He sat in the infirmary since he had brought her here. Madame Pomfrey tried to shoo him away, but he insisted that Lily would want to see a familiar face when she woke up.

Tracing patterns with his thumb on her hand, he thought about how much he had had enough of this time. He was excited for a few first days when the initial confusion and trepidation passed.

Only for a few days

Until he realised that his mother was avoiding him and his father was a… difficult person. It wasn't that he didn't like him. James was quite an intelligent, imaginative person. Someone to whom talking was a pleasure, for the range of topics they could touch on was impressive. What bothered him was that his father was a… he still didn't know how to label him.

Was his father simply a bully? The word barely wanted to go through his mouth. It didn't feel right, especially since he had never imagined his father as that. When he was small, he always liked to think of his father as a good person, a hero of the sort of policeman or a firefighter.

But what happened barely two hours ago destroyed every illusion, and no matter how much he didn't want to believe in it, how much the mare thought left a distaste in his mind – his father was a bully—an enjoyable to be around and likeable, but a bully nonetheless. And what made matters worse was that Sirius wasn't better either.

His train of thought was interrupted by the hand he was holding stir. He glanced at Lily and saw her eyelids flutter tiredly. Soon enough, a bright pair of the same eyes as his looked at him. Though everything pointed out that her vision was blurry, Harry felt like she was staring deep into his soul.

"Madame Pomfrey!" Harry called out when she grinned at him goofily, "Lily woke up! I think she's got a concussion!"

Pomfrey scurried from her office in the blink of an eye and immediately started waving her wand around Lily, casting diagnostic spells.

"Oh, I think the concussion is not the matter." Said Madame Pomfrey, looking amusedly at Lily, whose face was now crimson, yet she was stealing small glances of her saviour.

"What? What do you mean?" Harry asked, furrowing his brows in confusion.

"It's a certain type of sickness; I'm afraid there is no immediate cure."

"Please tell me she will be all right," Harry looked at her pleadingly.

"Oh, it's not a life-threatening ailment if that's what you're asking."

"Thank God," Harry sighed with relief, then scratched the back of his head awkwardly, "what does it do, this thing?"

Pomfrey raised an eyebrow, "This, Mr Shunpike, is a girl type of sickness. Now, I'm not sure if you-"

"No, no, you're right! I think I will leave now. Yeah, that probably is the best thing. So… er, bye?"

He started walking towards the entrance when he heard an irritated noise from Madame Pomfrey. He turned to see what was going on; he saw not an annoyed at him matron – which was a rare occurrence as he had never been the easiest of patients – but her cross was at Lily, who clumsily was trying to scramble out of her bed.

"Where do you think you're going, Miss Evans?"

"Back to the Common room with Harry?"

"Absolutely not! You are going to stay here overnight for observation!" She hissed, then her glare turned to Harry, "Weren't you going, Mr Shunpike?"

"Err, yes, that's right." He said, waving his hand awkwardly to Lily, who hid her face in the pillow.

Walking out, he heard Madame Pomfrey murmur 'You've got this hard, you know," and Lily's groan.

Well, that was strange, to say the least.

He was going to the library when his stomach growled angrily, reminding him that he had missed dinner. He made a few adjustments to his plans for the evening, adding a quick visit to the Hogwarts kitchens, though a stop at his dormitory to leave his things wasn't a bad idea either. He couldn't help but roll his eyes when he imagined how much Hermione would disapprove of neglecting his studies, no matter the circumstances.

Just as the portrait opened, he heard heated voices from the inside.

"I sometimes wonder if you have finally got too many bludgers to your head," said Remus, shaking his head.

"What do you mean?"

"Now I'm certain you definitely had," Remus hissed, swatting James with a book across his head, "That kind of behaviour isn't the way to a girl's heart! Absolutely not to this one!"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" James spluttered.

"Oh, don't you? Do you think I haven't noticed that longing looks? I'm not blind, James! Sirius and Peter may be oblivious, but I am not!"

"Okay, so what! I may like her a little bit."

"A little bit? You've got a whole sodding crush on her! And it makes you act even stupider than usual!"

"No, it doesn't!"

"If so, who were you trying to impress then?"

"I, I don't know…" James looked away, "So… you think I've lost all chances with her."

Remus crossed his arms, "On your own wish, yes."

Deciding that he had given them enough time to talk things out, Harry scurried through the Common room to his dormitory.

"Harry!" James called out when he finally noticed him and gave Remus a panicked look. "How's Lily? Is she all right?"

"She should be fine," Harry said curtly. For the first time that Harry was here, he noticed James looking nervous.

His father shuffled his foot, making circles on the carpet. "I… I never wanted this to happen," he finally said.

Harry shook his head, "It doesn't matter if you wanted it or not. It happened anyways."

"Thanks. For saving her, I mean."

Harry only nodded his head and continued his way.

When he returned to the Common room a while later, there was no sign of James. The only person there, Remus, sat patiently on one of the armchairs.

"Harry," Remus gave him a tight smile, "do you have a moment?"

Harry stopped and gave Remus a searching look. He really didn't want to deal with anyone more tonight. But he nodded anyway; Remus was always nothing but kind to him, and it wouldn't be fair to ignore him.

"I was going to the kitchens. You can join me if you want."

"Sure."

They marched silently, though it was clear to Harry that Remus wanted to say something. The boy opened his mouth a few times but almost immediately closed it. Harry wasn't going to press. He rather enjoyed the silence – a nice change from an eventful day.

Harry started helping himself to a treacle tart. It may not be the most nutritious dinner, but he deserved a little treat, in his opinion. After all, it's not every day that you save your mother's-to-be life after being shoved twenty years back in time.

"How much did you hear," Remus finally spoke up.

Harry paid him no mind and stuffed another piece of the tart into his mouth, enjoying the blissful sweetness, "Since you smacked him."

"So you have heard everything."

"It seems so."

"You don't seem to be in the mood for conversation," Remus sighed.

"Does it surprise you?"

"Not exactly, no. But I hope you know that I wasn't part of this."

When he stopped chewing, Harry finally looked up at him, "I know you're not a bully; don't worry."

"So that's what you think of James?" Remus frowned, "A bully?"

"That's only the impression he left."

"Right. I just wanted to ask you not to tell anyone what you have heard. That's the last thing they both need."

"Both?"

"James may seem to not care about anything, but it's only an illusion. If a word of him having a crush came out, it would really mess him up – well, more than he already is. And the last thing Lily needs right now is stressing over the fact that the boy she hates the most is infatuated with her."

Harry nodded after a while, "Fine, I won't tell anyone."

"Thank you, Harry. I, and I'm sure James, too, really appreciate it." He glanced at his watch, "It's late. I think I'll get going. Goodnight, Harry."

"Night."

He smiled to himself as small hands encircled him from behind, and soft, warm lips planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Morning," Ginny whispered to his ear before giving his cheek many more small and quick pecks.

The Gryffindor Common room was quiet today, save for the soft scratching of quills on parchment and the occasional rustle of pages turning by Hermione.

Ginny sprawled herself against him on the couch, "I've been thinking," she said with a certain edge to her voice. A mischievous one.

Harry looked up at her, "Oh, so you actually can?"

Ginny smacked his arm but grinned nonetheless, "Umbridge."

"What about her?" Harry groaned.

"She's insufferable. And she deserves payback. Something subtle. Something clever."

Harry couldn't help but grin. "I'm listening."

Ginny conspiratorially leaned forward, biting her lip, "So, you know how she always has that disgusting floral teacup? The one she guards like it's a treasure?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"What if we enchanted it?" Ginny's grin widened, "Just imagine, every time she takes a sip, it could meow like a kitten. Loudly. Imagine it in the middle of one of her awful speeches. 'Hem, hem'—sip—'MEOW!'"

Harry burst out laughing. "It's definitely an interesting idea."

Ginny beamed at him. "I thought you'd like it. But we'd have to do it carefully. If she traces it back to us, we're done."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm actually looking forward to seeing her face when it happens."

"So when do we start?"

"What about now?"

"Nah, now we have many more important things to do," Ginny said, getting up. Harry immediately felt the loss of her weight pressed against him. It didn't last long, however, when she straddled him. Her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled down to her – not that it was needed as he was more than a willing participant. Their lips joined in a kiss, and then another and another after that one. Soon, there weren't many kisses anymore as their lips were glued to each other.

A sudden shake startled him. He turned around and saw Ron's angry face, but strangely enough, the source of the shaking had now changed its place. Deciding to deal with his best friend later, he rolled over once again. Ginny's arms were still around his neck, yet she shook him violently while giggling.

"W-wha-?" His eyes suddenly snapped open and took in his surroundings. Next to him stood a giggling brunette that woke him up from this wonderful dream…

He sacked his head on the book he was sleeping on with a groan. Yesterday, he stayed 'a little' too late with his research regarding the ferries.

The girl he now recognised as one of Lily's friends giggled again. He didn't fancy ruminating about the reasons girls giggle right now – only Merlin probably knows how many there were – so he smartly decided to blame the red imprint of the book cover that was now gracing his cheek.

"Is there any particular reason you decided to wake me, or did you just do it for fun?" Harry asked grumpily, rubbing his still sleepy eyes.

"Sorry," the girl giggled again, "Professor McGonagall wanted me to fetch you."

An hour later Harry knocked on the McGonagall office door, and before he had managed to knock a second time, from inside, he heard, 'Enter!'

"Took you some time, Mr Shunpike," McGonagall said curtly. Truth be told, Harry was in no hurry. "What are you waiting for? Take a seat."

That was when he noticed the other participant. The boy sat comfortably and relaxed, though it was easy to tell that he was extremely excited. Harry nodded in greeting.

"I take it you two don't know each other?" McGonagall continued, not waiting for their response, "This is the Quidditch captain, Jack Roose. Roose, this is Harry Shunpike." She turned her attention to Harry, "Do you know why you are here?"

Harry shrugged, "Should I?"

Again, McGonagall ignored what he had said, "Mr Roose saw your stunt yesterday. He came running this morning, saying you're a perfect replacement for the Gryffindor seeker who got injured last week." She paused, looking at him expectantly.

The room was now filled with tense silence, awaiting any reaction from him. Harry blinked lazily, his expression blank.

Fate was cruel, really. How was he supposed to be erased from the records if he suddenly got onto the Quidditch team?

"Do I have anything to say?"

"No, if you don't want Gryffindor to lose the Quidditch Cup," Roose said hopefully.

Harry crossed his arms defiantly and raised an eyebrow, "I don't mind that, actually." And he really did mean it. If he were back where he belonged, he would mind.

Roose leaned closer with a smirk, "But you would mind a rumour that we only lost because you didn't join? The whole of Gryffindor would hate you."

Harry looked at McGonagall in search of any disapproval for such threats. Instead, he found… total consent. He really should have expected this. McGonagall always did everything to win the Cup, bypassing the rules in his first year so he could play, for example.

They'd be surprised how much he didn't mind. That would actually be nothing new for him.

He stood up, theatrically dusting his robes off. "May I leave now, Professor? I want to see if Lily's out of the infirmary."

McGonagall gave him a slight, stiff nod, and Harry didn't look back at their disappointed and, in McGonagall's example – disapproving looks.

When he opened the infirmary door, Lily was shuffling through the dresser. She looked like a mess, and her always tameable hair was, in fact, a mess – matted, dishevelled and tangled. When she felt his presence, she whipped her head around and looked at him with big eyes, her cheeks quickly gaining colour. With a loud 'eep', she rolled over the bed and hid her face in her pillow.

"Don't look at me!" She cried in anguish.

"What? Why?"

"I must look like a troll!"

"Err, no, not at all," he gently patted the girl's back.

"Please, Harry, don't lie to me!"

Girls, Harry thought, rolling his eyes, "No, really. You err, you do look quite… nice?" He finished lamely.

"That's not true!"

"Of course, it's true. You're always pretty to me." He said reassuringly, hoping that it'd ease her distress. It wasn't technically a lie - after all, she was his mother. He would always find her pretty, no matter what.

"Really?" Lily gasped, leaving her shelter to take a look at him.

"Yeah."

He suddenly found himself strangled by a hug, the third strongest he ever received – right after Hermione's and quite before Ginny's. None of these, however, came even close to those bone-crushing hugs of Mrs Weasley.

"You're quite handsome yourself," Lily said shyly.

Harry couldn't help but feel proud of the compliment. It was his mother who gave it to him, and he felt like the most good-looking bloke on the entire planet. He grinned up at her and felt her sliding her hand into his. He squeezed it gently, glad he could share those bonding moments with his mother.

Clearly forgetting about her previous embarrassment, Lily got into a rant about how she couldn't find her elastic.

"That's because you lost it," Harry said calmly, sliding a black rubber band off his wrist and holding it out to her. "I've got it, though."

Lily blinked at him in surprise, then broke into a grin. "How sweet of you!" As she started gathering her hair into a ponytail, she winced. "Ouch! Stupid tangles," she muttered, tugging harder.

"You're going to yank half your hair out if you keep that up," he said.

"Do you have a better idea, Mr Expert?" Lily shot back, though her voice held no bite.

"Actually, yes," Harry said, surprising even himself. "Here, give it to me."

"All right, but if you make it worse, I'm hexing you."

Sliding closer to her, he carefully gathered her hair in his hands. It was softer than he expected, yet not so smooth as Ginny's. He started working through the tangles gently with his fingers.

"You've got a lot of hair, you know," he said, his voice light as he worked.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Lily replied, tilting her head slightly to give him better access. "You're surprisingly good at this. Do you brush hair often in your spare time?"

Harry chuckled. "Got a little practice, yes."

"Hmm," Lily hummed with a smile, closing her eyes as he untangled another knot. "That's... nice."

After a few minutes, Harry gathered her now-smooth hair and twisted it into a neat ponytail, securing it with the tie. "There. All done."

Lily reached up, touching her hair lightly. "Well, thank you. That was... really sweet of you."

Harry shrugged, "Anytime."

An hour later, back in the Common Room, he was a victim of another rant; this time, the reason was McGonagall, who paid Lily a visit.

"I've got a detention! Can you believe it? And it's with him!"

"As you should."

Lily recoiled as if someone had hit her, "What?" She asked with hurt in her voice.

"What you did was stupid and dangerous." It was pretty hypocritical of him - and he was well aware of it – he was, after all, known for doing dangerous and life-threatening stuff on a daily basis. He couldn't help it, though – she was his friend, not to mention his mother. Worrying was, as far as Harry was concerned, fairly reasonable, especially if his existence depended on it.

Lily's hurt expression suddenly changed, and her cheeks graced rosiness, "Do you worry about me?" She asked breathlessly.

Before Harry could answer, an arm swung on his shoulders. "Let me abduct the lover boy for a moment, will you, Evans?" Said Sirius, and without waiting for a reply, he dragged Harry to the couch where the rest of the marauders sat in a cosy corner of the Common Room Harry and his friends often chose.

Sirius sat Harry in front of James, between Peter and Remus. He himself sat next to his best friend.

"Harry," started James, "It came to our attention that you have got a very generous offer."

"A very generous indeed," interjected Sirius, "Only the best can be invited to the best Quidditch team in the world." The other boys nodded solemnly.

"It would be a waste, a blasphemy, pure madness not to take advantage of such a generous offer."

"Did Roose persuade you? Or did McGonagall bribe you?" Harry asked with amusement.

"We do it from our concern for the Gryffindor and your sanity!"

"Well then," Harry said, getting up, "Unfortunately, I have different plans. More academic." He grinned when the two boys cringed with disgust.

"Just look at those puppy eyes!" James gushed at Sirius, whose eyes were now bigger than his ego. "He only got to the team this year. You wouldn't want such a nice pup to lose the cup in his first year, would you now, Harry?"

"Actually, yes."

The boys groaned, "What can we do to make you join?" James begged

Harry thought for a while, then grinned, "Sirius has to strip tease on the Slytherin table during supper."

"Fine!" James grinned while Sirius looked like a deer in headlights.

"What? No!"

"Shut up, Sirius. You want to win or not?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"There are no buts but your wiggling butt tonight!"

He shut the book with a groan. The book was thicker than a brick. And it was the first of seven tomes!

At that pace, he would never gather any helpful information. If only Dumbledore would help… But the old Headmaster hadn't even bothered to help him make up his backstory, let alone any research.

He was once again left all alone with this burden. Dumbledore, as well as the Dumbledore back in 1995, seemed to have him in his old wrinkled arse.

Harry took a deep, steadying breath to control his suddenly budding rage. He hated how emotional he could get lately.

A tap on his shoulder interrupted his thoughts. He turned around to see Lily smiling shyly. He internally groaned. Like any other human being, he requires some alone time, and the girl never seemed to have enough of him. If he were asked a few months ago if he could spend time with his mother, he would have jumped on the occasion without hesitation. Now that he had the occasion, he slowly started to avoid her as she wanted all his free time. It wasn't that he didn't like it – she was tiring after some time with her late strange and confusing behaviour. Not to mention, he couldn't continue his research with her tugging along – he didn't fancy explaining why he had an obsession with fairies.

She plopped on the chair behind him and leaned closer to examine the book he was reading. "Myths and Legends About Faeries," She read aloud and looked at him with a teasing smile, "Are we interested in fairytales, Mr Shunpike?"

"Sure," Harry rolled his eyes, "I'm searching for ways to find one to have my sick way with her."

Lily frowned, "That's not funny," She murmured with flushed cheeks.

"Whatever you say, Lily. Is there something particular you wanted from me?"

"Not exactly, no. Just wanted to see you." She yanked his hand closer and looked at his watch, "Besides, it's time for supper."

Lily helped Harry gather his things, and they set off to the Great Hall. Lily chatted the whole time and seemed not to mind Harry's one or two-word answers.

"You know, you really should accept the offer," Lily abruptly said when they were close to the entrance to the Great Hall.

"What do you mean?"

Lily blushed a little, "You know, about being the Seeker. I may have overheard you and the bunch of gits talking." She added, blushing even harder.

"Oh. I don't think I'm good enough," Harry shrugged it off, settling for the easiest excuse.

"But you would be incredible!" Lily grabbed his head and squeezed it gently. "I may not know much about Quidditch, but I certainly know that you would be the best!"

Harry couldn't help puffing his chest from pride. He knew that he was a little more than the average seeker – a thing he often argued with Ron and Ginny, who thought he was fantastic – but such a compliment from his mother was priceless.

"Thanks. It means a lot. Though I still think I'm nothing more than average." He said, halting before the door to the Great Hall.

Lily's hand found its way to his cheek, and he leaned to her touch. "You really should stop being so modest," she said with a smile, "Though it suits you."

"Err, thanks?"

She used her free hand to flatten his hair, "You are incredible, Harry. Intelligent, brave and funny," She leaned closer, her eyelids closing. "You could do anything," She whispered bright red.

The door to the Great Hall opened with a bang, and a dozen students – from different houses – fled. Their faces were terrified.

Not paying attention to Lily, who was now scowling angrily, he turned to see what the commotion was about.

"He wouldn't," Lily said, observing Sirius, who had now finished taking off his outer robes and slowly heading towards the Slytherin table.

"Oh, yeah, I think he would," Harry said emotionlessly. He was sure nothing would ever surprise him in his life anymore. "He had never backed down from a dare before, had he?"

Sirius' scowl was visible from their place.

"Wait, Sirius," They heard Remus say, "Think this through—" He couldn't finish because James swatted him.

"This is for the greater good. His hurt ego will pass, but the Gryffindor's pride will thrive." He said solemnly.

Sirius was already striding more confidently toward the Slytherin table. The Gryffindor table erupted into whispers and giggles. At the same time, the Slytherins looked up in confusion. Sirius leapt onto their table with the grace of a cat or, more likely, an experienced stripteaser.

"What in Merlin's name are you doing, Black?" sneered Snape, glaring up at him.

"Oh, don't worry, Snivellus," Sirius said, smirking down at him. "This is a show you won't forget."

With that, Sirius began to sway his hips dramatically, unbuttoning his trousers with exaggerated slowness. Gasps and laughter erupted across the hall as he tossed the clothes over one shoulder and let it slide to the floor. He wore what Harry thought was supposed to be a sexy, bright red lingerie.

"Dun-dun-duuun, dun dun!" Sirius hummed a ridiculous tune, spinning around and winking at a group of horrified Slytherins.

A first-year squeaked as Sirius pulled off his tie and flung it toward the Ravenclaw table, where it landed on someone's plate.

"Sirius, stop, please!" Remus hissed from the Gryffindor table, burying his face in his hands.

"This is the best thing I've ever seen," James said, doubled over with laughter. "Don't hold back, Sirius!" he called out, "Give them the full performance!"

"I think I'm going to puke," Lily said, looking sick, and Harry couldn't blame her. In a few seconds, she ran off.

The Great Hall burst into cheers and laughter, though the Slytherins looked murderous.

"Black!" Professor McGonagall's sharp voice cut through the chaos as she strode into the hall, her lips pressed into a thin line. "What is the meaning of this?"

Sirius turned to her, completely unbothered, and gave an exaggerated bow. "Just a bit of evening entertainment, Professor." His eyes found Harry, and the glare he sent him was almost equal to basilisks.

"You will report to my office immediately," McGonagall snapped while Slughorn tried to calm the traumatised Slytherins.

"Ah. Good evening, Mr Potter."

Mr Potter. How odd it sounds to be called that after weeks of acting as a Shunkpike.

"Good evening, Headmaster."

"What does bring you to me?"

Harry stared at him for a longer while. What brings me here? I don't know, maybe the matter of the future?

"I think you know very well what brings me here, Professor!" Harry snapped, feeling strangely angry again all of a sudden. It was as if every little thing frustrated him.

"Maybe a lemon drop?"

Harry felt the urge to throw the crystal bowl that Dumbledore held almost under his nose against the wall, but he complied nonetheless.

It tasted like lemons - not a surprise there. It had a strange aftertaste, though. Something bitter.

"Headmaster, what is in these drops?"

"Why, lemons, of course!"

"It tastes like something else is in there also. Something… bitter."

Dumbledore leaned closer conspiringly, his eyes shining through half-moon glasses, "They contain a very special type of Gillyweed. But that information has to stay between us. Do you understand me, Harry?"

Harry slowly nodded. So Dumbledore is high. Wow. That explains much.

Harry himself felt now more relaxed, overcome with calmness. Maybe taking gillyweed isn't a bad idea? In my predicament, I would probably have to take it in buckets.

"So, what do you need, Harry?"

Harry shook his head, clearing his thoughts, "I was wondering if it would be safe if I played Quidditch. You know, with this whole 'not-endangering-the-future' thing." He was feeling guilty, being the reason Sirius humiliated himself and all…

"Yes, Professor McGonagall came to me with a complaint about this earlier. She was quite disappointed with you."

"I couldn't agree to this without thinking it through, sir."

"That's understandable. I don't think it would disrupt the line of events. Certain prevention can be done." He added with a smile.

"Thank you, Professor. Did you find anything about how I can get back?"

"Unfortunately, no, my boy."

Well, shit.

"It's all for nothing!" Ginny hissed angrily. "The books won't help us, Hermione!"

"Then how do you want to find him? Do you think you just go to the forest, track down the fairy and get Harry back?"

"That's exactly what I am going to do." She huffed and looked at her brother expectantly.

Ron only grinned, accepting her silent offer. "Oi! Fred, George," he called out through the Common Room, "Wanna beat up a fairy?"

The twins looked at each other with interest, their brows furrowed. Then, they looked back at Ron and grinned evilly, "Always, brother littlest."

The four of them looked at Hermione, who was shaking her head. "You four have lost your mind."

"You can stay here and read your books or come with us," Ginny said, walking out of the Common Room with her brothers behind her. Ron shot Hermione an encouraging and slightly pleading look. With an annoyed groan, she closed her book carefully and followed her friends.

Ginny tightened her grip on her wand, the soft glow of Lumos illuminating the gnarled roots beneath her feet as she plunged deeper into the Forbidden Forest. The moon barely penetrated the canopy above, leaving the forest shrouded in shadows. She'd been out here for an hour already.

They had separated into groups – Fred and George in one – and She, Ron and Hermione in the other. At first, She proposed that everyone was searching on their own, but Hermione, of course, was against it. 'It's too dangerous at night here,' she said. Her brothers didn't help either. They found it foolish, letting her on her own, bloody hypocrites! As if they cared about safety at all!

Ginny, being her usual hot-headed self, separated from Ron and Hermione. That way, they had not only more chances of succeeding but also she could prove them all wrong, that she could take care of herself in the dark forest. Yes, it was dangerous. Yes, it was scary. Yes, she already almost shit herself two times. But she wasn't going to give them satisfaction.

"Kidnapping my boyfriend? Bad idea," she muttered, stepping over a fallen log.

The forest was eerily silent, save for the occasional rustle of leaves and distant hoots of owls. Ginny paused, straining her ears for anything unusual. She swept her wand in an arc, whispering, 'Revelio.' For a moment, nothing happened—then, to her left, a faint trail of shimmering dust lit up, leading along the forest floor like spilt glitter.

"Fairy dust," she breathed.

Ginny crouched low, examining the faint, glowing trail. The dust seemed to pulse faintly like it still carried some of the fairy's magic. It led away from her, winding between towering trees.

The dust wasn't easy to follow. Every few steps, it faded, forcing her to pause and cast Lumos to brighten her surroundings. At one point, she nearly lost it entirely near a small stream, where the glittering remnants vanished into the water.

Ginny knelt by the edge, staring at the ripples. "Clever little thing, aren't you?" she said aloud. She dipped her hand into the stream, swirling the water. Her fingers came away faintly glittering.

She pointed her wand across the stream and muttered, "Accio Fairy Dust!" A faint wisp of glittering light rose from the stream, pulling toward her before dissipating. The dust trail reappeared, faint but visible, leading deeper into the forest. As she pressed on, the forest seemed to grow darker, the air heavier. The shimmering trail became more erratic, leading her in circles at times or doubling back.

She stopped at a cluster of ancient oaks, their twisted roots forming a labyrinth on the forest floor. Fairy dust clung to one of the trunks, glimmering faintly in the bark's grooves. Ginny squinted her eyes, noticing a faint glow coming from the other side of the tree.

She stepped closer and peeked around the trunk.

There she was.

A tiny figure hovered just above the ground, and small wings were beating so quickly that they were a blur. Her golden glow bathed the forest floor in light.

Ginny's grip on her wand tightened.

"All right," she whispered to herself, peeking around the corner again. The fairy was weaving lazily. Ginny pointed her wand at the thing. "Accio fairy!"

The startled fairy suddenly turned in the air and, with force, was yanked in Ginny's direction. She may not have adjusted the spell's strength accordingly to such a small creature, and the fairy did not slow down in time, slamming into Ginny's open mouth. She coughed a few times before spitting the fairy out on the ground. Fairies weren't tasty, she noted to herself.

"Oh no, you don't!" Ginny yelled, bolting after the fairy when she got up and tried to fly away. She cast Lumos Maxima, and the bright light flooded the trees above.

The creature was fast, its golden light flickering like a firefly in the darkness. Ginny sprinted, jumping over roots and ducking under low branches. She kept her wand trained on the fluttering glow. The fairy let out a chiming, taunting laugh.

"Arresto Momentum!"

The spell blasted through a thick branch, sending leaves and twigs cascading down. The fairy let out a startled screech, trying to dart sideways to avoid the debris, yet with no success.

"Got you," Ginny muttered, pointing her wand again. "Accio Fairy!"

The fairy was yanked backwards, tumbling through the air toward her. Ginny reached out, snatching it out of the air with her free hand. The spell didn't last long, and the fairy bit into Ginny's hand. Crying out in pain, she let her go.

Her wand was ready, but the fairy was quicker and hit Ginny in the face, yanking her backwards. Ginny tried to fight back, but the creature was faster and, surprisingly – given her small size – much stronger.

Not so far away from where Ginny was getting the beating of the century, the twins that were lured here by noises watched the spectacle with interest. They were ready to step in when it got too far, but for now, they enjoyed their sister getting a payment for every time she blamed them in front of their mother for something she did.

"She really got it hard for him, hasn't she?" Whispered Fred, "I mean, wasn't that the teeth that fell out of her mouth? She wouldn't do something drastic like this for just a fling…"

His twin looked at him incredulously, "She was always bonkers about him. How could you think it was just a fling? I only hope she won't start popping out little Potters until her last name is such."

"Yeah."

"Ginny!" Rons shouted on the opposite side, right after him Hermione.

Fairy looked up from beaten to a pulp, barely moving anymore Ginny, who was lying on the forest floor.

She didn't expect underestimating an angry Ginny Weasley to be a terrible idea.

Using the fairy's distraction, Ginny got up and grabbed a branch. She swung it like a baseball bat, sending the fairy into a nearby tree. She heard loud cheers from one side and, from the other, sighs of relief.

The fairy reflected from the tree and fell to the ground. Ginny pinned her down, strangling her, not letting her have another chance to escape.

"Now, you golden, glittery bitch!" She said, blood mixed with saliva falling on the fairies face down from her ruined face, "Give me my Harry back!"

The only thing her brothers and Hermione saw next was a bright, blinding golden light. There was no Ginny anymore, only golden sparks where she was just seconds ago.