LittleGinny15: Oh, sorry about that, honey! Don't worry, I cried myself while I wrote it, too. Oh, I couldn't possibly tell you about the little girl… that would be telling ;) You'll just have to wait and see… Thank you for reviewing!

Lesslyn: Yep, and by the end chapter ten, things will be making sense for The Doctor and Rose, too. I wanted it to be in here, but the chapter was too long, so I've divided it. Harry's explanation comes next chapter, and this one just builds up to it (A bit more light-hearted after last chapter). Thanks!

The Calm Before The Storm

"Did you see them?"

"I thought he'd died!"

"Should they still be here?"

"Do you think he's found anything yet?"

"Maybe it's over…"

"Nah, doubt it. He's probably cracked, given up. I say we're screwed. Might as well go home now, for all the protection we get around here."

"He looks too preoccupied to have cracked. He ain't crazy… yet. Say, I wouldn't mind being his companion, you know. In fact… I'd give anything to have his arms around my neck…"

"That Weasley's been awful to him! No wonder he looks so worried. She probably gave him a right laying into the minute he got back."

"Some people just don't know how lucky they've got it."

"Hmm. She doesn't deserve him."

Ginny stopped and bristled immediately. She turned to a group of sixth years who were gossiping to each other behind their hands, trying to hide their conversation.

Unfortunately, Hogwarts Castle made it a little impossible to keep secrets of any kind hidden. The group suddenly noticed Ginny standing in front of them, her eyes narrowed. They straightened up and glared at her.

"Is there a problem?" a small, blonde girl asked, rather rudely. Harry stopped and turned. As he spotted the group of girls, half of which were still ogling directly at him, his heart skipped a beat.

Shit! They've seen me…oh, not good!

He paused and thought. Well, they'd had it, now. How stupid were they? Even Hermione had forgotten all about the fact that Hogwarts was an occupied building. Ever since The Doctor, things had been going crazy. Or was it before that?

Harry thought he could answer that one easily enough himself. Since birth, was probably his best bet.

He walked towards Ginny, fully aware of the many hundreds of eyes that were locked onto his every step. Ginny was standing directly in front of a large group of girls, mostly comprised of sixth years. He eyed them quickly, hoping to recognise someone, but he didn't know any of them. It suddenly dawned on him how little he knew about the people he had spent half of his life with. He stopped just behind her, still cursing himself for not asking more questions during his years there.

"Ginny!" he called quietly, causing gasps to echo around him annoyingly. Ron and Hermione stopped instantly, staring back over their shoulders at Harry. They back-tracked and stood aside, out of the firing line, watching apprehensively. Silence fell, and a small crowd began to gather in interest. The Doctor and Rose stopped too, and moved to stand beside Harry.

Rose was infuriated to see the stares The Doctor was receiving from a lot of the girls. He blushed as the examination of his entire existence reached an uncomfortable pitch, and tried to make himself look inconspicuous. It didn't work. Rose glared at them.

Eyes off! He's taken! Well… sort of, anyway… Put your tongues away, for God's sake!

"Do you have any idea how much we've been through?" Ginny asked, quietly, dangerously, pulling Rose from her scrutiny of the competition. "You, in your cosy little world, swooning over anything with two legs, wishing for a tiny bit of them to help push yourselves in the right direction!"

"Well, you haven't exactly done much for him, have you?" the blonde replied, scathingly. "You've been too caught up in your own childishness and jealousy to notice the bigger picture!"

"Oh, and what would the bigger picture be, exactly?"

"That every girl would give everything they'd ever owned to have Harry! And the one girl who does can't get over her own selfish issues to count her lucky stars! You've been too busy grieving over a break-up that never even was a break-up in the first place! He only postponed it at that funeral. It wasn't exactly a death sentence, and yet you've treated it like one ever since!"

"Hey, now, that's out of order," Harry said, sharply, stepping forwards. "How the Hell did you know about that? It's nothing to do with you!"

"Oh, everyone knows, Harry," she replied, breathily. "It's practically history! But then, anything to do with you goes down in record, anyway…" she added dreamily. She was quickly shaken from her imaginings when a small hand met her cheek forcefully. She stumbled backwards and raised her hands in defence, catching Ginny's arm before she could swing again.

"Don't you ever say anything like that again! You're all the same! You wouldn't look twice if he wasn't famous! I might have screwed up in the past, but at least I'm not a stuck up tart whose entire love-life involves shagging anything that'll stand still for long enough!"

A collective gasp rocked the frameworks and every head turned to the blonde, who straightened up, her face redder than Ginny's hair.

"How dare you!" she whispered, dangerously. "What the Hell do you know about it?"

"Look, Evelyn," Ginny practically shouted, throwing her hands in the air in exasperation, "you might enjoy the attention, you might like waking up every morning with a different bloke in your bed, but to have the nerve to hit on someone with enough on their plate already without adding sex to the list is just…immoral! If people could judge you on how you show yourself to others, they'd think you cared more about sex than your own life! That's just sick! Have you not noticed the war underneath your feet? Is Princess Evelyn too busy interacting to stop and notice how much people around her are suffering? You need to seriously stop and think about what you are yourself, before you go biting chunks out of other people!"

There was a sudden outburst of applause, but Ginny ignored it. She turned on her heel and stormed off, ignoring everyone. Evelyn glared after her, her face burning, before turning back to the group of girls and muttering darkly to them. Harry glanced at her quickly and ran after Ginny, catching her on the way to the Room of Requirement. They disappeared together, eyes following them all the way.

"Maybe we could eat in our Room, Ron," Hermione muttered, quickly. "There won't be as much attention towards those two if we do. I didn't fancy eating with Parvati and Lavender, anyway."

"Good idea," Ron agreed. "Are you two coming, or what?" he called to The Doctor. Rose glanced at him, sighed, and nodded. They didn't want to have to sit in the limelight all Lunch, either. Together, the four of them set of at a slower pace, following Harry's path towards the Room of Requirement.

"Gin?" Harry called softly.

There was a muffled sob from a classroom opposite the Room of Requirement, and the door was ajar. Harry walked over and pushed the door open, his eyes falling onto the love of his life, who was sitting on a disused desk at the far end of the classroom.

Ginny glanced up at him and wiped at her eyes angrily with the sleeve of her robes. Harry jumped onto the desk, sat down next to her and hugged her.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't mean to lose it like that, and now I've drawn attention to you, again. That's probably the last thing you wanted."

"Nah, I think we managed that one ourselves, thanks. I just forgot we weren't the only people in the Castle. What with everything that's been going on, around here. What upset you?"

"Oh, nothing," Ginny sighed, heavily. Harry raised his eyebrows at her but said nothing. "Well," she said, when she spotted his questioning look, "they were all talking about how you deserved better than me. It just upset me, I guess. I thought we were friends. We've worked together in Charms a lot."

"Who? You and Evelyn?"

Ginny nodded. "Guess it shows you, doesn't it? You never know who your real friends are until it's too late."

"How'd you figure that out?" Harry asked confused. Ginny shook her head and sighed again.

"Sorry, I dunno, these days. I'm always babbling on about something. Helps to clear my head. I've got all of these thoughts and nowhere to put them, so when they do come out, they're so scrambled that they don't make any sense."

"You're telling me," Harry muttered. He paused, and glanced towards her. "Have you ever thought about taking up Art or Music? Why don't you try playing an instrument, or something? That's always a good way to express yourself. Or paint. I'm almost certain you'd have one wild creative streak if you put you're mind to it."

Ginny stared at the wall opposite them, thinking. She turned to him. "Wouldn't have the time, Harry," she said, sadly. "Don't have equipment either."

"Well…there's a little room across this very Hallway that would be stocked with everything you could ever possibly require if you would only ask of it," Harry said, wisely. "Tell you what. Ron, 'Mione and I are only in there on an evening. Why not spend your weekends or afternoons in there? Last I heard you'd given up Quidditch after me and Ron left. Shame, you were an excellent Chaser… But anyway, it might help."

Ginny stared at him, her legs swinging gently, thinking hard. Harry had a point. Maybe one of the Arts could help.

"You know what, Harry? I might just do that," she said, after a pause. Harry smiled at her, noticing the strange light gleaming brightly within her auburn eyes. That wonderfully determined look that Harry loved to see shined through them, and his heart melted with pleasure at her smile.

"Good... Hungry?" he asked.

"Famished," she replied. Harry took her hand and they jumped from the desk and made for the door together.

"Ron's probably had Dobby bring up enough food to feed an army, by now. Let's go and see if he needs any help with it."

"Thanks Dobby!" Ron shouted, as Dobby retreated towards the door, bowing on every alternate step. Rose refrained from laughing with great difficulty. Hermione looked horrified, but kept her silence.

"Not at all, Master Wheezy. Dobby is delighted to see you again. You is Harry Potter's most esteemed friend, sir, and is therefore a friend of Dobby's. I is most privileged to help, Master Wheezy and Miss Granger."

Dobby looked up quickly, spotting The Doctor and Rose, who was giggling madly despite her efforts to stop herself. The Doctor glared at her, but was soon trying to restrain a smile of his own as he watched her.

"Hey, Dobby! Do you want to hang around for Harry? He won't be long," Ron said, quickly, seizing three sandwiches from the plate in front of them. Dobby beamed at him.

"Thank you, Sir! I would be honoured!" He walked forwards and sat on the floor, watching them through his large, green eyes.

"And who is you, Sir and Miss?" he asked curiously, staring at Rose and The Doctor. Rose straightened her face and looked up at The Doctor, smiling cheekily.

"We're… friends," he said, quickly.

"Friends of Harry Potter, Sir?"

"Yep!" Rose called, cheerfully. "I'm Rose Tyler, and Mr Miserable here's The Doctor. I prefer to call him Mr Spock, though."

Hermione fell into a fit of uncontrollable giggles and threw herself backwards into a large armchair, laughing hysterically. Rose soon joined her. The Doctor made an impatient noise and reached for a sandwich from the plate Dobby had brought them, eyeing them both moodily.

"Mr Spock?" Hermione choked, tears of laughter stinging at her eyes. Ron was watching her, fascinated.

"Well, it… it s-seemed appropriate," Rose managed, before she started again. The pair of them were rolling around, roaring with laughter, as Ron, The Doctor and Dobby all sat, watching.

"Who's Mr Spock?" Ron asked curiously through a mouthful of chicken, when they had calmed down enough to be engaged into normal conversation again.

"Oh, a TV character," Hermione sighed happily. "I used to watch Star Trek with my Dad, when I was young. Before I came here, obviously."

"What, do you not have TVs here?" Rose asked, astonished.

"Nothing electrical works around Hogwarts. There's too much magic in the air."

The Doctor stared at her quickly. "Did you say nothing electrical works here?"

"Yes, things just shut down, nothing can power them. Why, is there a problem?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing you could help with," The Doctor sighed. "The TARDIS wasn't working when we went earlier on, so that could be a part of the reason why. But I still believe there's something else going on. If it was just the inability to use electricity, then we'd still be able to enter it. Something, or someone, is draining the power."

Rose, who had looked up hopefully at the thought of an answer to their problem, dropped her gaze and grabbed a biscuit. She soon noticed Dobby watching her unblinkingly, and turned to him.

"What's up?" she asked.

"You is very pretty, Miss." Rose blushed. "May I ask what you is doing here at Hogwarts, Miss? You looks too old to be a student."

"Visiting," Rose replied, smiling. Well, it was half true. They had intended to 'visit' somewhere, it was just that their location had altered a little… or a lot…

"Oh. So you is not here about the War, then, Miss?"

"No, but we're going to help out, anyway. It's not like we've anywhere else to go, now." Rose smiled warmly and reached for a glass of a strange, orange liquid. "What's this?"

Ron glanced at it. "Pumpkin Juice," he tried, spraying her with chocolate. "Oops, sorry," he added, wiping at his mouth.

"Ronald Weasley, you do know that's disgusting, don't you?" Hermione said, conversationally, biting into a Ham Sandwich.

"Yep!" Ron replied, smiling. Rose laughed.

"No alcohol around here, then?" she asked, sniffing at her drink.

"There's a little in the kitchen's, Miss," Dobby said quickly. "But you would have to come to collect it. We house elves is not allowed in the brewery, Miss. The fumes is too strong for us."

"Shame… I really fancied getting plastered," The Doctor sighed unexpectedly. Rose stared at him in shock. He smiled cheekily. "Yes, Rose. The New Me can drink. Well, I suppose what I should really say there is,The New Me is willing to drink, as the old me could drink too, but he just didn't, for some reason…" Hermione snorted at Rose's blank look.

There was a knock on the door and a moment later, Ginny and Harry entered, smiling. Dobby jumped to his feet and bowed so low that his bat-like ears lay flat on the carpeted floor.

"Harry Potter, sir!" he squealed with delight. "I is so glad to see you well, sir!"

"Hey, Dobby!" Harry replied, brightly. He closed the door with a click and pulled out his wand, locking it wordlessly. His non-verbal spells had improved a great deal over the previous weeks. "Thanks for doing this, and it's wonderful to see you again."

"It was nothing, Harry Potter, Sir. Dobby is a happy elf, now, sir. I is going to take my leave to the kitchens, now. Good luck, Harry Potter, and Harry Potter's friends. I is hoping Dobby can see you again soon, Sirs and Misses." Harry smiled.

"How about tonight? We might be eating up here about nine, so you can come up then, if you want."

"Dobby would be delighted, Sir. Until nine o'clock, Sirs and Misses," and he disappeared with a loud crack.

"Feeling better, Gin?" Ron called thickly.

"Exceedingly," Ginny replied, flopping down into a chair and grabbing a small cake from the tea tray.

"Excellent smack, sis. I'd rather you'd pulled out your wand, though. I think a Bat Bogey Hex would have been more appropriate, there."

"I've already got one detention tonight, I didn't want another one, as well," Ginny replied, sourly.

"What on Earth for?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"Hexing Colin Creevey," she replied, matter-of-factly, shrugging. "What?" she asked indignantly when Hermione shook her head. "He was irritating me in Potions!"

"Good on you, Gin!" Harry called, smiling. "What'd you use?"

"Levicorpus," Ginny grinned, evilly. Even Hermione snorted then.

"You mean you cast the levitating spell in the middle of Slughorn's lesson?" Ginny nodded, smiling broadly. She glanced over to The Doctor and blinked innocently.

"Would you care to see?"

Rose nodded with enthusiasm as The Doctor grinned manically. Ginny pulled out her wand and raised it, pointing at nothing in particular. Her eyes flickered towards Harry, who shook his head in warning and pulled out his own wand again in case she tried what he was thinking she would.

Quick as a flash, she pointed it at Ron, who had just bitten into an apple and was smiling contentedly.

"Levicorpus!" she thought quickly, her lips sealed, her brow furrowed in concentration.

A bright flash of light launched from her wand and the next second, Ron was dangling in mid-air, his ankle poised as though hoisted up by a large, invisible hook. The apple hit the floor with a thud as he threw his arms up wildly, swinging. The Room roared with laughter as Ron dangled back and forth fuming, arms crossed and face scarlet.

"Very funny, Ginevra," he called over the cackles.

"Sorry, Ron, couldn't resist!" she laughed as she let him down again. He fell with a muffled thud onto one of the squashy armchairs and glared at her. She looked up in time to see Harry pick up one of the remaining sandwiches and chew happily on it. Her insides bubbled with happiness. She grinned at him, and he smiled back.

"So what time's that meeting tonight?" Ron asked, his ears still remarkably red.

"Seven o'clock in McGonagall's office," Harry said, his smile slipping. "How am I supposed to tell them?"

Hermione watched him sympathetically. "Just tell them the truth. McGonagall might tell them, anyway. Maybe you won' t need to say anything, Harry."

"Why? What's wrong?" Ginny asked, worriedly. She glanced between Harry and Hermione, who were wearing identical looks of apprehensiveness for the evening's events.

There was a long silence, during which Harry looked everywhere but at her. When he had exhausted all options and had registered his collision with a large brick wall, he turned to her, but studied the floor by her feet.

"I'm taking over for Dumbledore," he muttered quietly. Ginny gasped, and stared at him. Rose and The Doctor shared a glance. There was a pause.

"Does that mean… you're the new Head Wizard, then?" The Doctor asked. That was what it sounded like to him, anyway. Rose nodded in agreement.

"Something like that," Ginny muttered faintly when Harry failed to answer. "But why have they asked you?"

"Morale booster, I guess," Harry sighed. "That, and no-one else is experienced enough. Which is odd, as I've only been with The Order for two months, so I don't know who they were comparing me with. But hey, I've got loads to do already, so why not add one more little thing to the balance?"

"Harry, it isn't funny!"

"Who said I was joking?"

"Ok guys, let's calm it down a bit, yeah?" Rose called quickly, trying to divert another argument.

"Sorry," Harry muttered, falling back into his chair heavily.

"That's quite alright, Harry," she replied, briskly. "And who's Dumbledore?"

"He was Headmaster here until… a few months ago… he was killed by Snape. Potion's master," he added at their raised eyebrows. "Mentor, father, grandfather, friend, everything…"

"Start from the beginning," The Doctor said, quickly, as Rose made to interrupt again. Harry sighed and nodded, reaching for a glass of water and downing the lot in one. The atmosphere tensed immediately, and Ron, Hermione and Ginny shared a nervous glance before settling themselves down for what was probably going to be another long and emotional recollection.

Today was turning into a very long day...

Thanks for all of the wonderful reviews you've given me! Update hopefully before the weekend, but don't hold me to that! Review if you like…or don't like…