Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.
Chapter Thirty
The Wrath of Ginny
Neville and Harry sheepishly approached Arthur Weasley. "We're sorry. We misspoke," Harry began, intending to make more of an explanation- as soon as he could think of one.
"No, no, Harry. Neville. Please make no apologies. I can't blame either of you. Ginny has done wrong by both of you now. I'd probably feel the same way. Frankly, I've been mulling over that possibility myself. I just didn't want to admit it to myself, that's all," Arthur explained.
"You're very understanding, Mr. Weasley," Neville stammered. "We shouldn't have been talking that way about your daughter, no matter what she's done or said. We could be wrong as well." Though Neville didn't really believe this, he did want to make amends to poor Mr. Weasley, who probably couldn't believe the opposite.
"Mr. Weasley, what did Dumbledore say?" Harry inquired. "Did he give you some indication of how you can tell? Is there some way we can help Ginny?"
Mr. Weasley shook his head slowly. "Unfortunately, there is a way."
"Unfortunately? What do you mean?" Neville asked.
"Well boys, it's unfortunate because even though we can definitively find out if Ginny's been cursed, a hex proof can be quite painful."
"Can we go back right now and do it? How do we do it?" Harry asked.
"I don't know, Harry. I really don't. Dumbledore is going to meet us at The Burrow in one hour. He'll do it then," Arthur explained.
"Dumbledore? Dumbledore himself is going to do whatever it is?" Neville asked incredulously.
Arthur continued, "Yes, Dumbledore. Usually the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is the one to administer the, the- whatever it is. But in this case..." his voice trailed off as he looked directly at Harry.
Harry gulped, feeling quite inadequate. "The Defense teacher? It's a good thing Dumbledore can help us! Would you prefer I don't go back to The Burrow now, Mr. Weasley?"
"No, Harry. You must come back. He insisted on it. You see, apparently we need your..." again Arthur's voice trailed away. "Well, suffice to say, we need you there. Neville, perhaps you'd like to tell your grandmother what's happened? Dumbledore said he'd excuse you from school for the next day or so if you needed to be at home."
"No, thank you for thinking of Grams, Mr. Weasley, but I'd like to tend to Ginny first, if you don't mind. Grams is on a vampire safari in Hungary, and isn't expected for another week. I may take the time then. If you don't mind, I'd like to go to The Burrow. I'd like to see Ginny, and talk to her if possible. I'd like to help."
"Yes, that's fine, Neville. I quite understand, my boy. Of course, you're welcome to our home at any time. Besides, Harry will probably want all of his friends there for moral support," Arthur said cryptically before they heard the strong 'pop' sound of his apparition.
"What do you think he meant by that?" Harry asked Neville nervously.
"I have no idea, Harry. No idea. Are you scared?"
"A little. Uh, I mean, I just want to be prepared, but I don't know if I need to bring anything- or do anything- you know," Harry rambled on.
"I'm sure if you had to prepare, Mr. Weasley would have told you. So, let's go." The two friends apparated immediately to The Burrow.
"What took you so long? We thought you'd chickened out, Harry," Ron said teasingly to his best friend.
"What did you say? Ron, I can't understand a word you're saying with all of those Tootsie Rolls shoved in your mouth!" Harry said indignantly.
"I said, what took you so long? We thought you'd chickened out."
"Chickened out? Do you know something I don't? And Mr. Weasley, when you said it was painful, did you mean for Ginny?" Harry asked his would-be father. When Mr. Weasley had mentioned pain, he assumed he meant Ginny. Now he wasn't so sure.
"Ah, sorry, Harry. I don't really know. We'll just have to wait for Dumbledore. How is poor Ginny?" Mr. Weasley asked, looking over at the statue that was once his daughter.
Neville was standing in front of her, staring at her frozen form, and speaking softly to her. "I know how you feel, Gin. I do. Remember? Ron must've told you about how Hermione froze me me in our first year. I know it doesn't hurt- it's just frustrating. Trapped, and everyone talking around you. I know you can hear us, Ginny. I know you can hear me. Ginny, I still love you. I'll always love you. Whatever you've done. Whatever you've said. It's okay. It's all going to be okay. I know you love Harry; I know. I think I've always known. It's okay. Really. I just want you to be happy. Maybe in time you'll grow to love me too. And Grams is away. No one has to know what went on- they'll think it's just rumors. I want to be your husband, Ginny. I want to be a father to our child. We can just start where we were. Or start over. What ever you want Ginny."
Molly Weasley was in tears, and the men were getting pretty close to the same. Neville's sincerity and love for Ginny were truly amazing. Everyone was touched. Everyone but Ginny. As the small crowd had been looking at each other and fighting their emotions, Neville had spoken the words that would free Ginny from her icy state. "Commencio momentum!"
Ginny's fury was unabated, lashing out at everyone in the room, verbally and physically. "You're such a sap, Neville, you really are. Do you think I care one bit what your decrepit old granny thinks? Puh-leeze! When I need another lapdog, I'll call you. And real nice, Mum. 'I know Ginny's frozen here and all, but let's keep her this way forever. Then we can have tea all day long!' And both of you pandering to that awful 'George' girl. 'We're so sorry for our evil daughter- she didn't mean it.' Yeah, right! I meant every word, believe you me! And tell me, Ron: why did it have to be this way? Because you said so? Because someone actually trusted you to do something? You're so used to being Harry's pet you don't have a mind of your own." She took a deep breath and sidled up to Harry. "Don't think I forgot what I said. You're the worst of them. I really do feel like just taking Neville's wand, and finishing what Voldemort intended," Ginny menaced as she slyly grabbed Neville's wand from his hand and turned it to Harry.
"Expelliarmus!" All but Gunny turned in one sweeping motion to follow the booming voice behind them that had stopped Ginny's hand in mid-swish. Dumbledore continued, glaring at Ginny, "don't even think about it," keeping his wand squarely aimed at her head. Ginny was trembling with fear, her face an ashen white and her limbs visibly shaking. "Sit down," he commanded, nodding to the large comfy chair in the Weasley's shabby living room. She stumbled into the seat, still quivering at the severity of Dumbledore's face and what was yet to come. "I think we should get on with it. Harry?"
Now it was Harry's turn to be fearful, though he hoped that the others didn't see his own trembling. What was he to do? Dumbledore's whole countenance instilled fear in what was coming- whatever it was. "Yes, sir?"
"Harry, come here. Stand next to me, if you would please." As Harry made his way to Dumbledore, the old wizard continued his instructions to the others. "Neville, please pick up your wand. Ron and Neville, please stand back from Ginny, and keep your wands on her. Do not get too close, and keep a firm hand on those wands. Do not let them get pointed at Harry. Molly, Arthur, I'm so sorry, but I have to ask you to leave the room. If you can take the baby and leave The Burrow, so much the better."
"No, no Albus! Please! Let us stay!" Molly cried out as if in mortal pain herself.
"Albus, please. You know Molly and I are worried about Ginny. We've been through worse, we can take it."
"I'm sorry. You'll both have to leave," Dumbledore said in a calm, but commanding tone. Arthur took Molly's hand, neither saying not a word, and they retreated to a back room where the baby had been sleeping. The assembled group heard a faint 'pop' from the back of The Burrow. Then they knew that the Weasleys' had taken the baby and apparated out of their home together.
"All right. Harry, this is what I want you to do. First, give me your wand." Harry looked astonished, and reluctant to part with his wand, even under Dumbledore's instruction. Nevertheless, he handed it over to his mentor without a word. "Do as I say, and repeat what I tell you," Dumbledore said in front of the others, before whispering conspiratorially to Harry. Harry's eyes got wide, and then he nodded solemnly at Dumbledore before stepping towards Ginny.
Harry knelt before Ginny in her chair, and took both of her hands in his. It was a strange staging, reminiscent of a love scene from something like Romeo and Juliet. Ginny shyly smiled at Harry, as if in a dream world of her own creation, and then remembered. She again looked very afraid as he then began a foreign-sounding chant, slowly increasing both the pace and the volume of the strange words he was uttering. "En veritas amore, lingus veritas. En veritas amore, lingus veritas. En veritas amore, lingus veritas." Ginny's expression grew increasingly alarmed, as her face got redder and redder. Her head looked up at the ceiling. Her mouth gaped open, and streams of sparkly matter and mist poured out and floated to the ceiling. Tears were streaming freely down her cheeks, though she spoke not a word. While her body was writhing and gyrating wildly in the chair, her hands gripped Harry's with such strength that it was obvious Harry was grimacing in pain as he shouted the words in a forceful voice. "En veritas amore, lingus veritas. En veritas amore, lingus veritas. En veritas amore, lingus veritas." Rivulets of blood were beginning to drip down Harry's hands from the small but deep gashes Ginny was making, digging her nails into his skin.
Ron and Neville kept their wands poised at Ginny, thought they kept glancing at each other with worried faces. Ron opened his mouth and looked at Dumbledore, ready to ask him to stop what was looking to be more of an exorcism than a hex proof. At that instant, Dumbledore bellowed, "Now, Harry!" Ginny looked straight at Harry. He leaned over and kissed Ginny passionately on the lips.