Author's Note: I am so sorry for the hiatus. The end of the semester hit me like a bludger. Between final projects, essays, exams, etc. and then the chaos of moving back home for the summer, I was completely swamped! Unfortunately, I only have one chapter today. I will upload several chapters soon! I just wanted to leave this one on a cliffhanger!
Chapter Fourteen
He was smirking at her…reaching towards her…she was falling…he was…
Knocking…knocking…
Knocking?
Ginny stirred awake.
"Oi, Hermione!"
"Ginny!"
"Wake up, you two!"
On the other side of the room, Hermione's eyes flew open and she cried, "Whassgoingon?"
Ginny leapt up and opened the door.
Fred, George, and Ron were standing on the other side.
"We think that we've perfected the Extendable Ears," Fred gushed.
"They're having an Order meeting," George added.
"Let's go," Fred and George both cried.
Ginny immediately agreed.
Hermione hesitated before nodding.
The group crept down to the first floor corridor. They warily glanced at Walburga's portrait before sneaking over to the door that led down to the kitchen. Fred and George each pulled a piece of string from their pockets. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny exchanged glances.
The twins each put an end of the string in their ears. The other ends snaked down the staircase. Fred and George concentrated as they tried to listen.
Ginny's eyes widened as she realized that she had a better way.
She slowly crept over to one of the hideous paintings. She carefully slipped behind it and walked right through the wall. She then silently swore as she found herself hunched up in an extremely cramped space. The voices were just on the other side of the wooden door. She knew that she was in the left cupboard of the china cabinet in the kitchen.
She peered through a crack and saw that the Order of the Phoenix was sitting around the kitchen table. She glanced at each member before halting. Alastor Moody was staring right at her. Ginny's heart skipped a beat. Of course! He would be able to see through the wooden door!
Fortunately, Moody merely winked and returned to the conversation.
Dumbledore had pulled out a stack of envelopes.
"What are those, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"Letters to Harry," Dumbledore replied, "From Miss Granger, Mister Weasley, Miss Weasley, and Sirius. I'm fortunate that we were able to intercept them."
Ginny's mouth angrily fell open.
"You intercepted my letters to Harry!" Sirius exclaimed.
"Yes," Dumbledore simply said, "It is prudent that he remain uncontacted. It's my mistake, really. I should have mentioned this last month."
There was a series of hushed murmurs and buzzes.
"But…why!?" Remus finally cried.
"I believe that this is for the best," Dumbledore explained, "Let's leave it at that."
"Let's not leave it at that!" Sirius angrily said, "You can't just quarantine him like a diseased animal! We're all he has! He needs to hear from us!"
His voice had risen with each word.
"That's enough," Dumbledore sternly said, "I have made my decision."
"Have you?" Sirius exclaimed, "Really!? That's funny! I don't remember making you Harry's legal guardian!"
"You're right," Dumbledore agreed, "I have no control over Harry's actions."
Sirius gave him a triumphant smile.
It quickly faded away as Dumbledore continued, "However, I do have control over the actions of the members and allies of the Order. And I am forbidding everyone to write him."
"But you still haven't explained why!" Tonks pointed out.
Dumbledore sighed and said, "It's complicated, Nymphadora—"
"Don't call me that," Tonks snapped, "And how is it complicated?"
"Tonks," Mrs. Weasley uncertainly said, "If Professor Dumbledore says that it's best…"
Sirius began to bleat like a sheep.
Ginny clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from giggling.
"Sirius," Remus scolded, "Stop it!"
"Tell Molly to stop it," Sirius cried, "For Merlin's sake, my godson has just been through the worst experience of his life. I'm not going to break contact with him just because Dumbledore 'says that it's best'."
"Sirius," Dumbledore quietly said, "I need you to trust me."
Sirius merely raised an eyebrow.
"I know that it's hard for you to do so," Dumbledore continued, "But may I remind you that not trusting me has led to some rather…unfavorable consequences?"
Sirius leapt up from his seat.
Remus and Moody each grabbed his shoulder and forced him back down.
"Fine, Albus," Sirius spat, "I'll trust you. After all…this is for the greater good."
He flinched as Remus stomped on his foot.
Dumbledore's eyes lost their normal twinkle.
Ginny was confused; her parents seemed to be as well.
"Then," Dumbledore finally said, "It is settled. Nobody is to write Harry."
The others murmured but were left with little choice.
"Now, then," Dumbledore continued, "Onto the matter of security. Alastor, I believe that you had some concerns?"
"I did," Moody grunted, "Due to the fact that some members…"
He pointedly glanced at Mrs. Weasley before continuing, "…cannot keep their mouths shut about where this place is, I motion that we create a Secret Keeper. All those in favor?"
Everyone but Mr. and Mrs. Weasley cried, "I."
"All those in favor of the Secret Keeper being Sirius?" Moody continued, "Seeing as how this is his house?"
Everyone but Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley, and Dumbledore cried, "I."
"The motions carry," Moody grunted, "Sirius and I will perform the necessary steps as soon as the meeting adjourns."
"Now, hang on," Dumbledore hastily spoke up, "I'm not sure that this is a good idea."
"Your concerns have been noted," Moody growled, "Now…"
"I just can't help but to think," Dumbledore continued, "Of the last time that Sirius was made Secret Keeper. Let's hope that history doesn't repeat itself."
This time, Sirius was able to make it halfway across the table before Moody and Remus forcibly pulled him back.
Ginny had heard enough.
She lurched backwards and found herself stumbling backwards into the first floor corridor. The others looked up in surprise.
"Ginny," Hermione whispered, "Where did you go!?"
"Never mind that," Ginny muttered, "Did you hear what they said?"
They shook their heads.
"The Extendable Ears aren't working just yet," Fred admitted.
"But with a few tweaks—" George began.
"—they should be up and ready," Fred finished.
"Did you hear what they said?" Ron asked.
Ginny nodded and whispered everything.
"Hang on," Ron cried, "We can't talk to Harry?"
"No," Ginny miserably said, "Because Dumbledore 'says that it's best'."
"Well," Hermione mumbled, "I mean…if Dumbledore thinks…"
Ginny groaned and snapped, "You sound just like my mother!"
Hermione gave a start before indignantly saying, "I'm just saying…Dumbledore obviously has a very good reason."
"But what's the reason?" Fred and George simultaneously asked.
"That," Ginny muttered, "Is a very good question."
oOo
Her mother made the announcement at breakfast the next morning.
They tried to act as though the news was surprising.
"Frankly," Sirius spoke up, "I'm against it."
"Yes, well," Mrs. Weasley curtly said.
"Mum," Ron cried, "This isn't fair!"
"Harry's our best friend," Hermione agreed, "We should be able to write him!"
"Can't you do something?" Ron pleased, "Hermione and I can talk to Dumbledore and see if he'll at least let us write him!"
"Hey!"
He turned at Sirius and Ginny's angry shouts.
"Alright," Ron admitted, "Sirius, too."
"Hey!" Ginny repeated.
"Oh, come off it, Ginny," Ron snapped, "I don't think that Harry needs any more letters comparing him to a fresh-pickled toad!"
He snickered.
Fred and George did as well before immediately sobering.
Hermione's mouth twitched.
Sirius' face remained blank.
Ginny's cheeks flamed and she cried, "That is not—For Merlin's sake! I was eleven when I wrote…I've just been writing to see how he's doing! He's my friend, too!"
"How did the rest of that go?" Ron went on, "His hair was as black as a blackboard?"
"Screw you, Ronald," Ginny spat.
"Ginevra Molly Weasley!" Mrs. Weasley cried, "Go to your room!"
Ginny was already out the door.
"You know, Ron," Sirius calmly said, "You ought to take a good look at the old Hogwarts motto."
Ron's eyebrows touched and Hermione recited, "Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus."
"Brilliant," Ron baffledly cried, "Yeah…I'll…I'll take a good look at that."
Meanwhile, Ginny had stomped up to her room. She pointedly slammed the door. Her eyes then brimmed with tears and she crumpled onto the bed.
It wasn't fair!
"Juniper?"
Sirius knocked on the door before carefully pushing it open.
Ginny quickly wiped her eyes and muttered, "Yeah?"
"Are you alright?"
"Aren't you sick of asking that?" Ginny sighed.
Sirius stepped into the room. He was levitating a stack of toast. He tapped his wand and it flew over to Ginny's bedside table.
"Eat," Sirius ordered, "No arguments."
Ginny begrudgingly took a bite of toast.
"So," Sirius calmly said, "How long have you had a crush on my godson?"
Ginny promptly began to choke.
"Sorry, sorry!" Sirius laughed, "Alright?"
Ginny swallowed and growled, "I'm going to kill Ron."
"If you must," Sirius easily said, "But I knew about it weeks ago."
"What!?"
Sirius shrugged and explained, "You brought him up a few times during our nightly tea. The way you talked about him…the way your eyes lit up…let's just say that I lived with a berk who had a giant crush on someone. Actually…"
He looked troubled for a moment before muttering, "Oh great…it's happening again…only reversed!"
Ginny snorted and cried, "What?"
"Nothing," Sirius dismissively said, "Anyway…you and Harry would be great together!"
"Really?"
"Sure," Sirius cried, "I can see it!"
He stole a piece of toast and said, "And bullocks to anyone who tries to make you hide how you truly feel. I had to live that life for twelve years and I hated every minute of it."
"Thanks, Sirius!"
"Anytime."
The two looked up as Mrs. Weasley rapped her knuckles on the door.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then, Mrs. Weasley cleared her throat and said, "Ginny, I…"
"Yes?"
"I want you to help your brothers and Hermione clean the upstairs bathroom," Mrs. Weasley ordered, "Go on, now."
Ginny's shoulders sagged.
"Err…Molly…" Sirius slowly said, "Are you sure that that's a good idea?"
Mrs. Weasley ignored him and repeated, "Go on."
Ginny sulked but begrudgingly obeyed.
A quarter of an hour later, Sirius walked past the bathroom. He paused before doubling back. A smirk spread across his face as he took in the scene. Hermione was trying to comfort Ron as the latter's boogers rapidly flew from his nose. The twins were doubled over laughing.
"You tickled the dragon, eh?" Sirius amusedly asked.
"He tickled the dragon," Fred and George agreed.
"Shut it," Ron muttered, "Just shut it!"
"This isn't funny," Hermione agreed, "Ginny's going to be expelled!"
She worriedly wrung at her hair.
"Don't worry," Sirius quickly said, "She won't be."
"I suppose that you gave her special permission to use magic?" Ron grumbled, "Even though she's underaged?"
Sirius realized that Ginny hadn't told them that any magic that was performed in the house was untraceable. He opened his mouth to say so before ultimately shutting it.
Instead, he asked, "Where'd Juniper go?"
"Who cares?" Ron spat.
Sirius frowned and walked through the house, calling both her nickname and her real one.
She was nowhere to be found.
"Hey, Sirius—"
"—what's wrong?"
The twins had come up behind him.
"I can't find your sister," Sirius worriedly said.
He looked around and his heart plummeted.
The tapestry at the end of the corridor was askew.
Sirius' eyes widened and he whispered, "Oh no…"
His chest rose and fell as he croaked, "Oh, God, no…"
"Sirius?" Fred cried.
"What is it?" George asked.
Sirius pulled back the tapestry to reveal a door.
A door that he had not seen in ages…
It was covered in dust.
Yet the clean spots on the doorknob indicated that somebody had turned it.
The three froze as they heard a bloodcurdling scream.
"GINNY!" Fred and George roared.
"Stay here," Sirius firmly said, "I'm going in after her."
Fred and George hesitated before complying.
Sirius took a deep breath and wrenched open the door.
He slipped into the room and quickly shut the door before the twins could get a glimpse of what was inside. He also quickly shut his eyes.
'No,' Sirius angrily thought, 'You need to find Ginny.'
And so, Sirius opened his eyes and found himself standing in the Chamber of Secrets.