Chapter 8 As They Criss-cross
The past few days between Christmas and New Year’s had been very emotionally draining for Harry, but now he felt like a huge boulder had been lifted off his shoulders. It was because he had decided that tomorrow first thing in the morning on New Year’s Day he was going to tell Ginny how he truly felt about her. In fact, he was so excited that he couldn’t fall asleep, tossing and turning, constantly admiring the blue cloth in the dark and thinking about the things Ginny and he would do together tomorrow and in the future. He really wanted to take her for a ride on his firebolt, or a picnic in the snow on the mountain top where he saw Firenze earlier. Dying to see her, he reached for his glasses and tiptoed to get his wand and map.
Focusing on the girl’s dormitories, he was looking for Ginny’s name, but to his surprise it wasn’t there for some reason. He scanned the entire map but still couldn’t find it. Desperately, he turned on the light.
“Hey, what are you doing?” Ron yawned. “It’s the middle of the night.”
“She’s not here. She’s gone. Ginny’s gone,” Harry said hesitantly, turning the map upside down and then inside out.
“What are you talking about? Hermione and I brought her to her room and she passed out. How can she not be there? The map is never wrong,” Ron reached for the map and looked at it.
“Come on! We have to see if she is okay!”
Harry and Ron put on their robes and dashed to the girl’s dormitories.
“Harry, you stay at her door. I’ll go wake Hermione.”
“Ginny, Ginny. It’s Harry. Open up please. Ginny,” Harry knocked on the door. There was no answer and the door was locked.
“What sort of insanity is this? How can she not be in her room?” Hermione was rubbing her eyes and yelling at Ron as they approached Ginny’s door. “Harry, I know you want to talk to her but can’t you wait until tomorrow?”
“I am telling you she is not on the map. The map is never wrong,” Harry pointed, handing the map to Hermione. “Something is wrong.”
“You guys stay here. I’ll go in and check up on her,” Hermione waved her wand and Ginny’s door opened.
Harry stood there with Ron at her doorstep and it felt like eternity. The conversation Harry had with Firenze earlier in the night began to creep into his head.
Hermione came out and said annoyingly, “She is inside, fast asleep, just as I expected.”
“I don’t believe you! I’m going in!” Harry disputed and went to Ginny’s bed.
Harry noticed the dream catcher that he gave her for Christmas was hung right above the bed. Ginny was asleep just like what Hermione said. But in his mind, something wasn’t right because of the map. He approached her and gently shook her shoulders.
“Ginny, Ginny. Wake up. I have to talk to you,” he mumbled softly, afraid of startling her.
There was no response. Ginny laid there motionless inside her blankets.
“Ginny, Ginny!” he raised his voice and shook her shoulders harder and harder, fear beginning to flood his mind. “Ginny, it’s me, Harry. Ginny, wake up. Please talk to me…Ron, Hermione, come in quick! Something is wrong with Ginny! She’s not waking up!”
They rushed inside to see for themselves.
“She’s breathing,” Hermione said, placing her fingers in front of Ginny's nostrils.
“Come on! We have to get her to the hospital wing now!” Harry yelled desperately. “Ron, go get Dumbledore. Tell him what happened! I’ll explain later! Hermione and I will bring Ginny to Madam Pomfrey! Go!”
“Ron, Dumbledore is in his room!” Hermione shouted as she handed him the map.
Ron darted away while Harry held Ginny tightly inside his arms as he carried her to the hospital wing. Sensing something terrible had happened, Hermione kept asking him if he knew something that he wasn’t telling. But he was too overwhelmed and preoccupied to answer her. The entire time he was thinking about what Firenze had said while keeping his worried eyes on Ginny, but she remained motionless and her eyes were closed the entire time.
Harry and Hermione were waiting outside the hospital wing anxiously while Madam Pomfrey was busy tending to Ginny. It was deadly quiet; all they could hear were Pomfrey’s busy footsteps pacing around.
“Hermione, remember Firenze? The centaur that saved my life the first year that I was here?” Harry stuttered anxiously. “I saw him earlier and I think he was trying to tell me that something terrible was going to happen.”
“What did he say?”
“I didn’t understand it at first. Something about time being unique…That you have to tell your loved ones how much you love them before it is too late…”
A sudden sense of fear erupted inside his mind, “Oh, no. Ginny! What is taking so long? This is insane! I’m going in!” Harry yelled in frustration and ran inside. Hermione followed him.
“Potter, you can’t be in here, get back outside,” Madam Pomfrey said annoyingly, blocking his way.
“No, I have to see her!” he yelled as he rushed towards Ginny’s bedside and pushed Madam Pomfrey aside.
The sight of Ginny’s colorless face, lying motionless in the hospital bed felt like a stab to the heart for Harry. Her red hair was the only source of color, but even that appeared to be fading away.
He kneeled down and reached for Ginny’s hand, which felt cold and dry like sandpaper, “What’s wrong with her? TELL ME!” he turned to Madam Pomfrey.
Her face contorted as if she didn’t know what to say.
“Miss Granger, Harry,” Dumbledore called out as he and Ron approached them. Professor McGonagall was with him. Dumbledore placed his hand on Harry’s shoulder.
“Professor, you’ve got to help Ginny. Something’s wrong with her,” Harry pleaded.
“Professor Dumbledore, they can’t all be here…” Madam Pomfrey complained.
“It’s all right. Let me take a look at Ginny,” he replied calmly, gesturing Ron and Hermione to come closer. ”Harry, you keep holding her hand.”
“Professor, I can’t figure it out. The only thing I noticed is that her hands, skin, and lips appear very dry,” Madam Pomfrey said.
Dumbledore closed his eyes, mumbled a few words, and placed his palm on Ginny’s forehead. A white glow appeared on his palm as well as in Harry’s hands that were holding her hand. After a brief moment the glow disappeared as Dumbledore withdrew his hand. When he reopened his eyes, Harry could see that they appeared very somber and sad.
“Professor?” Hermione muttered.
Breathing very hard as he took off his spectacles, Dumbledore turned to McGonagall, “Minerva, please contact her parents and tell them to come over immediately.”
“Professor Dumbledore, what is wrong with Ginny?” Ron asked faintly.
Placing his hands on Ron and Hermione’s shoulders gently, “Ginny’s soul is gone,” Dumbledore breathed hard and replied solemnly. “She’s gone.”
My Guardian Angel by gossipweaver
Chapter Notes: All Harry wanted was to tell Ginny how he felt about her. But perhaps Ginny is right. Maybe they are not meant to be.