Disclaimer--If you like it, assume I don't own it. The Potterverse belongs to JKR, Steve Klowes, Scholastic and WB. Fanon belongs to the multitude...I'm simply paying homage. Most of this scene is from GoF by JK Rowling. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made.

Author's Notes-- Progress has been a lot slower in this work, but I hope you'll all stick with me anyway. As you all know, I may not own it, but I work hard, and I love it, so if you read it and enjoy it, please review it! Please don't print or post this elsewhere without my knowledge. I'm a bit confused about the ruckus FF.net is making about "keyboard dialogue", so I hope they don't object to our notes, but it seems unfair to ask for your feedback and not respond (besides, I LIKE responding), so...shrugs

Jallenttu--All latecomers are not only welcomed, but encouraged! I'm so glad to meet a new reader! :-D does happy dance I'm incredibly flattered that not only would you notice references to my earlier stories and go through all the effort to look them up, but you think they're a good parallel to JKR. I know she's much more polished than I am, but I do try my best to make Ginny's story a good companion to the novels, so it really makes my day when someone else notices that! Thanks! I hope you keep reading and commenting! :-)

Aurora Grosskopf--The same goes for you as well. Thanks a bunch! :-)

Rayny--WOW! That's high praise indeed. I love comments like that. :-D I don't mind you linked the story, I'm flattered. I would enjoy seeing the site, though, if that's okay. My email addy should be in my profile--you can send me a link. :-) Hope you keep reviewing!

JamieBell--I'm glad you feel like you're finally seeing something "HAPPEN" instead of all these vague and dire feelings floating about, I agree, I think things will start to pick up from here on out. winks That's a good question. I probably didn't make it clear, but Ginny slept through the early morning, and then she went on that outing with Bion and Luna, bypassing the crowd in the Entry Hall. I have been extremely busy with stuff way over my head, but hopefully I'm starting to fall back into pace again now. Thanks for the support! hugs

I'm-not-the -weakest-link--Thanks. :-)

Kattcha91--Hope you're not disappointed with the result crosses fingers I think Ginny will slowly grow to realize her own strengths and enjoy them instead of worrying so much about her weaknesses. It's wisdom and experience...and that is SOOO worth the time it takes! Hope you keep reviewing! :-D

Raiining--This chapter is a bit longer than usual...I hope that helps make up for the last one--I hadn't realized how short it was until you pointed it out! looks embarrassed I agree with your assessment of Lee and the Twins. laughs and winks

J.Rhaye--Yeah...I do feel Ginny's pain...that's really crushing. :-( giggles I like her spunk with the Hermy-ism too. winks I rather like Cedric. He was a very well-written and tender character. A good hero. Hope you enjoy this one! hugs

EEDOE--I think that stage of romance is especially sweet when it happens in your middle or later years...you appreciate it so much more. smiles I liked that sentence too. grins Love ya! hugs

Bill--Your review made mine! ;-) I would definitely say it is very frustrating for any girl to see that sort of thing, but most particularly at that age. sighs You make a good point...I'm sure she'll hear all about it later. ;-) Ginny, cynical? As if! snorts and grins evilly I hope this is fast enough...it isn't up to my top speed, unfortunately. sighs hugs

I hope I've responded to everyone personally. If I've missed you, I apologize. Please rest assured ALL reviews and reviewers are important!

Ginny's first reaction, which was nearly over before it began, was a spark of disgusted disbelief that Harry obviously hadn't appreciated the prospect of a peaceful and quiet year. Her second reaction, which occurred almost simultaneous to the first, was a completely unexpected rush of annoyance he'd managed to subvert the rules more spectacularly than the twins apparently had. The third, really the first to last long enough for her to fully register its presence, was disappointment in Dumbledore's lapse of omniscience ; suddenly she felt very small, very unsafe, and very disillusioned. Her last, and longest lasting, reaction was confusion—even if Harry had ignored his chance to be a spectator and gotten past Dumbledore somehow, it shouldn't have mattered. Hogwarts already had a Champion. Harry's name should never have been mentioned.

"That cup's defective," she snorted in derision. "It chose Cedric Diggory already—I mean it's making Hogwarts—not to mention Britain!—look bad—we can't even manage a time-honored tournament with bollixing it up somehow!"

But she hardly heard the end of her own sentence. It was swallowed up in the strange and heavy silence that seemed to be preceding Harry up the aisle. He moved reluctantly but inevitably forward as if compelled by an outside force greater than himself, the air around him congealing and thickening itself so time itself seemed to fall into slow motion. There was an air of surreality about the whole scene that left Ginny with an uncomfortably familiar feeling of detachment—as if she were watching herself from a great and insurpassable distance, vividly reliving her experience in Tom's secret Chamber. She found herself shivering with violence, struck by a sudden sense of inevitable doom, remembered and foreseen, that left her stomach hollow and her lungs empty.

"Ginny," Neville whispered around several Gryffindors. "You look awful. Are you okay?"

Ginny attempted a reassuring smile, felt the resulting nauseous grimace, and knew she'd failed. "I must…be…a little…overwhelmed by the excitement. You're sweet to notice, Neville, really, but I'll be fine in a minute."

"Well…if you're sure," Neville said, looking anything but sure himself.

Ginny nodded, feeling dizzy, as the students around them, having looked around, began to realize nothing else would be forthcoming that night and began, rather confusedly, to disperse. Unready—perhaps unable—to face people in the iron confinement of the pessimism that had fallen over her, Ginny wandered absently into the much-needed space and air of the night-darkened grounds.

Finding an out-of-the-way and sheltered spot, she rooted through her pockets until she eventually produced not only her wand, but a crumpled and spotted bit of scrap parchment and a very tattered stub of quill Hermione had charmed to work like a muggle device she called a fowntin pin or something equally ridiculous. Sitting down on a rather damp patch of ground, she spread the parchment out in her lap. "Lumos" she murmured softly, setting the tip of her wand aglow with creamy silver light. Laying it along the top edge of her parchment, she took up the quill.

Dear Professor Lupin,

She supposed she shouldn't be addressing him that way since he wasn't technically a professor anymore, but she didn't care. It seemed impossibly wrong and disrespectful to call him by his first name, or even Mr., and he'd always be a professor to her.

I'm not exactly sure why I'm writing you now…or even what it is I'm writing you about…

We had a feast at school tonight, only this year it wasn't just to celebrate Halloween. Professor Dumbledore was going to announce the three school champions for the Tri-Wizard Tournament that had been chosen by this really strange cup called the Goblet of Fire…anyway…things seemed okay at first. The Goblet named all three champions—Cedric Diggory was the Champion for Hogwarts, he's from Hufflepuff—only it didn't stop! It named another champion. And not just any champion…Harry was named. Dumbledore didn't say much, he just called Harry up to join the other champions. But I don't think he was expecting it. He didn't look very pleased.

It worries me that he didn't know what was going on…and not only because Harry was named…Harry's not the Hogwarts Champion, Cedric is. Harry's another champion, the fourth. Even if he managed to get his name in the Goblet somehow, I don't think he could manage that, and I'm really, really, really worried, because if he couldn't get past Dumbledore—and Fred and George didn't—who could? Or would?

For some reason, I can't help thinking Tom's involved. It's not like he hasn't tried to hurt Harry before, but if hurting Harry was all he wanted, he could do it a lot more easily than this. If Tom's responsible, he's after something, and I'm terribly afraid of what that could be…of what that could mean.

I wish you were here…I could really use your advice right now. I hope you're well.

Love,

Ginny.

Finished, she stuck the parchment and quill in her pocket, and turned back toward the school and caught sight of the Quidditch Pitch dark and endless at her feet. Flying was only a temporary escape from the ground and the worries that weighted it in so many ways, but she'd long ago learned that the freedom and the reprieve often made them seem less heavy and unmanageable when you returned to pick them up again. And if not, well, at least you'd had a brief moment of fun without them. She laughed, giddy with the unexpected answer to her problems, and made her way—very carefully—to the broom shed, the lock of which Lee had long ago taught her to jimmy open with ease, to claim a school broom.

The sight of someone standing far below, waving her hands like an out-of-control windmill brought her back to herself sometime later. She drifted to a slightly grudging, and definitely surprised halt. "Hermione? What are you doing here?"

"Lee told me you come out here sometimes—I was looking for you—I had no idea you could fly like that—for a minute I thought you were Harry!"

Ginny blinked, uncertain of a response. "You were looking for me?" she repeated momentarily, but without much interest. "Why?"

Hermione paused, brought up short by a question so far from her own current line of thought. "What? Uh…Neville…her said you weren't feeling well last night…I…wanted…to be sure you were okay."

"Oh," Ginny said softly, simultaneously feeling guilty for worrying her friends over nothing and not at all convinced it was nothing. "Thanks. I am. Okay—I mean."

"Then where have you been?" Hermione demanded, immediately affronted. "I really could have used your help—Harry and Ron are being completely unmanageable."

"So?" Ginny asked blandly.

"Someone has to convince them they're being ridiculous—they aren't going to listen to me."

"What do you expect me to do about it?" Ginny said calmly. Hermione knew full well Ron and Harry didn't know she was alive let alone cared about what she had to say. Somehow, though, Ginny doubted Hermione would—or could—realize she was being just as ridiculous as either of the boys, worrying about their reactions to the night before instead of the much-further-reaching implications…but she'd been over all that.

Hermione opened her mouth as if to give voice to an insultingly obvious reply and stopped with a funny look on her face.

"Exactly," said Ginny, amused in spite of the gravity of the situation. "I imagine they'll come to their senses eventually."

"Maybe," Hermione agreed doubtfully, "under any other circumstances, I'd agree with you, but Ron's lost all sense of proportion this time…he refuses to see the situation with any reason, and Harry…could be killed in competition before he comes to his senses!"

Ginny sighed, pulling Hermione to her in a hug that smothered the dire predictions issuing from her mouth. Eventually she talked herself into testing the efficacy of the effect by stepping back a bit and loosening her grip slightly. "Hey, Hermione, is that toast you're holding?"

Hermione frowned, looking down in bemusement. "Oh, I forgot! It's for Harry—I figured he wouldn't want to come down to breakfast if--"

"Why don't you go ahead and catch him then?" Ginny prompted indulgently.

"Do you want to come with me?" Hermione suggested with a speculative look in the depths of her brown eyes.

Ginny felt an answering surge of wishful expectation twinge in the pit of her stomach like a dull ache, but she shook her head, feeling the first faint rays of the sun spark hotly along the vivid red brilliance of her hair, warming her whole head. "I'll go get breakfast in the Great Hall." And mail this letter along the way, she added to herself grimly.

"Oh," Hermione said, stuggling not to look disappointed. "Okay…"

"And maybe," Ginny added casually, "try to diffuse whatever's got Ron in a twist."

Hermione shrieked wordless joy, clapping her hands together in an explosive burst. The illuminated glow of hope radiating from her face stabbed Ginny to the core.

"I can't promise anything.," she warned, but Hermione didn't care.

"If anyone can manage Ron, you can, and once he's calmed down, he'll listen to Harry if Harry will just talk to him…and I'll work on Harry. We'll have it all cleared up in no time!"