The Burrow, 6:48 p.m.

The back door to the Burrow burst open and let hot summer air into the cool kitchen. Mum and I came inside holding many brown paper bags and sacks of different sorts. The two of us had been in Diagon Alley for some last minute shopping for Bill and Fleur’s upcoming wedding. We went to the twins’ shop to buy party favors for all of the guests, met up with Fleur and the rest of the wedding party for one last fitting at Madame Malkins’ robe store, made sure the bride’s bouquet and table center pieces were shaping up nicely, and much more.


We were both drenched in sweat, and Mum immediately conjured up two tall glasses of ice cold water.


“My goodness! It is good to be out of that heat!� said Mum. I gratefully accepted the drink and sucked my glass dry within seconds. My hair had come loose from my pony tail, and it was sticking to the back of my sweaty neck.


“Mum, that shopping made me very tired. Would you mind if I showered and went to take a nap, or do you need more help?� I asked.


“Yeah, I could use a bit of help in the garden. The gnomes are infesting every shrub, and I want them gone by the wedding,� Mum said. Suppressing a groan, I headed back outside into the insane heat and began the long process of de-gnoming the back garden.


I sometimes really missed having all of my older brothers at home. This was one of those times. I could have finished that mundane chore hours earlier if I had Bill, Charlie, the twins, and Ron to help me. But no. I was the youngest, and therefore had to be the last Weasley child to deal with the pesky gnomes that lived in my backyard.


I must have been mumbling something like this aloud because one of the gnomes said, “Hey! Little girl! Stop being so rude!�


“Listen,� I replied, “I am in no mood for doing this today. If you don’t want me to be so mean, why don’t you round up your friends and get the hell out of my garden!�


“Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, didn’t she? You need a bit of Cheering Charm, I’d say,� But his reply stopped there; I bonked him over the head and whirled him around my head a few times more than necessary and flung him over the fence. He landed an impressive way away from the Burrow and stumbled around dizzily for quite some time before finally heading off into the woods that surrounded my house.


Feeling satisfied, I hurried through the rest of my work sometimes letting my mind wander. Most my thoughts turned to Harry Potter. I worried about him, I daydreamed about him, I got angry with him, etc. My relationship with Harry was so complicated that whenever I thought about him for long periods of time, even I got confused.


I knew that he had left me for a good reason, but I still wanted him in my life. I had always dreamed of ending up with Harry Potter, and because of my fifth year, I had reason to believe that he had wanted the same thing. But just as soon as everything started, Harry brought it to an end. I knew that he had wanted to stay with me and that he had only done what he thought he had to do in order to keep me safe, but I still got mad at him sometimes. Of course, he wouldn’t actually know that I was angry with him because I hadn’t talked to him since the end of school...nor had anyone else........


By the time I was done chucking the creatures out of my yard, the sun had gone down. I was heading back inside to finally take my shower when something round and hard collided with my kitchen window, which then cracked from the impact.


“What on earth was that?� I said aloud.


I looked around and found the culprit lying on the ground, looking disheveled. It was nothing but a tiny barn owl. I was surprised that something so small and feathery could do so much damage to the window until I saw the package it was carrying. There was a small letter with familiar handwriting enclosed in the package. I ripped it open at once.


Dear Mum, Dad, Ginny, and anyone else in the family who reads this,


Sorry I haven’t written to you yet this summer. Harry, Hermione, and I have been staying at the Dursley’s, and we weren’t sure of the likelihood of any letters reaching you. Anyway, the three of us are doing well, although Harry’s aunt and uncle are HORRIBLE, if you ask me. They have no concept of hospitality whatsoever. I don’t know how Harry put up with them for ten straight years.


So, we should be arriving at the Burrow any day now. Harry says that it will be safe to come for the wedding. Can’t wait to see you all! Harry and Hermione say hello. I hope this letter won’t fall into the hands of any bloody Death Eaters,

Love,

Ron


P.S. The thing in the package is a Muggle mobile phone. It’s used the same way as a fellytone except it’s not connected to any wires or anything. Hope you enjoy it, Dad.



A sigh of relief flooded through me. They were safe! And they were coming to the wedding! Which was in only three days! I sort of danced a jig in the kitchen, and I may have whooped a bit loudly because Mum came in to ask me if everything was alright. I let out a squeal of delight, handed her the letter and the mini fellytone, threw the envelope on the table and then headed up the stairs to take a shower (which had then been delayed for at least three hours). All feelings of anger toward Harry had been replaced with joy.


After I showered, I put on a tank-top and some of Fred’s old boxers that I had stolen years ago and went downstairs for a bite to eat. Dad had gotten home sometime during the past 20 minutes, and he was already eating at the kitchen table, tinkering with his new toy. I went over to give him a hug and a kiss and plopped down in my usual seat.


“Amazing how they do it, those Muggles, isn’t it? I wonder how this thing works...� he muttered.


Mum came over and placed a plate in front of me that was filled with delicious looking food. As she did this she said to Dad, “I am SO glad that Ron, Harry, and Hermione will be coming to the wedding! Aren’t you dear?�


“Hmm? Oh, yes, the food is wonderful,� Dad replied. He was far too entranced by his gadget to pay any attention to Mum.


“I wonder how long they’ll stay. A few days? A week? I’ll have to find somewhere for them to sleep, but we can make arrangements. We’re going to have a full house!� Mum said excitedly. “And of course, Fleur’s bachelorette party is Friday night!�


“Oh, Merlin. I had almost forgotten about that. It should be...interesting,�I said unenthusiastically. My dislike for Fleur was widely known within the family, so at this remark Mum shot me a look that said, “Be nice, or else.�


Later, as I was trying to fall asleep, I again thought of Harry and wondered what it would be like to see him again. My stomach filled with butterflies, but I repressed them and told myself that I could allow nothing to happen between us at the wedding. Then the thought of Fleur's party crept into my mind, and any trace of excitement disappeared. Minutes later, I was finally able to fall asleep.

London, 9:36 p.m. Bachelorette Party

“Another firewhiskey, miss?�


“Mmmm, how many have I had so far?� I asked the bartender.


“Three.�


“Make it four,� I said. I had taken to sitting at the bar by myself for the evening. Fleur’s last night as a single woman was as obnoxious as I had though it would be. She had a bunch of her snobby friends from Beauxbatons there, along with Tonks, the old people (meaning Mum and Fleur’s mum), and lots more people that I had never seen before.


At the start of the night, I tried to look excited for Fleur, but that was just not possible. She kept coming over to me and introducing her friends, who got more unbearable by the minute. She would say, “OOHHHH GEE-nee! You must let me introduce you to my BEST friend from child-‘ood. Gee-nee, this is Clair.�


“Eet ees a pleasure to meet you Gee-nee. I ‘ave ‘eard soo much about you. Fleur, her ‘air really is as red as you mentioned!� And then she did one of those shrill, snobby laughs. You know, when they stick their noses up into the air and let out a screech only audible to dogs. So that made me thrilled to be there.


Then she introduced one girl to me who didn’t speak any English, even though she had been studying the language for seven years. Her name was Window or something. I couldn’t understand what she said because every time she spoke it sounded like she was sneezing. Those girls just kept coming and coming. Which explains why I ended up at the bar.


That, and the fact that I had received another letter the previous day from Hermione.

---

I woke up the morning after we got Ron’s letter when Mum came into my room. She looked as though she had been crying.


“Mum, what is it? What’s wrong?� I asked.


“I’ve just gotten a letter from Hermione. It seems that they won’t be able to make it to the wedding after all.�


“Why not? Is everything alright?�


“Why don’t you read the letter and see for yourself,� Mum said. She handed me the folded parchment and left me alone in my room.


The letter said:


To the Weasley clan,


I’m terribly sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but Harry, Ron, and I will not be able to make it to the wedding after all. Harry thinks that there are Death Eaters that have found out our location, and we don’t want any of them to follow us to the wedding. I think we’ll be leaving the country. I can’t tell you where we’re going, because I honestly have no idea. Ron is too upset to write. He was very much looking forward to visiting. And Harry says that he’ll miss seeing you as well. Sorry again, and please send Bill and Fleur our regards,


Much love,


Hermione

---

And so, I went to the bar. By myself. Drinking unhealthy quantities of firewhiskey. I mean, I had just gotten used to the idea that my brother, my best friend, and my ex-boyfriend were safe, and now they’re about to leave the country to avoid getting killed by dark wizards!

“What if something happens to them?!? What if Harry dies?� I kept thinking.


Anyway, soon the room was filled with staggering blondes and slurred French accents. The only sober person in the whole bar was Tonks. She must have been there to keep us safe. Order stuff, I think. She visited me at the bar.


“Hey Ginny. How’s it going?� she asked.


I motioned to the growing number of empty glasses at my side. “How do you think it’s going?�


“Not good, huh?�


“Nope. Not good at all.� I said, only tripping over my words slightly.


“What’s wrong, then?�


“It’s these stupid girls! I mean, can they even hear themselves talk? I can’t understand what the hell they’re saying sometimes, but it sounds really dumb! Bill has no idea what he’s getting himself into,� I said, purposefully not mentioning Harry to her.


“Ginny, don’t you think you’re being a little harsh? You don’t know these girls that well, they could be really nice...� Tonks said.


“I’m not being harsh. I’m just telling the truth!� I shouted. The bartender passed by, and I said, “Yeah mate, I think I’ll get another one of those. And one for my dear friend Tonks. She needs a bit of a pick-me-up, I’d say.�


“Ginny, I think you’ve had enough firewhiskey to last a lifetime. Let’s go outside, get some fresh air,� Tonks said reasonably.


Then I whispered loudly to the bartender and said, “I’ll be back in fifteen minutes. FIFTEEN, you hear me? I’ll want another drink by the time I get back.�


Tonks grabbed my arm and helped me get out of the bar without tripping and making a huge fool out of myself. I didn’t really pay attention to where we sat down. All I remember is that it was really warm out and that I suddenly felt like dancing. But Tonks restrained me, and she said, “So your mum told me about Ron and everyone.�


“What about them?�


“You know what I mean. They’re not coming to the wedding. You must be upset.�


“No I’m not upset at all, actually. If they’d like to go off and get killed, that’s fine with me. I mean, obviously it would be nice if Ron stayed alive. He is my brother, you know. And Hermione, too. But it doesn’t matter to me one way or the other if I ever see Harry again,� I said. This was a blatant lie. Tonks knew that it was, too.


“Ginny. Stop pretending like you don’t still have feelings for him,� she said.


“I’m not pretending. I’ve moved on. I really have,� I said.


“You are the worst liar in world,� Tonks said.


“I am only bad at lying when I’m drunk. For instance, right now. Actually, I’ve never really been drunk before. In fact, I’ve never even had firewhiskey before, and after tonight I don’t think I’ll drink any more of it, because between you and me, it tastes awful...�


Then this song by the Weird Sisters came on that I absolutely loved, and the urge to dance was back. I hopped up from my seat and began to flop around foolishly, thinking I was looking cool. But I really wasn’t. Still, I was having a good time. Tonks just watched and resisted the temptation to laugh at me. She must have been glad that there weren’t a lot of people out that night because she probably would have been embarrassed by association with me.


But then this group of girls walked by. They went to Hogwarts too, but they were a year younger than me. One of them spotted me dancing -- or rather having a spaz attack -- and they started laughing. Right in my face! I mean, how rude is that?! I decided to walk up to the leader of the pack whose name was Esmeralda. (I’m sorry, but who looks at a newborn baby and says to his spouse, “Oh hey, honey. Doesn’t she look like an Esmeralda?�)


“Hey! Esmeralda! How’s it going? I haven’t seen you since school got out.�


“Oh hi, Ginny. I didn’t realize that was you,� She then shared a look with one of her friends that seemed to say, “Wow, classic dance moves,� and they burst into laughter again.


“Hey, uh, guys? I’m right here. Usually the rule is that you wait to laugh at someone until they’re not right in front of you,� I said.


That shut them up.


My pal Esme then said, “Oh no we weren’t laughing at you! We were laughing with you, silly!� Then she lowered her voice so that it was almost a whisper, and she said, “So how are you holding up? Everything alright between you and Harry? I saw you two talking at the -- you know -- funeral... It looked pretty serious.�


I didn’t quite know what to say to that.


“Uhhh, yeah, I guess we’re alright. I mean, we’re still friends, I guess. But we’re not technically together anymore, so...but I gotta go back inside. It’s my brother’s fiance’s bachelorette party.�


“Oh that’s too bad. I’m sorry to hear that. Well, have fun at the party!� Esmeralda said.


“Yeah thanks. See you in September,� I said.


I turned around and saw that Tonks had already gone back inside, so I headed in to find her. Before I reached the door, however, I heard Esmeralda and her friends begin to talk excitedly.


“Oh. My. God. Harry Potter is single!!!�


“I know!!! Who can blame him, though? Did you see the way she was dancing?�


“Not to mention the fact that he’s wayyy better than her.�


“And now he’s going off to save the world! When he comes back all victorious, I am going to be there to take Ginny’s place.�


“Oooooh good idea! Except it won’t be you, it’ll be me. He’s sure to be over her by then!�


I waited for them to round the corner, and then I began to cry like I had never cried before. I knew that girls could be catty, but no one had ever said things like that about me. That I knew of, anyway. They really struck a nerve when they said those things about Harry and me, too. Other than Harry dying, his getting over me was my greatest fear.


I spent the rest of the party outside by myself like a loser, crying to death. Tonks finally came and found me when it was time to go home. The last thing I remember about that night was Mum tucking me under my blankets.

Bill and Phlegm (I mean Fleur’s) wedding day, The Burrow: 1:30 p.m.


It was half an hour until my older brother’s wedding, and I still hadn’t done my hair or put makeup on. Fleur had been trying to get me inside for hours so that I could primp and get ready, but Mum had me up since six a.m. helping her with last minute preparations for the wedding. (In other words, I had been running around for the past seven hours with the primary purpose of keeping Mum from having a mental breakdown.)


In that time, the twins arrived at The Burrow, handily providing me with the best hangover potion ever. I have been headache and nausea free since. Soon after Fred and George got there, Charlie showed up with a girl that none of us had ever met. She apparently worked with dragons as well, and they had been going out for six months, unbeknownst to anyone in the family. I was sure Mum or Dad would interrogate her later. Everyone important to us was in my backyard at that very moment, except Prat Percy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione.


I finally had my hair pinned up in a bun with loose curls framing my face. It looked quite nice, I must say. My dress was a gentle golden color that looked lovely with my hair color and did not detract attention from the bride. I thought Fleur would have made her bridesmaids look over the top, but the dresses were elegant and simple. I dabbed on a bit of blush on the apples of my cheeks, swished some mascara over my lashes and quickly headed downstairs because I heard the string quartet tuning their instruments.


When I got to the kitchen, I realized that I had left my bouquet of summer flowers in my bedroom. Before I turned around to get them, however, the kitchen door swung open. I turned around to see who it was and got the biggest shock of my life.


The three people who I least expected to see but wanted to see more than anything in the world were standing mere feet in front of me. They grinned at me, and I smiled ecstatically back. I ran towards Harry, and he held out his arms for me. I threw my hands around his neck, clinging on tightly, and he wrapped his arms around me.


“Ginny,� he whispered into my ear in a voice that I had longed to hear for weeks. He said my name so that only I would hear him. I tightened my grip. I didn’t ever want to let go.


“What, your big brother doesn’t get a hug then?� said Ron.


“Leave them alone, Ronald,� said Hermione.


I laughed and let go of Harry so that I could hug my brother. He had grown taller since the end of school, if that was possible.


After I hugged Hermione, I said, “What are you guys doing here? I thought you were out of the country!�


“Yeah, that was all Hermione,� said Ron. “She got so mad at me when I sent you that letter. She didn’t want the Death Eaters intercepting it, so she sent you another one that would mislead them.�


“Don’t blame it on me, Ron. It’s not my fault you’re a blithering idiot!� shouted Hermione.


Ron was about to retaliate, but I said, “Will you two stop your bickering? The wedding is about to start.�


“Oh yeah! The wedding!� said Ron. Right on cue, the music started to play, which was our signal to get outside. A crowd had gathered since I’d last been out there. On the left hand of the aisle there was a group of people who all had flaming red hair (obviously the Weasley side), and on the right there were a bunch of people with long blonde hair.


Mum was in a fit over the excitement of Ron and everyone coming home. She rushed over to us and fussed about the state of Ron’s collar.


“Ronnie, I’m so glad you’re home. And you too, Harry and Hermione. You’re all going to walk down the isle any minute now. Thank Merlin you showed up, Ron, because without you Ginny would have had to walk down there all by herself!�


I looked at Harry and rolled my eyes at him. The smile that he gave me was enough to make my insides melt.


The quartet started to play the bridal song and Mum ordered everyone to get in their places as she took her seat in the front row. I grabbed hold of Ron’s arm and gave it a quick squeeze. He bent over and kissed me on my forehead and said, “I’m so happy to see you.� As daft as he could be sometimes, he certainly had his moments.


Just behind us, Hermione held onto Harry’s arm. I was glad that Mum had decided against pairing Harry and me up for this event because I wanted to avoid the awkwardness of the whole situation.


When we got to the altar, I stood diagonally across from Harry. As Fleur and Bill said their vows, I noticed that he was looking at me rather than my older brother and his soon-to-be wife. I felt my cheeks turn red, and no matter how hard I tried, I could not look away from his beautiful green eyes. With the second “I do�, the ceremony was over, and I was released from Harry’s fervent gaze.



During the party that followed the ceremony, much of Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s time was occupied by my relatives or members of the Order. I wanted to be near to them in order to be reassured of their presence, but they were always surrounded by a handful of people, and I didn’t want to feel like an outsider in their conversations. As if Hermione could hear my thoughts from across the dance floor, I saw her sneak away from one group to come over to the table where I was sitting.


“Hey!� she said happily.


“Hi! I’m so glad you could make it. You have no idea how worried everyone was,� I said.


“I’m glad too. Sorry for my letter, but I wanted to be extra cautious. It’s no use taking chances like that when there are mass murderers lurking about.�


“Don’t worry about it. I’m just relieved that you lot are ok. I don’t know what I am going to do when the real trouble begins,� I said seriously. I paused and then said nonchalantly, “So how has Harry been? Preoccupied with future plans?�


Hermione hesitated with her response. “He’s been fine,�she said. I raised an eyebrow at her and she said, “Alright, he’s been miserable.�


“Listen, Hermione. I tried to talk to Harry about this last term, but he wouldn’t listen. I want to come with you.�


“I wish you could, but Harry would never allow it.�


“He doesn’t have authority over any of us! So I’m coming. Whether he likes it or not,� I said with a tone of finality.


Hermione looked exasperated. I felt childish for adding my issues to her own. Instead of rebutting against me, she cleverly changed subjects, and I let her.


“Can you keep a secret?� she asked.


Thinking back to my first year at Hogwarts, I easily answered that question.


“Obviously.�


“Right,� said Hermione, understanding my blunt response, “Well, I have something that I’ve been dying to tell you...�


“What is it?�


“Ron kissed me,� she said, a faint blush creeping onto her cheekbones.


“WHAT!?�


“Shhhh, keep your voice down.�


“I can’t believe it finally happened! I’ve seen it coming for years. Who else knows?�


“No one! That’s why it’s a secret! We don’t want anyone to know in case You-Know-Who uses it against us.�


“What’s this about You-Know-Who?� Mum said from behind us.


“Nothing, Mrs. Weasley.�


“Well, stop talking about such ominous things and enjoy the party.�



The party raged on, and soon the guests were leaving. Harry had successfully avoided me for the whole evening, and now he was nowhere to be found. Hermione, Ron, and I were outside drinking Butterbeer and looking up at the stars. We all seemed to know that this was the last time we would be seeing each other for a while, and we were soaking in each other’s company. I wanted that moment to last forever because I knew that there was a possibility that I would never see my best friend and brother again. But I forced myself not to dwell on that thought.


I wanted to say something to convey how I felt, but looking at the two people beside me, I knew without words that they understood me; they were feeling the same way too.


After a while, Hermione got up and walked inside, and Ron and I soon followed. Before I started to go upstairs, Ron said, “Ginny, we’re leaving tomorrow morning. I just wanted to say goodbye now because I might not have a chance to before we leave. And I also wanted to say that if it were my choice, you’d be coming with us. I’m sorry that we have to leave you behind.�


If it were under any other circumstances, I would have fought back and told him that I was coming with them. But instead I pulled my brother into a hug and said, “Thanks, Ron. I love you. And be careful.�


“I love you, too. Goodnight, Ginny.�




Later, I was eased out of sleep by the notion that someone was looking in at me from the doorway. I opened my eyes, and sure enough, Harry’s green eyes were staring at me. When he registered the fact that I saw him there, he began to walk away.


“Harry, wait! Come back!� I whispered loudly. I was trying not to disturb Hermione, who was sleeping in the bed next to mine. When he didn’t come back, I jumped out of bed to find him. He was sitting at the kitchen table with his head in his hands.


“Come on, let’s go for a walk,� I said.


He got up and followed me outside. We walked without talking for a while and soon we found ourselves on the field where we used to play Quidditch on summer holidays. We sat down on the cold grass.


“Harry, I’m glad you came to the wedding.�


“You are?�


“Yeah.�


“I had a good time.�


“Me too. Except for the part where you avoided me for the entire evening.�


He chuckled and said, “Yeah, sorry about that. I just didn’t know what would have happened if I got too close to you.�


My stomach lurched. “What do you mean?�


“I mean that I’m beginning to think that it was stupid to break up with you.�


“It was stupid,� I said truthfully.


“Do you forgive me?� He looked at me and I could see the sadness in his eyes.


“It depends.�


“On what?� he asked.


“Take me with you.�


“Ginny– I can’t.�


I leaned in and kissed him. It had been so long since I had felt his lips against mine. I never wanted it to end. I ran my fingers through his unruly black hair, and he put his hands on my back to pull me closer to him.


When we finally broke apart, I said breathlessly, “Take me with you.�


He cupped my face in his hands and said, “I don’t know what would hurt more: if I left you here and had to be without you or if I took you with me and something happened.�


“I know what would hurt me more,� I said. “Please, Harry. Don’t let me sit here and worry about you.�


“It’s a big decision to make.�


“Let me help you make it.�


I kissed him again, this time with even more longing and passion. It was a desperate attempt to get him to make the right choice. When he pulled away, he lay down, and I rested my head against his chest.


“I’m taking you with me,� Harry said.


I lifted my head up and kissed his cheek.


“Thank you.�




I fell asleep lying beside Harry that night, our fingers intertwined, and my heart content. When I woke up the next morning, Harry was gone, his words from the night before scattered in the breeze. He didn’t even leave a note. Harry, Ron, and Hermione just disappeared.

The Burrow...

The days after the trio’s sudden departure were full of confusion and anxiety. Ron had apparently left Mum and Dad a note vaguely explaining the reasoning behind his disappearance. It didn’t go into much detail though, because Mum kept asking me if I knew more than the letter suggested. Despite the fact that I wanted to confide in someone about the secrets which I held, I kept my promise to Harry...even though he did not keep his promise to me.


I spent those days locked up in my room wallowing in my own self pity, which personally I felt I had the right to do. I spent hours replaying the same argument in my head:


Harry left you behind. Once again, you were left behind.

But Harry wouldn’t do that to me. There has to be another explanation!

How can you say that? The three of them have excluded you from the beginning.

But Harry loves me....or at least I think he does.

If he loved you, would he intentionally do something that he knew would hurt your feelings?

Maybe he was trying to protect me.

Then he never should have told you that he would take you with him.


My thoughts ran in circles, and I never found answers to my growing number of questions. I spent my days sulking, wasting away in my room at the Burrow. I put everything that reminded of Harry into a box and shoved it into the back of my closet. A note to me that he charmed to fly across the Gryffindor common room, his Quidditch t-shirt that I stole from the floor of his dormitory, a picture of Dumbledore’s Army. I also had to put away anything that reminded me of Ron and Hermione because these things ultimately made me think of the trio’s departure and, well...Harry.

Mum brought my meals to my room. After about a week she stopped trying to get me to eat downstairs with the family. I never told her about what happened between Harry and me on the night of Bill’s wedding, so she thought that I was mostly worried about Ron’s safety. If only she knew that this was just one of the many anxieties I was feeling.

Despite Mum’s TLC, I lost about ten pounds over the summer, the lack of sunshine did not do good things for my complexion, and I rarely showered. I probably could have grown dreads if I really wanted to, but Mum always made me bathe when my hair got too dirty.

During this time, most of the wizarding community had gotten wind of the trio’s disappearance. The Daily Prophet always printed snippets of supposed Harry Potter sightings and theories behind the trio’s absence, but knowing the Prophet, none of it was reliable. It seemed as though Voldemort had been recruiting or putting Ministry members under the Imperious Curse because most of the stories were about how The Chosen One had abandoned his people or how Harry was a crackpot who was under Dumbledore’s control before his death. The little spirit I had left was very angered by these accusations. Harry Potter would never abandon the wizarding world. No. He would only abandon me.

One day at the end of August, I got a letter. Mum bustled in my room to present me with a tray of breakfast upon which was an envelope.

“This came for you, Ginny, dear. I think it’s from that Longbottom boy you seem so fond of.�

My stomach lurched.

“Do you think he’s heard from Ron?� (And by Ron I meant Harry, but I tried not to say his name out loud so that I wouldn’t get too upset thinking about him.)

“I don’t think so. I would hope that the first letter Ron sent would be to his mother, not to a school chum. But open the letter, Ginny. Let’s see what it says.�

I almost told her that the letter was addressed to me and that I’d like to read it in private, but since she had been so nice to me over the summer I read it aloud.

Dear Ginny,
I hope you’re having a great summer holiday. Mine has been very dull. My Gran made me stay home all summer to practice my spellwork. She seems to think that I’ll be needing to be quick on my feet in the upcoming year at Hogwarts. Hopefully she's wrong. I would like to believe that Hogwarts will remain the way it was when Dumbledore was headmaster. I can’t really imagine a Hogwarts without him, though, can you?
It’s almost September 1, so I’ll be seeing you on the Hogwarts express soon, I expect.
Until then,
Neville.


When I looked up from the parchment, Mum said, “He’s such a nice boy, that Neville.�

“I thought he was just a ‘school chum,’� I said. I mentally kicked myself. I had been trying so hard to put on a happy face for Mum today, but my permanently sour mood got the best of me.

“Yes, well. Eat up, Ginny. I can’t believe how thin you’ve gotten.�

She tucked a strand of my greasy hair behind my ear before walking out of my room. I looked at Neville’s letter again and realized that there was a second piece of parchment there.

Ginny, this second piece of parchment will have only appeared in the envelope if it was truly you who read my first letter. It was a handy little trick I learned that’s useful when trying to keep intruders from reading your mail. What I really wanted to write about was Harry, Ron and Hermione. I know that they have disappeared, and Luna (who I have been talking a lot with this summer) and I have a theory as to where they have gone. We think they’re trying to put a stop to Voldemort. We don’t believe any of the bullocks the Prophet is writing, Ginny, and I’m sure you don’t either. Luna and I have been thinking about getting the D.A. started up again at school. We want to be part of the resistance. What do you say, Ginny? Will you help us?
If you’re interested, send us a message with the enchanted coins. We’ll be waiting for your reply.
Neville.


This was too much. Neville and Luna wanted to start up the D.A. again? And they wanted me to be a part of it? Did they not understand how hard it was for to do or think about anything related to Harry Potter? No, of course they didn’t.

I collected myself and thought about it again. This was my chance to do something to better the world. My chance to show Harry that I’m not someone to be protected, but someone to do the protecting. I was a good witch, and I was going to prove it.

I dug my enchanted coin out from the “Harry Box� in my closet and replied to Neville in the affirmative.

After that day, I began to look forward to returning to Hogwarts. This newfound hope sparked something of my old self within me, and I began to leave my room more often, I ate occasionally with my family, and I did a load of laundry every once in a while. I even began showering more, much to the delight of my entire family.

Soon it was the last day of August, and I was looking forward to a year of action and adventure. My days of moping and helplessness were behind me.