When Ginny sat down at breakfast the following morning and joined Harry and Hermione, Hermione said immediately, "Hagrid's escaped!" Ginny jumped out of her seat a little and whispered, "What! How come?" Harry grumbled under his breath and murmured, "Umbridge tried to sack him two nights ago." Ginny gasped and asked them worriedly, "Will he be okay? How do you know this?" Hermione held up a letter and murmured, "It's from Hagrid. He hasn't said where he's staying but I reckon it's at Grimmauld place. McGonagall got in the way and got stunned."
Ginny shook her head sadly and whispered, "I feel so bad for him, and it was really nice of McGonagall," as she dished up some yoghurt into her bowl. Hermione nodded and scowled at Ron further down the table beside Neville, Seamus and Dean as she muttered, "I wish someone else would be so nice for a change!" Ginny rolled her eyes and asked, "He's still not perked up yet?" They both shook their heads and she rolled her eyes, "Don't worry-Angelina will force him to cooperate sooner or later since we're on the same team!" Harry mumbled, "I hope you're right, Ginny."
That day the classes dragged and Ginny couldn't wait to crawl into bed, but she couldn't because she had to study. The only interesting thing that had happened was Fred and George's unforgettable departure from the school. She knew her mum would be furious when she found out and they would probably suffer the wrath when they got home. They had written their last exam today.
On the way back to the common room, she idly wondered how Harry's O.W.L had gone today when she heard his voice yelling from a locked classroom. Luna appeared next to her and she frowned, "Is Harry having a bad day?" She asked loftily. Ginny felt like rolling her eyes. She liked Luna a lot, but she thought that the voice emanating from the classroom indicated that Harry was having a rough day.
She pushed inside, closed the door behind her and he froze, turning to face her. He was with Ron and Hermione and Ginny blushed, "Sorry…I just heard you shouting and wondered what was wrong." He grimaced and he said tightly, "Nothing. I can't tell you." Ginny raised her eyebrows skeptically and yelled right back at him, "Oh for goodness sake Harry you should be able to tell me anything!" She immediately assumed it was Ron giving him a hard time over her, but Luna broke the awkward silence by asking, "And why would that be, Ginny?" Luna had the annoying habit at asking uncomfortable questions at the wrong time as Ginny muttered furiously, "Because, Luna, he is my boyfriend." Luna raised her eyebrows and smiled, "Oh, how sweet."
Harry stared her perplexedly as Hermione said quickly, "They can help us Harry!" Harry snapped, "How, Hermione? How are they going to help us rescue Sirius?!" Ginny gasped and she said spluttered worriedly, "Where…where is he?" Harry turned to her again and said stiffly, "In the Department of Mysteries." She raised her eyebrows and asked, "And how do you know this?" Harry groaned, "I saw him there, Ginny ok? I saw him being tortured by Voldemort!" Ginny felt her fists clench automatically at the name and Harry's temper was causing her own to arise as she said firmly, "There's no need to take that tone with me, thank you." This cause Harry to swear and it was the first time she had ever heard him do that before. She flinched backwards and Hermione interrupted, "Harry, we need to see if Sirius is really not in Grimmauld Place. We can have a look in Umbridge's Floo Network. We'll need someone to distract her and get her out of the room."
Ron nodded agreeably, "I will do it and tell her Peeves trashing the Transfiguration classroom. It's far away." Ginny walked over wordlessly to Harry and wrapped her hands around his waist, trying to calm him. She knew he was taking his anger out on the rest of them and after a second she felt his arms slip around her too. She looked at Hermione and nodded, "Luna and I keep guard. You should go in under the invisibility cloak. We can tell people in the corridor that someone's let off Garroting Gas and it stinks." Hermione looked surprised and nodded, "Alright that's a good idea. Nice one, Ginny." Ginny couldn't help but notice that Ron was had tensed since she'd embraced Harry, so she quickly moved out of his grip. He frowned and inclined her head in Ron's direction. Luckily he caught on.
Harry said urgently, "Ok, let's get going then. Come on, Ron! You need to go and distract Umbridge first." Ron nodded and with a loathing look at Ginny, he departed from the room. Hermione sighed, "Alright Harry, I'm going to go outside the room and Accio your cloak. Come on, Luna." Hermione pulled Luna out of the classroom.
Ginny turned to face Harry and she placed her hand on his cheek as she whispered softly, "Sirius will be fine, Harry. You'll save him." She could see she was calming him as he murmured, "I hope so," and so she stretched up on her tip toes and kissed him gently. She was surprised when he responded rather passionately and she gasped as he pressed his lips to hers. She pulled him closer and felt his hands twisting into her hair when there was a knock on the door and Ginny knew Hermione was letting them know that the cloak was there and that it was time to go.
The broke apart and Ginny took his hand in hers, squeezing it tightly as they left the room. When they reached the hallway, she gave Harry's hand one last squeeze before he threw the cloak over his head after checking whether there was anyone around. The coast was clear and Ginny hurried in behind them as Luna stood on the far end of the corridor. They had decided that Ginny would yell, "Jumping Jellybeans!" If Umbridge was coming.
They waited and for a while there was nothing, until Dean and Seamus came down the corridor. Ginny groaned internally. She had still not spoken to Dean about the kiss and he probably deserved and explanation. She walked up to them and said confidently, "You can't come down here, guys, there's Garrating Gas." Dean raised his eyebrow and asked, "Really? Did Fred and George set it off?" Seamus chuckled and Luna also laughed lightly as Ginny shook her head, "Nope. I think it was a first year who bought one of their products though." Dean nodded as a throng of people appeared and they Ginny told them too, "Sorry everyone, corridor is closed off. Someone set off Garrating Gas. Use the other route!"
They all grumbled but they slowly disappeared as Dean asked softly, "Ginny, can I talk to you please? I've really been wanting to for a while now." She sighed and replied, "Fine. What is it?" He asked pointedly, "In private?" She rolled her eyes and Seamus grinned at him, "I'll be in the common room, mate." He turned away from her and walked back the way he had come.
Luna walked further down the corridor and Ginny worried about Harry. She hoped he wouldn't be too long. Dean asked sadly, "Did…did you not enjoy…the kiss?" Ginny shook her head, "I'm sorry Dean. It just felt wrong. And it had nothing to do with my brother interrupting." He frowned and asked curiously, "Did it have something to do with Harry interrupting?" Ginny didn't' know what to say. Of course it did. It had everything to do with Harry. But she couldn't tell Dean that. He carried on though, "I heard rumors-about the two of you being together." She crossed her arms and said irritably, "Yeah, and you know who spread them?" She was avoiding answering him by answering a question with a question.
Then suddenly, behind Dean, Ginny spotted Umbridge hastening towards her, Malfoy and his cronies at her heals. Ginny yelled loudly, "JUMPING JELLYBEANS!" And Luna began doing the same. She suddenly collapsed on the ground and Umbridge said furiously, "They're up to something!" Malfoy grinned as he grabbed her arms, "Hello there, Weaslette!" He began pulling her towards Umbridge's office. Someone else grabbed ahold of Luna. Ginny suddenly heard a voice yell, "Stop!" It was Neville and Ginny's heart sank. She'd always had a soft spot for him and she hoped he wouldn't get involved in this.
She was wrong. He ran up to Malfoy and punched him square in the chest. The surprise caused Malfoy to drop Ginny as Goyle grabbed hold of Neville. She tried to stamp on Malfoy's feet as he sneered at her, "Watch it Weasley. I wouldn't do that if I were you!" She continued to protest just as Ron showed up.
Ginny shouted at him, "Ron! Run!" However as Ron tried to aim at them, another big Slytherin girl managed to disarm him and grab his wand. Malfoy nodded, "Good. Take their wands, everyone." He fished in her skirt pockets and pulled it out, pocketing it in his own. Ginny watched in amazement as Ron yelled, "Get your hands off my sister!" And ran at them and Goyle punched Ron in the lip. He stumbled backwards, lip bleeding as Crabbe grabbed his arms behind his back
Malfoy shoved her roughly into Umbridge's office, where they found her interrogating Harry. She groaned and she managed to kick Malfoy in the shin, causing him to tighten his hold on her, and he pulled her hands around her back and clasped them tightly as he told the professor, "Caught Longbottom trying to help free the Weasley Girl. Her brother was obviously a distraction." Umbridge nodded in agreement as she said, "Malfoy, send for Snape. Hand her over to Parkinson." Malfoy did as he was told and Pansy looked simply delighted to be given something to do.
Umbridge shook her head, "What were you doing in my office Potter? I knew Peeves was doing damage elsewhere! Tell me!" Harry retorted angrily, "It's none of your business what I was doing here!" Snape appeared in the doorway, Malfoy at his side and Snape said, "You called, headmistress?" Umbridge nodded and said, "Snape, I need Veritaserum! Now!" Snape shook his head, "You've used it all up, headmistress, when you were interrogating Chang." Ginny noticed Harry glanced at Ginny and Snape continued, "It will take another whole month to make more." Umbridge screamed and told Snape he was on probation for disobedience. Snape left as Harry yelled at him, "HE'S GOT PADFOOT! He's got padfoot at the place where it is hidden!" Ginny's sighed internally. Why on earth would Harry give anything away? Hermione had told her in second year already all about James, Sirius, Lupin and Wormtail being friends and their nicknames for each other. She thought Harry must be really desperate to use these code names.
Umbridge yelled, "What is he talking about Snape?" Snape turned to her and whispered, "No idea…" before shutting the door behind him. Umbridge sighed and whispered, "Fine…then I have one more solution to this problem." She pushed down Cornelius's photo on her desk and told Harry, "The cruciatous curse should loosen your tongue!" Her heart sank and she yelled, "NO!" before stamping on Parkinson's foot and pulling forwards. She stood in front of Harry's chair and said fiercely to Umbridge, "If you want him…" Umbridge rolled her eyes and shook her head, "I'm going to have to go through you, Weaslette. Is that it?" Parkinson tried to grab her but Umbridge held out her hand as Harry jumped up behind her and whispered furiously, "Ginny, stay out of this!"
Umbridge smiled sweetly and shook her head, "Aww, young love. How…romantic. It's alright Potter, I don't mind hurting your girlfriend if that's what she wants." Ginny held Harry in his place as Umrbridge screamed, "CRUCIO!" It was a pain Ginny had never felt before. She fell to the ground and felt herself twisting sickeningly in all directions, trying to escape away from it but rendered incapable. It was an internal pain. She felt her joints aching and she wanted it to stop. But if it distracted Harry long enough for him to escape, then she would do it. Umbridge hated her enough to get distracted from her main target. She'd been dying to do this. Ginny moaned and clutched her arms to her aching lungs, gasping for air…
She opened her eyes infinitesimally when the pain stopped. Harry was on the floor beside her. Why hadn't he run, the idiot?! He was clasping her hand in his and Umbridge shook her head, "That was a stupid thing to do Weasley," she explained, "Because I have Potter's wand. There was no way he could have disarmed me." Ginny sighed and felt a dull ache in her rib as she did. She clenched her teeth through the after effects of the pain.
Harry looked at her; concern echoed in his eyes as he tried to help her up, "You ok?" he whispered worriedly. She nodded and Umbridge asked the room at large, "Anyone else next?" She turned her wand to Harry and Hermione yelled, "TELL HER HARRY!" Ginny frowned as Harry helped her up from the floor and she tried not to gasp in pain. Umbridge grinned evilly and asked, "Tell me what?" Harry was staring at her in confusion as Hermione spluttered, "We'll show you Dumbledore's secret weapon!"
Author's note: Hey guys! I'm so sorry I haven't posted in the last two days! I really wanted to but I've been furiously studying for my exam on Thursday! I reckon it's going to be the hardest one I have so I've been using all of my spare time and energy to do that. I've really missed writing now so I think I'll start on the next chapter for Thursday, but I highly doubt it will be posted before then!
Once again thank you so much to CastielLunaWinchester, 123rachel123, guest and a new reviewer Dailey2008Jon for all the kind reviews! The next chapter will be posted on Thursday!