Chapter 23 – Some Won, Some Lost

Harry crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at the witch standing in front of him.

"State your terms," he said.

The red-haired witch grinned at him slyly. "Simple, Potter," she began, mimicking Harry's stance by crossing her arms across her chest. "A simple game of catch the Snitch. Loser has to cook supper for the winner."

Harry stared hard at Ginny as she stood her ground, daring him to accept. He was quite confident that he could win this game. He would never deny Ginny's exceptional ability at Quidditch, but her skills really helped her as Chaser, not so much as Seeker. Of course, Harry also had the fastest broom at Hogwarts.

Harry cocked his head to one side in thought. "What will the loser cook?"

Ginny smiled, her eyes sparkling. "Winner's choice."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Ginny nodded, never wavering her eye contact with Harry.

Harry smiled. "I hope you know how to cook steak, Weasley."

Ginny narrowed her eyes at Harry. "So, you accept the terms, then?"

Harry held his hand out to her. "Agreed."

Ginny slipped her small hand into Harry's and shook it to seal the deal.

It was Friday night, and Ginny had not forgotten about the challenge that surfaced before Quidditch practice on Monday night. Of course, Harry could really care less about the challenge itself. After another grueling week, including hours of extra work from Snape, Harry did not need an excuse to hit the Quidditch pitch for some flying. He longed for the release that flying always gave him. The fact that he'd be flying with a certain red-haired witch made no difference whatsoever, or so he told himself.

Harry watched Ginny as she opened the Quidditch supplies case to retrieve a practice Snitch. Parvati's accusation earlier in the week that Harry had romantic feelings for Ginny had Harry reeling. Although Harry had thought his mind would be free from frivolous thoughts about girls after he had broken it off with Parvati, he found he was thinking even more on the subject. About one girl in particular, if he was being completely honest with himself. He was completely flabbergasted by Parvati's allegation. It was completely absurd, he told himself. Ginny was the one who had a crush on him – or at least she used to. It was true, they had grown closer over the summer, but they had simply gone from being acquaintances to being best friends. To outsiders, Harry reasoned, their close friendship may appear as something more, especially when compared to previous years. But, the facts were simple. Harry and Ginny were friends. That was it. End of story.

So why did his heart race and his face flush every time she was near?

Harry hadn't quite figured that one out yet. But he was determined to do so. Tonight.

"You ready to eat my dust, Potter?"

Harry blinked and shook his head as Ginny's voice penetrated his thoughts. He moved his eyes to meet hers and felt his heart beat rapidly. She held the Snitch in one hand, and her broom in the other. One of her eyebrows was raised in question and her eyes were sparkling with amusement.

Harry smirked at Ginny. "The only thing I'll be eating is a thick, juicy steak."

Ginny grinned. "We'll see about that." She let the Snitch go, and they watched as it zoomed around them, and then flew high above them and disappeared. Ginny and Harry faced each other and straddled their brooms. Ginny stared hard at Harry. "On the count of three. One. Two. Three."

They both kicked hard off the ground and went soaring into the sky. Harry flew several laps around the pitch, not even looking for the Snitch. He glanced around and saw Ginny doing much of the same. He made several dives and loops, feeling the exhilaration from the stunts. He saw Ginny hovering a few feet above him, shaking her head and grinning at him.

"Are you trying to impress me, Potter?" Ginny called teasingly.

Harry pulled up and hovered in front of her. He grinned at her. "I don't know, am I?"

Ginny laughed and rolled her eyes. "Why would you need to impress me, Harry?"

Harry's heart thudded against his ribcage as he took in Ginny's flushed cheeks and teasing grin. Why would he need to impress her? Does one usually need to impress friends? Harry didn't think so.

Harry swallowed and shook his head. "I'm just trying to intimidate you with my flawless skills and abilities."

Ginny snorted. Harry grinned as Ginny surveyed him thoughtfully. He saw her eyes dart to the side, and then return to his. "You're awfully conceited for someone that's about to lose."

Harry cocked an eyebrow at her and was about to retort when Ginny suddenly darted to his left with a burst of speed. Harry quickly turned around and swore under his breath as he saw Ginny racing after the Snitch. Harry pressed himself against his broom as he chased after Ginny. She had a good head start. The cool evening air rushed against Harry, causing his eyes to water as he accelerated toward the ground. He was gaining on Ginny. The Snitch suddenly darted to the left and then up. Harry was now at the advantage as Ginny had to pull her broom up against her fast descent. The Snitch began to zigzag across the pitch, and Harry and Ginny were now side by side. Harry chanced a glance at Ginny. Her eyes were narrowed and a look of sheer determination was spread across her face. He almost felt like letting her win. Almost.

Harry turned his attention back to the Snitch. They were within a few metres. Harry pressed his body low, and burst ahead of Ginny. He reached his hand forward, and easily captured the Snitch. Harry turned his broom sharply to face Ginny and flaunt his victory. Unfortunately, she was much closer than Harry had realized, and his abrupt stop had not been anticipated. Ginny crashed into him, knocking them both off their brooms, and tossing them to the ground below.

Harry felt the air push forcefully out of his lungs as he landed flat on his back. He struggled to breathe in, his eyes tightly closed as the pain of his body crashing into the hard earth shot through him. The sound of ragged breathing beside him brought Harry back to his senses. His eyes shot open and he rolled to his side. Ginny was lying face down and not moving. Harry's heart pounded as he pushed himself to his knees and crawled over to Ginny. He could see her back rise and fall in sharp, uneven movements.

"Are you okay, Gin?" Harry asked, resting his hand on her shoulder.

Ginny nodded her head against the ground. "Just…catching…my…breath," Ginny rasped.

Harry nodded as he struggled to regain his own ability to breathe properly. He felt the Snitch struggle against his still-clenched fist. Harry allowed his body to fall to the ground beside Ginny, his hands resting on his chest as he took in deep, heavy breaths.

"I suppose you're going to use this as an excuse to get out of cooking me supper," Harry said.

Ginny turned her head to look at Harry, her eyes glinting mischievously. "Would it work?"

Harry chuckled as he turned his head to look at her. "No."

Ginny put on her best pout. Harry found himself staring at her, and began imagining ways to wipe that pout from her lips … preferably with his own.

Harry turned his head abruptly and stared at the sky above him. His heart pounded noisily in his chest. What was going on? Harry pressed his eyes shut as his mind began a slide show in his head: Ginny's hesitant smile as he opened his gift from her on his birthday; Ginny's eyes flashing with excitement after her first roller coaster ride; Ginny's cheeks flushed with anger after slapping Harry hard across the face; Ginny's eyes red and puffy after sharing her story of the Chamber of Secrets with Mr. Brooks; Ginny's threatening glare after he called her Red in the common room; and Ginny's irresistible smirk when she challenged him to their game of catch the Snitch. Harry tried to close his mind to the images, willing them to go away. But it was all in vain. Harry turned his head and found Ginny still pouting at him. His heart stopped as realization sunk in.

He was head over heels for Ginny Weasley.

And there was nothing he could do about it.

Harry felt his throat constrict as he stared into Ginny's eyes. They had returned to their mischievous sparkle that he so adored.

Stupid git! What had he done? How could he have not realized what was happening? If he had, then he could have prevented it, or at least stopped it before it got to this all-consuming, life or death, feeling that he now had. Oh, this was going to be torture. How does one survive falling for his best friend – wait…correction – his very unavailable, taken, currently in a relationship with his dorm mate best friend? Yes, he was definitely done for.

"Knut for your thoughts, Harry?"

Harry blinked and realized he had been staring at Ginny. He felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment. Ginny was no longer pouting, but a small smile played at the corner of her mouth. Harry could never remember finding a girl's mouth so intriguing before, but he found Ginny's fascinating.

"Earth to Harry!" Ginny said, pushing herself up to lean on her elbows.

Harry blinked and shook his head. "Pardon?"

Ginny laughed. "I'm beginning to wonder if you hit your head on that fall. Are you sure you're okay?"

No.

"Yes, I'm fine," Harry lied.

Ginny raised an eyebrow at Harry. "I guess that means you haven't forgotten the terms of our agreement?"

Harry chuckled, feeling as though he was slowly becoming more himself again. "No, I haven't forgotten, and don't even try pouting," Harry warned.

"I'm not pouting," Ginny replied, pouting.

Harry groaned. "Supper, Gin. You're cooking."

Ginny sighed and pushed herself up to sit cross-legged. "Fine. I guess you won it fair and square. I was so sure I was going to win, though. I've been on a winning streak this week."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Other than correctly predicting the actions of half of the girls in Hogwarts concerning my newfound eligibility, who else are you stealing money from?"

Ginny crossed her arms. "I did not steal your money, Harry. I won it."

Harry pushed himself up to sit cross-legged in front of Ginny. "True enough. Now, who else has been suckered into a wager with you?"

Ginny cocked an eyebrow at Harry. "You make me sound like some kind of manipulative trickster."

"Who else, Gin?" Harry pressed.

Ginny grinned, her eyes sparkling. "Hermione."

Harry laughed and looked at Ginny incredulously. "You won a bet with Hermione? How'd you manage that?"

Ginny shrugged her shoulders as the smile slid from her face. She moved her gaze to the grass by her feet, and said softly, "I just know my boyfriend better than Hermione."

Harry frowned at Ginny. There was something in the tone of her voice that disheartened him. A stab of anger dashed through Harry as he wondered what the Great Git Dean had done.

"Did Dean do something to hurt you?" Harry asked, struggling to keep his voice even.

Ginny sighed. "No. Well, not really."

"Not really?" Harry repeated, feeling his anger rise toward the Great Git.

Ginny looked at Harry hesitantly. Ginny hung her head and mumbled, "hedidnskmetohosme."

"Pardon?"

Ginny sighed as she began pulling out blades of grass. "He didn't ask me to Hogsmeade."

Harry stared at Ginny. The hurt was evident in her voice, and Harry began to imagine several hexes he would like to try on Dean. More importantly, however, he wanted to do anything to make her feel better, even if that included trying to make the Great Git look good.

"Maybe he just assumed you were going together, since, you know, you're dating and all," Harry said.

Ginny shook her head and laughed softly. "No, Harry. He made plans to go with Seamus and Lavender just before I came out here."

Harry's jaw dropped. "You're kidding me!"

Ginny raised her eyes to Harry's. "Nope."

Harry clenched his fists. "Stupid git."

Ginny shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever. It's not like we need to spend every waking minute together."

Harry knew Ginny was trying to brush off the Great Git's indiscretion. She obviously didn't want to make a big deal of it, so neither would he. Instead, Harry decided to change the subject.

"So, when do I get my supper?" Harry asked.

Ginny's face brightened. "How about tomorrow? I won't be long in Hogsmeade now, so I'll have lot's of time to prepare."

Harry grinned. "Tomorrow sounds perfect."

If Dean wasn't smart enough to spend time with Ginny on a Hogsmeade weekend, Harry would gladly keep her company.

Harry sat in the common room late Saturday afternoon surrounded by textbooks, inkbottles, and rolls of parchment. He had dragged himself out of bed early to see his friends off to Hogsmeade. He had to do a fair bit of convincing to get Ron and Hermione to actually leave; they had finally relented and promised to come back early. At that point, Ginny had invited Ron and Hermione to the supper she was preparing for Harry. She argued that it was easier to cook for a larger group anyway, and since Ron ate the equivalent of five regular-person meals, it would give her the opportunity to prepare a 'proper' meal. Ron had rolled his eyes, commenting that Ginny was sounding more like their mother every day.

Harry had tried not to feel too disappointed when Ginny had extended the invitation to Ron and Hermione. He had looked forward to spending time with Ginny, but reminded himself that there was no reason for them to spend time alone. It's not like they were dating, or that they ever would. After all, Harry had made a decision to get over this silly crush (although he was worried it may be more than a crush) straight away. As he had stared at the canopy over his bed last night analyzing his revelation about Ginny, he knew it was a hopeless situation. There were too many reasons why he could not have feelings for Ginny Weasley. Therefore, he had to get over her. Quickly. Before it was too late.

Harry stretched his arms above his head. He had been working non-stop all day. He was quite proud of the work he had accomplished already. He even ventured a guess that he would be ahead of Hermione in some of the work. Of course, he wouldn't hold his breath on that one; she was quite mad when it came to homework. Nevertheless, he had accomplished more than he thought he could. Now he could enjoy himself tonight without the nasty weight of homework hanging over his head.

Harry's thoughts moved to his lessons that week. Harry had expected Parvati to return to being Lavender's partner in their classes. To Harry's surprise, she continued to sit with him. She pointed out that they worked well together, and hoped that they could both be mature enough to continue to work together. Harry had agreed. Parvati really wasn't all that bad. She was a nice enough person. They just really did not work well together as a couple. They had both realized that and came out of the relationship rather unscathed. Parvati had even made a point to ask Harry before she left that morning if there was anything she could get him in Hogsmeade. Harry shook his head, thinking it was really too bad he was complete rubbish at dating. Yet another reason to get over Ginny. He couldn't risk ruining his friendship because he was completely inept at anything that had to do with girls.

Harry sighed and returned to his homework. The afternoon was fading, and it would soon be time to meet Ginny.

"Come in!" Ginny's voice floated through the closed door of the Room of Requirement.

Harry turned the doorknob and did a double take when he walked through the door. The Room of Requirement had made itself into the spitting image of the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. The image was so exact, that Harry turned around to look at the Hogwarts hallway behind him to verify his whereabouts. He stepped forward, allowing the door to shut behind him. He gazed around the familiar surroundings as a grin spread across his face.

"Do you like it?" Ginny asked as she bustled into the room carrying a tray with bottles of Butterbeer. Harry smiled at her.

"It's brilliant," Harry commented truthfully.

Ginny's face lit up as she grinned at Harry, causing his traitorous stomach to flip. "I figured if we can't take you to Hogsmeade, we'd bring Hogsmeade to you."

Harry smiled as he gazed at Ginny. "Thank you."

Ginny shrugged and set the bottles of Butterbeer on the table. "Would you like a drink?"

Harry nodded and walked to the table that Ginny had set the drinks on. He picked up a bottle, uncorked it, and took several deep gulps. He closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth of the Butterbeer sliding down his throat. Ginny grabbed a bottle for herself, and plopped down in a chair. Harry found himself watching her as she raised the bottle to her lips. Ginny took several sips, and then licked the foam from her lips. Harry stood motionless, mesmerized.

"Something wrong, Harry? Do I have something on my face?" Ginny asked.

Harry started and realized he had once again been staring unabashedly at Ginny. What is wrong with me? he asked himself. He felt his cheeks colour as he sat in a chair opposite Ginny. "No, sorry. I was…er…just thinking."

Ginny raised a questioning eyebrow at Harry, but decided not to pursue it. Instead, she commented, "I thought you were Ron and Hermione. I asked them to come early to help me get ready. Have you seen them?"

Harry shook his head, glad that he had skirted yet another awkward moment with Ginny. "No. I haven't seen them since they left this morning."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I imagine they're off snogging at Madame Puddifoot's or the like."

Harry snorted. "I'd rather not think about that."

Ginny pulled her face into a grimace, which Harry noted was still a picture of beauty, and said, "Neither would I."

"What were they supposed to help you with? Maybe I can help," Harry said.

Ginny shook her head. "No thanks. You really should be scolding me for asking for Ron and Hermione's help. You could argue that asking for help breaks the terms of our agreement."

"Did you cook the supper for tonight?" Harry asked.

"Yes."

"Then the terms have been fulfilled. It was your decision to make more work for yourself by inviting Ron and Hermione, so I don't think you're cheating by asking for help."

Ginny frowned. "You're not upset that I invited them, are you, Harry?"

Oh, bugger.

"Er … no, of course not," Harry replied, trying to sound believable. "The more the merrier, as they say."

Ginny surveyed Harry as she bit her bottom lip. "I'm sorry. I didn't even think to ask you if you would mind."

Harry shook his head, feeling his cheeks burn. He swallowed and replied, "Why would I mind?"

Ginny shrugged. "Well, I don't know about you, but sometimes I find that a break from those two isn't such a bad thing."

Harry shrugged. "I'm so busy that I hardly see them anymore, or you, for that matter."

Ginny leaned her elbows on the table as she studied Harry intently. "How are you doing with all that inordinate amount of work, Harry?"

Harry shrugged as he spun his bottle on the table with his hand. "So far, so good. I mean, I'm pretty much exhausted all the time, but otherwise things are going well."

Ginny surveyed Harry thoughtfully. "If you're exhausted, maybe you need a break."

Harry shrugged. "That's what weekends are for."

Ginny snorted. "Right. How much time did you spend relaxing today?"

Harry eyed Ginny. She was staring at him with a mixture of accusation and concern.

"How long have I been here?" Harry asked jokingly.

Ginny sighed. "Harry, you need time to recuperate from your busy schedule. If you don't, you'll go crazy."

"I don't have time to recuperate," Harry said shrugging.

"You need to make time, Harry. You're a teenager. Once in awhile you should act like one."

Harry stared hard at Ginny. He tried not to feel angry by her words. He knew she was right. He was, in fact, a teenager, and he rarely, if ever, acted like one. But he didn't really have that luxury. Sure, most blokes his age spent much of their time goofing off with friends and chasing after girls, but Harry did not. He could not. Wasn't his attempt to have a relationship with Parvati a perfect example of how Harry could not be a 'normal' teenager? He was not normal, how could he expect anything in his life to be?

"I can't, Ginny," Harry replied.

Ginny narrowed her eyes at Harry. "Harry, you, more than anyone, deserve to act foolish sometimes. You've put up with so much in your life, you have every right to shirk responsibility now and then and have fun."

"Ginny, I'm not one to 'shirk responsibility'," Harry said.

Ginny moaned and put her forehead in her hands. "I know, I know. It's one of the things I love about you."

Harry stared at Ginny with his mouth hanging slightly open. He was having a hard time moving beyond the part where Ginny said that there was something about him that she loved.

She had used those words, right? I wasn't imagining it. Yes, yes, she did use those words. But, it doesn't mean anything. It's one of those platonic, 'love you like a brother' things. Nothing worth getting your knickers in a twist over, Potter.

Ginny continued her rant. "But you've got to have fun too, Harry. If you don't, you'll go mad and probably take the rest of us with you."

"I have fun when I'm with you," Harry blurted, and immediately felt like crawling under the table.

Bloody hell! I did not just say that, I did not just say that…

Ginny surveyed Harry, her forehead wrinkled as though she were trying to decipher a puzzle. Her face then softened as she smiled. "Well, maybe we need to spend more time together, then."

Harry felt his face redden. Harry cleared his throat. "So, what do you think happened to Ron and Hermione? Shouldn't they be here by now, even if they decided to skive off their helping duties?"

Ginny sighed and looked at her watch. "Yeah. I can understand Ron being late, but not Hermione. Something must have come up. Shall we get started without them?"

Harry shrugged. "Sure. Their loss."

Ginny smiled as she stood. "Very well, Mr. Potter. Prepare your taste buds to be dazzled."

Harry grinned as he watched Ginny sweep from the room to the adjoining kitchen. If Ginny was half the cook that her mother was, Harry knew he was in for a treat.

Ginny returned momentarily with two plates piled high with food. She set them down on the table before settling into her own seat.

"This looks amazing, Ginny," Harry said, his mouth watering as his eyes took in the thick steak, mound of potatoes, and pile of grilled vegetables on his plate.

Ginny lifted her Butterbeer bottle towards Harry for a toast. "To having fun."

Harry blushed, but raised his glass to Ginny. "To having fun … and winning bets."

Ginny stuck her tongue out at Harry before clinking her bottle against his. They both took a sip from their bottles and turned their attention to their plates. Harry grasped his fork and knife, anxious to taste the steak he'd been thinking about all day. Harry cut into his steak, the juices spilling onto his plate. The meat was tender, and cooked just the way he liked it. Harry smiled at Ginny, who was watching him expectantly. He raised his fork to his mouth –

"Harry Potter! Harry Potter, sir!"

Harry dropped his fork in surprise and it clattered noisily to the table. Harry turned his head and saw Dobby rushing into the room.

"What is it Dobby?" Harry asked, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice. "I'm about to eat."

Dobby nodded, but tugged at Harry's sleeve. "Dobby apologizes, sir. But Mr. Wheezy is in trouble."

Harry's face blanched as he felt his stomach drop to his knees. Harry glanced at Ginny, whose eyes were wide as she stared at Dobby.

"What do you mean, Dobby?" Harry asked.

"An attack, sir. An attack in Hogsmeade. Dobby was cleaning in Professor Dumbledore's fireplace when an urgent message came in, burning Dobby, sir. The message says students attacked in Hogsmeade."

Harry's mouth felt as though it were full of cotton. His heart thudded in his chest as his mind raced. He looked at Ginny. Their eyes met and a silent agreement was made. Harry and Ginny stood up and raced out of the room.

"Thank you, Dobby!" Harry called over his shoulder as the door to the Room of Requirement shut behind him.

Harry and Ginny ran full speed down the corridor and down the stairs leading to the main entrance. They passed several students on the way, and Harry cursed at a Slytherin fourth year that refused to move out of the way. Harry jumped down the final four stairs in one leap and ran across the Entrance Hall towards the doors. Several aurors stood watch, and held their arms up to block the way.

"I need to go to Hogsmeade," Harry panted, trying to dodge the aurors' arms.

"No, Mr. Potter. You will stay here," one of the aurors stated authoritatively.

"Please," Ginny cried. "We know there's been an attack. We want to help."

The aurors glanced at one another, but stood firm. "No students are to leave the castle."

Harry groaned and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Ginny asked the aurors pleadingly.

The aurors crossed their arms and shook their head.

Harry glanced at Ginny. Her eyes were wide with fright, but also with annoyance. Harry could see the Weasley temper bubbling just under the surface of her well-composed face.

"I'm sorry, Gin," Harry said, feeling helpless and beginning to pace around the Entrance Hall.

Ginny crossed her arms and glared at the aurors. They ignored her, which only seemed to infuriate her further.

"We can't just stand here and do nothing!" Ginny cried after several minutes.

Harry stopped his frantic pacing and looked at Ginny. Her face was pale, and all traces of her temper were gone. Instead, she looked worry-stricken. Harry wished he had something to say to give her comfort, but he knew there were no words that would ease the tension. Instead he walked over to her and put his arm around her. Ginny leaned her head against Harry's shoulder, wrapping her arms around his waist. They stood and waited.

The castle was eerily quiet. The students that had already returned from Hogsmeade seemed to have returned to their respective dormitories. There were not even students moving to or from the Great Hall. Harry and Ginny stood alone, except for the two aurors guarding the doors.

Three-quarters of an hour later, Harry and Ginny broke apart as the sounds of footsteps could be heard clambering up the stairs leading to the castle. Harry and Ginny turned to stare at the door, waiting.

A rush of students poured through the doors. They had obviously been in Hogsmeade during the attack. Many of them were scratched, bruised or bleeding. Those that didn't appear to have any injuries wore a haunted look on their face. The students were surrounded by aurors, and Professor McGonagall led them into the Entrance Hall.

"Everyone is to go straight to their dormitory. Those students that require medical attention will be collected by their Head of House. The aurors will escort you to your rooms."

The students began shuffling their separate ways. Harry watched in horror as student after student walked past him, the smell of battle still clinging to them. Ginny gasped beside him and tugged on his arm.

"There they are!" she exclaimed.

Harry looked in the direction she was pointing and saw Ron and Hermione walking through the doorway. They were directing several Gryffindor students toward the staircase. Ron had several scratches across his cheek while Hermione's hair nearly stood on end with electricity.

"Ron!" Ginny called.

Ron's eyes fell on Harry and Ginny, and he steered Hermione in their direction.

"What happened?" Harry and Ginny both asked.

Ron ran his fingers through his hair. "They came out of nowhere. One minute we were having a nice walk, and the next, there were Death Eaters apparating everywhere."

"What did they want?" Harry asked, his mouth dry.

Ron shrugged. "Don't know. They seemed pretty happy just to cause as much destruction as they could."

Harry swallowed. "Do you…do you think they were looking for me?"

Hermione glanced at Ron hesitantly. "I think they knew you weren't going to be there, Harry."

Harry narrowed his eyes at Hermione. "What makes you say that?"

Hermione bit her lip. "There's something you need to know…"

Harry stared at Hermione impatiently, his heart pounding frantically in his chest.

"What?" Harry asked.

"It's – " Hermione began.

"It's all your fault!"

Harry stumbled as a set of hands pushed him forcefully in the chest. Harry regained his balance and stared at his attacker.

"Padma?"

Padma Patil pounded her fists against Harry's chest as tears streamed down her face. "It's all your fault, Harry. She should have never gone alone! But she was too upset… they knew about the two of you… but it was you they wanted. Why didn't they take you? Why weren't you there instead? I warned her about you, but she wouldn't listen. You're always saving everyone, why didn't you save her? Why weren't you there to save her, Harry? Why ….why?" Padma broke down crying.

Harry stood frozen in complete shock as his ex-girlfriend's twin sister sobbed into his chest. Harry looked at Ron and Hermione questioningly.

Ron and Hermione glanced at each other and then looked at Harry.

"Parvati's gone."