Love. Dumbledore said it was the most powerful magic ever created. However, right now, as Harry Potter stood next to the hospital bed of the one person he loved the most in the world, he saw it more as a curse. You see, Harry Potter loved Ginny Weasley. Why? No one really knows why they fall in love with someone. It's just something that happens.
Four days ago, Harry's best friend Ron, was up in the middle of the night, mourning the death of his sister, the same girl Harry was in love with. So how exactly was Harry standing at the edge of her hospital bed? That was the same question everyone who was currently staying in Hogwarts castle wanted to know. They've tried spells upon spells to try and figure out how in the world she was even breathing. It shouldn't be possible, right? Well, Harry was accustomed to weird things happening in the wizarding world, but this, this had to be the weirdest.
He was torn. He was completely torn as he stared at her sleeping form. Part of him hated this person, and agreed with Ron who believes shes an imposter and needs to be killed as soon as possible. But the other part of Harry, that loving part, just wants to know what was going on. Maybe she was a deatheater who was trying to infiltrate the order and destroy them for ridding the world of their master, but maybe she wasn't. Maybe, just maybe, there was a logical explanation for her appearing in the Gryffindor Common room. Harry was willing to find out.
However, they wouldn't find out until she awoke. So until then, she was under constant watch. Of course, Harry did most of the watching. He was the only one who couldn't get any sleep anyway. Well, the one who couldn't get any sleep and who wouldn't hex her the moment they were left alone. Ron was forbidden from stepping foot into the infirmary, and Hermione spent most of her time with him trying to keep him in line.
Harry pulled his usual chair closer to the occupied bed, and sat down knowing he had another long night ahead of him. Just as he sat down, Madame Pomphrey walked over to make sure her patient's status hadn't changed. After her routinely "Let me know straight away if anything changes, Mr. Potter" she left the room and headed off to her quarters.
Around 2:53 in the morning, Harry began dozing. Because of this dozing, he didn't notice the patient growing restless. He didn't notice her moving around the bed, waking up more each second as it passed. He definitely didn't notice when the said patient opened her brown eyes and looked straight at him, through the dimness of the hospital wing light.
"James?" Her voice barely a croak after so long without use. "James?" Her voice much louder this time, loud enough to wake up her dozing visitor.
"What?" Harry practically shouted as he jumped out of his seat. Maybe he was more than dozing.
"James?" Ginny repeated, "Can I have some water?"
Having properly heard her this time, he simply froze staring at her. Without a word, he pointed to the glass of water on the table next to her. She tried to sit up, but she was clearly too weak.
Finding his voice, Harry said "Here, let me help." He flicked his wand and the candles in the room lit up brighter than before. He stepped around the bed to the table and held the cup out to her. He watched as she gulped down the water like it was her last, and then held the cup to him to take. Before he set it back down, he refilled it.
"I should get Madame Pomphrey. She's already going to have my head for not waking her sooner." Harry said as he made to leave.
"You're not James, are you?" Ginny questioned, her voice much stronger now that she's had a glass of water.
Harry stared at her dumbstruck. Honestly, he had no idea how to respond to that. Was she asking him if he was his father? His dead father? How could that be? Still dumbfounded, he said "I'll be back in a minute" and left to find Madam Pomphrey.
When Harry arrived back with the nurse, he stood back letting her do her usual ministrations. She was focused on making sure she was in good health, most likely knowing her patient would soon be heavily interrogated by everyone in the castle.
"How is your head? Any headaches?"
"No, my head is fine. It's the rest of my body, it feels like I was shoved through the tiniest hole."
"Yes, that will wear off. It was a nasty spell that Mr. Weasley cast on you. You were very lucky however, that Mister Potter here stepped in just in time. Otherwise, you would probably be dead."
At the mention of the surname 'Potter', she caught Harry's eyes. However, he turned towards Madam Pomphrey. "I'm going to speak to Professor McGonagall. She will want to know that she's awake." And with that, Harry walked out of the room knowing well that Ginny's eyes bore into his back.
Harry was thankful it was early therefore he didn't meet anyone on the way to McGonagall's office. He didn't quite feel up to explaining to anyone how things were progressing; especially, when he didn't even know himself.
After only two knocks to the formally headmaster's office door, McGonagall opened the door. Without even a proper greeting, she said, "She's awake." It wasn't a question. She knew it would be the only reason he would have for visiting at this hour. "Has she said anything?"
"Pomphrey is checking out her health as we speak."
"Yes, yes of course she is. But what of the girl? Has she said anything?"
Harry hesitated a moment. "She called me James, Professor."
Without responding, she pushed past him and briskly led the way to the hospital wing. He couldn't help but wonder maybe the old professor had any ideas about the sudden appearance of second Ginny Weasley. Is that even possible?
Halfway to their destination, they came across a lone figure. Hermione apparently had just come from the kitchens intending to bring Harry a midnight snack. She fell into step with Harry. They both slowed down and fell back from their professor.
"She's awake?" Hermione asked.
"Yes. I don't know anything though, I got McGonagall as soon as I could."
Hermione let out the breath she had been holding. "I just don't understand, I've spent all day in the library trying to find anything that could be the answer, but I've found nothing."
"You left Ron by himself?"
"No. Well, yes. But he took a sleeping draught. He was so tired he didn't even argue."
They walked into the infirmary only a minute after McGonagall. She had already started her interrogation when the two stepped in.
"Do you realize that Ginny Weasley is dead?"
"Yes professor." Ginny answered obediently.
"Will you object to taking veritserum?" As McGonagall asked this, Madam Pomphrey handed her the vial of the potion Slughorn brewed just yesterday anticipating this very need for it.
Before answering, she looked right at Hermione and then straight into Harry's eyes. "No, I will not object. I'll take the potion." She took the vial from McGonagall's outstretched hand and emptied it. She made sure she had every drop.
After waiting a few minutes for the potion to take effect, McGonagall started her interrogation again. "If you know that Ginny Weasley is dead, then who exactly are you?"
Again, Ginny looked directly into Harry's eyes. And with a complete level voice, she said "I'm Genevra Molly Weasley. I'm from an alternate universe."