PROLOGUE: the falling star

Ginny Weasley was on top of the world—almost literally. The Harpies were playing against the Appleby Arrows, and they were closing in on the league championship. Her teammate, Tamara, passed the quaffle to her and she caught it deftly, the sound of the ball hitting her leather gloves highly satisfying.

Ginny tucked it under her arm and raced towards the Arrows' goal, executing a sloth-grip roll to avoid an oncoming chaser. Righting herself, she ducked under a bludger that would have unseated her.

One of the Arrows' chasers was blocking her path ahead. She wouldn't be able to neatly juke him, she realized. She heard Cassie's calls to her and met her eyes briefly—trying not to telegraph her plans—and passed the quaffle her way.

"Give and go!" Ginny shouted at Cassie after the chaser had pulled away from Ginny to defend against Cassie. Ginny watched the scoring circle, waiting just outside until she saw Cassie pull back suddenly out of it.

Shooting forward, Ginny performed the run they had been practicing together all week before. Cassie's arm pumped the quaffle one way, right, and then left, tossing it to Ginny.

Ginny caught it, already turning towards the goal hoops. The keeper was out of position, having failed to anticipate the pass. Ginny was closer to the bottom left hoop, and she put the quaffle through easily.

She heard the Arrows' keeper curse and the crowd cheer. They were cheering her name, Ginny realized.

Ginny didn't have much time to revel in it all—the keeper was grabbing the quaffle again and putting it back into play with one of his chasers.

She got herself back into the action, heart racing in joy and excitement. She licked her bottom lip, watching for a moment that she could intercept the quaffle. She needed to bring the heat in order to get that interception, she realized.

Ginny raced forward to block the chaser with the quaffle, placing herself straight at her so that she could go whichever way she may try to dodge.

The chaser passed to the chaser that had blocked Ginny just moments before, and Ginny flew for the quaffle, catching it mid-pass.

She took off, flying as quickly as she could towards the Arrows' goal hoops again. Looking around, she noticed that no one had caught up with her to the other end yet. So far it would be a straight shot. Unfortunately, she didn't hear the bludger coming her way, only heard the cries of the crowd telling her to watch out—too late.

The bludger hit her in the middle of her back, and Ginny didn't feel any pain. No, she felt nothing at all as her legs let go of her broom and she fell.

All she knew next was numb fear as she laid on the ground, medics attending her extremely carefully. Her coach, Gwenog Jones, was standing next to their head-Athletic healer, and she heard him tell Gwenog, "We're not sure she'll ever be able to fly again."

Never fly again? Ginny tried to get up and tell him just what she thought of that, but her body didn't cooperate.

This couldn't be the end, she despaired. Not if she could help it. She was just getting started!

The healers moved her carefully to St. Mungo's, where more tests were run, and spells were done. Feeling slowly came back into Ginny's body, and with the feeling came extreme pain.

"You're lucky," one of the healers told her. "If they hadn't been so quick, you may not have ever regained any of those nerve-endings."

Her mum and dad were in the room with her. Mum was fussing about, fluffing Ginny's pillows, fetching tea, brushing Ginny's hair gently. Her dad was setting silently in the chair in the corner.

Ginny just wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn't come.