Ginny woke up late on Boxing Day, but it turned out she was one of the first ones up; everyone else had slept in too. She ended up eating breakfast by herself. The common room was quiet and emptier than usual, though Harry, Ron, and Hermione were among the few students that were there, talking quietly amongst themselves as they typically were. She whiled away the afternoon playing games with Fred and George, and after dinner she sat in the corner of the common room trying to read a book, although she found her mind wandering too much to focus much on what she was reading. She was going over the events of last night in her mind. She met a boy who she was pretty sure had quickly developed a crush on her, as it seemed he had paid more attention to her than his actual date. She hadn't seen him today at all, though. She thought about the advice Hermione had given her about going out with other boys to get her mind off Harry, in the hopes that would get her to relax around him more, and she wondered vaguely if the opportunity to put such a plan into action had just presented itself. At the same time, she still hadn't convinced herself that Hermione's advice was sound, and she also didn't want to get herself involved in a love triangle with Michael's date last night, not knowing the nature of their relationship.

Just then, the portrait hole opened, and Parvati and Lavender walked in. They made their way over to a couple of chairs by the window and Lavender sat down.

"Be back in a second," she heard Parvati say, and to Ginny's great surprise, she began walking straight towards her. Parvati looked at her after she had made her way over and gave her a rather sheepish smile. "Hi, Ginny."

"Hi," she said, a little puzzled. Parvati sat down next to her.

"How'd the ball go with Neville?" she said.

"It was okay. I don't think he'd ever danced before, though. He was kind of awkward, but we had an okay time. Being a third-year, I was just happy to get to go. How was it for you?"

"I had a great time!" she said. "I don't think Harry enjoyed it much, though. He didn't seem to like dancing a whole lot, and he didn't pay me much attention after the first song. It's okay though, I met a cute boy from Beauxbatons and we hit it off. But yeah, don't worry about me and Harry. We aren't dating."

Ginny stared at her. So that's what this was about. Of course.

"Right," she said. "Right, well, thanks for telling me, Parvati. I could tell you and him didn't seem to click."

"Were you watching us?" she said skeptically, but then her demeanor flattened. "Oh, right, of course you were." She gave a wry smile.

"I watched you show him off like he was some kind of trophy," Ginny said coolly.

"Well, I mean, he is an attractive guy, isn't he? Who knows that better than you? And of course, he's super famous… and a champion… are you telling me you would have been any different?"

"Of course I would have! But then again, that'd probably be because I'd have been too busy wetting myself with excitement to show him off, right? After all, I'm just a silly little girl with a silly little celebrity crush, aren't I?"

"Ginny, I'm on your side here. I sympathize with your feelings. Hell, if Harry had actually shown interest in me…"

Ginny glared at her. What was she doing? Was she actively trying to make her jealous?

"But, he didn't," Parvati said quickly, seeing the look on Ginny's face, "and like I said, I met another boy from Beauxbatons after Harry ignored me, so I'm certainly not torn up about it or anything. Everything worked out. I just felt like I should tell you this, Ginny, just in case, you know, you were wondering about last night…"

They looked at each other for a moment, and she gave the same sheepish smile that she had on when she walked over. Ginny wasn't sure if she was trying to reassure her or annoy her. Parvati began to get up, but an idea suddenly occurred to Ginny.

"He likes Cho," she said. "That's who he really wanted to go with."

"Cho Chang? Cedric's date?"

"Yeah."

Parvati scoffed.

"Well, that's a lost cause. I saw her and Cedric snogging in the library today. They seemed to have hit it off big time last night. Good luck with that, Harry."

Ginny didn't laugh, but studied Parvati for any signs that she was jealous. Having to compete with Cho Chang was bad enough. Parvati didn't seem to be upset at that bit of news, though, and she went back over to sit with Lavender, and they chatted and giggled like normal. Maybe Parvati really was just trying to be a friend to her.


"So," said Ginny, as Hermione was brushing her teeth. It seemed the girls' dormitories was the only place she was able to talk privately with Hermione these days. "I heard Cho and Cedric had a good time at the ball last night."

"Yeah, I saw them snogging," Hermione said after spitting out her toothpaste.

"Parvati said she saw them snogging in the library today, too," said Ginny.

"So, they're dating?"

"It seems so."

"Well, that should make you happy." Hermione took a large sip of water, swished it around in her mouth, and spit it out into the sink.

"Yeah, now I just need Harry to forget about Cho and fall for me," said Ginny dully.

"There's always love potions," Hermione mused.

"Absolutely not!" Ginny said indignantly. Hermione chortled.

"So how'd it go with Neville last night?" she said.

"Not bad, but I'm not interested in dating him, if that's what you're getting at," said Ginny. "I don't think he was really interested either."

"Really? I think he has a little bit of crush on you, to be honest."

"Ugh, really?"

"Oh, come on," said Hermione. "What's the matter? Neville's a sweetheart."

"He's really not my type. I just went with him because I didn't think I'd get to go otherwise. I didn't expect to get that chance to go with Harry."

"You wouldn't have wanted to go with Harry, honestly," said Hermione. "He spent the whole time moping about Cho. He needs to get over that crush first before anything can happen between you two."

Ginny frowned.

"You still think I should date other boys?"

"If you're still nervous around Harry, then yes."

"Well, I did meet a cute boy at the ball yesterday who seemed interested in me. His name is Michael Corner. He said he's in Ravenclaw."

Hermione looked at her.

"And?" she said. "Are you going to ask him out?"

"He had a date at the ball, I wasn't sure if that was something I wanted to get in the middle of," Ginny said.

"Who?"

"Lisa somebody," said Ginny.

"Hm," said Hermione.

"Maybe I should wait and see if he asks me out?"

"Yeah, maybe that would be best. Do you see him around often?"

"No, like I said, he's a Ravenclaw. We just met yesterday."

"Well, if he's interested, he'll probably talk to you if he sees you in the corridors or other happenstance places."

Ginny grunted but didn't respond. She decided in that moment that she was going to wait and see if Harry got over his obsession with Cho before pursuing this.

"So are you going to tell me about you and Krum last night?" Ginny said finally. "How'd that go?"

Hermione looked down with a slight smile but didn't say anything.

"Well?" demanded Ginny.

"It… went well," Hermione said quietly in a high-pitched voice. "We had a great time."

"Like… really well? Or just 'we didn't embarrass ourselves' well?"

"It went really well," Hermione said slyly.

"So… did you kiss?"

Hermione giggled. Ginny had never seen Hermione behave like this before. She took that as a yes.

"Please don't tell anyone!" Hermione whispered. "Especially Ron!"

"Okay," said Ginny, smiling. "I won't. So you plan to see each other again?"

"Absolutely! He's actually really sweet, not what he appears at all on the outside."

"That's great, Hermione! I'm happy for you!"

"Thanks, Ginny!"

Ginny did not see Michael anywhere for the remainder of the year. She hadn't spent much time out of the common room, other than eating and one trip to the library. She had been spending most of her time on schoolwork and reading Quidditch books. She was considering trying out for the team the next year.

She had to admit, the castle was quite boring once the holidays ended, and she wished she was back home at the Burrow. On a rainy day shortly before New Years, she was heading down to supper, feeling tired and her mind was wandering. With a stab of horror, she realized she was right outside Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. This was a corridor she always avoided, for obvious reasons, but she hadn't been paying much attention to where she was going. She actually stepped back in shock when she saw the hauntingly familiar door to the infamous bathroom. It wasn't so much the memories that haunted her (for there weren't many – she had blacked out when Riddle possessed her), it was the embarrassment she felt. It was her who had written the messages on the wall, her who poured her heart out in a sketchy diary, seduced by the memory of a charming teenager who would grow up to become the most feared dark wizard ever. The thought of it all made her flush. How could she have been such a foolish girl? All the same, the biggest memory she had, the memory of her waking up in the Chamber after Riddle had forced her down there to await her doom, and Harry, who had risked his neck to go and save her, had never been more vivid…

For one insane moment, she considered going in and looking around, as a means of closure, but deciding she didn't want to lose her appetite, she decided to leave that for another day. She wiped a tear off her face and walked as fast as she could towards the stairs.

She sat with her friend Lena at dinner but didn't talk much. Absorbed in her own thoughts, she ate quickly and intended to go back to the common room.

"What's the matter, Ginny?" said Lena. She noticed she was not herself.

"Nothing," she lied. "Just tired today."

"Yeah, rainy days are always sleepy," said Lena. "Got much homework left?"

"A little, not much." Ginny looked over at Harry, Ron, and Hermione sitting together a little way down the table. Harry was picking at his food, looking stressed. Ron and Hermione didn't look like they were in the best mood either, but Ginny thought maybe she had imagined it, because Ron burst out laughing at something Hermione said. It seemed they had moved past their argument during the Yule Ball. Harry smiled feebly at whatever it was, but still looked moody, and Ginny realized she wasn't the only one struggling today. She certainly could not blame Harry, as he was facing the next task in less than two months, and she could only imagine what it would be like to be in his shoes right now.

"Well, I guess I'll head back up," Ginny said to Lena, and she bade her goodbye and left the table.


It was now a month away from the second task, and to Ginny's displeasure, Harry's crush on Cho didn't go away, despite having dated Cedric for over a month now. Cedric seemed completely oblivious to this, but Ginny saw Harry glaring at him during meal times when he wasn't looking, and when he wasn't doing that, he was casting what he seemed to think were sneaky glances at Cho over at the Ravenclaw table.

On the other hand, she had only seen Michael a couple of times since the ball, and that was when he approached her in the library. It was clear he had interest in her, though he certainly wasn't explicit about it, and he didn't ask her out. Ginny felt a certain indifference about it all.

As the second task approached, Harry became moodier and more withdrawn, and Ginny didn't see him around much. Ron and Hermione stuck by him, though, trying to help him with whatever they thought was coming. They spent many hours poring over books in the library and the common room, so Ginny didn't have as many opportunities to talk to Hermione either, and in the few instances she did, she seemed as stressed out as Harry.

The second task was a week away, and Ginny thought Harry was noticeably thinner, and two days before the second task he had stopped eating almost entirely. Ginny got the impression that he was not prepared for the task, which according to the rumors, involved diving into the black lake and retrieving something. Ginny wanted to talk to Harry and comfort him, but she didn't have the nerve, even if she had the opportunity.

On the morning of the second task, the rest of the school headed out towards the lake, where hundreds of seats had been conjured around for the spectators. Ginny found a spot next to Lena and Demelza and sat down. She was so nervous she could hardly breathe.


"And then they kidnapped me," Ron was telling a bunch of first-years, as Ginny happened to be walking by. "It took fifty mer-whatevers to tie me up. I definitely took out a few along the way, too."

Ron had been beefing this story up more and more each time he told it. Ginny scoffed loudly.

"I don't know what's more hilarious, these outlandish stories you've been telling, or the fact that you're what Harry Potter would miss most," she said acidly.

"I suppose you're upset it wasn't you?" Ron shot back, going red.

"Very funny," snapped Ginny. She thought that was a low blow. Then again, maybe hers was too. She also hated it when he was right. The truth was, as soon as she learned what the task entailed, the image of herself at the bottom of the lake next to Cho and Hermione immediately swam into her mind, unbidden and unimpeded. There was simply no stopping it.

Ginny found her friends Lena and Demelza doing homework back in the common room. Colin and Dennis Creevey were with them too.

"Hi, Ginny!" said Colin. "Fancy a game of chess?"

"I suppose," said Ginny dully.

"What's eating you?" said Lena sharply.

"Oh, just my git brother, as usual. It's fine, though. I'm fine. Let's play."

Colin eagerly set up the pieces.

"So what do you think the third task is going to be, Ginny?" he said.

"Dunno, haven't really thought about it."

"Maybe they'll have to break out of some enchanted enclosure," said Demelza thoughtfully.

"I bet it'll involve the Forbidden Forest!" said Dennis.

"Werewolves, maybe?" said Lena.

"Or Blast-Ended Skrewts," said Demelza darkly.

"Well, whatever it is, it'll probably make that lake look like a day at the beach," said Lena.

Ginny was starting to feel anxious. She wasn't sure what the third task would be, but she was certain that it would be something awful. Her personal feeling was that the Forbidden Forest was the best guess as to what it would entail. She was scared for Harry, but she also knew that he'd be capable of handling whatever it was.