Over the next two days Harry and Ginny were forced to bear an onslaught of unwanted attention. Harry became a little short-tempered with his class, who thankfully were sympathetic, and Ginny seemed frequently on the verge of tears. Harry noticed the strain in her face and tried to get her to talk about, but Ginny seemed unwilling to let on just how stressed she was. But on Wednesday Ginny had a letter that made ger slightly happier, a letter from Hermione.

Dear Ginny,

I hope you're feeling all right. Having been accused of 'using' Harry before, I know how hard it can be. I just hope you don't have as many evil letters as I did. In fact, any letters addressed to Ginny that weren't carried by certain owls were opened, and if necessary, destroyed; a fact that Ginny was very grateful of, having been a witness of Hermione's mail and having no wish to try it herself. Harry says that it seems you don't want to talk to him about it, but you really should. If you don't let these feelings out as they come, by the time they do burst out you will be hysterical. Now, enough of that, and on to the main subject of my letter.

I am telling you know that I am pregnant in the hopes that it might distract you for a few hours. I have been pregnant for three months and I await your howler, telling me off for not saying anything earlier, in readiness and possibly with a fire extinguisher.

Love,

Hermione.

PS. Ron says he'll go and curse Lavender Brown for her comments in the article if it'll make you feel better. (He, of all people, would know where she lives.)

Ginny, suppressing a small scream, nearly ran up to the teachers' table, skidding to a halt at the last second. Harry, who's face had lit up with alarm when he saw Ginny's speeding pace, took up a curious expression. Ginny showed Harry the letter, being careful to hide the paragraph that mentioned him. Harry seemed delighted when he looked up from the letter, keeping on the table, with an effort, the arms that longed to hold his stressed lover.

"That's so great, Gin!" he said. "You're going to be an aunty!"

"And you'll be an uncle," Ginny added.

"Nah, not for a couple of months after the baby is born. If Hermione's three months, it'll be born around late May or early June."

"This is so exciting!" Ginny squealed. She looked brighter than she had since before the article came out, and Harry was satisfied that Hermione's wish of distracting Ginny had been fulfilled.

But on her way to dinner Ginny found herself confronted by Romilda. That was nothing unusual, Romilda tried to attack her at least once a week. What was unusual was the fact that Romilda had brought five of her friends from Ravenclaw and Gryffindor with her.

With an evil look Romilda yelled "Stupefy!" and watched Ginny topple to the floor.

Walking along that corridor ten minutes later, Harry looked around curiously; this was usually on of the most popular routes for students to take, but tonight it was deserted. He gave a choked cry when he saw the reason why.

There lay Ginny, obviously stunned and cursed with a body-bind. Her nose was broken, and an assortment of painful hexes and curses had been cast on her. Her face was a pale shade of grey, and her hair was matted with blood, making Harry suspect that she had hit her head on a nearby statue in her fall. Harry was terrifyingly reminded of the first glimpse the he had gotten of Ginny after Voldemort had tortured her.

Harry let out strangled sobs as he picked up Ginny as easily as if she was only six. Numb to anything but Ginny's laboured breathing, he was haunted by the vision of Ginny as she had looked after Voldemort had finished with her: her face had been the same pale shade of grey, it looked like a some of her bones had been broken and a lot of blood had been flowing freely. It was too much for Harry to bear; Ginny was still getting brief spasms of pain in her chest because of what had happened, and already she was hurt again because of him. The tears flowed as he looked at Ginny's face, so cold and hurt because she had dared to love. It wasn't fair.

Harry stumbled with the limp Ginny in his arms to the nearest office, which just happened to be Slughorn's. He could bareley muster the energy to knock on the door. Slughorn opened it at the feeble tap, took one shocked look at Harry's stricken, tear-streaked face and Ginny's blood-stained one and pulled Harry inside.

"Harry, m'boy, what happened?" Slughorn asked weakly as he helped Harry lower Ginny onto a couch and pour a shimmering, vapourish purple potion that he had yanked from his bag down her throat. Between sobs, Harry still managed to get out his reply with vehemence.

"I bet it was that evil Romlida Vane and her friends," he said. "I gave her three weeks detention for her comments in the article, and she's been trying to get at Ginny all year anyway. It's just all my fault that Ginny keeps on getting hurt." Harry's guilt overwhelmed him, and he went back to his own thoughts, tears still running down his cheeks.

"Harry, you need to take this potion, and then you can help me carry Miss Weasley to the hospital wing," said Slughorn, finally in control again. Harry drank the Calming Drought that was shoved into his hands, and then lightly picking Ginny up again, allowed himself to be steered out the door by the still slightly shaking Slughorn.