Big thanks go to Ally and ginny2442 for the reviews, hope you all enjoy this chapter and possibly (hint, hint, nudge, nudge) review :) Muchas Gracias! Now on with the show...
Chapter 6 – Hidden Depths
"So, explain it to me one more time, why did you run away from him?"
"I could ask you the same thing." Ginny shot back.
Perse and Ginny shared a look of amusement, they really were absurdly similar.
"Well, the reason I ran from Zabini was just because he's a complete weirdo, and I think anyone would have done the same in my situation," Persephone took a breath, "your turn!"
Ginny bit her lip broodingly.
"He wanted answers to questions I didn't know," she explained. Not meeting Persephone's shrewd gaze.
"Ok, and now the real reason…" Perse prompted. Ginny sighed long-sufferingly.
"I don't know ok? He was getting too close and I felt uncomfortable." Too close to what though? she questioned herself thoughtfully.
Persephone nodded and let the subject drop for the time being. There was a moment's pause.
"He joined auras with you," she marvelled once again, "that's pretty advanced magic that is. Pretty ancient too."
Ginny nodded in agreement, playing with her vivid hair. "Explains a lot though," she murmured, "like how I can tell you that right now he's writing an alternative to the Verisiterum potion and is being plagued by Pansy Parkinson." She sighed looking out the window at the darkening grounds, there seemed to be tiny little lights dancing across the grass and in the Forbidden Forest, but she thought it might just be the reflection on the window.
"Gin…" Persephone started. Ginny looked at her curiously, waiting for her to continue. "You don't think Malfoy could have like… feelings… for you or something, do you?"
Ginny's mouth dropped open in astonishment before promptly bursting into hysterical laughter. Her mirth drew stares from the rest of the Gryffindor common room, but she found she didn't really care.
She looked at Persephone to find her waiting patiently for Ginny to stop laughing. Once Ginny found she could talk after hearing the ridiculous notion, she threw Perse a grin, "yes and hell is getting mighty chilly these days."
Perse rolled her eyes and shook her head, such naivety, even for a sixteen year old.
# # #
Breakfast in the great hall was a cramped affair as usual. With everyone barely awake or functioning it usually developed into a comedy of errors. The chatter generally consisted of moaning about sleep, or the lack thereof. Ginny watched impassively, she was never very hungry in the mornings, but had found early on that she could function quite agreeably without sleep. Probably because I've gotten so used to bottling everything up that even when I feel grumpy I act the same, she considered vaguely.
Ron absent-mindedly filled his plate from Hermione's, who was presently buried in a huge tome entitled 'Dark & Light; the best and worst wizards ever recorded.' Which obviously looked completely fascinating. Well, from the way she was devouring it, it did.
Harry caught Ginny eyeing Hermione and her reading material dubiously and caught her eye with a roll of his. Then he smiled fondly, his grin taking in the people he cared about the most.
A year ago Ginny would have blushed and done something hideously embarrassing, but this time she didn't even return his smile. Perfect Potter gets enough attention anyway, the vehemence of her thoughts surprising her. In her peripheral vision she could see Harry frowning uncertainly.
There was a silence between their small circle of Gryffindors; the only noise being Ron's munching and the chattering from the other tables. Ginny cast a glance at Persephone to find her snoring soundly, fork still clutched in her hand, this caused Ginny to smirk slightly in amusement.
"Ginny, are you ok?" Harry queried gently, as though he was talking to a small child. I am not a child, idiot, her brain spat heatedly.
"If I wanted your help Potter, I would ask," Ginny snarled hotly.
At Harry's stunned look she slapped her hands over mouth, her eyes widening in disbelief. Why did I just say that?
Ginny quickly apologised and stuttered out something about having too little sleep before escaping the great hall like a bat out of hell.
Harry watched her go inquisitively; no one else at the table had even looked up. Too engrossed in eating, reading or sleeping, he thought derisively. Since when does Ginny call me Potter? And she sounded exactly like someone else… but I can't put my finger on whom.
At that moment Persephone started to snore (rather loudly) rapidly distracting the Gryffindor's attention.
# # #
By the time Ginny had arrived at her room, she had considerably calmed down, and now thought through the event rather more composed than before. She wasn't sure why she had snapped at Harry, in fact she wasn't sure why she'd snapped at all – it had never happened before.
She unceremoniously flopped on her bed, almost squishing the tiny fairy that hovered patiently on her pillow.
Ginny yelped in surprise before scrambling down the bed but got tangled in the hangings, so she ended up (somewhat painfully) on the floor.
The fairy laughed, her giggle sounding like someone tinkling tiny bits of glass together. Ginny pouted, narrowing her eyes in irritation, what the hell is a fairy doing in my room?
She quickly got to her feet, eyeing the fairy distractedly. Does it speak English? she wondered curiously. Her internal question was quickly answered.
"You are Ginevra Weasley, yes?" the fairy inquired in a liquid-like squeak.
Ginny nodded, arranging herself cross-legged on the end of the bed and studying the fairy enquiringly. She had never seen one before, but they were exactly how she imagined them from stories read to her when she was younger. The fairy had tiny translucent wings that fluttered occasionally; she had very long blonde hair and violet eyes that gave her an uncanny appearance. She also seemed to be wearing a sewn together leaf and petal for her dress.
"Yes, why do you want to know? What do you want?"
"My name is Mirabella, and I am Fae Fairy from Whistling Wood," the fairy announced importantly puffing up her small frame as impressively as she could.
"That doesn't answer my question," Ginny remarked in reply, she was feeling quite edgy today.
"Patience!" screeched the Fae, Ginny winced slightly as the sound penetrated right through her. Suddenly, out of nowhere, another fairy materialized next to Mirabella. "This is Patience," introduced the fairy succinctly. "Tell her why we are here," demanded the blonde fairy.
Ginny studied Patience thoughtfully, if Persephone had been a fairy that would be exactly how she would have looked, right down to the crystalline blue eyes.
"Hello Ginevra," the fairy started quite nervously, after a pause for thought she just dived straight into the story with the facts. "You are aware of the four elements, yes? Air, Water, Fire and Earth. Faes are the fairies of the elements, each of us are born under a certain season and therefore are committed to its element." She paused, passing a glance at Mirabella, who as it turned out was barely listening. "I am a Winter Fae, and Mirabella is a Spring Fae. But there is one other element that has little or no representation in the physical world."
Ginny thought hard, but never remembered being told of a fifth element at anytime in her life. Patience smiled, as though sensing her train of thought.
"This element is that of emotion, of internal feeling. And you, my child, have a very strong magical ability and therefore residue in this field. The last daughter to be born of emotion as a seventh child died at a very young age as her existence was too dangerous for the magical world. But you are stronger than her, and more balanced" The fairy smiled again, watching Ginny shyly.
Mirabella seemed to break out of her reverie, "Right, so now that has all been explained, we are here to warn you. And help you. You should be aware that Faes have kept to themselves for thousands of years and we are breaking tradition and lore by coming here at all," she said sternly.
Ginny nodded, still trying to take everything in. it's like being dropped in the middle of a story when no one told me the beginning! I'm a child of… emotion. How bizarre.
"The banshees have taken residence in the Forbidden Forest, under no circumstance go there." Mirabella's shrill tone interrupted her thoughts.
"No circumstance," affirmed Patience gravely.
"What do the Banshees want with me?" asked Ginny quickly; eager to finally understand why her life was under threat. And Draco's too.
"Banshees are a race of Faerie, but unlike us, they are attracted to death instead of life," explained Patience, her eyes sombre. "If you were converted to be a Banshee you would lose your soul and become pure emotion. You would be raised as Queen among them, and you would lead the banshee race out of the passive signalling of death and grant them the power to take life by themselves."
"Needless to say," piped up Mirabella, "this would cause widespread death, destruction and inevitably darkness. If you value your life you must never go near them."
Ginny had felt the colour drain from her face. Power, that's what she had felt on the train that fateful night, she had felt it coursing through her veins whilst her soul was being extracted. Ginny physically shuddered, feeling slightly sick, that would almost be worse than the dementor's kiss.
"There is a way we can help you though," whispered Patience quietly. "You must be aware sometimes that your dreams are too realistic? That is the beginning of power, your subconscious creates your dreams, and it can change them as well. Though with the element of emotion comes vast responsibility of course, bear this in mind. "
"With time, and practise, you may be able to project this power into the 'real' world and in this way be able to manipulate the world around you. This could save your life, and could dramatically tip the balance on the side of good." Mirabella quickly quieted, and both fairies cocked their heads, as if listening.
"We bid you good day," Patience said hurriedly, "we will meet again soon." With that, both fairies rose rapidly into the air, their tiny wings beating speedily. Each Fae placed a minute kiss on Ginny's cheek, and then vanished, as if they'd never been there.
At that exact moment the door blew open and Persephone stormed in, anger emanating from her in vibrant waves.
# # #
Severus Snape studied Dumbledore carefully. As always the ancient wizard gave nothing away except things he wanted the subject to know.
"Well what are we to do professor?" Snape asked impatiently. He had related the news that he had gathered from the 'Inner Sanctum' deatheaters, and it was not encouraging. Voldemort's first plan after gaining power and resources in the North was to come after Hogwarts in order to conquer the light as swiftly as possible before people would be able to react.
Dumbledore hummed thoughtfully, apparently not worried by Snape's shortness. "The world is changing so fast," he said thoughtfully. "This time next year we could be anywhere, doing anything."
Even dead, Snape mentally added.
Dumbledore's eyes took on a slightly harder quality. Finally, down to business.
"The older years will need schooling in the ways of the Dark Arts," Dumbledore said, slowly. "After all they cannot fight that which they do not understand. I have resisted teaching them anything that could bring possible darkness to this school, but now it is in their best interests. If Hogwarts should fall the last hope of the light would be extinguished."
"With you here, headmaster, I think it unlikely that Hogwarts would go down without a fight."
Dumbledore smiled in appreciation, to which Snape gave a curt nod.
"Yes I shall set up a Dark Arts Comprehension lesson for the last lesson on a Friday," the headmaster said contemplatively, turning to stand next to the window, "after all we can never be too prepared."
# # #
As the evening drew on, shadows detached and coalesced in Hogwart's hallways. The moonlight from the windows became distorted as soon as it entered the castle, casting weird and horrifying patterns on walls and staircases. In their beds every student slept soundly, but in their dreams they were tormented. Something foreign indeed was at Hogwarts, and as curtains blew and rustled in an invisible breeze it became more and more obvious that something was dreadfully amiss.