There was a flash of green light, a rushing sound, and Frank Bryce crumpled. He was dead before he hit the floor. This made Harry awake with a start. The old scar on his forehead was burning so severely that Harry couldn't go back to sleep again.
As he woke up, he had a feeling that someone he knew was also having a horrid dream. But he knew no one other than him who survived Lord Voldemort's curse and had a scar the shape of a lightning bolt. Little did he know that a red-haired girl had broken into sobs over a dream that very morning in her house.
She had been in a dark alley and had seen a monster pounce upon her and defile her, which felt like an eternity. She was in bad condition, and her mood slightly improved only when Hermione came knocking in, "Ginny!"
Ginny found herself one morning coming down with Hermione when she saw a certain black-haired boy with brilliant green eyes who wore spectacles. She knew she was going to be clumsy around him and make a fool of herself. But that felt like long ago. Ginny could now say Hi to Harry without 'blushing to the roots of her flaming hair.'
She enjoyed her time at the World Cup, but there was an attack by Death Eaters at night. She and Hermione hurried with Fred and George to go to safety. But Hermione, Fred, and George merely disappeared from where they stood. That's when she saw it! The Dark Mark in the middle of a heath! The serpent-headed tongue transfigured into a charming young teenage boy who turned into a vicious cobra and attacked her.
Ginny awoke with a start. There she was in her dormitory at Hogwarts, but she was in the Quidditch World Cup a moment ago! She had a feeling of foreboding that just refused to go! Even as Harry's name came out of the Goblet of Fire, Harry had a fight with Ron, later reconciled with Ron, and retrieved the Golden Egg; Ginny's condition kept growing worse. She could see Tom Marvolo Riddle staring at her like a vulture would its prey.
It was getting worse as days went by. But thankfully for her, the Yule Ball was approaching, and Neville had asked her out. Since only fourth years and above could attend the Ball and she, being in her third year, could only go if invited, Ginny felt relieved. She was sure she would feel better being at the Ball.
That's when Harry asked her out to the Ball suddenly one afternoon! Shocked by the sudden behavior, she politely declined. The Yule Ball was average in her opinion. But her brother and Harry were not enjoying at all, nor were they kind to their respective dates, the Patil twins. Ginny felt Parvati and Padma Patil deserved better than two boys brooding over something.
Harry waited for Ginny to say goodbye to Neville in the Gryffindor common room, and when she was about to go to her own dormitory, Harry asked if he could have a word with her. Ron and Hermione were in the background, arguing over something.
"It is because I love you, Hermione! You may not like a freckly boy like me, but I love you and can't see you with Krum!!" Ron screamed.
Hermione was in tears, "It took you three years to notice I'm a girl, Ronald! Besides, why would I think you'd want to hang out with a nerdy know-it-all like me unless you specified it! You know the solution, then, don't you? Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort! And for the record, I love you too!" she screeched.
Ginny stared as Hermione ran to her dormitory sobbing, as Ron walked towards his own, looking like her father did when his mother denied letting him experiment with muggle technology.
Harry faked coughing to gather Ginny's attention and said, "Ginny, you and I are opposites in one thing at least."
Ginny sighed, "I know, Harry. You're the Hero who defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. You are the Boy Who Lived. I'm just… A fangirl." The last sentence hurt her deeply. But Harry looked taken aback.
"No, no! I didn't mean that! I'm an orphan who nobody wants, whereas you have everything I could ever wish for! I-I love you, Ginny!" He blurted out.
Ginny was so shocked that she trembled a bit and ran inside her dormitory, leaving a confused Harry alone in the entire common room.
The following day, Harry was bemused to see Ron and Hermione showing no indication of their angry outburst the previous evening. In fact, they were holding hands everywhere they went. Even in the common room that evening, Ron had put an arm around Hermione, who was checking their essays. She quickly corrected Harry's and gave it to him while she fondly corrected Ron's essay.
Harry sighed. Ron and Hermione looked up at him. He said, "Ron, I don't know, but lately, I can't stop thinking about.." He stopped speaking.
"Speak up, mate! What's holding you back? Is it your scar?" Ron asked, concerned.
Hermione wondered aloud if Sirius had replied to a letter Harry had sent weeks ago about a vision he kept having, and Harry shook his head.
"I spoke to Ginny last night, but then she ran away without giving me a reply. I'm worried if I've offended her or anything." Harry confessed.
Ron stared at him. "You like her, don't you, Harry?"
Harry almost jumped, listening to this, "How did you figure that one out?"
"Ron and I figured it out looked at how desperate you were to ask Ginny out on the Yule Ball. Besides, ever since you came to the Burrow to the Quidditch World Cup, you both have been blushing a lot around each other." Hermione said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Hermione obviously figured this one out first, and let me in on the secret. I asked her why she was telling only me and not you, and she blushed. I could feel butterflies in my stomach." Ron added.
Harry told Hermione and Ron about his conversation with Ginny the previous night. "You don't think she is upset with me? Maybe she thinks I'm a creep…."
"That will be unnecessary worry," said the voice that made Harry's heart skip a beat. "I Love you too, Harry!" Ron and Hermione were beaming, and Harry turned around to look at Ginny. Her face looked golden in the firelight, and her vivid red hair made her look heavenly.
Soon, it became widespread news. Triwizard champion and the Boy-Who-Lived was now dating the popular Weasley girl. Even the nerdy girl with all answers to teachers' questions was now dating the tall Weasley boy. The two couples would walk hand in hand for breakfast at the Great Hall and meet again at the Great Hall for dinner at the end of the day, after which they'd go hand in hand.
Just when Ginny thought everything was going well, a few weeks after the Second Task, she began experiencing Migraines. Sometimes, she would puke, while some other times she would be in tears before she even knew it. It all started with that horrible dairy turning into a monster in her dreams every other night. It became so bad that Ginny started to avoid people. She would go down to breakfast early, skip lunch, and barely eat dinner. Harry, Ron, and Hermione became concerned with this sudden behavior.
"Harry, you two didn't have a row, did you?" Ron asked. Harry was just as confused as Ron and shook his head. Hermione asked Harry if something had happened that hurt Ginny. Harry was really tensed. He started going to breakfast and dinner around the same time as Ginny, but she would take a sudden detour and run away every time she saw him. There was an occasion where Harry tried to run after her when she ran after seeing him, but she ran away faster. Harry could hear a sob before she went into a tapestry to go to another corridor.
Harry decided he had to do something about this. Third-year classes ended early on Friday afternoons. For the first time he could ever remember, Harry, bunked a class (Defense Against the Dark Arts, not to mention Hermione was furious with him for daring to bunk a class).
Harry went down to the Dungeons and waited for the Potions class to end. As students walked out, he could see a girl with dirty blond hair walking out as though in a trance; Colin Creevey walking out with another boy talking animatedly, but no sign of Ginny. About an eternity after everybody had left, Ginny walked outside the classroom.
Harry's heart sunk to see the love of his life walk so defeated. That's when the very last person he wanted to be there showed up.
"Well, well, well! Look who is here!" said a familiar sneering voice. "This blood traitor is no better than a s* Mud…" he began, but Harry was quick. He punched Malfoy on the face and hit his back with his elbow, "Don't you dare talk to her like that!" His cronies showed up just then, but Harry looked so murderous that they slithered away in fear. Even Malfoy ran away, cowering in fear.
Harry turned around, expecting Ginny to show relief or at least get the chance to cheer her up. But she was walking away; shoulders bent in defeat. Ginny even tripped on something and fell down. Shocked, Harry ran up to her and began picking up her scatted books. As he held all of Ginny's books in his hand, he heard her sniff. "C-Crying?" He thought in panic. He balanced his bag and Ginny's books in his left hand and put his free arm around Ginny.
Ginny could only feel a warm hug from the boy she loved with all her heart. Her head on his shoulder, she allowed him to take her. She knew her sobs were attracting attention but didn't care. She and Harry walked into a broom cupboard. Harry placed the bags and books aside. By then, Ginny was finally letting out all her pain and sorrow. She grasped the front of Harry's shirt so tightly the buttons came off, and she was weeping into his bare chest. Harry could feel panic rising in his chest.
"G-Ginny? W-What's the matter?" Harry asked her as he patted her back with one hand as he held her with his other. Ginny shook violently and looked up at him with a tear-stained face, her dark circles implying lack of sleep, and said something that shockedHarry.