Chapter 8: Happiness
Over the next few days, the news that Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley were going out spread through the school like wildfire. It seemed as though that was all people, mostly girls, could talk about and it got a bit annoying eventually. Ginny and Hermione were sitting in the common room one morning when Romilda Vane came up to them, looking annoyed.
"Is it true that Harry has a tattoo of a hippogriff on his chest?" she asked. Hermione resisted to temptation to burst out laughing while Ginny stared at Romilda; unable to believe she'd actually heard her correctly.
"Excuse me?" Ginny asked her. Romilda rolled her eyes and Ginny could feel the fact that Romilda hated her just because of Harry.
"Does he have a tattoo or not," Romilda asked impatiently. Ginny looked over at Hermione who was still trying not laugh.
"Uh, no actually," said Ginny awkwardly. It felt like Romilda's eyes were drilling into Ginny's head as she answered. "Its actually a Hungarian Horntail," Ginny said with a smile and Hermione finally burst out laughing, but Romilda's eyes lit up.
"Really, have you seen it?" Romilda asked eagerly. Ginny looked over at Hermione again who was trying to choke down her laughter.
"Oh yeah," Ginny said, "loads of times." Hermione burst out laughing again and Romilda glared at her so Hermione looked back down at her book awkwardly. Romilda then turned back to Ginny.
"Well I hope you have a good hold on Harry then," Romilda snapped, "because if you don't, I'll be here." At this, she got up and walked back across the common room. She joined a group of her friends who immediately started giggling. Hermione turned to Ginny and they both started laughing again.
"What the hell was that?" Hermione asked through laughs, Ginny shrugged, "but that comeback was brilliant. Now everyone is going think Harry has a tattoo of a Hungarian Horntail on his chest." Ginny nodded and they both laughed again.
The portrait hole opened and Ron and Harry came through and walked over to Ginny and Hermione. Romilda and all her friends watched Harry cross the room and started giggling again. Harry rolled his eyes at them as he and Ron got over to Hermione and Ginny.
"Hey you," said Harry and he leaned down and kissed her. When they broke apart Ginny smiled up at him and could feel Romilda Vane's eyes drilling into the back of her head.
"Hey," Ginny said happily, ignoring Romilda. Harry sat on the couch behind Ginny next to Ron and Hermione. Ginny picked up the Daily Prophet that was sitting at her feet and read all about the depressing things that were going wrong because of Voldemort. She leaned back against Harry's legs and sighed.
"You'd think people had better things to gossip about," Ginny said as she read more articles of attacks, "three dementor attacks in a week and all Romilda Vane does is ask me if its true you've got a hippogriff tattooed across your chest." Hermione and Ron burst out laughing but Harry just smiled down at her.
"What did you tell her?" Harry asked.
"I told her it's a Hungarian horntail," Ginny said and Hermione laughed even more, "much more macho." Ron and Hermione laughed again.
"Thanks," Harry said and Ron laughed harder, "and what did you tell her Ron's got?" Ginny thought about this. It actually hadn't come up but she thought she should add it.
"A pygmy puff," she decided, "but I didn't say where." Hermione and Harry rolled around with laughter, but Ron seemed angry.
"Watch it," he said angrily pointing at Harry and Ginny, "Just because I've given my permission doesn't mean I can't withdraw it-."
"Your permission?" she snapped, "Since when did you give me permission to do anything? Anyway you said yourself you'd rather it was Harry than Michael or Dean."
"Yeah, I would," said Ron, "And just as long as you don't start snogging each other in public." Ginny turned around to face her brother, still leaning on Harry's legs.
"You filthy hypocrite! What about you and Lavender, thrashing around like a pair of eels all over the place," she shouted at him and Ron rolled his eyes.
"Don't call me a hypocrite," Ron yelled, "I am not a hypocrite! Lavender and I were older than you are Ginny!" Ginny clenched her fists as she became angrier with her brother.
"Harry is the same age as you and I'm only a year younger, Ron! So just shut up," Ginny shouted back at him. Harry reached down and massaged Ginny's shoulder.
"Okay," Harry said calmly, "lets just not do this please." Ron sighed and got up and went out the portrait hole and Hermione turned to them.
"He's probably just going to lunch," she said, "I'll go with him." She gathered up all her books and walked out the portrait hole after Ron.
"So," said Ginny as she stood up and moved onto the couch next to Harry, "what do you want to do now." Harry smiled and put his arm around her shoulders.
"We can go down to the lake and have lunch there," Harry said and smiled down at her.
"Sounds perfect," Ginny said happily. Harry laughed and kissed her forehead.
"I love your smile," he said. Ginny smiled again and Harry laughed. He leaned down and kissed her. When they broke apart he said, "Come on, lets go before lunch is over." He stood up and pulled Ginny's hand behind him as he ran through the portrait hole and down toward the lake.
Ginny came back to the common room later that night, thinking of Harry, and sat down with Ron and Hermione.
"Where's Harry," she asked, "I haven't seen him since lunch." Hermione shrugged.
"We haven't seen him since early afternoon," he left a while ago and hasn't come back yet." A few minutes later Harry came running into the common room and toward the three of them, an anxious look on his face.
"What does he want?" Hermione asked immediately and Harry said nothing. "Harry are you okay?"
"I'm fine," he said quickly and ran up the stairs to his dormitory. Ron, Hermione and Ginny looked at each other confused.
"Should I go after him," Ron asked. Hermione shook her head and pointed at the stairs as Harry ran back down them with his map and invisibility cloak.
"I've got to be quick," Harry said to the three of them, "Dumbledore thinks I'm getting my Invisibility Cloak. We're going after a Horcrux." Hermione and Ron gasped but Ginny just looked confused.
"A what?" she asked, "Harry what's going on?" Ginny stood up in front of him demanding answers.
"I'm sorry Ginny," he said, "there's no time." He turned back to Ron and Hermione, "I know you don't believe me about Malfoy, but its true and since Dumbledore won't be here tonight I need you two to watch him and be prepared for anything, including Voldemort." He threw the Maruaders map at them. "Take this too," Harry said as he threw his lucky elixir at them. "All three of you take some of it please."
"But Harry," Hermione said anxiously, "you'll need it more than us…"
"No," Harry interrupted, "I don't. I'll be with Dumbledore so I'll be fine. I need to know that you three are safe." Ron and Hermione nodded and looked at him sadly as he turned to go.
"Don't look at me like that guys," he said sadly, "I'll be back later, I promise." He turned and started walking out but Ginny pulled him around.
"What the hell is happening?" she asked him sadly, "Why do you have to promise we'll see you later? Where are you going with Dumbledore? What's a horcrux?" Ginny looked as if she was about to cry and Harry turned to Ron and Hermione.
"Explain everything to her please," he said and they nodded. He turned back to Ginny, "I don't have time to explain it all," he said. He took her head in his hands and kissed her forehead. "I love you Ginny," he whispered, "I'll be back later." Ginny nodded and Harry turned away and ran through the portrait hole. Ginny turned back to Ron and Hermione.
"What's going on?" she asked. Hermione sighed and motioned for her to come sit with them.
"They're going to find a horcrux," Hermione said and Ginny looked confused.
"A horcrux is an object that holds part of Voldemort's soul," Ron said.
"What?" Ginny asked stunned, "he's split his soul?" Ron and Hermione nodded.
"Into seven pieces," Hermione said, "the journal from your first year that Harry destroyed was one of them, and the ring that Dumbledore wears is another. Voldemort cannot die until all the horcruxes are destroyed." Ginny gasped.
"Is that why Dumbledore's hand is dying?" Ginny asked, "because he destroyed one?" Ron and Hermione nodded.
"There are four more and before Voldemort can be defeated, all of them need to be destroyed," Ron said, "So that's where they're going." Ginny looked horrified.
"You mean Harry just left to destroy and horcrux that Voldemort himself might be guarding and left us here when death eaters could break in whenever, since Dumbledore isn't here?" Ginny yelled. Ron and Hermione nodded sadly. "We may never see Harry again," Ginny screamed.
"Ginny," said Ron taking his sister's hand, "Calm down! We're going to see him again. He's with Dumbledore. We need to be prepared for the death eaters though," he said and nodded at Hermione. They both got up and started toward the portrait hole.
"Where are you two going?" Ginny asked.
"We're going so we can watch for them," Hermione said.
"Well I'm coming with you then," Ginny said and the three of them ran out in to the hall.
The three of them had been waiting and watching for hours and nothing had happened.
"Malfoy hasn't moved from his dormitory," Hermione said smugly. Ron sighed.
"Now is not the time to try and rub that in Harry's face," he said to her, "and neither is when he gets back." Hermione rolled her eyes and started to roll up the map and opened it again.
"Hang on," Hermione said anxiously. Ginny got up from where she was sitting on the grass.
"What is it?" she and Ron said together.
"Malfoy's moving," she said, "He's disappeared…hang on…now he's going up towards the astronomy tower." All three of them looked up toward the tower and waited. Suddenly, a figure appeared at the top.
"Its Malfoy," Ron yelled. The three of them aimed their wands up toward the tower.
"MALFOY," yelled Ron. But the figure remained motionless.
"He can't hear us," Hermione said, "We're too far away."
Malfoy was soon joined by others. "Who are they," Ron asked.
"They must be death eaters," Hermione said and Ginny gasped.
"They must have gotten in some other way, when he disappeared off the map, I bet he was in the room of requirement!" Ginny said and Hermione gasped. All three of them turned and ran back towards the castle. Ginny pulled out her DA coin to call the rest of them down.