money from it, so please Mrs. Rowling if you read this
don’t sue me. A comment or two would be welcome
though.
Please, if you read, take two minutes to review.
Two, wake up, I need you, Ginny silently told the voice in her head.
It took a second for the voice to respond. Ginny waited, the familiar feeling of the voice waking washed over her.
Ginny, I’m tired; we need to rest, all of us. You haven’t let us all sleep the whole night since the day before Halloween, that was almost four weeks ago.
Ginny never slept when she was alone anymore, not since her first year. The nightmares from Tom Riddle possessing her were too much. She had learned to use the different voices to rest her brain and body without actually sleeping. If she let them shut down and simply lay in bed for seven or eight hours it was almost the same. She had learned to adjust to the difference.
The only time she actually allowed herself to truly sleep was when she was next to one of her brothers or Hermione. That was why, during the day, she was forever leaning on one of them. Sleeping for ten minutes here, fifteen minutes there, the nightmares didn’t come then. She would sleep free of dreams good and bad. For almost five years it had been enough.
Hush, I’m tired too. At least you’re getting to sleep some.
But you’re not even resting anymore. Always up; only letting two of us sleep at a time. We’re going to miss something because we're too tired.
We haven’t missed anything yet have we? Ginny asked the voice.
No, we haven’t. But we will sooner or later, you know that. Ginny didn’t answer. The voice sighed deeply.
What did you need me to do?
I’ve found a book that may have a clue in it. I need you to help me with the invisibility spell until we get back to the dorm room.
You’re not going to make us go through it tonight are you?
No, I’ll let you all sleep when we get back, Ginny replied.
And you are you going to rest too? Or look at it without us? the voice demanded.
Will you quit harping if I rest too? Ginny asked, exasperated that she was getting such a hassle. The voice, sensing weakness ceased on it.
Ginny, we could just tell Hermione, ask her to sit with us. We could all sleep then, it pressed hopefully.
Ginny didn’t answer as she stepped through the portrait hole and dropped the invisibility spell. She quickly walked across the common room and up the stairs to her dorm, carefully opening the door of her dorm a crack. Ginny cast a sleeping spell into the room so she could get to her bed without waking the others.
I really should see if what I need is in that book, she thought while lying there.
Ginny please, you need to rest, the voice pleaded with her.
Ok, I promise I’ll rest for the night now. You can go to sleep if you want to, Ginny said giving in.
You won’t go to Hermione?
No, Ginny replied. The voice sighed.
Ok then, goodnight.
Goodnight, Ginny answered. After a few minutes, she felt her brain shut down, and her body relax. A tear rolled down her cheek, but she really didn’t notice.
Ginny stood outside the door to Hermione’s dorm room. She was exhausted, Ron and Katie had drilled them so hard at Quidditch practice. Their match against Hufflepuff was the first week back after the Christmas Holidays and they both kept forgetting that Hufflepuff would have two weeks without practice also.
It had been two weeks now since that night in the library. And the voices in her head had been begging her to go Hermione so she could sleep the whole night ever since. Instead she had been staying up, making one of them stay up with her.
She had found it, but it wouldn’t work. Ginny was devastated. As low as the day she realized Harry had found Tom Riddle’s diary after she had thrown it away. All of it had been a waste.
Please Ginny, the voices prodded her.
Ginny opened the door to the sixth year's dorm; she was so tired that she forgot to cast her sleeping spell before walking to Hermione’s bed. She hesitated, Hermione was sleeping - she looked so happy. Ever since she and Ron had started dating, Ginny thought that Hermione looked like she was glowing.
I would give everything that is mine to feel like she looks right now, she thought.
Ginny, the voices prodded again. Ginny tentatively reached out her hand to touch Hermione’s arm.
“Hermione?” she whispered quietly into the night. Hermione woke with a start.
“Ginny….What’s wrong, why are you crying?” She sat up taking Ginny’s hand.
“Hermione….can I….can I sit with you?” Ginny asked timidly. Hermione pulled Ginny onto the bed next to her. Ginny lay down with her head on Hermione’s lap.
“Ginny tell me what’s wrong?” Hermione asked softly. She reached for her wand and cast a ward spell on her four-poster bed, sealing them in so no one could hear or see what happened inside the closed curtains. Ginny was quiet for a minute or two, too scared to answer.
“I’m your sister. Tell me what’s wrong,” Hermione said softly, as she brushed Ginny’s hair back away from her face.
“Promise me you won’t tell anyone, not Harry, not even Ron?” Hermione hesitated.
“I promise to help you in anyway I can Ginny. If I have to tell them I will.” Ginny closed her eyes.
They’ll be so mad at me. What if they won’t forgive me? she asked the voices.
Please Ginny, we need help, they responded.
We can’t fight Tom like this anymore, the third voice added softly.
Ginny took a deep breath.
“Hermione, I have more than one voice in my head.” With that statement, for the first time in history, a sorcerer revealed the secret that had followed all the greatest witches and wizards.
Ginny proceeded to tell Hermione everything about the voices, how they helped her to fight Tom Riddle during her first year. How they enabled her to attack and defend at the same time. How she used them to do things for her. How she allowed them to sleep without falling asleep herself.
“Hermione, the only time I myself sleep is when I’m touching you, Harry, or one of my other brothers. I’m so tired Hermione….please will you just hold me tonight so I can sleep? I just need one night, and I’ll be ok again.” Hermione was horrified; she had a million questions to ask Ginny.
Not tonight Hermione, her first voice spoke up.
“Go to sleep Ginny,” she whispered softly, and pulled the covers up over her.
“You won’t leave me, Hermione? I don’t want Tom in my head again.” Ginny had reached up to take Hermione’s hand in hers. Hermione could hear the terror in her voice.
“I promise I will stay here until you wake up, Ginny.” Hermione felt Ginny relax and knew she was asleep before she even finished her sentence.
What are we going to do about this? the voices asked.
I think we need to tell Ron and Harry, the second added.
Just let her sleep for now. We’ll talk to her about it in the morning, Hermione told them both.
We should stay up to watch her tonight, the first voice said.
What for? You two sleep. I’ll watch over us, the second voice replied.
Hermione settled down on the bed and drifted into a light slumber, the kind where you are not really asleep, but not awake either. She was only vaguely aware as the light from the morning sun filled the room hours later.
Hey you two wake up, Hermione heard the second voice talking in her head. She opened her eyes. Ginny was still asleep, it looked like she hadn’t moved all night.
How is she? Hermione asked the voice.
She’s fine; I would have waked you if there was a problem, the voice replied.
Why don’t you get some sleep for awhile? I think One and I can handle it now, Hermione told the second voice. A few moments later, Hermione shuddered as she felt part of her brain shut down.
One, are you still with me? she asked.
Still here, kind of a strange feeling to be awake and have her asleep isn’t it? her first responded.
Yes, I kind of always thought when you two weren’t talking to me that you were asleep then….But I guess not….I feel like I’m missing part of myself, Hermione told the voice. Hermione sat quietly on the bed holding Ginny in her lap. She showed no signs of stirring.
I think tonight, I want to have both of you sleep while I stay awake, Hermione told the voice. I want to get some idea of what she has been going through.
I think this is much more difficult than Ginny made it out to be. I could feel how tired our second was when she woke us this morning, the first voice said.
I could too, Hermione replied, while combing Ginny’s hair with her fingers. I think we should wake her. We need to talk to her about this. The voice didn’t respond and Hermione took its silence as agreement. She gently placed her hand on Ginny's shoulder and shook her lightly.
“Ginny….Ginny.”
“Wha….“
“Hey there, it’s time to get up,” Hermione said quietly to Ginny
“Hermione?” Ginny was very confused. “You let me sleep all night?” she asked, when she realized where she was.
“And tonight and any night that you need too,” Hermione replied.
“Thank you Hermione,” Ginny whispered, casting her eyes down on the bed so she did not have to look at her.
“I have voices in my head too Ginny….Two of them. I tried it last night you know, only letting part of me sleep. I can feel it after just one night. You have no idea how tired you are Ginny.”
Ginny didn’t answer her. She just sat on the bed huddled in a ball, trying to make herself as small as possible.
“Did you let the voices sleep last night Ginny?” Ginny nodded her head.
“Yes.”
“And when was the last time you let all of yourself sleep at the same time?” Hermione demanded.
“Yesterday, next to Ron, when we were waiting for the DA meeting to start.”
That was only about ten minutes! the first voice screamed at Hermione.
“No Ginny, the whole night.” Ginny wouldn’t answer. Hermione decided to push her.
“You need to tell me the truth Ginny. I’ll use veritaserum on you if I think you’re lying to me.” Ginny was rocking back and forth on the bed - she wanted to fight. But even after sleeping the whole night she didn’t have the energy.
“Tell me Ginny.”
“The night before Halloween, when Harry and I fell asleep on the couch in the common room,” she replied. Her response was barely audible.
That was six weeks ago, the first voice offered quietly to Hermione.
“And before that Ginny?”
“When you stayed in my room at the Burrow, Harry had the only cot, so we had to share my bed,” Ginny replied. “I was so happy when you were coming this summer because I thought….” Ginny’s voice trailed off. “But then you and your family stayed in the tent.” Hermione was calculating back.
“That was over two years ago, Ginny,” she gasped in horror. “You haven’t slept in more than two years?” Ginny nodded her head; she was biting her lip, rocking back and forth on the bed again.
“Just the one time with Harry,” she whispered. Ginny finally broke down; all the strain of what she had been doing came pouring out of her. Hermione pulled Ginny into her arms.
“It’s ok, Ginny. I’ll help you.” She sat holding her while Ginny regained control of herself. It was a few minutes before Ginny spoke.
“Are you going to tell Ron and Harry?” she whispered.
“Yes, we can take turns sitting with you.”
“They’re going to be mad at me,” Ginny said quietly.
“I’m mad at you Ginny. You should have trusted us, we would have helped you.”
“I’m sorry Hermione.”
“I know Ginny,” Hermione replied, but Ginny was sleeping again.
Harry and Hermione sat at the foot of the large bed they had found in the Room of Requirement. Ron was leaning on the headboard facing them. Ginny was lying next to him with her head on his lap. She had fallen asleep again almost before Hermione had even started talking. Harry and Ron were both struggling to comprehend what Hermione had told them.
“I have the voices too,” she told them, “two of them. I tried it last night after she explained it to me. My second voice stayed up all night. It’s sleeping now, I feel like part of me is dead. I don’t know how she has been able to do it. It’s not the same as really sleeping.”
“You have the voices too?” Ron asked curiously. Hermione nodded at him. He turned to Harry. “How about you?” Harry nodded.
“Yeah, I have two of them also,” he replied. Ron smiled.
“What are you smiling about?” Hermione asked.
“Because I have them too, three of them,” he replied.
“Hermione, have you ever read anything about this?” Harry asked
“No I haven’t. I don’t think it’s something that happens very often though.”
“I get that feeling too,” Harry said.
“Do you think it’s like parseltongue?” Ron asked. Harry and Hermione looked at him curiously.
“What do you mean?” Hermione asked
“Well you can’t teach parseltongue. You are either born with the gift or you’re not. I can do all kinds of things I couldn’t before the voices developed,” he added. Hermione caught where he was going.
“If it could be taught, it would be part of our lessons. You’re right Ron. I think it’s a gift. I wonder how many people have it?”
“You said you have never read anything about it?” Harry asked again. Hermione shook her head. “I think that’s pretty strange. I would have thought it would be mentioned somewhere,” Harry added shaking his head too.
“I don’t think it’s all that strange, Harry,” Hermione replied after a few minutes.
“Why not?” Harry and Ron asked together, both confused.
“Well, I have had the voices in my head ever since third year with the time turner. I never even thought about mentioning it to someone,” she answered.
“She’s right you know. I only developed my second and third in the first week of school this year. But it never crossed my mind to mention it to you guys,” Ron commented. “How long have you had them Harry?”
“Ever since fourth year when that imposter Mad-Eye demonstrated the Imperious curse on us,” Harry replied.
“And Ginny has had them since her first year, but never said a word about it. I think she only told me because she was so tired and couldn’t think of any other way to explain what she had been doing. I think Ron is right. I think it might be pretty rare. I think because I haven’t read about it, we might even be the first sorcerers to confide in someone else about it,” Hermione finished confidently.
“I would be inclined to agree with you, Miss Granger.”
“Bloody Hell!” Ron yelped. Harry and Hermione spun around on the bed, their wands out.
“Protego!” they both cried together. Ginny bolted awake.
“Wha….“ Ron grabbed her.
“It’s ok Ginny.” Dumbledore was standing in the entry to the Room of Requirement.
“So this is what happened to that bathroom I found so many years ago,” he said looking around. His gaze returned to the four of them, settling on Ginny he smiled at her.
“You may go back to sleep if you would like, Miss Weasley.”
Harry and Hermione had lowered their wands after realizing who had walked in on them. Ginny leaned up against Ron again, but instead of sleeping, kept one voice awake so she would know everything that happened with Professor Dumbledore.
“I’m sorry to have eavesdropped on you. I needed to speak with Harry, and fancied a walk. So I thought I might go look for him. Somehow I ended up coming here. When I opened the door I became intrigued at your discussion.” He smiled kindly his eyes twinkling. Harry grinned at what he was sure was a lie.
Somehow I doubt that he ended up here by accident, he said to himself.
“You said you agreed with me Headmaster?” Hermione asked
“Yes, I would, Miss Granger.”
Professor Dumbledore then proceeded to explain his theories on the voices to them.
“I would venture that we five could be the only sorcerers alive with this particular gift,” he finished.
“No sir, there is at least one other wizard who has the voices too,” Harry broke in, looking at his friends and Professor Dumbledore. “Voldemort has the gift too. I know from all the times we have been in each others minds.” Professor Dumbledore nodded in recognition of what Harry said.
“Headmaster….“ Hermione started, Dumbledore turned to look at her. “Is this something we shouldn’t have told each other about?” Dumbledore was quiet for some time, as the voices in his head debated the question.
“I cannot really give you an answer to your question. What I can do is give you some insight that comes with age. The ability to embrace a new voice is the gift. It is not something you will ever be able to help another person with. Miss Granger, you have two voices you said?” Hermione nodded in response to Professor Dumbledore’s question. Professor Dumbledore continued.
“Ronald will never help you develop a third. A third voice may simply not exist within you. It may be possible that your gift has reached its limit in maintaining the two voices you do have. What I have learned tonight that I did not know, is that we can teach each other what we are capable of doing with the voices.
“Ginny told Hermione how she used the voices to shut down her brain and rest her body without sleeping. Hermione was able to apply that knowledge and use it herself. The rest of us should be able to do so also. Knowledge shared for good is never a bad thing.
“Like all of you, it never occurred to me to talk to anyone about the voices in my head. Now that I have, I find the reason I didn’t is because I believe all the greatest sorcerers in history had this gift. It is what makes the greatest difference, multiplying your abilities by however many voices live in you. The problem occurs when you realize that some of the greatest sorcerers were evil….I would advise you to be very careful whom you share your new knowledge with. In fact, it would not be entirely bad if we all took this to our graves.” Professor Dumbledore finished his lesson.
Harry could not see any of the familiar twinkle in Dumbledore’s eyes that made him seem so friendly most of the time. It was quiet for a long time before he spoke again.
“Harry, I would see you in the hallway for a moment.”
"Yes sir, Professor Dumbledore,” he responded quietly.
“Hermione, I will make arrangements for you and Ginny to be moved into a room of your own. Harry and Ronald, you will be able to access it without setting off alarms. Do not betray my trust,” he warned before walking out of the room. Harry followed him.
“Harry, we both know that I have already talked with you about what I needed too,” Professor Dumbledore said. Harry could see the twinkle had returned to his eyes again. Harry grinned at him.
“Yes sir, some secrets need to be maintained.”
“Have a good day, Harry. See that you all help Ginny. It will be hard on all of you.”
“Yes sir,” Harry replied, and then walked back into the Room of Requirement. “Recognize!” He locked the door behind him.
Ginny and Hermione were both sleeping on either side of Ron. Harry sat down on the bed which grew wider to accommodate him.
“Here, let me have Ginny,” he said pulling her onto his lap. Neither her, nor Hermione even noticed.
Author's note:
I know some of you don't like the voices as much as others. Sorry for them being so heavy this chapter. Maybe not my best chapter, but it sets up quite a few small things for the rest of year six and seven
Wow, in all the reviews and e-mails so far, no one has asked what the heck it is that Ginny found, but won't work. Not that I'm going to tell you....Yet.