Harry Wayne and the Batman of Hogwarts
Chapter 27: The Gaze of Power
Gryffindor Tower was unusually quiet. The fire crackled softly in the hearth, the flames dancing in the low light, but it did little to dispel the chill that had settled in the hearts of those who lived there. The usual hum of voices, laughter, and the energetic activity of students had given way to a heavy silence. Even the ghosts, normally wandering the hallways in their ethereal forms, seemed to be keeping their distance. It was as if the entire castle could feel the weight of something insidious that had taken root, something neither easily understood nor stopped.
Ginny Weasley sat near the fire, her hands resting on her knees. The heavy silence was deafening to her. She adjusted the enchanted glasses Hagrid Pennyworth had crafted for her. These glasses were the only thing standing between her and the petrification of anyone she happened to make eye contact with. Ever since the incident in the hallway, where her gaze had turned a fellow student to stone in an instant, she had been consumed by an overwhelming sense of guilt and fear. She wasn't the same anymore. The power she had absorbed from the Basilisk was both a blessing and a curse, and it weighed on her shoulders. She had never asked for it, and now she had no idea how to live with it.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the soft sound of footsteps, followed by the slight creak of the door. Ginny didn't need to look up to know who it was. She could feel his presence, even before his voice reached her.
"Ginny?" Harvey's voice was low, tentative. She glanced up, and though he looked as though he wanted to speak, there was something in his eyes that made her pause. His expression was haunted, strained, as if the weight of the world was pressing down on him.
"I... I never meant for this to happen," Harvey said quietly, his hands fidgeting at his sides. His normally fiery red hair looked darker, his face drawn with the weight of regret. "I thought I was doing the right thing—thought I could make everything better, for both of us. But now look…"
Ginny's gaze softened. She could see the guilt in his eyes, a reflection of the deep internal struggle he was facing. Harvey, her older brother, had always been someone she looked up to. He had always been the one who fought for what was right, who kept the family together. But now, something had changed. He seemed to have lost his way, and it was clear to her that this dark deal with Nygma—this mysterious figure who had promised to separate Harvey from Denton, his darker half—was the cause of it.
"I know you didn't mean for any of this, Harvey," Ginny said gently, her voice barely above a whisper. She could feel the ache of guilt in her own chest, but she also knew that there was no turning back now. She had to accept what had happened, even if she didn't fully understand it.
"But what's done is done," she continued. "I'm not the same, and neither are you. But we both have to live with it now."
Harvey's eyes welled with unshed tears, his jaw tightening as he swallowed the lump in his throat. He stepped forward, his hand reaching out, as if trying to find a connection, a way to bridge the distance that had formed between them.
"I didn't mean for you to get involved," he said, his voice breaking slightly. "I thought I was doing the right thing. Nygma promised he could help me—help separate the parts of me that were... well, dark. I thought if I could be myself again, everything would go back to normal. But now look at you. Look what's happened."
Ginny's heart twisted at his words, but she kept her composure. Harvey needed her strength now, not her sorrow.
"None of this is your fault," she said softly. "It wasn't your decision to give me this power. I know it wasn't your fault that I'm... like this now."
"But it is," Harvey protested, his fists clenching at his sides. "I brought you into this. I dragged you into Nygma's plan. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be stuck with this curse. I—" He broke off, his voice heavy with the weight of his guilt. "I just wanted to be free of it all. I wanted to be Harvey again. And now look at you."
Ginny reached out, her hand gently resting on his. "Harvey, you don't have to carry this burden alone. I'm here, okay? I'm not some helpless victim. I'll learn to control this power, and I'll learn to live with it. You have to stop blaming yourself."
Before Harvey could respond, the door creaked open again, this time with a softer, more purposeful step. Hermione Kyle, a close friend to both Harvey and Ginny, entered the room. Her usual confidence was tempered by the concern in her eyes. She had been watching Harvey closely for the past few days, knowing full well what he was going through. She had seen it before—seen it in the way he carried himself, the dark shadow that followed him wherever he went.
"I think we need to talk, Harvey," Hermione said, her voice steady yet compassionate as she made her way toward him. She wasn't looking at Ginny now, though Ginny could tell that Hermione had been keeping an eye on her as well.
Harvey glanced up at Hermione, his expression unreadable. "I don't know what I can say anymore, Hermione. I've already ruined everything."
Hermione didn't hesitate. "No. You haven't ruined everything." She pulled up a chair and sat beside him, her eyes meeting his with quiet understanding. "You've made mistakes, yes. You've made choices that hurt those you love. But that doesn't mean it's the end. You can still fix things, Harvey. You can still be the brother and the person you were meant to be. But you need to stop thinking that you have to do it all alone."
Harvey looked at her, his eyes searching hers for some sign of hope. "I brought her into this. Ginny never asked for this power. It's my fault she's like this."
Hermione shook her head, her gaze softening. "You didn't force Ginny into anything. Yes, the deal with Nygma has had consequences, but Ginny is not a victim here. She's strong, Harvey. And so are you. But you need to let go of the guilt. It's eating you alive."
Harvey's shoulders slumped, the weight of his guilt threatening to drag him down. "I don't know how to fix this. I feel like everything's out of control."
Hermione, with a deep breath, looked him squarely in the eye. "I get it, Harvey. I understand better than you might think. You know, there was a time when I lost my way. When I thought I couldn't go back. When I was convinced that I was too far gone."
Harvey's eyes flickered toward her, confused.
Hermione continued, her voice steady but filled with emotion. "I worked for Dudley Cobblepot. It was a time when I thought I could never escape. I was living a lie, pretending it was all okay when I was just as lost as you feel now. But there was one person who refused to give up on me. Someone who saw through the darkness. Someone who believed in me when I couldn't believe in myself." She paused, letting her words settle. "That person was you, Harvey."
Harvey's face tightened. "I don't know what to say. I was just trying to help."
"You were trying to save me," Hermione said, her voice softening. "You begged me to leave that life behind, even when I couldn't see the way out. You came to find me, Harvey. You showed up when it seemed like I was too far gone. You fought to bring me back."
"I couldn't just let you stay in that world," Harvey murmured, eyes lowered. "You deserved better."
"And you were brave enough to pull me out of it," Hermione said, her eyes filled with a mix of gratitude and admiration. "I was lost, but you showed me that I could find my way again. And now, Harvey, you need to do the same for yourself. Yes, you've been through dark times. But there's still good in you. You have to learn to live with both sides of who you are now. You can't be defined by your mistakes or by your fears. You have to embrace both parts of yourself—the good and the bad."
Harvey's jaw tightened, his eyes shifting uncomfortably. "How do I do that? How do I learn to live with this... darkness?"
"By accepting it," Hermione replied. "By acknowledging it. You can't run from it, Harvey. You can't keep pretending it doesn't exist. You have to make peace with it. And you don't have to do it alone. I'm here. I'll help you."
Harvey seemed to shrink into himself at her words, but then, for the first time in a while, he nodded. "I don't know if I can do this. But maybe… maybe I'll try."
Hermione smiled gently. "That's all anyone can ask for. Just try. We'll take it one step at a time."
Later that day, Ginny was sitting in the common room alone, trying to calm her thoughts. She had been practicing with the enchanted glasses, but even with their protection, she was terrified. She had to keep them on at all times now—if she didn't, anyone she looked at would freeze, their bodies becoming statues of terror.
She jumped as a quiet voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Ginny? You're here?"
Ginny looked up to find Neville Longbottom standing in the doorway, his expression more serious than usual. He had always been one of the more observant Gryffindors, but recently, he'd been keeping his distance from her, unsure of how to treat her now that she was so different. The incident with the petrified student had terrified him as much as it had terrified Ginny.
"I… I didn't want to bother you," Neville said awkwardly, stepping inside the room. "I know you're trying to figure this out, but I—well, I just wanted to see if you were okay."
Ginny's lips trembled into a small smile, but she felt her insides twisting. "I'm okay. I'm learning to live with it."
Neville hesitated, his gaze flickering to her glasses. "I don't know how you can. I mean, it's just… awful, isn't it? You can't even look at anyone without…"
Ginny nodded, swallowing hard. "Yeah. I can't risk it. I have to wear these all the time, or someone could get hurt. Petrified. Like… like what happened before."
"Right." Neville shifted on his feet, clearly uncomfortable. "You've got all the answers now. You've got the glasses. But… what if you can't control it?" His voice softened. "What if you look at someone, and it happens again? What happens to them?"
The question hung in the air, and Ginny found herself unable to answer. She didn't know. It felt like a dark cloud hanging over her, something she couldn't predict.
"I don't want to hurt anyone," Ginny whispered. "But what if I already have?"
Neville didn't respond immediately. Instead, he sat down beside her, careful not to make eye contact. "I don't think you're a danger, Ginny. You've been through so much already. You're strong. But it's okay to be scared."
Ginny let out a shaky breath. "I just want this to be over. I want things to be normal again."
Neville smiled gently. "It might take time, but you'll find a way. You're not alone, okay?"
Ginny managed a faint smile. "Thanks, Neville."
Ginny knew it was only a matter of time before things spiraled out of control again. Her power, her curse—whatever it was—would be both a blessing and a burden, and in the end, it was up to her to navigate it. The battle had only just begun, and Ginny Weasley would be ready.
Meanwhile, in the shadows of his own secret quarters, a figure watched with cold amusement. Tom Nygma, the mastermind behind Harvey's deal, smiled to himself in the dark. He had played his cards carefully, knowing that the game was far from over.
The Weasleys, Hermione, and the rest of their friends were merely pawns in his grand design. They thought they had control, but Nygma knew better. His plan was only just beginning, and he would stop at nothing to see it through.
"Let them believe they've won," Nygma whispered to himself, his eyes glinting with malice. "In the end, they'll all fall."
His fingers hovered over the dark scroll on his desk, a cryptic message unraveling in his mind. As his smirk deepened, he began plotting his next move. His game was far from over.
To be continued….