic interest, events that have and haven't happened yet, or anything else about the story. I can just write out my thoughts and say whatever the hell I want. "Underpants"
For those of you who haven't read Hogwarts, a History… which would be everyone unless you wrote a book called Hogwarts, a History and then read it… note to self next book write: Hogwarts, a History… The way that the girls' dormitories work, at least in this story, is that boys can only enter up the stairs if they are escorted by a girl. In the specific case in question ('when Harry was taking Ginny up to her dorm after her animagus thing') he was holding Ginny in his arms, thus being escorted by a girl. As seen in pervious chapters, like chapter 14, boys can enter into the girls' dormitories, just not by themselves. I'm sorry if that was confusing for anyone. Invisibility also doesn't work, nor do magical spying devices or muggle video recorders, just to get those out of the way too.
I have to agree that moving the story into the 7th year would present a whole array of problems that I don't want to futz with. Eh it was just an idea. Readers can rest assured that no major update of this sort will take place.
As Alex and my editor both agree it is about damn time Harry got a new wand, yeah I know he went for a long time without it but believe me it was a necessary step.
Uh, hmmm lets see… next chapter I am planning to have stuff… possibly things happen… and a game of strip poker… and…. Yeah well let's just say its still in works at the moment
The end is coming soon, most because I want to write it soooooo much that I feel my head might just explode POP
Ahhhh my headdddddddd...
Thanks to all my readers and reviewers out there, at time of posting this story has gotten 4185 hits from faithful readers like you.
I am glad the people are enjoying my story! I have really enjoyed writing it so far its been a great experience, though my hands might disagree with me. Ack they heard me and are revolting, help, help they've got my nose hostage!
(some time later after a police intervention)
Please keep the reviews coming. Your ideas, opinions and plot hole discoveries are important to me!