“You’re getting really good,” Harry said at the end of the last D.A. meeting of the term, which turned out to be only a review. “When we get back from the holidays we can start doing some of the big stuff “ maybe even Partronuses.”
There was a general mutter around the room of “Happy Kwanzaa,” “Merry Christmas!” “Happy Hanukkah!” and “Sorry, what was your holiday again?” as the crowd of students gathered their things and began to clear the room.
“No! Neville! Stop!” Ginny yelled a second too late.
As she was about to pick up her book bag, Neville had tripped over the faded, lumpy sack, scattering the floor with its contents.
Neville’s face turned scarlet as he began muttering an apology and scrambling around the floor picking up quills, parchment, books, and shards of broken ink bottles.
“It’s okay,” Ginny sighed, knowing Neville never meant to cause these sorts of accidents.
Michael stooped down and finished picking up the remaining books.
“Thanks,” Ginny smiled as she took the books from Michael and shoved them into her bag. “Come on.”
“Wow, Patronuses,” Michael said to Ginny when they were out in the hall. “That’d be great! I hear they’re really hard to produce. Wow! I wonder what mine would be…”
At this point, Ginny stopped listening. Michael loved to ramble on like this and, when he got going, would talk for hours. She liked him a lot. Who wouldn’t? He was tall and dark-haired, funny, caring”not to mention the fact that he was in Ravenclaw and, therefore, a genius. There was just the minor problem that he often forgot he had an audience only had so much of an attention span and would talk about whatever without even realizing he was boring his listener. She rolled her eyes.
Well, at least now she could check over her Transfiguration homework McGonagall had been evil enough to assign so close to break. She reached down into her book bag that was now slightly damp with ink. At least she could have Hermione help her get all the ink off her assignments. She stopped and rummaged in the bag, but no matter how many times she searched, the parchment simply refused to reveal itself.
“Not again!” Ginny muttered. “Hey, I’ll catch you later, Michael. I forgot something.” Before waiting for a response, she doubled back to the seventh floor corridor. Across the picture of Barnabus the Barmy trying to teach trolls ballet was a highly polished door with a brass handle. That’s odd, Ginny thought, shouldn’t the door have disappeared? The door was open a slit. She reached for the brass handle.
“You’re a r-really good teacher, you know,” Ginny froze. It was Cho, Cho Chang, that stupid Ravenclaw pretty girl. Ginny peered into the room through the crack in the door. There stood Cho, tears streaming down her face. Harry was standing a few feet away, looking awkward. Just a ways back was a rolled up piece of ink-stained parchment. “I’ve never been able to Stun anything before,” Cho continued.
“Thanks,” Harry replied uncomfortably.
Ginny knew she should just open the door, apologize for interrupting the two, grab her parchment, and leave, but Ginny stood frozen.
“Mistletoe,” Cho whispered after a long pause, pointing up at the ceiling.
Ginny’s eyes widened. Harry wouldn’t want me, or anyone else, for that matter, to see this. I should really just go and come back later, she thought. Her legs refused to move. She simply stood there, petrified.
“Yeah,” Harry said hoarsely. “It’s probably full of nargles, though.”
“What are nargles?” Cho asked.
“No idea. You’d have to ask Loony. Luna, I mean.”
“I really like you, Harry,” Cho said barely above a whisper, moving closer to him. Ginny felt her hands form fists. Cho stood on tiptoes and pressed her lips against Harry’s.
Suddenly, Ginny was perfectly aware of where she was. She turned around and practically ran back to the common room. The odd thing was she couldn’t figure out why in the world she was running. She just knew that she wanted to get as far away from the Room of Requirement as humanly or magically possible.
Before long, she found herself climbing through the portrait hole and into the Gryffindor common room. Everything looked calm and normal. A few first-years were talking to Fred and George, who looked like they were slipping them some tricks for their new joke shop. Ron was looking frustrated at a piece of homework as he lay on the hearthrug but yelled at a second-year who jumped into his vacant chair. As Hermione rolled her eyes and glared at Ron, she noticed Ginny coming in.
“Hi Ginny!” she said brightly as she stopped scribbling on a long roll of parchment. Ginny walked past without noticing. “Ginny?”
Ginny climbed the stairs to the girls’ dormitory and sat on her bed, the one closest to the window.
I knew Harry liked her. I’ve known since the beginning of last year. But this… This is so…weird, Ginny thought. I should have expected this. Of course Harry would start seeing Cho. Cho is clever and pretty and Harry is, well, Harry. Wait, why do I care? I got over Harry ages ago. That image of Cho kissing Harry kept popping up in her head and making her want to give Cho the experience of the Bat Bogey Hex, or maybe even better, a push off the Astronomy Tower. This is so bizarre.
“I don’t like Harry, I don’t like Harry, I don’t like Harry,” Ginny muttered, knocking a book against her forehead. “I don’t like Harry, I don’t like Harry, I don’t like Harry.”
“Ginny, do you not like Harry?” Hermione said. Ginny looked up. Hermione was leaning against the wall by the window, smiling slightly.
“How long have you been standing there?” Ginny asked, rubbing her forehead.
“Oh, not too long.” Hermione said, still smiling. “So, how did you find out?”
“Find out what?” Hermione looked at her in that I-know-you-know expression of hers. “Fine, well, I had forgotten my homework for McGonagall, and I went back to get it. The door was open a slit and… Well, you can guess the rest.” Ginny said in a tone that suggested she wanted to say everything quickly and without interruption.
“I know it wasn’t really a surprise to you.”
“It’s kind of hard to explain. I’ve known about Harry and Cho for over a year. It’s just that when you actually see something like that, it’s just…”
“”A shock.” Hermione finished for her.
“Yeah. I don’t get it, though. I don’t like Harry. Well, not like that anyway.”
“So I’ve heard,” Hermione said, her smile returning. “You know, no matter how many times you say it, doesn’t, necessarily, make it true.”
“Like ‘No, I don’t like your brother. Ginny stop laughing’?” Ginny said slyly.
“We’re focusing on you right now.” Hermione said quickly.
“Fine.” Ginny said, shrugging. “But I really don’t like Harry. I got over that a long time ago.”
“I know you did. So why do you care about Cho?”
“There’s just something about her that just…makes me want to…punch something.”
“Because…” Hermione said, prompting her along.
“Because…I care about Harry’s happiness?”
“Uh, no,” Hermione said, stifling a giggle. “Look, Ginny, it’s getting late. I’ll talk to you in the morning. Get some rest.”
That night as she lay awake in the dark room, Ginny pondered the true meaning of her sudden hatred for Cho Chang. She didn’t even really know Cho, but still…
Was she, Ginny, falling for him all over again?
She turned over and put her pillow over her face.
Of course not! That ship had sailed and sank long ago. It was obvious Harry would never think of her as anything but Ron’s little sister.
What is wrong with me? It’s like I love him or something, and I don’t…right?
Ginny sat up and went over to the window, looking out into the night. The stars twinkled merrily overhead. She could see her face reflected in the window, looking tired and confused.
What is happening? I like Michael, not Harry. Never again Harry.
Not Harry by Hanabi
Chapter Notes: A/N: I wrote this about a year ago and went back to look it over. I thought it’s just kind of fun. I was about to leave for school when I came up with this idea for Ginny to see what went on in the Room of Requirement on that fateful night. Will Ginny discover that some flames just never really die?
The wonderful and all-powerful J.K. Rowling came up with the world and the characters. I promise that if I kill anyone, I will resurrect him (or her) before I return him (or her). All of the dialogue coming from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Chapter 22, "The Eye of the Snake" is in bold.