Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.

Chapter Twenty- Nine

Don't Shoot the Messenger

The punch to Harry's mouth sent a shriek of pain shooting through his lips, teeth, tongue, facial muscles, head and neck. He fell to the ground knowing, but not really knowing, what hit him until his rear end and tailbone felt the shock of the hard ground. He remembered that Neville had just decked him, and why, just as Neville was gearing up to fly on top of him and continue the assault. Harry rolled quickly to his side, and this time it was Neville who fell hard. "Wait! Neville, why are you attacking me?" Harry asked plaintively. This was the second time today he'd been threatened. "She's not running off with me, Neville!" He felt the blood trickling down his hand and neck as he checked out whether his jaw would actually allow him to consume solid foods again.

Neville grimaced in pain while he shot daggers with his eyes at Harry. "I know she's not running off with you, Potter. But this is all your fault."

"My fault? My fault? How in the world can you figure this is my fault, Neville?" Harry couldn't believe his ears. He'd never, ever heard Neville call him by his surname, for one thing. For another thing, what he was saying was ludicrous and outrageous. "I came to tell you because you're my friend, Neville. I'd never have done something like this. You know that!"

Harry thought back to how he'd gotten into this predicament in the first place. Although he did consider Neville his friend, and certainly felt sorry for him given Ginny's outlandish behavior, he never would have wanted to volunteer to tell Neville the awful news. When he, Ron and the girls had gone back to The Burrow, they'd all assumed that Ginny would be the one to tell Neville. The Weasley's felt likewise, but she flatly refused. Continuing her bizarre, reckless and thoughtless behavior, Ginny stated that she couldn't care less how Neville found out about the baby or her plans with Stan. "I never loved Neville. He's a wimpy toad who's way outlived his usefulness to me."

"Usefulness! Young lady, what can you possibly mean? Usefulness? Certainly we raised you better than this!" Arthur Weasley implored, completely dumbfounded.

"Ginny, dear, you can't mean that. I know how strange and not-yourself you can feel after a baby comes, believe you me. But that's no way to talk, and you know it," Molly tried cajoling her daughter.

"It's not just a way to talk, Mother, it's the truth. Neville has always been good to have around to get what I want. Remember? I got to go to the Yule Ball. I was the envy of every girl in my class. He was all silly and starry-eyed, and didn't even realize I went so I could spy on Harry. What an ejit. And he was surely good for getting pregnant- I'm surprised he hit on the first try, to be honest! I thought for sure I could get Harry to sleep with me soon after, then he'd have to marry me. He'd think it was his baby. So maybe the baby wouldn't be as cute, but how would he know? Neville and Harry have the same coloring, same height- how would anyone know! She'll probably have Weasley red hair anyway! And then my engagement to Neville was supposed to make Harry crazy with jealousy, and drop you like yesterday's news, my dear George. But that didn't happen, did it? You really got your hooks into him, didn't you George?" Ginny was raving like the lunatic she'd become, and slowly advancing on George in a menacing fashion.

"Hold on right there, Ginny!" Harry swiftly stepped between her and George. "George has nothing to do with this. Ginny, this is all about you. You're sounding crazy. You can't mean the things you're saying. You know, I did love you once. Now I can't imagine how I could ever have loved someone so conniving and manipulative. Using Neville to get to me! Neville is a good person, Ginny. He doesn't deserve this. Your family doesn't deserve this!" Harry was wound up now with righteousness. Someone had to get through to Ginny. But there was no hope.

Ginny now advanced on Harry. "Loved me? Loved me?" she laughed in a cold and frightening way. "I knew you were only going out with me until someone better came along. Someone brighter. Someone beautiful. Someone more powerful." Now Ginny turned a cold stare at George. "In the meantime, you'd just run off whenever it was time to save the world, leaving me behind. I'm no fool, Harry. And if I had my wand right now, I'd finish off what Voldemort started."

Harry and the rest of the on-looking family and friends all gasped in disbelief, and fear. They were staring at Ginny as if it were the first time they'd seen her. And in truth, it was the first time they'd really seen her. Arthur was the first to speak. "Molly dear, she must be hexed. Someone's put a curse on our poor little girl." He looked straight at Ron and Harry as he said it, and they knew immediately what he wanted them to do. A subtle nod, and the two rushed Ginny and grabbed her before she could harm Harry, George, herself or the baby. Molly, Hermione and George gasped again.

"Sorry, sis. You're not yourself. Has to be this way," Ron yelled as he pulled Ginny's arms behind her.

He shifted out of the way as Harry raised his wand at Ginny alone, "Petrificus totalus!" The simple charm had its desired effect, and Ron stepped away from his frozen sister. "What now?" Harry asked, directing the question to anyone who had a possible answer.

"I don't really know," Mr. Weasley said, almost in tears. "I don't really know." Molly was weeping, and soon Hermione, Ron and George were fighting back tears as well. For all the venom Ginny had directed her way, George couldn't help feeling sorry for the Weasley family. They seemed like such wonderful, loving people. How had they ever gotten so unlucky as to have such a miserable young woman as a daughter?

Harry was overwhelmed- everything Ginny had disclosed, the way she'd threatened both himself and George. In a million years, he never could have foreseen this conclusion to Ginny's surprise pregnancy. What to do? What to do? He couldn't let the Weasley's be lost and unhappy. He had to do something. He had to help them. They were the only family he'd ever known or loved, and he had to figure out what needed to be done. "I'm going to tell Neville," he announced to the room.

"What? What are you saying dear?" Molly asked quietly, slowly stopping her sobbing at the chance of some immediate relief.

"My boy, my boy, we couldn't ask you to do this. Really," Arthur said in a not-very-convincing way. While he meant what he said, he was relieved as well that Harry had stepped up to help. "If you're going to go, at least let me go with you," he offered sincerely. "I am her father. It's only right that I should be with you."

"I appreciate that sir, and I'm not trying to overstep my bounds. It's just that I was going to suggest that you come with me to Hogwarts to talk to Dumbldore. I think he'll be able to decide if she's been cursed, and what to do. Mrs. Weasley and Ron need to stay here and take care of Ginny. Then perhaps you and I can go to see Neville's grandmother, if he doesn't want to tell her himself- or alone."

Everyone couldn't help smiling. In their grief and their worry they'd needed someone to take control, and Harry had come up with a solid plan. "Yes, yes. That's exactly what we'll do," Mr. Weasley said. "Best be on our way."

"Wait, Arthur. We've all been through quite a lot, and poor Ginny's fine- although she does look a fright. I think we should all take a moment to catch our breaths, and have some tea. You'll both need your strength, and I guess Ron and I will too, in a way," Molly said, looking lovingly at her sixth red-headed boy.

Hermione seconded the suggestion, looking at the uncertainty on Harry and Mr. Weasley's faces. "I know it sounds a little strange, taking a break and all after what Ginny's just said, but I think Mrs. Weasley's right. I for one am feeling light-headed, and it might be a good idea to talk through exactly what Harry should say to Neville. It's going to be a difficult discussion, no matter what."

Ron nodded lovingly at her and astounded everyone when he said, "I'll put on the kettle."

With that, Harry and Mr. Weasley propped the frigid Ginny up against the living room wall, and moved into the warm Weasley kitchen with the rest of the group. "George dear, we haven't even really met, but I want you to know that Mr. Weasley and I are so sorry for what Ginny said, dear," Molly glanced at Arthur for confirmation as she addressed Georgia.

"Yes, yes. She's not herself, as you can see. I wish you could have known Ginny before this...er, well, you know," Arthur explained apologetically.

"Please don't worry or think on it another minute. I've known Ron for awhile now, and have heard nothing but wonderful things about all of you. I don't doubt what you're saying, and there's no need to apologize," George said graciously. She was glad to put the Weasley's at ease immediately, as she understood why everyone was so fond of them. She was growing fond of them as well, but her inner voice told her that they would soon hear bad news. She guessed that Ginny was not hexed, but was simply a spoiled and borderline-evil witch.

After a small but excellent teatime, they all felt renewed and less worried. Both Arthur and Harry had gotten everyone's input as to what to say to Dumbledore and Neville respectively. Soon the two pairs were saying their goodbye's to Ron and Molly and each other, and on their way to Hogwarts via the Weasley's hearth.

Hermione and George once again headed off together for the Common Room. "This feels familiar," George said under her breath to Hermione with a slight grin. Arthur and Harry took turns heading for the Hogwarts entrance hall. Little did Harry know when he parted ways with Mr. Weasley in that grand foyer that he'd soon be on the ground outside of it, looking over at Neville- also on the ground.

"I do know that, Harry," Neville said softly, as he sat up and looked back to Harry. "I am actually glad you're the one telling me all of this. I just can't believe what you're telling me. And yet I can believe what you're telling me. Harry, I'm sorry. I'm just so upset, I guess I had to take it out on someone, and that someone was you."

"It's okay, Neville," Harry said back, trying a tentative smile through his pain. "It was hard for me to understand as well."

"Harry?" Neville asked shyly.

"Yes, Neville?" Harry responded.

"I don't think Ginny's cursed," Neville said solemnly.

"No, Neville, I don't think she is either," Harry agreed. As he and Neville pulled each other up, they glanced to the massive Hogwarts doorway, just in time to see the stricken expression on Mr. Weasley's face.