Party Until Dawn
Author's Note: I am aware that Ginny is acting lustier than she did in book five. JKR's characerisation of her throughout the series was ludicrously inconsistent, so in canon she has at least three different personalities at different times. I have attempted to write an explanation for this into later chapters. Dumbledore is of course not being entirely truthful with Hermione when he pleads helplessness.
On a different topic, I'm afraid I've been having trouble with this fanfic not updating on in the updated sections, even despite my adding this chapter, so I hhave uploaded this chapter a second time.
Hermione did research on different European schools for magic, but without the internet, she had to use the library and could not always find up to date source material. Still, she narrowed the list down to a few within a week. Now all that remained was to send of applications.
The venue for Ginny's party was deep in the dungeons, far below the potions dungeon, deep in the very bowles of the castle where a damp chill hung in the air. She and Harry walked hand in hand down the stone corridors that were in a state of near darkness – lit only by the ghostly light of the glowstones set into the walls at intervals. Ron stumbled and staggered along after them, almost slipping in the shallow pools of water.
Eventually they heard a rushing sound and crossed a stone bridge that spanned an underground stream. "Careful Ron, the bridge is slippery," called Hermione as hurried after them.
Sure enough, Ron slipped, but Harry was there to stop him falling in the stream. A blunt, pale serpentine head, with glassy black sightless eyes lunged out of the dark water to snap at him. Ron yelled with shock and Hermione gave a little cry.
"That horrible fish almost had you there, mate," said Harry as he yanked Ron back onto the bridge.
Hermione could feel her heart really thumping. "Be more careful, Ron, just don't fall, OK?" she said weakly. "Why Ginny thought this was a good place for a party I can't imagine."
"My little sis hasn't been herself lately, I think," said Ron as they trudged through a dank stone passage and into a cavernous dungeon, lit by glowing gemstones that gleamed from the overhanging stalactites. A number of Gryffindors were already here and the twins overheard Ron.
"Well we're no longer ashamed that she's related to us," said Fred, clapping Ron over hard on the back so that he staggered, "so that just leaves you and Percy, little bro."
"We do want you to try harder to be like us, Ron," said George. "Try to cause more trouble, like Harry does."
Hermione really did not like to see them putting Ron down like this. It was this kind of meanness that turned Ron against Harry the previous year.
"Ron is a great brother," she said sternly, "erm… I think he can do anything he puts his mind to."
Harry nodded, "and I'm no good for anyone who wants to lead a quiet life."
"Ah, no self-respecting Gryffindor would," said Fred, "isn't that right, girls?" The other four Gryffindor girls from Hermione's dorm were coming over to them, in their close knit little group as they usually were.
Hermione eyed Shirley warily, hoping that she had not overheard Fred and George. Shirley wore a rather nasty smile. The glimmering gem lights flickered over her pale face and glinted off her sleek black hair which rippled as she nodded; "you were talking about how you wish Harry were your little brother I suppose? Well I don't blame you, we all find him interesting. Poor Ron can't compete."
"Oh Shirley!" reproached Carly as Lavender and Parvati giggled. Ron had flushed a dull beet red. Carly and Hermione took him by the arms and hurried him into a corner behind the stalagmites.
"Are you OK?" whispered Carly. Ron nodded, his mouth tight shut. Hermione wished she had Carly's people skills. What was she supposed to say?
"The twins are really childish and Shirley is plain obnoxious," she hissed, not caring to beat about the bush. "Don't let them affect your confidence, do you understand?"
Ron shuffled his overlarge feet. "It's no wonder you both prefer Harry to me," he said, staring at the damp stone floor.
"Oh cheer up, Harry's your best friend and he thinks the world of you, but he barely noticed me when I had a crush on him," said Carly, reaching up to pat Ron's shoulder, "I think he thinks more of you than the twins, as well."
"You had a crush on him?" said Ron, smiling.
"Well I gave up on him ages ago, as did Elaine Summers…"
Hermione wasn't sure she was comfortable with the direction this was going for some reason.
"It was because in Gryffindor we like adventure and things seem to happen around Harry," she said, "but what does it matter that Harry is the centre of all events and has jet black hair, emerald green eyes, that oblique staring expression and fine features almost like his mother's?" Hermione realised her voice was becoming dreamy as she thought about Harry.
"Oh why don't you just go back to him Hermione? I'm sick of this stupid party, I'm off!" said Ron and he stomped off through the puddles.
"Ron!" called Hermione in dismay. Why did people have to get upset around her? She only ever wanted to help.
"Perhaps should have left it to me, Hermione?" said Carly with a somewhat sad smile.
Hermione felt her bottom lip tremble. "I want Harry," she said and hurried back across the dungeon, hot tears prickling the back of her eyes. At least Shirley hadn't seen that. This term was just getting too stressful too fast.
"Hey Hermione, what's wrong?" said Harry as she flung her arms around him. Shirley standing nearby grinned at the sight of the tears in her eyes, but Hermione didn't care. She hugged Harry to her, feeling his warmth and the softness of his messy hair against her cheek. She sniffled, aware that she was getting the shoulder of his robes damp.
"Probably that time of month," said Shirley and Lavender and Parvati giggled.
"There's some refreshments over there. Thoughtful of Ginny, wasn't it?" said Harry.
They linked arms and went over to a roughly hewn stone table in a corner of the cavern. There were bowls of crisps, peanuts, Bertie Botts every flavour beans and butterbeer, but Hermione also noticed a bottle of firewhisky and a bowl of thick, red liquid…
"Just pig's blood," said a voice by her ear.
Ginny had suddenly appeared, her freckled face right by Hermione's own. Hermione had never quite realised how beautiful she was. Her face was as perfect as any statues and it was the type of face that vibrant freckles seem to enhance, like the muggle model, Luca Hollestelle. Her skin seemed to give off an indefinable radiance. Her lips and nails were painted an identical, bright red.
"Hey Ginny," said Harry, "I'll pass on the pig's blood. Just butterbeer for me."
Ginny lifted a silver goblet from the table and dipped it into the bowl of blood and then slurped at it with every appearance of relish. "It's fresh. Still warm," she said, her brown eyes fixed on him with a strange intensity as she stared over the rim of her goblet. She set the goblet down. There were smears of blood around her mouth.
"What happened to you?" said Hermione. Less than two years ago you were squeamish because of Fred saying that Crookshanks ate Scabbers the rat when you didn't even know that it was really a wizard. If we were in a series of books that chronicled our schooldays year by year, I would accuse the writer of amazing ineptitude for giving you a completely different personality in the fifth year, unless there was a really compelling explanation."
"You know nothing about me Hermione," said Ginny with a tight lipped smile and a weird glint in her eye, "I'm going to do a dance for you all. Perhaps the boys will want to join in."
"What's got into her? Really, what could it be?" said Hermione.
"Beats me," said Harry shrugging, "isn't there any treacle tart?"
"Can't see any," said Hermione. "Harry, I think I upset Ron. Carly and I wanted to cheer him up, but I just can't do it like she does and now I just feel bad."
"Don't be. She's Carly and you're Hermione and Hermione is my valued friend who saved my life often enough," said Harry.
Hermione squeezed his hand.
Suddenly the table trembled and the bottles and plates clattered as the whole cavern shook. Hermione saw a fist of rock pushing through the rocky floor in the centre of the cavern. The gem light dimmed. Now only the red gems gave off any real light. The Ginny came gliding onto the newly formed rock, still in her tightly fitting dress that displayed the shape of her sinuous form and firm breasts.
Then her voice, magically magnified, made the cavern resound.
"Greetings Gryffindors! Thank you for coming and proving that our clique at Hogwarts is the best. We will not let Umbridge tell us what to do. We can take this school back with our underground movement. I will be queen of the underworld. Now wait a moment and watch me dance."
"Pretentious much?" muttered Hermione.
Neville sidled up to them. "That Ginny is quite something all of a sudden," he said. "She definitely wasn't like this at the Yule Ball. She wasn't even a pushy girl, but now look at her. I mean, she was always the best looking girl in the school I think… Lavender's the prettiest Gryffindor in our year, though Carly has the sweetest smile… no offense Hermione."
"None taken," said Hermione shrugging.
"But neither of them can compete with Ginny lookswise," Neville concluded. "Now she's got this attitude like she was possessed or something."
"What does any of that matter?" said Harry. "Really, Hermione is the only girl in our house I have time for and want to hang out with. She got me through the Triwizard Tournament and Ginny certainly didn't. It was Hermione who solved the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets and the Philosopher's Stone and she was the one by my side during our amazing adventures the summer before last. Her and no one else." Hermione felt a warm glow of pride. "I know I have a romantic interest in Cho, but the most erotic thought I've had about her is that her hair looks good with a blue ribbon – that's honestly an observation that a straight girl could have made about her…" said Harry.
Harry's green eyes had that misty look that he always had when deep in thought. So cute… Hermione was beginning to thrill about where his monologue was going. Could he be saying he liked her better than Cho?
But at that moment a weird, discordant chorus of wailing voices sounded around them – was it supposed to be music? And the dim red lights flickered. Ginny began to twirl and swirl around, her long red hair like dancing flames, contorting her limbs in astonishing positions. The Gryffindors gasped and muttered amongst themselves. Hermione supposed there was some sort of dancing charm that Ginny had researched.
Suddenly Ginny appeared right by them and bowled Neville over, pinning him to the ground, locking their lips together. Neville gasped with surprise as their lips broke apart.
"Not very alert, Neville, you do realise I could have had my way with you then if I had wanted." Ginny stood and glared at Harry. "Are you alert, Harry?"
Hermione stepped in front of Harry. "Harry has a friend who is always alert," she said coolly.
"I was talking about the Quidditch, I'll be applying this year so we Weasleys can run the team as we see fit," said Ginny. "I suppose Harry is the best player ever though. He excelled at it without ever having seen a broom before."
"You're going to be on the team?" asked Hermione.
"Oh don't talk about Quidditch, you'll only embarrass yourself," snapped Ginny. Hermione blinked. Ginny hadn't even used to like Quidditch. Why was she now taking this abrasive tone when talking about it?
"And don't you push Neville around like that or kiss him when he doesn't want it," Hermione replied, staring back at Ginny coldly.
"I don't mind, really," said Neville and he sidled quickly away.
"I remember any challenge," said Ginny, giving Hermione an icy stare and then she seemed to glide away, her black dress rustling as she did so. Well… what to make of that? Hermione decided to take Harry by the hand and slip off at that point.
It took days for Hermione to receive feedback from the schools she had sent off applications to and it was disheartening how much of a joke Hogwarts education was in the eyes of the rest of the magical world. It was obvious when you thought about it. Hogwarts education was almost entirely restricted to the practical application of magic. It totally disregarded maths, languages and the arts, not to mention science…
The only encouraging response Hermione received was from one headmistress, Heidi Roth, who had taken charge of the Fairy Tale Palace in the Black Forest. She seemed certain that Harry and Hermione could catch up if they put the effort in. Hermione was resolved to escape Hogwarts and Umbridge as soon as possible and sent a letter by a fast owl, seeking to arrange an interview with Frau Roth at the earliest possible date.