"There's a Hogsmede trip next Saturday," Ginny mentions to Tom conversationally as they skim books in a dark corner of the library.

"Hogsmede? Ginevra, we have work to do here. We have yet to find the book which holds the answer to my freedom." Tom has been very much on edge the last few days since her night with Luna. Well, Ginny thinks. On edge for Tom, anyway. The sixteen-year-old phantom still sometimes unconsciously sends a book or quill flying without any concern, but mostly, Ginny is very grateful, he sits looking miffed.

A sudden image of Tom throwing a hissy fit, stomping his feet and turning several shades of red, enters her mind and Ginny cannot help but giggle.

"What're you laughing at?" Tom snaps, yanking Ginny from her day dream.

"Oh, nothing," she replies. "Tom, I'm going to go to that Hogsmede trip. I mean, we've made no progress, so far-"

"Perhaps if you'd actually work for once-"

"And," Ginny continues, as though she hadn't heard him. "I don't think me sulking around because I can't have fun will do any good. So I will go. You can come if you like."

Tom scoffs. "I wouldn't have a choice, would I?"

"You know what I mean." Ginny rolls her eyes at him. "You can really come along and sightsee, or you can stay cooped up in my cerebral cortex all day, fuming about how I disobeyed the almighty Dark Lord Snarky Pants. It's your choice."

"Don't poke fun at my rightful title, you-"

"So your rightful title is the Dark Lord Snarky Pants? Really, Tom, I must say I liked 'Voldemort' much more. It had a more menacing ring to it; although, Dark Lord Snarky Pants is much more straightforward."

A rather thick book flies from its shelf, missing Ginny's skull by about ten centimeters.

"Excuse me," a rather tight voice addresses Ginny in a fierce whisper. "Just what are you doing to this literature?"

"I'm, uh, I'm so sorry, Madame Pince," Ginny stutters. "It fell as I was, err, about to walk back to my table. Honestly."

"Well don't let it happen again," says Madame Pince in a clipped voice, and, with a fierce glare towards Ginny, she goes back to her duties: scolding children and cataloging books.

Ginny quickly reshelves the fallen book and leaves the library.

"And, do you know, he hasn't even talked to me since," Padma Patil confesses, teary eyed, to Ginny and the gaggle of girls sitting around her at the Griffindor table in the Great Hall. Ginny wonders how she got stuck sitting here, amungst many girls who give her funny looks in the hallway and others who she hasn't spoken to in weeks.

"Oh, poor thing," coos Lavender Brown. "I know just how you feel." The rest of them nod their heads in near unison, all making declarations and confessions of broken hearts weary-minded beauxs. Ginny, however, remains silent.

"Are you alright, Ginny?" Ginny looks up from her porridge to see Lavender and the rest of the gaggle of girls staring at her curiously.

"Oh, I'm fine," Ginny smiles awkwardly.

"Well, if you insist…"

A sudden, high-pitched screeching fills the halls from above and two dozen owls in all shapes and sizes swarm the room, dropping packages off to their owners.

"Oh, look, my grandmother's sent chocolates," Romilda points out happily as she opens a neatly wrapped parcel.

"The Prophet's in," reports Lavenders, waving the paper to emphasize her point. "Look what they've written this time."

DEATH EATER ESCAPES DURING

TRANSPORTATION TO AZKABAN?

During a mass transportation of several known You-Know-Who

followers and Death Eaters, it is rumored that one of the prisoners

made an escape while a guard was confirming information with

a fellow Ministry employee. The identity of the escaped Death Eater has

yet to be released by the Ministry, who themselves make

no comment on the accusations that they allowed one of

their high-security prisoners to escape.

"I think it's completely mental to not release the name," says one

concerned Wizarding citizen. "I mean, how are we supposed to keep

ourselves safe if we don't know what to protect ourselves from?" Is this

a sign that releasing the Dementors from their duties

as Azkaban guards was a mistake? Will the new staff at Azkaban

allow more dangerous criminals to be released onto our society? Will-

"Oh, goodness, make it stop," moans Ginny. "It's all rubbish."

"Well, of course it is," Pavarti rolls her eyes. "The Prophet hasn't been taken seriously for ages; everyone knows that. I'll bet this 'high-security runaway' was really just a common thief, grouped in with a few Death Eaters to be sent off to Azkaban."

"Hm. Well, I'm off to Potions."

"Bye, Romilda," the girls chorus. Slowly but surely, the rest of the flock disperse off to their class.

Ginny sits on her bed, her head in her hands and three full outfits floating in front of her.

"The blue top looks pretty, but if it's nippy out those sleeves won't do much… And those green jeans are my favorite…"

Tom, lounging on the trunk that sits in front of her four-post, sighs in aggravation. "Ginevra, you've been contemplating what to wear for twenty minutes. Just wear the green bottoms with the muted gold belt and the white long sleeve shirt coupled with the faded wine jacket. Now will you please turn to the next page? I'm reading about my own demise and it's getting to the good part…"

"That's not a bad idea," Ginny giggles. "I wouldn't have pegged you for a fashion expert- especially since you lived over five decades ago."

"How could I not know, with you rambling on for ever about charming your top six shades of teal? Now, the book, if you would."

Ginny stops her teasing (aside from a few giggles) and obediently turns the page.

"Does this mean you won't throw a fit if I go to Hogsmead?"

"I do not 'throw fits,'" Tom scowls. "I become strict. And it is no one's fault but your own if you inflict my anger. But I admit this trip may assist in my task; there are many old shop owners in Hogsmead who must have been around to know what Dumbledore did with the text."

Ginny exclaims brightly, "so you do want to go!"

"For research," Tom snaps.

"Sure, sure. Research."

A/N: OHMYGOSHITSBEENSOLONGAGAIN. This was actually finished, like four days ago…but I just kept thinking I could add more, then didn't. Sad face. Anyways, Big thanks to the reviewers of Chapter seven: writemealovesong, Kitty Black Cat, CupcakeChan95, .95 (Wonder who THAT could be?), Cake, Evanescence, Kaye, May, TwinkleMea1991, slytherintriumvirate, insanity75, remuslover101, and LarkaSpirit.

And to all the equally glorious, and (in the words of Keh-Dollar sign-Ha) sexy-fied, reviewers of Chapter Eight: 17child-of-the-moon17, Kaye, Blumenkasten, nienerz, seriana14, TwinkleMea1991, Kitty Black Cat, and .95

I love you all, especially those of you who review regularly- Cupcake, Kitty, Kaye (even though I can't respond- get yourself an account, non-gender-specific-name!) TwinkleMea, Larka… and everyone who has been sticking with this story so far (really, as I scan the reviews, a lot of you have reviewed throughout the story—I think I am tearin' up!). You really do not know how much this means to me. Smile face! Anyway, I won't keep you- or me. I have school and it's almost one. Time to go. Love to all!

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