Author's Note:

If you saw the "new chapter" that was posted earlier today... spoiler alert? I accidentally posted Chapter 17. I deleted it, so you won't see it if you go looking for it now. This is the chapter that I actually meant to post, although I suppose Chapter 17 still made sense since it repeats so much of what happened in this chapter in summary. I really like this chapter, though, so here you go.

Obviously, you shouldn't have to wait too long until the next update since it's already written; I'll probably post it (again) tomorrow. The next two chapters are in the group of chapters that I wrote while I was visiting some of my family a while ago. (Yes, the story was planned out enough to write this far into it in advance. Some of the chapters coming up, which I'll point out when they're posted, were written so far in advance that they were ready before the second chapter of this story.) I can't wait to find out what your thoughts are on what's happening now; I've been eagerly awaiting them since I wrote these chapters.

Chapter 16

*January 2, 1996*

Harry had been distant from everyone since the night after Nagini had attacked Mr. Weasley. The younger Weasleys and Hermione had guessed it was because of Mad-Eye Moody's comment about Voldemort possessing Harry, but they didn't know how to make him feel better. He wouldn't let anyone talk to him long enough for anyone to find out how he was doing or what he was thinking about. The winter holiday was over, and the Hogwarts Express had returned everyone to Hogwarts earlier that day. Dinner had ended an hour ago, and while most of the Gryffindors were catching up with one another and their homework in the common room, Harry was sitting on his bed and staring out the window, formulating a plan to escape from Hogwarts and leave everyone he could hurt behind.

Ginny Weasley knocked once on the door, silently pushed it open, and walked to Harry, sitting on his bed beside him. She didn't say anything, staring out the window in silence with The-Boy-Who-Lived. Ginny figured he would say something once he was ready; she didn't want to annoy him and get thrown out of the room. Half an hour later he turned to her. "Why are you up here?"

"I thought you might like the company; you've been so distant from other people these past few weeks."

Harry shook his head and looked down at the floor. He'd never taken the time to really notice the careful patterning of the scarlet flakes in the light gold tiling. Lions were barely discernible in the tiles, slowly moving and roaring. "I appreciate that you didn't talk to me as soon as you came up here, but you must have wanted to tell me something. What was it?"

Ginny took a deep breath, summoning her Gryffindor courage. "Harry, I can firmly say that you aren't being possessed by Voldemort."

"Really? How can you say that with such confidence?"

"I've been there before; I was possessed by him in my first year."

Harry turned his attention to a cloud he could see from the window, a mere focusing point for his eyes as he let everything else be consumed by his thoughts. "Right, you were, and you don't think that's what's happening to me?"

"No, I don't. I know you better than that, Harry. Voldemort doesn't stand a chance against you."

Harry turned to Ginny, taking in her face, her red hair that was shining in the moonlight coming in the window, her soft blue eyes, her lips that he couldn't seem to take his eyes off of. They had a common experience; she had an idea of what he was going through, how horrible it was to have someone so dark and controlling in his head. "Thanks, Ginny."

She smiled at him. "I'm here for you, Harry."

Harry nervously licked his lips and placed his hand on her cheek. She looked somewhat questioningly at him as he leaned towards her, their lips gently meeting.

Suddenly, Harry realized there was something wrong, his throat feeling too warm. He pulled away just in time for a breath of fire to leave his mouth, singing Ginny's hair and causing her to jump back in fright. Frantic, he grasped around for his wand, shouting "Aguamenti!" as he pointed his wand at her hair. Water splashed over Ginny, drenching her completely, the excess water soaking Harry's bed.

"Harry! What just happened?"

"I don't know, Gin. Are you okay?"

"You just breathed fire at me, and now I'm soaking wet! Do I seem okay to you?"

"Err, no, I suppose you aren't okay." Harry pulled off his robe and handed it to her. "Take my robe; it might keep you warm."

Ginny took the offered robe and pulled it around herself. "Thank you. Now explain yourself; what just happened?"

Harry looked at her hair and shook his head. "I don't know, Gin. I mean, I like you, that would explain why I kissed you, but I don't know why I started breathing fire."

"You, you like me? Really, Harry?"

Harry scratched the back of his head, nothing more than a nervous gesture that came naturally to him. "Well, yeah, what's not to like about you?"

Ginny smiled and threw her arms around Harry, hugging him tightly. She pulled back and looked at him, a blush rising to her cheeks. Harry's shirt was wet. "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking when I did that. Erm, Harry, I like you, too."

"You do?"

Ginny nodded and leaned towards him, their lips millimeters apart as she said, "Yes, Harry, what's not to like about you?" She smiled and pressed her lips against his as Harry began to smile. All too soon the feeling of warmth in Harry's throat returned, and he turned away from her as a stream of fire flew out of his mouth, catching the curtains of his four-poster on fire.

Grappling for his wand, Harry held it up from his pillow and shouted, "Aguamenti!" The curtains had a hole in the middle of them, the edges around it burnt. When he pulled the curtains out he noticed it had gone all the way through, a pattern of the same holes across the curtains leaving evidence of what had just happened. His entire bed would be too wet to sleep in tonight, possibly tomorrow night. Harry supposed it was a good thing that he hadn't been sleeping lately, as he wouldn't need to lay in bed to stay awake and think.

Ginny's eyes were wide as she stood up and backed away from Harry. "What was that?" He rose and took a step towards her. "No, don't come any closer until we've figured this out. Why do you keep breathing fire? Is this some kind of joke? Are you trying to seriously hurt me?"

Harry shook his head. "No, Gin, it's not like that at all. I don't know what's going on; this has never happened to me before. I think I should go talk to Dumbledore about it; he should know why this is happening."

Ginny nodded. "Fine, but I'm coming with you. I want to know what's going on."