One week later, Ginny sat next to Luna in DADA class as Amycus talked the proper way of conjuring Fiendfyre. Not that they would ever get some time to practice the spell as this kind of fire is very volatile and dangerous. This class was now mostly devoted to learning dark magic that was either impractical to try in class or reserved for detention practice. Only the Slytherins showed real interest in learning in this class. The other houses thought these spells were horrible especially since many of them would later be practiced on them in the much dreaded sessions of detention.

She had tried all week to avoid dwelling on the thoughts about Malfoy's punishment that still lingered in her mind. the more she thought about it the more she felt sorry for him and the more she was confused. She shouldn't be feeling sorry for Malfoy, not after all he's put his family through. Yet she kept thinking about last week and felt the need to know more about his situation. For now, she decided to put those thoughts to the back of her mind and try not to fall asleep in class. The last thing she needs is another detention from Amycus for sleeping in his class.

The class ended and Ginny and Luna walked together to the Great Hall for dinner grateful that today neither girl had received detention. They sat together at the Gryffindor table and soon Neville joined them.

"Hey Ginny, Luna, how was your day? Got detention today?" Neville asked. "I was lucky today, no detention for once."

"No, we didn't get detention today either. DADA was really boring today, mainly just Amycus droning on about a dark spell. Ginny and I were able to sit in the back and read the Quibbler," Luna told him in her usual dreamy voice.

Dinner went on and the three friends mainly chatted about the latest news on the war. It was becoming more and more usual to hear about families being killed or people going missing. Lots of those missing were muggle-born Hogwarts students who were not able to return to school because of having to register with the Ministry. There were rumors that the runaway students were being captured by groups known as 'Snatchers' and brought in to the Ministry in exchange for gold.

After dinner, Luna said she was going back to Ravenclaw tower, Ginny had some potions homework she needed to finish and Neville wanted to check on some plants he was helping Professor Sprout with, so the three friends parted ways.

Ginny made her way to the library and found the book she would need for her potions essay. Professor Slughorn had assigned them an 18 inch essay on the Invigoration Draught due the following day and she still needed about 6 inches. If she hurried finding the book she needed, she might be able to finish soon and go to sleep early.

The book was not hard to find and Ginny was able to finish her essay just as the library was closing. She packed her bag slowly which earned a glare from Madam Pince who was waiting on her to lock up. Ginny made her way through the dimly lit third floor corridor. As she neared the DADA classroom, she saw a person sitting with their back against the wall and their head against their knees. She approached the person and when they lifted their head, she saw that it was Malfoy.

He looked badly injured. He had a black eye and a bleeding lip. His clothes were torn and dirty and he seemed to be holding his left wrist as if it were broken. He looked up at her through his good but tired eye, and quickly cast his gaze down to the floor.

"Malfoy, what happened? Are you okay?" Ginny asked concerned for the state that he was in.

He replied quietly, "Does it look like I'm okay, Weasley? I was just in Detention." He realized that he had potentially just blown any chance of getting help from her but he could not resist being rude to a Weasley. She did look concerned though and maybe she would still agree to help him. "I really wish that I didn't have to ask you for help, but seeing as it's unlikely that anyone else will be out on this corridor this late at night, can you take me to the hospital wing?"

"And why should I help you after you were so rude to me when I just asked out of concern?"

"I don't think I can get there myself. Look, just take me and I'll give you anything you ask for."

"Fine I'll take you, but you will have to answer all of the questions I have for you."

The walk down to the hospital wing was slow and painful. Apart from the broken wrist, Malfoy might also have a few broken ribs so he needed lots of support from Ginny to be able to walk without doubling over in pain. When they finally did arrive, Madam Pomfrey quickly got to work on mending his broken bones. She didn't even have to ask where he got his injuries as she was aware of how detention worked and supposed that is what had happened.

Madam Pomfrey gave Malfoy a Dreamless Sleep Potion and asked Ginny to leave so he could get some rest.

The following day Ginny got up extra early so that she would have time to go visit Malfoy before classes started. She really wanted to know why he was being punished so much by the Carrows if they were all supposed to be on the same side. She practically ran to the hospital wing. She asked Madam Pomfrey if she could see Malfoy and was told he was still asleep but she could go right in. She approached the same bed she had helped him to last night and saw that he was starting to wake up.

Ginny wasted no time making him keep to his promise of answering her questions and asked, "So tell me, why are you being punished this much by the Carrows?"

"Weasley, I really don't want to talk about that," he replied groggily.

"You did promise that if I helped you to the hospital wing you would tell me why I had to bring you here in the first place." Ginny feared that he would not do good on his promise to answer her questions. She was really curious and so she decided to probe a little more. "Is it because of what happened in the Astronomy tower?"

"What do you know about what happened in the Astronomy tower?" He was caught off guard by her knowledge of the events of that night.

"I…I only know that you were supposed to kill Dumbledore but that Snape did it instead."

"Well, you're right. That's what happened and that's exactly why I am being punished."

"But if the task was done, I don't understand why you are still being punished." Now they were getting to what Ginny really wanted to know. Now that she knew his punishments by the Carrows were in connection to what happened at the end of last term, she wanted to know what exactly happened in that Astronomy tower.

"Weasley, do you really think that the Dark Lord cares about that? Of course not! He gave me the task to kill Dumbledore and I didn't do it so now he's ordered the Carrows to make me suffer the consequences for my weakness. Now I wish I would have accepted Dumbledore's offer." He said that last part so quietly that Ginny might have missed it if she were not listening very carefully to what he was telling her.

"What offer? What do you mean?"

"Dumbledore offered me to switch sides and he would find a way to hide me and my mother. If only I would have accepted his offer, my mother would not be suffering for my mistakes."

Malfoy's eyes filled with tears as he confessed this to Ginny. He felt it was his fault that his mother was stuck at home at the mercy of the Dark Lord and that if he defied him again, she may end up paying for it.

"You know, maybe it's not too late. You could still switch sides, join the Order." Ginny had no idea why she was saying this. Maybe it was because she felt bad for Malfoy and his mother's situation. She had no idea if the Order would even take him in but she could try to help. She felt useless to the war and hearing Malfoy's problems sparked the need to do something to help. Even if it was just helping Malfoy she would feel useful. The problem was that she didn't know what she could do for him.

"I don't think your precious Order would take me now. And if they did, I don't think they would be able to help my mother."

"Well, maybe the Order can't be of much help, but maybe I can. At least, maybe I can help you."

"Why would you even want to help me? I've been nothing but cruel to you and your brothers."

"I want to help you because I know what it's like to be in detention with the Carrows and I wouldn't wish it even on my worst enemy. And if I helped you, maybe you could help me."

As she said this she realized she knew of the perfect way to help him. No, not just him, all of the students tortured in detention. She knew of a way for them to stand up to the Carrows. Maybe in the beginning the punishments would be greater, but in the end they could put a stop to the horrible detentions.

"And how could I be of any help to you?"

"By helping me reform the DA."

Preview of next chapter:

"Neville, Luna we're reforming the DA," Ginny informed her friends as she joined her friends for lunch. She was not able to see them before and was just bursting to tell them.

"And why exactly are we doing that Ginny?" Neville asked.

"The DA was formed as a way to rebel against Umbridge, so now I think we need to bring it back as a way to rebel against the Carrows"

Let me know what you think.

-Ale