Interesting Developments
Ginny awoke several hours later to the sound of voices quietly conversing a short distance from her. It took her only a few moments to ascertain that she was in the Hogwarts hospital wing in the company of Madame Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall. She kept her eyes closed as she focused on the sounds coming from a few feet away.
"She seems to be back to normal now, Minerva. I'm not sure what happened to her but any immediate trouble has passed."
"Thank you, Poppy. I appreciate your help and discretion in this matter."
"Well, this entire lot of kids has been through the wringer these past few years. I sometimes feel like I've seen Potter and his bunch more than the rest of the faculty has."
Ginny heard the Headmistress chuckle a bit as she responded, "They do have a habit of getting in harm's way, don't they? I'm just glad that we have such a talented healer to keep them on the mend."
"It's my pleasure, Minerva. To be quite honest, I've grown rather fond of Harry and his friends. Even when they were at their worst, they always gave off such a feeling of life and energy. They definitely made things seem brighter around here."
Ginny smiled to herself. Apparently, Madame Pomfrey wasn't as clinically detached as her bedside manner persona appeared. She heard the two women move a bit closer to her bed so she did her best to imitate the slow steady breathing pattern of someone in a deep sleep.
"I was planning on keeping her here only for the night, but I thought that you should know that I found something quite unusual when I was checking her over," Pomfrey said quietly.
"Oh? What's that, Poppy?"
"Well, it's two things actually. First off, it appears that Miss Weasley is in the possession of quite a powerful magical necklace, one so powerful that it's formed a personal bond with her."
McGonagall seemed surprised. "A personal bond? How can you be sure, Poppy?"
"Well I'm not an expert on these things, but I got quite the electric shock when I went to move that necklace during my diagnosis on Miss Weasley. In my healer training days we discussed item bonds briefly, and from what I can remember, this is like the defense mechanism they employ."
"Well let's see just how powerful this necklace is then."
Ginny steeled herself as she felt McGonagall lean over her body and mutter an incantation softly. Immediately, she felt a warm tingling sensation coming from the emerald on her necklace and she heard the Headmistress gasp in surprise.
"What does it mean, Minerva?" asked Madame Pomfrey curiously.
"It's a simple magic gauging spell," McGonagall replied in awe. "Every magical item gives off a color indicating the amount of power held within the item. The amazing thing is this necklace is giving off a purple glow. Poppy, only some of Albus's most powerful artifacts give off a purple glow, and I would be terrified to even touch some of those items without intense study and preparation."
"Well, how did Miss Weasley come across such a necklace then?"
"I have absolutely no idea, but I will be having a nice discussion with her when she gets up and about. Now, what was the other thing you noticed, Poppy?"
"Well, I found an injury with no explanation, Minerva. It was a pretty deep stab wound on the upper part of her thigh. The strange thing was that there was no bleeding from the wound or anything. I healed it up, but I have yet to figure out how she could have received such an injury without losing any blood. There was no sign of blood on her legs, or clothes! If you ask me, all this seems right strange."
McGonagall sighed. "Nothing is ever normal with Mr. Potter and his friends, I'm afraid. Well, thank you for your help, Poppy. I have to go inform the Weasleys that their daughter is doing better now. Please let me know when you release Ginny."
"Of course, Minerva. Thank you for stopping by." Ginny heard Madame Pomfrey turn and walk away, talking quietly to herself.
Ginny waited for the sound of McGonagall's departure, but she had yet to move. Ginny could feel the stare of the Headmistress on her supposedly sleeping form and she had to do her best to keep from fidgeting under her gaze.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she felt McGonagall place a gentle hand on her covered leg. "I wish Albus was here,' she murmured sadly. "I don't know what to do, and I just can't stand to see these poor children suffer like this."
McGonagall patted Ginny's leg and turned to leave. As she reached the foot of the bed, she stopped and looked at Ginny one more time. "Sleep well, Ginevra," she whispered before turning and heading to the door.
Once alone, Ginny opened her eyes and sat staring at the ceiling. She tried to digest all of the information that was running through her brain at a breakneck speed. She had understood that Hermione said that her necklace was powerful, but she found it hard to believe that the Emerald of Empathy was that magical. How in the world Harry had managed to come across such a potent artifact was beyond her.
And then, there was the whole matter of her strange injury. Ginny couldn't remember receiving it, but she had an idea of where it came from. She wasn't sure whether it would be smart to tell anyone her theory, however. The last thing she needed was someone blowing up at the thought of her receiving unexplainable severe wounds. She might be able to trust Hermione, since she already knew so much about what was going on, but otherwise Ginny decided that it would be best for it to remain a secret from others.
Finally, Ginny's thoughts turned to Harry. With striking clarity, the vision came back to her, bombarding her mind with images of the raven-haired boy and the horrible things he had done to himself. Tears began to flow freely down her fair face as she felt her heart weep for his pain and suffering. If only there was some way that she could hold him. If only she could gently run her hands through his hair and soothe his thoughts, things would be better.
Almost unconsciously, her hand strayed to her necklace, clutching it tight in her tiny fist. Her mind flipped through all her memories of Harry, causing a great swell of love to flow up from her very being. She closed her eyes tight and whispered fiercely, "Harry, I love you so much! Please come back to me! I need you so badly!"
Suddenly, Ginny could hear a faint buzzing in her ears, and a feeling of muffled warmth fell upon her.
"…Ginny… …please… …need… …you… …me… …help…"
Ginny sat up straight in her bed. That was Harry's voice! It was muffled and fuzzy, but she knew it had to be him. She called out in a loud voice. "HARRY! HARRY I'M HERE! WHERE ARE YOU!? TELL ME!!" Ginny stood, steadying herself on the bed while trying to find the source of his voice. As soon as she stood, the feeling of warmth fell away and the voice faded.
At that moment, Madame Pomfrey came rushing into the room, startled by the commotion. "Miss Weasley, just what do you think you are doing causing such a ruckus?"
Ginny didn't know how to explain it. "I heard Harry! He needs me and I have to find him! Please help me find him!" She made to move towards the exit.
Madame Pomfrey moved to stand in front of her. "Now, Miss Weasley, Harry isn't here. You were probably just having a dream about him. Come on now, and I'll get you back into bed so you can get rested up." She took her in a gentle but firm grip back to her bed.
Ginny tried to reason with her. "Please, Madame Pomfrey! I wasn't dreaming! I heard Harry and he said he needed me! I have to find him!" Ginny began to cry again.
Madame Pomfrey got her back into the bed and embraced her as she cried. "There now, it's going to be okay. Let me get you something to calm you down a bit." She stood and hurried to her office, coming back with a glass of potion. "Here, drink this and you'll feel much better."
Ginny nodded and downed the potion as she tried to wipe the tears away. In a few seconds, she began to feel her whole body relax as the potion began its work. A feeling of drowsiness washed over her and she felt her eyelids begin to shut of their own accord. As she snuggled down under the covers with a sigh, she heard Madame Pomfrey whisper quietly.
"Goodnight, child."
Ginny awoke next morning as the bright sunlight shone across her bed in the hospital wing. She jumped out of bed, changed quickly and ran into Madame Pomfrey's office, where she found her busy with some paperwork.
"Madame Pomfrey, can I go back to my dormitory now?"
The healer looked up from her work with a smile. "Yes, you are free to go Miss Weasley. And might I say that a good night's sleep seems to have done wonders for you?"
Ginny nodded. "Yes ma'am. I must admit that I do feel better this morning. Much better than I have in a while."
"That's good dear. Go on now and find your friends."
"Thanks." Ginny turned and rushed out of the hospital wing towards the Gryffindor dormitory. She did feel better this morning, but she knew that the reason was not a good night's sleep. She had a purpose now and she was determined to figure out just what had happened last night.
She knew for a fact that Harry's voice really came to her last night. She also knew that she had to find a way to get to him. He had begged for her help and, by Merlin, she was going to give it to him!
Upon entering the Gryffindor common room, she found herself being assaulted by a bushy-haired projectile that embraced her tightly. Feeling the air being pushed from her lungs, Ginny tried to wiggle free. "Her…mione…can't…breathe…"
Hermione let go quickly and stood beaming at Ginny. "Sorry, Ginny! I'm just so glad to see that you're okay! I was so worried last night and I didn't know what to do at all! Thankfully, Professor McGonagall heard me calling out and got to us fast."
Ginny nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Hermione, I'm sorry about what happened last night. I hope I didn't hurt you when I was struggling and all."
The older girl just waved it off. "Don't worry about it, Ginny. I'm just glad that I was there to keep you from hurting yourself too terribly."
Ginny looked around the common room and motioned her over to a secluded corner. "There's more, though. I found out a lot of things last night that are quite interesting." As Hermione listened, Ginny told her about the conversation between McGonagall and Madame Pomfrey concerning her necklace.
Hermione didn't seem too surprised at the results of McGonagall's diagnostic spell. "I told you that your necklace was one of the most powerful magic relics in the Wizarding world."
"Yes, but it seems that it's powerful enough to do more than just reflect emotions and pull someone from their body," Ginny continued.
"What do you mean?"
"Well I think that if the bond is powerful enough, one person can receive the pain and injuries that the other person sustains. I overhead Madame Pomfrey telling McGonagall that I came in with a stab wound in my thigh. It was strange, because it didn't bleed or anything. It was just an open wound in my leg."
Hermione looked confused. "While I'll admit that it's strange, I don't see how that is related to the Emerald."
"Well it is if you knew what I saw when I went into Harry's body." With that, she recounted the horrible vision of Harry and his self-mutilation.
When she finished, Hermione put her hand to her mouth as her eyes filled with unshed tears. "Oh, Ginny! We have to find Harry quickly! He's really in need of help if he's sunk to cutting himself. And you said that you received the same wound? Yes, I would say that the Emerald is way more powerful than I thought if you are able to share his injuries as well as feelings."
"So what do we do then?" Ginny had decided to hold off on telling Hermione about hearing Harry's voice for now.
"Well I'm going to try and find more research on the Emerald and its effects. But first, we are going to go and talk to the Headmistress. She needs to be informed about all of this as well."
Ginny sighed. She didn't want to involve McGonagall, but she did feel like she owed her some sort of explanation, considering all the trouble that the Headmistress had gone through to help her this term. "Alright, but I'll decide how much I'm going to tell her at the moment." While she seemed none too pleased with this statement, Hermione could only nod.
The trip to McGonagall's office was quiet, since it was early on a Saturday morning, and few of the students had woken up yet. Upon reaching the gargoyle, they recited the password and made their way up the stairs to the office, knocking before entering in.
They found McGonagall sitting behind her desk drinking a cup of tea. "Ah, Miss Granger, Miss Weasley. Thank you for coming to see me." She gestured to the squishy armchairs in front of her desk. "Might I interest either of you in some tea or biscuits?"
The two Gryffindor girls sat down, both taking a cup of tea and a few of the offered biscuits. McGonagall looked at the both of them for a moment before speaking, "So would one of you ladies care to explain what exactly happened last night?"
Ginny knew that she would have to speak up otherwise Hermione might very well tell McGonagall everything. "Well you see, I had a vision of Harry and it was pretty bad. He was hurting himself and screaming really loud. I could feel his pain and rage and when I came to again, I got sick from all the emotions flowing through me."
"I see. And do you have any idea as to what may be causing these visions, Miss Weasley?"
With a total look of innocence, Ginny replied, "No ma'am, I don't." She heard Hermione sigh in exasperation, but, thankfully, she held her tongue.
McGonagall's face was unreadable. "Very well. I will look at this more closely at another time. But now, I have another question for you. What do you know about that necklace you wear?"
Ginny had to think really fast now. Just how much information could she give away to satisfy McGonagall? It wasn't that she didn't trust her, she just felt like this was something that she needed to work out on her own. And to be honest, she wasn't quite sure if the Headmistress would believe her if she told the full story. "Harry gave it to me as a birthday present. It's very beautiful and the best present I've ever been given. He is so thoughtful."
McGonagall smiled at this. "Yes, Harry is quite the caring young man. But tell me, have you noticed anything strange about this necklace?"
This was the tricky part, making it seem like you knew less than you really did. Ginny silently thanked the twins and their lessons in deception. "Well, yes. I can't take the necklace off. The clasp disappeared and I can't pull it off over my head. I don't really mind though, because it's such a beautiful necklace."
McGonagall nodded. "Well I think I can answer that riddle for you. It appears that your necklace has bonded itself to you. It cannot be removed without the proper charm, and even then, only by you. It is very powerful magic, and quite unusual to find in jewelry that one might wear on an everyday basis."
Ginny just smiled. "Well, Harry always has a knack for getting me special gifts."
"Indeed. And this gift is no exception." McGonagall looked at Ginny for a moment before seeming to come to a decision. She set her tea down and stood from her chair. "Well, I must say thank you for coming to me first thing this morning and filling me in on what happened."
Ginny stood as well and began to make her way towards the door, Hermione following behind. "It's no problem, Professor. I hope it was helpful."
"Indeed it was, Miss Weasley. Now why don't you two head down to the Great Hall for breakfast?"
The two nodded and headed out to the staircase, closing the door behind them.
Hermione was the first to speak when the door closed. "Ginny! Why didn't you tell her everything? Professor McGonagall only wants to help you!"
Ginny wasn't fazed by her friend's outburst. "I bought us more time, Hermione. I want to figure this out without a bunch of adults pushing us around and trying to protect us. Harry needs me, and I'm going to be the one to find him."
Hermione didn't seem too optimistic. "I don't know. Aren't you afraid we'll miss something?"
Ginny just laughed. "Hermione, how could I miss something when I have the most brilliant witch in ages helping me? We'll figure it out, don't worry. Now come on. Let's go get breakfast and then we'll hit the library for more research."
As Ginny planned, all words of protest disappeared from Hermione at the mention of the library. Together they descended the staircase and headed towards the Great Hall for a well deserved breakfast.
As the door closed behind the two girls, Professor McGonagall sighed. She couldn't decide if what she had just done had been the right thing.
"Let it go, Minerva. This is something that they have to figure out themselves."
The Headmistress turned to look at one of the portraits on the wall behind her. "How can you be so sure, Albus? They are only children. They shouldn't have to deal with these kinds of things."
The portrait of Albus Dumbledore looked down at the new Headmistress fondly. Despite her somewhat aloof exterior, Minerva McGonagall had always been a kind woman with a big heart. "It's not a question of whether they should have to deal with it, Minerva. The fact of the matter is that a situation has presented itself and now they have to handle it. They are strong and full of love, these children. They have been tested time and again over the past few years and they have yet to disappoint me or anyone else. I have the greatest of confidence in them."
McGonagall didn't seem convinced. "But they obviously don't know all the answers. And it was quite obvious that Miss Weasley wasn't telling me everything as well. How can I help them find the answers if they won't trust me with what they know?"
Dumbledore's portrait just smiled. "You can't. But you can be there when they need you. You can provide comfort and guidance when they seek you out. They will appreciate that more than anything else you could give them."
McGonagall sighed again as she sat down. "I guess you are right, Albus. But that still doesn't explain how they will get the answers they need without my or the Order's help."
Dumbledore gave her a sly wink. "Don't worry, Minerva. An answer always comes to those who require it."
