Presumption of Innocence
"Die Schuld ist immer zweifellos."
"Guilt is never to be doubted."
From "In the Penal Colony" by Franz Kafka
Harry figured that the best thing he could do for Ginny was to honour her wish to never see him again. He owed her at least that. After a week, though, his resolve started to crumble. He wanted to tell her he was sorry and to please give him a chance. He was willing to beg, to kneel down if necessary, but that would only confirm what a pathetic loser he was, and her opinion of him was low enough already. That was precisely the worst part of it. Ginny Weasley was just across the wall thinking badly of him. No calamity, no tribulation could ever surpass the utter wretchedness of that thought.
His mind started playing games. She didn't want to see him, but that didn't mean he couldn't see her, he reckoned. One morning he dug the invisibility cloak from the bottom drawer of the dresser and made his way to the Cafe. The bus reached the stop, but Harry rode on. Thankfully, he had realized in time just how close he had been to starting the whole cycle of deception and stalking all over again. It was a slippery slope that had seduced him once. He could not fall into that trap again. He had to atone for his transgressions and regain his self-respect, even if it meant never seeing the woman he loved ever again.
The only way Harry could honour Ginny's wishes and keep his sanity was by moving away from Trulock. One evening, he Apparated in Grimmauld Place and asked Tonks and Remus if he could move in while he found a new place to live. They were surprised to see him, and asked some uncomfortable questions which he successfully dodged, but they gladly gave him a room to stay. Harry figured it wasn't smart to rent a flat when he could own one, so he contacted an estate agent to find him one. After a couple of weeks, and seeing about a dozen flats in central London, he found one he liked and signed the purchase documents. He hired a decorator to take care of the furnishings and was returning from a meeting to set some parameters in style and colours, when he found Remus having some tea at the kitchen table.
"There is fresh tea in the teapot, Harry. Have some," Remus said raising his cup. "So, what are you up to?"
Harry grabbed a cup, sat down, and poured himself some tea. "After class I had a meeting with the decorator. The bathrooms and the closets are being completely redone. I'm afraid it will take a few weeks for it to be ready."
"You know you can stay here for as long as you like. In fact, you could stay permanently. This place is huge and creepy," Remus said with a laugh. "I'm surprised Sirius didn't leave it to you."
Harry reckoned that Sirius was well aware that Harry had money, and Remus didn't, so he had left Grimmauld Place along with half of his liquid assets to the last Marauder in his will. "No thanks," he said laughing. The couple had done a remarkable job of transforming the formerly grim Black residence into a comfortable and warm place to live, but it still needed work. "This place is an endless renovation project. You and Tonks have been at it for five years, and there are still two whole floors that are unliveable."
The sound of someone stumbling on the umbrella stand let them know Tonks was home. Remus got up to grab a cup and filled it with tea. Tonks kissed him as she stepped into the kitchen and took the cup from his hands.
"Wotcher, Harry," the pink haired witch said pecking him on the cheek and taking a seat.
"Good evening, Tonks," Harry replied.
"How was your day, Love?" Remus asked.
"It was a bad day at the office. Do you remember the Order's spy at the Ministry, Arthur Weasley?"
"Yes, of course. Lovely family."
"His daughter, Ginny, was arrested on a clause 73 today..." Tonks stopped. Harry was up on his feet looking flustered.
"Ginny Weasley you said... a redhead?" Harry asked emphatically.
Tonks narrowed her eyebrows. "Yes. Do you know her?"
"She was my neighbour. What happened?" he demanded.
Remus and Tonks exchanged a questioning look. "She performed magic on a Muggle in her flat. She claims he was trespassing."
"A man called Steven?"
"Yes. How do you know that?" Tonks asked amazed.
Harry knew he should have warned Ginny about Steven, but he hadn't wanted her to think he was trying to excuse his own behaviour or diminish his guilt by comparing it with Steven's. He cursed loudly and paced the room pulling his hair. "This is all my fault. I should have killed that bastard when I had the chance," he screamed before turning towards Tonks. "What's being done to defend her? Does she have a lawyer?"
"The Weasleys are poor," Tonks explained. "I doubt they can afford representation."
Harry knew many things were wrong about the Wizarding world; but none was as messed up, or sucked as much, as Wizarding justice. It was a Kafkaesque universe in which innocent people could be sentenced to Azkaban without a trial, and mass murderers could walk free by simply claiming they were under the Imperius curse. The Wizengamot had been enablers of Voldemort and his Death Eaters rather than a deterrent because most Death Eaters had family members in it. That fact had changed very little since the end of the war.
"What are her chances?" Harry asked.
"The Weasleys are not favourites of the Ministry," Remus said. "They always sided with Dumbledore and the Order. To make matters worse, Ginny was the leader of the Resistance inside Hogwarts. At one point or another, she probably hexed relatives of several members of the Wizengamot. During the Hogsmeade attack of '97, she and her friends fought several Death Eaters when it looked like they would overrun the town. She was credited with seriously injuring and capturing six of them. She had to spend most of the last year of the war in hiding because of that. Now some of the people she fought inside Hogwarts have inherited seats in the Wizengamot after the death of their fathers during the war."
Harry knew that Ginny had supported the Light but wasn't aware that she had been so actively involved, much less that she had fought Death Eaters.
"In other words, her chances are dim," Tonks said cutting in. "She is looking at a maximum of three years for using magic on a Muggle, and one year for using Legilimency without the consent of the second party. At the very least, she is looking at her wand being snapped in half. Minister Greengrass is also head of the Wizengamot, and although he remained neutral during the war, he was elected thanks to Pureblood support. He has done nothing to prosecute Voldemort's collaborators unless they have blood in their hands."
"And the two of you wonder why I want to stay away from the Wizarding world," Harry scoffed.
"There will be a hearing the day after tomorrow to determine if she should be released for justifiable use of magic, be sent to Azkaban immediately, or if a trial should be held," Tonks continued. "Given the fact that the use magic on a Muggle is not disputed, that she will have no one representing her, and that she is a Weasley, it's safe to say that in a couple of days she will be in Azkaban."
"Where is she now?"
"In a holding cell at the Ministry."
Harry continued pacing. He could only imagine what a free spirit like Ginny would suffer being in a cell. He was not going to allow her to be sent to Azkaban, no matter what. "Who is the best Wizarding lawyer you know, Tonks?"
"That would be Michael Boot from the firm of Boot, Goldstein & Turpin." Tonks paused and watched Harry with curiosity for a moment. "What is it between you and Ginny Weasley?"
"I'm in her debt for something I did, and I will not allow her to be railroaded. I'll try lawyers and politics first, but if that doesn't work, it will get drastic. I swear upon my honour, she will not see Azkaban," Harry said with determination.
Tonks and Remus exchanged another look. "What did you do to her?" the werewolf asked.
"I ... cannot tell. Both of you must promise me not to tell anybody I'm going to help Ginny," Harry pleaded to both of them. "If she finds out I'm involved, she will refuse any assistance."
"Of course, Harry, if that's what you want," Tonks said puzzled. "What are you planning?"
"For the time being, I'm going to visit Michael Boot tomorrow morning."
***
The next day Harry walked into the law offices of Boot, Goldstein & Turpin at nine in the morning. There was a large crystal table in the centre of the lobby with two black leather chairs in front of it. An attractive blonde, probably in her mid-twenties, was sitting behind the desk wearing a tight black skirt and a white shirt that seemed to be straining to contain her breasts. She looked at Harry with curiosity for a moment, and figured she would remember if this man had been here before.
"How may I help you?" the blonde asked sultrily.
"I'm here to see Michael Boot, please."
"Do you have an appointment, sir?"
"No, I don't."
"Oh... I'm afraid Mr Boot only sees clients with prior appointments." She looked down at the agenda in front of her. "I could book you for Monday of next week Mr..."
"He will see me today, Patricia," Harry said confidently after reading the nameplate on the desk. "Tell him Harry Potter is here to see him."
The young woman chuckled. "So, Mr Potter," she said sarcastically, "does using that name get you into places?"
"Yes, surprisingly it does," Harry responded at the same time he lifted his fringe to show her the remains of his scar.
The blonde gasped. "Bloody hell!" she blurted out, but immediately covered her mouth and composed herself. "Excuse me, sir. I will ask Mr Boot's personal assistant to see if she can fit you in. Please wait for me just a moment."
The woman got up and walked quickly into an office just down the corridor. A couple of minutes later, she and an attractive older witch, came walking towards him. Harry got up as they came closer.
"I'm Erika Brocklehurst, executive assistant to Mr Boot," the older witch said extending her hand, which Harry promptly shook. "Please come with me into one of our private conference rooms, Mr Potter. I will notify Mr Boot you are here to see him as soon as he comes in."
Harry followed her into a conference room that had a large wooden table, and she pulled a chair for him next the head of the table. "Mr Boot should be arriving at the office shortly, Mr Potter. Would you like a cup of coffee, or tea in the mean time?"
"Coffee," Harry said smiling, "with two teaspoons of sugar, please."
A minute later Patricia walked into the room with a cup of coffee and a plate with pastries.
"If you want anything else, just press the button on the intercom," she said pushing a magical intercom next to him.
About fifteen minutes later an elegantly robed man in his late forties walked in with Ms Brocklehurst behind him. Harry got up and offered his hand. The man shook it in silence as he examined him curiously. His eyes travelled towards the scar that Harry had intentionally left uncovered. "This is an unexpected pleasure, Mr Potter," he said amiably. "Please sit down. If you don't mind, Ms Brocklehurst will remain to take notes. Her discretion is unsurpassed, I assure you."
"Of course," Harry said taking a seat. "I want you to represent someone at a hearing of the Wizengamot tomorrow."
"Who, and what are they accused of?" the barrister asked.
"Ginevra Weasley. She is being charged with using magic on a Muggle."
"I'm familiar with that name," Mr Boot said caressing his chin and turning to Ms Brocklehurst.
"There is a Ministry official you've dealt with in several cases. His name is Arthur Weasley and works in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office," Ms Brocklehurst prompted him.
"Ginny is his daughter," Harry added.
"Yes. I remember them both." Mr Boot said nodding. "My nephew, Terry, spoke very highly of her. She was the leader of the Hogwarts Resistance."
Harry felt suddenly proud of her. "She needs your help, Mr Boot."
"Clause 73 is very difficult to defend, Mr Potter. By treaty it must be taken very seriously." He turned to Ms Brocklehurst. "Erika, get me a copy of the Ministry file on the case as soon as possible."
"I'll get on it right away, Mr Boot," the woman said getting up and leaving the room.
"The Muggle did break into her flat," Harry said. "I was present when she demanded he return the key."
"You mean to tell me Ms Weasley knew this Muggle?"
"Yes, he is her former boyfriend."
"That is not good for her case, actually. The prosecutor will claim it was a crime of passion."
Harry took a deep breath and exhaled noisily in frustration. "There are bloody Death Eaters freely walking the streets as we speak, and you are trying to tell me Ginny is doomed?"
"I'm not saying that Mr Potter, but unfortunately politics and money are the grease that keep the wheels of justice in the Wizarding world moving," the barrister said sadly. "If I remember correctly, the Weasleys have neither political power, nor money."
"But I do, Mr Boot. Before coming here, I gave instructions to my account manager at Gringotts to transfer whatever retainer you require to give this case your full and undivided attention. I also give you authority to grease whoever needs to."
"In that case, I'll go the Ministry personally to talk to Ms Weasley to start preparing her case, Mr Potter."
"It's imperative that she doesn't know I'm involved in helping her, Mr Boot. If she finds out, she will probably refuse your services."
"What should I say if Ms Weasley asks?"
"Tell her you are doing it pro bono." Harry paused to think for a moment. "Tell her your nephew mentioned her and you decided to help her."
The barrister nodded. "That's a reasonable enough cover story."
"I'll personally pay a visit to the Minister after I leave your office to get cooperation in the political front."
"I wouldn't recommend that, Mr Potter," the barrister said alarmed. "That type of political game is very delicate. You could make matters worse."
"Don't worry, Mr Boot," Harry said with a smirk. "I intend to make Minister Greengrass an offer he can't refuse."
***
Harry hated having to drop his name, but it did open doors for him. After just a few minutes waiting, an overexcited secretary had ushered him into the Minister's office. The head of the Wizarding government of Britain sat looking distrustfully at him from behind his desk.
"I must admit I'm most intrigued by your sudden reappearance, Mr Potter," Adrastus Greengrass said with a fake smile. "May I ask why, after such a long time, you're back?"
The tone in the man's voice left no doubt that Harry's return was a great inconvenience to him. The word that Harry Potter was talking to the Minister of Magic was probably spreading like wildfire through the Ministry as they spoke, and he would have to make some sort of declaration to the Wizarding press.
"The briefness of my return depends entirely on you, Minister," Harry said disdainfully. "I assure it gives me no great pleasure to have to bother you, but I require your assistance in a personal matter."
The demeanour of the man immediately changed. His chest puffed out and he acquired an air of self-importance. Harry decided to set the man straight. He was not here to make concessions. He was here to make demands. "Tomorrow there will be a hearing of the Wizengamot in the case of Ginevra Weasley. Are you familiar with it?"
The Minister nodded.
"Mr Greengrass," Harry continued, purposely omitting the man's title, "you will give Ginny Weasley a fair hearing. The fact that this is her first violation of any Wizarding law will be taken into account, her actions during the war will be taken into consideration, and she will be let go with a stern warning, and nothing else, as justice demands. Do I make myself clear?"
Adrastus Greengrass looked outraged at the tone of command in Harry's voice. "How dare you talk to me like that," he said flustered. "I'll have the Aurors kick you out of this office immediately if you don't show due respect!"
"They would have to get through the door first," Harry said, as he casually waved his hand. He made the display of magic intentionally gaudy, adding a bright and noisy flash to improve the effect. "Right now, you are cut-off from the outside world, Minister. By the time the Aurors make it through the door I would be gone, and you would be in urgent need of a healer."
"This is a secure floor, Potter." the Minister said with false bravado. "No one can Apparate out of here. You are as trapped as I am..."
With only a faint pop Harry was gone leaving the elder Greengrass wide-eyed with surprise. After getting a hold of himself he got up and rushed to the door, but every effort to open it or to Finite Incantatem the spell was unsuccessful. His attempts to raise the alarm by banging on the door and screaming were also for naught. He heard another soft pop and turned around. Harry Potter was sitting on his chair with his feet propped up on his desk drinking a Muggle soft drink.
"Adrastus, this doesn't have to be unpleasant for you," Harry said putting the aluminium can on the desk. "We can reach an understating of the same type you have reached with several Death Eaters."
The Minister was suddenly all ears. "What do you mean?"
"I mean we can both get what we want, and you can play the paragon of Wizarding justice by just being fair. To sweeten the deal, you can get out of this without having every bone in your face broken," Harry added menacingly. "Since Ginny's crime is nothing compared to the crimes of a Death Eater, I expect to pay accordingly. I believe the going rate to avoid Azkaban for Death Eaters is a million Galleons," he looked at the Minister, who made no attempt to deny the sum. "In that case, a one hundred thousand Galleon contribution to your re-election fund should more than cover your services." After a pause, Harry continued. "There is one important condition. No one is to know I'm here about Ginny Weasley. If my appearance and her case are linked by anyone, I will demand a full refund of my contribution. You can claim I responded to a request for a meeting made by you."
Adrastus Greengrass paced deliberately around the office thinking about how to get some political advantage out of this. The liberation of several Death Eaters had created some negative publicity and giving a break to someone who had clearly fought for the Light could be beneficial. As a bonus he could claim the power to summon Harry Potter, something that no past Minister of Magic could do. "Two hundred thousand Galleons," he said, unable to stop his greedy nature.
Harry made a gesture with his hand and the Minister fell to the floor screaming in pain. His right leg was bent at an odd angle.
"You seem to be under the wrong impression that I'm here to negotiate with you," Harry said getting up and taking out his wand for the first time. "I don't like hurting or killing people, Adrastus, but I find that I can do it quite easily when someone messes with the people I care about."
The Minister's pain was overtaken by the fear when Harry stood looming over him, looking completely remorseless. He raised his hands defensively when Potter pointed his wand at him. "No. Don't kill me!" he whimpered.
Harry gave him an annoyed look. "Don't move. I'm going to fix your leg."
Fixing the Minister's leg must have been as painful as breaking it, judging by the man's screams. Harry looked apologetically at him. "Sorry. I'm pants at healing charms. You better have that looked at after I'm gone."
Adrastus Greengrass was looking daggers at him, but he knew better than to say anything.
Harry undid the magic that sealed the office and turned towards the Minister, who was tentatively getting up. "I'll transfer the money as soon as I leave, Adrastus." He paused for a moment and let out a breath. "I don't remember my parents, but I was willing to spill a lot of blood in order to avenge them. I do know Ginny Weasley, and if she sets foot in Azkaban because of you, I'm not sure what I'm capable of doing. I don't want to find out," he said sincerely, "and neither do you."
Harry stepped out of the Minister's office and looked down the corridor where a crowd of reporters was being barely contained by a group of Aurors. If everything worked as planned, this would relegate any news about Ginny's case to the back pages. He spun in place, and Apparated to Gringotts.
***
The first night in the detention cell, the last thing in Ginny's Weasley mind was Azkaban. She spent most of the time cursing herself for not hexing Steven while she had the chance, alternating with periods of deep shame. That shame only grew more pronounced when she thought about the possibility of Harry having seen her naked, which was odd considering she had been ready and willing to have sex with him. The shame turned into paroxysms of rage when she considered the probability that Harry could have been a subscriber to Steven's website.
But that didn't make sense. It was clear that Harry had gone through great lengths to shut Steven down. He had taken a beating to find out what Steven was up to, and with the help of Johann and those two other blokes, he was responsible for reducing Steven to the dismal condition he was in when he broke into her flat.
Not that his condition was dismal enough.
She tried to recall all the details of the memory of Harry's beating, and one moment in particular stood out for her. It was the moment when Steven asked: Do you truly fancy her?
The memory of Harry's face left her as certain that he did, as it had left Steven. She tried to suppress a pleasant flutter in her stomach at that moment. She was in a bloody jail, for Merlin's sake.
Ginny pondered for a long time the question of why Harry hadn't said anything about Steven when he confessed his eavesdropping. The only explanation she could come up with was that Harry had guessed what her reaction would have been if he had dared to bring up Steven at that moment. First, he would have accused him of lying. Secondly, she would have accused him of trying to diminish his own guilt by comparison, and finally, she would have called him a coward for bringing up someone else to deflect attention from himself.
The more she thought about what Hermione had said, and what she had seen in Steven's memories. The more certain she became that Harry loved her.
But did that make any difference? He was still a bloody pervert, she still could not bear the shame of seeing him, and she still felt that nothing would ever be possible between them after what he had done.
But you still love him, protested a little voice inside her.
No matter how much she tried to justifiably hate Harry, that little voice inside her head refused to die. Ginny just ignored the voice as she had been doing for the last month. Finally, exhaustion overtook her, and she fell asleep.
The next morning, the full impact of what she was facing hit her. The prospect of Azkaban suddenly seemed very real and intimidating. Her detention cell had only a rudimentary loo, a wash basin and no shower. Ginny felt filthy. She used the wash basin to at least refresh her face and neck, but she didn't dare do more because suddenly she became paranoid that someone might be watching. Bloody Steven. Bloody Harry. What am I, a magnet for perverts and losers?
An Auror unceremoniously pushed an unappetizing breakfast through a slot in the door and told her that she would have visitors in a couple of hours. When visiting time came, she was led by two Aurors to a special room. As they walked, she noticed that something big had happened. People were talking and huddling in groups gossiping in the corridors. Inside the visiting room, her mother and father, and an elegantly robbed man were waiting. Her mother immediately embraced her and held her in a death grip for a minute. After a quick inquiry into her meals and promising to feed her properly after she was released, Mrs Weasley started a tirade about how all of this could have been prevented if only Ginny would have listened to her.
"From now on you will do as I say," her mother said, as if no argument was possible. Thankfully, her father noticed that Ginny was ready to call the Aurors to take her away.
"Stop it this moment, Molly," her dad ordered with uncharacteristic assertiveness. "Ginny isn't a little girl anymore." The older woman was so surprised, she was speechless for the next couple of minutes.
Her father took the opportunity to introduce the barrister who was patiently waiting behind her parents. "This is Michael Boot, one of the best barristers of all of Britain. He has agreed to represent you."
Ginny looked puzzled, first at the well robbed man, and then back at his father. "How can you afford this, Dad. You don't have to do this, I can defend myself."
"Ms Weasley," the man said shaking her hand, "I'm taking your case pro bono, which is to say, for free. My nephew, Terry Boot, always talks about you with great admiration and respect when we discuss his years at Hogwarts, so when I saw the case in the docket, I decided to assist you."
Ginny could hardly believe her luck. Terry Boot had been one of many boys infatuated with her at Hogwarts, but she had always politely declined his advances. Maybe finally things would start going her way.
Mr Boot interrogated her closely about the details of the incident leading to her arrest. Ginny made clear that Steven and she had broken their relationship weeks before, and that he had broken into her flat to confront her about something she had no knowledge of. Ginny freely admitted she had performed Legilimency on Steven, but she did not reveal the images she had seen in his mind. She was too ashamed to admit it, much less to do it in front of her mum. Thankfully, as far as the Wizengamot was concerned, the reason why she had performed the spell was irrelevant. The focus was entirely on the performance of magic on a Muggle and the use of Legilimency without consent. Mr Boot also inquired in detail about any past troubles with the Ministry, which she was happy to report, she had never had any.
Mr Boot explained to all of them what the strategy was going to be. He would claim justifiable use of magic because of the break-in by Steven, and if anyone wondered why Ginny had used Legilimency, she would claim it was only to find out how he had gotten into her flat. This was not only logical but also attenuated the second charge of using Legilimency without consent. He would also ask for clemency in consideration that this was her first offense, and also because of her services for the defence of the Light.
Ginny hated the whole idea of asking for clemency, but her mum insisted she would. Her father had sided with her mum and the barrister on that point. When the Aurors came back to take her to her holding cell they, were given five more minutes of time.
"What's going on in the Ministry, Dad?" Ginny asked. "On the way here, I saw people buzzing about something."
"The Minister summoned Harry Potter for a private interview, and surprisingly he showed up."
Ginny went paler than normal when she heard his name. "Are you okay, dear?" her mother asked worried.
Her mind was working feverishly around that piece of news, but she recuperated enough to answer evenly. "Yes, Mum. I just didn't sleep well."
After a teary good-bye from her mum, Ginny was led back to her cell where she laid in her bed thinking about the news of the day. Some small part of her felt an odd excitement at having been in the same building as Harry, but she scolded herself for that ridiculous sentiment. Her rational side wondered if it truly could be just a coincidence that he had visited the Ministry on that day, but the fact that her father, (who she knew was better informed about the happenings at the Ministry than he led on), sounded so sure that the Minister had summoned him, it must be true.
Worried about the hearing, and trying desperately to banish Harry Potter from her mind, the hours flew by. At some point, Ginny fell asleep, and when she woke up it was almost time for the hearing.
The hearing went surprisingly smoothly. The Minister seemed incredibly sympathetic to her plight and made flowery speeches about her valiant and heroic actions during the attack of Hogsmeade. The man was a shameless poser if she had ever seen one, but since he was arguing in her favour, Ginny didn't care about the political games he was playing. The only sour note was put by bloody Draco Malfoy, who had inherited his father's seat in the Wizengamot despite being a Death Eater. He had gotten out of Azkaban by claiming youth and compulsion by his conveniently dead father. Thankfully, Mr Boot shredded him to pieces and with every response to Draco's objections, openly mocked his sudden interest in the defence of Muggle rights by pointing to his voting record on Muggle issues. He skilfully made him look like an unrepentant Death Eater who really belonged in Azkaban by contrasting his actions at Hogwarts with those of Ginny's. Draco was digging himself into such a big hole by attacking Ginny, that Pansy Parkinson saw the need to forcibly drag him down and tell him to shut up. Ginny was thankful that her wand was temporarily confiscated, because at several points she had been ready to Bat-Bogey hex the shameless bastard, just like she had done multiple times at Hogwarts. Ginny was released with barely a slap of the hand, and her wand was returned unscathed. After the obligatory celebrations in the Burrow, Ginny returned to Muggle London despite the protests of her mother.
The months passed one by one, and Harry Potter was slowly but surely slipping into the background, but try as she may to forget him, he still sometimes returned to her in dreams that left her longing for more. Her graduation from King's College was suddenly at hand, and she earned her degree with distinction. Ginny accepted a position in the Trauma Unit of the Royal London Hospital, and at the same time, started a Mediwitch apprenticeship at St Mungo's. Her work schedule was so strenuous, that even Hermione Granger, of all people, worried about her workload.
"You are trying to bury yourself in work, aren't you?" Hermione would ask.
Ginny hated the implication that she somehow was unhappy with her life and that work was an escape from examining the reason for her unhappiness. Although Hermione never mentioned Harry Potter by name, she insisted that until she confronted the "demon" of her past, she would never be able to move on.
"I hardly think of him anymore, Hermione," she lied convincingly. "He is forgotten, as he deserves to be. Besides, how would I contact him?"
"An owl?" Hermione offered helpfully.
Ginny laughed out loud. "He has practically disappeared from the Wizarding world since he turned eighteen, do you truly believe that he is reachable by owl?"
"You mean you have tried?"
"Of course not," she answered feeling her anger rise. "Why should I be the one to contact him. He could bloody well send me an owl if he wanted to see me."
"But you told him you never wanted to see him again," Hermione argued. "The git might have taken you at your word."
Ginny grasped for the lifeline she always used when she wanted to avoid thinking about Harry. "I'd love to stay here and chat, Hermione, but I have to go to work."
She walked in a haze towards the hospital. After changing into her regulation blue shirt and trousers, she went into the nursing station at the Intensive Care Unit.
"You are here quite early, Ginny," the head nurse greeted her.
"I had nothing better to do," she answered feeling pathetic.
The head nurse was a kind woman in her mid-forties who truly liked Ginny and the dedication she showed, but she had already warned her about burning out. "We only have two new patients in the Unit. One is a motor car crash victim, Ian Sullivan, on 7A. Multiple internal injuries, ruptured spleen, punctured lung, five broken ribs and concussion. The other is a policeman airlifted this morning, victim of an explosion in a training accident... they said it was a miracle no one else was killed or injured," she digressed. "Anyway, Harry Evans, 12B. Severe head trauma..."
Ginny didn't hear the rest. For a moment she was afraid she had Apparated next to position 12B, but the head nurse stopped next to her out of breath. "What is the matter, Ginny?" she asked alarmed.
She could not speak. Harry Potter was in the bed with his head covered in bandages. The only visible part of his face were the lower jaw, and the lips, but she recognized him immediately. She took the patient chart from the head nurse without asking for permission and read it quickly.
It was bad. Really bad. Two things jumped at her.
Brain inflammation, and artificial coma.
O-o-O-o-O