Disclaimer: See previous chapters

Rating: K+ (very mild language, if any)

Date Posted: January 21, 2013

Words: 2,491

A/N: Wow, I didn't get a lot of reviews for the last chapter, but I go alot of follows/favorites. At least I know you guys are reading! :) Hope you enjoy!

Breakfast – or any of the meals for that matter – at Hogwarts was never really interesting. However, when something happened, breakfast at Hogwarts was interesting. There was never anything in-between at Hogwarts, it seemed. All or nothing, Ginny supposed.

But here's the thing: Ginny was not a nosey individual. She never snooped or pried or even thought about sneaking around to get information that didn't involve her in any way or that she shouldn't know.

And so when a short, squat, (and kind of ugly) man ran into the Great Hall, demanding to speak to Headmaster Dumbledore immediately, Ginny most certainly did not have the overwhelming urge to follow them to find out what they were talking about.

...

Alright.

Maybe a little.

The man – whom Ginny had identified as Mundungus Fletcher from the many times he had been over at her home to speak with her dad – had burst through the doors of the Great Hall dramatically, scaring the living daylights out of the first years and running as fast as his little legs could carry him (which wasn't that fast) over to the head table, eyes locked on Dumbledore. Ginny half-expected him to start foaming at the mouth. That's what rabid animals did, right?

But what really caught Ginny's interest, other than the near-hysterical ravings of the balding man, was the look of utter, unadulterated shock on the Headmaster's face as Fletchy (as Ginny had taken to calling him at a young age, much to Fletchy's displeasure) leaned in close, muttering something just loud enough for only Dumbledore to hear. The students sat in stunned silence, warily watching the two men.

"Perhaps," Dumbledore said after taking a moment to calm his features. "We should continue this conversation in my office. Will you join me, Mr. Fletcher?" Fletchy nodded and the two walked out of the Great Hall, leaving the silent room with a near tangible tension wafting about the room. Slowly, students began whispering amongst themselves all wondering just what was going on. Was something wrong? Were they in danger? What could put Dumbledore so on edge?

Not even the teachers truly knew what was going on, talking with the same confused tones that the students took on.

Ginny, however, paid no mind to the mutterings of the students or even those of her friends and boyfriend. Instead, all of her focus was on the Headmaster and Mundungus Fletcher, whose retreating forms her eyes tracked like a hawk.

"Ginny? Are you even listening?" Dean muttered into her ear.

Ginny smiled sweetly and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. "Nope, sorry!" she chirped. Grabbing a last piece of toast, Ginny gave some excuse about wanting to get in a few early laps on the Quidditch pitch before she had to go help Madame Pomfrey for her internship (in truth, both the Medi-witch and Ginny would be far happier if Ginny just didn't show up, but hey! Ginny had a mother to keep off of her back).

Luckily, none of her friends saw anything unusual about her excuse (or even realized that her internship had been moved to after class), leaving her free to stalk the Headmaster without interference.

Ginny scoffed in her mind. It wasn't stalking so much as...investigating.

Ginny quickly cast a disillusionment charm, as well as the (borderline dark) invisibility spell that she and Luna found last year, on herself once she found the two wizards. That would keep them from spotting her. As an afterthought, a silencing spell was also thrown on herself to keep them from hearing her footsteps or breathing. Ginny followed them to the third floor, keeping close so as to not lose them. When they came to the Gargoyle guarding Dumbledore's office, the Headmaster confidently shouted the name of some candy, and the statues stepped aside.

Upon entering the office, Ginny began to panic. She knew her charms wouldn't last, and frankly, she hadn't even expected to make it so far without the Headmaster noticing her. Frantic, Ginny sprinted around the room looking for a place to hide in case her charms wore off – the older wizards speaking as they obliviously took seats at the Headmaster's desk.

Finally, Ginny found a door off in the corner of the office. Casting a Notice-Me-Not charm on it, she opened it quickly, happy to find a closet that was just big enough to hide in and close enough to the men so that she could hear the conversation.

The closet was dark and incredibly dusty, causing Ginny to sneeze multiple times before the dust finally settled. It was obvious that Dumbledore never cleaned this cupboard. She doubted that he ever even used it anymore. She slid into a ball, resting all of her weight on her feet and leaning against the door. She strained her ears to hear what was happening.

From her crouched position in the corner, Ginny could faintly hear the voices of Dumbledore and Fletcher. From what Ginny could hear, neither of them sounded very happy.

"...Know what I saw, Albus!" She could hear Fletcher protesting.

"I have no doubts that what you say is true, Mundungus." Ginny could practically hear that stupid twinkle in his eye as Headmaster Dumbledore spoke to Fletcher patronizingly. Ginny really did like the Headmaster, but she also really hated his whole, "Greater good," and "Holier-than-thou" routine. It seemed that even Mundungus, a grown man, couldn't escape being treated like a dim-witted toddler.

"However," Dumbledore continued. "We need to absolutely sure. We need evidence Mr. Fletcher, and you seem to be unable to procure me any."

"You have my memories! What more could you need? I placed a tracking spell on the blighter, for Merlin's sake; he was there and he is probably still there!"

That sparked Ginny's interest. A tracking spell? On whom? Ginny sat up a little straighter, looking as if she was attempting to fuse her ear to the door. If that would help me to hear better, I definitely would, she thought. Ginny racked her brain for all the different names and groups that she had heard about whilst eavesdropping on those meetings that her parents attended with Dumbledore: The Order of the Phoenix. Could they be talking about Death Eaters?

Lord Voldemort, the darkest wizard known to wizard-kind, was growing bolder and bolder, as a matter of fact, so for Dumbledore to be discussing the wizard's followers was not unordinary or unexpected. Dumbledore was the leader of the light after all. Although, apparently Potter played a big role in it or something. Something about a "Chosen One" or saviour. Honestly, Ginny didn't believe that skinny, angry-at-the-world Potter could do anything to help the Wizarding World. (So he survived a curse, big whoop.) The story was that Potter had vanquished the Dark Lord after he had killed his parents; Ginny didn't buy it for one second. He was one when the Dark Lord tried to kill him – there was no way the most evil and powerful man in Wizarding history could have been temporarily killed by a one-year old. She had believed it as a little girl, but after actually meeting the prat, she knew that there was no way.

"Mundungus, please, calm down. You and I both understand that a memory is simply not reliable enough." He paused. "A tracking spell, you say? Would you mind, Mundungus?" Fletchy grunted in response to Dumbledore's vague question. Neither of the men said anything for quite some time, the room sitting in awkward silence, leading Ginny to believe that the men were either having an intense staring match or were making out.

Personally, the latter was much more entertaining (albeit more disturbing) to envision for Ginny, but before she could pass out from suppressed laughter, the silence was broken by Fletchy.

"Is that enough to convince you?" Fletchy said, his breathing slightly laboured. Oh Merlin, were they actually making out?!

"Yes, it is enough to convince me that you saw him Mundungus, but it isn't enough to convince me or the entire Auror department that it really is him."

A loud bang echoed throughout the office; Ginny guessed that Fletcher had slammed his hand onto the Headmaster's desk.

Dumbledore continued as if it hadn't happened. "Besides, if Harry Potter really was in Flintsworth, what would the Auror Department do, Mr. Fletcher? What is it that you wish them to do?"

Harry Potter was in Flintsworth? Recently? From what Ginny knew about Potter, he never actually left Hogwarts; during Christmas and Easter breaks, he always signed up to stay at the castle (Ron had mentioned his first year when he had to spend his Christmas with the awkward bugger while she visited their brother Charlie in Romania). And in the summer, when all the students left, she was almost positive that he had some sort of special arrangement that allowed him to stay.

Ginny didn't honestly understand the desire to spend her entire seven years at a school. But if Potter really wanted to, it wasn't like she cared.

But had Potter snuck off the school grounds during term? Why did he go to Flintsworth? Ginny had been there once; it was just some stupid, uninteresting muggle town. Why would he want to go there?

Still, a small smirk slowly grew into a wicked grin as she contemplated just how she could use this information against the guy. This is just rich...

"-or arrest the one in this place! One of them is a fake, Albus! Can't you see it?" As Mundungus all but screamed at the Headmaster, Ginny was thrown out of her thoughts, jumping in surprise and gracefully smacking her head on the wall behind her with a loud thud.

Ginny held her breath and head. The men stopped talking. Shit. Did the silencing spell wear off? Did that mean that her other spells had worn off? Oh sweet Merlin, did they hear that? Oh gods, don't come over here, don't come over here, don't come over here, she chanted in her head as she attempted to curl into herself. Perhaps if she made herself small enough, the two wouldn't notice her...

Unfortunately, Mundungus heard not only her head coming into contact with the wall, but her small cry of pain afterwards. Completely ignoring Dumbledore as he continued to speak, Mundungus turned around, and slowly began walking over to the closet door where he heard the sound.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Ginny's heartbeat and Fletcher's footsteps sounded in unison. Both were far too fast for Ginny's liking.

Ginny stared in horror as a pair of shoes obstructed some of the light that poured in through the bottom of the door. Sweat formed on her brow and her breathing shot off as the knob of the wooden door began turning ever-so-slowly...

"Mr. Fletcher, might I ask what it is you are doing?" Dumbledore interrupted. "Please, I assumed that we were having a conversation, is your intent to prove me wrong?" Ginny almost let out of a squeal of delight (and hysteria) before she realized that – with Fletcher so close – that wasn't the best of ideas.

Mundungus let go of the doorknob, stuttering at his blatant rudeness that he had shown to his host. "What? I –er – no, Albus, of course not! I'm sorry; I didn't mean to be so-"

"It's quite alright," Dumbledore interrupted once again. "Just tell me, Mundungus, do you perceive the boy – Mr. Potter," Dumbledore placed a strange emphasis on "Potter," leaving Ginny to wonder if the Headmaster was giving Fletcher one of his famous "I-know-something-you-don't-know," looks. "...as a threat?"

"If he's not who he says he is, then yes."

She heard a long, laboured sigh. "I will look into the situation, Mundungus, but that is all that I can promise!"

Here, Ginny could hear the feral smirk in Fletcher's voice as he answered. "That's all that I ask, Albus."

"Excellent." Dumbledore paused. "I shall inform my colleagues of the situation promptly. A patronus will be sent once a decision has been made."

Fletcher grunted in what sounded like agreement, but then again, how much could you really decipher from a grunt? Ginny sighed, were the two almost finished? Her legs were beginning to cramp and she was going to pass out from attempts to stifle her hyperventilating.

The room was silent once again for a long moment. Had they left the room without her noticing?

"Well, I suppose I should go," Fletcher said, breaking the stillness. "I hope you aren't offended by my impromptu appearance or my hasty exit. I have to make a living, you know?"

"Oh no, I'm not offended in the least, Mundungus," the older man replied. "I shall see you out."

The sound of chairs scraping across cold stone signalled the men getting up from their spots and signalled the end of the conversation (as well as the excitement for Ginny). Footsteps indicated their departure from the room.

The footsteps grew softer and softer as the men continued on their way out the door. The only sound in the otherwise silent office was the quiet grinding of ancient stone sliding gracelessly across each other. When the passage finally closed with a loud slam! Ginny let out a sigh of relief, closing her eyes and resting her head on the wall of the closet.

That had been way too close for comfort.

The fiery-haired girl sat in silence for a long moment; her hands trembled in her lap as she attempted to calm her erratic breathing. Her mind was whirring with the information she just heard. What was Potter doing in Flintsworth? Why would Mundungus perceive weak, spineless, antisocial, Potter as a threat? Just what would have happened if the Headmaster hadn't called Fletcher back? Would he have found her? If so, what would Headmaster Dumbledore do?

Detention? Expulsion? Oh Merlin... would he have called her mum?

Ginny shook herself. Why was she freaking out about this now? It was done and over with; now she just needed to focus on coming out of the closet with minimal attention drawn to her. She stood up, stretching out her muscles (which ached from crouching down and remaining still for so long) and brushing the century-old dust that coated everything in the closet off of her robes.

Ginny reached for the doorknob and began opening it, careful not to disturb some of the more fragile items in her hiding place. She just barely cracked the door when-

"And you, Fawkes? What do you suppose I should do, given the situation?"

Ginny's heart dropped to her stomach, and her blood ran cold.

Crap.

Dumbledore hadn't left.

Ginny swore almost inaudibly as she once again retreated into the safety of the dark, musty closet.

She was utterly and royally screwed.

Next chapter things will start picking up with Harry, so sorry, but you're going to have to wait about 2 weeks before you find out what happens to Ginny :) Oh my gosh, I saw Les Miserables on Friday, and it was amazing! Have any of you seen it? What did you guys think?

So, none of you really gave me any criticism, but nevertheless, I still appreciate you taking the time to review :)

mdauben: Hope this begins to answer your question. As to how fast it will spread, well that is dependent on what happens to Ginny in chapter 6. :)

KA potter fan: Thank you for reading; I'm glad you enjoy it :)

Hope you enjoyed, please review if you did or if you see any mistakes! Have a good rest of the week, readers!

Nox,

LaughWhileCrying