Did you know that there is a Muggle space probe nicknamed Ginny? I didn't until last night, and I was quite flattered to find out. Obviously it has nothing to do with me, but it's still nice to know that something with my name was operating on Mars for three years. I like to imagine I can have that kind of influence on the universe! Also, today I started reading the James Potter series by G Norman Libbard, an unofficial continuation of Joanne's work, focused on my son James.
Obviously it's events aren't the true ones, I will describe those in due course, but so far it seems pretty good, and a far more sensible story than that Cursed Child nonsense was. James seemed to really enjoy them and felt honoured to have 5 books written about him, even though nothing contained within them was true. I guess he sees it as living up to our reputation!
I didn't take Muggle Studies because I felt no real need to. Growing up with Dad meant I knew enough about Muggles already, or well, enough at least to be able to interact with them. I didn't and still don't know much regarding their technology, I can operate the laptop that I'm writing this on but that's about it.
The next chapter will be posted on Thursday. Going away to Paris and then Liverpool for a couple days.
The four of us stood, well I was crouching really, transfixed with horror under the Invisibility Cloak. The very last rays of the setting sun were casting a bloody light over the long-shadowed grounds. Then, behind us, we heard a wild howling.
'Hagrid,' Harry muttered. He made to turn back, but we seized his arms.
'We can't,' said Ron, who was paper white. 'He'll be in worse trouble if they know we've been to see him …'
Hermione's breathing was shallow and uneven. 'How – could – they?' she choked. 'How could they?'
'Come on,' said Ron, whose teeth seemed to be chattering.
We set off back towards the castle, walking slowly to keep ourselves hidden under the Cloak. Light was fading fast now. By the time we reached open ground, darkness was settling like a spell around us.
'Scabbers, keep still,' Ron hissed, clamping his hand over his chest. The rat was wriggling madly. Ron came to a sudden halt, trying to force Scabbers deeper into his pocket. 'What's the matter with you, you stupid rat? Stay still – OUCH! He bit me!'
'Ron, be quiet!' Hermione whispered urgently. 'Fudge'll be out here in a minute –'
'He won't – stay – put –' Scabbers was plainly terrified. He was writhing with all his might, trying to break free of Ron's grip.
'What's the matter with him?' But Harry had just seen – slinking towards them, his body low to the ground, wide yellow eyes glinting eerily in the darkness – Crookshanks. Whether he could see them, or was following the sound of Scabbers's squeaks, Harry couldn't tell. '
Crookshanks!' Hermione moaned. 'No, go away, Crookshanks! Go away!'
But the cat was getting nearer – 'Scabbers – NO!' Too late – the rat had slipped between Ron's clutching fingers, hit the ground and scampered away.
In one bound, Crookshanks sprang after him, and before we could stop him, Ron had thrown the Invisibility Cloak off himself and pelted away into the darkness.
'Ron!' Hermione moaned.
We looked at each other, then followed at a sprint; it was impossible to run full out under the Cloak; we pulled it off and it streamed behind us like a banner as we hurtled after Ron; we could hear his feet thundering along ahead, and his shouts at Crookshanks.
'Get away from him – get away – Scabbers, come here –' There was a loud thud. 'Gotcha! Get off, you stinking cat –'
We almost fell over Ron; we skidded to a stop right in front of him. He was sprawled on the ground, but Scabbers was back in his pocket; he had both hands held tight over the quivering lump.
'Ron – come on – back under the Cloak –' Hermione panted. 'Dumbledore – the Minister – they'll be coming back out in a minute –'
But before we could cover ourselves again, before we could even catch our breath, we heard the soft pounding of gigantic paws. Something was bounding towards us out of the dark – an enormous, pale-eyed, jet-black dog.
Harry tried to reach for his wand, but the dog was too quick for him. It had made an enormous leap and its front paws hit him on the chest. He keeled over backwards.
"Averte Statum!" I yelled, and it was thrown backwards a few feet. "Come on, run, now!" I said, attempting to pull the Invisibility Cloak over us again, but I wasn't fast enough, as the dog renewed it's attack. Ron was on his feet. As the dog sprang back towards us, he pushed Harry aside; the dog's jaws fastened instead around Ron's outstretched arm. Harry lunged at it and seized a handful of the brute's hair, but it was dragging Ron away as easily as if he were a rag-doll –
Then out of nowhere, something hit me so hard that I was knocked off my feet, and I could hear that Harry and Hermione had been too.
'Lumos!' Harry whispered. The wand-light showed us the trunk of a thick tree; we had chased Scabbers into the shadow of the Whomping Willow and its branches were creaking as though in a high wind, whipping backwards and forwards to stop us going nearer. And there, at the base of the trunk, was the dog, dragging Ron backwards into a large gap in the roots – Ron was fighting furiously, but his head and torso were slipping out of sight –
'Ron!' Harry shouted, trying to follow, but a heavy branch whipped lethally through the air and he was forced backwards again, as was I. All we could see now was one of Ron's legs, which he had hooked around a root in an effort to stop the dog pulling him further underground. Then a horrible crack cut the air like a gunshot; Ron's leg had broken, and next second, his foot had vanished from sight.
'Harry – we've got to go for help –' Hermione cried; she was bleeding too; the Willow had cut her across the shoulder.
'No! That thing's big enough to eat him, we haven't got time –'
'We're never going to get through without help –'
Another branch whipped down at us, twigs clenched like knuckles.
'If that dog can get in, we can,' Harry panted, darting here and there, trying to find a way through the vicious, swishing branches, but he couldn't get an inch nearer to the tree-roots without being in range of the tree's blows.
'Oh, help, help,' Hermione whispered frantically, dancing uncertainly on the spot, 'please …'
Crookshanks darted forwards. He slithered between the battering branches like a snake and placed his front paws upon a knot on the trunk. Abruptly, as though the tree had been turned to marble, it stopped moving. Not a leaf twitched or shook.
'Crookshanks!' Hermione whispered uncertainly. 'How did he know –?'
'He's friends with that dog,' said Harry grimly. 'I've seen them together. Come on – and keep your wands out –'
"Ginny" said Hermione suddenly "Go back to the castle and get help, we'll go on"
"No!" I protested "I'm staying with you!"
"Look, someone at the castle needs to know where we are and what's happening. We'll find Ron, but just in case we don't come back they'll need to come find us!"
I bit my lip, hesitant. I wanted to stay with them, but Hermione was making a very valid point.
"Oh, fine!" I said. "I'm coming straight back with someone though, there's no way I'm letting my brother, one of my best mates and my boyfriend face this without me!"
I then turned on my heel and ran back to the castle as fast as I could. I was intending to find Professor McGonagall, or even Dumbledore ideally, as he had only recently been out on the grounds, but had no such luck. I was about to give up and head back by myself, when Professor Lupin came running down a corridor towards me!
"Professor, you've got to help me-" I started
"Ginny, did they go under the Whomping Willow? Harry and Hermione, did they follow the dog?"
"Yes, but how did you know-"
"I'll explain later, now come on, there isn't enough time" and he started running.
"You're actually telling me to come with you, sir?" I panted, trying to keep up with him.
"Your brother and two of your friends are under there. It would be criminal for me to say no"
Clearly he didn't yet know that Harry and I were dating, but now was not the time to tell him that story. We therefore continued at an electrifying pace back towards the Whomping Willow. What we would find beyond it, we couldn't possibly imagine.
