BOOK I: Into Exile
CHAPTER ONE: The Fall
Hot, thick late spring sunlight spilled through the windows of the hospital wing and over the large chamber's sole patient, a small figure who was almost lost under the thick blankets. The only visible part of Ginny Weasley was her thatch of thick red hair that glinted like burnished copper in the late morning light.
A gentle hand on her shoulder awakened Ginny from her sleep, perhaps the first undisturbed night's sleep she had known since she had first written in that horrible diary, almost a year before, and it had begun writing back. She stirred, moaned softly, and opened her eyes and looked bewilderedly around. This was not her ornately furnished dormitory in Gryffindor, nor was it her cozy little room at the Burrow. As she finished awakening, the memory of the previous night's horrible events returned, washing over her like an icy wave and completely negating the sun's glorious warmth.
She looked over and saw her mother sitting next to her, and that sight should have made her feel better, but the look on her mother's face... it was not the look that Molly Weasley used to tell her children that everything was all right. This look was one of concern, of worry. Ginny felt her heart shrivel in her chest and sink toward the floor.
Madame Pomfrey was not present, but three others were. In the middle was Albus Dumbledore, the school's ancient and beloved headmaster. To one side was Professor McGonagall, head of Ginny's house and deputy headmistress. And on the other side was greasy-haired, black-robed Severus Snape, who bore no official rank other than professor, but had Dumbledore's confidence. None of the trio looked happy.
Dumbledore spoke first. "Good morning, Miss Weasley," he said. "I trust you have recovered from your ordeal."
"I guess," Ginny said, not really knowing if she had or not. The violations inflicted on her by Tom Riddle, or whoever or whatever that thing had been, did not fade quickly.
Dumbledore did not beat around the bush any more. "Miss Weasley, I'm afraid I have some difficult news for you."
Ginny looked around, taking in the whole scene, and realized with a surge of horror that her Hogwarts robes were not present. Normally, if a person was in the infirmary, their Hogwarts school uniform sat folded on the table next to the bed. Her mother held a bundle of clothing in her lap, but it consisted of one of the dresses that she had brought from home. But that meant...
"But I... but you said... you said I wouldn't be..." Ginny sputtered, then halted as she realized that there was no point in quibbling. She had known that she deserved this. True, the attacks on the Muggle-borns had not been carried out by her, not really, but she had been aware of them after the fact. She had known from the night Mrs. Norris was attacked. But she had done nothing. Perhaps if she had told someone, told Dumbledore, the subsequent attacks on the humans could have been avoided.
Her train of thought was interrupted by the sight of Dumbledore's clear blue eyes, which normally twinkled but weren't today. Instead, anger flared in them like boiling magma.
"I know, and I'm truly sorry. But the school governors involved themselves. They've never done that before; I expect it was Lucius Malfoy’s doing. They insisted that you be expelled. I sent an owl to Fudge, protesting their actions, but he agreed that they were right and I was wrong."
Molly chimed in. "They're saying that they will remove Dumbledore from his post if he opposes them in this matter."
The look in Dumbledore's eyes made it very clear that he would have opposed them nonetheless, but his next statement explained: "They also informed me that if I go against them, they will bring charges against you, as an accessory to the attacks."
Snape chimed in. "Since you knew about them, you would likely be found guilty." The potions master's tone actually held a faint hint of bitterness. He had disliked all six of Ginny's brothers and had been prepared to dislike her as well, but after teaching her for a year, he had been surprised to find a bit of a soft spot for the girl. Ginny Weasley was a hard person to hate. Of course, he would have stapled his tongue to the Astronomy Tower and then jumped off before admitting his sentiments, but Dumbledore (who know him best) wasn't fooled.
“And even if you did get off, the publicity of your trial would most likely torpedo your father’s career at the Ministry, and his Muggle Protection Act,” Dumbledore added.
"But why are they doing this?" Ginny asked, feeling her eyes moisten. "You said there wasn't any harm done."
"And I told them the exact same thing," the headmaster said sadly. "But Hogwarts very nearly had to close. They insist that someone has to pay the price for what happened."
"You're just a convenient target," McGonagall said, anger smoldering in her eyes as well. Despite her characteristic sternness, she was as fiercely protective of her first-years as a she-bear, and doubly so with Ginny, about whom she had been concerned for a long time.
"None of us wanted this to happen," Dumbledore said heavily. "Believe me that we didn't."
Before anyone else could say anything, the door opened with a thud that reverberated through the room, and a man in black and red robes entered the hospital wing. He strode to the bed. "Ginevra Weasley?"
Ginny recognized the uniform of a Wandbreaker, a Ministry member whose job it was to expel people from the magical community. "So I guess you'll be wanting my wand," Ginny said. She felt like she was going to throw up.
"Correct," the man said crisply.
Dumbledore glared at the new arrival in disgust. He had instructed him in his Hogwarts days. He was a bully and a sadist, and had escaped being recruited as a death-eater only because his mother was a Muggle. He liked to look at his victims as he snapped their wand, liked to see the look in their eyes as all their hopes and dreams evaporated. "She doesn't have it," Dumbledore said. "I already destroyed it."
"That's a violation of the rules," the Wandbreaker said. "I have to witness the wand's neutralization."
Dumbledore reached into one of his many pockets and produced a short maple wand, now in two sections. "There. The pieces. Ollivander can verify their length and composition."
The Wandbreaker, who already knew that Ginny had an 8-inch maple wand, eyed the pieces disinterestedly. "Very well." He made a notation in his log.
"Now please leave my school," Dumbledore said, rising to his full height and eyes still alight with anger. The Wandbreaker walked out, but everyone could see that he would have preferred to run. No sane person wanted Albus Dumbledore angry with him.
"If you are able, Miss Weasley," McGonagall said gently. "It would probably be best for you to get up and go home now. Transportation has been arranged."
Ginny nodded, but asked, "Is it all right if I say good-bye to my brothers? And Harry, and Hermione, and..."
"Of course," said the DH. "Go on up. The portrait will let you in."
Ginny tried to thank her, but the words stuck in her throat. She could only nod and hope Minerva understood.
And she did. "I'm sorry," McGonagall concluded, sorrow in her eyes, and then turned to go.
"Best of luck, Miss Weasley," Snape said. To Ginny's surprise, he appeared to mean it.
The two of them headed for the door, but Dumbledore remained, and laid a gentle hand on Ginny's head. "Miss Weasley," he said. "This is not over. If there is ever a way to get you reinstated, I intend to find it." He stared out the window. "I told you that there would be no punishment. These people made a liar of me. I will not forget that. Not ever."
Ginny and her mother sat in silence as he strode from the room, his white hair shining silver in the morning sunlight.
Molly sighed and rose, leaving Ginny's clothes on the chair. "You'd better get dressed if you're going to have time for good-byes," she suggested. "The Knight Bus picks us up in an hour."
Listlessly, Ginny closed the curtain around the bed, peeled off her pajamas, and began to dress. She managed to avoid crying out loud, but tears trickled silently down her face.