The Legend of the Phoenix Well

Chapter Thirteen: What Cannot Happen

Harry looked up abruptly, his green eyes filled with unmasked suspicion. "Harry Potter, sir?" Dobby asked tentatively. "Sir, what has happened? The other house elves are going mad! Dobby is having much trouble helping them!"

"Dobby, go tell the other elves to stop fretting," Harry said. "And tell them to stop Malfoy from leaving at all costs."

Malfoy's mouth opened and closed wordlessly. "What? Dobby! Don't go anywhere!" he commanded imperially.

Dobby froze on his way to the main part of the kitchens. He stood for a moment, shivering and scared, before turning and saying miserably, "Yes, Master Malfoy."

"He's not your master, Dobby!" Harry said.

Icicle dislodged herself from Malfoy. "We weren't doing anything, Harry," she said. "Draco and I were... looking at the stars."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Looking at the stars?" he said. "The last time I used that excuse..." he started, then turned red, which was quite inappropriate for the occasion. "Er... I never used that," he said quickly, looking down at the ground.

Malfoy snorted. The house elf came in, closely followed by McGonagall. "What happened?" she said, shocked. "Miss Zabini... she's dead!"

"Professor, Miss, Hacksack saw it happen! The young Miss was shot by a big loud sound!" the house elf squeaked.

"A gun?" McGonagall said. "But... who would do such a thing?"

"Young Master Malfoy was where it happened from," Dobby said quietly. His eyes widened, and he grabbed Harry's wand from his hand and began to jab himself in the eye with it.

"Stop it! Stop it, Dobby!" Harry said, fighting with Dobby to regain his wand. "Dobby!"

"Mr. Malfoy?" McGonagall said in surprise. She turned to look at Malfoy.

"I didn't do anything!" he said in defence. "Isidora and I were just going up to the courtyard above. We were on the ladder down when we heard the shot."

"Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall said. "You and Miss Velour will come with me to my office. Mr. Potter, I suggest you return to Gryffindor Tower."

Harry nodded, and grabbed his wand from Dobby, who had been watching the dialogue. "Bye, Dobby," Harry said as he rushed out. He and the others had a lot to talk about.

"Sorry!" said a small first year Gryffindor Harry recognised as Jenna Zikira as she slammed into him. Her eyes widened when she saw it was not just a Prefect, but the Head Boy. "I-I was in the library... studying."

"Jenna?" said a boy's voice. Jenna's eyes widened even more, if possible, and she seemed to be willing for something to not happen.

A pale, blond first year boy with the Malfoy look rounded the corner, and stopped when he saw Harry. "H-hello," he stammered.

"Reginald Ambers, is it?" Harry said.

The boy nodded, and helped the girl up. "Studying in the library together?" Harry said, amused. Malfoy wouldn't like this at all.

"What?" Jenna said. She jumped away from Reginald. "No way! We weren't together. You should know that."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Don't you know that you've just given yourself away?" he said, even more amused. "Oldest trick in the book, you know." He turned to Reginald. "Malfoy's not going to be happy with this."

"Happy with what?" said a very unwelcome voice, back to its sarcastic, sneering tone. "Happy with what?" Malfoy repeated as he and Icicle rounded the corner Reginald had just passed.

"Hello, Draco," Reginald squeaked in a frightened voice. "Er... nothing at all."

Malfoy looked at Harry. "Why are you out already?" Harry said.

"McGonagall let me out," Malfoy said coolly. "Well? What's the problem with my cousin?" he said. At the word 'cousin', Reginald gulped.

"He and his study partner were late coming back from the library," Harry lied. "I was saying you wouldn't be happy because I'm about to take points off their houses. A point off your houses."

"Right," Malfoy said dubiously. Reginald looked relieved. Harry nodded at them, and then swept off in the direction of the common room again, Jenna in tow.

"Why'd you help Reginald?" Jenna asked loudly as a suit of armour toppled over, courtesy of a cackling Peeves.

Harry misheard her. "Gin?" he said in surprise. "What about Ginny?"

Jenna looked at him. "No, I meant Reginald Amber."

"Oh. Because Malfoy's an ar- git," Harry said.

"You mean arse-hole?" Jenna said nonchalantly. Harry looked at her.

"I didn't know that until my third year," he said.

Jenna shrugged. "Times are changing." She continued to walk, this time Harry following her. After a minute, she said, "Why did you think I was talking about Ginny Weasley?"

"Because she's my friend," Harry said, as if stating the obvious. They reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Or is she more?" Jenna said mysteriously. Before Harry could say or do anything, she had said the password and gone through the portrait hole.

"First years," he muttered before heading through after her, shutting the portrait behind him.

"Harry! There you are!" Hermione said as Harry walked over to her and Ron. Ron said nothing, and sat in his chair, staring into the fire listlessly. "Where's Ginny?"

"I thought she had come back," Harry said, puzzled.

"Really?" Hermione said. "I suppose she might have."

"I'm right here," said a voice from behind them. Ginny sat down next to Harry on the sofa. "I just wanted some time alone," she added. She looked at Harry's robes, and saw the tearstains on it. "Sorry about that," she said apologetically.

"It's fine," Harry interrupted. "Listen. I met with Blaise Zabini just now."

"What did she say?" Hermione said.

"She said she found something out, but before she could say, she... she... she was shot," Harry said.

"Shot?" Hermione repeated, an incredulous but frightened look on her face. "With a gun? But that would mean the person was a student, since they can't use their wands. Students' wands are monitored through the ministry, while adult wands aren't. Either that, or the person was on parole from Azkaban. And there hasn't been anyone actually let out of Azkaban for fifty years."

"That's what it is," Harry said. "Dobby came in, saying that Winky saw Malfoy and Icicle leaving the courtyard above the kitchens... the place the where murderer was."

"Malfoy?" Hermione said.

"But McGonagall let him go a few minutes after she went to speak with him," Harry said. "I don't know why. Maybe he tricked her."

"McGonagall's part of the Order, though," Hermione said. "She would know what to do. Maybe there's a reason."

"I suppose," Harry said. "I'm going to bed."

"Now?" Hermione said.

"Yeah. Goodnight." Harry walked away from his friends and made his way up the staircase to the dormitories, continuing down the centre staircase to the Head Boy room. He had just sat down at his desk when there was a knock at the door, and Ginny came in. For some reason, she was blushing.

"Er... do you think I could stay here tonight?" she asked.

"What?" Harry said, knocking over his ink bottles on the desk. "Stay here?"

"I just don't want to be alone," Ginny said. "Not today. Besides. You're my friend. It's not like you're Goyle or anything."

"Won't the girls in your dorm notice?" Harry said.

"No," Ginny said. "I always stay with Parvati and Lavender. And Hermione, when she visits. They're so much nicer than the girls in my year. McGonagall gave me permission. Besides," she said bitterly, "They always think I'm with my current boyfriend."

"Not too nice," Harry said. "Won't Parvati and Lavender notice?"

"They'll just think I'm with Hermione. And Hermione will just think I'm with them. They won't worry, and as long as I leave here before everyone is up, no one will ask questions."

"Why not Hermione? Or Parvati and Lavender?" Harry said.

Ginny giggled. "Parvati's with the Ravenclaw girls today. You know why. And Lavender... she told me she was going to be gone all night. With Seamus. And, well, Hermione... sometimes Ron visits. Just to sleep. It's so funny when he finds me there."

Harry sighed. "Fine," he said, stretching out and locking the door securely. "I'll... I'll just stay on this sofa right here," he said.

"Thanks," Ginny said, smiling. "But I'll take it if you want..."

"Just take the bed," Harry said.

"All right," Ginny said. "No need to be impatient."

***

Harry woke up, wondering why he was on the floor, when he was supposed to be in bed. Then he remembered he had slept on the sofa. He supposed he must have fallen off. "Ouch," he moaned, stretching and feeling the pain in his back. He suddenly remembered that someone was on his bed. Oh, yeah, he thought. He looked at the clock, and swore.

"Ginny! It's seven o'clock! People are up already!" he said urgently.

"Hmm?" Ginny said sleepily. "Go 'way, Ron..."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I'm not Ron!" he said. "Ginny, get up!"

"Percy, go away," she mumbled.

"Ginny!" Harry hissed.

Ginny rolled over and grabbed her pillow and began to hug it. "Malfoy? You're a stupid git, but a sexy stupid git," she said to the pillow. Harry rolled his eyes as the pillow seemed to go feeling down Ginny's shirt. She grabbed another pillow and it seemed to want her too.

"Ginny!" he said louder.

Ginny sat up, half awake. "What?" she said sleepily.

"Hurry up! Get dressed!" Harry said, throwing Ginny's clothes to her. "Everyone's up! We've got to use my Invisibility Cloak."

He draped the cloak over both of them, and half-dragged Ginny down the central staircase, letting her out when he saw no on was on the staircase landing. He banished his cloak back to his room and closed the door with his wand.

"C'mon," Harry said, as he made his way down the stairs, a half-asleep Ginny stumbling after him. "You're not a morning person, are you?" he asked. "What's with having threesomes with my pillows?"

Ginny blushed. "Nothing," she said quickly. Harry nodded.

"Okay," he said. "Right. And I'm supposed to believe Malfoy is a stupid, sexy git," he added.

"Oh," Ginny said, turning redder. "Er... Well..."

"I wonder who the other pillow was," he said teasingly.

"Er..." Ginny said, turning even redder. "It- it was... er..."

"Never mind," Harry said. "Come on."

The Great Hall was still filling up when they got there. Ron and Hermione were already there, however, and Hermione waved cheerfully at them.

"What are you so cheerful about?" Harry said, extremely grouchy and cranky. "I spent the night on the bloody floor."

To his surprise, Ron just stared happily. "Er... did you put a cheering charm on yourself?" Harry said.

"No," Hermione said with a similar grin plastered on her face.

"Right," Harry said dubiously. Ginny was also looking confused at the two's sudden happiness. They weren't supposed to be happy, not after Mrs. Weasley became ill. Ginny frowned, then tried something.

"Er..." she said. "Percy just became Headmaster," she lied.

"That's nice," Ron said, his dreamy expression becoming wider.

Ginny and Harry looked at each other, and Ginny said, "Harry and I slept together." Harry shot her an alarmed look.

"Bloody excellent," Ron said, still grinning.

"Er..." Harry said. He and Ginny looked at each other again.

"I slept with Malfoy," Ginny said.

"Wonderful," Ron said, smiling happily.

"Are you on drugs, Ron?" Harry asked. "Because you're acting like you are on them. Stop smiling!" Ron didn't hear.

Ginny got a devilish smirk on her face. "Hey, Ron," she said. "Last night, Harry, Malfoy, Colin and I got together in Harry's room, and we had lots of fun. They're all wild." Harry winced. Ginny went on. "I think I'm pregnant with Colin's baby." Harry gagged.

"That's ni- WHAT?" Ron yelled in surprise. His face slowly turned red. "What do you mean, with Colin? And Harry and Malfoy?"

Everyone in the hall quieted. "Ron! It was just to make sure you weren't on drugs!" Ginny whispered.

"Oh," Ron said, deflating. "Right."

"Well, I suppose we got your mind off of yesterday," Harry whispered to Ginny as Ron and Hermione began to gaze dreamily at each other. "D'you think something happened last night?"

"That didn't sound right," Ginny said, sobering again.

***

Ron and Hermione started spending a lot more time together after that, often leaving Harry and Ginny alone to research in the library about the necklace. They watched Malfoy carefully, but he never gave them any other reason to suspect him.

Another Hogsmeade weekend came up, and Ron and Hermione went together, leaving Harry and Ginny to go by themselves. The two strolled along the streets, laughing and joking.

About halfway, they were joined by Icicle, who was dragging an unwilling Malfoy behind her. "Hi, Ginny," Icicle said.

Harry looked suspiciously at Malfoy, who looked suspiciously back at him. "Hi, Icicle," Ginny said cheerfully.

"I heard there was a place called Madame Puddifoot's around here, but Draco won't tell me where it is," Icicle said.

Malfoy looked terrified at the prospect of walking into Madame Puddifoot's. Harry didn't blame him. "I'd try the Three Broomsticks," Harry said.

"We've been there already!" Icicle complained. "I want to go to Madame Puddifoot's instead."

"Harry, let's go there!" Ginny said.

"But we're not even going out!" Harry spluttered. "That place is for couples!"

"So?" Ginny said. "It's a cute little place. And besides, I'm a girl, and you're a boy."

"We're still not going out!" Harry said, but Ginny dragged him forcefully into the dreaded doily hell known as Madame Puddifoot's. "Why is it girls always think this place is cute?" he groaned.

He heard Malfoy swear under his breath as Icicle dragged him in as well. "What's so great about this bloody place?" Malfoy said.

"How would I know? The reason evades me," Harry said. "Ginny, you've gone around, come on!"

"Fine," Ginny said, reluctantly leaving the shop.

"Can we leave too?" Malfoy said hopefully to Icicle.

"No," Icicle said, pulling him into the depths of the shop.

"Why don't you like that place?" Ginny asked once they were back on the street. "It's very cute."

"Cute?" Harry almost gagged. "That place is a living hell!"

"Well, all right," Ginny said. "Do you want to go to Zonko's?"

"We've gone there," Harry said, pointing at Ginny's large bag of joke supplies.

"I've got an idea," Ginny said. "Can I see the cave where... Sirius hid?"

"Why?" Harry asked.

"I don't know. It's just that Ron's told so many stories about it, and I want to see."

Harry laughed. "There's not much to see, but all right." He led her past Dervish and Banges, into the outskirts of Hogsmeade. "Here," he said, pointing to a small opening in the rocks.

"Ron was right when he said it was barely a gap in the rocks," Ginny said.

"Lumos," Harry said. The tip of his wand lit up.

"Good idea," Ginny said, doing the same thing. Harry felt a pang of sadness as he saw the three-year-old Daily Prophets still lying on the ground.

"This is where he lived?" Ginny said sadly. "This is horrible. How did he live here?"

"He lived off rats," Harry said. "And by stealing food from rubbish bins, I suppose. In his Animagus form."

"He loved you very much, Harry," Ginny said.

"I know," Harry said, giving her his half-smile. He turned around to look out the gap in the rocks.

"You're very cute when you do that, you know," he thought he heard Ginny say from behind him.

"What?" Harry said.

"Nothing," Ginny said quickly.

"Really, what did you say?" Harry said.

Ginny blushed. "I said I like your half-smile thing. You're very cute when you do that."

"Cute?" Harry said, raising an eyebrow.

"Very," Ginny whispered, all traces of a blush gone. She moved closer to him. "I-I-I..." she came even closer, so that their faces were almost touching. "Your eyes are nice," she murmured. "Mine are brown."

"A very nice brown," Harry said softly. They leaned in...

"We can't do this!" they said simultaneously.

"What about Ron?" Ginny said.

"And we have to keep on researching," Harry said.

"Right," Ginny said. "And... we're just friends, right?"
"Yeah," Harry said, "just friends. So we can't do this at all. It wouldn't work out." He nodded to emphasise his point.

"Yeah," Ginny agreed softly. "Let's... let's not mention this to anyone."

"Good idea. C'mon, we'd better get going," Harry said. There was a sound that sounded like a whoosh behind them. "What was that?" he said.

"I don't know," Ginny said.

They turned around, and found themselves looking at someone they had never expected to see. Ginny screamed, and Harry whipped his wand out.

"Harry? Ginny?" said Sirius, sounding far away. "What? Harry, why is your wand out?"

"You're dead. You can't be the real Sirius," Harry said levelly.

"No," Sirius said. "I'm not. I'm a ghost, Harry. I promised your parents that I would take care of you should they die, and I died intending to keep that promise."

"If you're a ghost," Harry said. "Why is it that you appeared right now? Not right after you died?"

"But isn't this just after I died?" Sirius said with confusion.

Harry stepped closer to the ghost, his wand still out. Sirius' eyes widened. "Bloody hell, Harry, you've grown about a head since I last saw you. And where are your glasses?"

"It's been two years since you died," Harry said. "I'm seventeen now, Sirius."

"Seventeen," Sirius whispered. "Harry, I promise you I'm not a Death Eater or product of Voldemort."

"Prove it," Harry said.

"I can't, Harry. I'm a ghost. Ghosts can't do magic," Sirius said. "Harry, listen, I need to see Dumbledore."

"Dumbledore's at St. Mungo's," Ginny said. "We can't bring you to him."

Sirius looked at Ginny. "Is it you, Ginny?" he said.

Ginny nodded.

Sirius' eyes widened. "Ginny? You've changed. Your hair's much darker... are you two..." he said.

"No!" Harry and Ginny said at the same time. "Ron became homicidal the last time he caught us in the same room without him in it," Ginny said.

"We can bring you to McGonagall," Harry said. "She's acting Headmistress."

"Thank you, Harry," Sirius said.

"I don't know whether you're Sirius or not, but I will bring you to her," Harry said. "If you're not Sirius, then..." he pointed his wand at the ghost.

"Of course," Sirius said.

***

"Mr. Potter?" McGonagall said in surprise as Harry walked into Dumbledore's office. "You had the password?"

"I had to go through thirty names of sweets," Harry said.

"What is it? Oh!" McGonagall said, spotting Sirius. "Mr. Black! You're... you're... you died two years ago..."

"I'm a ghost, Professor," Sirius said miserably. McGonagall seemed to understand after that, as her face lost its shocked look.

"I suppose it took you two years to become one," she said. "Very well. Mr. Black, you are welcome to stay at Hogwarts as a resident ghost, if you like." She gave him one of her rare smiles.

"He's Sirius?" Harry said tentatively. "Why did it take so long for him to come back?"

"Yes, Mr. Potter," McGonagall said. "As for why it took him two years, I don't know. It took Professor Binns five years to become a ghost. And he remembers nothing of the process." She turned back to Sirius. "I will inform the Order immediately."

Sirius floated over to Harry. "Good god, Harry, you're taller than me. And Head Boy. What have I missed?"

Harry suddenly felt a wave of hot anger go through him. How could Sirius come back after two years, after everyone had suffered? He wasn't supposed to become a ghost! "Nothing," Harry spat, turning and leaving.

"Harry?" he heard Ginny say in surprise.

"Harry?" Sirius called.

Harry didn't listen. He stormed out of the office, and out into the corridors, wandering aimlessly. Why did he suddenly become so angry?

He found Mark on the Quidditch pitch, tossing a Quaffle with Natalie MacDonald and Euan Abercrombie, the two Gryffindor beaters. "Hi, Harry," Euan called. "What are you doing here?"

"Why aren't you at Hogsmeade?" Harry asked.

Euan shrugged. "My mum wouldn't sign the form. Besides, I'm here to keep my mate Mark company. So is Natalie. But now that you're here, David might decide to come out, and we can play a game or something. Two Chasers, two Beaters, and a Keeper."

"Who's going to be the Keeper?" Harry asked.

"I am," David Gordon said, coming from the stand.

"You're Chaser," Harry pointed out.

"I want to try out for Keeper next year," David said. "So I supposed you could play Chaser this one practice game, so I could practice."

"All right," Harry said. "I suppose I could try Chaser."

Natalie rolled her eyes. "You already tried being a Chaser, and you were good at it. Come on."

They all mounted their brooms, and Harry fetched his from the broom closet. Mark grabbed the Quaffle. "So, I think it should be three-way," Mark said. "Euan and I against Harry and Natalie. And everyone's against David."

"Good idea," David said. "Let's go, then." Five brooms took off, and Harry grabbed the Quaffle from Mark.

"That wasn't fair!" Mark said, grinning. "You're stronger! And you've been playing five years longer!"

"Your idea," Harry said, grinning back. He threw the Quaffle at the middle hoop. David was good. He caught it, and threw it up for them to catch.

Mark had just caught the Quaffle when Colin rushed onto the Quidditch pitch, looking very angry about something. Ginny was right behind him, asking him what was wrong. The Slytherin team, who had the pitch that evening, watched, interested.

Colin marched up to the Gryffindor Quidditch players, who had landed, up to Harry. "I'm warning you, Harry, don't you dare touch my girlfriend!"

Harry was puzzled. "Who's your girlfriend, Colin?" he asked.

"Ginny, of course," Colin replied.

Harry nearly choked on his own spit. Across from him, it looked like Ginny was struggling too. David took one look at the height difference between Colin and Ginny, and burst out laughing.

"I'm not going out with you!" Ginny said. "Colin, are you feeling all right today?"

"Yes, I am, flower!" Colin said, looking up to meet Ginny's eyes. Harry nearly gagged. So did the rest of the team.

"God, Creevey," Euan said. "Flower?"

"I'm not going out with you!" Ginny said. "Look! I'm unattached. I can kiss whoever I want, whenever I want," she added. To prove her point, she marched over to Malfoy, of all people, and kissed him. Malfoy's eyes widened, and he seemed unable to move until Crabbe moved forward and pulled Ginny off of him. Harry's eyes narrowed involuntarily, but no one noticed.

"Ginny?" Colin said, wobbling. "It's over!" he shouted.

"We never had anything in the first place!" Ginny countered.

"What the bloody hell was that for, Weaselette?" Malfoy shouted.

"You didn't need to prove it that much, Ginny," Harry said. Colin marched away, fuming.

"I'm melodramatic," Ginny said coolly. Euan and David's jaws dropped as they stared dreamily at her. She turned to Harry, and her brown eyes seemed strangely empty.

"Who cares whether Ron cares or not?" she whispered.

"Ginny, this isn't such a good idea..." Harry said, extremely uncomfortable. Ginny moved closer, and the rest of the team present stared in shock.

"I want the necklace, Harry," Ginny continued so only Harry could hear. "Can I have it?"

"Ginny, you know that..." Harry started. He was cut off by Ginny reaching into his shirt.

"Let me have it, Harry," Ginny said.

"You're under the curse," Harry said.

"Curse?" Ginny said, her eyes still blank.

"GINNY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" screamed a voice. Ginny jumped, and the life returned to her eyes. She jumped again, and removed her hand from Harry.

"Uh oh," Natalie said.

Ron dashed over to the team. "I was looking all over for you two! And I find you," he glared at Ginny, "touching him." He looked at Harry. "And you," he said, "letting her."

"What happened?" Ginny said. "I-I don't remember anything after coming back to Hogwarts from Hogsmeade..."

"C'mon," Harry said. "Back to the castle." The team silently followed his directions, and made their way to the school.

Ron was looking thoughtful. "You don't think this was the Imperius Curse again, do you?"

"It was," Harry said. "She wanted... it," he said, carefully not mentioning the necklace.

"Who put it on her?" Ron said.

Harry looked around. Looking straight at him was Malfoy, smirking widely.