With and Without You
Day 61
As I said before, we are all squished into a little cabin. It is a good couple of hours since I last wrote. But nothing much has changed. Apparenlty McGonagall didn't want sremas of carriages leaving the school because it would seem to suspicious. So that is why we are all shoved in here. We can't see where we're going the windows have been covered by thick black material that we can't lift up because it's too heavy. I was still crying as McGonagall ushered me into my carriage with everyone else. As we began to trundle away from the school I opened the door and looked back to see Harry standing at the gates waving sadly. I began to cry harder. I was becoming a human drainpipe! In the end Hermione had to grab me and pull me back in with the cabin door. All the Professor had stood at the gate with Harry. We were given supplies of food that wouldn't run out and they were taking us to a place where we would be sealed in, safe, until the world was peaceful again. Hermione let me rest my head on her shoulder until I had calmed. Poor Neville looked a little bit uncomfortable. I wanted to show Neville I was fine so I dragged out my photo's and showed him the one of the two of us at the Yule Ball. Three years was a long time ago. I looked at the picture. The two of us were smiling and waving up at the camera. I was in a pretty pink dress and he was looking a little self conscious in his dress robes. We had all changed so much. I had a picture of Hermione and Ron together in their first year. Ron had given a copy to me. There were pictures of Hermione and Viktor at the Yule Ball. I even had scraped a picture of Ron and Padma. There were lots of Hermione and I. I looked at the pictures of Harry with me. They were good times.
I felt tears well up in my eyes and then I remembered the lyrics of one of the songs I had listened to just the week before.
Laugh with joy for my life,
Weep not for memoriesI was on the verge of breaking down again but I controlled myself. Harry wouldn't want me weeping over the very sight of him.
So now, here I sit, mile and miles away from home. Miles and miles away from Harry.
I am so alone yet in a carriage full of people. Ron looked over to me and he said, 'Little sis. It's going to be all right ok?' He touched my shoulder briefly before sitting back in his seat. It wasn't alright. The love of my life. The only person I could ever imagine me spending my life with was slipping further and further out of my grasp.
I'm going to try and get some sleep.
Ginny.
Later,
We have been in this cart for over 18 hours. I just checked my watch. 18 hours away from Harry! That's almost a day away from home! Hermione says our carriages are slowing down. That means we have to be getting close to wherever we're going. I'll write when we get there.
Day 62.
We finally got there! At about 3am this morning. The carriages stopped and the doors opened. Everyone got out wearily. Some of the first years were all in their carriages sleeping softly, all huddled in together. We had to wake them up as we hopped out. We were in a dimly lit room. There was an envelope on a table. Hermione set about opening it. She finally got it open and everyone crowded around the Head Girl. She read it and then nodded. 'Ok. We're going down those stairs.'
We all looked at her like she was crazy. The stairs looked rickety and some stairs looked dead. I reckoned they were going to fall underneath us, but Hermione walked over ot the stairs and calmly strolled down all of them, she cried out for us to follow her so Ron and I took ourselves down. Finally the rest of the students came down with us. As the last first year had jumped off the last step the stairs immediately disappeared. We were trapped. Then the lights came on.
It was blinding at first but then we looked around and we could see where we were. Our surroundings was a large room with a number of soft looking feather mattresses and blankets in the corner. There was about five radio's and something Hermione called a TV. There was games, chess, and other Muggle games too. There were books and magazines and a large lounge per corner.
'Ok, everyone get into large groups. We need for groups.' Hermione directed. All the first and second years jumped together and the third and fourth years did the same. The fifth year (the whole 3 of them) stood in their group and we already had our group. Hermione gave each group a corner and then told blankets and us to all take a mattress.
Finally everyone was setlled and our trunks and bags appeared. Everyone gratefully took their belongings to their seats. I was so happy to see my photo's again. Finally everyone had settled down and Hermione told everyone that they could help themselves to as much food as they liked whenever they wanted to. McGonagall had put permanent Replenishing spells on all the food so it would just refill when we ran out. As everyone relaxed we began to explore our new rooms. I looked around the room. All the muggleborns were teaching the purebloods to use a DVD player. And others were teaching the confused kids to play Monopoly. I sat there as Luna began to sit down on the couch with her Quibbler. Hermione took a seat too and turned on the news. There was nothing. No news for us. They talked about a couple of deaths in Surrey and on the Muggle channel's all they had was that 24 hour gospel service. In the end Luna made Hermione stop on a Muggle channel called Nickelodeon. Then she started giggling ridiculously so Hermione changed it bacl to the familiar channels of home. Neville and Ron decided to watch the horror channel because Mum never lets us watch that at home. Hermione and I couldn't take it so I sat with her as she emailed her friends. Then she said to me, 'Ginny, You are allowed to write to other people. McGonagall wrote it in her instructions. There is no owls or anything to be used because that would attract attention. Instead you write on a piece of parchment and then you say Instantaneous and it will send the addressee the message.
I liked that idea. I could send Harry a message to talk to him. That made me feel better.
So now I am sitting here writing in my diary. I have written a letter to Harry but I'm going to copy it into here before I send it.
This is what I wrote;
Dear HarryI miss you already. It has been.. too long since I saw you. After I was dragged away from you, I got bundled into a carriage. McGonagall didn't want to draw attention to us leaving so about five of us plus all our animals got shoved in there with our bags. We are in some cave with no entrance or exit full of stuff. The first years are treating it like a holiday. Ron has bided the entire say eighteen hours that we've been here watching the Horror Channel with Neville.
Hermione has emailed all her Muggle friends but she and I have been sitting here playing chess mainly. It's quite boring actually. I miss you.
I have to go. Hermione is trying to calm a homesick first year.
Love Ginny.
So that's what I wrote to Harry. I hoped I didn't sound like my heart was being torn to shreds every minutes I spent in this god forsaken hole. I'm going to go send it then help Hermione.
Later.
Poor kid. All she wanted was to be at home. Hermione looked so weary. She hadn't eaten so I sent her to eat and then sleep. I hugged the poor girl and then told her about the new spell. She had to promise to keep it a secret. Sh calmed down at that and she set about writing her parents a letter.
I took a couple of pieces of fruit from our stockpile. I have just eaten them and I am going to bed now.
Night
Ginny.
Day 63
It has only been 62 days since Harry first arrived at my house for the summer. How sad is that. I have written a letter home telling mum that Ron is watching the Horror channel. Just joking. No I wrote Mum a letter telling her how much I missed her. Then I told her how Hermione and I were going and how fine Ron was. I didn't mention that Harry was still at Hogwarts. Anyway. I'm going to go occupy myself. I'll watch a DVD or something.
Ginny
Later,
Harry has replied! I got a letter on my bed when I went to sit down. I was going to read a magazine but then I saw a letter on my bed. It was so exciting. I'm going to keep this.
But first I'll copy it in here.
Dear Ginny,
I miss you more than you can imagine. McGonagall told me more about the place you're staying. It sounds decent enough I suppose. Ha! We are working like dogs here. Constantly patrolling the gates and entrances to the school desperately hoping that each other are safe. It has been very lonely here. I miss your company. Boot Ron off the TV his brain will rot. And I hate to tell you but McGonagall is planning on sending some work with your newest shipment of stuff for next week.
I have to go. It's my sentry duty now.
I love you.
Harry.
He is still alive. That's good to hear. Anyway. I'm only going to write when something interesting happens, I'm going to write to Harry again.
Dear Harry,
However much you miss me I
guarantee you I am feeling double. I miss talking to you. I wouldn't
put it past McGonagall to send us essays and our OWLS from here.
Hermione has already booted Ron off. She sits at the TV watching
Muggle DVD's they're normally quite interesting. I have read a
lot of books in the day I've been here. Hermione seems oddly quiet
lately. Ron and Neville are talking to each other in hushed voices.
All the first years are just sitting there, keeping pretty much to
themselves. We are all pretty bored. We want to get out a move.
Hermione has introduced me to Muggle radio stations and MTV. It's
pretty cool. Anyway I have to go.
I love you,
Ginny
I am off to send it now.
Ginny
A/N: Hey guys! Whadya think? Do you like the letters. And with your review tell me if you want a happy mushy ending or a depressing one? Thanks guys!
