Ginny's Gift, Chapter 9
Rated: PG-13
Summary: Ginny gives Harry a special birthday present, but the consequences are unexpected.
The seventh year Gryffindors left their final class of the day the following Friday in good spirits. Part of this was due to the fact that the weekend was upon them, and part was because Professor Flitwick hadn't given them any homework. Harry reckoned the tiny Charms professor was the only merciful teacher in the school. As he headed back towards Gryffindor Tower along with Ron and Hermione, he found himself looking forward to later that evening. He'd been making a few plans since the other night in the common room…
"Harry!" called a breathless voice behind them, interrupting the pleasant train of Harry's thoughts. "Harry! Wait up!" Colin Creevey came sprinting up the corridor towards them.
"Hold on there, man," said Ron. "Slow down. What's got into you?"
Colin was gasping for air and holding his side. When he'd caught his breath, he replied, "Sorry. Just came from Potions, but I wanted to be sure I'd catch one of you." He reached into his school bag and pulled out a handful of photographs. "Look at these." He offered the photos to Harry, but it was Ron who took them from Colin and began to look through them. As he finished with a photo, he passed it along to Harry, who could feel Hermione lean towards him so that she could see them, too.
"What's all this then?" asked Ron.
As far as Harry could tell, the photographs were all of the Slytherin Quidditch team. He watched as Millicent Bulstrode and Gregory Goyle practised the Dopplebeater Defence.
"I've been spying on the opposition," reported Colin happily. Harry and Ron exchanged a look. Neither one had known anything about this.
"How did you manage to take these without getting caught?" asked Hermione.
"I was cunningly disguised, of course."
"How?"
Colin mumbled something inaudible.
"What was that?" asked Ron.
"Polyjuice Potion," repeated Colin more clearly.
"Where'd you get that from?" asked Harry.
"I made it."
"You couldn't have," said Hermione. "It takes over a month to brew. We haven't been back at school that long."
"I started it at home. Dennis helped me come up with the idea."
"Where'd you get the ingredients?"
"I had most of them."
"You had Boomslang Skin?" asked Ron, raising his eyebrows.
"You seem to know an awful lot about it." Harry, Ron and Hermione all looked at each other. After all, they'd managed to make the potion as second year students. Perhaps it wasn't so odd that Colin had managed it. "Listen, that's not even important. Look at this." He took the pictures from Harry and rifled through them until he'd found the one he wanted. He held it up proudly. "Proof. Proof that Malfoy's teaching his team to cheat."
Harry looked closely at the picture. He could see that Malfoy was in it but not a whole lot else. "Just what are we supposed to see in this?" he asked.
"He's got a nail. Right there." Colin pointed but Harry couldn't really see anything that looked like a nail. "He was showing his Chasers how to Quafflepock without getting caught."
"It's a bit small. The image, I mean," said Harry. "I can see it's Malfoy, but beyond that…"
"Well, there's some others…" But all the photos were too small to prove very much.
"Look, Colin," said Ron at last. "I appreciate the thought, but you can't really tell what's going on in these pictures."
Colin's face fell.
"Colin," began Hermione speculatively. Harry could almost see the wheels turning. "Do you know when Slytherin's next practise is?"
"Tomorrow afternoon."
"Would you mind going to have another look?"
"No, not at all, but…"
"You wouldn't need more Polyjuice," she added quickly.
"Hermione," asked Ron. "Just what do you have in mind?"
"Omnioculars," she said. "I still have mine from the Quidditch World Cup. Colin, you can take my Omnioculars down to the pitch with you and use them to watch the Slytherins. Then the entire practice will be in the replay feature. We'll be able to slow down the action and focus in on it. Even if they're not cheating, we'll know their strategy."
"Hermione, that's brilliant," said Ron. "Only one problem. How's he going to do all that without getting caught?"
"Simple. Harry will lend Colin his invisibility cloak, won't you, Harry?"
"Invisibility cloak?" Colin looked surprised and eager to try it all at the same time.
Harry didn't know what to say. He was more than willing to donate the use of his invisibility cloak to better Gryffindor's chances at Quidditch. Unfortunately he needed his invisibility cloak tonight, but he didn't want to mention this in front of Ron. "Yeah, sure," he got out at last. "I can let you have it tomorrow, all right?"
If Ron was going to comment on this, he didn't have a chance. At that moment, they heard someone coming up the corridor towards them. Not wanting to be caught planning a spying mission on the opposition, Colin quickly took the pictures from Harry and stuffed them back into his bag. A moment later, Professor Dumbledore appeared.
"Ah," he said, "The Gryffindor Quidditch captain and Seeker." Harry worked not to blush. How did the Headmaster do that? "As a matter of fact, I need to talk to Harry. Do you mind if I borrow him for a few minutes? You can all go back to your planning session later."
Harry could hardly refuse the Headmaster, especially when it seemed as if he knew exactly what they'd been discussing. He followed Professor Dumbledore down a staircase, as they headed towards the stone gargoyle that guarded the entrance to the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore gave the password ("Whizzo chocolate!"), the gargoyle leapt aside, and Harry soon found himself seated in front of the old man.
"I've called you into my office, Harry, because I need to ask you if your scar has been bothering you lately."
"Erm, no, sir, it hasn't…" Harry hesitated wondering how much he ought to say. "In fact, I've had a lot fewer headaches since my birthday. But that doesn't make a lot of sense. From the news reports, Voldemort is feeling just as murderous as ever."
"Yes, it would seem that way, wouldn't it? However, I believe the pain in your scar may be affected by distance. If Voldemort was in Europe, that might explain matters."
"Europe?" Sirius was in Europe, he remembered with a jolt. So was Remus Lupin. And Bill and Charlie Weasley. "But so many attacks are happening in England…"
"Yes, that's true, Harry, but just as many atrocities have occurred in Europe. We've been trying to keep track of Voldemort's whereabouts, but earlier in the summer we lost him. We thought he'd left England, but it wasn't completely clear. Some of our operatives have been trying to determine if he's in Europe and, if so, to pin down his location, but to no avail."
"You mean Sirius, don't you?"
"Yes. How did you know?"
"He wrote to me and told me he was on the continent, but he didn't say where exactly or why. I've just now worked it out." Harry didn't mention the latest letter that had indicated that other people he knew might well be involved in the same mission.
"Yes, well, I've had word from Sirius, and he thought he was close, but he had a bit of a set-back. I thought I'd ask you for a bit of confirmation. You telling me your scar hasn't been bothering you, indicates that we're on the right track. Voldemort is in Europe. I'll leave the European operatives in place."
"How can you be so certain?"
"Voldemort cannot be in two places at the same time. Either lackeys are orchestrating the attacks in England or on the continent, with Voldemort behind the others. It's imperative that we know which is true so that we can concentrate our efforts in the right region."
"But what if he's Apparating? Or using a Port Key? Or a Time-Turner?"
"It's not very likely he's Apparating, even in stages. The distances involved are too great. A Time-Turner is not entirely out of the question, but I think it's not a great possibility. As you know, the use of Time-Turners is closely regulated by the Ministry, and while it's always possible that Voldemort obtained one illegally, I still don't think he's using one. The amount of time he'd have to turn merely to travel would exhaust him. He may not be entirely human, but he still needs to rest from time to time. He needs to keep his wits about him to plan everything so carefully."
"And the Port Key?"
"Now that's a bit more difficult to explain. Yes, he could be using a Port Key to travel between back and forth, but I'll let you in on a secret. The Department of Mysteries have been working on a method of following the magical trace a Port Key leaves behind. They've invented a device which allows a witch or wizard to detect the use of a Port Key and to be able to determine where it either went to or came from."
Dumbledore looked fixedly at Harry. Harry was certain that the development of this device was begun at the end of his fourth year. "So if there was a Port Key involved, Sirius would be able to tell."
"Ideally, yes. The device has been tested and has been proven accurate. This is really the first field trial, however, or the first planned trial I should say. Be that as it may, I have every confidence that it works."
"Voldemort's in Europe then."
"Based on what we know, and what you've just said about your scar, yes. I have to draw that conclusion."
"And all the attacks in England?"
"A smokescreen most likely. Although the attack on Diagon Alley seemed like a warning. We must be prepared. The enemy could find a way to strike at any time."
"How did the Death Eaters get through Diagon Alley's defences then?"
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "That's very simple, Harry. Port Key. We were able to prove that with the Ministry's device. That was actually its first test, although it wasn't planned. Unfortunately, something went wrong, and we were unable to trace the Death Eaters, but I believe that little problem has now been ironed out." He paused here, and his blue gaze seemed to pass straight through Harry. "Is there anything else you'd like to tell me about?"
Harry shifted uncomfortably. He had a feeling he ought to mention the talisman. In fact, he thought, Dumbledore must already suspect something. If he knew about the attack on Diagon Alley, he probably knew that Harry had been present that day, and that something had turned back the Death Eater's curse. He was torn, however. He'd promised Ginny he'd keep her secret.
"No, sir," he replied. He thought Dumbledore looked a bit sharply at him, but it may have been his imagination.
"If you're certain there's nothing else you can tell me, I'll bid you a good afternoon, and an even better evening, then."
He rose, and Harry took this as his cue to leave. He walked back to Gryffindor Tower feeling a bit uneasy. Ginny knew about her brothers being involved in some sort of attack, but she didn't know about Voldemort. Ron knew nothing of any of this. The Headmaster hadn't said anything to Harry about keeping this a secret, but Harry had a feeling that this information was definitely privileged. But it involved Ron's family… He had no idea what he ought to say to either Ginny or Ron about this. It wasn't as if they could do anything about the situation, beyond worry, if they knew about it. Perhaps it would be best not to say anything.
When Harry came through the portrait hole, he was immediately greeted by Ron, who was laughing wildly. "Harry, you'll never guess what we got out of Colin!"
Harry went over to the sofa where Ron and Hermione were sitting. "What?"
"Colin said… He said…"
Ron was laughing too hard by now to continue. Fortunately the common room was nearly empty so Ron's laughter wasn't likely to attract a lot of undue attention. Harry turned to Hermione. "What's he on about?"
Hermione was having difficulty keeping a straight face herself. "Ron managed to worm out of Colin how he planned to spy on the Slytherins since last year."
"Last year? Bit keen, isn't he?"
"Well, you know Colin. Always enthusiastic. Besides, he'd have had to start planning last year to get the recipe and ingredients. Anyway, Ron found out who he Polyjuiced himself as."
"Who?" asked Harry.
"P… Pa… Pansy Parkinson!" Ron was almost purple by now, but he'd managed to calm down long enough to blurt out the name.
Harry had to laugh as well. The image of the small, mousy Gryffindor transforming into the pug-faced blonde Slytherin really was rather comic. But then another thought struck him. "Where'd he get a little bit of Pansy to put in the potion?"
"He set her up," said Ron, who had finally regained his composure enough to speak in complete sentences. "Slipped her a note and claimed it was from Malfoy. She thought she was supposed to meet him by the broom shed for a snog, and she wasn't pleased when it looked as if he'd stood her up. Ranted and kicked a few things. And Colin was hiding nearby the whole time. Said she didn't notice a thing when he Summoned a hair from her head."
Harry didn't know whether to be surprised or impressed. Colin had certainly gone to a great deal of trouble to help out the Gryffindor Quidditch team. In fact, he'd come up with quite an elaborate plan--perhaps more elaborate than was really necessary.
"What's so funny?" Ginny had come in.
"Long story," Ron hedged. "You had to be there."
Ginny and Hermione both glared at him, but he ignored them. Harry spoke up. "I'll tell you later." Ginny looked at him and smiled, her eyes sparkling with what seemed to be anticipation.
Ron let out a groan. "Do you two mind going somewhere else to do that?"
"Do what?" asked Harry at the same time as Hermione exclaimed, "Ron!"
"Look at each other like that," replied Ron.
Harry felt himself begin to redden, but he stood his ground. He'd had about enough of Ron acting like a git over him and Ginny. "Look at each other how? You mean the way you and Hermione do all the time?"
Ron's ears turned pink. "Hermione and I don't make eyes at each other like that."
"You do so," said Ginny. "All the time."
Ron persevered, in spite of Hermione's warning look. "Well, when we do it, it's not so… so…"
"So what?" challenged Ginny.
"So mushy!" he finished triumphantly.
"Ron," said Hermione in a deceptively calm voice. "Can I have a word with you? Privately?" She didn't wait for him to reply but took his hand and dragged him off forcibly into a corner.
"They're about ten times mushier," Ginny confided to Harry, who readily agreed.
Harry never did discover what, exactly, Hermione said to Ron. He didn't quite dare ask, and Ron certainly didn't volunteer the information. Ron did, however, emerge from the surprisingly calm conversation looking contrite, and afterwards he seemed to accept that Harry and Ginny were becoming a couple with considerably more grace.
*
It was nearly midnight, and the common room was almost empty. The younger students had all gone up to bed already, while the older students were by and large occupied with other activities. Ron and Hermione had headed out of the portrait hole over an hour ago, as had Dean Thomas, no doubt off to meet a girl from another house somewhere. Neville was still sitting up in a corner, but he'd seemed very preoccupied ever since the disastrous prefects' meeting where he'd embarrassed himself so thoroughly. Harry was sure he was mooning over Lisa Turpin.
Harry himself put away his books now. It seemed an ideal time to sneak out. He'd brought his invisibility cloak and the Marauders' Map down with him when he'd fetched his books from his dormitory after supper. He shook his head thinking of the Marauders' Map. It had turned up mysteriously in his fifth year, much as his invisibility cloak had his first year. Harry assumed that the Headmaster had retrieved the map from among Mad Eye Moody's things, after it was discovered that Barty Crouch Jr had been impersonating him for Harry's entire fourth year, and restored it to him. How Dumbledore knew whom it belonged to was a mystery Harry hadn't yet fathomed.
"You ready?" he asked Ginny, who had put down her quill when she noticed Harry set his things aside.
"Yeah. Where are we going?"
"You'll see. Let's go." In reality Harry wasn't sure where they were going. Somewhere private, certainly, but beyond that… It all depended what the Marauders' Map would show them.
He hid the invisibility cloak, in which he'd folded the map, under his robes and stood up. Taking Ginny's hand, they both climbed out the portrait hole. Fortunately the Fat Lady was snoring quietly in her portrait, and she didn't wake up to berate them for being out after hours.
There was no one in sight, so Harry took out his cloak and threw it over the two of them. Taking her into an alcove, he said, "Here's how this works. We're invisible, but someone can still discover us, if they bump up against us, say. So we still have to be careful who we run in to. That's where this comes in." He held up the Marauders' Map and drew his wand. "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good."
He heard Ginny gasp as spidery lines began to appear on the parchment. "What's that then?" she asked, sounding very interested.
"Map of Hogwarts. Look." He pointed to the small dots on the map. H. Potter and G. Weasley were clearly indicated just outside the Gryffindor common room. "It also shows where everyone is in the castle."
"Where did you get this?" She was clearly impressed.
"From the twins, actually. They gave it to me in third year."
"They gave this to you? Why didn't they keep it for themselves?"
"Don't suppose they needed it anymore. They'd had all the secret passages memorised by then."
Ginny looked at the map. Her finger traced one of the tunnels. "Where does that one go? It looks like it leads off the map."
"Oh, all those tunnels lead into Hogsmeade. But they don't all work. Some of them are caved in, and Filch knows about some of them. The best one, really, is this one. It leads straight to Honeyduke's."
Ginny was still studying the map. "Look, I've found where Ron and Hermione are."
Harry saw her point to what should have been an empty classroom. Two dots, so close together that they seemed to make one larger dot, were marked H. Granger and R. Weasley. "We won't go there, then. And we'll avoid the trophy room. Peeves is in there."
"We could stay right where we are."
Harry looked down at her. Her eyes were sparking again, and a tingle of awareness coursed through him. "Tempting as that sounds, all these people are going to have to come back up here at some point. It's going to get noisy when they do. Look. There are Lavender and Seamus in the Astronomy Tower."
"Looks as if all the good spots are taken. There's Dean and Padma in the Prefects' Bathroom. Ugh! Draco Malfoy is meeting…" She trailed off, as she leaned closer to the map, squinting. "Does that say… Sally Ann Perks? There's no accounting for taste, is there?"
But Harry was still caught up on something else she'd said. "Wait. Just how do you know where all the good spots are?"
"I've heard things," she said, wide-eyed.
Harry wasn't sure he believed her, and he didn't like the feeling of jealousy that passed through him. It was hardly his place to say anything if she'd been snogging other boys, after all, and he knew it. But still… He set the feeling aside. "Come on," he said. "I think I have an idea."
He took her hand again, keeping the Marauder's Map in the other, so that if Filch or Mrs Norris should be patrolling the corridors, they wouldn't have a nasty surprise. Harry took Ginny down to the fourth floor, where he remembered there was a sort of storage room. The room contained some disused pieces of furniture from the various common rooms, and Harry was rather surprised to see that the map indicated it was empty. It seemed a fairly ideal place to take a girl, and Harry had to assume that not very many students knew of its existence.
Ginny seemed impressed, as Harry led them to the least broken-down of the sofas. "How did you find this place?" she asked when they were seated. "I've never heard of this room before."
Harry waved his wand at the door to shut it before replying. "I discovered it last year in my wanderings." He pulled the invisibility cloak off of them. He didn't expect anyone to come poking around now that he'd had confirmation from Ginny that this room was fairly secret.
"So this is your spot, then." It sounded as if she was insinuating that he often brought girls down here, and she didn't seem very happy about it, judging from her tone. There was something satisfying about that.
"No, I mean, not really. I've never come down here. I just discovered it. I've never really used it."
"Oh."
She sounded much happier, as she lay her head on his shoulder. Harry hesitated and then put his arm around her. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do now. He knew what was expected, he knew what he wanted to do, but it might be nice to talk a bit first. So he started telling her about Colin, and it was very pleasant to simply sit with her and laugh. At one point Harry found himself playing with a few strands of her hair, although he didn't consciously remember starting.
Their laughter faded, and Ginny raised her head. Looking down, Harry met her eyes, and they stared for a moment. Then he felt an anticipatory thrill, when she reached up to remove his glasses. She placed a hand on his cheek and drew him in. Their kisses were short and soft at first, but as Harry's confidence grew, he opened his mouth and began to explore. He felt Ginny fall limp against him, and that only encouraged him further.
A loud yowling sound invaded Harry's consciousness sometime later. He removed his lips from Ginny's, and they stared at each other, hearts pounding and breathless. She had somehow managed to crawl into his lap, or maybe he'd put her there; he couldn't remember.
The howl came again, accompanied by a scratching noise at the door. Harry searched for a moment before grabbing the Marauder's Map, which had found its way to the floor and which he'd neglected to erase. He stared at it for a second, wondering why it was all blurry, then he remembered his glasses. He took them from Ginny, who was grinning mischievously. A small dot labelled Mrs Norris was right outside the door. They could hear more scratching and snuffling. Then there was silence. Harry could see the dot on the map moving swiftly away, towards a staircase that came out near the Trophy Room one floor below. He could see that Filch was in there, doubtless attracted by whatever trouble Peeves had managed to dredge up.
"It was Mrs Norris, and she's gone for Filch," Harry informed Ginny. "We'll have to move fast." He glanced at the map once more. The route back to Gryffindor Tower seemed clear at the moment. Throwing the invisibility cloak back over their heads, Harry took Ginny's hand, and they made their way to the seventh floor as quickly as they could. Luckily, they met no one on the way. Harry thought the hour must be very late. He had no idea how much time had passed while they were on the sofa.
The Fat Lady was still snoring in her frame, when they took off the cloak. Ginny had to give the password several times in an increasingly loud voice, before the portrait swung forward to admit them. The Fat Lady was not amused. "Fourth time tonight," she grumbled. "It's a wonder anyone gets any sleep around here."
*
Time began to pass in great spurts, and before Harry knew it, Halloween was upon them. The Quidditch team had been practising well as they trained the new reserves and prepared for their first match against Slytherin in November. Colin Creevey had managed to bring back some useful information about the opposition's strategies, and Ron was taking full advantage, teaching his own team effective counter-measures. Harry had to admit that Ron had made a good decision in choosing Pinnett as the reserve Keeper over Ginny. He would make a competent replacement for Ron next year as a regular player.
Another thing had occurred, which was a bit of a relief for Harry. A day or two after he'd received the owl from Sirius, Ron had got a note from his mother, which informed him and Ginny of their brothers' involvement in Europe. It was understandably short on details, but it assured everyone that Bill and Charlie were unhurt. There was also a bit of motherly advice in the letter: "Make sure you're treating Hermione the way you'd want your sister to be treated."
"She really knows how to ruin my fun, doesn't she?" Ron had commented to Harry.
Homework was also piling up, even for the sixth years, and although Harry tried to find time to spend alone with Ginny, it was becoming more and more difficult. They'd gone back to the storage room on the fourth floor a few times to talk and kiss, but to Harry it was never enough. He was becoming more and more comfortable with her as he got to know her better. There was something relaxing about her presence, and it was almost surprising how easy things had become between them after their awkward beginnings. The day after Halloween was the first Hogsmeade weekend of term, and Harry was looking forward to spending the day with her. For once, he wouldn't feel like a third wheel as he tagged after Ron and Hermione.
The Halloween feast itself was merry, as everyone anticipated the following day. It also passed surprisingly enough, without incident. It had never struck Harry until now, but he realised that in past years something always happened on Halloween, be it an invasion of trolls, some sort of attack, or someone getting Petrified… But this year nothing. It was a relief, really.
Harry and Ginny went hand in hand down the road to the village along with the other students on Saturday. He was surprised to see a number of teachers accompanying them to the village but decided it must be for extra security. There may have been extra wards in place over Hogsmeade, but it looked as if the Hogwarts staff wasn't taking any chances.
The crowd of students began to disperse throughout the village. Harry turned to Ginny and asked, "Where do you want to go first?" Ron and Hermione were already headed off towards Honeyduke's.
"Let's go to Zonko's and see what the twins are up to," she said.
When they arrived at the shop, it was already packed with students. The blonde woman Harry had noticed on September first was telling a group of third years off for pulling apart a display of Filibuster's Fireworks. One girl looked as if she was on the verge of tears. As the blonde stalked off, George said something to her in passing that made her smile. Harry was sure he saw a significant look pass between them.
Fred spotted Harry and Ginny just then. "Look who it is, George," he called. "Ickle Ginny!" He positively leered at their joined hands, and Harry wondered if coming in here was such a good idea after all.
"Shut it, Fred," Ginny replied.
"So Harry," Fred went on, ignoring his sister's narrowed eyes, "I'd ask you how you've been making out, but I don't suppose I really have to, do I?"
Harry was saved from replying by the blonde. "Is there a problem here?"
"Not at all," Fred replied in a more respectful tone than Harry had ever heard him use with anyone besides his mother. If Harry hadn't known better, he'd have said that Fred was actually frightened of her.
"Actually, there is," Ginny contradicted. "I'm looking for something."
The blonde turned her attention to Ginny. "What can I help you with?"
"Can you recommend anything good to use on annoying older brothers?"
"Why, yes, I believe so." She was smiling broadly now. "No, wait. I think those are all in the back. Fred, would you be a dear, and unpack that new shipment of books? We've got some new ones in, just full of ideas."
Fred marched off, sulking a bit at having his teasing session cut short. Harry was certain he heard Fred mutter, "Slave driver" under his breath.
The blonde was talking to Ginny again. "I take it you're Fred and George's sister?"
"Yeah, I am. How could you tell?"
"The hair does give you away, you know." She put out a hand. "I'm Pauline. You must be Ginny. I've heard a lot about you."
Ginny rolled her eyes as she shook Pauline's hand. "I'm sure I don't want to know."
"I know older brothers can be annoying, but yours aren't bad sorts. Not really. Actually, they haven't said one bad thing about any of your family." She turned to Harry then. "You must be Harry Potter. Pleasure." Harry shook her hand. "I must get back to work now. Dad turned the shop over to me, and I have to keep things running. You need any help, just ask."
They spent some time in Zonko's. Ginny was particularly fascinated by a book entitled One Hundred Pranks for Annoying Siblings by Tauntalus Petitfrere. As they were leaving, Harry noticed that Pauline and George seemed quite friendly. He nudged Ginny. "Do you think they're an item?"
"Looks that way, doesn't it?" she said speculatively. Then she smiled. "I'll have to be sure and tell Mum. Then she'll be after Fred to find himself a nice girl."
They went back into the street, where they spotted Ron and Hermione heading in their direction. "What do you say we all go to the Three Broomsticks?" Harry proposed.
"All right," Ginny agreed.
Harry raised his hand to wave Ron and Hermione over, but several things happened at once. Ron raised a hand to wave back, but Harry saw his expression changed almost immediately. A shout came from somewhere, along with the sound of running feet. Harry turned just in time to see a figure running towards him and Ginny. A wand was drawn, a spell muttered before Harry had time to react. Time seemed to slow as Harry watched a jet of light erupt from the end of the assailant's wand and shoot towards them. Harry's instincts kicked in as he threw himself in the path of the spell. He had no idea who the intended target was. A silvery light hit him with more force than he'd expected, propelling him backwards. In the instant before he hit the ground, he thought someone had tackled the assailant.
He lay there for a moment, fighting to remain conscious. He felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. Above him he could see blue sky, a space that was soon filled with concerned faces: Ron, Hermione, Ginny…
"Are you all right?" Ginny asked. He nodded.
"Stand back, out of the way. Give him some air." A new voice intruded, and the faces above Harry moved out of his field of vision to be replaced by that of Mundungus Fletcher. Fletcher knelt down beside Harry. "Can you sit up?"
"I think so. What happened?"
"Some nutter. Krum went after him."
As if on cue a new voice spoke up. "I couldn't get him. He got away." Viktor Krum's English seemed to have improved a great deal since Harry's fourth year. He was even able to pronounce Hermione's name now.
As Fletcher helped Harry into a sitting position, he heard a gasp. Looking up, he saw Ginny staring wide-eyed at his chest. Following the direction of her gaze, he saw that a great rent had been torn down the front of his robes. It had most likely been the impact of the spell. But what was most worrisome to Ginny was likely the fact that the necklace she'd given him was now in plain sight.
A/N: There's a Monty Python reference in this chapter … Anyone spot it?
I also have to credit Marian with the line Molly puts in the letter about treating Hermione like he'd want his sister to be treated. Marian's brothers apparently heard that line a lot when they were younger, and had a similar reaction to Ron's. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. Please let me know what you think!
Chapter 10
Summary: Ginny gives Harry a special birthday present, but the consequences are unexpected.
The seventh year Gryffindors left their final class of the day the following Friday in good spirits. Part of this was due to the fact that the weekend was upon them, and part was because Professor Flitwick hadn't given them any homework. Harry reckoned the tiny Charms professor was the only merciful teacher in the school. As he headed back towards Gryffindor Tower along with Ron and Hermione, he found himself looking forward to later that evening. He'd been making a few plans since the other night in the common room…
"Harry!" called a breathless voice behind them, interrupting the pleasant train of Harry's thoughts. "Harry! Wait up!" Colin Creevey came sprinting up the corridor towards them.
"Hold on there, man," said Ron. "Slow down. What's got into you?"
Colin was gasping for air and holding his side. When he'd caught his breath, he replied, "Sorry. Just came from Potions, but I wanted to be sure I'd catch one of you." He reached into his school bag and pulled out a handful of photographs. "Look at these." He offered the photos to Harry, but it was Ron who took them from Colin and began to look through them. As he finished with a photo, he passed it along to Harry, who could feel Hermione lean towards him so that she could see them, too.
"What's all this then?" asked Ron.
As far as Harry could tell, the photographs were all of the Slytherin Quidditch team. He watched as Millicent Bulstrode and Gregory Goyle practised the Dopplebeater Defence.
"I've been spying on the opposition," reported Colin happily. Harry and Ron exchanged a look. Neither one had known anything about this.
"How did you manage to take these without getting caught?" asked Hermione.
"I was cunningly disguised, of course."
"How?"
Colin mumbled something inaudible.
"What was that?" asked Ron.
"Polyjuice Potion," repeated Colin more clearly.
"Where'd you get that from?" asked Harry.
"I made it."
"You couldn't have," said Hermione. "It takes over a month to brew. We haven't been back at school that long."
"I started it at home. Dennis helped me come up with the idea."
"Where'd you get the ingredients?"
"I had most of them."
"You had Boomslang Skin?" asked Ron, raising his eyebrows.
"You seem to know an awful lot about it." Harry, Ron and Hermione all looked at each other. After all, they'd managed to make the potion as second year students. Perhaps it wasn't so odd that Colin had managed it. "Listen, that's not even important. Look at this." He took the pictures from Harry and rifled through them until he'd found the one he wanted. He held it up proudly. "Proof. Proof that Malfoy's teaching his team to cheat."
Harry looked closely at the picture. He could see that Malfoy was in it but not a whole lot else. "Just what are we supposed to see in this?" he asked.
"He's got a nail. Right there." Colin pointed but Harry couldn't really see anything that looked like a nail. "He was showing his Chasers how to Quafflepock without getting caught."
"It's a bit small. The image, I mean," said Harry. "I can see it's Malfoy, but beyond that…"
"Well, there's some others…" But all the photos were too small to prove very much.
"Look, Colin," said Ron at last. "I appreciate the thought, but you can't really tell what's going on in these pictures."
Colin's face fell.
"Colin," began Hermione speculatively. Harry could almost see the wheels turning. "Do you know when Slytherin's next practise is?"
"Tomorrow afternoon."
"Would you mind going to have another look?"
"No, not at all, but…"
"You wouldn't need more Polyjuice," she added quickly.
"Hermione," asked Ron. "Just what do you have in mind?"
"Omnioculars," she said. "I still have mine from the Quidditch World Cup. Colin, you can take my Omnioculars down to the pitch with you and use them to watch the Slytherins. Then the entire practice will be in the replay feature. We'll be able to slow down the action and focus in on it. Even if they're not cheating, we'll know their strategy."
"Hermione, that's brilliant," said Ron. "Only one problem. How's he going to do all that without getting caught?"
"Simple. Harry will lend Colin his invisibility cloak, won't you, Harry?"
"Invisibility cloak?" Colin looked surprised and eager to try it all at the same time.
Harry didn't know what to say. He was more than willing to donate the use of his invisibility cloak to better Gryffindor's chances at Quidditch. Unfortunately he needed his invisibility cloak tonight, but he didn't want to mention this in front of Ron. "Yeah, sure," he got out at last. "I can let you have it tomorrow, all right?"
If Ron was going to comment on this, he didn't have a chance. At that moment, they heard someone coming up the corridor towards them. Not wanting to be caught planning a spying mission on the opposition, Colin quickly took the pictures from Harry and stuffed them back into his bag. A moment later, Professor Dumbledore appeared.
"Ah," he said, "The Gryffindor Quidditch captain and Seeker." Harry worked not to blush. How did the Headmaster do that? "As a matter of fact, I need to talk to Harry. Do you mind if I borrow him for a few minutes? You can all go back to your planning session later."
Harry could hardly refuse the Headmaster, especially when it seemed as if he knew exactly what they'd been discussing. He followed Professor Dumbledore down a staircase, as they headed towards the stone gargoyle that guarded the entrance to the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore gave the password ("Whizzo chocolate!"), the gargoyle leapt aside, and Harry soon found himself seated in front of the old man.
"I've called you into my office, Harry, because I need to ask you if your scar has been bothering you lately."
"Erm, no, sir, it hasn't…" Harry hesitated wondering how much he ought to say. "In fact, I've had a lot fewer headaches since my birthday. But that doesn't make a lot of sense. From the news reports, Voldemort is feeling just as murderous as ever."
"Yes, it would seem that way, wouldn't it? However, I believe the pain in your scar may be affected by distance. If Voldemort was in Europe, that might explain matters."
"Europe?" Sirius was in Europe, he remembered with a jolt. So was Remus Lupin. And Bill and Charlie Weasley. "But so many attacks are happening in England…"
"Yes, that's true, Harry, but just as many atrocities have occurred in Europe. We've been trying to keep track of Voldemort's whereabouts, but earlier in the summer we lost him. We thought he'd left England, but it wasn't completely clear. Some of our operatives have been trying to determine if he's in Europe and, if so, to pin down his location, but to no avail."
"You mean Sirius, don't you?"
"Yes. How did you know?"
"He wrote to me and told me he was on the continent, but he didn't say where exactly or why. I've just now worked it out." Harry didn't mention the latest letter that had indicated that other people he knew might well be involved in the same mission.
"Yes, well, I've had word from Sirius, and he thought he was close, but he had a bit of a set-back. I thought I'd ask you for a bit of confirmation. You telling me your scar hasn't been bothering you, indicates that we're on the right track. Voldemort is in Europe. I'll leave the European operatives in place."
"How can you be so certain?"
"Voldemort cannot be in two places at the same time. Either lackeys are orchestrating the attacks in England or on the continent, with Voldemort behind the others. It's imperative that we know which is true so that we can concentrate our efforts in the right region."
"But what if he's Apparating? Or using a Port Key? Or a Time-Turner?"
"It's not very likely he's Apparating, even in stages. The distances involved are too great. A Time-Turner is not entirely out of the question, but I think it's not a great possibility. As you know, the use of Time-Turners is closely regulated by the Ministry, and while it's always possible that Voldemort obtained one illegally, I still don't think he's using one. The amount of time he'd have to turn merely to travel would exhaust him. He may not be entirely human, but he still needs to rest from time to time. He needs to keep his wits about him to plan everything so carefully."
"And the Port Key?"
"Now that's a bit more difficult to explain. Yes, he could be using a Port Key to travel between back and forth, but I'll let you in on a secret. The Department of Mysteries have been working on a method of following the magical trace a Port Key leaves behind. They've invented a device which allows a witch or wizard to detect the use of a Port Key and to be able to determine where it either went to or came from."
Dumbledore looked fixedly at Harry. Harry was certain that the development of this device was begun at the end of his fourth year. "So if there was a Port Key involved, Sirius would be able to tell."
"Ideally, yes. The device has been tested and has been proven accurate. This is really the first field trial, however, or the first planned trial I should say. Be that as it may, I have every confidence that it works."
"Voldemort's in Europe then."
"Based on what we know, and what you've just said about your scar, yes. I have to draw that conclusion."
"And all the attacks in England?"
"A smokescreen most likely. Although the attack on Diagon Alley seemed like a warning. We must be prepared. The enemy could find a way to strike at any time."
"How did the Death Eaters get through Diagon Alley's defences then?"
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "That's very simple, Harry. Port Key. We were able to prove that with the Ministry's device. That was actually its first test, although it wasn't planned. Unfortunately, something went wrong, and we were unable to trace the Death Eaters, but I believe that little problem has now been ironed out." He paused here, and his blue gaze seemed to pass straight through Harry. "Is there anything else you'd like to tell me about?"
Harry shifted uncomfortably. He had a feeling he ought to mention the talisman. In fact, he thought, Dumbledore must already suspect something. If he knew about the attack on Diagon Alley, he probably knew that Harry had been present that day, and that something had turned back the Death Eater's curse. He was torn, however. He'd promised Ginny he'd keep her secret.
"No, sir," he replied. He thought Dumbledore looked a bit sharply at him, but it may have been his imagination.
"If you're certain there's nothing else you can tell me, I'll bid you a good afternoon, and an even better evening, then."
He rose, and Harry took this as his cue to leave. He walked back to Gryffindor Tower feeling a bit uneasy. Ginny knew about her brothers being involved in some sort of attack, but she didn't know about Voldemort. Ron knew nothing of any of this. The Headmaster hadn't said anything to Harry about keeping this a secret, but Harry had a feeling that this information was definitely privileged. But it involved Ron's family… He had no idea what he ought to say to either Ginny or Ron about this. It wasn't as if they could do anything about the situation, beyond worry, if they knew about it. Perhaps it would be best not to say anything.
When Harry came through the portrait hole, he was immediately greeted by Ron, who was laughing wildly. "Harry, you'll never guess what we got out of Colin!"
Harry went over to the sofa where Ron and Hermione were sitting. "What?"
"Colin said… He said…"
Ron was laughing too hard by now to continue. Fortunately the common room was nearly empty so Ron's laughter wasn't likely to attract a lot of undue attention. Harry turned to Hermione. "What's he on about?"
Hermione was having difficulty keeping a straight face herself. "Ron managed to worm out of Colin how he planned to spy on the Slytherins since last year."
"Last year? Bit keen, isn't he?"
"Well, you know Colin. Always enthusiastic. Besides, he'd have had to start planning last year to get the recipe and ingredients. Anyway, Ron found out who he Polyjuiced himself as."
"Who?" asked Harry.
"P… Pa… Pansy Parkinson!" Ron was almost purple by now, but he'd managed to calm down long enough to blurt out the name.
Harry had to laugh as well. The image of the small, mousy Gryffindor transforming into the pug-faced blonde Slytherin really was rather comic. But then another thought struck him. "Where'd he get a little bit of Pansy to put in the potion?"
"He set her up," said Ron, who had finally regained his composure enough to speak in complete sentences. "Slipped her a note and claimed it was from Malfoy. She thought she was supposed to meet him by the broom shed for a snog, and she wasn't pleased when it looked as if he'd stood her up. Ranted and kicked a few things. And Colin was hiding nearby the whole time. Said she didn't notice a thing when he Summoned a hair from her head."
Harry didn't know whether to be surprised or impressed. Colin had certainly gone to a great deal of trouble to help out the Gryffindor Quidditch team. In fact, he'd come up with quite an elaborate plan--perhaps more elaborate than was really necessary.
"What's so funny?" Ginny had come in.
"Long story," Ron hedged. "You had to be there."
Ginny and Hermione both glared at him, but he ignored them. Harry spoke up. "I'll tell you later." Ginny looked at him and smiled, her eyes sparkling with what seemed to be anticipation.
Ron let out a groan. "Do you two mind going somewhere else to do that?"
"Do what?" asked Harry at the same time as Hermione exclaimed, "Ron!"
"Look at each other like that," replied Ron.
Harry felt himself begin to redden, but he stood his ground. He'd had about enough of Ron acting like a git over him and Ginny. "Look at each other how? You mean the way you and Hermione do all the time?"
Ron's ears turned pink. "Hermione and I don't make eyes at each other like that."
"You do so," said Ginny. "All the time."
Ron persevered, in spite of Hermione's warning look. "Well, when we do it, it's not so… so…"
"So what?" challenged Ginny.
"So mushy!" he finished triumphantly.
"Ron," said Hermione in a deceptively calm voice. "Can I have a word with you? Privately?" She didn't wait for him to reply but took his hand and dragged him off forcibly into a corner.
"They're about ten times mushier," Ginny confided to Harry, who readily agreed.
Harry never did discover what, exactly, Hermione said to Ron. He didn't quite dare ask, and Ron certainly didn't volunteer the information. Ron did, however, emerge from the surprisingly calm conversation looking contrite, and afterwards he seemed to accept that Harry and Ginny were becoming a couple with considerably more grace.
*
It was nearly midnight, and the common room was almost empty. The younger students had all gone up to bed already, while the older students were by and large occupied with other activities. Ron and Hermione had headed out of the portrait hole over an hour ago, as had Dean Thomas, no doubt off to meet a girl from another house somewhere. Neville was still sitting up in a corner, but he'd seemed very preoccupied ever since the disastrous prefects' meeting where he'd embarrassed himself so thoroughly. Harry was sure he was mooning over Lisa Turpin.
Harry himself put away his books now. It seemed an ideal time to sneak out. He'd brought his invisibility cloak and the Marauders' Map down with him when he'd fetched his books from his dormitory after supper. He shook his head thinking of the Marauders' Map. It had turned up mysteriously in his fifth year, much as his invisibility cloak had his first year. Harry assumed that the Headmaster had retrieved the map from among Mad Eye Moody's things, after it was discovered that Barty Crouch Jr had been impersonating him for Harry's entire fourth year, and restored it to him. How Dumbledore knew whom it belonged to was a mystery Harry hadn't yet fathomed.
"You ready?" he asked Ginny, who had put down her quill when she noticed Harry set his things aside.
"Yeah. Where are we going?"
"You'll see. Let's go." In reality Harry wasn't sure where they were going. Somewhere private, certainly, but beyond that… It all depended what the Marauders' Map would show them.
He hid the invisibility cloak, in which he'd folded the map, under his robes and stood up. Taking Ginny's hand, they both climbed out the portrait hole. Fortunately the Fat Lady was snoring quietly in her portrait, and she didn't wake up to berate them for being out after hours.
There was no one in sight, so Harry took out his cloak and threw it over the two of them. Taking her into an alcove, he said, "Here's how this works. We're invisible, but someone can still discover us, if they bump up against us, say. So we still have to be careful who we run in to. That's where this comes in." He held up the Marauders' Map and drew his wand. "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good."
He heard Ginny gasp as spidery lines began to appear on the parchment. "What's that then?" she asked, sounding very interested.
"Map of Hogwarts. Look." He pointed to the small dots on the map. H. Potter and G. Weasley were clearly indicated just outside the Gryffindor common room. "It also shows where everyone is in the castle."
"Where did you get this?" She was clearly impressed.
"From the twins, actually. They gave it to me in third year."
"They gave this to you? Why didn't they keep it for themselves?"
"Don't suppose they needed it anymore. They'd had all the secret passages memorised by then."
Ginny looked at the map. Her finger traced one of the tunnels. "Where does that one go? It looks like it leads off the map."
"Oh, all those tunnels lead into Hogsmeade. But they don't all work. Some of them are caved in, and Filch knows about some of them. The best one, really, is this one. It leads straight to Honeyduke's."
Ginny was still studying the map. "Look, I've found where Ron and Hermione are."
Harry saw her point to what should have been an empty classroom. Two dots, so close together that they seemed to make one larger dot, were marked H. Granger and R. Weasley. "We won't go there, then. And we'll avoid the trophy room. Peeves is in there."
"We could stay right where we are."
Harry looked down at her. Her eyes were sparking again, and a tingle of awareness coursed through him. "Tempting as that sounds, all these people are going to have to come back up here at some point. It's going to get noisy when they do. Look. There are Lavender and Seamus in the Astronomy Tower."
"Looks as if all the good spots are taken. There's Dean and Padma in the Prefects' Bathroom. Ugh! Draco Malfoy is meeting…" She trailed off, as she leaned closer to the map, squinting. "Does that say… Sally Ann Perks? There's no accounting for taste, is there?"
But Harry was still caught up on something else she'd said. "Wait. Just how do you know where all the good spots are?"
"I've heard things," she said, wide-eyed.
Harry wasn't sure he believed her, and he didn't like the feeling of jealousy that passed through him. It was hardly his place to say anything if she'd been snogging other boys, after all, and he knew it. But still… He set the feeling aside. "Come on," he said. "I think I have an idea."
He took her hand again, keeping the Marauder's Map in the other, so that if Filch or Mrs Norris should be patrolling the corridors, they wouldn't have a nasty surprise. Harry took Ginny down to the fourth floor, where he remembered there was a sort of storage room. The room contained some disused pieces of furniture from the various common rooms, and Harry was rather surprised to see that the map indicated it was empty. It seemed a fairly ideal place to take a girl, and Harry had to assume that not very many students knew of its existence.
Ginny seemed impressed, as Harry led them to the least broken-down of the sofas. "How did you find this place?" she asked when they were seated. "I've never heard of this room before."
Harry waved his wand at the door to shut it before replying. "I discovered it last year in my wanderings." He pulled the invisibility cloak off of them. He didn't expect anyone to come poking around now that he'd had confirmation from Ginny that this room was fairly secret.
"So this is your spot, then." It sounded as if she was insinuating that he often brought girls down here, and she didn't seem very happy about it, judging from her tone. There was something satisfying about that.
"No, I mean, not really. I've never come down here. I just discovered it. I've never really used it."
"Oh."
She sounded much happier, as she lay her head on his shoulder. Harry hesitated and then put his arm around her. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do now. He knew what was expected, he knew what he wanted to do, but it might be nice to talk a bit first. So he started telling her about Colin, and it was very pleasant to simply sit with her and laugh. At one point Harry found himself playing with a few strands of her hair, although he didn't consciously remember starting.
Their laughter faded, and Ginny raised her head. Looking down, Harry met her eyes, and they stared for a moment. Then he felt an anticipatory thrill, when she reached up to remove his glasses. She placed a hand on his cheek and drew him in. Their kisses were short and soft at first, but as Harry's confidence grew, he opened his mouth and began to explore. He felt Ginny fall limp against him, and that only encouraged him further.
A loud yowling sound invaded Harry's consciousness sometime later. He removed his lips from Ginny's, and they stared at each other, hearts pounding and breathless. She had somehow managed to crawl into his lap, or maybe he'd put her there; he couldn't remember.
The howl came again, accompanied by a scratching noise at the door. Harry searched for a moment before grabbing the Marauder's Map, which had found its way to the floor and which he'd neglected to erase. He stared at it for a second, wondering why it was all blurry, then he remembered his glasses. He took them from Ginny, who was grinning mischievously. A small dot labelled Mrs Norris was right outside the door. They could hear more scratching and snuffling. Then there was silence. Harry could see the dot on the map moving swiftly away, towards a staircase that came out near the Trophy Room one floor below. He could see that Filch was in there, doubtless attracted by whatever trouble Peeves had managed to dredge up.
"It was Mrs Norris, and she's gone for Filch," Harry informed Ginny. "We'll have to move fast." He glanced at the map once more. The route back to Gryffindor Tower seemed clear at the moment. Throwing the invisibility cloak back over their heads, Harry took Ginny's hand, and they made their way to the seventh floor as quickly as they could. Luckily, they met no one on the way. Harry thought the hour must be very late. He had no idea how much time had passed while they were on the sofa.
The Fat Lady was still snoring in her frame, when they took off the cloak. Ginny had to give the password several times in an increasingly loud voice, before the portrait swung forward to admit them. The Fat Lady was not amused. "Fourth time tonight," she grumbled. "It's a wonder anyone gets any sleep around here."
*
Time began to pass in great spurts, and before Harry knew it, Halloween was upon them. The Quidditch team had been practising well as they trained the new reserves and prepared for their first match against Slytherin in November. Colin Creevey had managed to bring back some useful information about the opposition's strategies, and Ron was taking full advantage, teaching his own team effective counter-measures. Harry had to admit that Ron had made a good decision in choosing Pinnett as the reserve Keeper over Ginny. He would make a competent replacement for Ron next year as a regular player.
Another thing had occurred, which was a bit of a relief for Harry. A day or two after he'd received the owl from Sirius, Ron had got a note from his mother, which informed him and Ginny of their brothers' involvement in Europe. It was understandably short on details, but it assured everyone that Bill and Charlie were unhurt. There was also a bit of motherly advice in the letter: "Make sure you're treating Hermione the way you'd want your sister to be treated."
"She really knows how to ruin my fun, doesn't she?" Ron had commented to Harry.
Homework was also piling up, even for the sixth years, and although Harry tried to find time to spend alone with Ginny, it was becoming more and more difficult. They'd gone back to the storage room on the fourth floor a few times to talk and kiss, but to Harry it was never enough. He was becoming more and more comfortable with her as he got to know her better. There was something relaxing about her presence, and it was almost surprising how easy things had become between them after their awkward beginnings. The day after Halloween was the first Hogsmeade weekend of term, and Harry was looking forward to spending the day with her. For once, he wouldn't feel like a third wheel as he tagged after Ron and Hermione.
The Halloween feast itself was merry, as everyone anticipated the following day. It also passed surprisingly enough, without incident. It had never struck Harry until now, but he realised that in past years something always happened on Halloween, be it an invasion of trolls, some sort of attack, or someone getting Petrified… But this year nothing. It was a relief, really.
Harry and Ginny went hand in hand down the road to the village along with the other students on Saturday. He was surprised to see a number of teachers accompanying them to the village but decided it must be for extra security. There may have been extra wards in place over Hogsmeade, but it looked as if the Hogwarts staff wasn't taking any chances.
The crowd of students began to disperse throughout the village. Harry turned to Ginny and asked, "Where do you want to go first?" Ron and Hermione were already headed off towards Honeyduke's.
"Let's go to Zonko's and see what the twins are up to," she said.
When they arrived at the shop, it was already packed with students. The blonde woman Harry had noticed on September first was telling a group of third years off for pulling apart a display of Filibuster's Fireworks. One girl looked as if she was on the verge of tears. As the blonde stalked off, George said something to her in passing that made her smile. Harry was sure he saw a significant look pass between them.
Fred spotted Harry and Ginny just then. "Look who it is, George," he called. "Ickle Ginny!" He positively leered at their joined hands, and Harry wondered if coming in here was such a good idea after all.
"Shut it, Fred," Ginny replied.
"So Harry," Fred went on, ignoring his sister's narrowed eyes, "I'd ask you how you've been making out, but I don't suppose I really have to, do I?"
Harry was saved from replying by the blonde. "Is there a problem here?"
"Not at all," Fred replied in a more respectful tone than Harry had ever heard him use with anyone besides his mother. If Harry hadn't known better, he'd have said that Fred was actually frightened of her.
"Actually, there is," Ginny contradicted. "I'm looking for something."
The blonde turned her attention to Ginny. "What can I help you with?"
"Can you recommend anything good to use on annoying older brothers?"
"Why, yes, I believe so." She was smiling broadly now. "No, wait. I think those are all in the back. Fred, would you be a dear, and unpack that new shipment of books? We've got some new ones in, just full of ideas."
Fred marched off, sulking a bit at having his teasing session cut short. Harry was certain he heard Fred mutter, "Slave driver" under his breath.
The blonde was talking to Ginny again. "I take it you're Fred and George's sister?"
"Yeah, I am. How could you tell?"
"The hair does give you away, you know." She put out a hand. "I'm Pauline. You must be Ginny. I've heard a lot about you."
Ginny rolled her eyes as she shook Pauline's hand. "I'm sure I don't want to know."
"I know older brothers can be annoying, but yours aren't bad sorts. Not really. Actually, they haven't said one bad thing about any of your family." She turned to Harry then. "You must be Harry Potter. Pleasure." Harry shook her hand. "I must get back to work now. Dad turned the shop over to me, and I have to keep things running. You need any help, just ask."
They spent some time in Zonko's. Ginny was particularly fascinated by a book entitled One Hundred Pranks for Annoying Siblings by Tauntalus Petitfrere. As they were leaving, Harry noticed that Pauline and George seemed quite friendly. He nudged Ginny. "Do you think they're an item?"
"Looks that way, doesn't it?" she said speculatively. Then she smiled. "I'll have to be sure and tell Mum. Then she'll be after Fred to find himself a nice girl."
They went back into the street, where they spotted Ron and Hermione heading in their direction. "What do you say we all go to the Three Broomsticks?" Harry proposed.
"All right," Ginny agreed.
Harry raised his hand to wave Ron and Hermione over, but several things happened at once. Ron raised a hand to wave back, but Harry saw his expression changed almost immediately. A shout came from somewhere, along with the sound of running feet. Harry turned just in time to see a figure running towards him and Ginny. A wand was drawn, a spell muttered before Harry had time to react. Time seemed to slow as Harry watched a jet of light erupt from the end of the assailant's wand and shoot towards them. Harry's instincts kicked in as he threw himself in the path of the spell. He had no idea who the intended target was. A silvery light hit him with more force than he'd expected, propelling him backwards. In the instant before he hit the ground, he thought someone had tackled the assailant.
He lay there for a moment, fighting to remain conscious. He felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. Above him he could see blue sky, a space that was soon filled with concerned faces: Ron, Hermione, Ginny…
"Are you all right?" Ginny asked. He nodded.
"Stand back, out of the way. Give him some air." A new voice intruded, and the faces above Harry moved out of his field of vision to be replaced by that of Mundungus Fletcher. Fletcher knelt down beside Harry. "Can you sit up?"
"I think so. What happened?"
"Some nutter. Krum went after him."
As if on cue a new voice spoke up. "I couldn't get him. He got away." Viktor Krum's English seemed to have improved a great deal since Harry's fourth year. He was even able to pronounce Hermione's name now.
As Fletcher helped Harry into a sitting position, he heard a gasp. Looking up, he saw Ginny staring wide-eyed at his chest. Following the direction of her gaze, he saw that a great rent had been torn down the front of his robes. It had most likely been the impact of the spell. But what was most worrisome to Ginny was likely the fact that the necklace she'd given him was now in plain sight.
A/N: There's a Monty Python reference in this chapter … Anyone spot it?
I also have to credit Marian with the line Molly puts in the letter about treating Hermione like he'd want his sister to be treated. Marian's brothers apparently heard that line a lot when they were younger, and had a similar reaction to Ron's. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. Please let me know what you think!
Chapter 10