"You are so bloody lucky I love you."
/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Ginny couldn't remember the last time she'd slept so poorly. Actually, that wasn't entirely true. She'd slept about like this most nights in the last year. It had just been so long that she'd started to forget. She tossed and turned all night, maybe catching thirty minutes of peace here and there before returning to the uncomfortable feeling of loneliness.
It was a relief when sunlight began creeping into the dormitory. The other girls were still asleep when Ginny rolled out of bed and got dressed, taking her hairbrush downstairs to the common room, which she expected would still be empty at this early hour.
When she came down the stairs, she started to walk to the armchair she usually sat in with Harry when something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. She turned, feeling a pang of sadness and empathy, seeing Harry sitting alone on a couch in a darker corner of the room.
His hair was messier than usual, looking like he'd lost a fight with his pillow. His eyes were open, but they were dark with exhaustion. He didn't say anything as she walked over and sat next to him. Instead, he took the brush out of her hand and began running it through her hair, using his hand as much as the brush to smooth it out.
Ginny suspected that she looked as rough as Harry did and understood that they didn't need to discuss what was bothering them. They knew each other well enough to know without asking. Rather than talking, they sat in silence, Harry brushing her hair while she occasionally rubbed his leg. This felt more restful than all the hours she'd spent in her bed the previous night.
Since they were tucked in a more private corner of the room, not many people noticed them when they left for breakfast. Deciding that it was probably time for them to follow, Ginny turned and kissed Harry's cheek before standing, quickly taking her brush back to her dorm before rejoining him at the foot of the stairs, where he was waiting. She took his hand and they walked out the portrait together, making their way to the Great Hall.
Breakfast didn't have the same aura of anticipation that the first breakfast of the term tended to have. She figured that was because the people sitting around them– Dean, Demelza, Mia Foster, Elliot Carmichael, and Miles Fairfax– could tell that they hadn't slept well. She wondered privately if Harry's nightmares had woken any of his roommates.
The subdued meal was interrupted by Flitwick, bustling among the tables to distribute class schedules. When he gave Ginny and Harry their schedules, they laid them on the table to compare.
"You're in all my classes," Harry commented, sounding happier than he had all morning.
"Well, we are in the same year now. And I've just got one block of Care of Magical Creatures on Thursdays and Arithmancy on Tuesdays."
"I've got Arithmancy on Tuesdays too," Dean added, smiling at her. Ginny nodded, remembering that Dean had helped her from time to time with her Arithmancy homework back when they dated. She put a hand on Harry's leg, noticing him shifting a little awkwardly on the bench.
They'd talked about jealousy before and why neither of them needed to worry about it, but she knew from experience that that didn't always make it easier. In her mind, she couldn't see why Harry would ever feel threatened by Dean, considering how much she knew she loved him. Then again, Harry had made it clear that he felt the same way about her and Cho, and Ginny still felt a little– or a lot– jealous when Harry's ex-girlfriend came around or was mentioned.
"Guess we'll get to see what that Grimhall bloke is all about," she said, pointing at the first class on their schedule for today– Defence Against the Dark Arts.
"I heard he's a little… interesting," Demelza said.
"Interesting like Umbridge or Moody?" Dean asked. Ginny glanced out of the corner of her eye to Harry, who didn't appear to be too bothered by the mention of either of those former teachers.
"More like Moody. Maybe not as crazy though," Demelza answered.
"We'll let you know how he is," Ginny promised, pushing away from the table, knowing she wasn't going to eat any more, especially with class starting in fifteen minutes.
"Good luck," Demelza called as the seventh-years all walked away from the Gryffindor table to the first class of the new term.
She was a little surprised when they reached the Defence classroom and found that the seventh years of all four houses were present. Granted, this was a N.E.W.T. level class, so there weren't loads of people taking it, but it was still unusual, especially considering that the seventh year class was much larger than usual with a lot of people Harry's age returning. The Gryffindor group took seats near the back of the classroom, waiting curiously to see what the new professor would be like.
They didn't have to wait long. Professor Grimhall strode brusquely into the classroom at precisely nine. He spoke in a deep voice that seemed to fit his assured and slightly superior expression.
"Good morning. I am Professor Adrian Grimhall. For those of you who have not read your textbooks yet, I spent twenty years as an Auror before retiring to tend to a farm and write. I've written extensively on the subject of Defence Against the Dark Arts, and I was intrigued by Professor McGonagall's offer to teach at Hogwarts, which is why I'm here now. From my understanding, your Defence education has been inconsistent at best. It is my plan to assess your current abilities over the next couple weeks before we begin exploring more advanced topics."
Ginny watched as his eyes moved across the room, surveying the crowd of thirty or fourty students in front of him. Unsurprisingly, his eyes lingered for a moment when he saw Harry before continuing his scan of the class.
"We'll begin by pairing up and practising disarming and shield charms."
Once everyone had stood, Grimhall waved his wand and all the desks and chairs disappeared, leaving plenty of room for everyone to move about freely.
"Seems a little basic, doesn't it?" Mia commented, standing next to Ginny, opposite Harry and Dean, whom they had paired with.
Ginny shrugged, thinking that Harry would be rather insulted if he heard someone suggest that his signature spell was too basic.
"You may begin whenever you're ready," Grimhall stated, and almost immediately, jets of red light and blue shields began materialising around the room.
Harry raised an eyebrow, almost challengingly, and Ginny shouted, "Expelliarmus!"
He deflected the spell easily, but he had a bit more trouble with the second Disarming Charm that Ginny surprised him with immediately following her first. Harry grinned and easily shot a response back that Ginny blocked without any problem. Mia's wand flew out of her hand next to Ginny, and Harry sent another one at Ginny after seeing she was ready. She blocked it again.
She responded with three in quick succession, but Harry was ready, and he responded with one of his own.
"You're allowed to try and disarm me. Or do you think you can't?" Ginny taunted, not wanting Harry to take it easy on her. He laughed and caught her off guard with a quick Disarming Charm that she barely deflected.
She shot one back, but he blocked it, responding faster than she thought was possible and before she knew it, her wand was in his hand. Her expression betrayed her disappointment in herself, and Harry chuckled, walking over to her and holding her wand out.
"You asked for it," he said, reminding Ginny that she hadn't very often seen Harry in his element, duelling, particularly since his skills had undoubtedly improved in the last couple years.
"Glad you're on my side," she responded.
He smiled. "Always."
This practice went on for several more minutes, but neither of them could disarm the other again. Everyone stopped when Professor Grimhall sent some sparks into the air.
"That's about what I was expecting for a class with no consistency in education. Your spells work, but they'd never be effective in a real combat situation. For example, you–" he pointed to Owen MacGregor, a Hufflepuff and this year's Head Boy "– are too slow with your shields."
He took the place of Owen's partner, raising his wand to indicate that he was about to demonstrate. Owen tentatively raised his wand, not looking too enthusiastic about facing a professor.
"Expelliarmus!" Grimhall cast calmly, somehow making his spell move faster than a typical Disarming Charm, and, as he had said, Owen's shield was too late. Grimhall strode back across the room, returning Owen's wand.
He pointed at Harry now. Ginny felt her hackles rising before she even heard what Grimhall had to say. "You're lazy with your wandwork. It'll work against students, but more experienced witches and wizards won't be as easy to disarm."
She couldn't believe it as Grimhall stepped in front of her, appearing intent on challenging Harry, especially considering he was just wrong about Harry's Disarming Charm not working against older witches and wizards. Harry raised his eyebrows, and Grimhall waved his hand, apparently intent on proving a point.
"Expelliarmus," Harry cast, and Grimhall repelled it easily.
"Exactly my point," the professor said dismissively, almost seeming a little proud of himself.
"Well, you were expecting it," Harry responded, more defensively than Ginny was used to seeing from him.
"In the real world, you must expect that anyone will be ready for–"
There were several gasps as Grimhall's wand flew across the room to Harry, who caught it easily, having apparently wordlessly disarmed him. Ginny would've laughed if Grimhall wasn't clenching his fists like he was seriously pissed off.
He walked menacingly over to Harry, who innocently held the wand out. "Sorry, Professor. I just assumed that if experienced witches and wizards would always be ready, you would be too."
Grimhall snatched the wand. "I'm sure your celebrity act has helped you out of many situations, Mister Potter, but I assure you that I am not nearly as impressed by fame. I advise you to consider watching your tongue before it gets you in trouble your fame can't bail you out of."
Ginny breathed a sigh of relief when Harry didn't respond, just staring at the professor as he barked, "Class dismissed!"
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
"You're insane, you know?" Ginny commented as they walked out of the classroom. Harry shrugged, noticing that the looks he was getting now were slightly less awestruck and more impressed at his gall.
"He asked for it."
"He's also a professor."
"You're starting to sound like Hermione," Harry laughed until Ginny punched him in the arm.
"Impressive, Harry," Mia commented, walking up beside them as they walked to the Transfiguration classroom.
"Thanks, Mia," he said, glancing pointedly at Ginny.
"I didn't say it wasn't impressive. You know I love your brave and reckless side. I just wanted to be sure you knew it was insane, too."
Harry laughed and threw an arm around her. "I love you too, Blaze."
He wasn't entirely sure what had come over him in Defence. He usually could handle people doubting him or whatever Grimhall was doing, but it had gotten to a point of just being irritating. After everything, he didn't demand respect, but he did prefer not being insulted by his professors.
Word spread very quickly, as usual, through the castle, and Harry wasn't even surprised when McGonagall asked him and Ginny to stay behind after a joint Gryffindor and Hufflepuff Transfiguration lesson.
"I heard you've made quite the impression on the new Defence professor."
"He started it," Harry responded defensively.
McGonagall let out a measured breath. "Potter, I don't think I need to remind you that it isn't in your best interest to pick fights with professors."
"It's a little different than it was with Umbridge, Professor."
"You're an adult, Potter. You don't deserve to feel insulted by your professors, and I won't try and control how you handle it. I just wanted you to be aware of my feelings on the matter. Regardless, I actually wanted to speak to both of you about something else. We were planning on conducting a ceremony to present your Special Awards for Services to the School, but with Weasley and Granger out of the country, that will have to be delayed."
Ginny vocalised Harry's thoughts immediately. "Professor, does there have to be a ceremony?"
"Pardon?"
"It's just… there's already been so many ceremonies. I think we all really appreciate the awards, but I really don't want to keep having more events to remind us of the past year. We're trying to move on and have a normal year."
"I see… I suppose we don't have to have a ceremony if that's what you all would prefer."
Harry chimed in. "I definitely agree."
"Very well. Your awards will be in the Trophy Room. I wish there was more I could do for all of you, but this is the best I could think of."
"Thanks, Professor," Ginny said, smiling. McGonagall nodded, dismissing them both from the classroom.
They spent the afternoon under their tree on the grounds of Hogwarts. There wasn't any homework for them to do yet, so they were free to relax as much as they wanted. By the time dinner came around, they were both famished and exhausted from the sleepless night before.
"How was your first day?" Ginny asked Emily as they slid across the table from her.
She smiled. "It was pretty good. I had Charms and Potions, and I have Astronomy tonight. I don't think it was as exciting as your day though."
Ginny and Harry both laughed, seeing just how quickly the gossip had spread through the castle. "I can't say I've ever had a first day quite like this one before," Harry replied.
"I think you just like fighting too much," Emily commented.
Ginny saw Harry's smile falter for a brief second before he forced it again. "You may be right about that," he answered before digging into the potatoes on his plate.
They found themselves in the familiar armchair in front of the fireplace again after dinner. Both of them were nodding off, but neither was ready to return to their dormitory and try sleeping yet. It wasn't until Ginny fell completely asleep, resting her head on Harry's chest, that he knew it was time for them to go to bed. He turned and caught Mia's eye before she went up to the dormitory.
She walked over to him, smiling when she saw Ginny asleep in his arms. "You could just sleep out here," she whispered. Harry hesitated for a second, feeling like there should be some reason that they couldn't do that, but he realised he couldn't think of one at the moment. He nodded, resting his head on top of Ginny's now. Mia left, but Harry was barely aware of it, falling asleep almost instantly now that he wasn't trying to keep himself awake.
He woke some time later when he felt Ginny shifting on top of him. He slowly blinked his eyes open, smiling at Ginny, who was looking up at him with a combination of adoration and exhaustion. The fire had burned down much lower since he'd fallen asleep, and he guessed it was about two or three in the morning.
"We should probably go to bed," he whispered. She nodded and slowly climbed off of him before beginning to walk towards the stairs. Harry followed, grabbing her hand and spinning her around.
"I love you," he whispered, kissing her gently.
She sighed quietly. "I love you too," she answered in a tired voice before climbing the stairs, dragging her feet as she rounded the corner. Once she was out of sight, he made his own tired trek to his dormitory, collapsing in bed and barely remembering to cast a Muffliato charm before falling back asleep.
He stood facing Professor Grimhall, only it wasn't Professor Grimhall he was supposed to disarm anymore. Standing in his place was Voldemort.
"Come now, Harry. Disarm me, or she dies."
His anger exploded, seeing Ginny lying on the floor, unconscious, behind Voldemort.
"Expelliarmus!" he cried, but there wasn't a wand in his hand.
"My wand! Where's my wand, you bastard?" he screamed now, and Voldemort's grating laughter only grew louder.
"I guess she dies."
He ran to throw himself between the two of them, but Voldemort cast a Body-Bind Curse on him. "Don't worry, Harry. We'll get to you soon enough. First, I want you to see her die."
He couldn't move, couldn't speak. Tears poured out of his eyes as he watched helplessly, Voldemort sneered as he raised his wand.
"Avada Kedavra!" Green light flooded his vision and then everything went dark.
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
She wouldn't have expected before this year that she would've slept better in an awkward position in an armchair on Harry's lap than in her bed in the dormitory, but she wasn't surprised anymore. She may have slept some after she left the common room, but it definitely wasn't much, and she was out of bed the second she saw sunlight in the dormitory.
Harry was waiting for her, looking even more haggard than he had yesterday. She sat down next to him on the sofa in the corner, and once again, he brushed her hair without speaking. She glanced back at him and was a little surprised to see a tear rolling down his cheek. She turned and faced him fully, wiping it away.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" she asked quietly.
He let out a long breath, staring almost desperately into her eyes. "Just… the same stuff as always."
"You don't always cry after them."
"Yeah, well you– you don't always die in them," he whispered.
Ginny put her arms on his shoulders and pulled him close to her. He sighed, resting his head on her shoulder. She kissed his neck and shoulder while she held him.
"I'm sorry you had to deal with that alone," she said a few minutes later.
He nodded, now holding her as tightly as she was holding him. "I miss sleeping with you."
She kissed his cheek before leaning back to look at him. "I do too. You're very good at cuddling."
That got a small smile out of him. "You're good at a lot of stuff in bed too," he responded cheekily.
She snorted. "It's a good thing I love you because that was so damn cheesy."
His grin grew wider. "But you do love me."
"Very much," she answered, kissing him more soundly than they had all morning.
Thankfully, the classes they shared today– Charms with Slytherin and Potions with Hufflepuff– were much less eventful than Defence had been. Potions was particularly easy because Harry still had the Prince's old book, and, unlike Hermione, Ginny was more than willing to use the note-filled textbook to assist in brewing the complicated potions Slughorn was expecting them to make. In fact, she'd been with him when he'd retrieved the book from the Room of Requirement a couple weeks after they started dating last year.
After Potions, they returned to the Great Hall to get some sandwiches for lunch. There weren't that many people at lunch today, but Ginny did spot Demelza, so she and Harry sat opposite her.
"So I guess you found out how interesting Grimhall was," Demelza commented.
Harry sighed and rubbed his forehead with his thumb and forefinger. "If one more person brings that up…"
Demelza laughed. "What? You'll disarm me?"
Harry just rolled his eyes, which made Ginny chuckle. "Have you had him yet?" she asked.
"Not until tomorrow afternoon."
"Ah, we have him again tomorrow morning."
"Lucky us," Harry added wryly.
"Oh, I've been meaning to ask you, Captain… when are we gonna have Quidditch trials?"
With everything that had been going on since the start of term, it had completely slipped Ginny's mind that she was now the one responsible for things like organising trials and practice.
"I'll see about getting the pitch reserved for the weekend after next," she answered.
Demelza nodded. "Perfect. Plenty of time for me to get ready." Ginny smiled, thinking that Demelza was almost as close to a guarantee to be on the team as Harry was, but she didn't want to tell her that and throw her off her game before the trials. It'd just be easier to let Demelza prove herself like Ginny knew she would.
After scarfing down a second sandwich, she told Demelza bye and kissed Harry quickly before leaving the Great Hall and heading towards Care of Magical Creatures at Hagrid's. Luna was already there, looking curiously at whatever it was that Hagrid was holding.
It looked like an overgrown ferret, and it kept baring its teeth at the students who were brave enough to get closer than ten feet to it. Hagrid just seemed amused by the whole thing, as if he wasn't concerned at all that the ferret might decide to bite the one holding it.
"Righ', I think tha's everyone. Welcome back and all tha'. Today, we're gonna be talkin' abou'–"
"Shut up you oaf!" a high-pitched voice barked.
Ginny looked around swiftly, trying to see who had said something like that to Hagrid, who was almost giggling now.
"Well, tha's a Jarvey for yeh."
"That was that– that ferret?" Ginny asked.
"Stupid girl," the voice barked again, but this time, Ginny saw the ferret's mouth flapping in synchronisation with the words. Her jaw dropped.
Hagrid chuckled again. "They don' like bein' called ferrets. He's a Jarvey."
"Do they all talk?" Noah Smith, another Ravenclaw, asked, still being careful to maintain his distance.
"Yep. Well, they talk but they don' really have conversations. More jus' sayin' whatever mean thing pops into their head," Hagrid answered.
As if to emphasise the point, the Jarvey barked, "Fat hands!"
Hagrid looked like a giddy child, spending the next hour explaining where Jarveys live (pretty much anywhere), what they like to eat (pretty much anything), and who they like to talk to (pretty much anyone). Hagrid concluded the lesson by putting it in a pen that he used from time to time to contain the creatures for class. Ginny wasn't entirely assured by the structural integrity of the rickety wooden frame, hoping that some magic was holding it together more than the rusted nails were.
Hagrid explained that, a long time ago, Jarveys were bred to degnome gardens because of how good they were at it. They were fast, and their sharp fangs ensured that the gardens they protected were degnomed permanently. Hagrid wanted to give a demonstration, so he had a small sack of potatoes that he'd dressed up like a gnome. He dropped it in the pen, and Ginny noticed how quick he was to pull his hand back. The Jarvey stared at the sack for a second before its eyes lit up, as if it was remembering some sort of innate predisposition and desire for eating gnomes.
Ginny had lived through an actual war, and logically, she knew it was just a sack of potatoes. But the things she watched that Jarvey do to the gnome-shaped sack looked like a war crime. The entire class was wrought with gasps of horror and someone vomited behind her, but Ginny couldn't tear her eyes away from the sight. Finally, the deed was done, and Hagrid, who had looked so proud, suddenly became crestfallen, seeing how the oldest class in Hogwarts had handled that. Merlin, she hoped he wasn't showing that to the younger students.
"Righ'... so tha's it. Class dismissed," he said in a low voice, reaching down to stroke the head of the Jarvey that still had his teeth bared menacingly.
Ginny couldn't bear to look at the pen any longer, stepping away from it and promising herself that she'd never speak about Jarveys again. She turned around, hoping nobody else wanted to talk about what they'd seen, but she discovered that she was now the only student still at Hagrid's. Everyone else, even Luna, had left to return to the castle as quickly as they could. She was about to do the same when she saw a familiar person making their way towards them from the castle.
Harry was smiling when he came closer, but that happy expression quickly turned into concern, seeing the apparently poorly concealed disgust or fear or whatever it was on her face.
"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Harry, good ter see yeh!" Hagrid interrupted, walking over and walloping Harry on the back, almost making him fall.
He turned to Hagrid but still kept his hand on Ginny. "Hey, Hagrid. How have your classes been?"
Ginny grimaced and Hagrid's expression fell again. "Good an' bad, I s'pose. Thought folks would be more interested in Jarveys, but nobody's seemed ter like 'em yet. The seventh-years looked almos' like the third-years did yesterday."
She genuinely thought she might faint, knowing that Hagrid had, in fact, shown the younger students the Jarvey.
"What are–" Harry began to ask, but he stopped, seeing Ginny shaking her head furiously. He revised his question. "Can we come inside for a bit?"
"Oh, sure! I don' have any cakes fer yeh, but I'll never turn a visit from the two o' yeh down," Hagrid replied, opening the door to his house and beckoning them inside.
They followed, sitting next to each other in two of Hagrid's large wooden chairs. Harry took her hand, gently rubbing the top of it with his thumb under the table, and she did her best to smile gratefully.
"Congrats on being our new Head of House," Harry said to Hagrid once the larger man had sat down across from them.
Hagrid chuckled. "Thanks. Still feels a bit unusual, ter be honest."
"You're perfect for it," Harry responded enthusiastically, making Hagrid blush.
"Oh, tha' reminds me. Are you plannin' on fightin' me like yeh fought Professor Grimhall? I'm jus' gonna need a bit o' warnin' is all."
Ginny laughed with Hagrid at Harry's reaction, putting his face into his hands and groaning.
"I didn't bloody fight him," Harry finally said. "He said I wouldn't be able to disarm an experienced wizard, and I proved him wrong."
"It was rather impressive," Ginny admitted, noticing that Harry sat up a little straighter at her praise of him.
"Ah, I'm only teasin'. Sounds exactly like Grimhall if I'm bein' honest. Yeh best be careful though or folks will star' sayin' yeh tried ter duel your professor."
"What do you mean that sounds like Grimhall?" Ginny asked curiously.
"He's always bin full o' himself. He was supposed ter be a good Auror, but rumour is tha' he resigned when Rufus Scrimgeour was made head o' the force fifteen or so years ago. Started a farm or summat and wrote books ter try and prove tha' he's the best."
"So then he wasn't actually that good of an Auror?" Harry followed up.
"I dunno 'bout tha'. I think he had ter be good. Survived the firs' war an' all. But… well, take you fer example, Harry. You're a brillian' wizard, but you're real modest 'bout it. An' Grimhall's always felt like people should know he's the best. So I 'spect tha' he sees yeh as some sorta threat in his class. 'Cause he may be a great wizard too, but there's only one Harry Potter."
Ginny grinned as Harry rolled his eyes. "That's just bloody fantastic," he grumbled.
"Doesn' help much when the whole school knows yeh disarmed him," Hagrid added, chuckling again.
"I didn't–" Harry began before sighing, shaking his head. Ginny patted his leg while changing topics entirely, telling Hagrid about Ron and Hermione's trip to Australia. Unsurprisingly, Hagrid was very curious about all the animals Hermione had told them they might encounter while they were gone. They spent another hour or two talking with Hagrid before leaving to return to the Great Hall for dinner.
"So what was bothering you when I came down earlier?" Harry asked as they began walking away from Hagrid's.
Ginny frowned, having almost successfully put the Jarvey out of her mind after spending that time with Harry and Hagrid. "It's stupid, honestly. Just… there was this creature that Hagrid showed us, and he had it attack a sack of potatoes that looked like a gnome. It was just horrible."
"Oh," Harry responded simply, apparently unsure how to respond to that information.
"I know it sounds crazy, but everyone was terrified of it. Someone behind me vomited," she explained, trying to justify herself.
"No, I believe you. Are you feeling better now?"
She thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Yeah… it's hard for me to be upset when I'm with you."
He grinned proudly, and she squeezed his hand as they entered the castle. They ate dinner with their roommates, and, thankfully, none of the girls asked any more probing questions about their relationship now that both Ginny and Harry were there together. Ginny suspected it had something to do with the threatening looks Mia kept shooting them, and she was more than happy to let Mia take care of that for them.
As was becoming an unfortunate habit, neither of them wanted to go to their dormitories after they returned to the common room. They passed some time playing chess on an old set Ron had lent them before they left, and Ginny couldn't help but laugh at the disappointment on Harry's face, finding that she was almost as good of a player as Ron.
"It'd be nice to win once," he commented after losing a third game in a row.
"Do you need me to let you win?" she teased, and he rolled his eyes.
"Never thought I'd see the day where my girlfriend made fun of how bad I am at chess."
"Hey, you knew what you were signing up for," she retorted.
He laughed and knocked a few pieces off the board, leaning over it to kiss her. "I sure did," he agreed.
She smiled at him before yawning. "Ready to try to go to sleep?" Harry asked.
Ginny sighed frustratedly before nodding. "I guess so."
Harry stood and helped her up. "We're gonna figure this out. I hope you sleep better tonight."
She kissed him once more. "You too. I love you."
He smiled sweetly down at her. "I love you too, Blaze," he responded, squeezing her hand before letting her go up the stairs to her dormitory. They must've stayed up later than she thought because all the lights were out when she opened the door. She quietly changed into her nightclothes and climbed into bed, pulling the hangings around her.
Ginny pulled the hangings around the bed shut, hoping against hope that it could block out the pain of everything outside the doors of her dormitory. It had been weeks since the last rumour had circulated around the castle. She didn't know whether it was true that Harry, Ron, and Hermione had broken into the Ministry, but that was much more believable than that they'd fled the country or had been seen at a Muggle football match in Manchester.
It was hell. Everything about her life felt like hell. She worried night and day about the trio. She worried night and day about the rest of her family. She worried for the students of Hogwarts. The Carrows had taken punishment to an extreme that would've seemed unimaginable a few short months ago.
She'd heard rumours that they were going to start teaching the Cruciatus Curse. Those rumours had proven true today, when they'd taken all the sixth-years into a detention period mostly populated by younger Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws. Amycus had giddily explained that they were all going to train by practising on the students in detention.
Alecto had had it out for Ginny since the term had started, so naturally, she told Ginny to start the proceedings. When Ginny refused, the Carrows took turns casting the Cruciatus on her. She'd never experienced it before, and, even now, it felt like she couldn't stop trembling. She must've blacked out during it. All she could remember was their sadistic laughter and feeling like her bones were on fire.
She wasn't the last one. Several former members of Dumbledore's Army had refused as well, earning them the same punishment. But there were more than a few people who saw the agony that the rebels were in and chose to obey orders. They were mostly Slytherins, but a handful of people from the other houses like Zacharias Smith joined in as well.
She felt broken. For the first time in a very long time, she curled up into a ball around Roary, the stuffed lion Bill had given her a long time ago that had seen her through so much pain. She worried that the worst was yet to come.
As she lay there, crying without tears and wishing things were different, Roary of all things gave her an idea. Well, it wasn't so much an idea as a new conviction. When lions feel threatened, they roar. And they will fight if they think their pride is in danger. She'd always prided herself on being in Gryffindor, the House of the Lion. And it was an understatement to say she felt threatened right now.
Ginny didn't know how. She didn't know what it would look like. But she wasn't the same frightened girl that had cowered in fear at a diary in her first year. If the world was determined to put her and the people she loved through hell, she was at least going to fight back. And she'd make them regret threatening her pride.
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
He didn't realise his mistake until it was too late. Voldemort had been about to kill the Weasleys when he was shaken awake. It took him several seconds to fully wake up and finally process what he was looking at. Dean was bent over him with his hands on Harry's shoulders, looking immensely concerned.
Harry rubbed his eyes and sat up, noticing Elliot and Miles staring at him, very confused and maybe a little scared too. He didn't need to be told what had happened. He'd forgotten to cast Muffliato when he'd gone to bed.
Dean told him anyway. "You were screaming."
Harry sighed and nodded. "Sorry, I just forgot to muffle myself.
"You– you shouldn't have to be muffling yourself. Have you tried… talking to someone about–"
"Yeah, Dean. A lot, actually. But it doesn't seem to bloody matter." He couldn't keep the frustration out of his voice. He was grateful that Dean had woken him up; he was just frustrated with himself for not being able to handle things better.
"I'll see you all in the morning. Sorry for waking you up," Harry added, standing up. He went ahead and changed into his clothes for the next day even though there were surely several more hours before the sun came up.
Surprisingly, he was fully awake, and he didn't really feel like sitting in the common room and waiting for Ginny to come down. He put his cloak on and crept out of the common room, much to the chagrin of the Fat Lady. Harry wasn't sure what possessed him to take a moonlit stroll on the Hogwarts grounds, but that was what he found himself doing. He took one look at the forest and somehow managed to turn away, trying his best to not remember the last time he'd been invisible at night on the grounds.
He started walking toward the lake but turned away from there too, seeing the faint glow of the memorial statue. He couldn't bring himself to go any closer to it. Feeling like there wasn't anywhere else to go, he ended up under his and Ginny's tree and pulled the cloak off his head to use as a blanket. It wasn't the most comfortable place, but it was probably the place he felt closest to her, as ironic as that was, considering he was much further from her now than when he was in his own bed. Somehow, that made it very easy for him to fall asleep.
Harry was woken more gently than Dean had woken him, at least. He cracked his eyes open, but it was so bright outside that it wasn't easy to see. All he could make out was a stern-faced, red-headed angel with the sun glowing behind her head.
"Hey," Harry croaked out in a tired voice.
"You are so bloody lucky I love you," Ginny said in a tone that made him feel like that was more a threat than anything.
"I know," he answered honestly.
She sighed and sat next to him against the tree. "I was surprised you weren't in the common room when I woke up. I waited until your roommates came downstairs, and Dean told me you'd left in the middle of the night after… having a nightmare and waking them all up."
"Yeah. That's… about it."
"How are you doing?"
He chuckled wryly. "I feel about as good as a bloke who slept against a tree can feel, I think."
She gave him a small smile but still looked concerned. "We can't keep doing this, Harry."
"I know." There wasn't really another answer to give.
They sat in silence for a while, looking out over the lake, holding hands for comfort. Eventually, Ginny stood and pulled Harry to his feet. "We're going to be late for Herbology," she reminded him.
"Oh, yeah. Hey, maybe we'll see Neville!" Harry said hopefully.
Unfortunately, Professor Sprout told them that she'd sent Neville to Diagon Alley for some supplies, but she assured them that he'd be there next week. After Herbology with Ravenclaw, they were lucky enough to have their second Defence class with Professor Grimhall.
"You gonna behave yourself today?" Ginny asked before they walked in, her mischievous grin belying the gravity she attempted to put into her words.
"I always behave myself," he countered, making her immediately collapse in a fit of laughter that was contagious, and he happily laughed with her as they took their seats in the back of the classroom.
Grimhall very obviously took note of Harry when he entered the classroom. Harry still didn't understand what his deal was. The professor had said that he couldn't disarm him, and he did. It wasn't his fault that Grimhall hadn't been expecting it. Honestly, the last thing Harry wanted was to have another professor hate him like Snape had for so long. He wasn't out to embarrass Grimhall, and hopefully the man would realise that.
Grimhall had apparently changed his plan for the start of the term after the first class, opting to lecture about his qualifications as their instructor rather than having them continue showing their proficiency with defensive spells. Apparently, he was one of the best students the Auror Academy had ever seen, graduating in half the time most people did. Harry had to admit that he respected what the man had said about his work in the first wizarding war, having trailed only Mad-Eye for the most arrests made in that time.
Towards the end of the class, Harry started feeling like he had a bit of a better understanding of the professor. He still didn't particularly like Grimhall, but the man was certainly well-qualified for the position. For whatever reason, he had a superiority complex, but it didn't really bother Harry as long as Grimhall didn't begin antagonising him for what happened in the first class.
That hope was immediately tested when Grimhall closed his class saying, "I know the term hero is thrown around very loosely these days. But as you see from my time in the Auror Office, heroes are the people who spend years of training and gruelling work serving the public, not celebrities whose stories are inflated by tabloids. Your homework is to write twelve inches discussing a heroic member of the Auror Office, past or present. I expect your parchments on my desk at our next meeting. Class dismissed."
Harry sat for a moment at his desk, drumming his fingers and doing his absolute best to maintain a neutral expression. He was positive that Grimhall was trying to get under his skin, and it pained him a bit to acknowledge that it was working. When Ginny stood up, he automatically rose, letting her take his hand and following her without really knowing where they were going.
She took him back towards the Gryffindor common room. "Wait here," she instructed, leaving him alone with the Fat Lady.
"Found any new snogging spots around the castle?" she asked, waggling her eyebrows suggestively. Harry just groaned and turned around, which she didn't appreciate very much, but it wasn't like she could make him turn and look at her.
When the portrait opened again, he turned around, a little surprised to see Ginny holding their brooms. He gave her a curious glance, but she offered no further explanation, grabbing his hand once again while toting their brooms over her shoulder.
Ginny stopped at Hooch's office once they made it to the Quidditch Pitch, and Harry was expecting her to come out with a Snitch. He was surprised when she walked out holding two Beater's bats.
"What are those for?"
She smirked. "They protect you from getting your brains knocked out by the Bludgers."
"That's not what I–" Harry began before Ginny walked away from him and onto the pitch, only glancing back to see if he was following. He shook his head and followed, taking his broom and a bat from her when she held them out.
"We're gonna beat the hell out of this Bludger," she said confidently, throwing open the box of balls and releasing the chains that kept one of the Bludgers in place. Immediately, it flew out and began darting around the pitch.
Ginny raised an eyebrow at Harry, nodding approvingly when he mounted his broom. They kicked off together, circling the pitch, waiting for the Bludger to come to them. It was much easier to track a Bludger than a Snitch, but Harry was well aware that Bludgers seemed to accelerate to insane speeds the closer they were to hitting someone.
Ginny eventually pulled her broom away from Harry, stopping in midair some hundred feet away from him and turning back around, waving the bat around as if she'd been playing Beater her whole life. It would be like they were playing catch with a Quaffle, only with bats, at a much further distance, much faster, and with a much harder ball.
The Bludger almost seemed to sense challengers approaching, completely reversing course and making a beeline for Harry. He gripped then regripped his bat before swinging, connecting with the iron ball weakly, diverting its course below him. The Bludger turned as it neared the ground, now flying near Ginny, who moved to meet it.
"Come on, Potter! Put some muscle into it!" Ginny shouted before making solid contact with the Bludger, resulting in a loud whack that sent the Bludger directly to Harry.
He did his best to be less hesitant, turning the broom slightly to give him a better angle before swinging so hard that he spun a full circle in the air. But he did hear the sharp crack of bat on ball that told him he'd done better this time. Once he stopped spinning, he saw the proof of that, having sent it flying past Ginny, who was grinning even as she kept an eye on the Bludger to make sure it didn't change course without her knowing.
"That's what I'm talking about!" Ginny yelled at him. He chuckled, watching her fly to meet the Bludger and send it back towards him. He tightened his grip on the bat and threw his full weight into the swing, holding the broom steady to keep himself from spinning around again. His swing sent Ginny chasing the Bludger, and he decided to follow, making their game even more entertaining as they hit the Bludger between themselves while also flying around the pitch.
She was adorable, darting all over the place to catch up to the Bludger. She did this cute thing where she scrunched up her face in concentration as she cocked the bat back before putting everything she had into hitting it. Then, without fail, her face would light up happily in an expression that made him forget anything that was bothering him. He still wasn't sure he fully understood how it was possible for her to just make him feel this wild and overwhelming joy with just a look at her face, but questioning it wasn't a priority for him. He was more than happy to just be in love with her, no questions asked.
They spent more than an hour just playing around, alternating between hitting the Bludger and trying to dodge it. They both laughed more than they had since they arrived at Hogwarts, and by the time they landed, Harry was so happy that he couldn't remember why they'd even come to the pitch in the first place.
He caught the Bludger– with a bit of pain, unfortunately– and Ginny helped him trap it in the ball chest. With the balls secured, she replaced the chest in Madam Hooch's office before returning to Harry, who was still standing on the pitch.
"Have I ever told you how good you look after playing Quidditch?" he asked, admiring her flushed cheeks and wind-blown hair.
She grinned. "Once or twice. Never hurts to hear it again though."
"Then let me remind you. You look incredible after playing Quidditch," he said, half-whispering as he pulled her into a tender and reverent kiss.
She was still smiling when they separated, taking his hand and leading him away from the pitch. Harry was expecting them to actually return to the castle, but he wasn't complaining when Ginny pulled on his hand, which she was holding, leading him towards the Black Lake.
For a brief moment, he thought she was taking him to their tree, but instead of veering away from the path around the lake, they continued, and all Harry could see in front of him was a massive phoenix statue. And of course, that's where Ginny was taking him. He noticed her slowing slightly as they neared the statue, but she still led them forward until they were standing at the base of the memorial.
Harry felt a little guilty that he hadn't visited it yet. He'd avoided it on all their trips to Hogwarts over the summer. It wasn't like he was afraid to pay his respects to the fallen. He'd spent countless hours at graves in the past several months– Fred, Lupin, Tonks, Dobby, and many more.
It was just incredibly difficult to look up at the glowing feathers on the tail of the phoenix. Each of the fifty feathers bore the name of one of the fallen. There were still times when Harry felt overwhelming grief and guilt over the amount of people that had died that night. It was almost unimaginable to think that so many had been killed, and that didn't even count all the people who had died fighting in the months and years before the battle. Thankfully, with the help of his adopted family, Harry's guilt had slowly faded, but he didn't think it would ever fully go away.
Next to him, Ginny looked down from the burning feathers, and he watched as she stared at the six-foot tall statue of Hogwarts at the base of the memorial. More accurately, she was looking at the figurines carved in a defensive semicircle around the castle. A house-elf, centaur, werewolf, and giant flanked a familiar wizard, wielding a wand in his outstretched hand.
Ginny reached out and gently touched the head and face of the small statue of Harry that he'd been surprised with at the memorial in June. He watched as she moved to trace the carving of the name of the statue that was engraved on the base. Heroes Live Forever.
She turned to him after a moment and smiled softly at him, reaching out and cupping a hand around his cheek similarly to how she'd touched the figurine.
"You know I really love you?" Ginny asked.
He smiled and nodded, not sure he'd ever be used to hearing her say that. "Sometimes I can't believe it."
She smiled a little wider and kissed him briefly before they began walking now with a common destination in mind. They sat together in Harry's favourite place at Hogwarts, under their tree overlooking the lake.
"Are you feeling better?"
Harry remembered now the most recent incident with Grimhall, who seemed to have it out for him despite only spending two periods in his class. He'd been more annoyed than he'd wanted to let on after class today, but he could admit that some of that annoyance had subsided.
"I always feel better when I'm with you," he answered honestly, earning him a kiss on the cheek from Ginny.
She turned his head so he was looking at her now. "You know, it's okay to be upset about it."
"I just– it seems so stupid. Compared to everything else we've been through… why am I letting it bother me?"
"I don't think it's stupid at all. I think I'm just as upset as you are about it, and the only reason I'm not doing anything about it is because it would embarrass you."
Harry chuckled. "I couldn't ever be embarrassed by you."
"You say that now, but you'd probably feel differently if I covered the walls with your Daily Prophet articles and gave him a nasty case of bat bogeys."
Harry laughed now at Ginny's sinister expression, and she broke, laughing with him. Still grinning, Ginny spoke a little more seriously. "Really though, it is okay to not want to be treated like shite because a professor is jealous that you're more famous than him."
He sighed, wrapping an arm around her. "You know there's only one person's opinion and treatment I care about, right?"
"And it's her opinion that you shouldn't feel bad about him making you want to take your anger out on a Bludger."
"Then I won't."
She smiled up at him. "I wish I believed you. Honestly, you're probably a better wizard than him. You're definitely a better man than him. Hopefully he'll give it a rest soon because it's so pathetic for a professor to be acting like this towards any student, let alone you."
"Hopefully. Doesn't really matter though. I win either way"
"How's that?"
"Well, if he stops, that's a pretty obvious win. And if he doesn't stop… I get to watch you go full Blaze on him. And that sounds like a win to me too."
That got another laugh out of her. He loved making her laugh. Grimhall would probably stop once he got over his pride being wounded, but even if he didn't, Harry would manage. It couldn't be that hard with Ginny by his side.
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
It was a good thing they weren't drowning in homework yet because they spent the entire afternoon under their tree. Ginny wasn't really worried about Harry, but she knew the stuff with Grimhall was bothering him more than he let on. At least he seemed to be happier around her, and she was more than willing to provide him that service, especially considering she felt the same way.
One of the effects of playing that much Quidditch and spending that much time in the sun was growing hungry, and by the time dinner came, Ginny was famished. They sat with Emily and her friends– Harry didn't seem eager to reunite with his roommates after the rough night that they'd all been witnesses to.
Granted, Harry probably wasn't much more comfortable being surrounded by a half dozen young girls who were all goggling at him. Emily reprimanded her friends halfheartedly, even though she seemed as interested in the questions her friends were asking as they were.
"Have you ever fought a dragon?" one first-year asked.
Harry smiled a little. "A couple," he admitted, drawing gasps from the crowd.
"I heard your Pertonus was an elephant!"
He chuckled, making Ginny smile too. "That'd be pretty cool, but my Patronus is actually a stag."
Seeing the confused looks on several of the girls' faces, Ginny put her hands behind Harry's head, splaying the fingers widely. "It's a deer with antlers," she explained. Harry turned and looked at her, laughing at the way she was visually displaying it.
"Is it true you've never lost a Quidditch match as the Seeker?"
"I wish! Nope, the only person I know who's done that is Ginny," he answered, grinning proudly as he put his arm around her.
One of the third years, Zoe Williams, looked especially impressed. "Really?"
Ginny nodded but didn't elaborate, so Harry did with a pride in his voice that made her heart skip a beat. "She's the best Quidditch player I've ever seen."
"I heard you two were married," another first year blurted out.
They both laughed at that. "Not yet," Ginny answered, and several of the girls tittered at that answer.
"Not yet… I like that," Harry whispered quietly to her, making her blush a little.
"Girls, leave them alone or they'll stop wanting to sit with us! Sorry," Emily said to them, not looking sorry at all. In fact, she looked happier than any of the other girls at Ginny's answer.
The rest of dinner passed without many more outlandish questions, and rather quickly, it seemed, they were back in their favourite chair in front of the fireplace. It had been a short week to start the term, but Ginny was very ready for the weekend ahead. The only problem was that another night of sleep stood between them and a relaxing Saturday. As was becoming habit, they stayed in the common room later than anyone else, desperate to stave off returning to their separate beds for as long as possible.
"I wish there was someplace we could just sleep together," she commented obviously some time after the last few fourth years had left the common room and the fire was burning low.
Harry nodded, looking into the fire before his head snapped back up, grinning at her with some sort of idea. "What is it?" she asked, incredibly curious now.
He shook his head. "We're so stupid."
"Speak for yourself," she responded, making him snort before she got off him as it was apparent he was wanting to stand.
He pulled the mokeskin pouch out of his pocket, where he usually kept it, and opened it up. It wasn't the first time she'd seen him withdraw the Invisibility Cloak and Marauder's Map from the pouch, but she wasn't sure what he was planning on doing with them tonight. He answered her unspoken question when he threw the cloak over both of them. She was small enough that they both fit under it comfortably.
Harry took her hand and led her to the portrait, opening it up so they could both step through. When he closed it, she expected the Fat Lady to say something, but she just snored loudly in her sleep. Harry rolled his eyes and pulled out the Marauder's Map, tapping his wand to it.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he whispered, and the map came alive. She quickly scanned it with him, not seeing anyone in any corridor near them. Harry kept looking, unfolding the map and turning it once as if mapping out a route.
"Where are we going?" she asked, a little annoyed but not entirely unsurprised at his dissatisfying response.
"You'll see."
Keeping the map in one of his hands, he took her hand with the other and began leading them away from the Fat Lady. They descended a flight of stairs at the end of the corridor before climbing two more, avoiding a trick step on the second flight. After walking down another corridor, Harry led her down another flight before they began walking down another corridor, which Ginny was coming to recognise with every step they took.
She immediately understood why he had snuck them out when she saw the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy trying to teach trolls how to dance, and then she felt stupid that she hadn't figured it out sooner. She blamed her sheer exhaustion from so many sleepless nights.
Harry led her in front of the wall that they'd stood in front of so many times this summer, and Ginny did her best to keep her mind clear, expecting that he'd be taking care of this part too. She walked with him as they paced back and forth three times. When they turned back to the wall, they saw a door materialising. Once it was completely formed, they walked forward, and Harry threw her an excited grin before opening the door.
She felt like she'd been stunned, walking into the bedroom they'd shared at Sunrise Cottage last month. Harry closed the door behind them while she removed the cloak, stepping fully into the room, unable to believe that everything in both the bedroom and bathroom was identical to the one in South England.
When she turned back to him, he was grinning proudly. "I thought you'd like this."
Ginny decided to show him how much she liked it, running and jumping into his arms, planting several very enthusiastic kisses all over his face. He laughed and happily returned them before she finally calmed herself down and smiled down at him, still being held by him.
"I love you so much."
His eyes seemed to sparkle as he smiled and said, "I love you more."
She giggled and let Harry set her down. They climbed into bed together, and she thought she might show Harry how that just wasn't possible by reminding him of all the very fun activities that had made this bedroom her favourite room in the world. She pulled her shirt off, turning and expecting to see Harry staring wide-eyed and eager at her.
Instead, her heart melted a little bit, seeing his peaceful face, apparently asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. She stared at him for a moment or two, thinking that she might've missed how calm he was in bed with her more than the comfort he provided her. She loved when he was happy.
Reluctantly, she gave up on her hopes of having any fun with him tonight, deciding that there would be plenty of time for that later. So she just settled for gently sliding his glasses off, placing them on the bedside table, and snuggling up close to him, confident that he'd keep the nightmares away much better than the coverings of her lonely four-poster bed. She was suddenly very sleepy, and, with her last conscious thought, she brought her lips to Harry's ear.
"For the record, I love you most."
/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
A/N: Believe it or not, I don't actually enjoy causing Harry and Ginny pain. Honestly, when I'm writing this story, I feel like I'm just discovering what actually did happen after the Battle and writing it down, and apparently Harry and Ginny had a lot of difficult times, so don't blame me!
One of the big challenges with writing this chapter was being able to distinguish between the different nights, why they were difficult, and how they tried to overcome it. I really, really didn't want to prolong Harry and Ginny's suffering in separate beds more than was absolutely necessary because I felt like we could already see just how much they were both struggling, even from the first night at Hogwarts. Also, there's other challenges that they're going to face that I think are more compelling to read about anyways. But when I was thinking about what would prompt Harry and Ginny to eventually try to get around their separation, the one thing I kept coming back to was Harry's roommates finding out about his nightmares. There's just something very different about Ginny or even Ron and Hermione knowing about it and these people he's not as close to learning about it. That led to Harry spending the night outside, which eventually led to him thinking of the Room of Requirement, and here's hoping they get to enjoy sharing a bed without any more complications!
Another challenge Ginny and Harry are learning to work through is what's going on in Defence. Professor Grimhall is a character who we're going to get to know a bit better in future chapters, and he's definitely an interesting bloke, to say the least. From the time I came up with it, I loved the idea of Harry very cheekily disarming him, which only made him more angry. And Hagrid teasing Harry about it was very directly inspired by him teasing Harry about giving out autographs in CoS.
Speaking of Hagrid, a Jarvey is an animal mentioned in the Fantastic Beasts book, and they basically are said to be exactly like they act in this chapter. I can remember the exact moment I wrote Ginny comparing what the Jarvey did to war crimes, and I still laugh at the idea of it, as ridiculous and crazy as it is. And, of course, it was even funnier that Hagrid had shown that to the third years because that's just Hagrid. There's a handful of CoMC lessons in this book, but I think this one will always be my favourite.
I felt like Ginny taking Harry out to hit a Bludger was very reflective of the way that they handle problems and support each other. In his life, Harry's bottled up way more of his anger than he's ever let out, with him destroying Dumbledore's office in OotP being the only really notable time that he fully gets to vent. Hitting Bludgers seems like it would be very therapeutic to me, akin to beating up a punching bag or, in my case, hitting baseballs. It goes to show that Ginny just knows Harry well enough to know that he could use that but also that she wants to be a part of helping him heal, which I love about their relationship.
I've changed the typical houses that Harry has classes with, like being in Potions with Hufflepuff instead of Slytherin. A lot of these were retroactive decisions based on things that I needed to establish for plot points to be possible, but there's also nothing in canon that says they're set in stone or that they don't change from year to year, so Ginny's year having a different schedule than Harry's isn't too unrealistic to me. So, for example, there's something that happens in a Charms class that I wanted a Slytherin to be there for, and since I didn't have any reason for them to share that class with another house, they shared Charms with Slytherin. I also should note that HBP sort of implies that there's more combined classes once they enter NEWT levels. That might've been true, but, as Ginny notes, a lot of people Harry's age came back to Hogwarts for seventh year, requiring classes to be split for every course other than Defence. Even though it's never really explained, there are plot reasons for it as well as Grimhall wanting all of seventh year to share a class.
A final small note… in every HP book, 1 September is a Sunday, but that kind of screwed up my whole keeping track of dates thing, so, instead, I just made 1 September the actual day it was in 1998, a Tuesday, which is why the weekend comes so quickly.
As a reminder, starting from here, chapters will only be released once a week, on Fridays. If and when that changes, I will be sure to make a big deal about it in my notes because I'd very much like to get back to it. For now though, Harry and Ginny are in the same bed and very much hoping that things are going to be easier from here. Fingers crossed they get their wish (but don't read the teaser if you want to believe it).
Coming Friday: Comforts and Conflicts- Everyone watched Harry with bated breath, and Ginny finally turned to look at him, seeing a steely glint of resolution in his eyes.
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Thanks to everyone for all the supportive comments so far! I really do appreciate all your kindness and encouragement! Like I did in the second half of SoR, I'll use this space to address any questions or conversation starters in the comments since there's not another way to reply to comments, so always feel free to share your thoughts and I'll be sure to answer them!
Zjy: I'm very much with you that I hope the writing of the third book continues to go well and that I can get back to twice a week releases soon. Really, the main challenge is that I've been living at home with my family for the summer before I move away permanently next month, and I just have so much less free time as a result of that than I was expecting. But I am still doing my best to write- I think I'm writing fairly fast by most standards, even if it's slow by my standards based on how quickly I wrote the first two books!
On the chocolate frog cards, Harry's appearance in them is very much intended to be a one-off. I believe they would always ask for permission and an official portrait when making the cards, but considering how vocal Harry had been about not wanting to be in the public eye, they thought he'd turn them down (which he probably would've). So instead, they decided to just capitalise on his fame seemingly never being higher than the summer after the Battle and made one anyways because the wizarding world very clearly has no laws against anything like libel or using someone's name or image without their consent.
And I will note that one thing JKR and I share is an aversion to writing songs or poems. I really, really did try to think of something to write for the Sorting Ceremony, but everything I tried just seemed so, so stupid to me, and so I did end up taking the somewhat easy way out of having Harry and Ginny miss the ceremony because of his panic attack. I do think it makes the chapter as a whole better though, and it definitely made it easier to write!