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Memorable Moments - Half-Blood Prince
Moments shared between Harry and Ginny or their general thoughts on one another throughout the books.
If you notice any moments we missed, please email us
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**A special thanks to Nele for providing most of these for the site. Chapter 5 - An Excess Of Phlegm "I know someone who's worse than Umbridge," said a voice from the doorway. Ron's younger sister slouched into the room, looking irritable. "Hi, Harry." "What's up with you?" Ron asked. "It's her," said Ginny, plonking herself down on Harry's bed. "She's driving me mad." "What's she done now?" asked Hermione sympathetically. "It's the way she talks to me you'd think I was about three! "I know," said Hermione, dropping her voice. "She's so full of herself." Harry was astonished to hear Hermione talking about Mrs Weasley like this and could not blame Ron for saying angrily, "Can't you two lay off her for five seconds?" "Oh, that's right, defend her," snapped Ginny. "We all know you can't get enough of her." This seemed an odd comment to make about Ron's mother; starting to feel that he was missing something, Harry said, "Who are you -?" But his question was answered before he could finish it. The bedroom door flew open again and Harry instinctively yanked the bedcovers up to his chin so hard that Hermione and Ginny slid off the bed on to the floor. -------------- "Oh," said Harry blankly. He could not help noticing how Mrs Weasley, Hermione and Ginny were all determinedly avoiding each other's gaze. -------------- "Mum hates her," said Ginny quietly. "I do not hate her!" said Mrs Weasley in a cross whisper. "I just think they've hurried into this engagement, that's all!" "They've known each other a year," said Ron, who looked oddly groggy and was staring at the closed door. "Well, that's not very long! I know why it's happened, of course. It's all this uncertainty with You-Know-Who coming back, people think they might be dead tomorrow, so they're rushing all sorts of decisions they'd normally take time over. It was the same last time he was powerful, people eloping left right and centre " "Including you and Dad," said Ginny slyly. "Yes, well, your father and I were made for each other, what was the point in waiting?" said Mrs Weasley. "Whereas Bill and Fleur...well...what have they really got in common? He's a hard-working, down-to-earth sort of person, whereas she's " "A cow," said Ginny, nodding. "But Bill's not that down-to-earth. He's a curse-breaker, isn't he, he likes a bit of adventure, a bit of glamour ... I expect that's why he's gone for Phlegm." "Stop calling her that, Ginny," said Mrs Weasley sharply, as Harry and Hermione laughed. "Well, I'd better get on ... eat your eggs while they're warm, Harry." -------------- "You don't really want her around for ever?" Ginny asked Ron incredulously. When he merely shrugged, she said, "Well, Mum's going to put a stop to it if she can, I bet you anything." "How's she going to manage that?" asked Harry. "She keeps trying to get Tonks round for dinner. I think she's hoping Bill will fall for Tonks instead. I hope he does, I'd much rather have her in the family." "Yeah, that'll work," said Ron sarcastically. "Listen, no bloke in his right mind's going to fancy Tonks when Fleur's around. I mean, Tonks is OK-looking when she isn't doing stupid things to her hair and her nose, but " "She's a damn sight nicer than Phlegm," said Ginny. -------------- "I suppose you like the way Phlegm says " 'Arry ", do you?" asked Ginny scornfully. "No," said Harry, wishing he hadn't spoken, "I was just saying, Phlegm I mean, Fleur " "I'd much rather have Tonks in the family," said Ginny. "At least she's a laugh." -------------- The door opened again and Mrs Weasley popped her head in. "Ginny," she whispered, "come downstairs and help me with the lunch." "I'm talking to this lot!" said Ginny, outraged. "Now!" said Mrs Weasley, and withdrew. "She only wants me there so she doesn't have to be alone with Phlegm!" said Ginny crossly. She swung her long red hair around in a very good imitation of Fleur and pranced across the room with her arms held aloft like a ballerina. "You lot had better come down quickly too," she said as she left. -------------- "Hermione?" said Ginny tentatively, for Hermione still hadn't turned round. "How did you do?" Chapter 6 - Draco's Detour
Harry remained within the confines of The Burrow's garden over the next few weeks. He spent most of his days playing two-a-side Quidditch in the Weasley's orchard (he and Hermione against Ron and Ginny; Hermione was dreadful and Ginny good, so they were reasonably well-matched) and his evenings eating triple helpings of everything Mrs Weasley putin front of him. -------------- "Talking of Diagon Alley," said Mr Weasley, "looks like Ollivander's gone too." "The wand-maker?" said Ginny, looking startled. "But wands what'll people do for wands?" "They'll make do with other makers," said Lupin. "But Ollivander was the best, and if the other side have got him it's not so good for us." -------------- Bill, who would be staying at home with Fleur (much to Hermione and Ginny's pleasure), passed a full money-bag across the table to Harry. -------------- " E is always so thoughtful," purred Fleur adoringly, stroking Bill's nose. Ginny mimed vomiting into her cereal behind Fleur. -------------- George swept off through the curtain to help with the customers and Fred led Harry back into the main part of the shop to find Hermione and Ginny still poring over the Patented Daydream Charms. "Haven't you girls found our special WonderWitch products yet?" asked Fred. "Follow me, ladies..." Near the window was an array of violently pink products around which a cluster of excited girls was giggling enthusi- astically. Hermione and Ginny both hung back, looking wary. "There you go," said Fred proudly. "Best range of love potions you'll find anywhere." Ginny raised an eyebrow sceptically. "Do they work?" "Certainly they work, for up to twenty-four hours at a time depending on the weight of the boy in question " "- and the attractiveness of the girl," said George, reappearing suddenly at their side. "But we're not selling them to our sister," he added, becoming suddenly stern, "not when she's already got about five boys on the go from what we've " "Whatever you've heard from Ron is a big fat lie," said Ginny calmly, leaning forwards to take a small pink pot off the shelf. "What's this?" "Guaranteed Ten-Second Pimple Vanisher," said Fred. "Excellent on everything from boils to blackheads, but don't change the subject. Are you or are you not currently going out with a boy called Dean Thomas?" "Yes, I am," said Ginny. "And last time I looked, he was definitely one boy, not five. What are those?" She was pointing at a number of round balls of fluff in shades of pink and purple, all rolling around the bottom of a cage and emitting high-pitched squeaks. "Pygmy Puffs," said George. "Miniature puffskeins, we can't breed them fast enough. So what about Michael Corner?" "I dumped him, he was a bad loser," said Ginny, putting a finger through the bars of the cage and watching the Pygmy Puffs crowd around it. "They're really cute!" "They're fairly cuddly, yes," conceded Fred. "But you're moving through boyfriends a bit fast, aren't you?" Ginny turned to look at him, her hands on her hips. There was such a Mrs Weasley-ish glare on her face that Harry was surprised Fred didn't recoil. "It's none of your business. And I'll thank you," she added angrily to Ron, who had just appeared at George's elbow, laden with merchandise, "not to tell tales about me those two!" -------------- He glanced around. Mrs Weasley and Ginny were bending over the Pygmy Puffs. Chapter 7 - The Slug Club
Annoyed, but absolutely convinced he was right, Harry snatched up a pile of filthy Quidditch robes and left the room; Mrs Weasley had been urging them for days not to leave their washing and packing until the last moment. On the landing he bumped into Ginny, who was returning to her room carrying a pile of freshly laundered clothes. "I wouldn't go in the kitchen just now," she warned him. "There's a lot of Phlegm around." "I'll be careful not to slip in it," smiled Harry. -------------- The Ministry cars glided up to the front of The Burrow to find them waiting: trunks packed, Hermione's cat, Crookshanks, safely enclosed in his travelling basket, and Hedwig, Ron's owl Pigwidgeon, and Ginny's new purple Pygmy Puff, Arnold, in cages. "Au revoir, Arry," said Fleur throatily, kissing him goodbye. Ron hurried forwards, looking hopeful, but Ginny stuck out her foot and Ron fell, sprawling in the dust at Fleur's feet. -------------- He supposed Ron and Hermione were cloistered in the prefect carriage, but Ginny was a little way along the corridor, chatting to some friends. -------------- He tapped Ginny on the shoulder. "Fancy trying to find a compartment?" "I can't, Harry, I said I'd meet Dean," said Ginny brightly. "See you later." "Right," said Harry. He felt a strange twinge of anoyance as she walked away, her long red hair dancing behind her. He had become so used to her presence over the summer that he had almost forgotten that Ginny did not hang around with him, Ron and Hermione while at school. -------------- He recognised a Slytherin from their year, a tall black boy with high cheekbones and long, slanting eyes; there were also two seventh-year boys Harry did not know and, squashed in the corner beside Slughorn and looking as though she was not entirely sure how she had got there, Ginny. -------------- "- and this charming young lady tells me she know you!" Slughorn finished. Ginny grimaced at Harry and Neville from behind Slughorn's back. -------------- It was as Harry had suspected. Everyone seemed to have been invited because they were connected to somebody well-known or influental everyone except Ginny. -------------- Zabini gave a tiny little cough that was clearly supposed to indicate amused scepticism. An angry voice burst out from behind Slughorn. "Yeah, Zabini, because you're so talented ... at posing..." "Oh dear!" chuckled Slughorn comfortably, looking round at Ginny who was glaring at Zabini around Slughorn's great belly. "You want to be careful, Blaise! I saw this young lady perform the most marvellous Bat Bogey Hex as I was passing her carriage! I wouldn't cross her!" Zabini merely looked contemptuous. -------------- "That's right," said Ginny staunchly. "Neville and I were both there too, and all this "Chosen One" rubbish is just the Prophet making things up as usual." "You were both there too, were you?" said Slughorn with great interest, looking from Ginny to Neville, but both of them sat clamlike before his encouraging smile. -------------- He meandered off into a long-winded reminiscence, but Harry had the distinct impression that Slughorn had not finished with him, and that he had not been convinced by Neville and Ginny. -------------- "Harry, Blaise any time you're passing. Same goes for you, miss," he twinkled at Ginny. "Well, off you go, off you go!" -------------- "Who else had he invited?" Malfoy demanded. "McLaggen from Gryffindor," said Zabini. "Oh yeah, his uncle's big in the Ministry," said Malfoy. "- someone else called Belby, from Ravenclaw " "Not him, he's a prat!" said Pansy. "- and Longbottom, Potter and that Weasley girl," finished Zabini. Malfoy sat up very suddenly, knocking Pansy's hand aside. "He invited Longbottom?" "Well, I assume so, as Longbottom was there," said Zabini indifferently. "What's Longbottom got to interest Slughorn?" Zabini shrugged. "Potter, precious Potter, obviously he wanted to have a look at the Chosen One," sneered Malfoy, "but that Weasley girl! What's so special about her?" "A lot of boys like her," said Pansy, watching Malfoy out of the corner of her eyes for his reaction. "Even you think she's good-looking, don't you, Blaise, and we all know how hard you are to please!" "I wouldn't touch a filthy little blood traitor like her whatever she looked like," said Zabini coldly, and Pansy looked pleased. Chapter 8 - Snape Victorious
"I'll tell you later," said Harry curtly. He was very conscious that Ginny, Neville, Dean and Seamus were listening in; even Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost, had come floating along the bench to eavesdrop. Chapter 9 - The Half-Blood Prince
They chose the one nearest a gold-coloured cauldron that was emiting one of the most seductive scents Harry had ever inhaled: somehow it reminded him simultaneously of treacle tart, the woody smell of a broomstick handle and something flowery he thought he might have smelled at The Burrow. -------------- "It's Amortentia!" "It is indeed. It seems almost foolish to ask," said Slughorn, who was looking mightily impressed, "but I assume you know what it does?" "It's the most powerful love potion in the world!" said Hermione. "Quite right! You recognised it, I suppose, by its distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen?" "And the steam rising in characteristic spirals," said Hermione enthusiastically, "and it's supposed to smell differently to each of us, according to what attracts us, and I can smell freshly mown grass and new parchment and-" -------------- "Hang on," said a voice close by Harry's left ear and he caught a sudden waft of that flowery smell he had picked up in Slughorn's dungeon. He looked round and saw that Ginny had joined them. "Did I hear right? You've been taking orders from something someone wrote in a book, Harry?" She looked alarmed and angry. Harry knew what was on her mind at once. "It's nothing," he said reassuringly, lowering his voice. "It's not like, you know, Riddle's diary. It's just an old textbook someone's scribbled in." "But you're doing what it says?" "I just tried a few of the tips written in the margins, honestly, Ginny, there's nothing funny " "Ginny's got a point," said Hermione, perking up at once. Chapter 11 - Hermione's Helping Hand
After two hours, many complaints and several tantrums, one involving a crashed Comet Two Sixty and several broken teeth, Harry had found himself three Chasers: Katie Bell, returned to the team after an excellent trial, a new find called Demelza Robins, who was particulary good at dodging Bludgers, and Ginny Weasley, who had outflown all the competition and scored seventeen goals to boot. -------------- They now joined Katie, Demelza and Ginny in the stands to watch the selection of their last team member. -------------- "His sister didn't really try," said McLaggen menacingly. There was a vein pulsing in his temple like the one Harry had often admired in Uncle Vernon's. "She gave him an easy save." "Rubbish," said Harry coldly. "That was the one he nearly missed." -------------- "If you ask me," said Harry quietly, "McLaggen looks like he was Confunded. And he was standing right in front of where you were sitting." Hermione blushed. "Oh, all right then, I did it," she whispered. "But you should have heard the way he was talking about Ron and Ginny! Anyway, he's got a nasty temper, you saw how he reacted when he didn't get in you wouldn't have wanted someone like that on the team." -------------- "I doubt you'll be alone, Ginny'll probably be invited," snapped Ron, who did not seem to have taken kindly to being ignored by Slughorn. -------------- Momentarily stymied, Harry watched Ginny Weasley playing with Arnold the Pygmy Puff for a while before seeing a way around the objection. Chapter 12 - Silver and Opals
"And they'd (the Death Eaters) love to have me," said Harry sarcastically. "We'd be best pals if they didn't keep trying to do me in." This made Ron laugh; even Hermione gave a grudging smile, and a distraction arrived in the shape of Ginny. "Hey, Harry, I'm supposed to give you this." It was a scroll of parchment with Harry's name written upon it in familiar thin, slanting writing. "Thanks, Ginny ... it's Dumbledore's next lesson!" Harry told Ron and Hermione, pulling open the parchment and quickly reading its contents. "Monday evening!" He felt suddenly light and happy. "Want to join us in Hogsmeade, Ginny?" he asked. "I'm going with Dean might see you there," she replied, waving at them as she left. -------------- Harry's thoughts strayed to Ginny as they trudged up the road to Hogwarts through the frozen slush. They had not met up with her, undoubtedly, thought Harry, because she and Dean were cosily closeted in Madam Puddifoot's teashop, that haunt of happy couples. Scowling, he bowed his head against the swirling sleet and trudged on. Chapter 14 - Felix Felicis
"Well, then you're in," said Harry. "There's a practice tonight, seven o' clock." "Right," said Dean. "Cheers, Harry! Blimey, I can't wait to tell Ginny!" -------------- Harry had no reason to regret his choice once he saw Dean fly that evening; he worked well with Ginny and Demelza. -------------- After letting in half a dozen goals, most of them scored by Ginny, Ron's technique became wilder and wilder, until he finally punched an oncoming Demelza Robins in the mouth. "It was an accident, I'm sorry, Demelza, really sorry!" Ron shouted after her as she zigzagged back to the ground dripping blood everywhere. "I just " "Panicked," Ginny said angrily, landing next to Demelza and examining her fat lip. "You prat, Ron, look at the state of her!" "I can fix that," said Harry, landing beside the two girls, pointing his wand at Demelza's mouth and saying "Episkey". And Ginny, don't call Ron a prat, you're not the captain of this team " "Well, you seemed too busy to call him a prat and I thought someone should " Harry forced himself not to laugh. "In the air, everyone, let's go ..." -------------- "I played like a sack of dragon dung," said Ron in a hollow voice when the door had swung shut behind Ginny. -------------- When Harry pushed open the tapestry to take their usual short cut up to Gryffindor Tower, however, they found themselves looking at Dean and Ginny, who were locked in a close embrace and kissing fiercely as if glued together. It was as though something large and scaly erupted into life in Harry's stomach, clawing at his insides: hot blood seemed to flood his brain, so that all thought was extinguished, replaced by a savage urge to jinx Dean into a jelly. Wrestling with this sudden madness, he heard Ron's voice as though from a great distance away. "Oi!" Dean and Ginny broke apart and looked round. "What?" said Ginny. "I don't want to find my own sister snogging people in public!" "This was a deserted corridor till you came butting in!" said Ginny. Dean was looking embarrassed. He gave Harry a shifty grin that Harry did not return, as the new-born monster inside him was roaring for Dean's instant dismissal from the team. "Er ... c'mon, Ginny," said Dean, "let's go back to the common room ...." "You go!" said Ginny. "I want a word with my dear brother!" Dean left, looking as though he was not sorry to depart the scene. "Right," said Ginny, tossing her long red hair out of her face and glaring at Ron, "let's get this straight once and for all. It is none of your business who I go out with or what I do with them, Ron " "Yeah, it is!" said Ron, just as angrily. "D'you think I want people saying my sister's a " "A what?" shouted Ginny, drawing her wand. "A what, exactly?" "He doesn't mean anything, Ginny " said Harry automatically, though the monster was roaring its approval of Ron's words. "Oh yes he does!" she said, flaring up at Harry. "Just because he's never snogged anyone in his life, just because the best kiss he's ever had is from our Auntie Muriel " "Shut your mouth!" bellowed Ron, bypassing red and turning maroon. "No, I will not!" yelled Ginny, beside herself. "I've seen you with Phlegm, hoping she'll kiss you on the cheek every time you see her, it's pathetic! If you went out and got a bit of snogging done yourself you wouldn't mind so much that everyone else does it!" Ron had pulled out his wand, too; Harry stepped swiftly between them. "You don't know what you're talking about!" Ron roared, trying to get a clear shot at Ginny around Harry, who was now standing in front of her with his arms outstretched. "Just because I don't do it in public -!" Ginny screamed with derisive laughter, trying to push Harry out of the way. "Been kissing Pigwidgeon, have you? Or have you got a picture of Auntie Muriel stashed under your pillow?" "You " A streak of orange light flew under Harry's left arm and missed Ginny by inches; Harry pushed Ron up against the wall. "Don't be stupid " "Harry's snogged Cho Chang!" shouted Ginny, who sounded close to tears now. "And Hermione snogged Viktor Krum, it's only you who acts like it's something disgusting, Ron, and that's because you've got about as much experience as a twelve-year-old!" And with that, she stormed away. -------------- Harry hardly noticed the sound of shattering glass; he felt disorientated, dizzy; being struck by a lightning bolt must be something like this. It's just because she's Ron's sister, he told himself. You just don't like seeing her kissing Dean because she's Ron's sister ... But unbidden into his mind came an image of that same deserted corridor with himself kissing Ginny instead ... the monster in his chest purred ... but then he saw Ron ripping open the tapestry curtain and drawing his wand on Harry, shouting things like "betrayal of trust" ... "supposed to be my friend" ... "D'you think Hermione did snog Krum?" Ron asked abruptly, as they approached the Fat Lady. Harry gave a guilty start and wrenched his imagination away from a corridor in which no Ron intruded, in which he and Ginny were quite alone "What?" he said confusedly. "Oh ... er ..." The honest answer was "yes", but he did not want to give it. However, Ron seemed to gather the worst from the look on Harry's face. "Dilligrout," he said darkly to the Fat Lady, and they climbed through the portrait hole into the common room. -------------- Neither of them mentioned Ginny or Hermione again; indeed, they barely spoke to each other that evening and got into bed in silence, each absorbed in his own thoughts. Harry lay awake for a long time, looking up at the canopy of his four-poster and trying to convince himself that his feelings for Ginny were entirely older-brotherly. They had lived, had they not, like brother and sister all summer, playing Quidditch, teasing Ron and having a laugh about Bill and Phlegm? He had known Ginny for years now ... it was natural that he should feel protective ... natural that he should want to look out for her ... want to rip Dean limb from limb for kissing her ... no ... he would have to control that particular brotherly feeling ... Ron gave a great grunting snore. She's Ron's sister, Harry told himself firmly. Ron's sister. She's out of bounds. He would not risk his friendship with Ron for anything. He punched his pillow into a more comfortable shape and waited for sleep to come, trying his utmost not to allow his thoughts to stray anywhere near Ginny. -------------- Harry awoke next morning feeling slightly dazed and confused by a series of dreams in which Ron had chased him with a Beater's bat, but by midday he would have happily exchanged the dream Ron for the real one, who was not only cold-shouldering Ginny and Dean, but also treating a hurt and bewildered Hermione with an icy, sneering indifference. -------------- "ENOUGH!" bellowed Harry, who had seen Ginny glowering in Ron's direction and, remembering her reputation as an accomplished caster of the Bat Bogey Hex, soared over to intervene before things got out of hand. -------------- Ginny and Demelza were already wearing their Quidditch robes and waiting in the changing room. "Conditions look ideal," said Ginny, ignoring Ron. "And guess what? That Slytherin Chaser Vaisey he took a Bludger in the head yesterday during their practice, and he's too sore to play! And even better than that Malfoy's gone off sick too!" "What?" said Harry, wheeling round to stare at her. "He's ill? What's wrong with him?" "No idea, but it's great for us," said Ginny brightly. "They're playing Harper instead; he's in my year and he's an idiot." Harry smiled vaguely back, but as he pulled on his scarlet robes his mind was far from Quidditch. -------------- With half an hour of the game gone, Gryffindor were leading sixty points to zero, Ron having made some truly spectacular saves, some by the very tips of his gloves, and Ginny having scored four of Gryffindor's six goals. -------------- "Ginny, where're you going?" yelled Harry, who had found himself trapped in the midst of a mass midair hug with the rest of the team, but Ginny sped right on past them until, with an almighty crash, she collided with the commentator's podium. As the crowd shrieked and laughed, the Gryffindor team landed beside the wreckage of wood under which Zacharias was feebly stirring; Harry heard Ginny saying blithely to an irate Professor McGonagall, "Forgot to brake, Professor, sorry." Laughing, Harry broke free of the rest of the team and hugged Ginny, but let go quickly. Avoiding her gaze, he clapped a cheering Ron on the back instead as, all enmity forgotten, the Gryffindor team left the pitch arm in arm, punching the air and waving to their supporters. The atmosphere in the changing room was jubilant. "Party up in the common room, Seamus said!" yelled Dean exuberantly. "C'mon, Ginny, Demelza!" -------------- As Harry was ducking towards the drinks table he walked straight into Ginny, Arnold the Pygmy Puff riding on her shoulder and Crookshanks mewing hopefully at her heels. "Looking for Ron?" she asked, smirking. "He's over there. The filthy hypocrite." Harry looked into the corner she was indicating. There, in full view of the whole room, stood Ron wrapped so closely around Lavender Brown it was hard to tell whose hands were whose. "It looks like he's eating her face, doesn't it?" said Ginny dispassionately. "But I suppose he's got to refine his technique somehow. Good game, Harry." She patted him on the arm; Harry felt a swooping sensation in his stomach, but then she walked off to help herself to more butterbeer. Crookshanks trotted after her, his yellow eyes fixed upon Arnold. Chapter 15 - The Unbreakable Vow "There isn't anyone I want to invite," mumbled Harry, who was still trying not to think about Ginny any more than he could help, despite the fact that she kept cropping up in his dreams in ways that made him devoutly thankful that Ron could not perform Legilimency. -------------- Hermione gave him the kind of nasty look she had just given his copy of Advanced Potion-Making. "It was all on the back of the bottles they showed Ginny and me in the summer," she said coldly. "I don't go around putting potions in people's drinks ... or pretending to, either, which is just as bad ..." -------------- "Oh, it's been all right," said Luna. "A bit lonely without the DA. Ginny's been nice, though. She stopped two boys in our Transfiguration class calling me "Loony" the other day-" -------------- "You could've taken anyone!" said Ron in disbelief over dinner. "Anyone! And you chose Loony Lovegood?" "Don't call her that, Ron," snapped Ginny, pausing behind Harry on her way to join friends. "I'm really glad you're taking her, Harry, she's so excited." And she moved on down the table to sit with Dean. Harry tried to feel pleased that Ginny was glad he was taking Luna to the party, but could not quite manage it. Chapter 16 - A Very Frosty Christmas
"And speaking of hitherto unsuspected skills, Ronald," said George, "what is this we hear from Ginny about you and a young lady called unless our information is faulty Lavender Brown?" -------------- "Then, as Charlie isn't coming home, that just leaves Harry and Ron in the attic, and if Fleur shares with Ginny " "- that'll make Ginny's Christmas " muttered Fred. -------------- Under cover of a particularly jazzy number called "A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love", Fred and George started a game of Exploding Snap with Ginny. -------------- "Harry, you've got a maggot in your hair," said Ginny cheerfully, leaning across the table to pick it out; Harry felt goosebumps erupt up his neck that had nothing to do with the maggot. -------------- Mr Weasley looked round. Everybody looked quickly at the window; Ginny stood up for a better view. -------------- Nobody seemed to find Scrimgeour's pretence that he did not know Harry's name convincing, or find it natural that he should be chosen to accompany the Minister around the garden when Ginny, Fleur and George also had clean plates. Chapter 17 - A Sluggish Memory
Late in the afternoon, a few days after New Year, Harry, Ron and Ginny lined up beside the kitchen fire to return to Hogwarts. -------------- Admittedly, it took very little to set her off lately; she had been crying on and off ever since Percy had stormed from the house on Christmas Day with his glasses splattered with mashed parsnip (for which Fred, George and Ginny all claimed credit). "Don't cry, Mum," said Ginny, patting her on the back as Mrs Weasley sobbed into her shoulder. "It's OK ..." -------------- When Ginny had arrived, all three of them trooped out of McGonagall's office and off towards Gryffindor Tower. -------------- "Harry! Ginny!" Hermione was hurrying towards them, very pink-faced and wearing a cloak, hat and gloves. -------------- But at that moment there was a loud squeal of "Won-Won!" and Lavender Brown came hurtling out of nowhere and flung herself into Ron's arms. Several onlookers sniggered; Hermione gave a tinkling laugh and said, "There's a table over here ... coming, Ginny?" "No, thanks, I said I'd meet Dean," said Ginny, though Harry could not help noticing that she did not sound very enthusiastic. Chapter 18 - Birthday Surprises
Harry checked with Hermione and Ginny: neither of them had received an invitation and nor, as far as they knew, had anybody else. Chapter 19 - Elf Tails
It was evening; the hospital wing was quiet, the windows curtained, the lamps lit. Ron's was the only occupied bed. Harry, Hermione and Ginny were sitting around him; they had spent all day waiting outside the double doors, trying to see inside whenever somebody went in or out. Madam Pomfrey had only let them enter at eight o'clock. Fred and George had arrived at ten past. "This isn't how we imagined handing over our present," said George grimly, putting down a large wrapped gift on Ron's bedside cabinet and sitting beside Ginny. "Yeah, when we pictured the scene, he was conscious," said Fred. "There we were in Hogsmeade, waiting to surprise him " said George. "You were in Hogsmeade?" asked Ginny, looking up. "We were thinking of buying Zonko's," said Fred gloomily. "A Hogsmeade branch, you know, but a fat lot of good it'll do us if you lot aren't allowed out at weekends to buy our stuff any more .... but never mind that now." "How exactly did it happen, Harry?" Harry retold the story he had already recounted what felt like a hundred times to Dumbledore, to McGonagall, to Madam Pomfrey, to Hermione and Ginny. -------------- Hermione gave an almost inaudible sniff. She had been exceptionally quiet all day. Having hurtled, white-faced, up to Harry outside the hospital wing and demanded to know what had happened, she had taken almost no part in Harry and Ginny's obsessive discussion about how Ron had been poisoned, but merely stood beside them, clench-jawed and frightened-looking, until at last they had been allowed in to see him. "Do Mum and Dad know?" Fred asked Ginny. "They've already seen him, they arrived an hour ago they're in Dumbledore's office now, but they'll be back soon ..." -------------- "Why would Slughorn want to poison Harry?" asked Ginny. "I dunno," said Fred, "but there must be loads of people who'd like to poison Harry, mustn't there? The "Chosen One" and all that?" "So you think Slughorn's a Death Eater?" said Ginny. "Anything's possible," said Fred darkly. "He could be under the Imperius Curse," said George. "Or he could be innocent," said Ginny. "The poison could have been in the bottle, in which case it was probably meant for Slughorn himself." -------------- "Dumbledore told us how you saved him with the bezoar," Mrs Weasley sobbed. "Oh, Harry, what can we say? You saved Ginny ... you saved Arthur ... now you've saved Ron ..." -------------- "Where have you been?" demanded Ginny, as Harry sprinted into the changing room. The whole team was changed and ready; Coote and Peakes, the Beaters, were both hitting their clubs nervously against their legs. "I met Malfoy," Harry told her quietly, as he pulled his scarlet robes over his head. "So?" "So I wanted to know how come he's up at the castle with a couple of girlfriends while everyone else is down here ..." "Does it matter right now?" "Well, I'm not likely to find it out, am I?" said Harry, seizing his Firebolt and pushing his glasses straight. "Come on, then!" -------------- "And that's Smith of Hufflepuff with the Quaffle," said a dreamy voice, echoing over the grounds. "He did the commentary last time, of course, and Ginny Weasley flew into him, I think probably on purpose it looked like it. Smith was being quite rude about Gryffindor, I expect he regrets that now he's playing them oh look, he's lost the Quaffle, Ginny took it from him, I do like her, she's very nice ..." -------------- McLaggen had been shouting criticism at Ginny for allowing the Quaffle out of her possession, with the result that he had not noticed the large red ball soaring past his right ear. -------------- Ginny and Demelza scored a goal apiece, giving the red-and-gold-clad supporters below something to cheer about. -------------- "Ginny came in to visit while you were unconscious," he said, after a long pause, and Harry's imagination zoomed into overdrive, rapidly constructing a scene in which Ginny, weeping over his lifeless form, confessed her feelings of deep attraction to him while Ron gave them his blessing ... "She reckons you only just arrived in time for the match. How come? You left here early enough." Chapter 20 - Lord Voldemort's Request
Harry and Ron left the hospital wing first thing on Monday morning, restorted to full health by the ministrations of Madam Pomfrey and now able to enjoy the benefits of having been knocked out and poisoned, the best of which was that Hermione was friends with Ron again. Hermione even escorted them down to breakfast, bringing with her the news that Ginny had argued with Dean. The drowsing creature in Harry's chest suddenly raised its head, sniffing the air hopefully. "What did they row about?" he asked, trying to sound casual as they turned into a seventh-floor corridor which was deserted but for a very small girl who had been examining a tapestry of trolls in tutus. She looked terrified at the sight of the approaching sixth-years and dropped the heavy brass scales she was carrying. "It's all right!" said Hermione kindly, hurrying forwards to help her. "Here ..." She tapped the broken scales with her wand and said, "Reparo." The girl did not say thank you, but remained rooted to the spot as they passed and watched them out of sight; Ron glanced back at her. "I swear they're getting smaller," he said. "Never mind her," said Harry, a little impatiently. "What did Ginny and Dean row about, Hermione?" "Oh, Dean was laughing about McLaggen hitting that Bludger at you," said Hermione. "It must've looked funny," said Ron reasonably. "It didn't look funny at all!" said Hermione hotly. "It looked terrible, and if Coote and Peakes hadn't caught Harry he could have been very badly hurt!" "Yeah, well, there was no need for Ginny and Dean to split up over it," said Harry, still trying to sound casual. "Or are they still together?" "Yes, they are but why are you so interested?" asked Hermione, giving Harry a sharp look. "I just don't want my Quidditch team messed up again!" he said hastily, but Hermione continued to look suspicious, and he was most relieved when a voice behind them called, "Harry!", giving him an excuse to turn his back on her. Chapter 22 - After The Burial
Harry stared at them both. "Felix Felicis?" he said. "I dunno ... I was sort of saving it ..." "What for?" demanded Ron incredulously. "What on earth is more important than this memory, Harry?" asked Hermione. Harry did not answer. The thought of that little golden bottle had hovered on the edges of his imagination for some time; vague and unformulated plans that involved Ginny splitting up with Dean, and Ron somehow being happy to see her with a new boyfriend, had been fermenting in the depths of his brain, unacknowledged except during dreams or the twilight time between sleeping and waking ... -------------- Getting through the portrait hole was simple; as he approached it, Ginny and Dean came through it and Harry was able to slip between them. As he did so, he brushed accidentally against Ginny. "Don't push me, please, Dean," she said, sounding annoyed. "You're always doing that, I can get through perfectly well on my own ..." The portrait swung closed behind Harry, but not before he had heard Dean make an angry retort ... his feeling of elation increasing, Harry strode off through the castle. He did not have to creep along, for he met nobody on his way, but this did not surprise him in the slightest: this evening, he was the luckiest person at Hogwarts. Chapter 24 - Sectumsempra
He brushed some of the fake snow off Hermione's shoulder. Lavender burst into tears. Ron looked immensely guilty and turned his back on her. "We spilt up," he told Harry out of the corner of his mouth. "Last night. When she saw me coming out of the dormitory with Hermione. Obviously she couldn't see you, so she thought it had just been the two of us." "Ah," said Harry. "Well you don't mind it's over, do you?" "No," Ron admitted. "It was pretty bad while she was yelling, but at least I didn't have to finish it." "Coward," said Hermione, though she looked amused. "Well, it was a bad night for romance all round. Ginny and Dean split up too, Harry." Harry thought there was a rather knowing look in her eye as she told him that, but she could not possibly know that his insides were suddenly dancing the conga: keeping his face as immobile and his voice as indifferent as he could, he asked, "How come?" "Oh, something really silly ... she said he was always trying to help her through the portrait hole, like she couldn't climb in herself ... but they've been a bit rocky for ages." Harry glanced over at Dean on the other side of the classroom. He certainly looked unhappy. "Of course, this puts you in a bit of a dilemma, doesn't it?" said Hermione. "What d'you mean?" said Harry quickly. "The Quidditch team," said Hermione. "If Ginny and Dean aren't speaking ..." "Oh oh yeah," said Harry. -------------- Neither of them seemed to have noticed that a fierce battle was raging inside Harry's brain: She's Ron's sister. But she's ditched Dean! She's still Ron's sister. I'm his best mate! That'll make it worse. If I talked to him first He'd hit you. What if I don't care? He's your best mate! -------------- Ginny did not seem at all upset about the break-up with Dean; on the contrary, she was life and soul of the team. Her imitations of Ron anxiously bobbing up and down in front of the goalposts as the Quaffle sped towards him, or of Harry bellowing orders at McLaggen before being knocked out cold, kept them all highly amused. Harry, laughing with the others, was glad to have an innocent reason to look at Ginny; he had received several more Bludger injuries during practice because he had not been keeping his eyes on the Snitch. The battle still raged inside his head: Ginny or Ron? Sometimes he thought that the post-Lavender Ron might not mind too much is he asked Ginny out, but then he remembered Ron's expression when he has seen her kissing Dean, and was sure that Ron would consider it base treachery if Harry so much as held her hand ... Yet Harry could not help himself talking to Ginny, laughing with her, walking back from practice with her; however much his conscience ached, he found himself wondering how best to get her on her own: it would have been ideal if Slughorn had given another of his little parties, for Ron would not be around but unfortunately, Slughorn seemed to have given them up. Once or twice Harry considered asking for Hermione's help, but he did not think he could stand seeing the smug look on her face; he thought he caught it sometimes when Hermione spotted him staring at Ginny, or laughing at her jokes. And to complicate matters, he had the nagging worry that if he didn't do it, somebody else was sure to ask Ginny out soon: he and Ron were at least agreed on the fact that she was too popular for her own good. All in all, the temptation to take another gulp of Felix Felicis was becoming stronger by the day, for surely this was a case for, as Hermione put it, "tweaking the circumstances?" The balmy days slid gently through May, and Ron seemed to be there at Harry's shoulder every time he saw Ginny. Harry found himself longing for a stroke of luck that would somehow cause Ron to realise that nothing would make him happier than his best friend and his sister falling for each other and to leave them alone together for longer than a few seconds. There seemed no chance of either while the final Quidditch game of the season was looming; Ron wanted to talk tactics with Harry all the time and had little thought for anything else. -------------- He had just finished telling Ron, Hermione and Ginny what had happened, not that there seemed to have been much need. -------------- He could feel Ginny's eyes on him now, but did not meet them; he did not want to see disappointment or anger there. He had just told her that she would be playing Seeker on Saturday and that Dean would be rejoining the team as Chaser in her place. Perhaps, if they won, Ginny and Dean would make up during the post-match euphoria ... the thought went through Harry like an icy knife ... -------------- "Are you telling me," said Hermione, "that you're going to go back -? "And get the book? Yeah, I am," said Harry forcefully. "Listen, without the Prince I'd never have won the Felix Felicis. I'd never have known how to save Ron from poisoning, I'd never have " "- got a reputation for Potions brilliance you don't deserve," said Hermione nastily. "Give it a rest, Hermione!" said Ginny, and Harry was so amazed, so grateful, he looked up. "By the sound of it Malfoy was trying to use an Unforgivable Curse, you should be glad Harry had something good up his sleeve!" "Well, of course I'm glad that Harry wasn't cursed!" said Hermione, clearly stung, "but you can't call that Sectum-sempra spell good, Ginny, look where it's landed him! And I'd have thought, seeing what this had done to your chances in the match " "Oh, don't start acting as though you understand Quidditch," snapped Ginny, "you'll only embarrass yourself." Harry and Ron stared: Hermione and Ginny, who had always got on together very well, were now sitting with their arms folded, glaring in opposite directions. Ron looked nervously at Harry, then snatched up a book at random and hid behind it. Harry, however, though he knew he little deserved it, felt unbelievably cheerful all of a sudden, even though none of them spoke again for the rest of the evening. -------------- By Saturday morning, whatever he might have told Hermione, Harry would have gladly exchanged all the Felix Felicis in the world to be walking down to the Quidditch pitch with Ron, Ginny and the others. -------------- It was, as Harry had anticipated, useless, boring work, punctuated (as Snape had clearly planned) with the regular jolt in the stomach that meant he had just read his father oder Sirius's names, usually coupled together in various petty misdeeds, occasionally accompanied by those of Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. And while he copied out all their various offences and punishments, he wondered what was going on outside, where the match would have just started ... Ginny playing Seeker against Cho ... -------------- A roar of celebration erupted from the hole behind her. Harry gaped as people began to scream at the sigth of him; several hands pulled him into the room. "We won!" yelled Ron, bounding into sight and brandishing the silver Cup at Harry. "We won! Four hundred and fifty to a hundred and forty! We won!" Harry looked around; there was Ginny running towards him; she had a hard, blazing look in her face as she threw her arms around him. And without thinking, without planning it, without worrying about the fact that fifty people were watching, Harry kissed her. After several long moments or it might have been half an hour or possibly several sunlit days they broke apart. The room had gone very quiet. Then several people wolf-whistled and there was an outbreak of nervous giggling. Harry looked over the top of Ginny's head to see Dean Thomas holding a shattered glass in his hands and Romilda Vane looking as though she might throw something. Hermione was beaming, but Harry's eyes sought Ron. At last he found him, still clutching the Cup and wearing an expression appropriate to having been clubbed over the head. For a fraction of a second they looked at each other, then Ron gave a tiny jerk of the head that Harry understood to mean, "Well if you must." The creature in his chest roaring in triumph, Harry grinned down at Ginny and gestured wordlessy out of the portrait hole. A long walk in the grounds seemed indicated, during which if they had time they migth discuss the match. Chapter 25 - The Seer Overheard
The fact that Harry Potter was going out with Ginny Weasley seemed to interest a great number of people, most of them girls, yet Harry found himself newly and happily impervious to gossip over the next few weeks. After all, it made a very nice change to be talked about because of something that was making him happier than he could remember being for a very long time, rather than because he had been involved in horrific scenes of Dark magic. "You'd think people had better things to gossip about," said Ginny, as she sat on the common-room floor, leaning against Harry's legs and reading the Daily Prophet. "Three Dementor attacks in a week, and all Romilda Vane does is ask me if it's true you've got a Hippogriff tattooed across your chest." Ron and Hermione both roared with laughter. Harry ignored them. "What did you tell her?" "I told her it's a Hungarian Horntail," said Ginny, turning a page of the newspaper idly. "Much more macho." "Thanks," said Harry, grinning. "And what did you tell her Ron's got?" "A Pygmy Puff, but I didn't say where." Ron scowled as Hermione rolled around laughing. "Watch it," he said, pointing warningly at Harry and Ginny. "Just because I've given my permission doesn't mean I can't withdraw it " "Your permission," scoffed Ginny. "Since when did you give me permission to do anything? Anyway, you said yourself you'd rather it was Harry than Michael or Dean." "Yeah, I would," said Ron grudgingly. "And just as long as you don't start snogging each other in public " "You filthy hypocrite! What about you and Lavender, trashing around like a pair of eels all over the place?" demanded Ginny. But Ron's tolerance was not to be tested much as they moved into June, for Harry and Ginny's time together was becoming increasingly restricted. Ginny's O.W.L.s were approaching and she was therefore forced to revise for hours into the night. On one such evening, when Ginny had retired to the library and Harry was sitting beside the window in the common room, supposedly finishing his Herbology homework but in reality reliving a particularly happy hour he had spent down by the lake with Ginny at lunch-time, Hermione dropped into the seat between him and Ron with an unpleasantly purposeful look on her face. -------------- Harry had not dared to return to the Room of Requirement to retrieve his book, and his performance in Potions was suffering accordingly (though Slughorn, who approved of Ginny, had jocularly attributed this to Harry being lovesick). -------------- "Harry " began Hermione, her eyes huge with fear. "I haven't got time to argue," said Harry curtly. "Take this as well " He thrust the socks into Ron's hands. "Thanks," said Ron. "Er why do I need socks?" "You need what's wrapped in them, it's the Felix Felicis. Share it between yourselves and Ginny too. Say goodbye to her from me. I'd better go, Dumbledore's waiting " Chapter 28 - Flight of the Prince
Harry's feet met something squashy and slippery on the floor and he stumbled: there were two bodies lying there, lying face down in a pool of blood, but there was no time to investigate: Harry now saw red hair flying like flames in front of him: Ginny was locked in combat with the lumpy Death Eater, Amycus, who was throwing hex after hex at her while she dodged them: Amycus was giggling, enjoying the sport: "Crucio Crucio you can't dance for ever, pretty " "Impedimenta!" yelled Harry. -------------- "Harry, where did you come from?" Ginny cried, but there was no time to answer her. Chapter 29 - The Phoenix Lament
"C'mere, Harry ..." "No." "You can' stay here, Harry ... come on, now ..." "No." He did not want to leave Dumbledore's side, he did not want to move anywhere. Hagrid's hand on his shoulder was trembling. Then another voice said, "Harry, come on." A much smaller and warmer hand had enclosed his and was pulling him upwards. He obeyed its pressure without really thinking about it. Only as he walked blindly back through the crowd did he realise, from a trace of flowery scent on the air, that it was Ginny who was leading him back into the castle. Incomprehensible voices battered him, sobs and shouts and wails stabbed the night, but Harry and Ginny walked on, back up the steps into the Entrance Hall: faces swam on the edges of Harry's vision, people were peering at him, whispering, wondering, and Gryffindor rubies glistened on the floor like drops of blood as they made their way towards the marble staircase. "We're going to the hospital wing," said Ginny. "I'm not hurt," said Harry. "It's McGonagall's orders," said Ginny. "Everyone's up there, Ron and Hermione and Lupin and everyone " Fear stirred in Harry's chest again: he had forgotten the inert figures he had left behind. "Ginny, who else is dead?" "Don't worry, none of us." "But the Dark Mark Malfoy said he stepped over a body " "He stepped over Bill, but it's all right, he's alive." There was something in her voice, however, that Harry knew boded ill. "Are you sure?" "Of course I'm sure ... he's a a bit of a mess, that's all. Greyback attacked him. Madam Pomfrey says he won't won't look the same any more ..." Ginny's voice trembled a little. "We don't really know what the after-effects will be I mean, Greyback being a werewolf, but not transformed at the time." "But the others ... there were other bodies on the ground ..." "Neville's in the hospital wing, but Madam Pomfrey thinks he'll make a full recovery, and Professor Flitwick was knocked out, but he's all right, just a bit shaky. He insisted on going off to look after the Ravenclaws. And a Death Eater's dead, he got hit by a Killing Curse the huge blond one was firing off everywhere Harry, if we hadn't had your Felix potion, I think we'd all have been killed, but everything seemed to just miss us " They had reached the hospital wing: pushing open the door, Harry saw Neville lying, apparently asleep, in a bed near the door. Ron, Hermione, Luna, Tonks and Lupin were gathered around another bed near the far end of the ward. At the sound of the doors opening, they all looked up. Hermione ran to Harry and hugged him; Lupin moved forwards too, looking anxious. -------------- "Dumbledore might know something that'd work, though," Ron said. "Where is he? Bill fought those maniacs on Dumbledore's orders, Dumbledore owes him, he can't leave him in this state " "Ron Dumbledore's dead," said Ginny. "No!" Lupin looked wildly from Ginny to Harry, as though hoping the latter might contradict her, but when Harry did not, Lupin collapsed into a chair beside Bill's bed, his hands on his face. Harry had never seen Lupin lose control before; he felt as though he was intruding upon something private; incedent; he turned away and caught Ron's eye instead, exchanging in silence a look that confirmed what Ginny had said. -------------- Almost against his will he glanced from Ron to Hermione, both of whom looked devastated. "I messed up, Harry," said Ron bleakly. "We did like you told us: we checked the Marauder's Map and we couldn't see Malfoy on it, so we thought he must be in the Room of Requirement, so me, Ginny and Neville went to keep watch on it ... but Malfoy got past us." "He came out of the Room about an hour after we started keeping watch," said Ginny. "He was on his own, clutching that awful shrivelled arm " "His Hand of Glory," said Ron. "Gives light only to the holder, remember?" "Anyway," Ginny went on, "he must have been checking whether the coast was clear to let the Death Eaters out, because the moment he saw us he threw something into the air and it all went pitch black " "- Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder," said Ron bitterly. "Fred and George's. I'm going to be having a word with them about who they let buy their products." "We tried everything Lumos, Incendio," said Ginny. "Nothing would penetrate the darkness; all we could do was grope our way out of the corridor again, and meanwhile we could hear people rushing past us. Obviously Malfoy could see because of that Hand thing and was guiding them, but we didn't dare use any curses or anything in case we hit each other, and by the time we'd reached a corridor that was light, they'd gone." "Luckily," said Lupin hoarsely, "Ron, Ginny and Neville ran into us almost immediately and told us what had happened. We found the Death Eaters minutes later, heading in the direction of the Astronomy Tower. Malfoy obviously hadn't expected more people to be on the watch; he seemed to have exhausted his supply of Darkness Powder, at any rate. A fight broke out, they scattered and we gave chase. One of them, Gibbon, broke away and headed up the Tower stairs " -------------- "So if Ron was watching the Room of Requirement with Ginny and Neville," said Harry, turning to Hermione, "were you -?" -------------- "I saw Snape running towards us, but that huge Death Eater's jinx just missed me right afterwards and I ducked and lost track of things," said Ginny. -------------- As Professor McGonagall nodded, Harry felt Ginny move beside him and looked at her. Her slightly narrowed eyes were fixed upon Fleur, who was gazing down at Bill with a frozen expression on her face. -------------- And then Harry did not quite see how it happened both women were crying and hugging each other. Completely bewildered, wondering whether the world had gone mad, he turned round: Ron looked as stunned as Harry felt and Ginny and Hermione were exchanging startled looks. -------------- Harry stood up, murmured, "See you in a bit," to Ron, Hermione and Ginny, and followed Professor McGonagall back down the ward. Chapter 30 - The White Tomb Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were spending all of their time together. The beautiful weather seemed to mock them; Harry could imagine how it would have been if Dumbledore had not died, and they had had this time together at the very end of the year, Ginny's examinations finished, the pressure of homework lifted ... and hour by hour, he put off saying the thing that he knew he must say, because it was too hard to forgo his best source of comfort. -------------- "I suppose I'm just going to have to accept that he really is going to marry her," sighed Ginny later that evening, as she, Harry, Ron and Hermione sat beside the open window of the Gryffindor common room, looking out over the twilit grounds. "She's not that bad," said Harry. "Ugly, though," he added hastily, as Ginny raised her eyebrows, and she let out a reluctant giggle. "Well, I suppose if Mum can stand it, I can." -------------- "I'm going to go to bed," yawned Ginny. "I haven't been sleeping that well since ... well ... I could do with some sleep." She kissed Harry (Ron looked away pointedly), waved at the other two and departed for the girls' dormitories. The moment the door had closed behind her, Hermione leaned towards Harry with a most Hermione-ish look on her face. -------------- Harry's thoughts were interrupted by a nudge in the ribs from Ginny. -------------- Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny filed into seats at the end of a row beside the lake. -------------- Then he heard music, strange, otherworldly music, and he forgot his dislike of the Ministry in looking around for the source of it. He was not the only one: many heads were turning, searching, a little alarmed. "In there," whispered Ginny in Harry's ear. And he saw them in the clear green sunlit water, inches below the surface, reminding him horribly of the Inferi; a chorus of merpeople singing in a strange language he did not understand, their pallid faces rippling, their purplish hair flowing all around them. The music made the hair on Harry's neck stand up and yet it was not unpleasant. It spoke very clearly of loss and of despair. As he looked down into the wild faces of the singers he had the feeling that they, at least, were sorry for Dumbledore's passing. Then Ginny nudged him again and he looked around. Hagrid was walking slowly up the aisle between the chairs. He was crying quite silently, his face gleaming with tears, and in his arms, wrapped in purple velvet spangled with golden stars, was what Harry knew to be Dumbledore's body. A sharp pain rose in Harry's throat at this sight: for a moment, the strange music and the knowledge that Dumbledore's body was so close seemed to take all warmth from the day. Ron looked white and shocked. Tears were falling thick and fast into both Ginny and Hermione's laps. -------------- He clutched the cold locket in his hand so tightly that it hurt, but he could not prevent hot tears spilling from his eyes: he looked away from Ginny and the others and stared out over the lake, towards the Forest, as the little man in black droned on ... -------------- Harry looked at Ginny, Ron and Hermione: Ron's face was screwed up as though the sunlight was blinding him. Hermione's face was glazed with tears, but Ginny was no longer crying. She met Harry's gaze with the same hard, blazing look that he had seen when she had hugged him after the winning the Quidditch Cup in his absence, and he knew that at that moment they understood each other perfectly, and that when he told her what he was going to do now, she would not say "Be careful", or "Don't do it", but accept his decision, because she would not have expected anything less of him. And so he steeled himself to say what he had known he must say ever since Dumbledore had died. "Ginny, listen ... " he said very quietly, as the buzz of conversation grew louder around them and people began to get to their feet. "I can't be involved with you any more. We've got to stop seeing each other. We can't be together." She said, with an oddly twisted smile, "It's for some stupid, noble reason, isn't it?" "It's been like ... like something out of someone else's life, these last few weeks with you," said Harry. "But I can't ... we can't ... I've got things to do alone now." She did not cry, she simply looked at him. "Voldemort uses people his enemies are close to. He's already used you as bait once, and that was just because you're my best friend's sister. Think how much danger you'll be in if we keep this up. He'll know, he'll find out. He'll try and get to me through you." "What if I don't care?" said Ginny fiercely. "I care," said Harry. "How much do you think I'd feel if this was your funeral ... and it was my fault ..." She looked away from him, over the lake. "I never really gave up on you," she said. "Not really. I always hoped ... Hermione told me to get on with life, maybe go out with some other people, relax a bit around you, because I never used to be able to talk if you were in the room, remember? And she thought you might take a bit more notice if I was a bit more myself." "Smart girl, that Hermione," said Harry, trying to smile. "I just wish I'd asked you sooner. We could've had ages ... months ... years maybe ..." "But you've been too busy saving the wizarding world," said Ginny, half-laughing. "Well ... I can't say I'm surprised. I knew this would happen in the end. I knew you wouldn't be happy unless you were hunting Voldemort. Maybe that's why I like you so much." Harry could not bear to hear these things, nor did he think his resolution would hold if he remained sitting beside her. Ron, he saw, was now holding Hermione and stroking her hair while she sobbed into his shoulder, tears dripping from the end of his own long nose. With a miserable gesture, Harry got up, turned his back on Ginny and on Dumbledore's tomb and walked away around the lake. |
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