Two weeks into term and Harry still had not found any decent beaters for the Gryffindor quidditch team. Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet agreed to stay on as his chasers and were thrilled with the addition of Ginny as third chaser. Ron, of course, was kept on as keeper after the spectacular performance he had pulled off the previous year. Only the beaters were proving difficult to find. Harry made his way through the portrait hole after yet another lousy try-out session and found Ron and Hermione sitting in front of the fireplace.
“You really should be at try-outs,” he told Ron by way of greeting.
“Right,” Ron yawned widely, “To watch every loser and misfit Gryffindor has to offer, no thanks!”
Harry sat on the floor and leaned his back against the hearth.
“There’s bound to be two decent beaters in this house,” Harry said hopefully.
“Well if there are,” Ron responded, “It’s your job to find them…not mine!”
“Gee, thanks for all the support,” Harry retorted sourly.
“Was Ginny at try-outs?” Hermione asked nervously.
“No,” Harry answered giving her a shrewd look, “Don’t tell me you two are having a spat.”
Ron laughed uproariously at that. “Hermione’s just been trying to figure out why Ginny’s been moved up, bit green with envy if you ask me.”
“No one asked you!” Hermione pouted looking sorely put out.
“Hermione, what’s with you?” Harry queried in all seriousness.
A thoughtful look crossed her features as she studied his face closely. Finally, she moved from the comfy chair and sat next to Harry on the floor. She looked guardedly around while signaling Ron to join them. He took his time doing so rolling his eyes more than once in Hermione’s direction. Harry didn’t think she took notice of Ron’s flippant attitude as she was too busy concentrating on collecting her thoughts.
“Out with it!” Ron ordered.
If looks could kill, Harry thought, the one she shot him should have done severe damage.
“There are…peculiar things going on around here, don’t you think?” she asked Harry.
Harry was quite familiar with the look she wore and sat up to pay closer attention. He was sure she had insight that both he and Ron neglected to notice.
Ron looked highly skeptical, “What kind of ‘peculiar things’” he asked in a condescending voice.
After flashing him an angry look Hermione continued, “Peculiar things…with Ginny.”
“Hogwash,” Ron also looked as though he was starting to get angry, “All this rubbish over Ginny just because you’re…”
“Silencio!”
“Hermione!” Harry yelled startled, “You shouldn’t be using spells on Ron!”
“He deserved it,” she screeched back.
All the bellowing was causing curious looks to be thrown their way.
“Alright,” Harry whispered determined to get the situation under control, “Take the spell off and just tell us what you’ve noticed.”
She grudgingly took the spell off Ron who was so mad he refused to speak to her.
“Ginny,” she threw a warning look towards Ron, “Has been missing a lot lately. She’s not at try-outs, she’s not in the common room, and she’s not in the Great Hall…”
“Maybe she’s with Dean,” Harry swallowed convulsively trying to keep the bile in his throat from rising at the thought.
“She’s not,” Hermione shook her head adamantly, “They hardly see each other.”
Harry couldn’t help but to feel gleeful on that account, “So what do you want us to do, spy on her?” he asked.
Hermione looked rather guilty, “You’ve been spying on her,” Ron whispered incredulously, forgetting his promise not to speak to her.
She gave a jerky nod of her head.
“Of all the lousy things…” Ron began but stopped short when he noticed Hermione waving her wand menacingly.
“What did you find?” Harry asked against his better judgment.
“She’s spent every evening this week with Tonks,” Hermione revealed, “I suspect she did so last week as well.”
“What’s wrong with that?” Ron inquired, “Maybe she’s taking extra lessons.”
“That’s just it!” Hermione exclaimed, “Why was Ginny moved up? Why is she always with Tonks? Where is she going when she’s supposed to be at try-outs? Why is she suddenly so subdued? Why is Charlie here? Not the reason they are giving,” Hermione quickly raised her hands before either of her friends could speak, “…the real reason. Anyone could have taught Care of Magical Creatures, why Charlie?”
“Are you done ranting?” Ron asked.
Before Ron and Hermione had another row, Harry broke in and pointed to Ginny entering the portrait hole. They didn’t have to call her over; she came straight to them as though summoned by a summoning charm.
“We need to talk,” she said solemnly.
Ron and Harry looked at each other in surprise while a satisfied Hermione gave them an ‘I told you so’ look.
“Go on,” Ron told her somberly.
“Not here,” Ginny responded, “Meet me in Hagrid’s cabin in five minutes.”
After giving them the instruction she turned to go into the girls dormitories. Halfway to her destination she turned swiftly and said, “Would you care to join me, Hermione?”
Hermione wore a startled look on her face eyeing Ginny warily before getting up to join her.
“What was that about?” Ron asked Harry once the girls had departed.
Harry shrugged. He didn’t know, but he was sure going to find out.
Fifteen minutes later the boys sat in Hagrid’s cabin clumsily attempting to make tea when the girls strolled in.
“About time,” Ron rebuked them for their tardiness.
Hermione and Ginny exchange a smug look as the water boiled over onto Ron’s hand and he got a mild burn. Harry observed that they were getting along much better now. He didn’t like feeling that he was out of the loop and was grateful that Ron was just as ignorant as he was. With a flick of her wand Hermione cleared the mess that Ron created. Ginny soon had a hot pot of tea brewing over the stove. Meanwhile, Harry and Ron settled themselves onto the hard chairs of the kitchen table and waited impatiently. Harry took a moment to go over the questions that Hermione had unwittingly provided for his arsenal, he was going to get to the bottom Ginny’s bizarre behavior once and for all.
Finally the girls joined them, Ginny pouring the tea and Hermione dishing up the rock-hard scones she had scrounged up.
“I’ve just been to see Mafalda…” Ginny said without preamble.
“How nice for you,” Ron replied nonchalantly.
“…the Slytherin’s have started a secret organization,” she continued as though she had not been interrupted.
“What?” Harry bolted straight up into his chair.
“Snape’s Slytherin Soldiers,” Ginny pronounced grimly.
“What…” Ron began, but Ginny cut him off.
“They’re studying the dark arts…Snape’s teaching them.”
Harry was stunned. He noticed that Ron sat with his mouth gaping open.
“This means,” Ginny ignored their response, “…that Dumbledore’s Army must be reformed as soon as possible. Tonks and Charlie have agreed to teach the DA in order to counteract the sss...”
Harry cleared his ears out, he was sure that he had just heard Ginny hiss. Hermione, however, smiled knowingly at him.
“Clever, don’t you think? The initials of their club form a hissing sound. You get the snake reference?”
“Right,” Ron responded sitting back into his chair, “This is bad.”
“How will we know what they’re learning?” Harry asked.
“Mafalda,” Ginny answered promptly, “She’s been recruited by Snape to join the club and has agreed. She’s our mole. They have no clue about her relationship to my family or that she is a half-blood.”
Ron whistled, “That’s brilliant.”
“And she’s consented?” Harry asked.
“Yes.”
“It’s not too dangerous?” Ron shifted out of shock and into the intellectual conversation taking place around him.
“If there is any fear that she’s in danger we’ll just have to go in after her,” Hermione said steadfastly.
Ron looked at her with growing respect in his eyes. “Maybe we could find a way to communicate with her without being found out.”
Hermione blinked several times and studiously eyed the scone in her hands, “We could do that.”
Harry didn’t have time for the cutesy games his friends had taken to playing. He turned to Ginny and asked the most important yet still unanswered question, “Why were you moved into our class.”
Hermione cleared her throat rather loudly as Ginny busied herself collecting their untouched cups of tea and the scones that lay forgotten.
“Well,” Hermione began unceremoniously, “Some people are born with…natural abilities.”
“For example,” Ginny cut in, “Your ability to speak parseltounge,” she nodded to Harry.
“Or Tonks’ being a metamorphous,” Hermione added.
“So?” Harry asked perplexed.
“Do you know what a Volcen is?” Hermione asked.
“Someone who can hear another person’s thoughts…”
“No, not what we do in class.” Hermione shook her head, “Do you know what a real Volcen is?”
A blank look crossed Harry’s face but he was saved by Ron jumping in.
“There hasn’t been a real Volcen in centuries.”
“But do you know what a real Volcen is?” Hermione repeated.
Harry thought the conversation was getting rather tedious but an exasperated Ron answered Hermione’s question.
“There’s never been a male Volcen; very rarely a female Volcen is born. There haven’t been any for centuries, though. Supposedly a real Volcen can hear people’s thoughts without trying. They can make suggestions in people’s minds without using the imperius curse. People don’t know that they’re not acting through their own free will…”
“How do you know all this?” a startled Harry asked his not so studious best friend.
“Dad used to tell us stories about Voltara the Volcen when we were little,” Ron nodded to Ginny to indicate that they had both heard these stories. “He’s a bit loony, mind. Seemed to think a new Volcen was due any day now. Than again the man likes spark plugs so there you are,” he shrugged it off.
“I can’t imagine having that much power,” Harry said in amazement.
“That’s not even the coolest part,” Ron bound up and leapt at Harry, “A real Volcen can vessel-voyage!”
“What’s that?” Harry asked.
“It means they can travel into other people’s bodies…even if the person’s across the world!”
“How do they do that?” Harry wondered in astonishment.
“A real Volcen can move their soul out of their body!” Ron shouted the last and most remarkable kernel of knowledge that he had to offer on the topic.
Harry considered all that Ron revealed. Somewhat like a real Volcen, he could at times hear, feel, and see what Voldemort was doing.
“They can’t feel,” Ginny said.
“Pardon,” Harry replied.
“Well,” Ron began…
“They can’t feel,” Ginny reiterated.
“Who can’t?” Harry asked.
“Can’t what? Feeling alright Harry?” Ron chirped in, but Harry ignored him.
“Volcen’s,” she answered.
“Sorry, I don’t understand what you mean,” he shrugged his shoulders helplessly.
Hermione and Ron gave him a queer look.
Ginny turned to face him, “Talking to your self Harry?”
He heard her voice, he knew he did, but her lips had not moved. The alarms and warning bells went off in his head. Something was not right. He was cracking up. He had to be.
As though putting two and two together Hermione lit up and chastised Ginny, “Don’t do that!”
“What’s the matter with all of you?” Ron shouted in exasperation. “Tell me what’s going on!” he demanded when no one responded.
Harry took pity on his friend and whispered his suspicion while keeping his eyes firmly fixed on Ginny, “You sister is a Volcen.”