CHAPTER 3
First Year
Ginny stared at the black diary as ebony ink once again filled the pages in an elegant scrawl. She readied her quill, biting her lip and anxiously waiting for Tom's words to fill the page. She couldn't believe her luck. To happen upon Tom! Now, he was a friend. No, a best friend, all to herself, one she could keep close to her wherever she went.
Like a friend I can carry around in my pocket...
He was so interested in her, so attentive, and always listening to her words, sweetly responding to them. His words filled the page and she leaned forward in excitement. She hadn't heard from him all day, and with a touch of her quill to the page she had made her presence known.
Tell me a secret Ginevra.
I want to know all about you .
Tom, you know my secrets, all of them. You know everything about me!
Oh Ginevra, surely there is something you've kept from me? Something you would only tell a good friend? A best friend? Tell me. I want to know everything. After all, you know my secrets as well. Best friends should tell each other absolutely everything.
Well, there is something...
Yes?
Something that happened right before school started. I'm not sure I'm supposed to talk about it, Dad had to get our solicitor involved-
Tell me.
Oh, Tom, there was a boy. A horrid boy. His whole family is rich and most certainly evil. We met in Diagon Alley and well, he did a terrible thing. I'm better now, I think. Mostly. But I still have nightmares about what he did.
What did he do to you?
I- I can't talk about it. It's horrible, Tom. He hurt me, and... well its complicated. I mean, it was a different kind of hurt. I can't really explain it, but he's just evil. I hate him, Tom.
What if I could give you the power to destroy him?
No Tom, wait, he's just a stupid boy. I could never, I mean, I wouldn't ever- I mean I could never kill anybody!
Who said anything about killing, Ginevra? We could make him pay for what he did, make him hurt, just a little. What if we made him suffer just a fraction of the hurt you had to endure? Would that be so bad? Did you receive justice for what he did to you? Did he suffer for what he did to you?
Um, well not- not really... I mean, my dad hurt him pretty bad, but he said it was only a spell and -and that he could be fixed at the hospital, and he had to change schools so he can't be around me. I mean, it felt really unfair but my father said this way I was protected.
So, he got away with hurting a beautiful, innocent child?
I'm not beautiful, Tom.
But you are, Ginevra. That's why that boy hurt you. He desired you. He desired you because you are beautiful.
Harry doesn't think so.
I've already told you, that boy is a fool. You are very young. As you grow, you will only grow more beautiful. He will one day see you for the powerful and glorious witch you are, but by then it will be too late. That boy does not deserve you. He is beneath you. Your blood purity gives you great power, and I will teach you how to wield it.
I want to be powerful Tom. I want to be strong, so strong that no one could ever hurt me again.
Yes, that's right, you will be. Now, don't you want justice? Don't you want to make him pay? Wouldn't it feel good to make him hurt, even just a little? To cower before you, under your wrath?
I don't know Tom -
I would hurt anyone who has wronged you, Ginevra. You just have to trust me. Do everything I say, do everything I ask, and I will help you destroy this boy. You will be powerful, and he will be pathetic and weak before you, never able to hurt you or anyone else ever again. You don't want him to keep hurting people, do you?
No, no I don't, but... Okay Tom, I'll do it. I don't want him to hurt anyone ever again.
Yes, yes! That's very good Ginevra. Now you must listen to me. You must help me do something first. It's very important, and you are the only one who can help me. You need to help me get my body back. You need to help me get out of the diary so we can be together. Then, I will help you achieve all you've ever wanted. You will become one of the most powerful witches in the world, and nothing or no one could harm you. Will you do this? Will you help me?
Okay. Okay Tom. What do I have to do?
x
Ginny lay in her mother's warm arms, silent trails of tears once again wetting her cheeks. She felt like she was always crying these days.
Stupid tears.
Stupid diary.
Stupid Tom.
Stupid me.. .
Her mother stroked her hair, and allowed her to sniffle and whimper without interruption. They were still in Dumbledore's office, and Ginny's cup of hot cocoa had long since grown cold. She couldn't believe she was once again being rescued by Harry from a horrible boy. She was ashamed. She mortified.
"Oh mum, how did I let this happen?" She whispered shakily.
Her mother paused her hand in her hair.
"Let? Darling, I hardly think you allowed these things to happen to you. You've had dare I say a lifetime of horrible things happen to you all in one year." She sighed, stroking Ginny's cheek. "Maybe the gods thought they'd just get all the bad stuff out of the way early on, and you'll have nothing but good luck and happiness from now on eh dear?" She chuckled good naturedly.
"Mum really, don't joke. Two boys in one year have- have tricked me. Have hurt me. There is clearly something wrong me! My brain is defective and I must be the most gullible idiot to ever tarnish the Weasley reputation! You might as well disown me now before I drag everyone in the family down with me!"
"Ginny what on earth are you talking about? You haven't shamed the family name and you are not to be disowned. Even if you left right this moment and proclaimed yourself a Dark Witch, it could not change the fact that you are my daughter. Now calm down and stop saying such silly things."
x
The Hogwarts train rumbled gently along in the rainy afternoon.
Ginny disembarked the train, and seeming to have lost Ron, craned her neck and began searching the crowd.
Fog surrounded the hundreds of people milling past each other on the platform. She could find no flashes of red hair, nor Hermione or Harry. Rocking back on her feet, she patiently glanced around. She would find them when the crowds dispersed a bit. Shifting her bag to her other shoulder, she turned the other way and looked behind her. Among the throngs of students and parents she saw a figure in dark robes.
Harry.
Stepping forward a few steps, Ginny tried to get closer as she brushed passed people, but then something cold filled the air around her, and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.
Harry stood still, not approaching her, but his face came into a clearer view. A face that was without glasses, and currently widening into a cold smile.
Ginny's insides turned to ice, and she froze mid-step. It wasn't Harry.
It was Tom.
The forms of people around her seemed to disappear. A familiar roaring seemed to fill her ears as her breathing quickened. Tom's eyes met hers, and they stood silent, gazes locked.
Tom then drew his wand casually to his side, pointing it towards her. His smile widened and he began stepping towards her. Her legs were like lead until he stood mere feet away from her.
No...
She turned to run, but he caught her by the wrist. She felt her free hand find her wand in her robes, and thrust it into his face threateningly.
Tom looked momentarily surprised, but then he laughed. He laughed at her. The laugh was unnatural, high and frigid. And as he laughed, his face began contorting. HIs features sharpened, his skin paled, and his hair began to turn a ghostly blond...
The hair grew slightly longer, into silky blond locks. His eyes deepened into pools of grey and silver. His laugh subsided, and he looked down at Ginny with a smirk on his face. She stood gaping at the transformation, at the handsome boy before her, but even as she stared, one of the handsome grey eyes before her began to distort. A hideous gash began at the top of his brow and ran along the eye, leaving it horribly disfigured. The boy didn't move a muscle, just stared smirking coldly. The gash continued down almost to his cheek, and trails of crimson blood began to leak out of the closed lid.
Unfazed by the wound, Draco Malfoy reached a hand out, and softly stroked her chin.
"Hello, Ginevra."
She screamed.
x
Harry, Ron and Hermione spoke quietly amongst each other in their compartment. So much had happened that year, and Harry wondered if it would be possible for someone like him to ever have a "normal" year at Hogwarts.
The compartment door suddenly slid open, and Neville Longbottom's worried face peered through.
"Er, Ron? Can we come in? Its Ginny-"
"What?" Ron started anxiously.
"She's alright, it's just..."
Neville slid the compartment door the rest of the way open, where Ginny Weasley stood leaning onto him, looking white as a ghost. Harry could see she was trembling, beads of sweat were visible on her brow, and her eyes stared forward unfocused.
"She fell asleep and- I- I think she had a nightmare..." Neville stuttered.
Ron leapt out of his seat, gently grabbing Ginny's arm and leading her to sit beside him. Hermione moved to Ginny's other side and placed a comforting arm around her shoulders.
Neville did not leave the compartment doorway, but looked pointedly at Ron.
"Er, Ron?" Neville started awkwardly. "Could I have a quick word?"
He glanced at Hermione and Ginny, and then looked between Ron and Harry. Harry took this as an indication he wanted a private word, and stood up with Ron to leave the compartment.
Harry followed Ron into the corridor, and waited for a nervous looking Neville to speak.
Ron leaned forward, "What happened Neville? I know she's been having loads of nightmares this year. Ever since that prick Malfoy attacked her. Sometimes she screams and punches in her sleep. Hell, she practically tried to strangle me the other day when she dozed off in the common room. Did she give someone a black eye? She's got a strong right hook. Twins taught her that I reckon."
Harry absentmindedly rubbed the side of his face where he had experienced that vicious right hook first hand.
Neville looked at Ron. "No, she just woke up screaming, and it took a minute to calm her down." He shuffled his feet. "Er, but that's not, I mean, there's something else."
Neville looked over his shoulder, seeing if the hallway was clear. He leaned into Harry and Ron, and his voice dropped to a whisper.
"My gran wrote. Says she saw Draco Malfoy yesterday."
Harry felt Ron immediately tense.
"Where ?" he hissed.
Neville looked over his shoulder again, eyeing the empty corridor.
"At Gringotts. He was there with his parents."
"Durmstrang school year must end earlier than we do," Harry offered, "and I suppose it would be unrealistic to assume that he wouldn't ever leave his house once he got home? I mean, we can't expect him to hibernate for the rest of his life. "
Ron relaxed his clenched fists.
"I suppose. It's just, I'd be happier knowing I'd never have to see his stupid face again. "
"Er, speaking of faces..." Neville trailed off.
"What?" said Harry and Ron in unison.
"I thought it was a rumor Ron, but my gran saw it with her own eyes."
"Well spit it out, what did she see? His face is pointier and whiter than ever?"
"No..." Neville whispered. "It's his eye, it's all messed up."
Harry's jaw fell. "But I thought it was a reversible spell! I thought he was to go get it all healed up?"
"Yeah," Ron added, "Dad said at worst at worst he would just have a nasty scar, maybe lose the sight in that eye, but what do you mean by messed up?"
"My gran said he did have scar, a right nasty one. Said she could see it on his forehead and cheek. But that's not all, he had it covered with a black cloth, it was tied around his head."
"Pretentious prick," Ron said. "What does he think he's a bloody pirate now?"
"Ron, maybe something went wrong with your dad's spell. Maybe he really did lose his eye." Harry looked at Ron worriedly, but Neville spoke again.
"No Harry, that's the thing. Gran heard it from her knitting group, bunch of gossips they are. Anyway, they said that Malfoy's mum did take him to the hospital. His eye was in a bad way, but he didn't lose it. But they said...well, they said he refused to let them heal it-"
"What?" Harry and Ron hissed once again in unison.
"Strange right? Gran reckons Malfoy is really messed up in the head... I mean, more than we already knew anyway. The rumor was he didn't want to be healed, that he wanted the injury... that he said he was proud of it..."
At these words, a haunting silence filled the corridor. Harry felt a twist of unease inside his stomach.
"He really is a sick bastard, isn't he?" He murmured quietly.
Ron stared unseeing at the floor, his skin paler than ever.
"Bloody hell."
Harry put his hands in his pockets, fingering his wand. The thoughts were disturbing indeed. Draco Malfoy may be round the bend, but after being attacked by Arthur Weasley so violently, he surely wouldn't want to get anywhere near Ginny's family now, right?
Right?
"Ron," Harry started cautiously, "was there anything in the agreement about how close Malfoy could get to Ginny?"
Ron shrugged. "I don't know. But I assumed he wouldn't want near any of us. I mean, he's going to lose a limb if he doesn't watch it. But he knows not to get anywhere near us, right?"
The three boys exchanged glances.
All three boys were truly hoping that Ron was right.
x
The Hogwarts express slowed to a stop in Kings Cross.
Ginny sat up straight, and took a deep breath.
She had finally calmed from her nightmare, but she was unable to shake the feeling of foreboding that was left with her. Hermione still had a comforting arm on her shoulder.
"Ready Ginny?" She said gently. "We're here. I'll walk you to your mum, and Ron will get your trunk alright?"
"Hermione I'm fine, really. You go get your stuff. I'll be right there."
Hermione gave Ginny's hand a squeeze and left the compartment.
Ginny slowly rose from her seat, and gathered her things.
Great. She thought darkly. Back to being treated like a baby.
Shouldering her bag, she made her way to exit the train, and saw Ron and Harry waiting for her right at the doorway.
And here are my babysitters.
She tried to shove down her annoyance. She knew they meant well. The twins then appeared, hauling her trunk.
She rubbed her forehead. "Are mum and had here yet?"
Ron craned his neck to look through the crowds.
"Dunno. Let's start heading out though, its mad in here."
The Weasleys and Harry made their way to pick up their trolley's. Ginny stood back as the boys and Harry began loading the trolleys with their trunks.
Then it happened.
She felt him before she saw him.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.
Her mouth went dry, her breath hitched in her chest.
A horrid, warm breath brushed the back of her neck.
That horrid breath moved up her neck and next to her ear, and whispered.
"Hello, Ginevra ."
She whipped around on the spot.
Draco Malfoy stood smirking down at her.
To be continued.