When Ginny awoke, she was staring into a pair of bright blue eyes behind half-moon spectacles. It was Albus Dumbledore. She blinked herself awake, getting her bearings, then quickly realized she was still in the Brain Room. Reality flooding back to her, she gasped and looked towards Ron, who was still giggling feebly but appeared to be okay, or at least, he was not being suffocated by the brain.
"He'll be all right," said Dumbledore, answering her unasked question. "Stay here. I will come back and Portkey you back to Hogwarts, but I must find Harry first."
"Is he all right?" said Ginny, unable to keep the panic out of her voice.
"Other members of the Order are here. If anything serious happened to him, they would notify me immediately."
Ginny felt a wave of relief. They were saved. Looking down at her ankle, she saw Dumbledore had wrapped it.
"Sir, can't you fix my ankle?"
"I'm afraid that will have to be a job for Madam Pomfrey, as she is contractually obligated to handle all maladies of the student body. Skilled wizard though I am, if it is one area where I am exceptionally ordinary, it is Healing."
Dumbledore moved over to Luna who was still lying on the floor. He examined her quickly but appeared satisfied that she did not require immediate attention, then moved along to the wall to Ginny's right and opened one of the doors leading to who-knows-where. Ginny saw the flashing lights of many spells at once and could hear yells and shouts in the room beyond as Dumbledore immediately vanished into the chaos.
Ginny's dream was still fresh in her mind. It had been vivid and more realistic than her usual dreams, but still weird enough where it was clear it was only a dream. Ginny remembered seeing her past-self (or her mind's interpretation of what her past-self looked like) and her thoughts wandered to the Time Room next door.
She wanted to get up and continue fighting, but she knew better than to disobey Dumbledore and knew her ankle wouldn't allow her to anyway, so she remained sitting on the floor. A few minutes passed where the only sounds Ginny could hear were the muffled shouts and bangs of the battle that was taking place in the adjacent room, and Ron giggling quietly.
Suddenly, the door Dumbledore had gone through burst open again and Bellatrix came sprinting in, followed by Harry, who was chasing after her and had an anguished look on his face. Bellatrix sent a curse at him over her shoulder; the brain tank rose in the air and tipped. Harry was deluged in the nasty green potion within. The brains slipped and slid over him and began spinning their long, colored tentacles, but he shouted, "Wingardium Leviosa!" and they flew into the air away from him. Slipping and sliding he ran on toward the door, leaping over Luna, who was stirring feebly on the floor.
"Harry — what — ?" Ginny spluttered as he ran past, but he paid no attention and followed Bellatrix through the door to the circular room and the door shut behind him. The first door opened and Dumbledore entered again. The fighting, Ginny could see, seemed to have stopped. There was no more flashing of light or shouting.
"Professor — what's going on? What happened?"
"I will explain later," he said shortly, and he followed the same path as Harry and Bellatrix back to the circular room. "Please stay where you are."
And so she sat, feeling frustrated and confused. Something was definitely not right, and a cold feeling of dread consumed her as she slouched helplessly against the wall.
It was nearly dawn by the time she and the others had returned to Hogwarts. Madam Pomfrey fixed her and Neville up first, as they had the least severe injuries and were back to normal within minutes. Luna had to take a couple of potions, but soon she was back to her typical dreamy self as well. Hermione and Ron, however, were going to need an extended stay in the hospital wing, but Madam Pomfrey assured the rest of them that they would make a full recovery. Ginny now felt exhaustion setting in, as she was pushing twenty-four hours of not having slept, apart from the short time she spent unconscious from a Stunning Spell that only seemed to have drained her of energy further rather than rejuvenate her. Nevertheless, once Madam Pomfrey had returned to her office, she got out of her bed immediately to discuss everything with Neville and Luna. Her body protested, but her thirst for information trumped her desire to sleep.
"Ginny! Luna!" said Neville as they all gathered near Luna's bed. His eyes were wide and he looked shaken. "Did you hear…?"
"No," Ginny whispered. A new wave of dread hit her. Something very bad had happened, and Dumbledore never got around to telling her what it was.
"Right after Dumbledore arrived and captured all the Death Eaters, Bellatrix and Sirius Black were dueling by that old archway, and she must have hit him with a Stunner or something, because he fell through that raggedy curtain that was hanging there."
Luna gasped.
"Er, then what happened?" said Ginny.
"Well, he didn't reappear, and everyone was acting as though he was dead, and Harry was yelling…"
Ginny gasped too. She had been very close to walking through that thing before Hermione stopped her.
"I thought Black was fighting against us at first," said Neville. "And then he started dueling Bellatrix and I was all confused… I thought he was a mass murderer!"
"I thought he was Stubby Boardman," said Luna vaguely.
"No, he was innocent, it turned out," said Ginny, ignoring Luna. "I found out last summer." She suppressed a shudder as she was reminded of Scabbers. "He became quite close with Harry; he was his Godfather after all. Oh God — Harry must be so distraught — are you sure he's dead?"
"I — well — I don't, er — I don't really know what that archway was," said Neville uncertainly. "All I know is he didn't reappear, and Harry was yelling that Bellatrix killed him."
"It's a veil," said Luna dreamily. "A veil to the other side. All our loved ones who have passed are just behind it. You heard them, didn't you?"
It took Ginny a moment to comprehend exactly what Luna had said. Her brain was processing things slowly through her exhaustion. Yes, she had heard the voices behind it. She had felt a strong pull towards the veil as she approached it, and if Hermione hadn't pulled her away…
"I've got to find Harry," said Ginny urgently. "Where is he?"
"I dunno," said Neville. "Last I saw him was when he left the room with the arch…"
Dumbledore had assured them that Harry was all right before Portkeying them to the hospital wing, but did not give them any further information as he had been in a hurry to meet with Fudge. Did this mean the Ministry's attitude was going to change and Dumbledore would be returning as headmaster?
She hurried out of the hospital wing and, not knowing where to go to find Harry, she decided to check the common room first. Sirius… he couldn't really be dead, could he? Her heart broke for Harry. Sirius had become almost like a father to him, something he had never really had in his life… it just wasn't fair.
"Filibuster," said Ginny when she reached the Fat Lady.
"That is no longer the password."
"Why would you change it when school's almost over!" Ginny fumed.
"Ginny!" called a voice behind her. She turned and saw Robbie, one of her fellow fourth-years, running towards her.
"Hey," said Ginny.
"Hi," he said, breathless as he ran to catch her. He looked as tired as she was. "The new password is 'Amortentia'."
"Precisely," said the Fat Lady, swinging open to reveal the common room.
"Thanks," said Ginny, as they clambered in. The place was a mess — it was very obvious there had been a raucous party overnight. "Why was it changed?"
"Well, the Fat Lady got a bit tipsy last night during the party and changed it on a whim." He rolled his eyes. "Where were you, by the way? I didn't see you…"
"You'll find out soon enough," said Ginny airily. She did not have the energy to explain and had a feeling she probably shouldn't anyway.
"Oh, well, no matter. I've got some Chocolate Frogs from last night, want one?"
There was a slight pink tinge in his cheeks as he held out one for her. Ginny took it.
"Thanks."
"Er," said Robbie, "have you eaten breakfast yet? I was about to head down… care to join me?"
He made every effort to sound nonchalant but was blushing furiously and looked like he regretted saying anything.
"Er," said Ginny, going a bit red too, "I was just heading to bed, actually… I didn't get much sleep last night… thanks for asking, though."
"Oh, right," said Robbie. "No problem. Well, see you, Ginny."
And he darted off back out the portrait hole. She searched around the deserted, messy common room for Harry, but he was nowhere to be found, and Ginny, who was feeling total exhaustion now, went straight up to her dormitory and got right into bed. She put the Chocolate Frog on her bedside table and fell asleep instantly.
Ginny awoke around lunchtime. She did not feel very refreshed, and when she got up, she noticed Lena sitting in her bed with the curtains open, looking at her.
"So what have you been up to?" she demanded. "I was getting really worried! I thought for sure you'd be at that party, but I never saw you!"
"I was off on an adventure," said Ginny dismissively. "Did Dean miss me?" she added dryly.
"He asked me at least four times if I'd seen you," she said, rolling her eyes.
Ginny snorted.
"Also, er — I may have had too much to drink and, er — perhaps let it slip to him that you thought he was cute," said Lena nervously.
"Oh, you didn't," Ginny groaned.
"I'm sorry!" Lena said earnestly. "I'm really sorry, Ginny!"
"It's whatever," said Ginny in a tired voice. It seemed the possibility of going out with Dean was now very real. Ginny was still not sure if she wanted to. "Just keep your mouth shut about my feelings for Harry, or I will murder you. I'll never be able to speak to him again if he finds out."
In her mind's eye, she imagined her and Harry blushing every time they saw each other due to him knowing about her feelings, and her knowing that he knew about them. Then she thought wildly of being reduced to watching him through keyholes and doors that were cracked ajar like she did when she was eleven. A gross exaggeration, of course, but her mind had a way of conjuring up the worst possible scenarios.
"I won't say nothing, I promise."
Lena's expression was one of utmost seriousness as she traced a cross across her chest with her finger, but she was also clearly relieved that Ginny was not having a meltdown over what she had said to Dean. Satisfied that Lena had gotten the message, Ginny now thought about how she had chickened out of giving Harry chocolate when he was studying for his O.W.L.s, again for fear of him realizing that she fancied him. If she had still been dating Michael at that time, she would have done it without hesitation and played it off as platonic if Harry got suspicious. Was this stupid and irrational? Perhaps, but it was something that worked for her. To add to these ruminations, his remark about her being "too young" before they set off for the Department of Mysteries also chose this moment to swim to the front of her mind where it could torment her. She had to admit, Hermione's advice was looking better and better.
"Why aren't you at lunch?" Ginny asked Lena.
"Was waiting for you to wake up. I was gonna give you another ten minutes or so before I woke you up myself. Now, are you going to tell me about your adventure?"
"Me and five others broke into the Ministry," said Ginny tonelessly.
"Say what now?" Lena stared at Ginny as though she must have misheard. "Seriously? What the hell…?"
"I'm sure it'll be in the paper soon," said Ginny wearily. "Shall we go to lunch then?"
Lena goggled at her.
"Yeah… sure…" she said in a high-pitched voice.
Ginny explained to Lena about her escapade on the way down but didn't feel like going into too great of detail.
"You know, Ginny, you might just be insane," said Lena, but her tone was one of admiration. "So is that why Dumbledore's back now? I saw him at the staff table during breakfast. Does that mean Umbridge is sacked?"
"I think so."
"YES!"
Lena had never looked happier about anything, but Ginny privately thought merely being sacked was nowhere near what Umbridge deserved. At the very least, she hoped those centaurs were not gentle with her.
"By the way," said Lena. "I pulled Jack Sloper last night at the party, and now we're dating. Demelza's not speaking to me now."
She laughed. Ginny could not figure out why Lena and Demelza were infatuated with this idiot. He was terrible at magic, terrible at Quidditch, and average-looking at best.
"I just hope he's good at snogging, at least."
"Oh, he is," said Lena mischievously. "The best."
Following lunch, Ginny, Lena, and Amber (who they had met up with in the Great Hall) started making their way back to the common room to relax and perhaps take a nap, but a sharp voice halted them in their tracks.
"Miss Everton!" called Professor McGonagall. "Come with me, please."
Lena looked at Ginny nervously, then followed McGonagall up the stairs.
"Wonder what that's about?" said Amber, as she and Ginny continued their way to the common room. They followed behind the pair until McGonagall led Lena into her office.
On the way, Ginny decided to check on Ron and Hermione in the hospital wing. She explained to Amber where she had been the previous night during lunch, and she was even more appalled than Lena had been.
"You were very lucky all you ended up with was a broken ankle," Amber said seriously.
Ginny didn't need to be told this; she was all too aware. She tried not to think about how much worse it all could have been for them. When she entered the ward, she checked on Ron first. He was back to normal, at least mentally, though there were still deep welts from where the brain's tentacles had wrapped around him. He had a bottle of Dr. Ubbly's Oblivious Unction sitting on his bedside desk.
"Madam Pomfrey said this stuff should help," said Ron, indicating the bottle.
"Harry's not here?" said Ginny.
"He was a couple hours ago," said Ron. "He was in a right state… he checked to make sure we were all right but seemed like he wanted to be alone."
"Kind of figured that," said Ginny sadly. She felt so bad for him.
"Wonder when shit's gonna hit the fan?" said Ron with a smile. "Fudge apparently knows You-Know-Who's back now."
"He does?"
"So Harry says. Apparently after Sirius was, er… you know… well, anyway, You-Know-Who showed up at the Ministry and tried to kill Harry again, but Dumbledore stepped in and they had a big duel, and You-Know-Who fled when Ministry wizards arrived, including Fudge, but they all saw him."
"So this means it's over? All the Ministry denial?"
"Reckon so, yeah."
So at least one good thing had come out of all that. Everyone was going to know now that Harry and Dumbledore were telling the truth, and as it seemed Dumbledore was now headmaster once more, Ginny figured it wouldn't be too long before the school learned about what happened.
"You know what else that means?" said Ginny excitedly. "The rotten hag is TOAST!"
"She's right over there, you know," said Ron, still smiling and indicating a bed opposite them. Ginny jumped and looked around, blood draining from her face; she saw Umbridge's squat figure lying in the bed Ron pointed at, staring at the ceiling, looking petrified. "Dumbledore brought her in a couple hours ago. He went into the forest to find her and returned without a scratch on him. How he did that, I'll be damned…"
"What's wrong with her?"
"Dunno, but she was carried off by the centaurs, so who knows what happened to her out there…"
Ginny felt a hot surge of anger. Umbridge did not deserve to be lying comfortably in a hospital bed. A bed of spikes would have been far better.
"Check this out," said Ron. He made a clip-clopping noise with his tongue that sounded remarkably like horse hooves. Umbridge sat bolt upright, looking around wildly, then slowly sank back into her pillow as though nothing had happened. The two of them laughed loudly, and Ginny got up and slowly approached her bed. Umbridge continued to have the same shocked expression and didn't acknowledge Ginny's presence at all. Her mousy hair was a mess with bits of twig and brush mingled in. Ginny stared down at her, imagining her fist sinking into her ugly face, knocking out some teeth, and then her choking on her own blood.
"You are going to pay for what you did this year," Ginny whispered with as much venom as she could muster, "especially for everything you did to Harry. I'd smash your face in, but you just aren't worth the trouble."
And she spat in her face. Umbridge flinched but said nothing as she continued to stare at the ceiling with her bulging eyes. Ginny shot her one last look of pure loathing before moving over towards Hermione, glancing back at Ron along the way, who saw what she did and gave her an appraising but also rather awestruck look. She smirked.
"Hi, Hermione," said Ginny, taking a seat on the edge of her bed. "What happened to you?"
"Dolohov hit me with a curse," she said slowly. It seemed like even just talking was painful. "Not sure what it was, but it looked like purple fire, and it knocked me out. My ribs really hurt. That's where it hit me."
"Madam Pomfrey has her taking a bunch of potions," said Neville, who was sitting in a chair by Hermione's bed and was snacking on something.
"Where's Luna?"
"She said she went to look for some of her things?" said Hermione questioningly. "I'm not sure, apparently some people have been taking her stuff."
"What?" said Ginny, startled by this. "That's awful!"
"She didn't seem too upset," said Neville. "But I guess that's just how she is. She's never really angry, is she?"
Nobody said anything for a moment. Ginny felt sorry for Luna; people could be so mean sometimes.
"Did Ron tell you what Harry told us earlier?" said Neville. "How he escaped You-Know-Who again?"
"Yeah," said Ginny. "What is that? The fourth time now?"
"I've lost count."
Ginny couldn't help but laugh, but she was thinking hard. Something was nagging her, and she was trying hard to remember what it was. Then it hit her.
"Oh — I almost forgot — what ended up happening to the prophecy?"
"It smashed," said Neville. "In the room with the archway, a Death Eater hit me with a Dancing Feet Spell and Harry had to help me up the stone steps. I accidentally kicked it, and it went flying and broke. Nobody heard it."
"Wonder what it said?" said Ginny curiously. "It had Harry's name on it."
"Lucius Malfoy said it was something about his scar," said Hermione tentatively. "Remember?"
Ginny hadn't paid much attention to what Malfoy was saying to Harry back in the Department of Mysteries, but it did ring a bell.
"And he asked Harry if he ever wondered why You-Know-Who tried to kill him as a baby!" said Neville suddenly. "So the prophecy must have answered that!"
"Or Malfoy was just talking out of his arse," said Ginny.
"Yeah, maybe…"
Nobody spoke for a moment. Ginny was lost in thought. Voldemort had tricked Harry into retrieving that prophecy… why? Was this the "weapon" that Sirius had talked about last summer, the one that Voldemort was supposedly after? Why would the Order keep something so mundane from them? Neville, of course, didn't know about any of this, as he had not spent the summer at Grimmauld Place with them. His insistence on coming with them to rescue Sirius was rather bizarre, and the more Ginny thought about it the less sense it made.
"Neville, can I ask you something?" she said.
"Of course."
"Why did you come with the Department of Mysteries with us? You didn't even know why Harry wanted to go or who he was trying to save."
"I — well, you know. I wanted to prove myself. My gran is always pushing me… she's always hoped that I'd live up to my parents, follow in their footsteps, you know — they were both highly respected Aurors — it seemed like a good opportunity for me, after everything we did with the D.A."
Ginny didn't like the sound of that one bit. It almost sounded like Neville's grandmother was abusive. Ginny now wondered what drove Luna to want to go. At first she just chalked it up to her eccentric nature, though she suddenly realized it also could have been an act of solidarity and loyalty.
"Why did you go?" asked Neville.
"I wanted to help save Sirius," said Ginny. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either. There was a grim irony; the person they were trying to save was the one who got killed simply as a result of them going to save him. "Which reminds me… I need to…"
Her voice trailed off as she got up to leave the ward. She needed to find Harry and make sure he was okay. Wherever he was, she knew he must be drowning in guilt. She thought she would start with the common room, as that seemed like the most likely place he would be. When Ginny reached the fifth floor, however, she ran into Luna.
"Hi," said Ginny.
"Hi, Ginny."
"Hermione said people have been taking your stuff?"
"Oh, yes, that's true."
"That's terrible!"
Luna shrugged as if to say, "it is what it is".
"So Sirius was Harry's Godfather?" she asked Ginny. "That's what you said earlier."
"Yes. I feel so bad for him; it's just so unfair after everything he's been through these past couple years — you haven't seen him around, have you? I wanted to talk to him."
"I'd give him a day if I were you," said Luna seriously. "Let him be alone for today. There's always tomorrow. He will probably be better to talk to then."
"All right." She trusted Luna and accepted her advice without question. "Do you want me to help you look for your things?"
"No, that's okay. They'll turn up in the end. They always do."
Ginny gave her a feeble smile, and before she quite knew what she was doing, she put her arms around her, hugged her, and didn't let go for what felt like a long time.
"You're a good friend, Ginny."
Dinner was a lively affair. Dumbledore announced he had been reinstated as headmaster and that Umbridge was relieved of her duties, which was met with a raucous applause that gave Ginny an adrenaline rush. Even some of the Slytherins seemed delighted, though Malfoy and his gang looked livid. Ginny smiled with immense satisfaction as she realized Malfoy's father was going back to prison. Dumbledore continued, announcing further staffing changes that didn't interest her much, but she perked up when he announced Professor Flitwick would be removing the Portable Swamp left by Fred and George the next morning at ten o'clock and that anyone who wished to witness this was welcome to do so. Ginny was a little sad about it; the swamp had become rather iconic and, in a way, almost seemed like a part of the school itself now.
Rumors of their adventure did seem to travel fast. Ginny got many stares and some pressed her to confirm the story. She was sitting with Neville, and throughout dinner there was always a gaggle of students around where they were sitting. Many were highly skeptical when they said they fought a bunch of Death Eaters, including noted prat Zacharias Smith, but Ginny didn't care. She was sure that in a couple of days, most of the details would be public.
While she was eating, one sixth-year Ravenclaw who Ginny had never interacted with in her life approached her and asked her out; she politely turned him down, though she did admire his boldness, and she told him so. Once dinner was over, she headed to the nearest bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. Madam Pomfrey had healed all her scrapes and lacerations in addition to her ankle; there was no scarring and she looked pretty much normal. She examined her face in great detail. She thought of all the boys that seemed to have taken interest in her after her breakup with Michael. Was she really that attractive? What exactly was it about her? Was it the long red hair? Her freckles? She was always self-conscious about her freckles and had never found them appealing. Maybe boys felt differently, though.
"Why is it every boy but Harry?" she whispered to her reflection. She knew it was not every boy, but lately it sure felt like it. She snorted at the grim irony; it was like the universe was having a laugh at her expense. You fancy Harry? said a voice in her head that she imagined belonging to fate. Well, I'll make every boy BUT Harry fancy you… have fun with that!
As if to drive this situation home further, Dean found her as she was walking down by the lake that evening.
"Hey, Ginny!"
Ginny blushed slightly when she saw who it was, remembering what Lena had apparently revealed to him during the party. Why didn't that girl know how to keep her mouth shut?
"Hi, Dean."
"I was wondering why you weren't at that party," he said, with something like wonder in his voice. "I guess that question's been answered."
Ginny knew immediately where this was headed. This was going to be the moment where she had to make the decision. If there was anyone to go out with that wasn't Harry, it was this guy, and she knew when Hermione advised her to get a boyfriend that Harry would have to notice, she was talking about someone like Dean, who was not only a fellow Gryffindor, but also his dormmate. His good looks didn't hurt, either.
"Lena told me you were asking where I was every two seconds," said Ginny, and she was pleased to see that it was now his turn to blush.
"Yeah, well, I was kind of drunk," Dean mumbled.
"I'm not stupid, Dean. I know you fancy me."
"Lena said you fancied me," Dean blurted out.
"She said those words?" said Ginny sharply. That was not what Lena had told her earlier.
"She said you thought I was cute," said Dean dismissively. He now looked like he wanted to disappear. "Same thing, really."
"Is it?"
She knew boys weren't as nuanced as girls with stuff like this, but surely Dean knew the distinction. He looked nervous now.
"Look Ginny, I'm gonna be straight with you. I do fancy you. I have for a while. If you don't feel the same, it's okay, you won't break my heart, but I was really hopeful when Lena said that…"
Ginny felt like she was backed into a corner. She couldn't reject him, not now. But she didn't want to commit. She took a step closer to him. Ginny saw Dean breathe a little faster as anticipation and excitement shone through on his face.
"Well Lena should learn to keep her fat mouth shut, shouldn't she?" said Ginny with a flirtatious smile. She was feeling a certain excitement herself as she knew what was going to happen, and her heart beat faster, but the butterflies she always felt around Harry were not there. She had no conscious control over that, though. She thought fleetingly of what it would be like to find herself in this situation with Harry instead. It would be a miracle if it didn't result in her fainting dead away.
Dean said nothing, but continued to take short, quick breaths and stared intently at her as she took another step closer to him. He leaned forward, and before she knew it, they were kissing, and she quickly realized he was good at it. She badly wished it was Harry, but she had to admit, as far as backup plans went, she could have done a lot worse.
"What do you think, now?" Ginny whispered. Dean was breathing quite heavily now, and he leaned in to kiss her again. It was quite enjoyable, and it was a solid minute before they broke apart this time.
"You are so beautiful," Dean breathed.
Ginny smiled in response. She couldn't help but to be flattered.
"Where did you learn to kiss so well?"
"My sister," he joked.
They both laughed.
"Dean, I do like you a lot, but I don't really want to rush into anything serious," said Ginny quickly. "I'm not ready for that."
"Oh — yeah, that's okay. I agree, actually. No pressure. But lots of snogging, I hope."
"Glad we're on the same page," said Ginny with another mischievous smile, and they kissed some more.
