Chapter 76 - Counting Down
Ginny woke up with a throbbing pain in her ankle. Madame Pomfrey was standing at the foot of her bed, but she wasn’t facing her. Ginny blinked a few more times before the room came entirely into focus. It wasn’t yet morning. The hospital wing was still dark and there was someone with Madame Pomfrey, a larger man. Ginny felt her head swimming, but recognised the voice, it was Professor Slughorn.
‘I believe Mr. Macmillan will be fine. You administered the healing potion more than quickly enough. We just need to watch his motor reflexes,’ he told her.
Ginny sat up on her elbows, craning to see what was going on. No one noticed the movement until she felt her ankle leaden and she cried out. Both Madame Pomfrey and Professor Slughorn turned abruptly. Madame Pomfrey shook her head. ‘You should have still been asleep. That draught I gave you was very strong. Are you in a lot of discomfort?’
Ginny grimaced, clenching her teeth and replied, ‘It’s okay.’
Professor Slughorn chuckled. ‘My dear, there is no reason to suffer needlessly. Our wonderful Madame Pomfrey will fix you up like new.’
Madame Pomfrey glanced at him for a moment and Ginny saw it. ‘What? It needs to be broken again?’
Madame Pomfrey looked at her steadily. ‘Perhaps…I will have to see in a week if it’s healing right. If we had done this in the first place, you’d be fine. But with all the running around, it’s no wonder you’re in a worse state!’
Ginny continued to grimace and grumbled under her breath, ‘I shouldn’t have agreed to this at all.’
Madame Pomfrey heard her and stated crisply, ‘You didn’t, I forced you to it, and I’m sure you won’t let me forget it. I’ll owl one of my colleagues at St. Mungo’s and see what she can tell me. The break is not a full break, but it may be best to remove the bones and have them grow back.’
Ginny’s eyes widened, recalling Harry’s story of having that happen his second year. ‘No! I’m sure I can wait a week.’
Professor Slughorn smiled at her. ‘How are you otherwise, my dear?’
Ginny tried to stop grimacing and focus on his question. ‘Uh, fine, Professor…I’m sorry I haven’t been more attentive in class.’
He chuckled. ‘You’re stricken with love, my dear, it’s no matter. With Ms. Granger to help you, you’ll have no trouble acing your Potions NEWTs.’
He smiled and said something quickly to Madame Pomfrey before heading out the door. She gave Ginny another draught to drink and this one knocked her out for the rest of the night. She woke up the next morning to a gentle shaking of her shoulder and someone repeating her name. ‘Ginny, we’re going to be late and you haven’t even eaten.’
She tried to open her eyes, but the sun was too bright. She threw a hand across her face and tried to turn over, but her leg wouldn’t move. She mumbled, ‘Leave me alone…’
The covers she was sleeping under were being pulled from her grasp and she opened her eyes and shut them again from the light. ‘Stop it, Granger! I feel like hell!’
‘Such language! Ms. Weasley, you are free to leave whenever you like,’ she heard Madame Pomfrey say.
Hermione sat down on her bed and shook her again. ‘Come on, Ginny. I’ve cushioned extra time and we should be able to make it to the Great Hall…’
‘I’m not hungry,’ Ginny replied tersely, her eyes finally adjusting. Now she knew why she took the bed in the back. This one had windows where the sun poured in.
Hermione tapped her, but not with a hand or finger. ‘I have something for you…someone came to visit us.’
Ginny was in no mood for games. ‘Who? It better not be Ron…that isn’t a treat for me.’
Hermione laughed. ‘No, someone who asked me to give you his love.’
Ginny bolted her eyes open and looked at Hermione with a smile. ‘Harry came to visit?’
‘No, his owl…but she brought letters from Harry for both of us,’ Hermione explained.
Ginny rubbed her eyes tiredly. The thought of Harry coming was an awful tease from her good friend. She tried to glare and grab the letter, but Hermione jumped up. ‘Come on…I didn’t open it, but I need you to get moving.’
Ginny gave her a withering glare and said, ‘You are an awful, cruel friend, you know that?’
‘I am not!’ Hermione retorted. ‘I know you’re worried about your NEWTs and we need to study.’
‘Wait, its Sunday,’ Ginny stated dumbly. ‘And you were a little drunk last night.’
Hermione smirked. ‘I was not!’
‘Right,’ Ginny replied, slowly sitting up. ‘So what class am I going to be late for?’
‘The one where we research what is going on with you and this place!’ Hermione stated happily.
Ginny sat up and realised she’d never changed from the night before. She groaned, her leg felt like it was made of lead. It protested every little movement she made. She tried to sit up further, but fell back again. Hermione shot her a worried look. ‘Are you alright?’
Ginny laughed sardonically. ‘I can’t get up.’
Hermione laughed. ‘Come on…’
Hermione reached out and with both hands helped Ginny to sit up. Ginny gave Hermione a tired look. ‘This is such rubbish. I can’t move at all!’
Madame Pomfrey came around the corner. ‘If you can believe it, this is what Muggles use. It’s a cast. They use it to hold their limbs together. But when I magically enhance it, it lightens. I haven’t done it yet, which is why you aren’t able to move more easily.’
With a wave of the nurse’s wand, Ginny no longer felt the dead weight on her leg. She shifted again and breathed more easily. ‘That’s so much better.’
‘I expect so,’ Madame Pomfrey stated. ‘Now be back here in a week so I can check your progress.’
Ginny nodded feebly, not wanting to return at all. Hermione offered her the crutch and she found she was hardly hampered at all by the now broken ankle. Madame Pomfrey called after her, ‘Don’t let your cast get wet!’
Ginny nodded and hobbled after Hermione. It was strange to move with one leg feeling much larger than the other. She leaned heavily on the crutch and then stopped a little ways from the hospital wing. ‘Hermione, I need to shower or something, I feel…gross.’
Hermione laughed. ‘It certainly can’t hurt.’
Ginny glared at her. ‘If I don’t smell good you could just come out and say it.’
‘Like Harry did?’ Hermione teased.
Ginny started to hobbled forward. ‘Stop it…At least if he were here he’d be carrying me.’
‘I imagine he would,’ Hermione agreed. She held the letter in front of Ginny and said, ‘Come on then…’
‘How am I supposed to not get this wet?’ Ginny asked.
Hermione shook her head. ‘You’re a witch, aren’t you? I’m sure you know a few spells that’ll keep your leg dry.’
Ginny groaned. ‘That sounds so gross…like I’m not washing my leg or something.’
‘You could use a spell for that too,’ Hermione offered, as they rounded the last bend to Gryffindor Tower.
‘It isn’t the same,’ Ginny responded.
The common room was fairly quiet. A few students were sitting near the fireplace, books out, but clearly not studying. Hermione shot them a glance and they all turned back to their texts. Ginny commented, as she got to the stairs, ‘You’re really getting good at that.’
Hermione laughed as she pointed her wand at Ginny. ‘I don’t know why losing points is such a worry.’
Ginny eyed Hermione warily. ‘What are you doing?’
Hermione smiled. ‘Wingardium Leviosa!’
Much to Ginny’s surprise, more from the action than the spell, she floated up the stairs while Hermione walked along after her. Ginny shook her head. ‘Feeling impatient?’
Hermione shook her head. ‘No, you look like you’re really labouring along, so I thought I’d help you out. Besides, you would’ve done it for me.’
‘I did,’ Ginny commented, laughing at the strange feeling of weightlessness. ‘I wonder if this is what it feels like to fly…’
Hermione laughed. ‘Ginny, you fly all the time, on a broom.’
‘Yes, but this is, freeing!’ She threw her hands out in front of her but could move no further. ‘A little help…’
Hermione sighed and used a little more force in the spell to propel Ginny further up the staircase. As they got to Hermione’s room, she could hear a distinct scratching sound. ‘Crookshanks miss you?’
Hermione shook her head. ‘I think he misses you.’
Ginny sighed after a few flights and said, ‘Put me down, it isn’t that far from here.’
Hermione caught up with her and slowly lowered her back to the ground. ‘Are you sure you’re not going to exhaust yourself needlessly?’
Ginny stretched and said, ‘Possibly…I could really use…’
Hermione put her hands up. ‘If you say ‘Harry,’ I swear…’
Ginny laughed. ‘What did his letter say to you?’
Hermione looked at her thoughtfully. ‘We can talk about it over breakfast. I’ll keep his letter for you until then.’
Before Ginny could react, Hermione had walked down the stairs, leaving Ginny staring forlornly after her friend. After an arduous time in the washroom, Ginny grabbed her broom, although she knew she shouldn’t for a few reasons, and flew down the stairs, passing quite a few aghast students. She stopped in front of Hermione’s room and knocked once. The door opened and Ginny found Hermione sitting on her bed, going over her notebook, and with a couple books strewn across her bed. Ginny set the broom at the door and Hermione gave her a disapproving look.
‘I should take points from our own house for that, Ginny,’ Hermione commented.
‘Oh Hermione…I wasn’t going to levitate myself!’ Ginny exclaimed.
‘Didn’t Madame Pomfrey tell you not to fly?’ she asked.
‘I can’t recall,’ Ginny replied innocently.
Hermione glared. ‘I was there and she did. Give me your broom.’
‘What? No! Come on, Hermione, how am I supposed to get around?’ Ginny stated, gripping her broom tightly.
‘Use your crutch. If I see you on that thing again, I won’t ask.’ Ginny saw the familiar, fierce look Hermione carried as Head Girl.
Ginny sighed and set the broom against the door frame, noting Crookshanks curled up on Hermione’s bed. She sat down near him and said, ‘So, what did Harry’s letter to you say?’
Hermione waved her wand to shut her door and said, ‘He went over his files again last night and said there is something consistent coming up about Hogwarts.’ She added quietly, ‘Must be really missing you if he turned to work which he hasn’t touched in weeks.’
Ginny leaned back. ‘I’m missing him too…’
Hermione groaned. ‘I shouldn’t have started you on this…anyway…here’s his letter to you.’
Ginny looked at it greedily. The familiar scrawl of Harry’s was a great comfort. She wasn’t surprised he’d written her so quickly, these next couple weeks really would be a test for them, of what kind, she still wasn’t sure.
Ginny,
I am really, really missing you. I know I can’t ask, shouldn’t ask, or even bring it up, but I wish you’d stayed. I mean, Ron’s not doing anything, why not you? Kreacher would love to have you here…I would love to have you here now, always.
Hermione may be onto something with this stuff. I did some digging, I’m sure she’ll tell you, but there are quite a few cases that have to do with both Hogwarts and something else. Nothing conclusive, but I’m going to keep looking. I sent a note to your DADA teacher, and I did not say anything about his medieval teaching methods.
I hope your ankle is holding up okay. If you need me to come massage it for you, call Kreacher and I’ll stop right in. Is this convincing you at all? Also…about this afternoon…I...I hope you don’t think less of me for acting spoiled…I just…it’s been so fantastic having you with me all of the time…I didn’t care for the idea that you were so willing to go. I know that isn’t what you meant, and I know I should be able to tell the difference, but all I can think about right now is you. I’m sure you know that too. Merlin, please take care of yourself and know that I’ve got that Hogsmeade visit on my schedule, wild Giants won’t keep me away. If you don’t hear from me, know I’ll still be there, no matter what.
With all my love,
Harry
Ginny sighed and could feel Hermione scrutinising her as she re-read the letter. Harry was normally not very well-written, but being honest made it easy for him, she thought. His comments about Hogwarts were a little concerning, but she wondered how much she’d be able to focus on those when she replied to his letter.
Hermione sighed. ‘Hello? Did he tell you what he told me?’
‘Yes,’ Ginny replied quickly. ‘He did, but it still doesn’t sound like much.’
Hermione gave Ginny a nervous look. ‘Something tells me we’ll find out all too soon.’
Ginny gave her a questioning look. ‘Why do you say that? Most mishaps at the school don’t happen until well into spring.’
Hermione laughed. ‘That is true and strangely consistent. I just think, looking at everything, there’s little reason to wait.’
Ginny smiled. ‘I just hope whatever happens, happens after I get this thing off of my foot.’
Hermione laughed. ‘Yes, well, that would be more convenient for you. I’ll let them know.’
Shortly thereafter, they both headed to the Great Hall. Ginny noticed the looks she was getting, but Dean, in no subtle way, left The Daily Prophet in clear view of the table and Ginny smiled looking at the picture of Harry kissing her in full view of the train. She pointed out to Hermione that she was in the background of the picture looking somewhat surprised. Ginny sent Harry a response after Hermione let her stop researching later that day.
Ginny, thanks to the cast on her leg, was forced to coach the Gryffindor Quidditch team from the stands. She used a combination of spells to both get their attention and to tell them what to do. All the while, Hermione would be going over various pieces of information. On a few rare occasions, Draco or Neville would also be present. Neville shared her distaste for Draco, but Hermione remained stalwart about it. Based on the information Draco had brought, all the signs pointed to a date in February or March for an attack on the school. Ginny hated to admit that he may be right. Although graduation would be a good time to attack, the one common element that kept popping up, for Draco, was the capture of Harry, Ron and Hermione the previous year in March and Voldemort descending upon Malfoy manor. They’d argued about the fact a few times, but Hermione seemed to think the date had significance.
‘You’re going to get us all killed!’ Ginny exclaimed heatedly at Draco.
He hardly noticed her anger. ‘If you spent more time doing research and less time trying to get your pathetic team in shape, you might realise I was right.’
Ginny appealed to her friend. ‘Hermione! This is ludicrous! He’s a nutter if he thinks something may happen that soon. Why would that date have any significance?’
Hermione, as was becoming her place, tried to keep the peace. ‘It is possible, Ginny. I mean, if they aimed for graduation or a date that meant something to Voldemort, that’d be too obvious.’
‘But how is all of you getting captured and you getting tortured supposed to be meaningful?’ Ginny asked.
Both Draco and Hermione bristled at the memory and Draco said, ‘Look, believe me or not, I don’t care. I’ve done my part, which is more than I can say for you.’
Before Ginny could retort, Hermione said, ‘Stop it. Look, we’ll investigate this on our end. Just keep your eyes and ears open, Malfoy.’
Ginny could hear the tone in her friend’s voice and was dying to ask, but knew better. She crossed her arms haughtily. ‘I am doing my part.’
Hermione glared between the two of them and Draco got up suddenly. ‘Fine.’
He stalked off and Hermione cut Ginny off, ‘I don’t want to hear it…he is doing his part…not that you’re not…but I could use more help with this research. I feel like you’re still not…committed…’
Hermione didn’t look at her when she spoke, and Ginny knew she was letting her friend down. ‘I’m sorry…I know you’ve been letting me know when you’re studying, but it just takes me so bloody long to get anywhere and do anything. These two - one week can not go by fast enough!’
Hermione nodded. ‘That’s why I’m not on you as much as I could be. I know you’re having trouble, but you’re spending more time on other things than this.’
‘I can’t ignore Quidditch, Hermione,’ Ginny stated. ‘I know that isn’t a wholly valid excuse for you, but I can’t. This is as close as I can get to the pitch.’
She looked sadly across the pitch and Hermione said, ‘I know for you Quidditch is life and death, but this could be actual life and death.’
Ginny rolled her eyes. ‘Hermione, that’s rarely the case.’
‘Oh really?’ Hermione countered. ‘So the last few years where someone we’ve known has almost or has actually died, you wouldn’t count that?’
Ginny sighed. She couldn’t argue that point. ‘Okay, I’ll be better, more committed, I promise.’
She didn’t want to disappoint her friend and followed, slowly, as they headed back to the castle after practice. The next week after class Ginny would spend her evenings with Hermione either in the library or in Hermione’s room, going over the few facts they had at their disposal.
Ginny was left to her own devices on the Friday when Hermione and Draco would be serving their long overdue detention. When Hermione did get back, as Ginny was holed up in Hermione’s room with Crookshanks, Harry’s letters and a couple books, she was both exhausted and furious.
‘He was making us do the stupidest things!’ Hermione ranted. ‘Casting these sleeping charms at one another and then trying to wake up. It’s like you’re asleep, and you can still hear everything around you. It was bloody maddening!’
Ginny sat up and Crookshanks jumped at Hermione’s outburst. She turned her glare at Ginny. ‘Have you done anything since I was gone? Besides mooning over Harry?’
Ginny wasn’t used to being hollered at by Hermione in this fashion, but her friend wasn’t wrong. She smiled. ‘I did both. Don’t look at me like that. When was the last time Ron was sweet to you in a letter?’
‘I can’t recall,’ Hermione replied, fury in her voice. She sat down heavily on the bed and Crookshanks rubbed up against her back. This calmed her a little.
Ginny continued, ‘I hate to admit this, really hate to, but Malfoy might be right, about the dates. Nothing special has happened at Hogwarts, but all the stuff he’s given us, from former Death Eaters and whatnot does affirm this.’
Hermione nodded approvingly, picking up her notebook. Ginny cut her off, ‘But I have to qualify all of this. Hermione, I want you to really listen, because I think you’re not seeing the whole picture…Malfoy gave us this information, what’s to stop him from pointing us in the wrong direction?’
‘But why?’ Hermione asked. ‘That’s what doesn’t make sense.’
‘He’s a horrible person; I can think of half-a-dozen reasons,’ Ginny replied. ‘I’m not saying we can’t use him, but we have to be more careful, don’t you think? If Ron or Harry were here, they’d never believe this. Why don’t we send this to Harry and see if he comes to the same conclusions?’
Hermione could, if nothing else, be reasoned with. She nodded. ‘Alright, I’ll send him the letter…I don’t want him getting side-tracked with your lovey dovey letters.’
Ginny smirked at her friend. ‘I have no doubt he’s doing something similar.’
Hermione groaned. ‘I’m sure; you’re both really sad…’
Ginny smiled ruefully at her friend, not disagreeing. They both sent Harry letters, Hermione tried vainly to get Ginny not to send one at the same time, but she felt like she needed to send him a note or something. The last letter she’d received from him he sounded rather down. She checked her calendar once she made it back to her room and knew she’d be seeing Harry shortly.