Mr and Mrs Weasley sat dumbstruck by Ginny's bedside with Harry, Ron and Hermione.
"Four stunning spells," Madam Pomfrey reported grimly, "six broken bones, including a cracked skull and a concussion. All are easily enough fixed, except, " the furrow in Madam Pomfrey's brow deepened, "there is a spell that has been cast on Ginny that I cannot identify, and neither can the other healers from St Mungo's. Unfortunately, it seems to be causing Miss Weasley a lot of pain, but we are searching for a cure and hope to find one soon." The nurse retreaded to her office.
Mrs Weasley started crying into her husband's shoulder; but Harry had stoped his strangled sobbing hours ago. He now just sat ashen-faced, staring at Ginny with a sharp agony in his eyes. Hermione, the only one with any rationality left, for Ron was looking helpless too, noticed how her friend was looking.
"Harry?" she said, half-questioningly.
"It's always my fault," he said, his strained voice matching his pained eyes. "Voldemort killed my parents to get to me, he used Sirius as bait to lure me and Sirius died, he used Ginny as bait to get to me twice, and both times she almost died, and now she's in constant pain again because of her relationship with me. It's best not to love at all, the no one gets hurt." Abruptly Harry got up and walked off. Hermione could hear his dry, heartbreaking sobs as he went down the hallway and stood up to go after him, but then she saw Madam Pomfrey beckoning in her direction.
"Miss Granger," she said, "seeing that you're the only one here who's kept their head, I'm asking you to look after Harry. At the moment he is extremely upset and he needs your help before he goes so deep he gets depression."
So while Madam Pomfrey treated Ginny, Hermione treated Harry. Ginny was given intensive rounds of potions to rid her of the painful mystery spell, and Hermione tried her best to cheer up Harry while Lupin took a couple of days off work (he was employed by a private wizarding company to research cures for wolf bites) to teach Harry's classes, and was very surprised to see the second years performing at fourth-year standard.
"And," said Hermione that Friday, hesitating at what she was about to say, "Luna Lovegood wants to talk to you." Harry replied in a flat, lifeless tone.
"Well you might as well let her come in," he said. In truth, he was not exactly sure what Luna's blunt, painfully true statements would do to him. Hermione ushered in a girl with long, dirty blonde hair and backed out of the room.
"Best not to love at all, then no one gets hurt, not even yourself," came a strained whisper. Harry looked up sharply. This was the first time he had seen Luna totally aware of the situation and displaying strong feelings towards it. "That's what I told myself when my mother died and dad shut himself off from the world," she continued, her eyes full of pain. "But it was the wrong decision. When I shut myself off from love, I shut myself off from life. Life without feeling is like you aren't really there. You can watch, observe, but not take part. Don't waste the life you have, because once it's gone, it won't come back.
"All these years later, I tried to find what I love I had, but I've forgotten what it feels like. I'm alone now, but I don't want the same to happen to you." For the first time in her life Luna broke her promise to her mother, and a single tear ran down her cheek. "I burn myself just to make sure I still have a body; I do weird things just to make sure other people can tell if I'm still there. Don't be like me, Harry," said Luna desperately, "everybody would miss you too much. Because you wouldn't really be there." Looking at the hopelessness in Luna's eyes, Harry knew exactly what to say, and when he spoke his voice was full and rich again.
"Only love could have brought you to say that, Luna," he said, gripping her hand. "Love for your friends. You care about what happens to us, just like we'd miss you if you weren't there. That is love. Now, I'm going to go talk to Ginny. Do you want to come?" Luna, her face brighter than Harry had ever seen it, muttered something about needing to see someone and hurried off. Hermione was very relieved to see Harry strolling to the hospital wing with a smile on his face.
Once the right potion had been found, Ginny had healed quickly. That Monday, a week after the article in Witch Weekly was first released, was Ginny's first day back in classes. It was also her 18th birthday.
Ginny awoke in her dormitory early to find a stack of presents on the end of her bed. She opened them all, leaving Harry's until last. He had made the card himself; on the front was a picture of them holding hands by the lake: Ginny had seen that photo before on Harry's desk, and she too had a copy of it. Inside, the card said:
Dear Ginny,
If I could put a kiss into words I would. And just did, it seems. Anyway, if love is life, I'm living life to the full, being with you. I am giving you a little something to match your ring, and reminding you that you are loved like no other person is.
I hope your day is full of surprises,
Harry.
Ginny quickly tore the wrapping paper off Harry's present. Inside a little black box was a necklace that took her breath away. It was a golden chain so fine that it looked like a spider's web, and hanging off it was a wavy bar of pure gold that supported a line of gems in the same pattern that was on her engagement ring: sapphire, then emerald, then diamond.
"Woah, Ginny, who gave you that?" Came across the room from Jodie, one of Ginny's friends.
"Harry – I mean – Professor Potter," Ginny stuttered. Soon her bed was surrounded by four girls peering closely at the necklace.
"That's so sweet," said Anna, yet another girl, wistfully. "You are so lucky, Gin; my boyfriend would never write something like that."
"Believe me, Anna, when I say that there isn't an hour that goes by where I don't stop and think of how luck I am." Ginny suddenly smiled mischievously. "Now, I think we'd all better get moving, or we won't have time to put our makeup on before breakfast." Her statement caused a flurry of activity.
At breakfast Harry looked around the hall from his seat at the high table for Ginny, and when he managed to catch her eye she sent him a glowing smile, and putting her hand up to her neck she mouthed the words "thank you," while Harry smiled back.
When the owl post came Ginny had a surprise. Swooping down towards her was Hedwig. But when the owl landed Ginny could see that, in fact, it wasn't Hedwig: Hedwig had amber coloured eyes, while this snowy owl's eyes were brown like Ginny's own. The note it carried, though, was in Harry's handwriting.
Dear Ginny,
Happy birthday! I hope you like your new owl, and have fun naming him.
Love,
Harry.
Ginny and her friends cooed over the owl, exclaiming at how cute he was and tossing up names. Finally Beans was decided upon, much to the discomfort of Jodie, who had fought to the death for 'Moonshine,' and Ginny sent a note up to Harry with her new owl.
Hi, my name is Beans. My mistress thanks you, and more importantly, says she loves you. She also says that if you ever decide to leave her (which you shouldn't, because that would break her heart and then you would have five, maybe six depending on whether or not Percy's gotten over himself yet, brothers on your trail) she won't say a word, as long as you don't take back that necklace!
Laughing softly to himself, Harry went off to prepare for the third year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs.
Diving into her bag for a quill and ink during Charms after morning break, Ginny found her bag packed full to bursting due to a rather large box that someone had put in there. Pulling it out, Ginny saw that it was a large box of Honeyduke's chocolates. On it was stuck another note in Harry's distinctive writing.
Although you're already sweet enough, a girl can't have too many chocolates. (Or can she? I wouldn't know…….)
Ginny giggled and stuffed the box back in her bag.
At lunch Ginny saw Beans swooping towards her carrying something that appeared to be red and white. Puzzled, Ginny leaned forwards, only realising what her owl was carrying when he landed. She smelt her beautiful bunch of velvety red and white roses peacefully, before exhibiting them to her friends then going off with Anna to put them in a vase in their dormitory. When Harry had said in his card that he hoped her day would be full of surprises, Ginny hadn't known that Harry would make sure it was going to be that way.
Yet again when Ginny dived into her bag, this time for her DADA book in a free period, she found another unknown object blocking her way. This time, however, it was a book. Ginny opened it with apprehension, remembering Tom Riddle's diary, but she relaxed instantly when she read the first page of the otherwise blank book.
Dear Ginny,
This is a sort of two-way book. It is charmed with a sort of protean-like spell, so what is written in this will be visible in my book too. Your book will heat up when I write something, and yes, I do notice a similarity to the DA coins.
Love,
Harry.
Ginny smiled and simply wrote, thank you for everything. Harry, who was teaching second year Ravenclaws and Huffelpuffs, wrote back saying you're welcome.
The last surprise on Ginny's 18th birthday came late at night. Ginny was climbing the stairs to her dorm after having a chat with Romilda's old friend Vanessa; Romilda had kicked her out of her group of cronies when Vanessa had refused to attack Ginny, but now Vanessa was having trouble making new friends. Ginny's mind was still on that conversation when she pulled open the hangings on her bed.
On the bed lay Harry's final present, a new set of dress robes. They were a sparkling silver at the top, but the colour subtly changed as the robes went down, so by the time they reached the floor they were a deep emerald green. They were also a low cut, leaving Ginny's shoulders bare. As Ginny put them on Anna walked into the dormitory.
"Hey, Ginny, you look stunning!" she said in amazement. Are they from Professor Potter as well?"
"Probably," Ginny said absentmindedly, staring at herself in the mirror and fingering the necklace that sat perfectly in the hollow of her throat.
"Hey, look, Gin, there's a note attached." Anna reached forward und unpinned it.
A little something pretty to wear to Slughorn's party. Was all it said.
"It's definitely from Harry," Ginny said.