Ginny walked by the Slytherin table during breakfast and kept her head high. There were a few catcalls, a couple taunts about Harry being gone, but she didn’t let it show that she was being affected. What really bothered her was Malfoy’s silence as he watched her walk all the way to her own table and sit down. She suppressed the urge to shiver while she reached for the peas.
“What was that all about?” Luna asked from across the table. Ginny looked up and saw Luna staring at the Slytherin table with a frown on her face.
“Don’t worry about it, Luna. They are just being childish,” Ginny said, shrugging their behavior off. Deep down she prayed she’d drop it, she didn’t need Luna getting involved, or Neville involved, or worse, getting Harry involved.
She sighed in relief when she seemed to let it go and the conversation went in the direction of McGonagall’s impossible essay.
“Damn!” Ginny swore, “I forgot…I haven’t finished it yet!” she scolded herself, grabbing a muffin and some toast as she stood up.
“What? Ginny, her class is in fifteen minutes, you can’t possibly finish…” she vaguely heard Luna say, but she was already hurtling down the rows of tables and out of the Great Hall.
Luna watched as Malfoy leaned over and whispered to Crabbe and Goyle. She watched as the three stood up and, with looks of sickening anticipation, and walked out of the Great Hall after Ginny.
Ginny dove into an empty classroom and threw open her bag. She tucked her wand in the waist band of her pants, she always kept it real close these days. She started scribbling furiously over the parchment, trying to remember for the life of her the incantation to change a weed into a rose. She placed both palms over her eyes and pressed into them until she saw color bursting from her eyes.
“Trying to imagine what it’d be like if you’d forget Potter and gave me a try?” she heard Malfoy sneer from the doorway. Ginny stumbled up and pulled out her wand immediately.
She watched as Crabbe and Goyle closed the door behind them.
Ginny just glared at him, “What do you want Malfoy…I’m getting sick of you following me around,” she said angrily.
“And what are you going to do? Tell a professor? Write a letter to darling Potter asking him to come protect you…funny how his original plan of ‘push far away equals protection’ isn’t quite working is it?” Malfoy taunted. How did he know that’s what Harry thought would work. Ginny pushed it aside for the moment.
“Funny how you had to wait until he was gone to start acting like you own everything in this school, you had to wait until he was gone to make a move. What does that mean? You scared of him?” Ginny asked, her eyes flashing. It probably wasn’t smart to get him mad, but it certainly wasn’t smart to not keep him talking. The bell would ring soon and those halls would be filled with students…keep him talking until that bell rings. Ginny told herself.
Malfoy’s crude smile dropped from his face. He moved forward quite suddenly and Ginny took several steps back, one knocking her ink over her unfinished essay. “I’m not scared of him,” he whispered sharply, “And neither is the Dark Lord. Don’t think that because you aren’t with Potter you’re safe from the Dark Lord…or me. It just gives me a bit cleaner path to figure out what a blood traitor really tastes like,” Malfoy said as the overhead bell rang. Ginny set her jaw as Malfoy jerked his head and his two goons opened the door and left the classroom.
When the door shut, Ginny grabbed the table to steady herself. She let out a breath that sounded too much like a sob. She stopped herself, she was stronger than this, and she wouldn’t let that git Malfoy get to her.
“Ginny?” she jumped high in the air, lifting her wand once again. It was Neville and he was walking to her from the back of the class, a watering can in his hand.
“Neville? What…what are you doing in here?” she asked breathlessly, grabbing her heart, “You gave me a start,” she said weakly. Had he overheard that whole conversation?
“Malfoy’s been giving you more trouble,” he said frowning at her. “Luna told me he’d been saying rude things to you…but I thought it was his normal taunts…but…but…that,” Ginny swore under her breath.
“Did you…were you here the entire time?” she asked. Neville nodded. “Neville…you can not tell Harry,” she said stepping forward.
“Ginny…those are direct threats!” Neville said pointing to the door where Malfoy had just left.
“I can take care of myself, Neville! I don’t need someone trying to protect me!” she said loudly. Neville dropped his arm and Ginny suddenly felt bad for yelling at him. “Listen, Malfoy won’t do anything. I just need to be a bit more careful in not putting myself in situations where I am alone. I promise you, I will stop doing that…just…Harry doesn’t need to be worrying about me at school, that’s why he ended things…so he wouldn’t have to worry,” Ginny explained. Was that the reason? Ginny stopped the thoughts before they overtook her. She had given up trying to understand the reasons he had told her he needed to end things.
Neville continued to frown but nodded. Ginny sighed in relief. “Thanks, Neville. Now, I’m going to be late to class, and I haven’t even finished the damn essay,” she said under her breath as she tried packing her essay in her bag without getting ink everywhere. Neville watched her leave the classroom. It only took him two seconds to decide. He pulled out some parchment from his bag and began scribbling a message to Harry.
Harry packed the tent hastily, and removed the protective charms around their camp in a hurry. He knew he shouldn’t Apparate quite yet, but he had to get to Ginny. He had to hear from her the truth…maybe Dumbledore’s memories were tampered with, maybe they weren’t accurate. Holding the backpack that magically contained everything Ron, Hermione, and he needed, Harry took a deep calming breath before turning on the spot.
When he landed inside the Leaky Cauldron, he stumbled and fell to his knees. He felt as if he was going to pass out, and the colors of the bar swirled together. He felt a hand touch his back, and in a sloppy motion he grabbed his wand and turned it on the unknown hand. “Harry, its’ me,” he heard the friendly growl.
“Hagrid?” Harry breathed, realizing he was short of breath.
“What are you doin’ here?” Hagrid placed Harry on his feet roughly.
Harry swayed on the spot, but grabbed Hagrid for support. “I need to get to Hogwarts, Hagrid. Is the Floo network safe?”
Hagrid shook his head. “It’s a risk Harry. And you shouldn’t be goin’ to Hogwarts, not with all the Death Eaters roaming about in there.”
“What? What Death Eaters?” Harry suddenly felt a rush of energy race through his body.
“You haven’t heard? Snape is headmaster…they got Death Eaters as professors, and I hear Malfoy is running around the place like he owns it.”
“You hear? You don’t work there anymore?” Harry asked, looking up into the big hairy face as Hagrid shook his head. “Listen, I need to get into Hogwarts, I can’t tell you why,” he added when Hagrid made to talk. “Can you help me get in? Maybe through the Forbidden Forest?” Harry suggested.
Hagrid shook his head again. “Nah, it’s real dangerous in there now, even for me.”
Harry was becoming impatient, and noticed that people began looking his way and whispering. “Hagrid, we need to go. Now.” He added when he saw a Witch stand and hurry out the door.
“Where, Harry? I can’t Apparate outta here, and you are in no state to.”
“We’ll floo,” Harry said, walking to the fireplace, but knew that wouldn’t work. People would hear where they were going, and they’d be followed easily.
Hagrid seemed to figure the same. “Quick, this way,” he grabbed Harry by his jacket and pulled him behind the bar. “We’ll use this one,” he shoved Harry into a side room and closed the door behind them. “To Hogsmeade, we can get into Hogwarts through the Hogs Head. Go.” Hagrid shouted, and Harry ran to the fireplace, threw some powder down and disappeared in green flames.
He landed hard in the hearth of the fireplace in a back room of the Hogs Head and barely made it out of the way before Hagrid fell behind him. “Harry, you’d better hurry before anyone finds out you’re here. Death Eaters swarm Hogsmeade now. Through that portrait.” Hagrid pointed to an empty frame.
Harry walked over holding up his hand to the painting. Where his hand should have touched canvas, it reached into empty space. He spun around to see Hagrid nod him along, “I’ll make sure no one comes in here. Go.”
“Thanks, Hagrid.” Harry smiled before climbing into the portrait. He found himself in complete darkness placing his hands on soft walls leading him into the unknown. After walking what felt like miles, he saw a faint light up ahead. He quickened his pace, wishing he had his invisibility cloak with him, not sure of what he’d find at the other end of the tunnel.
The light grew as another portrait frame came into view. He slowly stuck his head out of it, and saw a massive room, it resembled a Common Room. He climbed out of it slowly looking around apprehensively. He placed his backpack down and stepped into the room. Just as he did, he heard a door creak open, with no where to hide, he grabbed his wand, knowing he had little energy to duel, and pointed it at the figure walking through the threshold.
“Harry!” It was Neville. Harry lowered his wand and smiled as his old friend came running into the room. “I can’t believe you’re here already!”
“Where are we, Neville?” Harry asked, shaking the hand Neville had held out.
“Room of Requirement, I knew you’d be concerned, but I didn’t think you’d risk coming here, with Snape and the Death Eaters all around. Isn’t this a bit risky?”
Harry looked at Neville in confusion, “What are you talking about, Neville? What would I be concerned about?”
“My letter…I can’t believe you got it so fast,” Neville said, seeming to deflate seeing Harry shaking his head, not understanding. “You did get it, didn’t you? My letter about Ginny?”
“What about Ginny?” Harry said forcefully.
Neville stepped back, “You didn’t…”
“No!” Harry yelled, and Neville jumped. “Sorry, just, you’re making me nervous Neville. What’s going on?”
“It’s Malfoy. He’s been threatening her. She doesn’t want you to know…but I overheard him today, he had her cornered in an empty room with Crabbe and Goyle. It sounded pretty serious. And…and he mentioned Voldemort…and how she still isn’t safe…”
Harry clenched his fists and felt his stomach clench in anger. He tried to calm himself, but even that was taking energy he didn’t have. “Listen, Neville. I don’t have a lot of energy…I need you to go get Ginny. Bring her here, but don’t tell her why. She won’t come if she knows you told me this.” Neville nodded and ran from the room.
Harry immediately began to pace.