Ginny felt helpless.
/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Seamus could barely breathe when he burst into the Room of Requirement, where dozens of students were now living. Ginny was in the middle of applying a bruise salve to Luna's back, trying to alleviate some of the pain she was in from her latest bout with the Carrows. Seeing Seamus, she jumped up, already feeling her stomach tying itself in knots, knowing that whatever he had to say, it wouldn't be good news.
"Chloe– Williams," he panted. "Hufflepuff second year. They're going for her."
Ginny didn't hesitate. This wasn't the first time she'd been called on to rescue a student from the Carrows. For the past several weeks, they'd been smuggling the Carrows' targets out of Hogwarts through the Room of Requirement and The Hog's Head. She was the one everybody trusted to protect the younger students. So she ran like her life depended on it as much as Chloe's did.
She hurtled down staircases, weaving between students and shoving them out of the way when she had to. There wasn't time to be discreet. She couldn't shake the feeling that something felt off about all this though. The Carrows usually went for students in the night, but they were apparently making an exception for Chloe. Ginny refused to let that happen.
Hannah had taught her how to get into the Hufflepuff common room a couple months ago when they recognised the need for more places to hide in the castle. As quickly as she could, she tapped 'Helga Hufflepuff' on the correct barrel, revealing the entrance to the warm and earthy common room.
She ran into the room, making a beeline for Owen MacGregor, who'd be able to help her locate Chloe. "Owen, I need to find Chloe Williams. Do you know where she is?"
It was only then that she noticed that his eyes were wide in fear, and not because of the abrupt and alarming manner she'd entered the common room. He was looking behind her. Ginny was already pulling her wand out as she turned.
"Petrificus Totalus," a voice she truly loathed cast, and she immediately lost all control of her limbs, teetering for a second before falling to the floor with a resounding thump.
A moment later Alecto was standing over her, giving her a sneer that felt like a fist in Ginny's chest.
"Should've known it was you. Sorry to report that you were too late this time. Amycus has already taken care of that little pest."
Even though she was terrified, Ginny felt her stomach drop and grief grip her heart. She'd failed, and poor Chloe was paying the price.
"Don't worry. We've got a special punishment planned for you too. I'll let it be a surprise."
Everything went black when the toe of Alecto's boot connected with her temple.
Ginny tried to ignore how much she was reminded of the day she'd lost Chloe as she ran through the castle, pushing the panic down as best as she could. Harry needed her, and she refused to let him down.
She was running so fast, so singularly focussed on making it to the forest, that it took a second to register that she'd run right past McGonagall's office. On instinct more than anything, she turned and ran up the open stairs to the office, thinking McGonagall would be able to help if Harry was in actual danger in the forest.
As she sprinted up the spiral staircase, she heard broken pieces of a harsh voice, presumably coming from McGonagall's office.
"Eternal circles– battles fade as memory– fate– uncertainly..."
Ginny threw the door open, seeing the source of the disturbing voice mid-word. Professor Trelawney was standing over McGonagall's desk, and McGonagall looked unamused, even annoyed, trying to pay attention to a parchment on her desk. Instinctively, Ginny glanced up to Dumbledore's portrait, as if he might've been able to help somehow, but it was empty.
"– poser on slanted streets…" Trelawney finished, unnoticed by McGonagall, who had stood up when Ginny entered the room.
"Harry– Grimhall– detention– forest–" she gasped in a broken voice, only realising now how out of breath she was. Somehow, McGonagall understood what she meant and why that was a problem, even if she didn't know anything about Harry's panic attacks.
Ginny had only seen Professor McGonagall moving this fast at the battle. It didn't make sense how she was sprinting as fast as she could but McGonagall seemed to be effortlessly keeping pace. They made it to the edge of the forest, and Ginny pulled the map out again, forgetting that it didn't show anything in the Forbidden Forest. Even the Marauders hadn't ever mapped there.
"I don't know where exactly he is, but he's in there. He can't handle being in places that remind him of the battle by himself," she explained, ready to rush into the forest after him.
"Wha's goin' on?" Hagrid asked, walking towards them from his house.
"Grimhall sent Harry into the forest for detention… alone," Ginny answered in a weak voice, becoming more worried by the second.
"Wha'? He shouldn' be in there. We need to get 'im!"
Emboldened, Ginny began rushing into the forest with Hagrid.
"Stop," McGonagall instructed. Ginny hesitated, so intent on finding Harry that she didn't want to listen. "We won't have to find him."
"What?" Ginny asked, turning back around now.
"They're bringing him," McGonagall answered cryptically. A moment later, Ginny heard the sound of galloping hooves.
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
"Part of Lord Voldemort lives inside Harry."
He felt arms around him.
"So the boy… the boy must die?"
"Harry Potter."
"How dare you?"
"– can do nothing."
"Part of Lord Voldemort lives inside Harry."
"– not interfering."
"You have kept him alive so that he can die at the right moment?"
"I won't."
"She's dead because of you!"
He was bouncing uncontrollably.
"Part of Lord Voldemort lives inside Harry."
"Harry!"
"You have been raising him like a pig for slaughter!"
He saw black.
"You have permitted your friends to die for you."
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
"Harry!" Ginny cried, seeing Harry laying limp in the arms of a large centaur.
"Wha' happened, Firenze?"
The centaur answered in a somewhat placid tone, and Ginny struggled to pay attention, just worried for Harry. "We found him, unconscious and shaking, in the place where it happened."
None of them needed more explanation than that. Harry groaned as if he was in a great deal of pain, but he didn't seem to be lucid or aware of his surroundings at all.
"We need to take him to Poppy," McGonagall said urgently.
"Thanks, Firenze," Hagrid said, taking Harry from the centaur, who bowed his head.
"The stars promise a future for Harry Potter. They are never wrong," Firenze responded, and then he was gone with a flick of his tail and a strong gallop.
"Wait," Ginny said before they started rushing off to the castle. She turned Harry's head, which was resting on one of Hagrid's arms, and kissed him. He groaned pitifully but didn't wake. His eyes moved rapidly under his eyelids, but they didn't open. Not embarrassed in the slightest, she tried again, but nothing changed.
"Let's go," she commanded, jogging to keep up with Hagrid's long stride. She did her best to ignore what she was reminded of, seeing Hagrid carrying Harry like that. Judging by the look on McGonagall's face, she also noticed the uncanny similarity. At least Harry was making noise now instead of playing dead. That didn't do much to relieve her concern.
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
Remus and Tonks were dead.
He was moving.
Sirius and Dumbledore were dead.
"– worried."
His parents were dead.
"– urgent!"
Fred and George were dead.
Soft.
Charlie and Percy were dead.
"Stay with me."
Bill and Fleur were dead.
"I don't know."
Arthur and Molly were dead.
"Harry!"
Ron and Hermione were dead.
He saw black.
Teddy and Ginny were dead.
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
"Amelia Hartwell is his Healer. If you don't know what to do, get her here," Ginny practically ordered. Madam Pomfrey had done what she could to stabilise Harry, but she couldn't make him wake up. Now, he was laying motionless on the bed, which should've been an improvement on his previous state of randomly flailing around as if in agony, but it was even more disconcerting to Ginny. Harry wasn't ever still. Even in his sleep, his fingers and mouth would twitch, but he was completely motionless now.
She could feel a part of her brain wanting to become hysterical. This wasn't normal. But Harry needed her to be aware enough to help. She could be hysterical later.
"At St. Mungo's?"
"Yes! Send a Patronus! Please!" she begged McGonagall, who nodded, wordlessly sending a cat out of her wand and through the wall of the Hospital Wing.
"Hagrid–"
"I'm gonna get Grimhall," Hagrid interrupted, growling protectively in a way that would've made Ginny proud at any other time. "I'm gonna get 'im, an'– an' I'm gonna make 'im pay fer this."
"Hagrid, I share your outrage at Harry's treatment, but I will be the one to speak with Professor Grimhall about his behaviour, and I promise this will not go unpunished. But for now, would you please go to the gates to let Madam Hartwell in when she arrives? Without stopping at Professor Grimhall's office."
Hagrid clenched his fists, hesitating for a moment before nodding as his entire demeanour shifted. Suddenly, he went from being furious to despairing. He blew his nose into his spotted handkerchief that was almost as large as Harry's Invisibility Cloak while fighting back tears and left without saying anything more. He was clearly worried for Harry. They all were. She could see it in McGonagall's eyes, even though she tried to conceal it.
Ginny bent over him and kissed his forehead, wishing she could do more to comfort him. "I need you to be okay, Harry," she whispered so softly that only he would be able to hear her. If he could hear her. He had to be okay. He was always okay.
"Get your head out of your arse!" Ginny screamed at McLaggen. The idiot had allowed another goal because he'd been bellowing criticism at her for losing the Quaffle, which Dean had poorly thrown and she'd barely caught before having it knocked away.
"Score for once!" McLaggen responded. Ginny bit her tongue, thinking it would be more satisfying to punch him in the face after they won the match. Besides, Harry had swooped in and was giving McLaggen an earful now. He didn't get angry very easily, but it was something to behold when he asserted himself.
Pleased that Harry had handled things, she set off down the pitch, streaking behind Demelza, who was charging at the Hufflepuff defence before tossing the ball back to her. With a head of steam, Ginny was able to blow past the Hufflepuff Chasers, dodge a Bludger, and put the Quaffle through the near hoop.
A moment later, she punched the Quaffle out of Zacharias Smith's arms, with great satisfaction, and lobbed it over the other Hufflepuff Chasers, into the arms of Demelza, who easily scored past the Keeper. Finally, the Gryffindor supporters were getting into the match, which would only help them perform better. As long as the Gryffindor Chasers kept the Quaffle away from McLaggen, they'd be fine. They were only trailing by thirty points, well within the range Harry would need to win the game when he caught the Snitch.
"Oh, look! The Gryffindor Keeper's got hold of one of the Beater's bats," Ginny heard Luna announce from the commentator's box in a vague tone while Hufflepuff was on the attack.
She glanced ahead of the Chaser she was pursuing and saw that McLaggen had indeed taken the bat from Jimmy and was gesturing emphatically. Harry was flying down and screaming at McLaggen, but Ginny couldn't make out what he was saying. She saw the Bludger coming in and McLaggen lining up to hit it, and her first thought was that the idiot was going to cost Gryffindor a foul for Illegal Bludgeoning.
Sure enough, McLaggen swung ferociously at the Bludger, which was a foul. But he was as bad a Beater as he was a Keeper, and the ball went nowhere near his desired target. Instead, the ball shot at an unnatural angle off the bat with a loud crack. That crack was followed by another louder, sickening crack as the Bludger connected with Harry's head and careened off down the pitch. Ginny had to do a double take, almost unable to believe that the Bludger had hit his head, but then she realised he was no longer conscious, rolling sideways and falling limply off his broom.
She heard a scream that she was pretty sure was her own as she pressed herself flat to her broom and tried to reach him in time, but her heart was in her throat, already knowing that he would hit the ground before she reached him. Desperately, she screamed again, and miraculously, Jimmy and Ritchie swooped in and caught him, mere feet off the ground.
Ginny landed as quickly as she could, rushing to his side. The side of his head was matted with blood, and his face was ghostly white. His lips were parted slightly, his glasses were knocked askew, and he was just so damn still that it was terrifying.
She barely noticed when Professor McGonagall and Madam Hooch approached, still watching Harry as if she could do something to make him better. "Is he breathing?" Hooch asked.
Ginny nodded. In an even more severe voice than usual, McGonagall spoke. "Weasley, he needs to get to Madam Pomfrey."
Numbly, she nodded again, standing and beginning to follow McGonagall, who was levitating Harry now. She fought the urge to vomit, seeing his hand hanging limply down towards the ground.
"Weasley, the match isn't over," Madam Hooch informed her, snapping her briefly out of her numb state.
"We don't have a Seeker," she responded, seeing looks of concern and confusion among her teammates that she assumed were reflected on her own face.
"You can play with six. It's either that or forfeit."
Ginny clenched her fists angrily. She loved Quidditch, but the last thing she felt like doing right now was playing when Harry might be… she didn't want to think about that. She didn't think any of her teammates, except maybe McLaggen, would feel like continuing either, but Gryffindor certainly wasn't going to forfeit. Harry wouldn't have stood for it.
"I'll play Seeker then," she informed Madam Hooch before turning to her team. "Let's not make this too embarrassing," she grumbled, glaring daggers at McLaggen before kicking off from the ground.
Realistically, it wasn't any more embarrassing than could've been expected. Dean and Demelza somehow managed to score a couple goals, but playing defence with only two Chasers and a Keeper who was more concerned with everyone else's play other than his own was a recipe for disaster, and Hufflepuff knew it. They scored at will until Glenn Summerby caught the Snitch. Ginny admittedly hadn't given the match her full focus, and it was almost a relief when the match was over.
She landed with the rest of her team, ignoring the jeers from Slytherin and a few surprisingly impolite Hufflepuffs and walked into the changing room, wanting to change and check on Harry as soon as she could. The mood in the room was incredibly grim, and when McLaggen entered, the looks on everyone's faces made it clear that they knew who was to blame.
McLaggen was so obtuse that he didn't notice or care. "Honestly, that was pathetic. I don't understand how half of you made it onto the team. If our Chasers could've scored a goal, we wouldn't have had anything to worry about."
She wasn't going to stay and listen to this shite. Forgetting about changing, she shoved past McLaggen and headed for the doors.
"Seriously, Weasley, have you ever heard of holding onto the Quaffle?"
Ginny saw red, and she spun on her heel, throwing a fist without thinking about it. McLaggen clearly wasn't expecting her to retaliate, and his head snapped backwards as blood burst from his nose.
"Nice to know it's not just Quaffles you can't stop," she spat derisively before storming out of the changing room, not knowing or caring how anyone else on the team reacted to that.
Ginny was beyond pissed off as she hurried to the Hospital Wing. That idiot had cost them the match. Harry had been seriously injured. And Ginny couldn't ignore the panic that had set in when she'd seen Harry fall from his broom and the way her heart had stopped at the sight of him motionless on the ground.
She knew she still had feelings for Harry. The past summer had given her hope that she hadn't had in ages, and smelling him in Amortentia at the start of the term had been even more evidence of it. Still though, she was dating Dean, even though some days she wasn't entirely sure why. He was nice, although a little overbearing sometimes, but he just wasn't Harry.
Ginny had convinced herself that she'd break up with Dean the second that Harry showed interest. She felt a little guilty that she was still with Dean when he was more committed to the relationship than she was, but she couldn't bring herself to break up with him in the hope that Harry would want to be with her. She couldn't be that naive little girl with an unrequited crush again. There'd been a couple times when she'd been close, when she'd thought that Harry was finally willing to express his feelings, but he always seemed to pull back just before she was ready to go for it.
Hermione was between Ron and Harry's beds when Ginny entered the Hospital Wing. She'd probably come up here as soon as McGonagall had taken Harry away. Ron looked a little surprised to see her, but Hermione seemed unsurprised, maybe even smirking a little, which did nothing to help with Ginny's foul mood.
"What did Madam Pomfrey say?" she asked, standing on the other side of Harry's bed, thinking he still looked pretty bad.
"He cracked his skull, but he'll be fine. She's going to keep him overnight to make sure he's okay though," Hermione answered. Ginny nodded in relief, slumping into a chair and not really taking her eyes off Harry.
"Some match," she muttered.
"It sounded awful. Was McLaggen really that bad?" Ron asked, almost hopefully. Hermione swatted his arm. "Hey! Go easy on me, Harry's not the only one in the Hospital Wing," he complained.
"McLaggen couldn't get his head out of his arse for two seconds to save a shot," Ginny responded.
"He seemed to think he was the captain," Hermione added.
Ginny snorted. "That's an understatement. Wish I could say that stopped in the changing room after the match."
"He kept it up after the match?" Ron asked incredulously. "After hitting Harry?"
"Well, he started to. He was going on about how it was the Chasers' fault for not scoring enough goals and acting like everyone wasn't pissed off at him for what he did to Harry."
"And then what happened?" Hermione asked, giving her a curious look.
Ginny put on her best innocent expression and shrugged. "I doubt he'll be trying to play captain again anytime soon," she responded but refused to elaborate.
A few moments later, still staring at Harry, she commented quietly, "He almost would've been better off missing the match altogether instead of showing up at the last second."
"He was late?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah, we were already dressed when he showed up."
"That's weird. He was with me this morning, but he definitely left on time," Ron said.
"Did he say anything about why he was late?" Hermione inquired.
"Ah– not really," Ginny answered, thinking that if Harry wanted to tell them he ran into Malfoy, that was his decision. "I think he's probably tired of ending up in here," she added, changing the subject.
"At least he's always okay. Something new happens to him every couple months, but it never keeps him in here for too long," Ron replied, seemingly unconcerned with Harry's injury. She locked eyes with Hermione, and something unspoken passed between them. She could see the fading fear in Hermione's eyes as much as she was sure that it was visible in her own eyes. Ron hadn't seen what it had looked like when Harry had fallen. Ginny knew she'd be seeing that moment in her nightmares for the foreseeable future.
"So are you planning on wearing your Quidditch robes the rest of the day?" Ron asked, grinning a little at her absentmindedness.
Ginny flushed slightly, remembering that she hadn't ever gotten around to changing after her altercation with McLaggen. She was also reminded that it probably looked a little odd for her to be perched at Harry's bedside the instant he'd been injured, ignoring everything else, because she wasn't his girlfriend. Sure, they were good friends, but that wasn't the same. She didn't miss noticing the sinking feeling in her stomach when she remembered that.
"Ah– no, I'm going to go back and change, I just wanted to make sure he was okay," Ginny answered. Hermione gave her yet another curious look, but at least she wasn't smirking this time. Then she moved and began telling Ron about more of McLaggen's mistakes, but Ginny realised that she'd moved in a way that had obstructed Ron's view of her and Harry. She hesitated for a second before moving to stand at the head of Harry's bed.
She bent down over him and said the only thing she could think to say. "I need you to be okay." She wasn't really sure why she'd said that, just like she wasn't sure why she'd kissed his forehead or why he'd sighed contentedly after she kissed him. All she knew was that she really did need him to be okay.
Ginny left the Hospital Wing without looking back, planning on returning to the Quidditch stadium to shower and change. She was still a little out of it and didn't realise Dean was walking towards her until he was right in front of her, halfway between the stadium and the castle.
"Hey, where'd you go?" Dean asked.
"Oh… I went to check on Harry," she answered.
Dean's face shuttered slightly, but he nodded. "Is he okay?"
"Hermione told me that Madam Pomfrey said she was keeping him overnight, but he should be fine," Ginny answered, feeling like this conversation was more tense than it should've been.
"Of course he is. He survives everything. At least this one was funny instead of the usual scary things that put him in there," Dean commented like it was something to be grateful for.
"What was funny about it?" Ginny asked through her teeth, unconsciously clenching her fists.
"What do you mean? The whole thing was funny. Crack! Whoaaaa…" Dean drew out, dramatically falling back, waving his hands before falling onto the ground and laying there motionless for a moment before standing back up, chuckling at himself.
"I didn't think it was funny at all," she responded testily.
"Well, it's funnier now that we know he's okay," he corrected himself, as if that made it better.
"It's still not funny. He's your friend and he was seriously injured. That's not really something to be joking about."
"Relax, Ginny, bloody hell. He's fine."
"And what if something happened unexpectedly to him now? It wouldn't be so funny then, would it?"
"I bet you'd be real broken up about it," Dean grumbled.
"What?" she fired back, shocked at the way he was behaving.
"I said, I bet you'd be real broken up about something bad happening to Harry. Merlin knows you wouldn't be this upset if it had happened to anyone else."
"I cannot believe you right now. Why are you acting like this?"
"Why'd you run out of the changing room to check on Harry instead of waiting on the rest of us to come with you?"
"Why does that bloody matter?" Ginny almost shouted, baffled by what he was saying.
"It wouldn't if you weren't my girlfriend," Dean said pointedly. Now that really pissed Ginny off.
"I don't have to answer to you or anybody else. I'd think my boyfriend of all people would respect my right to want to check on a good friend of mine who almost died out there! I can't even look at you right now. Get your head out of your arse and let me know when you've stopped being a fucking prat," she responded angrily, storming past Dean and throwing her shoulder against his.
Entering the now empty changing room and dropping onto a bench, Ginny found that she wasn't even that bothered by the row that she'd had with Dean. Really, it was almost completely out of her mind. She was much more concerned with the boy in the Hospital Wing who, like her, hadn't changed out of his Quidditch robes yet. He had to be okay.
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
Red eyes.
"Amelia–"
Flat nose.
"– Patronus!"
Pale skin.
"I need you–"
Lipless sneer.
"She's here."
Green light.
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
"What happened?" Amelia asked as she strode into the Hospital Wing, followed closely by Hagrid.
"He had a panic attack when nobody was around. We haven't been able to wake him up," Ginny answered bluntly, knowing she wasn't hiding her worry at all. Amelia walked next to her, looking over Harry but resting a comforting hand on her back.
"What have you tried?" she asked Madam Pomfrey, who began discussing reviving spells and potions that hadn't worked. Ginny watched Amelia nodding, tapping her fingers on her chin as she considered possible courses of action. There had to be a way forward.
"I wonder…" Amelia trailed off before casting what looked like a complicated series of diagnostic spells. Runes that Ginny didn't recognise floated around Harry's head ominously. Amelia inspected these closely for several moments before waving her wand and making them all disappear.
"We all know that Harry has had the Killing Curse cast on him twice and has survived both times. He has a scar on his head from the first time, and I'd guess he has another scar somewhere else from the second time. I've wondered in the past about why the scar is shaped like lightning, and I've had my suspicions that… seem to be accurate, based on Harry's symptoms.
"I believe the Killing Curse works by sending an intensely strong, magically enhanced electrical pulse through the body, stopping all organ function immediately but leaving no trace. When it fails, it leaves a lightning shaped scar as a sign of its efforts. I'm not sure why it leaves a scar at all, but there haven't exactly been many cases of this phenomenon to study, nor is it really possible to research."
It might've been interesting in other circumstances, but it didn't seem relevant to the current situation to Ginny. McGonagall apparently agreed, wanting Amelia to get to the point faster. "How does this relate to Harry's current health?"
"I think that surviving the Killing Curse, especially recently, has had effects on Harry. That electric shock, for lack of a better term, made his brain more vulnerable to these critically traumatic attacks. Throughout the past several months, his family has done well at making sure he never fell too deeply into them, but now that he's had one while he was alone, the vulnerabilities in his brain have been exploited, and I think– I think he's probably experiencing a worse panic attack than he's ever felt before."
Ginny felt helpless. "There has to be something you can do," she implored desperately, looking back down at her boyfriend's limp body. Why did things like this always happen to them? She just wanted to do something to help, and every moment that passed without a solution made her more worried that there wasn't one. She wasn't about to let that happen.
Amelia looked at her sadly, understanding the pain Ginny was in. "The mind is a difficult thing to treat, with Muggle or magical methods. My diagnostics suggest that Harry has some level of consciousness right now, and I believe it's just a matter of waiting until his brain decides that it's safe for him to wake up."
"You can't give him a Dreamless Sleep Potion or something? He must be terrified," she half-whispered, worried that, as scary as it was for her to see him like this, it was even scarier for him.
"I'm afraid that could exacerbate the issue. The best thing we can do for Harry is make him comfortable. He's always broken out of them in the past with the comfort of his family, especially you. It might take longer this time, but I didn't see anything in my diagnostics that suggest that he won't wake up. Just stay with him, and he'll be okay."
Ginny nodded, wiping her eyes to keep the tears from falling. She wasn't going anywhere.
"Do you need to stay and observe his condition?" McGonagall asked, pressing her lips together as she observed Harry's still form. McGonagall visibly showing signs of fear at his condition made Ginny even more worried
Amelia shook her head sadly. "I'm still needed for the overnight at St. Mungo's. Between Ginny and Poppy, they'll be able to watch for any changes. I'm not really sure how that first message got to me, but you can contact me like that again if anything changes for the worse. But I'd expect Harry to be awake by morning."
Impulsively, Ginny rose and wrapped her arms around the Healer. "Thank you for taking care of him."
Amelia hugged her back. "Of course. I'm always here for both of you," she assured her.
Ginny nodded and pulled back, wiping her eyes again. She kissed the top of Harry's head before sitting back down. "You're going to be okay," she promised him.
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
Riddle murdered Ginny in the Great Hall while Harry watched, petrified by fear.
"– panic–"
Riddle rose behind Ginny at the memorial.
"– Killing Curse–"
Ginny lay broken and dead, with Emily sobbing over her.
"– has to be something–"
Riddle cast him aside, making him watch as he attacked Ginny and Teddy.
"– sleep–"
He pointed his own wand at Ginny, having no control over his movements.
"– comfort–"
Ginny fell to the ground, hit by the jet of green light from Bellatrix's wand.
"– Ginny–"
"Disarm me, or she dies."
"– be okay."
He was alone. She was gone. He'd never be okay.
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
Hagrid had walked Amelia back to the gates, requiring several more reminders from McGonagall about not visiting Grimhall before he did, and Madam Pomfrey had retired to her office, promising to check on Harry in a couple hours. For some reason, McGonagall was still there, still standing stoically at the foot of his bed. It was remarkable that she clearly cared greatly for Harry but tried not to show it externally when she could help it. Ginny could see the worry in her eyes though. There was no hiding that.
Even though she didn't know if Harry was aware of anything happening around him, she had taken his hand a while ago and hadn't let go of it, periodically kissing it and whispering to him. Amelia had said that making him comfortable would help him wake up, and Ginny was doing what she could, not even bothered that the Headmistress could see it.
"I presume you know what Harry did to get detention?" McGonagall broke the silence abruptly.
Ginny nodded glumly, thinking that the events that had led to Harry's detention felt like days ago rather than just a few hours.
"Would you care to enlighten me?" McGonagall asked in a tone that made it clear she didn't really care if Ginny wanted to or not.
Ginny sighed. "He got into a massive row with Grimhall in class today. Grimhall said something about how Riddle being defeated was a lucky fluke, and Harry took offence to that because of the people in class who fought at the battle. Then Grimhall sort of turned it into a personal attack on Harry, saying that he was just really lucky and that he thought himself better than everyone else because of his scar and what newspapers say about him."
She saw McGonagall's eyebrows raise a fraction of an inch, about as much emotion as she supposed she'd see from the woman, and continued. "Harry obviously didn't like that. He asked Grimhall how many times he'd fought Riddle since he thought it was all about luck. And then he got detention when he… well, he called Grimhall a coward for hiding during the war while we were fighting it. Then he really got going and ended up getting at least a month of detention before he stormed out of the classroom."
McGonagall seemed to compose her thoughts for a moment before asking another question. "Did Harry know what his detention would be?"
Ginny shook her head immediately. Grimhall hadn't said, and Harry would've told her if he'd found out about it. "No, he didn't know. Grimhall just told him to come to his office. I was watching on the map. He was only in Grimhall's office for a minute or two before walking to the forest. But–" anger seeped into her voice as she put the pieces of the puzzle together "– Grimhall said that he'd read Harry's testimony in the Prophet, which means he knew what happened in the forest. He probably wanted to make Harry panic with this."
Now she was almost shaking with rage, and if she hadn't felt the need to stay with Harry, she would've been marching to Grimhall's office, with or without McGonagall.
"I was curious about that. What is this map?"
Ginny's eyes widened slightly, not realising that McGonagall didn't already know about it. It was too late now though, and it had been worth compromising the secret to get Harry back. She pulled out the map, which she hadn't ever deactivated, and showed it to McGonagall. Her eyes darted over the parchment, and her expression wavered between confusion and amazement.
"This is Harry's map?" she asked.
"Sort of. His dad, Sirius, Remus, and Pettigrew made the map when they were students here. Filch confiscated it before they graduated, and Fred and George nicked it from his office in their first year. They gave it to Harry in his third year." Ginny thought it best not to explain that the reason Harry had gotten the map was specifically to break school rules and sneak out, but she imagined that McGonagall would've figured that anyway.
"Those boys," she muttered, shaking her head exasperatedly, and Ginny couldn't decide if she was talking about the Marauders or her brothers. Then again, they were so similar that it could've been both.
McGonagall's expression suddenly hardened. "I need to speak with Professor Grimhall. I knew he was brash and arrogant, but he was always so obsessed with justice that I never would've thought…" Then, she caught herself and looked back at her. "I wish I'd heard what had happened before this, but I was… preoccupied in the North Tower with Professor Trelawney for most of the day. Why Albus ever brought Divination to the school, I'll never understand. One prophecy in her life, as meaningful as it was, does not qualify– anyways, I might've learned of the detention if not for the thorough review of Sibyl's curriculum," she said, shaking her head bitterly. She muttered something about fake prophecies that Ginny didn't really catch, but she seemed almost unbelievably emotional, and Ginny felt the need to comfort her.
"I doubt Harry tried to find you after he found out what his detention was. And– and that makes me so mad at him because I know he didn't have to do it. He probably didn't want to let Grimhall get the best of him, just like Umbridge a few years ago." She really was very pissed off at Harry, but that paled in comparison to the worry she felt for him. She could get over her anger if he'd just wake up and be okay.
"The last thing I will ever allow is something like that to happen again. I'd heard mention of Harry disagreeing with Adrian, but it had seemed like an academic disagreement. Harry's experienced enough in Defence that I believed his opinion would've been valued in the classroom."
Ginny couldn't help but snort at that. "It stopped being academic a while ago. He's got no interest in anything other than antagonising Harry, not to mention insulting everyone who made sacrifices to fight Riddle."
McGonagall stared blankly at Harry, even though he still wasn't moving. In a softer voice than Ginny could ever remember hearing from her, the headmistress said, "I shouldn't have assumed anything about what I heard. I was so caught up in leading the school and teaching, and my assumptions were misguided. I am truly… sorry to you and your classmates, and I hope I will get the chance to apologise to Harry. This year was supposed to be safer, better than before."
For some reason, Ginny felt a spark of hope, an odd effect of seeing McGonagall so emotional. "It still can be. Just– just don't let this happen again. If you're not sacking him, you have to make sure he stops all of this. But… sacking him wouldn't be the worst thing."
McGonagall's lips curved upwards slightly as her fingers twitched, making Ginny have a strange compulsion to take her hand. She managed to resist that though as McGonagall said, "I will take your opinion into consideration. Send for me if anything changes with him, and, in the meantime, I will be expressing my disapproval and… anger at what our Defence professor has done."
Without another word, McGonagall pivoted and left the Hospital Wing. As much as she despised Grimhall, she didn't envy him being on the receiving end of McGonagall's wrath. He deserved it though.
She sat with Harry in silence for a while, looking down at his sleeping form and absently fidgeting with the leather bracelet he'd made for her birthday. She hadn't taken it off since then. He'd made it for her in a time when he'd been scared that he'd never see her again, and she felt the ache of that fear now. She pulled his glasses off his face and swept the hair off his forehead before pressing another kiss to it. He didn't react, making her chest ache as she wished for the times when a kiss would be all it took to bring him out of a panic attack. She hoped Amelia was wrong and he wasn't in the midst of a panic attack right now. He'd been through so much. She just wanted him to be okay.
Ginny loved Quidditch. She'd been secretly practising for years by sneaking brooms out of the shed when nobody was watching. One day, she'd play for Gryffindor, but until she was ready, she had to content herself with watching the matches.
Not that she minded watching Gryffindor, especially for Harry. Ginny didn't really like thinking about it, but they were only a few months removed from everything that had happened in the Chamber. Since then, whatever childish crush she'd had before on him had been tossed out, replaced with something much more meaningful. She loved him. And he didn't even notice her.
Granted, she supposed that was better than him openly making fun of her for what had happened last year. Not that he'd ever do that. He was just treating her the same as he had before the Chamber, which only disappointed her a little bit. She still noticed him, a lot more than she'd admit to anyone, even though Hermione seemed to notice Ginny staring at him when he came onto the pitch with the rest of the team. Hermione gave her a little knowing smirk that infuriated her, but she couldn't help but focus on Harry during the match.
Suddenly, the typically raucous stadium grew quiet as a chill spread through the air, and Ginny almost screamed, hearing the voice of Tom Riddle in her mind, even more real than it was in her nightmares. Nearby, her friends had similar despairing looks on their faces. Ginny looked out at the pitch again and gasped in terror, seeing what must've been a hundred dementors, and they were all looking up at… Harry.
Ginny almost forgot about Tom Riddle, seeing Harry abruptly tilt sideways and fall off his broom. Screams erupted throughout the crowd, maybe from herself, as he fell through the pack of dementors. She winced, knowing that she was about to see Harry's body break on the pitch, but suddenly, Dumbledore was running onto the pitch, much faster than a man his age should've been able to move. With a wave of his wand, he slowed Harry so that he landed softly on the ground.
Then Dumbledore turned on the dementors, and Ginny almost shuddered at the angry expression on his usually kind face. He spun his wand around his head and pointed it at the dementors. Something big and silver flew at the dementors, and they scattered, rapidly flying away from the stadium, chased by whatever Dumbledore had sent at them. Almost immediately, Ginny felt the terror in her mind subside as her body warmed, no longer chilled by the presence of those dreadful creatures.
She continued watching as Dumbledore put Harry on a stretcher and floated him out of the stadium, and only then did she realise that Gryffindor had lost. She saw the Hufflepuff Seeker, Cedric Diggory, gesturing emphatically to Madam Hooch about something, but she apparently disagreed with whatever he was saying. It wasn't like he had anything to complain about– he'd just gotten a free shot at the Snitch.
Ginny turned to ask Ron and Hermione if they should go see Harry, but they were already gone. Ginny sighed, reminded that she wasn't part of their group. Hermione was her friend, more this year than last year at least, and Ron was her brother. She wondered if Harry thought she was his friend. She certainly felt that way about him. And a lot more.
She walked with the crowd that was slowly filtering out of the stadium, disappointed with the result of the match, but then she had a brilliant idea that she was certain would change Harry's view of her. She stopped at her dormitory for a moment to gather some supplies before going to the library.
Ginny took a piece of parchment and folded it, writing a little note on the inside that read 'Get well soon!' Harry hadn't seemed to like the poem from Valentine's, not that that had been entirely her fault, so she wisely decided on something simpler. She realised she didn't know much about Harry– like did he like music? Surely he did, who didn't? So she found a charm in an advanced textbook and spent an hour or two teaching it to herself so that she could make the card sing. It didn't have the best voice– it would've taken her much longer to perfect that, but it was the best she could do.
Closing the card, she used another advanced charm to change the colour of her ink as she drew a picture of Harry on a broomstick. Only, in this picture, he was catching the Snitch instead of falling off his broom. He'd probably like that better. She wasn't much of an artist, but she had to admit that she was very pleased with the final product. There was no way Harry wouldn't notice her after this.
Ginny waited until she knew that the Gryffindor team had finished visiting him to head to the Hospital Wing. Thankfully, he was alone, so Ron and Hermione wouldn't see if this didn't go well. Not that it wouldn't go well. He'd love it.
But because he was alone, Ginny came to the startling conclusion that she'd have to actually talk to him. "Hi, Ginny," Harry started, not really seeming in the happy mood that she'd imagined he'd be in when she gave him the card.
It took a moment for her to remember to respond. "HiIHopeYouFeelBetter," she blurted out, shoving the card into his hand. He gave her a halfhearted smile looking at the card, but when he opened it and the card started singing, she saw the tips of his ears turn red. He hated it. She'd have to remember that for the next time he hurt himself.
"Er– thanks, Ginny," he said belatedly, trying to be as gracious as possible, which she appreciated. He was so sweet.
"You'reWelcomeGladYou'reGonnaBeOkay!" Ginny was barely aware of what words she'd strung together almost incoherently before she darted out of the Hospital Wing, leaving Harry alone once again. She froze for a moment, replaying that scene in her mind. Then she smiled a little to herself as she walked back to the common room. That probably could've gone better. But he definitely noticed her.
Ginny smiled to herself, remembering the first of many times she'd seen Harry in a hospital bed. She didn't know anyone who'd spent more time in the Hospital Wing than him, and yet he was always okay. She'd give anything for that trend to continue. He'd wake up. He had to.
And Ginny was inspired to make him laugh when he woke. She conjured a quill and piece of parchment and set to work on replicating the card she'd made for Harry in her second year. She was positive that he'd like it a lot more now than he had when he was thirteen. The one change she made was adding a line to the card. It now read: 'Get well soon. I love you!'
Ginny placed the card on the stand by his bed, under his glasses, and yawned, only now realising how late it was. She supposed Hagrid or McGonagall might be back to check on him soon, but she was exhausted, and she knew there was something that she hadn't tried that could comfort Harry even more than holding his hand or kissing his forehead.
She pulled out her wand and levitated Harry over in his bed slightly before setting it down on the stand. Without hesitation, she climbed into the bed with Harry, slipping under the covers and wrapping an arm and leg around him so she was as close to him as possible.
Pressing her lips to his ear, she whispered, "I'm right here, Harry, and I'm not going anywhere. Just keep fighting. I love you." She kissed his cheek gently before resting her head on the pillow, falling asleep with hopes that he'd be the one waking her up in the morning.
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
Quirrell's hands were around his neck.
"Harry–"
The basilisk lunged at him, baring its fangs.
"I love you."
A hundred dementors descended, ready to take his soul.
"I love you."
Cedric crumpled to the ground, dead. Tom Riddle tortured him in a decrepit graveyard.
"I love you."
Sirius fell through the archway. His mind screamed as it was invaded by Voldemort.
"I love you."
Dumbledore fell from the Astronomy Tower.
"I love you."
Green lights flashed. Everyone he loved died. He stood over their bodies, unable to breathe. Why did this happen to him?
"I love you."
Who could possibly love him when he'd caused so much pain?
"I love you."
"How?" he cried out desperately.
"I love you."
"Why?" he cried out desperately.
"I love you."
Everyone he loved was dead around him in the dark, cold room. He was shivering violently. How could he be hearing this? It made no sense.
"Keep fighting."
Fight what? He'd lost; couldn't the voice see that?
"Keep fighting."
What did he have to fight for? There wasn't any point anymore.
"Keep fighting. I love you."
Everything hurt. He just wanted to understand. He had to understand. "How do I fight?" he asked the voice that he wasn't sure could hear him.
"Keep fighting. I love you."
He wasn't sure what that meant. But he knew he'd do anything to understand this. Especially if he could find someone who loved him.
A flash of green burst across his vision, and everything went black. Somehow though, he was warmer now.
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
Ginny had a rather restless night's sleep. Every time Madam Pomfrey came in, she'd wake to a slightly disapproving look and tell her there was no change in Harry's condition. A few hours into the night, he did start moving, ever so slightly. She must've been sleeping incredibly lightly because she woke up every time he moved even a centimetre. And he wasn't ever moving much more than that. His eyes, which had been moving periodically under his eyelids, were now completely still, and she wasn't entirely sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
Madam Pomfrey told her that it meant he wasn't dreaming anymore. That must've been a good thing for him, even if he still didn't seem to be any closer to waking up. By five or six in the morning, she resigned herself to not even bothering to close her eyes anymore. She was too worried to sleep. Even though Amelia had said it would take time, deep down, Ginny had thought he'd be awake by now.
Now it just seemed like the longer that went by, the less likely it was that Harry would wake, and that thought made her feel terribly ill. So she watched him, hoping that something miraculous would happen while she was watching. It was a bit like watching a mandrake grow, except that she much preferred looking at him over mandrakes. He was still so bloody handsome, even while he was unconscious. But she'd give anything to see his beautiful green eyes again.
Sunlight was just creeping through the windows of the hospital wing when Harry moved again, more than he had all night, which wasn't saying much. He shifted against her, almost trying to move closer to her, and his hands twitched slightly. She immediately took one of his hands, gasping when he squeezed it.
Feeling hopeful again, she kissed him on the cheek and then on the lips. "You're gonna be okay, Harry. I'm right here. Just wake up, babe."
She waited for several minutes, expecting him to wake up at any second, but nothing changed. She sighed, forcing herself to not be too upset. He'd be okay. He just needed more time. She kissed his cheek again.
"I'm still here. I'll wait for you. I love you," she whispered before laying back down on the pillow, still keeping watch over him.
She thought she might fall back asleep. As worried as she was, it had been an exhausting night. Her eyes were fluttering closed when a tiny movement on Harry's face caught her attention. She rubbed her eyes, sure that she was dreaming, and then looked again. Her breath hitched. Harry's eyes were open.
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
Everything was fuzzy. It wasn't quite as dark as before, and it seemed to be getting brighter by the second. He wasn't sure what this was. It felt like he might be dreaming. Where was he? Who was he? And why was everything so blurry?
He felt something moving next to him and turned. His mouth felt incredibly dry as he saw the first thing that wasn't a total blur. A woman with flaming red hair and gorgeous brown eyes was staring at him as if in shock. If he was being honest, she looked exhausted. But he didn't think he'd ever seen someone as spectacular as this before.
"You're beautiful." What was wrong with him? Had he really just blurted that out? She'd probably think he was mental.
He was stunned when she didn't push away from him. Instead, her mouth broke into a small, relieved smile.
"Harry–" she whispered and then her mouth was on his. Now he was really surprised, but he wasn't about to complain about the prettiest girl he'd ever seen kissing him. He could still hear her voice ringing in his head. Suddenly, he gasped, and she pulled back.
"Ginny," he whispered back before hugging her tightly. He was still getting his wits about him again, but he knew who she was and what she meant to him.
Harry shifted back to look at her again, cupping her cheek with his hand and using his thumb to wipe away a tear. "Hey, why are you crying?" he asked.
She rubbed her nose and sat up a little more. "Do you remember when we were in the Room of Requirement?"
He nodded, fondly remembering the day they'd spent together after his argument with Grimhall. It had more than made up for how angry he'd been after class.
"And what's the last thing you remember after that?"
He frowned and ran a hand through his hair, trying to think about it. "I remember I had detention, so I went to Grimhall's office…" He trailed off, letting the memories return to him. "When I got there, he told me to–" Harry stopped speaking as it suddenly hit him. "He– he told me to go to the Forbidden Forest to– to prove I was a hero and spend an hour in the forest. But what… where are we?"
Ginny had practically turned red with rage, a sight that never failed to take Harry's breath away. At his question though, her expression softened a little. "We're in the Hospital Wing. You… had a panic attack in the forest. I saw you walking to the forest on the map and got McGonagall to help me get you out. But when we got down there, Firenze brought you out of the forest, and Hagrid carried you up here. Madam Pomfrey tried to wake you up, but she couldn't, and then Amelia said that if we made you comfortable, you'd wake up eventually–"
"Wait, Amelia was here?" Harry interrupted, a little surprised by that.
Ginny nodded. "She came last night when we realised nothing Madam Pomfrey tried was helping."
"But then… how long have I been out?"
She frowned as she brushed the hair off his forehead. "About twelve hours, I think. I don't know if you remember anything, but Amelia thought you were in a traumatic panic attack. So… I don't know, I just talked to you and when I wasn't talking, I was holding you. I– I thought maybe that would help."
Harry squeezed his eyes shut as a rush of memories of what had to be the last night flooded into his mind. He remembered everything. The panic and terror that seemed unending. One horrible vision bled into the next in horrific fashion. But he also remembered how they'd ended.
"It– it did help. I could hear like– like fragments of conversations. I didn't understand them until I heard a voice– you– saying that I had to keep fighting and that you loved me. I remember thinking that I had to figure out how to fight back and find whoever was talking to me."
Any trace of the anger that had been on her face was gone now. He felt himself melting under the warmth in her gaze. "Well I'm glad you came back to me," she said quietly, and he smiled.
"Next thing on my list: you're the one I'll always fight to come back to."
His eyes locked on hers, and he saw deep emotions running through them. He was always entranced by her expressive eyes, and right now, they were telling him that she felt the same way. She didn't need to say it. He knew they'd both always fight to come back to each other. After everything they'd been through, it was the least they could do.
"Oh, I made you something," she said, several moments after they'd lost themselves in each other's eyes.
"You did?"
She smiled. "Had to have something to pass the time. It gets so boring waiting on you in the Hospital Wing, you know."
Harry chuckled. "Sorry I couldn't be more entertaining. Next time I'm back in here–"
"Don't," Ginny interrupted, suddenly in a much less humorous mood. She shook her head. "Sorry, but just… don't joke about that."
He felt a pang of guilt, seeing her expression. Him being in that state had obviously affected her greatly. "I'm sorry, Gin. Believe me, I don't like being here. It's just–"
"You have a funny way of ending up here a lot?" Ginny finished, and he nodded. "I know. I knew it when I started dating you. But last night… it was just really scary," she admitted.
Harry pressed his lips together as he pulled her into another hug and kissed the top of her head. "I'll do everything I can to stay out of here," he promised. She nodded against his chest.
She pulled back, quickly wiping her eyes. "I know. I don't ever want to make you another one of these," she replied, reaching over to the stand to hand him his glasses and a folded piece of parchment.
When Harry put his glasses on, he grinned at the drawing on the front. "Your drawing skills have improved," he commented, making Ginny laugh. It was his turn to laugh when he opened it and heard the familiar, awful voice singing. He did like the added touch of 'I love you' at the end, particularly the long, drawn out final syllable.
"Damn, I love you," he told her, kissing her bashfully smiling lips. He was so caught up in her that he didn't hear footsteps approaching until he heard a voice that he really didn't want to hear while he was kissing his girlfriend.
"Good to see you're awake, Potter," McGonagall said pointedly. Harry and Ginny quickly broke apart, and Harry found it difficult to meet McGonagall's eyes.
"It's good to be awake," he responded in a low voice that emphasised his discomfort.
"How are you feeling?"
"Fine. Good. My head hurts a bit, but I'm okay," he answered, hoping that was believable. He didn't really like the idea of discussing his panic attacks with McGonagall.
"Hmm" was the only reply she had to that.
"Did you speak to Grimhall last night?" Ginny asked, with a new edge in her voice.
"I did," McGonagall responded.
"And?" Ginny pressed.
"I don't intend on discussing faculty matters with either of you, but I believe, after my conversation with Professor Grimhall, he understands that his behaviour has been entirely inappropriate. And he is fully aware that nothing like this will ever be tolerated again."
"Thanks, Professor," Harry said, recognising that McGonagall was likely more upset about all this than she was letting on. He certainly didn't envy Grimhall being on the receiving end of McGonagall's wrath.
"Does Harry still have to serve the other detentions?" Ginny asked another question Harry should've been asking, and he was incredibly grateful for it.
McGonagall shook her head slightly. "No, he won't. Professor Grimhall will no longer have the power to deduct house points or give detentions while on probation. If he does earn that ability again, any detentions he assigns will be served with me. I'm certain you won't abuse that knowledge, but truthfully, I can't blame you for reacting the way you did. I only wish you'd told me what was happening before things escalated to this point. And… I want you to know that I am sorry that I didn't do more to prevent this from happening. Even though you did not speak to me about it, I should have been more proactive in ensuring things were safe."
Harry knew that was as close to approval for his actions as he'd get from her and nodded his understanding. He wished he'd said something now too, and he didn't really think he could begrudge her for not doing something when he hadn't said anything.
"Thank you. For that… and for helping last night," Ginny said quietly. He couldn't even imagine what they'd both gone through last night, and he was glad he didn't have to, as terrible as the night had been for him.
"I refuse to make another mistake like that. I take the care of my students seriously, Weasley. Particularly with the two of you. Which reminds me that I've been meaning to speak to you about your sleeping arrangements." McGonagall's eyes narrowed as she said this.
Harry felt his face heating rapidly and knew Ginny's was the same. He couldn't have created a more awkward scenario in his mind if he'd tried. Actually, that wasn't true, but he didn't want to think about it. At least he and Ginny were wearing clothes.
"Er– we– it's just…" he tried but couldn't form any coherent words.
"We aren't doing anything wrong. We literally couldn't sleep because of our nightmares without each other," Ginny spoke firmly, and Harry felt a rush of pride for his girlfriend.
"Be that as it may, I cannot allow two students to be sleeping outside of their dormitories." Both Harry and Ginny opened their mouths to protest, but McGonagall cut them off. "However, I recall mentioning to you over the summer that the Gryffindor Head Boy dormitory would be empty after you declined the position. I also remember telling both of you I wished I could do something more for you beyond giving you Special Awards for Services to the School." She was silent for a moment before continuing. "Anyways, that's entirely unrelated. As I was saying, if someone were to find out that the Head Boy dormitory was located behind the wall opposite the first year boys' dormitory and that the password was 'Godric's Gargoyles,' I suppose there would be no stopping anybody from using that room. Hypothetically, of course."
Harry stared dumbfounded at the headmistress. "Are you saying–"
"I have some matters to attend to. Rest up, Potter," McGonagall said, offering no further explanation before leaving the Hospital Wing.
Once she was gone, Harry and Ginny turned to look at each other, eyes wide in shock.
"Did she just…" Ginny trailed off in disbelief.
"Yeah… I– I think she did," he answered, feeling just as surprised.
"Can you believe that?"
He shook his head. "I would've thought you were mad if you'd told me before today that McGonagall would help us share a bedroom."
"I'll miss our Sunrise Cottage room though," Ginny sighed.
"I guess we'll just have to make the new room as comfortable as the old one," Harry suggested, and she immediately brightened up.
"Yes! Just as soon as Madam Pomfrey says you're okay to leave. We've got to make sure everything's good with you first."
Harry nodded, and maybe for the first time in his life, he didn't protest at being asked to stay in the Hospital Wing. "You're right. But I'm gonna be okay. Everything's gonna be okay." And, as traumatic as the last day had been, it somehow really did feel that way.
/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
A/N: Well that was a bit of a whirlwind chapter! I appreciate you all sticking with me through the cliffhanger and hope this made some of the waiting feel less painful! And before I say anything else, I will say that even though we don't see Grimhall in this chapter, don't worry, there's still more to come with him in the next chapter!
It was, sadly, not difficult to find painful memories for Ginny to relive during this chapter. The first one shows her perspective of part of a story she told Harry about the Carrows all the way back in SoR Chapter 4, when they took their torment of students to a horrific new level. We've obviously only ever seen Harry's perspective of the second memory, where McLaggen hit him with the Bludger, and I knew Ginny's perspective would've been terrifying for her, but I couldn't resist having her punch him in the face. He deserved it! Also, in HBP, it's mentioned that Ginny and Dean have a row over Dean laughing at Harry falling. I felt like this seemed a bit out of character for him, so I tried to tie it to his jealousy of Harry in that he, along with everyone else, is aware that Ginny has feelings for Harry. This is something I've been consistent in with all the memories I've written of Ginny's during the HBP timeframe. It's always felt implied to me, with Hermione's knowing glances and the jokes the two of them shared. I don't think that Ginny did the right thing, staying with Dean even though she had feelings for Harry, but I can think of a lot worse things that a maturing teenage girl could've done. At the very least, she never cheated on Dean, even if she wasn't emotionally all there throughout their relationship. I don't know that I needed to justify that, but it's something that I felt like should be said. And on the last memory, there's a brief mention in PoA of Ginny giving Harry a singing get well card. It seemed to me like that would've been rather challenging to do, so I made it a point that it was a complex charm that she had to spend extensive time learning because it's just sweet to imagine in my opinion.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm not a doctor, and I have very little actual medical knowledge, so I appreciate you all not judging me for that. I, like a lot of other people, have wondered why the scar left by the Killing Curse is a lightning bolt, other than that it looks cool. It's widely accepted that it's the wand motion required to cast it, and that may be true, but as I was thinking more about all these details and plans for these books, I decided that I wanted to make a connection between the scar and the way the curse works. As I'm not a doctor, it makes enough sense to me that a concentrated electric pulse could stop all organ function, especially with the help of *magic*. I also think the Cruciatus works similarly, essentially frying nerve endings, which almost makes it like a lesser form of the Killing Curse. So that's my explanation for why Harry has the scars and why he's susceptible to a panic attack of this magnitude. It's also connected to why, back in SoR Chapter 6, he had a lot of trouble standing because of his legs not working properly. It's not totally scientifically accurate (I don't think), but it works well enough for me!
It was very important to explain more on why McGonagall hadn't intervened sooner with Grimhall, especially since I know so many of you wondered about that. Part of it is that she did make a mistake. The way she understood things was different than what they actually were, and I feel like it's a big deal that she actually apologises for what happened and takes that responsibility. Today in particular, Trelawney was taking up her attention, and she didn't really have a chance to learn about Harry receiving a detention. But I hope this chapter shows that she's livid with how Harry was treated and she's going todo her best to ensure nothing like that ever happens again.
So that pretty much wraps up this chapter, even though I wouldn't say this story arc is entirely resolved yet. They do still have to see Grimhall again, after all! Props to everyone who said that Harry and Ginny should be in the Head Boy dormitory that McGonagall mentioned back in SoR; I really had to let you all believe they were going to be shacking up in the Room of Requirement all year for at least a little bit! And lastly, rereading this chapter for the first time in a couple months reminded me of just how important it is for the rest of this book in ways I don't think would be expected, but you're always feel free to take a guess! And as always, thank you all for your continued support, whether you're just reading along silently or commenting every chapter, I appreciate you!
Coming Friday: Overcoming- Of course things had to happen this way. Things always happened this way to them.
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So I have a bit of a bad habit of not double checking chapters after I've posted them because I'll continue to nitpick everything I've written if I keep reading it. But because of that, I didn't realise until a couple days ago that my responses to the comments on Chapter 3 didn't save for some reason, and I don't want to leave those comments unanswered, especially since there were a few interesting points in them, so I'll answer those first and then move to the Chapter 4 comments. Thanks for understanding and sorry it took an extra week!
Chapter 3:
Zjy: There definitely is something there with Neville and Hannah, but we'll have to see if that turns into anything! I know some fics ship Neville and Luna too, which is a bit interesting to me, even if there's no canon basis for it. I feel like I should say that for me, there's only four couples that I can promise right now will stay together forever- Harry/Ginny (obviously), Ron/Hermione, Bill/Fleur, and Arthur/Molly, just because these are the canon pairings that cannot possibly not stay together. That's not to say that other couples introduced won't also stay together forever, but these were the only four that I started the writing process knowing would never separate. The other thing is that I have to separate when couples get together somewhat because otherwise I'd be writing a ton of weddings around the same time, and I feel like that would make everything less interesting honestly, so it could be a while before everyone ends up with their forever person. And on Manchester United… I'm cautiously optimistic, even though being a fan for the past decade has certainly jaded me, but I have no illusions that we'll be anywhere near City next season haha!
Nightwing2013: I'm glad your teacher ended up making your year better than Grimhall's making Harry and Ginny's! Funny enough, I did base Grimhall, very loosely, on a teacher of mine from high school, who was sort of the opposite as your teacher. She started out being a sweet old woman, but by the end of the year, I had way too many horror stories from her class. She's (thankfully) still the only teacher I've ever seen throw a shoe at a student, and I had a marker thrown at me once. Crazy stuff, but that's definitely where some of Grimhall's inspiration came from, so I guess it was okay in the end?
Finnspa23: Chapter 4 sort of answered this question a bit, but I still think it's a good point. Nonverbal spell casting is taught to students starting in their sixth year because Harry has to be able to do it for Defence, Transfiguration, and Charms. I think he immediately has an advantage over Ginny at it because he had a relatively normal sixth year, while Ginny was busy organising a resistance to the Carrows. I also can't imagine that Hermione would let them spend all those months on the run without trying to continue improving at magic, so I think they probably would've practised nonverbal spell casting a lot, even if they never really used it in DH at all. Those are the big reasons I think Harry would be capable of it. I think Ginny, being a talented witch, would be able to improve at it too, as we sort of see in the library scene in Chapter 4, but they are both still learning. And, of course, it's hard to beat the drama of having a character actually shout what spell they're using!
Chapter 4:
Scrappy8: Grimhall being a secret Death Eater would honestly be a crazy twist. He probably would be a very valuable person to Voldemort though, being a former high-ranking Auror. Guess we'll have to see if that's his problem!
Fanfromreddit and Finnspa23: I'm definitely having a great time as a McLaren fan haha. Love the drivers and think the car is brilliant right now, but it does still feel like the team is trying to figure out how to strategise like a winning team should, so here's hoping they figure that out over the break! I did think it was very funny when I realised that the F1 reference came just after the McLaren 1-2 and Oscar's first win- my chapters sometimes have a weird way of lining up very well with things in real life, even though they were written several months ago. And Finnspa, I've honestly got no idea how Checo's keeping the seat other than sponsor money, which is, I guess, a compelling reason, and it's nice for breaking up Red Bull dominance, but it's still crazy to me.
Dust1423: I really hope the wait was worth it! On Ginny standing up to Grimhall, I really, really did think about it. The plot reason for why she didn't was that if she stood up to him, she would've gotten detention too, and then Harry going to the forest alone wouldn't have happened. But I think there's a good character reason for it too. She's grown from the person who flies off the handle all the time, mostly because of the year of terror at Hogwarts. She definitely does still get emotional, but she's able to control herself more because she's had to a lot in the past year. She knows that if she gets into the argument, it'll look like she's trying to fight Harry's battles for him, and Harry would back off because he wouldn't want her to get in trouble. He's very good about putting himself at risk, but he doesn't want anyone else, especially her, to ever be at risk because of him. There's also the fact that Ginny, along with the rest of the students in the class, are just stunned at Grimhall acting this way toward a war hero. And in this chapter, it takes McGonagall's repeated assurances that Grimhall's facing consequences for Ginny (and Hagrid) to not take matters into their own hands. I hope that does make sense and seems in character for her, but I do get why it might've been a bit surprising.
TheRiflesSpiral: Honestly, all I wanted to say was thank you for that. That feels like such a massive compliment. I've mentioned before that I actually say all the dialogue I write out loud, and getting into a character where I acted out the argument between them really helped me write Harry's anger more authentically. And, of course, it was a ton of fun to write Harry being really sassy haha!