A/N: Thank you for all the comments, favourites and follows. Just a reminder that this story is in a three week rotation with two other stories and that no story will be posted sooner than planned. Despite the fact my family is shielding, I still have to home-school three children at different levels of education, meaning my time for writing is minimal.
Thank you to Arnel for picking up on my horrendous mistakes and for your encouraging words as always.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own, nor have I ever owned Harry Potter.
EDITED: 26/07/2021
It had been just over a week since Ginny had returned to Hogwarts and Harry to his home with Sirius. The two friends had communicated via their mirrors, speaking about their days and other things for a couple of hours before saying goodnight and going to bed. Despite how much they missed each other, the mirrors had helped them handle the feelings that came from them being separated from one another. Sirius had also been right to be concerned about how they communicated as Ginny had found out on her first night back at school.
"Some Ministry Official by the name of Umbridge is our Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher," Ginny had told Harry when he had asked about any new teachers. "She actually interrupted Dumbledore as he was giving out the Start of Term notices."
"What did she say?" Harry asked, his feelings torn over what this unknown woman had done. He was amused that someone had had the courage to interrupt the headmaster, but he was also concerned that she had spoken to the entire school on the first night.
"I couldn't tell you exactly what she said to us," Ginny told him as she thought back to earlier in the evening. "A lot of what she said seemed to confuse most people, but I think that was the point. By confusing most of the students, she didn't make it immediately obvious that her purpose at the school isn't to teach, but to interfere."
"That was what my dad was afraid of. I need you to promise that you will be careful around her. Please don't let slip that you know me. I have been lucky so far that the Ministry have used the fact that my memories from that evening are fuzzy, but if they find out you know me and know the truth, they may use you in some way. My dad and I feel like we could make some progress in learning about Voldemort and his Horcruxes, maybe even begin searching for them. We won't be able to do that if the Ministry is constantly on our backs about what happened in June."
"I will try my best, Harry," Ginny said, knowing she would not stand for anyone insulting Harry, "but you do know that you are going have to speak out eventually."
"I know and I promise I will," Harry admitted. "Dad is trying to hold out as long as possible to protect me and the privacy we have had all these years. Even then, I suspect he has a plan. However, for now, I will have my dad and Remus do some digging on this Umbridge woman. I suspect she is someone who loves power, and we cannot have her destroying the school for her own means."
Sirius and Remus had come through on Harry's request for information on Delores Umbridge. What they had found was not good and had only served to increase Harry's concerns for Ginny's safety.
"What did you find out about her?" Ginny had asked the moment she had discovered Harry had information on the woman.
"Well, she is a half-blood witch, even though she claims to be a Pureblood," Harry started, looking down at the notes he had made when his dad and Remus had told him everything they had managed to dig up on the woman.
"What does that have to do with the situation at Hogwarts?"
"It has everything to do with it," Harry stated firmly. "It's important because of what we found out about her and the person she has become."
Ginny just looked at Harry like he had grown a second head. Yet, she knew he would not bring up a piece of information like that unless he deemed it absolutely necessary.
"Her father is a wizard, who used to work in the Department of Magical Maintenance before he suddenly retired earlier than had been expected of him. No one knows what happened to him after he did so," Harry continued after Ginny nodded her approval to do so. "Her mother, however, was a Muggle and her brother was a Squib. They left to live in the Muggle world while Umbridge was still attending Hogwarts."
Ginny still didn't see what this had to do with what Umbridge was planning to do at the school, but she couldn't help but notice a strange similarity between her and Tom Riddle.
"It took a bit of digging, but my dad did manage to speak to a few people she attended Hogwarts with. Turns out she had no love for her mother or brother, because of the fact that they were not magical, and she felt they were inferior to her. We suspect her father may have influenced her feelings about them."
"Was she sorted into Slytherin?" Ginny asked as she was reminded of the many taunts that had been thrown at Hermione about her Muggleborn status.
"Was it that obvious?" Harry chuckled in response. "She is definitely your typical Slytherin – ambitious, ruthless, cunning – something that was obvious to all those that knew her. Yet, despite how high she has risen in the Ministry, she was never a Prefect or Head Girl."
Ginny gasped, realising just what Umbridge planned to do.
"She is going to attempt to have Dumbledore thrown out, isn't she? She wants to become the headmistress herself and make changes to Hogwarts that would favour those who she deems acceptable and worthy of studying magic."
Harry smiled, impressed at how quickly she had come to that conclusion.
"That's what we think," Harry confirmed. "We know she was the one behind the Anti-Werewolf Legislation that passed a couple of years back, making it harder for Remus to find work. So, it wasn't really surprising to find out that she has quite the anti-Muggle rhetoric."
"Was she a Death Eater?"
"No, but we all believe she would follow Voldemort without question if he ever managed to take control of the Ministry."
"While I am grateful that you have told me all of this, it is going to make it harder for me to keep my mouth shut. I barely made it through my last lesson with her. Now that I know this about her, it's going to leave me glaring at her throughout the entire next lesson!"
"Let me give you something to laugh about then," Harry said as a cheeky smile, the one Ginny always associated with mischief, appeared on his face. "My dad really went all out with researching Umbridge's past to the point of speaking to Mr Ollivander. Her wand is only eight inches in length, which is unusually short for a wand. Mr Ollivander told Sirius those that had much shorter wands than the norm meant that they were morally stunted!"
"You mean to tell me that the wand that chose her recognised her awful character long before anyone else knew?" Ginny said, biting her lip to keep her laughter in.
"Yes," Harry just about managed to reply before the two friends burst out laughing.
"Oh, I cannot wait for my next lesson with her," Ginny said gleefully.
That lesson came the very next day and, even armed with that piece of knowledge, the lesson ended badly for Ginny.
Like the fourth years' previous lesson, the class had started with a reminder with just how far behind the Ministry felt they were when it came to Defence Against the Dark Arts before she told them to read the second chapter of their assigned book.
Ginny opened her book to the set chapter and stared at the page. She tried to keep herself focused on the page in front of her by reminding herself of what Harry had told her about Umbridge's wand, but she quickly found her mind wandering. She had taken the time, after their first lesson, to flick through the book and had quickly discovered that it would not help them to learn or understand the necessary skills and spells needed to defend themselves. Adding in the fact that Umbridge had stated that there would be no practical lessons, Ginny knew that the Ministry was desperate for control over the students to the point of making them defenceless and leaving them dependent on the Aurors.
"Miss Weasley?"
Ginny looked up from her book to see Umbridge stood in front of her, a questioning look on her face.
"You do not appear to be reading. Is there a problem?" Umbridge asked loud enough for the entire class to hear, causing them to stop reading and turn to look at Ginny.
"I have already read this chapter," Ginny said, twisting the truth slightly. The woman didn't need to know that she had only skimmed through each chapter.
"Then, you may proceed to the next chapter you have not read."
"I have read the entire book, Professor," Ginny replied, twisting the truth again.
"Ah, yes, well, this book was meant to cover you for the entire year's classes, Miss Weasley," Umbridge replied, obviously stunned that someone had completed the reading. "Perhaps you could summarise what Wilbert Slinkhard taught you."
Ginny had not been expecting to be asked for her opinion but knew this was an opportunity to call out the woman's teaching ability and the impact it would have on the students in the future. She knew, however, she needed to do it in a way that didn't bring Harry's name into it, something she felt would be incredibly difficult to do.
"I found the book to be dull and boring," Ginny started. She had grasped enough of the content to understand how useless the book was and how damaging it would be on the students' education.
"Please stand up, Miss Weasley, as you speak," Umbridge said, a scowl on her face. "You may come to the front of the room to address the class."
Ginny did as she was asked, feeling the questioning stares of her entire class on her as she did so. When she turned to face her classmates, she could see that some were also worried about what she was going to say, but she was not going back down from the truth for anyone.
"As I was saying," Ginny said clearly once Umbridge indicated to her to continue, "I found the book to be dull and boring. It would appear that the author felt the need to discourage the use of any potential spell that could protect you from being hit by something harmful. While I accept that our lessons have been disrupted by the constant change in teachers, I do not believe that this is the book that will help us to catch up to where it is believed we should be or to prepare us for the real world."
The silence that hung over the classroom as Ginny finished speaking was deafening. Ginny knew she had more than likely overstepped with her comments, but she had been asked to reveal her thoughts on the book and she had not wanted to lie.
"Miss Weasley, this book was chosen as a way to teach the students at this school in a secure and risk-free environment. The Ministry believes that this will be sufficient for all students to take and pass their exams," Professor Umbridge explained in response to Ginny's statement. "So, I must ask you what exactly it is that you object to?"
"The lack of practical lessons," Ginny stated firmly, refusing to back down. "Not only will it impact our final exam scores, especially for those taking their OWLs and NEWTs this year, but it leaves each and every one of us vulnerable to attack."
"Who are you expecting to attack you or anyone here in this school?"
"Voldemort or a Death Eater," Ginny said as the class gasped at her saying Voldemort's name. She was glad that Harry had drummed into her that it was better to say his name rather than live in fear of it.
"Ten points from Gryffindor for your unacceptable lies," Umbridge said to Ginny before turning to face the class, who were still in shock from Ginny's comments. "You may have heard that Professor Dumbledore believes a certain Dark wizard to be back, but let it be known, this is a lie!"
"From what I heard, the Ministry was offered solid evidence that Voldemort had returned, but the Minister refused to believe what was in front of his eyes," Ginny argued back as she felt her temper begin to build beyond her being able to control it. "Is Fudge that desperate for control that he would happily ignore the biggest threat to our world?"
"Detention, Miss Weasley! I do not know who has filled your head with such nonsense, but your lies are unacceptable and dangerous."
The squat witch walked over to her desk and scribbled something down before handing the piece of parchment to Ginny.
"Take this to Professor McGonagall," she told Ginny. "I shall see you in my office for your first detention at seven tonight."
Ginny quickly grabbed her things and shoved them into her bag before fleeing the classroom. She knew she had gone too far, but she would not back down from what she knew to be true. Harry's name may not have been brought up, but Umbridge's refusal to believe the truth meant refusing to believe Harry. She just prayed that Professor McGonagall was not too angry with her and that her awareness of Ginny and Harry being best friends would reduce that anger to understanding. Then again, she also hoped Harry wasn't upset by her losing her temper.
HP&GW
"She did what?" Harry asked in shock.
It was much later than usual when Ginny had called him via their mirrors, apologising for the lateness as she had been stuck in detention. Harry was stunned as his best friend explained what she had done to end up there. He was more than impressed by the fact, though, that she had managed to stand up for him without revealing she knew him or saying his name. As she had stated to him, anyone criticising Dumbledore for speaking the truth was essentially criticising Harry as well, especially given that the headmaster had stated that Harry had been used in a ritual to bring back Voldemort.
"She made me use a Blood Quill," Ginny quietly repeated.
"Show me your hand, Ginny."
A hand appeared in the mirror. Harry was grateful that there currently appeared to be no scarring, though it was extremely red. However, if Ginny continued on with the rest of the detentions, her hand would definitely be left scarred for life.
"You need to tell Professor McGonagall, Ginny," Harry told her calmly. "You know full well that the use of a Blood Quill on minors is illegal. Umbridge can claim all she wants that your detention is deserved, but her chosen punishment is not."
"I can't tell her, Harry," Ginny protested. "McGonagall made it clear that her hands were tied when it came to the detentions. We may be a couple of weeks into the term, but it is obvious to everyone that the teachers are literally walking on eggshells around Umbridge. I don't think there is anything that she will be able to do. Plus, if I do tell, Umbridge wins."
Harry sighed in defeat. As much as he hated how stubborn Ginny was being, he knew he would behave exactly the same way if he was in her position. The woman would think Ginny was weak if she spoke up and would easily fall into the Ministry's line of thinking. It wouldn't happen, though, because of Ginny's own experience with the younger version of Voldemort, her knowledge of what had happened in June and what needed to be done to eventually defeat him.
"You're right," Harry admitted. "I hate that there is nothing I can do to help you. I know you don't need me to protect you, but I wish there was something I could do. Just promise me that you won't lose your temper with her and end up in detention again."
"I'll try, but I suspect she will goad me now until I do. I'm sorry, Harry."
"Don't you dare apologise! I love that you stood up for me, for the truth. We are in a tough situation, thanks to the Ministry's denial and Voldemort's decision to remain hidden. Yes, it buys us some time to move forward without anyone questioning what we are doing, but it puts so many people at risk. I don't even know what to do."
"I think it may be time for you to speak out," Ginny confessed. "You may have your name dragged through the mud, but they won't be able to seek you out when you are well hidden. If it helps, you have more support here at the school than you realise. I think, therefore, you may have more support from the public than the Ministry even realises."
Harry's dad had already stated to him that there was a plan to allow him the chance to speak out and make his story known. The problem was finding the right publication that would not only be willing to print the story but support it. He would need to speak to his dad to ask him to make it a priority. People needed the truth and they needed it sooner rather than later.
HP&GW
Harry blinked open his eyes, feeling disoriented as he did so.
"What the hell was that Harry?" came the voice of his dad.
Ignoring the question for the moment, Harry shook the feeling of disorientation away before sitting up. He realised that he was on the floor of the duelling room that his dad had set up for them when they began his education. He was also wandless. He quickly came to conclusion that his dad had managed to beat him in a duel for the first time in over a year.
"Sorry," Harry muttered as he clambered to his feet and held his hand out for his wand.
"Oh, no, you are not getting your wand back until you tell me what happened," his dad sternly told him. "I have just managed to Stun and Disarm you in under five minutes. That has not happened for quite some time."
Harry kept his eyes down, unable to bear the thought of seeing the look of disappointment on his dad's face. He didn't want to tell him that he had been distracted by the overwhelming feeling of anxiety. He certainly didn't want his dad knowing that the anxiety was over his best friend, who he could now admit to himself that he had fallen for her. Distraction, as he had been told time and again, increased the risk of losing, of being injured, and of being killed.
"You were distracted," his dad stated when Harry still did not respond. "This session is over for the day. We are not even going to do any other lessons until you deal with whatever is bothering you."
Neither wizard moved. Harry knew his dad was waiting for him to open up rather than leaving him to wallow in his thoughts. It was the reason he didn't move himself, because he knew the time had come to say out loud what he had been afraid to admit.
"It's Ginny," Harry blurted out.
"I figured as much," Sirius replied with a smirk.
"She lost her temper with Umbridge," Harry explained, knowing he needed to tell his dad everything before he could even contemplate admitting his feelings. "She stood up for me. She didn't mention my name, but she still stood up for me. Gave the woman her honest opinion about the book they are using at Hogwarts for Defence this year. She also may have let slip that she was aware of Fudge's reaction to the news of Voldemort being back, even with actual evidence. Then, she had the cheek to question if it was Fudge's desire to retain control that made him deny Voldemort's return!"
"I would have loved to have seen that!" Sirius said with a chuckle. He loved Ginny's no-nonsense attitude, even if it did risk getting her into trouble as it had on this occasion.
"She is now stuck in detention for the next few evenings, but that isn't the part that is bothering me, Dad. It's the fact that Umbridge made her write lines with a Blood Quill!"
"Are you serious?"
"Do you really think I would make such an accusation without good reason?" Harry asked rhetorically. "Ginny refuses to tell anyone what is happening, something I can understand. I want to help her, but there is nothing I can do for her. I just wish she had not gone back to school and that she was here with me."
Harry froze as he realised what he had just confessed. He had all but admitted to his dad that he had fallen for the red head.
"Firstly, I am going to, whether you want me to or not, have a word with Kingsley about the Blood Quill," Sirius responded, seemingly ignoring Harry's final comment. "I doubt he will be able to do much right now because Fudge will easily overrule anything he tries to do. If I make him aware, it can be used against her if the opportunity presents itself. It doesn't help Ginny out, but we can at least start making the necessary steps towards having Umbridge removed from her position."
Harry nodded in agreement, glad that his dad had some sort of idea of how to deal with that awful toad of a woman.
"Is there any chance we could speed along me making a statement about what happened in June?" Harry asked, remembering what Ginny had said to him the night before. "It isn't right that Professor Dumbledore takes on the burden of the abuse for speaking out about Voldemort. I still don't even understand why I have avoided it all, but Ginny says I have more support than the Ministry realises."
Sirius sighed, knowing his son hated how much he was kept from the public eye. Even though they had remained hidden successfully, Harry had still developed a strong sense of right and wrong and had become someone who would always speak up for those who could not. The opportunity had never presented itself until now and Sirius knew that the time had come.
"Dumbledore has taken on that burden because, like me, he wants to protect you," Sirius told his son as he walked up and placed his hands on Harry's shoulders. "The Auror department put out a statement about your kidnapping and blurry memories, so that is what has predominantly protected you from any sort of abuse. If you speak up…"
"Then I will take whatever they throw at me," Harry interrupted, not willing to be protected anymore.
"I am proud of you for being willing to do this and accept whatever the consequences are," Sirius said, pulling his son into a hug. "Your parents would be proud of you as well."
Harry sucked in a breath at hearing his dad speak of his birth parents. While they spoke regularly about James and Lily, his dad had always been careful not to compare him to them or to put pressure on him to live up to their reputations. He had been given the chance to become an individual rather than allowing his parents' actions to influence who he became.
"Don't think I have forgotten about making my second point, Harry," Sirius said as he pulled away from his son. "I heard very clearly what you said about Ginny. I think that conversation would be better off taking place in the kitchen."
Harry followed his dad out of the duelling room and through the house to the kitchen. Taking a seat at the table, he kept his eyes down as he tried to figure out what he was going to say to his dad about his feelings for his best friend.
"So, you like Ginny," Sirius simply said as he placed a cold bottle of water in front of his son.
"I… yes, I do," Harry finally admitted out loud before taking a long sip of water.
"I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to figure out that you like her."
Harry's eyes snapped up to look at his dad as his jaw dropped in shock at the statement.
"Seriously, Harry?" Sirius asked in amusement. "You really think no one knew that the pair of you were falling for one another? It was obvious to everyone who saw the two of you together throughout the summer."
"She likes me, too?" Harry whispered, ignoring everything else his dad had said.
"Of course, she does and, like you, she is probably wondering if you like her as well."
Harry could not believe that Ginny liked him. He couldn't imagine why she did, given the mess he had been at the start of the summer and the numerous flaws he had. Yet, somehow, she was able to overlook all that and be his best friend. Now, there was potential for more. The problem was he had a severe lack of experience when it came to the opposite sex.
"I know I have done you a disservice by keeping the number of people you interact with to a minimum," Sirius admitted, pulling Harry from his thoughts, "but any questions you have, you know I will happily answer. I will even redo the sex talk we have already had."
"I don't think that will be necessary," Harry replied awkwardly as his cheeks heated up. "At least, not yet. Right now, I want to find the courage to tell her how I feel, and I would rather do it in person."
"And not wait until Christmas?"
Harry nodded. Now, that he knew that his best friend was falling for him, he didn't think he would be able to wait three months before admitting how he felt. On top of that, he was fearful that she would be asked out by someone at Hogwarts and actually say yes to them, not believing she ever had a chance with her best friend. No, it needed to be sooner rather than later.
"And you definitely don't want to tell her over the mirrors?"
"No, I want to do this in person and in private with no potential for interruptions," Harry firmly stated. He just hoped that knowing what he now knew wouldn't make things awkward when talking to her every night.
"Ok, that one I can sort out for you," his dad told him with a calculating look in his eye. "I can make that work with the original plan I had set out for Hogsmeade next month. However, I have to ask you this and I need you to really think about your answer."
"Ok," Harry slowly said as he wondered what his dad was going to ask him, worrying that it was something that could put him off asking out Ginny altogether.
"I understand you wanting to go public with the truth about June," his dad said, a concerned look now in his eyes, "and I understand your desire for a normal teenage experience, something I have struggled to give you, but…"
There it was, the 'but' that Harry had been expecting. It was enough for him to know that he was about to be asked a question he had not even considered.
"Do you plan to be open and honest about dating Ginny or do you intend to keep the relationship private?"
The conversation they'd had back at Grimmauld Place came rushing back to Harry. There were concerns that Voldemort could potentially kidnap Ginny, though no intelligence had confirmed that either way. Then, there was the fact that no one was even aware of their friendship, except for those who had been present at Grimmauld Place this past summer. If the Ministry, or even Voldemort knew, they could potentially use her to draw Harry out into the open before he was ready. There were so many factors to consider that Harry began to wonder if it was even worth telling Ginny how he truly felt.
"Don't do that, Harry," his dad sternly said, his voice breaking through Harry's concerns. "Don't let what is happening stop you from having something good in your life. Your parents didn't let the war stop them from being together, getting married or from even having you."
"I don't want her getting hurt," Harry whispered, feeling his heart break over the possibility of never telling his best friend how he felt. "I don't want them using her against me. I don't want to lose her, Dad. I love my life with you and Uncle Remus. You are the best family I could have asked for, but Ginny, she's different. She's the best thing in my life."
"Then, I think you have your answer, son."
HP&GW
Ginny climbed through the portrait hole, relieved that she had now completed her weeks' worth of detentions with Umbridge. She was determined not to find herself back in detention as she didn't think she could physically or mentally take another week of using the Blood Quill. The words, 'I must not tell lies', were now permanently etched into her hand, which was currently sore and bleeding from her final round of writing lines. She had fallen behind in her homework and was losing sleep as result of the scramble to catch up and the stress it had caused her. All she wanted to do right now, however, was to get her hand cleaned up, crawl into bed and speak to Harry through their mirrors.
"Ginny?" said the voice from the last person she wanted to speak to at that moment.
Taking a deep breath, Ginny turned and saw Hermione Granger sitting in an armchair that stood in the corner of the common room. A pile of books was stacked neatly on the floor with one book open on the older girl's lap. She should have known that Hermione would most likely still be up, prepping well in advance of the OWL exams.
"Hi, Hermione," Ginny greeted her kindly while praying that the fifth year did not keep her too long. "I didn't see you there, not that I'm surprised to see you down here, studying."
Hermione did not answer as her eyes were glued to the sight in front of her. Ginny quickly realised that, despite her having covered the worst of the damage, her hand could still be seen and was dripping blood.
"What happened, Ginny?" Hermione asked as she threw her book to the floor and quickly approached the youngest Weasley. "Why is your hand bleeding?"
"It's nothing," Ginny lied as she tried to shove her hand into her pocket. However, Hermione grabbed hold her wrist and pulled Ginny's hand to her.
Ginny closed her eyes in shame as she heard the horrified gasp of her closest female friend.
"You said you were just writing lines, Ginny," Hermione said as she pulled Ginny's hand up to take a closer a look, causing Ginny gasp out in pain. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your hand more."
"It's fine, Hermione."
"It isn't," Hermione scolded her before guiding the redhead over to the sofa in front of the fireplace. "From the looks of it, this is going to be a permanent scar. Have you seen or even told anyone?"
"Yes," Ginny admitted, looking away from the concerned look she was being given.
"Well, why didn't they do anything to stop what was happening to you? Actually, how did this happen?"
"She made me use a Blood Quill. Yes, I know they are illegal, Hermione, before you even ask. As for why no one has put a stop to it is because the person I told doesn't attend this school and understood my reasons for not informing a member of staff."
"You need to tell someone, Ginny. Someone who can actually take the correct steps to ensuring this doesn't happen again or to anyone else."
Ginny pulled her hand out of the fifth year's hand and stood as her anger bubbled to the surface.
"Exactly what would they do? The Ministry is trying to take control of the school. Umbridge is watching the teachers' every move. If they told her to stop what she was doing or even reported her to Dumbledore, she would lie through her teeth to make it look like I was the one in the wrong. On top of that, if I told a teacher then she would win. She would think that she had done enough to make her think I would now toe the Ministry line. I refuse to allow that to happen. I will not have her make my best friend out to be a liar."
Ginny collapsed back onto the sofa after her outburst. She didn't even look to see the stunned expression on her friend's face.
"He's your best friend, isn't he?" Hermione whispered as she connected the dots. While she had been aware that Ginny knew Harry Potter, she had not realised how close the two teens had become. "He's the one you told all about what that toad has been doing to you?"
"Yes."
"I need more than a simple yes, Ginny," Hermione said in exasperation at the lack of an answer. "You don't need to give me every little detail, but I need to understand why you would risk that woman's wrath all for a boy who doesn't even attend our school and has never spoken out about what supposedly happened to him in June."
Ginny sighed, not particularly wanting to have this conversation, but she needed someone to talk to about Harry. Perhaps, she could figure out what to do about how she felt about her best friend and whether she should confess how she felt to him.
"Fine, but you cannot tell anyone what I tell you," Ginny demanded, knowing that Hermione wouldn't leave her alone until she told her the truth.
Hermione nodded her agreement, leading to Ginny giving the older witch an overview of their friendship, starting from when Harry rescued her in the Chamber of Secrets. She held back a significant amount of information that she knew Hermione would pick up on, but Ginny refused to break her promise of keeping what she knew secret.
"I have been speaking to him every night via a mirror that has been charmed so we can communicate," Ginny said as she came to end of what she felt comfortable telling Hermione. "He knows about the detentions, and I know his dad was going to speak to an Auror about it, not that they can do anything. Umbridge is literally under Fudge's protection."
"Oh!" Hermione gasped as she clapped a hand over her mouth. "You like him! You like him more than just a friend!"
Ginny nodded, grateful that Hermione was now distracted from the detentions by the fact she had fallen for Harry.
"Is the reason you haven't told him because you don't believe you are good enough for the Boy Who Lived?" Hermione asked, picking up that Ginny had not told Harry how she felt.
"Hermione!" Ginny gasped out in shock, not believing her friend could say something like she just had. She still remained unsure as to whether Harry had feelings for her; she did wonder if she was good enough for him, but not because he was the Boy Who Lived.
"Oh, no, that came out all wrong! I'm so sorry!" Hermione said as she realised how her words had come across to the red head. "I didn't mean to say that. I think I may have been a little too excited at the possibility that my friend could end up dating the Boy Who Lived."
Ginny sighed, understanding why Harry had been so cautious when he had first met her brothers. He didn't want this moniker to define who he is was, especially when he was so much better than the stories she had been told about the Boy Who Lived as a child.
"He isn't the Boy Who Lived to me, Hermione," Ginny confessed, knowing now that if she pursued a relationship with Harry, then it would have to remain a secret for so many reasons. Yet, she realised that she was willing for it to remain unknown to most of the wizarding world if it meant she could be with him. "To me, he's just Harry."