Chapter 9 Heart Broken
Everyone was speechless with their mouths open in complete shock in the hospital room. Ron and Hermione backed away and crashed into an empty bed. Madam Pomfrey’s face went blank and she wandered aimlessly towards the window. It was dark outside since it was still before dawn on New Year’s Day. All they could do was to just stare at Dumbledore, who was looking down as he made his way to another bed to sit down.
“Headmaster, I sent an emergency owl to the Weasleys! They should receive it any second now!” McGonagall came rushing back to the hospital wing. ”How is Ginny Weasley?”
“Minerva, I thought I would not see this curse being cast again. But there is no limit when it comes to evil…”
“Professor, please tell us,” Hermione pleaded.
“In the realm of Dark Magic, there is a hidden branch that is devoted to dreams and the dream state. Spells related to dreams are the trickiest forms of Dark Magic because the world of dreams is in a continuous state of flux. When a person is sleeping and dreaming, he or she is almost always unable to differentiate if it is a dream or reality. This confusion of the mind makes the victim vulnerable. And the dream curse attempts to trap and seal the soul of the victim inside the dream world. They are known to be performed only by a rare handful of magicians because of their complexity. When the curse is done successfully, it drains the conjuror a lot of energy, somewhat equivalent to draining a part of the conjuror’s own soul. I had believed that no one really performs such curses anymore...”
Dumbledore paused and then continued, “The conjuror of such a curse must somehow had previously established some kind of deep magical contact, like an imprint, with the victim beforehand in order for it to work.”
There was a deafening silence as everyone was horrified by what they had just heard.
“How can someone perform a curse to hurt someone inside Hogwarts?” Madam Pomfrey asked. “The castle is protected. And what has this little girl done in her life that is so bad that a powerful magician must do something so awful to her?”
“Voldemort,” Hermione mumbled, choking back tears as she rested her head on Ron’s shoulders. “He used to study at Hogwarts. He must have figured out a way to breach the defenses.”
“Headmaster, you believe he is strong enough to have done this?” McGonagall asked, wiping away tears.
“How can this little girl have come in contact with him previously?“ Madam Pomfrey questioned. “I would think only Harry…”
“He did try to kill Ginny and drained her of her life in the Chamber but he failed!” Ron interrupted angrily.
“But why didn’t he take Harry instead?“ Hermione questioned and got up defiantly. “He tried to kill him many times before. He would have an even stronger imprint with Harry. And we all know that all he wants is Harry dead…”
“He did try to take me,“ Harry finally said something as he emerged from the background and got up from his knees. Everyone turned to look at him as if they almost forgot that he was there. “He tried to take me but Ginny saved me.”
“Harry, I didn’t mean it that way…” Hermione said apologetically.
“I know…I know…” Harry reassured her that he understood as he slowly pulled out the blue cloth from his pocket and stared at it.
“I don’t understand, Harry,” Madam Pomfrey said. “How can a little girl save you from such an evil curse conjured by one of the most evil wizards?”
Harry didn’t reply. Instead, he solemnly glanced at Dumbledore, who was studying him attentively, as if he was attempting to read his mind.
Trying to hold his composure and keeping his eyes on Ginny the whole time, holding her hand, Harry proceeded to tell them what happened with the nightmares that he had been having lately. But when he was describing the last dream of which Ginny was also in the nightmare and she saved his life, his voice was shaking considerably and he finally broke down.
“WHY DIDN’T HE TAKE ME INSTEAD?” Harry screamed angrily, “WHY GINNY…?”
“At least you’re safe…” Madam Pomfrey inserted hesitantly.
“DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND? I’D RATHER THAT HE TAKE ME INSTEAD!” Harry snapped as he collapsed to his knees, kneeling by Ginny’s bedside. His face was buried in her hospital bed now.
“It’s all my fault…Ginny doesn’t deserve this…” Harry’s voice was muffled.
Seeing Harry in so much pain, everybody hovered around him, trying to comfort him and calm him down, but without success. Dumbledore reached over and stroked Harry’s hair gently.
“It’s not your fault,” Ron mumbled.
It was dawn already. The sun was beginning to peak through the horizon. It was officially the start of New Year’s Day. However, the hospital room was as somber as ever.
Suddenly, Harry got up, took off his glasses, rubbed his reddish eyes, and clutched Dumbledore’s arms tightly.
“Professor, what can I do to save her? What about Fawkes’ tears? Don’t they have healing powers?” Harry pleaded, looking at Dumbledore, hoping desperately for a miracle. ”Ginny saved me from my nightmare. Can’t I do the same for her? Send me to this dream state so I can get her out! I’ll do anything…anything! Please, Professor…”
“Harry, please calm down! Control yourself!“ McGonagall interrupted, trying to loosen the grip he had on Dumbledore. “You are talking about the dream state. Didn’t you hear what the Headmaster said? It has many variables. It’s not Hogsmeade, where you think you can come and go as you please.”
“It’s all right, Minverva,” Dumbledore reassured her.
Dumbledore looked deeply into Harry’s reddish eyes. Everyone stood quiet as if time stood still, waiting anxiously for him to respond. After a long silence, he closed his eyes, looked down, and solemnly shook his head.
Heartbroken, Harry’s hands slipped off Dumbledore’s arms. The entire room was sadly silent except for a crisp shattering sound as Harry’s glasses fell out of his hand and crashed onto the floor.
My Guardian Angel by gossipweaver
Chapter Notes: Harry was too late. He didn't tell Ginny in time and he may have lost her forever. Now Harry must come to terms with the fact that she would never really know how he truly felt about her.