A/N: and here's chapter 11

Chapter 11: What to do?

I didn't fall asleep. I know Oliver thought I did, but I couldn't. My mind was racing. What had we just done? What had I just done? It was all my fault.

"Oh, sure, Ginger, take it slow," I muttered to myself.

I sat up and glanced down at Oliver's sleeping face. He looked so peaceful, so blissful, that I grinned in spite of myself.

"Oh, Oliver, I'm so sorry, love!" I kissed him softly and stood up.

I turned off all the showers so he wouldn't drown. I got all my clothes together as the water drained. My under garments were soaked. I slid into my other, dry things and got out a towel. I reentered the shower and placed it over Oliver's sleeping body. Then I slid out of the locker room before he woke up.

"Great, Bensington, great!" I yelled at myself. "Now you could be pregnant, not to mention the fact that you can never look Wood in the face again." I collapsed onto a tree and sobbed. "What am I going to do?"

"Ginger! There you are!" Marcus Flint ran up to me from out of the darkness. "What happened? Are you hurt? Did Wood hurt you?" He sat next to me and held my hand.

"No, Marcus, Wood didn't hurt me. I just messed up royally." I sobbed the whole story out. Then I looked up at Flint. "'Take it slow.' What a joke!" I laughed hollowly.

Then I looked back toward the pitch. I heard someone yelling my name from the distance. My eyes filled with terror. "Wood's awake! Quickly, Marcus, we've got to hide!"

Flint dragged me into a part of the Forbidden Forest right behind us. We hid behind a tree. Soon, someone ran by; it was Wood, headed to the castle in search of me. We waited until he was gone, then stepped back into the pale moonlight.

"Marcus, what do I do? I can't look Wood in the face after this." I stared at my friend.

"Well, if it's important to you to keep away from him, then push him away." Marcus looked at me smugly, but there was a deep mourning in his eyes. "Although, if you still love him, you really should talk to him about it."

"Right, I see that one happening." I rolled my eyes and wiped the tears off my face. I smiled softly. "Thank you, Marcus. You aren't all despicable, did you know that?"

He sighed. "Unfortunately, I did."

Then he helped me up the sloped grounds to the castle.

"Come to me, Ginger…Join me!!"

The venomous voice was seeped with false-caring. A shriveled and dank hand reached forward. Its owner stepped into the light; he was as deformed as the hand only inches from my skin.

"NO! Leave me alone! I won't desert them!" I was chained to a wall and couldn't move.

"What have they done for you, dear?" the hideous voice asked. "Oliver broke your heart, Flint betrayed you, even Potter and his friends won't speak to you because of what you've done to Oliver. You have no where else to go!" The evil man cackled.

"I don't care! I won't betray them. I won't! I'd rather die!" I spit on the murderous face.

"THAT CAN BE ARRANGED!!!" The monster was growing impatient. "When I think of what we could have had, what we could of become together…I could have been unstoppable with you as my queen." The old, decayed finger caressed my skin and I shuddered. Then the man sighed. "But, now, I'll have to do it alone."

He reached for his wand. I let out a scream. His voice filled with ghastly hatred. "Avada Kedavra!"

There was a flash of green light. Then…

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!" I jumped upright in my four-poster, sweating profusely.

"Uh?" Cho jerked awake too. "Ginger, what is it?"

"I-I…s-sa-saw him…V-volde-M-mort." I looked at Cho, the terror in her eyes, mirroring my own. "He's coming for me…"

Cho gasped. "Are you sure?"

I was filled with anguish. "Of course I'm sure…I'm the one the prophecy was talking about…" I sat there, rocking back and forth. Suddenly I sat up straight. "Dumbledore. I've got to see Dumbledore!"

I jumped out of bed and put on my night robe. I slid into some slippers and started down the stairs. Cho was on my tail.

"You can't go now! You'll have to wait until morning. You might get caught. Ginger, wait."

"I've got to see him now, Cho. No time to waste." I climbed out of the common room. Then I looked back at her. "Are you coming, too?"

Cho nodded reluctantly and followed me into the corridor.

We walked the halls quickly, trying not to be found. Peeves tried to bother us once, but I reminded him that I'm acquainted with the Bloody Baron. He left quickly. Soon we were beside the ugly gargoyle leading to Dumbledore's office.

"Fizzing Whizzbees," I said calmly. The gargoyle sprung to life and opened to reveal the spiral staircase.

Cho and I ascended the stairs. I pounded on the door. "Professor! Please, it's Ginger Bensington and Cho Chang! We need to speak to you."

The door opened and the kind, wise face of the Headmaster peered out at us.

"What a surprise. Please, come in." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he ushered us in. "Would you like a lemon drop?" He pointed us to two chairs.

"No, thank you, Professor." I slid into my chair apprehensively.

"Miss Chang?" He held the candies out to Cho.

"No, thanks, sir." Cho yawned.

"Well, you don't mind if I…hmm?" He nodded to the candies.

We shook our heads in unison. Dumbledore put one of the little drops into his mouth.

"Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" He smiled at us. "I don't normally receive visitors after midnight."

"We're sorry to disturb, sir, but…" Cho glanced at me. "Ginger needed to speak to you."

"Miss Bensington? Is there something wrong?" Dumbledore looked over his half-moon spectacles at me.

I sighed. "I'm the one in the prophecy, aren't I, Professor?" I looked up.

"I'm afraid so, Miss Bensington." He shook his head. "And, had you not regained your memories, we would not have asked you to return to Hogwarts this year." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "How did you discover you were the one in the prophecy?"

"I saw him, sir. I saw Voldemort. He was talking about making an empire…how he'd be unstoppable if I joined him…I told him no. Then, he-" I suppressed tears. "He killed me, sir."

"Ah, I see." Dumbledore nodded his head, then turned his attention to a confused Cho. "I assume you do not know about the prophecy of which we speak, Miss Chang?"

"No, sir. I'm afraid the only one I know of is the one about a child defeating the Dark Lord." Cho grinned sheepishly.

"Well, allow me to elaborate on the second prophecy." Dumbledore stood up and turned to face the bookcase behind his desk. "Not two weeks after the prophecy of which you know, Miss Chang, another was stated, by the same prophetess. She told of a child, just four years older than the babe who would defeat Voldemort, who would be the key to either the boy's or the Dark Lord's destruction." Dumbledore returned his attention to us. "The child would, at the appropriate age, chose whom she would help. Apparently, Voldemort will try to make Miss Bensington change her mind. When, I know not. I just hope we can prevent it." He smiled at me. "Miss Bensington, if I may, do you have any ideas about who is going to betray you to the Dark Lord?"

"He, uh, said that someone would betray me, but I can't remember who, sir." I wiped a tear off my face. "What do I do?"

"Keep your friends close, Miss Bensington," the professor said. "But keep your enemies closer." He walked around the desk. "Now I think the two of you should return to your dormitories." He opened the door for us.

Cho and I stood up and went to the door. Cho smiled at the Headmaster and started down the stairs. Dumbledore returned the smile, but held me back a moment.

"Miss Bensington, I know what occurred between you and Mr. Wood is your own business, but if I may…" Dumbledore leaned close. "Do not push him away. You need friends now more than anything."

I half-smiled at him. "I'll try, sir, but I don't think I can face him again. I'm too scared."

"Courage, my dear, isn't the lack of fear, but the fact that there is something more important than fear. You'll find a way." His eyes twinkled.

"But how?" I mumbled.

"Your heart never stirs you wrong, Miss Bensington. Your mind sidetracks you, but your heart knows the way."

I smiled at the old wizard and nodded. Then I went down the stairs and followed Cho back to the Common Room.

A/N: How was it? Good? I hope so. R/R, please! (P.S. The "Courage…" quote is from "The Princess Diaries") Nellie