The next day, Ginny had Defense first thing in the morning. She groaned when she saw it and shook her head. Usually she loved Defense…that is when she had a respectable teacher teaching her. Now she wasn't sure what to expect, and Amelia and Charlotte, who came down to defense also, seemed nervous. Charlotte muttered, "I'm half-blood. I hope they don't take it out on me." Ginny said seriously, "I doubt they will, Charlotte, I mean…they can't seriously ." Charlotte shrugged as they reached their classroom, "We'll see…" she said morbidly.
They filed in and took a seat at their desks. Amycus was a tall man with dark, thinning hair. He had a horrible grin on his face, like he was eager to take the class. Ginny sat at the back with Charlotte and Amelia. Eventually, everyone else was seated and Amycus said slowly, "Right then…I'm Mr Carrow. I shall be your Defense with Dark Arts teacher." This caused Ginny to frown. She glanced at Amelia, who shook her blond head in confusion.
Ginny raised her hand and asked, "Excuse me, Mr Carrow. Defense with the Dark Arts?" The Professor stalked towards her, narrowed eyes, and said, "Yes. I'm guessing you're a Weasley? Defense with Dark Arts. Dark Arts can be a very useful tool to protect yourself from those who wish to do otherwise." Charlotte raised her hand and asked tentatively, "Sorry Sir, does that mean we will be using the Dark Arts." Carrow's cruel smile spread across his face, "Why indeed, Miss…" she swallowed and whispered, "Button."
He nodded, "Miss Button." Ginny gasped and said, "That's absurd! Dumbledore would never…" The smile grew crueler, "Dumbledore is no longer with us, is he Miss Weasley?" Ginny bit her lip and Carrow commented, "If I were you, I'd hold my tongue. I quite enjoy the idea of demonstrating what exactly I mean by showing you how to use the Dark Arts." The whole room was silent. Ginny glanced at Amelia and Charlotte and they looked just as shocked as she felt.
Colin, sitting at the end of their row, looked pale. Paler than usual. Ginny wondered how awful he must be feeling. He was muggle-born and she was surprised he was back at school this year. She made up her mind there and then to stick by him this year, no matter what. She wanted to protect him. He was her friend after all.
Carrow continued to blabber on and on about how they were going to be using magic in its darkest sense. Ginny couldn't believe her ears at most of what she'd heard. Carrow said, "Have any of you experienced Crucio before?" They all shook their heads and Ginny bit her lip. She did not like where this was going. She thought of Harry and how he would say something. Ginny said swiftly, "Professor, we're sixth years who have not been tortured, nor do we wish to be tortured and without reason." The tension in the room was palpable. She waited with baited breath as Carrow stalked towards her.
He then smiled his cruel, thin smile at her and replied, "Weasley, I can see you're going to be a tricky one to convince." He laughed and shook his head. Then he turned to the rest of the class and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, we have our first volunteer. Miss Weasley, would you care to stand in front of the class, so they can see what happens when you back chat authority?" Ginny couldn't quite believe her ears. She stood up gingerly and walked to the front. She had a feeling she knew what was coming, but she couldn't believe even on the first day that this was happening!
Carrow smiled delightedly, "Now class, Crucio is a very helpful tool that will allow you to control your victim. It makes them submit and it makes them obey. A human body can only suffer so much pain. Once the pain gets too much, they begin to beg for it to stop. When that happens, you can make them do anything."
Colin stood up in protest and Ginny glared at him. He watched her intensely but she shook her head. She had back-chatted. If anyone was going to go through with this punishment, she was going to suffer for it. Not him, and not anyone else. She looked into Carrow's stone cold eyes and he smiled at her knowingly. He pointed his wand at her chest and said silkily, "Crucio!"
Ginny felt herself collapse to the floor involuntarily. It was a pain she had never felt before, and never wished to feel again. It was incapacitating and she felt like white hot knives were stabbing her consistently at different parts of her body. But she refused to scream and give Carrow that satisfaction. She couldn't see, but she could hear. She heard Carrow say to the class, "And this is what you get for being Harry Potter's girlfriend." Ginny lost focus after that. She blanked and lost consciousness. The pain overtook her and then she didn't know anything more.
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Ginny woke up a few minutes later, disorientated and in the hospital wing. Colin was sitting beside her and she felt drowsy. She sat up slowly, but then felt a dull pain ache in her ribs. Colin pushed her back down and said, "Hey," in a whisper. Ginny grimaced and tried to figure out how to move her mouth, "Hey. Thanks for bringing me here." He nodded and offered her some water. She took it gratefully and she sighed, "I can't believe what just happened."
Colin nodded in agreement, "Me neither. Especially since it was just because you dated Harry, more than anything else." She sighed and swallowed the water. Her limbs still felt sore from the aftershock. Colin muttered, "I would have stepped in but the look you gave me…" Ginny shook her head and whispered, "I wouldn't have expected you to, Colin. I knew this was coming. I could just sense it. It's the whole reason Harry broke up with me in the first place." His eyes widened, "You too broke up?" Ginny nodded and grimaced, "Yeah, at the end of the last term. To keep me safe. Lot of good that did, didn't it?"
Colin was silent as he stared at her in contemplation. Madame Pomfrey came through and she sighed, "I was wondering who would be the first to fall victim to the Carrow torture. I hate to say I'm not surprised it was you, Miss Weasley." Ginny shrugged her shoulders and it hurt. She winced and replied, "Like Mr Carrow said…it's what I get for being Harry's girlfriend." Madame Pomfrey rolled her eyes, "It's a pathetic, cowardly excuse to attack a student in such a manner. Here, drink this, it should numb the pain." Ginny thanked her and took the potion. It was a warm and fuzzy feeling kind of drink. Colin looked at her seriously and said, "Gin, I think you need to be more careful. If they can do that to you just because you're back chatting…" Ginny sighed and grumbled, "I know, Colin. I know. Whether or not I'll be able to hold my tongue is the question. Neville said pretty much the same thing. It's not always something I can control though. It's in my families genes." Colin took her hand in his and replied, "Just think how Harry would feel if he knew what had just happened." Ginny groaned and rolled her eyes, "He'd want to kill me for it." Colin smiled kindly, "I think he wouldn't want you to fight his battles for him." Ginny grinned a little at Colin, the potion numbing the pain in her limbs and she said, "He wouldn't, no. But that's where Harry's always been wrong. This battle has never been just about him. It's about our whole world." Colin grimaced and shrugged, "You got me there. So…what do we do?" She sighed and shook her head, "I don't know just yet."
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Ginny was out of the hospital wing by her next lesson. The potion had made her fall asleep. When she woke up, she heard Madame Pomfrey conversing with Colin. She whispered, "I'm worried about Miss Weasley. They're going to attack her a lot because of how close she was with Potter. She's going to get into a lot of trouble if she keeps this up. She needs someone in her year to look out for her." Colin said sweetly, "I'll take care of her, Madame Pomfrey. We've been friends since the beginning, and I'm the only real friend she's got, apart from Neville and Luna who are older." Madame Pomfrey sighed in relief, "Thank you Colin. I'm counting on you to do just that. She needs someone like you to keep her grounded." Ginny pretended to be asleep and she heard Colin whisper, "I know. I worry about her." Madame Pomfrey sighed, "Oh well…let's just hope she decides to listen to you." Ginny heard footsteps echoing around the hospital wing and she sat up slowly.
Colin smiled at her, "Hey," he said in a whisper. Ginny smiled and then realized that she'd fallen asleep holding his hand. She sat up slowly, "Hey." H e pulled his hand away and surprisingly she missed the loss of the contact. His hand had been warm and comforting in hers. Ginny shook her head at the thought. It was just the medication and drowsiness making her think this way!
She got up and mumbled, "I better check with class is next on my list." Colin nodded in agreement, "Only if you're feeling better." She smiled kindly at him as she looked at her timetable, "Ah, I've got McGonagall for Transfiguration. What do you have?" Colin grimaced, "Muggle Studies. With the other Carrow. Now I wish I hadn't taken that subject." Ginny grimaced and said, "Please don't breathe a word if you can avoid it." He nodded and then they got up and hurried to their next classes.
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During the next week, Colin somewhat stuck to Ginny like glue. She couldn't say she disliked it. In fact, she was grateful for his companionship. He helped her keep her tongue in place by giving her warning glares when Amycus Carrow tried to get a rise out of her. So far, he had not made anyone in their year snap, although Seamus told her that he had given in to the temptation one Saturday morning at breakfast. He'd been Crucio'd too, and then sent to the hospital wing.
Ginny also wondered why Colin wasn't around his girlfriend much. Eventually that Saturday afternoon, she plucked up the courage to ask him. She asked him curiously, "Colin…I know it isn't any of my business…but what happened to your girlfriend?" He shrugged his shoulders and replied, "It just wasn't working between us. I ended it with her right before we went on holiday. I felt really awful but I also didn't want to drag it on throughout the holiday. It wouldn't be fair to her…at least she could then move on." Ginny nodded in agreement, "I understand, Colin. It was good of you to do the right thing." He smiled at her gratefully and Ginny had to acknowledge how much more mature he was now. He had not only matured in looks, but also in his mannerisms.
She had to comment about it, "You've really matured, Colin. It's so nice to see." That's when his younger brother, approached them, looking nervous, "Hey Colin! Hey Ginny! Can I have a word, Colin?" Colin glanced at Ginny and smiled, "Do you mind?" Ginny shook her head and Colin said, "Said down, Dennis, you can trust Ginny. What's up?"
Dennis looked nervously between the two elder students. He normally had a cheeky gleam in his eyes, which wasn't currently there. Dennis whispered under his breath, "Colin…I had Mr Carrow for Defense today." Colin inhaled sharply, "Dennis…I hope you didn't back chat him? He Crucio'd Ginny the other day for doing so…" Dennis grimaced and nodded, looking pale. Ginny felt furious! She growled under her breath as she glared at Mr Carrow, sitting pompously at the head table and muttered, "The cad! Honestly and truly. He is such a coward!" Dennis stared at the wooden table, twitching his thumbs nervously. He whispered, "I didn't even back chat him. He picked on all the muggle-borns in the class."
Ginny gasped and felt like she was choking. She had never felt such anger towards someone, ever! Except maybe that toad of an Umbridge. She whispered under her breath, "But what did Madame Pomfrey say?! Surely she's not going to allow it?" Dennis glanced at Madame Pomfrey, who was sitting at the head of the dining room table. He whispered, "I don't know what she can do. It's like Umbridge all over again…except worse. I didn't think that was possible."
Ginny shook her head in dismay, and Colin hadn't said a word. His hands were clenched tightly and she sympathized with him. She muttered to Dennis, "I know I'm a bit of a hypocrite saying this, but Dennis…try and keep out of their way, alright? Seriously…answer the questions how you think they want you to answer. You're still so young. You're still growing. Please promise you won't defy them in any way?" Dennis glanced at his brother and whispered, "I don't want to promise anything, Ginny, and not because I don't respect you, but because I can't let them tell lies. Umbridge taught me that. I'd rather they torture me, but I won't submit to their lies."
Ginny stiffened and whispered, "What lies?" Dennis glanced again at Carrow and then whispered, "They were spreading lies about Harry. How he's on the run because it was his fault for killing Cedric. He said Harry's on the run now because he also killed Dumbledore too…" Ginny felt her jaw drop. Wow! Wow, wow, wow- on another level wow! Only a true idiot would believe that garbage!"
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A/N: Hey guys! Another chapter is up! Yay! Starrya47 yes it is going to get rather depressing from here…but I'm actually looking forward to writing these parts. It's going to be different and I'm looking forward to trying to think what Ginny's year might have been like. Thank you for your love for this story as well as to GinnyPotter6891. You guys are awesome and give me so much motivation!
To the rest of my 92 followers: Guys please I'd really love to hear from you too! I'm trying to keep up with my end of the bargain of updating regularly and I'd really like feedback from everyone. It would be much appreciated.