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.
Harry sat in the locker room with the rest of the Gryffindor quidditch team. They had an hour left before the match, and already he could hear students starting to fill the stands. He looked down at Ginny, resting next to him, her head on his shoulder.
“Hey, Harry,” she said with a smile. Harry smiled back. She seemed to be calming him as much as he was calming her.
“Nervous?” he asked.
“It’s only a game,” she replied. And then added, “Only the biggest game of the year.”
“Yeah,” Harry agreed, “only the biggest game of the year. Against the best team I’ve ever played against.”
“Be good enough for today, Harry James,” Ginny said softly.
It had come down to this final game for the Quidditch Cup. And for the first time in Harry’s six years on the team, it wasn’t Slytherin that would win the title if Gryffindor lost. Today it was Ravenclaw. Both Gryffindor and Ravenclaw had smashed Slytherin. Building huge leads before, Harry and Cho had beaten Malfoy to the Snitch. Harry almost felt sorry for the Slytherins, almost - but not quite.
The two teams had defeated Hufflepuff in close matches. Gryffindor was up only 10-0 two hours into the match when Harry caught the snitch. Ravenclaw had managed after three hours to build a 30-10 lead before Cho beat the Hufflepuff Seeker to the snitch. And now, just last week, Hufflepuff had built a lead of 190-30 over Slytherin. So even when Malfoy caught the snitch, Slytherin had lost 190-180. Harry couldn’t help but stifle a laugh. Slytherin had not won a single match all year. If Harry had thought about it, he might have noticed that the rise in power of Voldemort seemed to be causing a fall in the power of his former house.
The standings were:
Ravenclaw 2-0
Gryffindor 2-0
Huffelpuff 1-2
Slytherin 0-3
Ravenclaw was ahead on overall points scored, but it would come down to whichever team won this game to determine who would win the Cup.
Harry looked over at Ron, on the floor in the corner. His head rested back against the wall, lost in whatever world it was that all Keepers lived in, but no other player understood. Gryffindor had the advantage here. Ron was better than the Ravenclaw Keeper. He would have to be, because the Gryffindor Chasers were just a little bit behind their Ravenclaw counterparts.
Harry’s eyes shifted to Katie over by her Beaters. She and Ron had shared the captain’s duties this year. And while Ron zoned out on game days, Katie was the cheerleader. She appeared to be trying to give her Beaters a pep talk. As far as Harry had been able to determine, the two sides were even in this area. If Ravenclaw had the experience edge, overall talent was on Gryffindor’s side.
Harry took a deep breath. Unless the players from one side or the other were able to elevate their play for the match, it looked like it was going to come down to the Seekers. Cho Chang, captain for Ravenclaw, his good friend now after a rough start was the Seeker for Ravenclaw. Harry smiled ruefully, remembering his first real kiss. They had both moved past that now. It had not been easy for either of them, but now he and Cho, thanks to the fact that she was dating Neville, were close also.
They had played against each other once. Harry had beaten her to the snitch. But he had also been on a better broom at the time. That wasn’t the case today. Cho had bought a Firebolt at the beginning of the school year. Harry remembered her words when she showed it to him.
“If you beat me, Potter, it’s not going to be because you were on a better broom.”
Harry found out later, from Neville, that Cho had also enlisted Victor Krum, their assistant flying coach and ex Bulgarian National Team’s Seeker, to give her one on one coaching sessions. She had been going to them all year. Harry had not been able to do the same until about a month ago.
We’re going to have to fly like never before to beat her this time, the second voice said to him.
Either that, or tie a boulder to her broom, Harry replied.
That might not be a bad idea, the first voice said in agreement.
To bad we’d never get away with it, it was the second voice again.
That just leaves beating her straight up then, doesn’t it? Harry replied.
That, or facing Ginny’s wrath, the voices said together. Harry groaned at the thought. Ginny sat up, breaking him out of his reverie.
“Let’s get moving you guys,” Katie said. She was pulling the team out of their thoughts, into the present of having to go play. “Everyone ready?” she asked. The team nodded to her in response. “Ok then, it’s time.”
The players made their way up the stairs to the field. Harry looked around at the stands, full of cheering students, teachers and parents. Smiling to himself, he mounted his broom and followed Ginny around the stadium for some warm up laps. Harry saw Cho fly up next to Katie. They shook hands and separated. Cho didn’t look his way. Ron came up alongside him.
“Don’t give her anything, Harry. It’s you or her that will win this today.” Ron smacked Harry’s shoulder and flew down for the start of the match. Ginny slowed and he pulled alongside her, when she looked over at him he recognized the glint in her eyes.
“I know, Gin,” Harry said. “Be good enough for today.” She smiled at him.
“Ginny!” he hollered as she flew off, “You too!” Ginny looped back around next to him.
“I’ll be as good as you, Harry James.” Harry leaned over and gave her a quick one-armed hug, which she returned with an arm around his waist.
“Let’s go get them then,” he said, breaking away from her and leading the way to the starting circle.
“I want a nice clean game,” Madam Hootch said, giving out her instructions. “In case anyone is wondering, the snitch is a nine.” Cho and Harry looked at each other trying to see the other’s reaction to Madam Hootch’s announcement. Harry, trying to get under her skin a little, winked at her. Unwilling to be flustered by his actions, Cho upped him by blowing a kiss his direction and waggling her eyebrow at him.
“After the match?” Harry remarked.
“I’ll be with Neville,” Cho replied, as she delivered the winning barb in their verbal battle. “Celebrating a Ravenclaw win,” she added for good measure. Ron, tired of their banter smacked Harry on the back of the head.
“Game first, girls second you wanker,” he grumbled at him.
“Really Harry, you should know you're not going to win a battle of wits with a girl,” Ginny remarked. All of the players, except for Harry, snorted in laughter at Ginny’s comment. He glared at Ginny a second, she just smiled innocently back at him, causing Harry to break into a smile before turning his attention to Madam Hootch.
“Just start the game,” he said, his voice losing the playfulness of the last few moments. Madam Hootch nodded, and silently thanked her lucky stars that it was not Gryffindor and Slytherin playing today. The teams actually seemed friendly, and it might be a somewhat clean match. Hopefully they would get through the day without any injuries.
“On my go then,” she said, and released the snitch. Harry tried to track it. He didn’t see her kick loose the bludgers, which shot straight up and rocketed back down towards him.
“GO!”
Harry shot off in the direction the snitch had gone. The bludgers hurtled past where he had been, and were promptly smacked towards the Ravenclaw Chasers by the Gryffindor Beaters.
“And….They’re off!” Lee Jordan was announcing, Dumbledore had allowed him as a favor so he could practice for upcoming world cup matches.
“Ginny Weasley with the quaffle diving under the Ravenclaw Chasers - what a move! It’s a race to the goal with the Ravenclaw Keeper. He was a little slow out of the blocks. She might beat him there. And….She Scores! That’s a quick ten points to Gryffindor. What a play by Weasley. Look out, there goes a bludger!”
Ginny rolled around the bludger that had been sent her way. Speeding off to catch up with the Ravenclaw Chasers, she just caught site of the quaffle as it was being passed ahead towards the Gryffindor goal posts.
We’ll never get there in time to block the shot, the voices screamed at her.
Ron’s got it. Let’s get the rebound! Ginny yelled back at them.
Ron moved out to cut off the Ravenclaw Chaser. Yelling for his Beatters to send the bludgers at her, he caught site of a second Ravenclaw Chaser moving in from his right, getting ready to receive a last second pass and shoot on an open goal. Ron darted down to be in position.
“And there’s a shot from Ravenclaw,” Lee Jordan hollered. “It’s blocked by Weasley. And it’s Weasley with the rebound. She’s off the other way. Over to Bell, back to Weasley, over to Roberts, a shot, SAVEEEE by Ravenclaw.
Quaffle over to Ravenclaw now, moving up the field. And a wicked bludger by one of the Gryffindor Beater’s, think it was Markson, knocks the quaffle loose. Ginny Weasley scoops it up. Another shot….SAVED again. Score remains 10-0 Gryffindor.”
Harry and Cho circled the field together. Occasionally moving ahead of and then behind the other. They had both lost the snitch soon after it was released and all they could do know was watch and search. The match below them was moving at a furious pace. The Ravenclaw Chasers, as a whole, were indeed better than their Gryffindor counter parts. But it looked like Gryffindor’s Beaters were getting the better of that part of the game. Combined with Ron’s goal keeping Gryffindor was holding.
Ginny was everywhere. She seemed to be getting to every loose quaffle and intercepting many of the Ravenclaw Chassers’ passes. A brilliant last second pass from her to Katie Bell had resulted in a second goal for Gryffindor and a 20-0 lead.
Cho bolted for the ground. Harry followed, straining to catch her.
Where is it? he demanded to himself.
She’s faking, slow down, the second voice said. Harry slowed. Cho pulled out of her dive, and circled back up next to him and they continued to search for the snitch.
“There go the Seekers!” Lee called out. “Looks like Chang with a slight edge over Potter….Wait, Potter’s slowing down. Chang pulls back around next to him. Looks like she was trying to use the Wronski Fient on him….There’s another save by Weasley. And his sister is off again the other direction. Looks like she might have a shot….No, another brilliant pass this time to Roberts. Ravenclaw’s keeper is out of position and its 30-0 Gryffindor!
Harry heard a whistle; he looked around to see Cho had called time. He could see his teammates gather, on one end of the field and Ravenclaw on the other. Harry kept circling.
I can’t catch it right now but that doesn’t mean I can’t look for it, he said to himself.
“Hurry up,” Cho yelled at her keeper, “the whole time I’m down here, Potter is up there looking for the snitch. Weasley is killing us,” she snarled.
“Which one?” her chasers asked.
“Look,” Cho interrupted, “Ginny is forcing you three to pass the quaffle to the player Ron wants to have take the shot. They’re setting you up. That’s why he’s saving everything. I want you two,” she pointed at her Beaters, “to focus all your attention on her. They will either have to defend her. Or let her fend for herself. Either way, she has to adjust. Until she does, we can take advantage of it. Ok?” Her team nodded. “Let’s go then.”
“Looks like the team meeting is over,” Lee announced to the crowd, “And….here we go.” It’s Weasley with the quaffle. Look out two bludgers headed her way. Weasley looses the quaffle. Ravenclaw heads the other way with it.”
Harry watched from above. Ravenclaw moved down preparing for the shot. Ginny moved in to block it and was forced of by a well placed bludger from one of the Ravenclaw Beaters. As he waited for the pass Ron was forced to hold his ground longer than he wanted too. The pass came and he darted to block the coming shot, not getting it cleanly he was only able to deflect it. The shot hit the edge of the giant goal ring and bounced in.
“That’s ten to Ravenclaw, only down twenty now!” Lee roared to the crowd.
Harry could see the game changing. Ravenclaw was forcing Ginny out, creating the space their Chasers needed. Ron was still blocking shots but his saves were not as clean. Another shot by Ravenclaw and it was 30-20 Gryffindor. Harry circled lower towards Ginny.
“Leave me,” he heard her yelling at the Gryffindor beaters. “Pick their best chaser and do what they’re doing. I can take care of myself.”
The bludgers flew into Harry’s view and were whacked by the Gryffindors towards one of the Ravenclaw Chasers. She rolled, missing one, but flew right into the second. Ginny pounced on the loose quaffle and was gone the other direction in a second. She passed to Katie who moved in to shoot. It was going to be an easy save. Ginny dove into Harry’s view right next to the Ravenclaw Keeper, and then reversed her direction. The Ravenclaw Keeper held his ground to block the shot from Katie.
Wham!
The tail of his broom was caught by a bludger meant for Ginny. She had drawn it to him with her fake. He was knocked out of position and it was 40-20 Gryffindor.
THERE! the voices in his head screamed together. Harry was gone. The snitch was sitting in the top box right behind Professor McGonagall’s head. As soon as Harry moved, so did the snitch. Coming straight at him, Harry reached out to catch it. At the last instant it jumped up out of his reach.
Harry snapped over and reversed his direction to follow it. Cho almost slammed into him as she did the same. She was now ahead of him, Harry moved underneath her, pulling even. The snitch snapped to his right and down. Cho and Harry followed. The snitch kept moving right and Cho gained inside position on him. It then came back to the left, hurtling towards the Gryffindor goal posts, coming to a stop on the left side of the far right post. Pushing her out of position so he could make a left handed grab, Harry forced Cho to her right.
Cho had seen this before, only it was Harry and Ginny who had been chasing the snitch. She was in the same position as Harry had been. She grabbed Harry with her left hand and rolled to her right, trying to flip him over like he had done to Ginny.
Harry was ready for it. He kept the roll going trying to come back up around Cho. He wasn’t going to make it. At the last second, Harry stopped fighting against Cho and went where she wanted him to. The sudden change was enough to cause Cho to miss grabbing the snitch by less than an inch.
They broke apart, circling in opposite directions as they headed back around towards the snitch. The snitch rocketed off away from them again. Harry came out of the turn ahead, reaching out with his hand towards the snitch, by about a foot. Cho, getting closer just above and behind him, was on his shoulder.
Harry saw Ginny flash into view from his right, accelerating to catch a pass from Katie. She hadn’t seen Harry or Cho speeding towards her. They were all going to collide.
Pushing his broom down and rolling over onto his back trying to pass under her, Harry abandoned the snitch. He was flying under Ginny, looking up as she and Cho flew above him. Cho couldn’t stop either, and being higher than Harry she tried to go up and over Ginny.
Ginny caught the pass from Katie and just caught sight of Cho out of the corner of her eye. Harry saw her flatten down on her broom. Cho was passing over Ginny with just inches between them. The snitch had jumped up to go over Ginny and was right in Cho’s path. Harry saw her reaching for it, knowing it would be too late, he pushed up on his broom. Cho’s fingers began to close. She had it. And then blood was spraying everywhere as Cho’s foot, slammed into the side of Ginny’s head.
“Ginny!” Harry screamed.
Nooo!! the two voices in his head screamed at him.
Ginny was falling, knocked completely off her broom.
CATCH HER!!! a new, third voice boomed in his head. Harry reached his hand out to Ginny’s falling body.
“WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!” his voice thundered into the air. Ginny stopped plummeting towards the ground. Harry flew to the ground while holding her in the air.
“ACCIO!” he thundered for the second time while running towards her. Ginny floated down to him and he caught her in his arms. Harry sank to his knees holding her limp body. She was bleeding heavily on the side of her head, and her breathing was coming in short gasps.
“Ginny please, no. Come on Ginny, wake up, open your eyes Gin,” Harry pleaded with her. Cho reached them first, running up and crashing to her knees next to them.
“Ginny! Harry, is she ok?” Cho was crying, near hysterics. “Ginny, I’m sorry. I tried, Harry. I tried to go over her. I couldn’t have gotten any higher even if I had let the snitch go.” Harry couldn’t comfort her even though he wanted too. His voice was gone. Ron stumbled down next to him.
“Oh God, Ginny, not again, don’t do this to me again. Harry, we have to stop the bleeding,” Ron pleaded with him.
“Give her to me, Harry!” Harry looked up to see Dumbledore. He managed to find his voice.
“No, I’ll carry her,” he said getting to his feet.
“Quickly then, to the hospital wing,” Dumbledore commanded.
Harry placed Ginny’s limp body softly on the bed.
“Now, you and everyone else, wait outside,” Dumbledore said forcefully. Harry, Ron and the rest of the players from both sides hesitated.
“GO!” Dumbledore bellowed. “You are in the way. You must let Madam Pomfrey and myself work.” The players began to back slowly away. Hermione grabbed both Ron and Harry, dragging them into the hall and closing the door behind them.
Harry looked around, at the others, at Ron, he didn’t know where to turn. Ron wasn’t any better. Hermione didn’t know what to do either; she couldn’t help both of them at the same time. One had to be first. She scanned the crowd searching for help. The other teachers must have been keeping the rest of the students away. The only ones she could see were the players from both teams.
Where is Cho?asked herself.
Over there in the corner with Neville, second voice offered. Hermione turned to look at them. Cho was crying on Neville’s shoulder.
Hermione turned again. Harry had sunk to the floor. Ron was still standing in the middle of the hall next to him. Even though Harry and Bridgette had broken up, they remained close. Hermione needed her, or Luna, and neither had managed to get past the other teachers yet.
We already made this choice, first voice said gently. Hermione walked over to Ron and held him.
Harry knelt in the middle of the floor next to Hermione and Ron, staring into nothing. Not even when he realized that Sirius was really gone, had he felt this alone. Ron separated himself from Hermione.
“Harry?” he asked looking down. Harry looked up at them. Hermione held her hand out to him. As the tears began to slide down his checks Harry reached up and took it. She pulled him to his feet, and three of them held on to each other, all afraid that they would have to let go and painfully aware that the fourth part of what made them whole was missing, fighting for her life,and there was nothing they could do to help her. A minute or two later Bridgette tentatively placed her hand on Harry’s back. Harry pulled away from Ron and Hermione slightly and turned to look at her.
“Is she ok, Harry?” Harry blinked at her question, he opened his mouth to reply but no words would come.
“We don’t know, Bridgette,” Hermione answered for him.
“She’s strong, Harry. She’ll be ok,” Bridgette whispered. All Harry could do was nod at her. Hermione pulled Harry back into hers and Ron’s arms, Ron reached out and pulled Bridgette into the embrace also.
“How did you get past the professors?” he asked.
“Luna,” Bridgette replied. They all fell silent quietly clinging to each other while the waited.
They were still standing there when Harry felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Professor Lupin behind him. Mr. Weasley was behind Ron, and Mrs. Weasley was behind Hermione. Mrs. Weasley pulled them all to her.
“Oh my goodness, Harry, you’re covered in blood,” she said looking at him. “You all are,” she gasped at them.
“It’s just rubbed off of Harry on to us Mum,” Ron told her, trying to put on a brave face.
“You’re not hurt then?” she asked him. Ron shook his head. “And you, Harry, please tell me I only have one injured child tonight.”
“No, Molly, I’m not hurt either,” Harry answered.
“Then this is all from….” She couldn’t bring herself to finish the question. Harry cast his eyes down, it hurt too much to see the tears in her eyes.
“Remus,” Mr. Weasley said, looking at him and nodding to his wife. Remus pulled her over to the chairs to sit down, holding an arm around her shoulder.
“Has Dumbledore been out here yet?” Mr. Weasley asked. Hermione shook her head. He sighed deeply.
“Ok then. Let’s get you four cleaned up. And then we can come back to sit with the others. Tonks, will you take care of Hermione and Bridgette?” Harry looked up again he hadn’t even seen Professor Tonks standing there.
Cho was sitting in the corner, leaning back against the wall with her eyes closed. Neville was sitting with her holding her hand. The Weasleys approached her parents, who had come up when they heard about the accident and were watching over her.
“May we speak with her? We want to make sure she understands that it’s not her fault,” Mr. Weasley asked. Cho’s father looked at his wife, and then nodded to the Weasleys. He walked over to his daughter and gently touched her arm. Cho started.
“What?” she asked, looking around confused. “Honey, Ginny’s parents wanted to see you,” her father told her.
Cho scrambled to her feet. Looking past her father, she knew it must be them, the red hair was impossible to mistake. Cho looked back to her father and nodded to him. The Weasleys walked towards her, Mrs. Weasley simply pulled her into her arms when they got close.
“It’s not your fault dear,” she said gently. Cho broke down on her shoulder.
“I tried, I tried,” she said between sobs. “I tried.”
“That’s a girl. Just let it all out. It’s not your fault. Accidents happen there is nothing anyone can do to prevent them,” Mrs. Weasley said, trying to calm her. Mr. Weasley placed his hand on Cho’s back, and when she calmed a little, he gently pulled her away from his wife and guided her back to her father. He led Cho back to the bench with Neville, and then turned back to the Weasleys.
“Thank you both for showing such concern for my daughter, when it is yours’ who clings to life,” Mr. Chang said to them.
The doors to the hospital opened. Dumbledore was standing in the entry. People scrambled to their feet, the whole room held its breath, as they waited for him to speak.
“Ginny is alive, though she remains unconscious,” he said. Harry waited for the rest. “I regret to say that we could still lose her. I am afraid that Ginny’s recovery is entirely up to her, and I have no timeframe for it.” Harry felt what little strength he had slipping away. “The only thing we can do is let her rest. I can permit two minutes for her parents, Ronald, Harry, Hermione, and Cho to look in on her.
“Sir, somebody needs to stay with her,” Hermione whispered urgently to Professor Dumbledore as she watched Ginny sleeping.
“I am afraid not, Hermione. She needs those memories to help her wake,” Dumbledore replied quietly. Harry and Ron just caught the conversation between Dumbledore and Hermione.
“I am sorry,” he said softly before pulling them out of the room.
Ginny woke up unsure of where she was. It was quiet, peaceful.
“Is anyone here?” she asked. No answer came. Ginny looked around.
Where am I? she thought to herself. She could see that she was sitting on the floor of a large chamber. Ginny stood up and looked around some more, there appeared to be seats all around her, like a stadium.
“I recognize this place, I was here last spring,” she whispered. Ginny turned around. There in the middle of the chamber, was the dais with the crumbling stone archway. She started to walk slowly towards it, swiping at the air in front of her face. It felt like she was walking through spider webs.
Harry reached out with his free hand and brushed a strand of hair that had fallen, away from Ginny’s face. It had been two days since the accident and he and Cho were standing next to Ginny’s bed. They had both rushed through dinner so they could get to the hospital wing as early as possible. If possible, Cho looked almost as bad as Ginny. Her face was red and blotchy and she had her arms crossed in front of her trying to hold herself. She leaned heavily against Harry while he put his arm around her shoulders.
“Why won’t she wake up, Harry?” Cho asked her voice cracking. Harry was sure if she had any tears left she would be crying again.
“I don’t know. Dumbledore says her spirit has shut down while her body heals.”
“What if her spirit doesn’t wake up again?” Harry could barely hear Cho ask the question. He didn’t answer; he didn’t want to think about that.
Ginny stopped when she got to the arch. She turned around, looking behind her.
“Hello? Is someone there?” she called out. There was no answer. Ginny turned back around to look at the arch. She sat down in front of it and reached her hand towards veil. She could feel a prickling sensation in her palm as her hand skimmed just over the barrier. She pulled her hand back to brush another cobweb away from her face, but her hand came up empty again. Her hand moved to the side of her head.
“Ouch!” she gasped. Exhausted, she lay down on the ground and fell asleep again.
Percy stood up and brushed the lock of hair from Ginny’s face as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came in followed by Fred and George.
“Nothing,” he said quietly when they looked at him.
“Go on then, Penelope is at the Burrow waiting for you,” Mr. Weasley said. Percy hugged his mother and father then turned to the twins and nodded at them before heading for the door.
“Percy,” Fred called to him. Percy stopped and turned around to look at his brother.
“The second flour canister,” George said quietly.
“Yes?” Percy asked.
“Be careful when you open it,” Fred remarked with a grin at his brother. Percy looked at the two of them and grinned slightly at them.
“Thanks,” he said and turned for the door again. The twins pulled up chairs next to Ginny’s bed and sat down across from their parents.
“She’s been like this a week now,” Fred said.
“She looks like she could wake up any second,” George added.
“She’s fighting Mum, you’ll see,” they said together.
“Dumbledore says her physical injuries have almost healed now, Molly. She could wake up any time,” Mr. Weasley said to his wife she didn’t reply, instead busying herself with fixing Ginny’s blankets.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked into the hospital wing, followed by most of the DA group. Hermione had bullied Harry and Ron into holding a meeting. It had not been their most successful, but she had managed to get Harry, Ron and Cho to stop worrying about Ginny for just a few minutes. Hermione thought back to the day last fall at the Gryffindor quidditch tryouts. The image of Ginny’s rage at her that day was burned into her mind.
If we thought she was angry then, wait till she wakes up and finds out Harry and Ron have been mopping about her, and not preparing to fight Voldemort, the second voice said.
She’ll blame us you know. Say we are the practical one, and that we should have made them move forward, the first voice added.
I know. Next meeting, if they aren’t up to task, I’ll let them have it, Hermione answered.
Are we really going to do that? the voices asked together. Hermione didn't reply, instead she just watched Ron and Harry move towards Ginny. Ron brushed the hair from her face again. Harry leaned down close to her ear. She could see his lips move, but couldn’t make out the words.
“Be strong enough for today, Ginny,” Harry whispered to her.
Ginny sat up and looked back behind her shoulder, she thought she heard voices again. Finding nothing, she closed her eyes and concentrated on listening.
“Harry?” Ginny asked softly, as she brushed at the spider webs, she opened her eyes to find him. Though the voices were still there, she was still in the chamber. Ginny closed her eyes and concentrated on listening again. The voices came back louder.
“Ouch!” Her hand shot up and touched the side of her head where Cho’s foot had hit her. The voices faded again, and she fell back to sleep.
Harry and Ron sank to their knees screaming in agony. The DA group watched in shaken horror. It was third time she had overcome their shield spells that night. Only this time, she didn’t hit them with stunning spells. She had hit them with Crutacious curse. The same spell that had put Neville’s parents in St. Mungos, she had released them almost instantly. But the shock of it on the group was intense.
And now what they witnessed was terrifying. Harry and Ron had recovered quickly. They were standing again with wands drawn. Their eyes were blazing and the air around them seemed to glow as they radiated power. The stun spell that Harry sent at Hermione blew a hole through the foot thick stone wall as it deflected off her shield spell. Hermione had staggered back, almost falling to the floor, even as her spell held. Her hair floated around her head, as if blown by the wind, but there was no air moving in the room. Her intensity exceeded that of Ron and Harry.
Three of the most powerful sorcerers in the world faced off in front of the DA. Hermione returned fire with a stun spell of her own. It took the combined strength of Ron and Harry’s shield spell to deflect it. Bridgette was the first to realize what Hermione was doing.
“Hit them!” she screamed adding their own stunning spells to Hermione’s. Neville followed her, along with Cho, and then the whole of the DA group attacked.
Ron and Harry stood back-to-back fending off spells. The different voices in their heads took over. One each maintaining shield spells, while the others directed where to counter attack. It was over in minutes.
Members of the DA group lay strewn about on the floor. A pile of wands that Harry and Ron had taken from their fallen friends, and in some cases ripped from their hands by the strength of the summoning spells from the two of them, lay at their feet. Only Hermione was still standing when they turned to face her, wands at the ready. Hermione dropped her shield spell and tossed her wand to Ron.
“Accio!” he called and it flew to his hand.
“What’s the matter with you? Have you gone insane?” he yelled across the room at her. Hermione, while unarmed, was still radiating energy.
“No, I’m not insane!” she screamed back at him. “I love you! Both of you!”
“You’ve got a funny way of showing it,” Harry shot back at her.
“Why, because I forced you two to wake up?” she screamed back at him. Ron started to respond her, but she cut him off.
“Because I did what Ginny has been doing for the last year? Demanding that you prepare to fight Voldemort by not accepting less than your best? What do you think she would do to the two of you if she saw how you were crying over her the past two weeks?” Hermione was crying now. Realization of what had happened dawned on Harry and Ron. Ron walked over to Hermione pulling her into his arms.
“I won’t lose you to him because you were crying over Ginny,” she said, her voice trembling. She pulled away from Ron and walked over to Harry crushing him in her arms.
“Either of you,” she said to him, as she let him go.
Harry looked around the room. It was a mess, to say nothing of the rest of the DA members. Hagrid was just sitting up; even with his giant’s blood Ron had knocked him out cold.
“Blimey!” he remarked, looking around at the mess. “Com’on. Help me get the others up. Ermione ya think the next time ya want ter ring those two’s bell ya could come up with sumat else?” he asked, shaking his head while walking over to retrieve his wand. Hermione began to move around the room casting spells to revive members of the DA who had not recovered yet.
“Oy, my head’s killing me,” George said, sitting up slowly.
“Yours,” Fred spoke up next to him, “feel this welt on mine.” Harry could see him gingerly rubbing a giant welt. “Think I might need to reconsider,” he continued.
“Whether I want to keep those three as family,” George finished.
“Is everyone ok?” Harry asked the assembled group.
“Depends on how you define ok,” Lee Jordan said. “I knew we would pay for it when Bridgette told us to hit you. But,” he shook his head, “that’s the last time I listen to her,” he finished with a rueful smile.
“I think we should pack it in for tonight,” Bridgette spoke up. “Maybe next time you three,” she nodded at Harry, Ron, and Hermione, “don’t get to use stunning spells.”
“Sounds like a pretty good idea to me,” Neville agreed with her.
“I’ll let you know then,” Harry said. “Sorry, Bridgette,” he added quietly to her. Bridgette just smiled at him and turned to Hermione.
“Nice one,” she said to her. “I think you got their attention.”
“They better hope so,” Hermione replied.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down next to Ginny’s bed. Ron held her hand.
“You know Ron….“ Harry said, smiling at Hermione, “I just want you to know. That I’m really not upset about losing Hermione to you.” Hermione gave him a feeble smile in return.
“The thing is, Harry,” Ron replied. “I was thinking of letting you have her. We’ve got rings, the wedding is almost planned, all you have to do is step in.” Harry and Ron smiled at each other. Hermione huffed and glared at them.
“Oh come on, Hermione, you know were only joking,” Harry said.
“C’mon, Hermione, forgive us,” Ron teased. Hermione flashed a smile at them.
“I know you were. I just wanted to hear you apologize.”
“Thank you, Hermione. For helping us, you’re right about Ginny killing us when she wakes up,” Harry said quietly.
Ginny sat up; she had been lying on the ground looking at the stone archway. She picked her hand up and looked at it. It felt warm, even though the rest of her was cool from lying on the stone floor. She could hear voices again. They seemed a little closer.
“Hello? Is anybody there?” Again no answer came. Ginny closed her eyes again, and strained her ears. It sounded like Ron and Hermione.
“See you in the morning, mate?” Ron asked, standing to leave. Hermione stood with him.
“Goodnight, Harry,” Hermione said, as she brushed Ginny’s hair from her face again. “Goodnight, Ginny,” she added quietly.
Harry sat gently stroking Ginny’s hair. He could see the bruise on the side of her head was almost gone. He leaned close to her ear.
“Be strong today, Ginny.”
Ginny brushed at the spider webs. Again her hand came back empty.
“Harry! I know you’re there. I can hear you,” Ginny called out. It was quiet all around her. Ginny strained to listen. There was another voice.
“Harry, what are you still doing here this late, son?” Harry jumped. He had fallen asleep in the chair with his head resting on the bed by Ginny’s shoulder.
“Oh….Hi, Arthur….Molly,” he answered. “I just wanted to stay here with her.”
“Dad?...Mum?....“ Ginny called out. Silence surrounded her.
“Why won’t anybody answer me?” she asked softly. Ginny tried to focus on the voices. She stood up and walked to the steps that lead to the seats surrounding the stone archway, looking, searching.
“Where are you?”
“Come with me son. It’s late.” Harry let Arthur lead him back to the Gryffindor tower.
Mrs. Weasley brushed the hair from her daughters face again. Sitting down, she held her hand.
Ginny swiped at the spider webs again, looking around in confusion as to why there was nothing there. She looked at her hand, it was warm again. Hearing whispers from behind it, she started back to the stone archway. Ginny walked all around the archway and then stood in front of it. She stepped closer.
“Is someone there?” she asked. The whispers were louder now. There seemed to be a fog in the arch. Swirling, blowing….a shape. Ginny stepped closer again. There was a woman there….No….More like an image, or a ghost she thought.
“Do I know you?” Ginny asked. The mist shifted, growing more defined. Ginny started to move towards the arch again. The mist began to dissipate. She stopped; lay down in front of the arch and fell asleep again.
Author’s note:
The unforgivables, I have seen all different takes on these curses, from the fact that they are pure evil, to the concept that they are not evil, only your intent as you cast them makes them good or evil.
I believe that it is intent that makes them evil. I actually believe each curse can be used for good. Using the Killing Curse to rid the world of Voldemort would have to be classified as good. I believe using the impervious curse on someone to get them to jump out of a burning building into the waiting fireman’s net, when that person would otherwise have stayed in the burning building and perished, would be classified as good.
The most difficult is the curtacious curse. Everything in JKR’s writing indicates that the curse does not cause any physical damage to the body. There is nothing physically wrong with the Longbottoms, Harry was physically unharmed when the curse was cast at him, and Bellatix Lestrange was unharmed when the curse was cast at her. The curse, as I understand it affects the mind and makes it believe you are in pain.
The damage comes when the mind cannot accept the sensation anymore and breaks down. That said, pain is all relative to the person experiencing it. The Longbottoms may have been under the curse for hours before their minds broke, someone else might only be able to take a few minutes. I believe it is possible to train your mind against the pain of the curse, and in that manner, the person casting the curse at you is doing “good” for you.
I don’t buy that Harry could not maintain the curtacious curse, only that he did not continue to hold the curse on Bellatrix Lestrange. Read the passage, he sticks his hand out, shouts out the curse, and ducks back down, thereby breaking his hold on her. I do buy, that the more pain you are willing to cause, the more painful you can make the curse for someone to be under the affects of. I would much rather have Harry use the curse on me than Bellatrix.
I have also seen some people put forth the theory that you have to want to kill, for the sake of killing, in order to use the death curse. I don’t buy that either. The reason I don’t is that the fake Mad-Eye cast the curse at that spider in the DA lesson during Harry’s fourth year.
I know, this man was in truth a Death Eater, and did like killing just to kill. The problem with the, killing just because I like too, theory, is that the real Mad-Eye would not have been able to cast the curse. During the aftermath of Voldemort’s fall from power after casting the killing curse at Harry, we find out that the Ministry authorized the use of deadly force to bring in left over DE’s. It is stated in cannon that some Aurors used this as a first option, but that Mad-Eye was not one of those. He always tried to bring them in alive. This is not a man who could kill someone just because he liked killing.
Dumbledore knew the students were being shown the unforgivable curses, cannon says it is his idea to do so. If you need to want to kill someone or something just because you can, in order to cast the curse, then the fake Mad-Eye’s ability to cast the Death curse would have given him away as an imposter.
These are my thoughts on the unforgivables. I know some people will disagree with me, and others will simply not believe that Hermione would cast the curse at Ron and Harry. I believe she would if she needed to get their attention, which she did. She caused them no real harm, just like Bellatrix was not truly harmed by Harry. Personally, I can’t think of a better way to get someone’s attention. You actually have the ability to hit them over the head with a bat, but none of the actual dangers of doing so.