Author's Notes:
Standard Disclaimer: It all belongs to JKR. That you JKR for letting us play with your toys.
I will continue to use the occasional song lyric in the story and will give credit at the time when needed.
This is the fifth book in my Slytherin Harry series.
Book 1 Harry Potter and the Muggle's Daughter.
Book 2: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Book 3: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Book 4: Harry Potter and the Blood Traitor's Daughter
Book 5: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
If you haven't read books 1-4 you won't know what's going on. But the bonus is you've got four completed books before you even get to this one!
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE
CHAPTER XXVII
Tournament's Over
HPHPHP
Ginny hung her cloak on the coat tree in the entry and turned to the stairs. "That's a lot of steps," she sighed.
Harry scooped her up and started up. "Your wish is my command, my Lady."
Ginny giggled and looped her arms around his neck. "Practicing for when we get married?"
"And make sure you take her to her room, Buster," Harry's mum called after them.
"Bloody hell, you fall asleep on the couch once," Harry muttered.
Ginny giggled. "Your mum is great."
Harry reached the top of the stairs and turned for the guest room. "Seeing she'll be your mother-in-law, I'm glad you think so." He carried her into her room and gently deposited her on the bed.
Ginny collapsed flat on her back. "By the goddess that's nice."
Harry knelt by the side of the bed and Ginny rolled to face him. She reached for his face, palming his cheek. He leaned into her hand. "I'm so glad you're alive," he said softly.
She smiled. "Makes two of us." Harry turned and kissed the inside of her wrist. "You're not angry with me?" she asked.
He frowned. "What for?"
"For ratting you out?"
Harry smirked. "Nah. Truth is I should have known you would."
"Oh?"
"It's your payback for not including you to begin with. It's exactly what you'd have done before." She watched him for a few moments before pushing up. She leaned in slowly and pressed her lips to his. Harry remained passive, letting her come to him a number of times before really kissing back.
"Two minutes, Buster," his mum called, walking past the open door to her room.
Ginny caught his lower lip in her teeth, gently biting as she pulled back. His eyes smoldered, nearly black as he watched her. "Night," she whispered.
"Night," he answered, not moving in the least.
"Harry Potter," his mum called.
He pressed his fingers to his lips and then hers. "Tomorrow."
"I'll be here."
Harry stood, backing out of the room, never taking his eyes from hers till he gently closed the door. He turned to find his mum watching him from the door of her room. The two regarded each other for a few seconds. "Promise me you'll wait till at least her birthday."
Harry blinked. "You're giving us permission?"
"Are you going to marry her?"
"If she'll have me."
"Then yes, I am." She held his eyes another moment.
"I promise," Harry said. "And just so you know, I don't think either of us is really in a hurry for that."
She stepped to him, reaching to palm his cheek. "You are a man, Harry. You may be young yet, but you are everything a man should be. I could not have asked for a better son and I could not be more proud to be your mother."
Harry stepped into her, drawing her into his arms. "I love you, Mum."
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Two days after Charlie and Tonk's wedding a small group gathered at the Briar Patch. It was time. Finally, after weeks of hearing about the terrible something Ginny was to learn what it was. The group consisted of her, Bill, Lily, Harry, Remus and Mrs Tonks and Ginny was more than a bit nervous. "All right?" Harry asked.
Ginny swallowed. "Yes."
Harry's mum took her free hand. "You'll be fine, Ginny," she assured. "This won't be fun, but we all love you, okay?"
Ginny nodded. "Okay."
Mrs Potter squeezed her hand. "We're going to start with Remus. He has a few memories to show you first."
"All right," Ginny agreed.
He focused on her. "Whenever you're ready." She looked into his eyes and a few moments later she was in his dreamscape. "Hello, Ginny."
She turned and smiled nervously. "I'm not going to like this, am I?"
He gave her a small smile in return. "No, probably not. But I want you to know I've never shared this with anyone. I never told anyone. This was always between you and myself. Now it won't quite tell you what happened, but it will show you just how low you were. I want you to see it because I want you to remember what that girl was like and what that same girl was like a year later. Okay?"
Ginny nodded. "Okay."
"Good. Here we go then."
The world around them swirled and Ginny was back in the infirmary, watching as Remus sat quietly in the dark while she slipped from behind a curtain and moved to the window. He was silent as the night, moving behind her, preparing to stop her jumping if she didn't do it herself. She listened to the quiet words he spoke and watched as he guided her back to her bed. The scene faded and Ginny turned to Remus.
"What did I do?" she croaked.
"You did not do anything, Ginny. It took you a while to understand that, but I want to show you that same girl a year later." Before she could say a word Ginny was suddenly standing in the stands of a quidditch stadium. "Watch," Remus pointed. A spell exploded and a second later she watched herself and Harry tipping out of a box to dangle below. Spells flashed around she and Harry as they swayed wildly. And then, suddenly, they were on a broom and flying away. Remus was running to stop their attackers. He ducked out of the way of a green spell and it struck a witch in the back. She dropped to the ground and didn't move. A massive explosion from Harry's spell shook the stadium and one of the attackers was thrown through the air to land at Remus' feet. He bound the man in ropes and shot a stunner at the last attacker standing. The man responded by sending a hail of metal darts back. One of them broke through Remus' shield and struck him in the shoulder. Remus ripped the dart out and bounded after the man. He made it about ten steps before collapsing. She and Harry flew up and landed beside Remus. Harry was screaming at Remus not to die and she cast a spell that froze him solid. The memory faded away.
"Ī ātma muktagoḷisalu, mānsavannu phrīj," Ginny whispered to herself. She focused on Remus. "It was silver then?"
"It was. And you saved me. Without you, I would have died that day. But right now, that isn't important. What's important is you remember the difference between those two girls. One was ready to give up. The other fought tooth and nail to safe herself and Harry and then had the presence of mind to use a spell not even all healers know. The past two years have made you into a strong, confident woman, Ginny. I want you to promise me you'll remember that as you go forward and don't let what you're going to learn take away what you've already overcome."
Ginny frowned. "It's really horrible, isn't it, if I was going to kill myself?"
"It was horrible. But you need to remember, as much as anyone, you were a victim."
Ginny took a deep breath. "I'll do my best."
"Good girl. Now come on, the others are waiting for us."
Ginny blinked away the disorientation of returning to her own mind. "All right?" Harry asked.
"For the moment," she answered.
"Are you feeling well enough to continue?" Mrs Potter asked.
"Even if I wasn't, I'm not going to get any sleep after all this build up. Let's get it over with so I can get on with my life."
Harry kissed her hand. "Told you, you were too strong for that girl not to come through." She smiled at him.
"We're going to begin by showing you something," Lily said. "Ultimately, it is responsible for everything we're concerned about telling you. This object is completely harmless now, but at one time it was one of the most insidious, dangerous, evil things ever created. It's called a Horcrux." Mrs Potter paused.
"You're hoping I know what that is, aren't you?"
"You don't?"
"No."
"All right then. You've already been told Voldemort is not dead. A Horcrux is the reason for that. Very simply, it is an object in which a witch or wizard encases a bit of his or her soul. As long as the Horcrux remains intact, it is impossible for the sorcerer who made it to truly die. Their body can be destroyed, but the soul cannot pass from this mortal realm. It is, a means to immortality."
"That sounds horrible," Ginny said.
"It is," Mrs Potter agreed. "A Horcrux can only be created by committing murder. The act of committing the crime is what splits the soul, allowing a piece to be broken off and placed within an object of the sorcerer's choosing. It leaves the sorcerer less human than they were before and begins a decent into madness."
"Seems to me they would have to be mad to begin with."
"Very true," Mrs Potter said. "But that is neither here nor there. The point is, Voldemort has created at least two of these items. One of them was a diary, which was given to you in an attempt for him to create a new body and free himself from the diary."
"Me? "Why, me?"
"Because you are very powerful, Ginny. Powerful enough for it to have worked."
"But it didn't," Harry said. "You fought it. You fought it for over a year and Neville and Professor McGonagall and I destroyed it and you're fine."
"But what haven't you told me yet?" Ginny asked.
"Quite a lot," Mrs Potter said. "If it's all right with you, we're going to show you the diary now."
"If you've destroyed it, why are you so scared to show it to me?"
"It hurt you, Ginny," Mrs Potter answered. "Very badly. That, and you've reacted badly to seeing it once before. You had figured out it was doing bad things to you and threw it away. You tried to burn it. Unfortunately it takes more than simple fire to destroy a Horcrux. After you tried to destroy it, Harry found it. He didn't know what it was and stuck it in his bag. When you saw him with it, you broke all the memory charms the Horcrux had placed on you. Suddenly remembering everything like that caused you to pass out. You were in a coma for over a week."
"You've beaten it before, Ginny," Harry said. "More than once."
Ginny glanced around at the group. Seeing nothing but love and support in their eyes she nodded. "Do it."
Bill pulled a black leather book with a hole stabbed in it from the bag at his feet." Ginny hissed and stood so quickly she knocked her chair over in an attempt to get away from it. The others jumped up with Harry stepping in front of her, blocking her view. "It can't hurt you," he said.
"What did I do?" she demanded frantically. "I did something. I know I did."
Harry grabbed her face. "You didn't do anything. It was the diary. It possessed you. It controlled you."
Ginny shook her head. "No," she moaned. "I did something. I know I did."
"No, you didn't."
"I did. I did. I know."
"Ginny—"
"Tell me!" she screamed. "Tell me right now." Harry grimaced. "TELL ME."
"The diary possessed you. It used you. You know what the Imperious Curse is. The diary was a thousand times harder to fight. But you did. You fought it and you won and you threw it away."
Ginny ripped away from him. "You're lying, Harry. I know you are. I can feel it!" She dropped to her knees, clutching at her head. "WHY CAN'T I REMEMBER?"
Mrs Tonks cast a Calming Charm on her. "Easy now," she soothed, kneeling beside her. "Deep breaths."
Harry knelt beside her. Cautiously, he reached for her hand. "I'm sorry," Ginny whispered.
"It's fine," he answered.
Ginny remained hunched over. "Tell me what happened." Harry hesitated. She straightened, focusing on him. "I need to know."
"When you woke from the coma, the diary was sitting in my bag beside your bed. I had no idea what it was or what it had done to you. It possessed you again. Sandra, and Bill came in the infirmary just when you were leaving. The diary used you to attack them—
"She's dead," Ginny whispered. "Isn't she? That's why she isn't here now, isn't it?"
Bill knelt beside Harry. "It wasn't your fault, Ginny."
She cringed away from him. "How can you even look at me?"
Remus stepped forward. He held his hand down to her. "Ginny, look at me."
"Just leave me," she gasped.
"I don't expect you'll just smile and say everything is fine, but you've already faced this. All these people here, and dozens more have stood by you. They've helped and supported you and not one of them ever blamed you for what happened. And every one of us is ready to do it again."
"Please, Ginny," Harry said. "I love you."
"How?" she croaked. "I don't even know what I did but I know I don't deserve this."
Bill reached for her chin. She flinched away but he persisted. "You were the victim, Ginny. Nothing that happened is your fault."
"Promise you don't hate me?" she whispered.
"I swear on my life, Firefly."
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May 17th Daphne exited the Slytherin common room with Harry and Ginny to find Neville, Hermione and Luna waiting for them. "What are you doing down here?" she asked.
"Not training," Luna said. She stepped in and hugged Daphne tightly. She pushed her back, holding the other girl by the shoulders. Ginny and Hermione each took one of Daphne's hands.
"We thought we'd just go sit in the clock tower," Neville said.
Daphne broke down and started to cry. Luna pulled her tight again while the others crowded in around her. "You remembered," Daphne gasped.
"Easy, Posh," Harry soothed. He dropped a kiss on her crown.
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"Just get away from me!" Ginny shouted.
Harry backed away. The last month with Ginny had been hell. Each new thing she learned, they could never tell how she was going to react. She was a like a volcano just waiting to Vesuvius his ass, and telling her it didn't matter to him that she now flew about as well as Hermione, which was not well at all, had been too much. And that said nothing for June 4th and the third task looming a bit more than two weeks out. Though with Fleur dead and Cedric and Viktor still in coma Harry was looking like the winner by default. He knew Minister Bones had taken over the planning and preparations for the task and even if he wasn't planning to simply summon his broom and fly to the center of the maze it was going to be a cakewalk. Not that he cared. He just wanted it done. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry, sorry, sorry," she ranted. "Everyone's sorry. Everyone wants me to just get over it and be ok. 'You've been through this before, Ginny.' 'You survived before, Ginny.' 'You're strong, Ginny.' Well I've got news for you, Harry. The girl you knew is dead! I haven't been through this before and I just need you and everyone else to get away from me for a while!"
Harry had become fairly adept at keeping a poker face with her increasing blowups, but telling him the old Ginny was dead was just too much. He blanched and his stomach clenched. "I'll come back tomorrow," he managed to croak.
"Whatever."
Harry backed away and left her alone. Ginny grabbed the things off her bedside table and threw them on the floor. "Arrrgh!" she screamed.
The matron poked her head out of her office. She shot him a look. Harry grimaced and shrugged. She smiled sympathetically and nodded towards the door. Just then the door opened, admitting Hermione, Luna, Daphne and Neville. They stopped, focusing on him. He shook his head. They all let out a sigh and resignedly turned to go.
"Harry, wait!" Ginny called. He turned as she hurried up. She hesitated when she saw the others.
"I'll stay if you want me to stay," he said.
"I'm sorry," she answered.
"Don't be. You're right. You haven't been through this before. It isn't fair of us to expect you to just shrug everything off and be fine."
Before she could respond Rowena burst out from behind the curtains around Cedric's bed. "Help!" she screamed just as the matron rushed out of her office. A high-pitched alarm spilled out the open door. "Matron! He's not breathing!"
"I know." Matron Pomfrey rushed past her to Cedric's side. Frantically she began casting spells over him.
Harry didn't want to but couldn't stop from moving closer. In a daze of dull sound he stood and watched her work. It felt like days but was probably only minutes before the matron slowly stilled to stand with her head bowed beside Cedric's bed. Vaguely he was aware of the others moving to Rowena as she screamed for the matron to help him. A buzzing began to fill his mind.
"Noooo!" Rowena shrieked and collapsed to her knees sobbing. Luna, Daphne and Hermione knelt next to her, wrapping her protectively in their arms. Neville stood in silent disbelief. Harry turned to Ginny. She was white as ghost and shaking. Everything of the last three months, all the worry and pain, all the fear flooded into Harry and it was just too much. His fist clinched. He wasn't aware of the loose objects in the room as they began to rattle and bounce about.
"Harry?" Neville said, putting his hand on his shoulder. Harry turned on him. Neville backed away, holding his hands up. "Easy, Mate." Harry's nostrils flared. "Just calm down," Neville tried. Harry shoved past him into the hall.
"Harry!" Hermione cried.
"Where's he going?" Daphne asked.
"I don't know," Luna said, jumping up, "but we need to stop him."
"Stay with Rowena," Hermione said and ran after them both.
"Go," Daphne ordered when Neville hesitated. He ran after the others. "Don't you dare," Daphne grabbed Ginny's arm when she went to follow. "Until you're strong enough you're not staying overnights in the infirmary, you're job is here with me."
Harry moved down the hallway like a rolling thunderstorm. Behind him glass and ceramic exploded, stone busts set on plinths suddenly jumped to crash on the floor, doors slammed open and then banged shut again. "Mr Potter?" Professor McGonagall said stepping into his path only to be pushed aside like detritus ahead of a wave. Luna and Hermione tore past her only to run headlong into an invisible wall. They staggered back and fell in a heap. Neville grabbed them and hauled them up.
"What happened?" Professor McGonagall demanded.
"Cedric died," Neville answered, barely slowing as the three tore after Harry. She hesitated a second before racing after them. Unfortunately they could only get so close before whatever magic Harry was trailing held them back.
"We have to stop him," Hermione said. The four bounded down the stairs after Harry.
The twins, Lee, Ron, most of the rest of the Gryffindor quidditch team, along with Venus and Serena of Beauxbatons were in the entry hall when Harry jumped down the last five steps, raised his hands and wandlessly blasted the Goblet of Fire out the open front doors. Spilling blue flames it clanged down the steps onto the lawn, somehow coming to rest upright on its base. Professor McGonagall, Hermione, Luna and Neville rushed after the Goblet and Harry.
"What the hell?" Fred asked. George and the others were already running out the doors. More students, drawn seemingly from everywhere by the commotion, spilled out of the school onto the steps.
Harry jumped down the steps and grabbed the Goblet. The first time he'd challenged the thing, he'd lost. This time, that wasn't an option. Searching, feeling, like when he'd transmogrified Kaa's headstone, he poured his magic into the accursed thing. The flames dancing in the cauldron jumped to over ten feet in height. Harry shoved. The Goblet shoved back.
"Harry!" Hermione screamed, running down the steps. Her flight was stopped when professor Moody grabbed her and Luna.
"Stay back," he growled
"We have to stop him," Luna cried.
Moody waved at Harry. "You think you can stop that?" he demanded. An eerie moaning sound had begun emanating from the Goblet. Flames leapt high from it, lighting the night to day while crackles of raw magic sparked ghostly blue along Harry's hands and forearms. Two titans locked in a battle of wills that wouldn't end till one of them was utterly destroyed. "Get them back, Minerva," Moody growled.
Neville grabbed the two girls. "I've got them, Professor."
"Everybody get back!" Professor McGonagall shouted. "Stay back."
Moody step/thunked down to the bottom step where he drew his wand and held it steady in front of him. He began chanting and a translucent, paper-thin wall began to form between himself, Harry and everyone gathered to see what was happening. The wall stretched to twenty feet either side of him and near twenty high before the edges seemed to fray, floating on a nonexistent breeze. Professors Flitwick, Paddington and Sprout hurried down the steps and added their magic to his, expanding the shield to near forty feet either side and thirty high.
"Think it's enough?" Flitwick squeaked.
"Damned if I know," Moody muttered. "Where's bloody Albus when we need him?"
"He's going to kill himself," Hermione whispered. Neither Luna nor Neville contradicted her.
As insignificant as a cannonball slamming into the side of a mountain Harry's attack was tossed aside. He grit his teeth and pressed harder. Wind, rain, time, even mountains could be brought low. Probing, pushing, hunting, he found a tiny imperfection. His magic changed. He didn't need cannonballs, he needed something smaller; like a single jet of water. No bigger around than a stickpin; a stickpin with the force of Niagara Falls behind it. With a primal scream Harry shoved again. The Goblet moaned and the flames dancing in the cauldron leapt higher, fifteen, twenty, thirty and forty feet into the sky.
Agony built in Harry's hands, twisted into his arms, burning into his chest with white-hot intensity. Every nerve screamed for release yet Harry shoved it aside. Burning, ripping, tearing at his body a colossal, thunderous wall of magic surged from his core. More and more Harry gathered it, pulling, pulling, pulling and then forcing it down, down, down till all of it, all the pain and agony and hurt of his life was a single molecule of rage buried deep within the Goblet. And then he let it go; with one, solitary, thought.
BREAK
The pent up atom of magic released. A tremendous explosion rent the night. Harry was blasted off his feet and thrown fifty feet through the air. He crashed down on his back, tumbling head over heels a good ten feet before coming to a stop.
Hermione slapped her hands over her ears with the explosion. A wave of magic crashed the professors' shield. It wavered and shrank by half before a following wall of dirt, grass and rocks slammed into it. The shield held under the onslaught for a second longer before it collapsed. The professors turned and covered their heads with their arms, but the shield had been enough to slow the debris and it fell back to the earth about six inches from reaching them.
Silence fell on the night. Slowly Hermione turned back. The front lawn looked like a bomb had been dropped on it. A very big bomb. The crater was probably twice as large as the one Harry had left in the field at the Briar Patch after Ginny had told him how Tom had sexually assaulted her. Harry was nowhere to be seen. "Harry!" she screamed, ripping free of Neville's grasp. She ran out on the lawn looking for him.
Harry jerked awake. Pain rushed in and he nearly passed out again. Every nerve in his body felt like it was on fire. There wasn't a single inch of him, inside and out, that didn't hurt. Still, something in him told Harry he needed to get up. He tried picking his head up and collapsed almost instantly. Gritting his teeth he forced the pain aside. Dragging an arm forward he pushed his body up. A small avalanche of debris spilled from him as he slowly started to straighten. He weaved about on his knees and a hand while his bearings slowly came back.
"Harry," Hermione cried, rushing to him. She grabbed his arm and he jerked away. Over-balanced, he fell back on his bum. Just as quickly he was scrambling around to face her. Hermione froze, for the first time in her life feeling fear in looking on Harry as glowing green eyes pinned her.
Luna knelt between them. "Easy, Harry," she soothed. Harry focused on her.
"It's just us, Mate," Neville said.
Harry's lip curled. "Harry," Hermione said firmly. His eyes pinned her again. "It's over, Harry," she said gently.
Harry surged to his feet. Pushing past them he moved to the edge of the crater. Moody stood at the bottom of it. At his feet, flameless, lay the Goblet. He nudged it with his clawed foot. The Goblet rolled over. A large piece of the bowl broke off and crumbled to dust. Moody looked up. "Well done, Potter," he growled in his gravely voice. Harry turned away. Nearly the entire student body, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons delegations included, were somewhere on the steps or surrounding walkway, straining to see. There was a commotion at the back of the crowd and it suddenly parted, allowing Dumbledore through.
His friends hovering, Harry walked to the man. He stopped a few feet in front of the older wizard. Dumbledore said nothing as the two locked eyes. "Tournament's over," Harry said and pushed past him. No one said a word as he climbed the steps and reentered the school. Neville, Hermione and Luna hurried after, falling in at his side and behind him. Harry walked steadily up the steps to the entry and then up the grand marble staircase. He made it around the corner and out of sight of prying eyes before his knees buckled. Neville caught him. "Thanks, Mate."
"No problem." Hermione stepped in at his other side, looping his arm around her shoulders. Luna forced Neville out of the way on his other side. With the two girls supporting him and Neville trailing behind they made their way to the infirmary.
"You're going to kill me, aren't you?"
"Yes," Hermione and Luna answered.
Harry nodded slightly. "Sorry." The four of them turned into the infirmary.
Daphne took one look at them and muttered. "Of course the whole castle shaking had something to do with him."
Ginny forced Luna aside. "Let me have him."
"Oh, for the love of," the matron complained. "Get him in the bed." Hermione and Ginny helped him over and Harry rolled into the bed with a groan. The matron took her wand out and held it over Harry. "What on earth have you done this time?"
"He destroyed the Goblet," Neville said.
The matron nearly dropped her wand. "You don't mean the Goblet, do you?"
Neville nodded. "Yes, Ma'am."
"He'll be ok, right?" Hermione asked.
"Only because it's against my oaths to kill him," the matron muttered. She hit him with a Pain Deadening Charm.
"Oh, tha's nice," Harry slurred. "Knew you lov' me."
"Don't even start with me, Potter," she snapped. "This is not a joke and I am not amused to find you magically exhausted not two months after I've just put you back together. Do you even realize you should be dead a dozen times over already? Do you think I enjoy seeing you in here every other week or bringing you back from death on a yearly basis?" She glared at him. "Do you?" she demanded.
Sobered by her anger Harry stared at her for a few seconds before whispering, "I'm sorry I'm a burden to you." He rolled on his side, away from her.
The matron sagged. "Potter, I'm sorry." He said nothing. "She reached for his shoulder. "Harry, look at me." Harry didn't move. "Please, Harry."
"It's fine, Ma'am. You don't have to apologize."
She tried to roll him but he resisted. She let him go and moved around to the other side of the bed. His eyes were closed. "Today, tomorrow, sometime, you're eventually going to have to look at me."
Harry opened his eyes. "I just wanted it to stop," he pleaded.
"I know. We're all hurting; you maybe most of all. I'm sorry I yelled at you. It was unprofessional. More than that, it was a horrible thing of me to do to you. I promise, you are not a burden. You never have been. It is my honor to treat you and I will happily cure you of any ailment you suffer for as long as you need me too."
"Promise?"
She smiled. "Promise."
Harry reached for her hand. "Don't tell Andi, but you're Pain Charms are better than hers."
She squeezed his hand. "Our secret." Harry closed his eyes. "Rest now."
"K."
She straightened. Their audience shifted nervously. "The Goblet is destroyed?"
Luna nodded. "Yes, Ma'am."
"Does that mean what I think it does?"
"Professor Moody said he'd done a good job," Neville answered. "And Harry told the Headmaster the tournament was over."
She took a deep breath and blew it out. "We can only hope." She glanced about. "Let's get some curtains in place for him and then you can sit with him till curfew." They quickly arranged the curtains while she set a Monitoring Charm on Harry. She eyed them for a second. "Miss Greengrass, might I ask you to stay with Miss Stone?"
"Of course, Ma'am."
"I'll go with you," Neville said.
"Thank you." The Matron bustled away.
"We'll come get you to walk back," Daphne said.
"All right," Hermione and Luna agreed. The two left and it was just Hermione, Luna and Ginny. Hermione and Luna pulled chairs up and sat so they could see Harry's face. Ginny simply climbed on the bed and sat cross-legged behind him. She took his hand and kissed it. No one said a word for a very long time.
"Were you fighting?" Luna asked.
"I yelled at him," Ginny answered. "I'm sorry." Again no one spoke for a long time. "I'm not sure I should keep viewing everyone's memories of me," Ginny said.
The others looked at her. "Why not?" Luna asked.
Ginny shrugged. "I mean I know everything, right; even if I haven't seen it all yet?"
"Well," Luna said, "it would be impossible for you know absolutely everything even if you'd seen every memory."
"But I know enough," Ginny said. "Unless there's some big reveal left, everything is like pouring salt in the wound so what's the point? I know I love him. I know I love all of you. Maybe we just need to accept the old me is gone and this is as good as it gets."
Luna glanced at Hermione. She just shrugged. "Maybe it is time to move on."
"But is it moving on, or hiding from the truth?" Luna asked. "Even if we stop going through our memories, little things are just going to make themselves known for the rest of your life."
"I suppose you're right," Ginny sighed. She picked at Harry's blanket. "I just don't know what to do. I get what you all say. I've been through it before and I was supposedly fine. But I'm not that girl. I don't remember any of it. I know I did it, but at the same time I didn't do any of it. Sometimes it feels like I'm being blamed for things I didn't do. I'm tired of hurting all the time. I'm tired of hurting all of you and I just don't know how much more I can take. And please don't tell me I'm strong, cause I just don't want to hear it. And I can't even believe I'm sitting here moaning like this when Cedric has just died."
Luna tipped her head. "I'm sorry, Ginevra, you're right. We've been asking you to just accept everything and move on without really understanding this is the first time you've been through any of it. Perhaps it has been a mistake to revisit what is gone in such detail. At the very least I do not see that you and I need to revisit every memory of our relationship. You are my friend. You will always be my friend. What more do we need to know?" Ginny held her hand out to Luna. She took it. "Friends," Luna said.
"Always," Ginny answered. She focused on Hermione.
Hermione placed her hand on theirs. "Sisters."
"Sisters," Ginny and Luna agreed.
HPHPHP
Author's notes:
For those of you hoping Cedric was going to survive this story, I'm sorry.
And without the third task and Karkaroff arrested, just how is Voldemort going to get his hands on Harry now?