Backfire

CHAPTER 12

Coming to a Head

Ginny and Harry were walking solemnly back to the Gryffindor common room from the Defense classroom, having had a second, much more peaceful conference with Professor Wrightman. Their cheeks were tear-stained and their eyes were red, but there was no trace of sadness in their expressions. His face was the picture of grim but bolstered determination; hers of ferocity and fire.

The two teenagers had sat quietly while their Defense professor explained to Harry the extent of her relationship with both his mother and his godfather. When she seemed to have finished, Harry softly spoke, asking the first of many questions that he had for her about Lily and Sirius, and even James. And in answering that first question, Gertrude Wrightman finally saw what Ginny had told her she would find once Harry got over the initial shock of who she was: she saw a hardening regard and a heightened respect that she couldn't help but return.

And how could she not?

With Lily's eyes, her humility, her utter selflessness, and the same incredible knack for attracting the unconditional loyalty of everyone he befriended, and with his unwavering trust and love for Sirius, Gertrude finally allowed herself to feel the kinship with Harry that she had kept at bay for her entire adult life. And she saw the steadfast, fervent, and almost wild devotion of the person at his side.

She knew that devotion, that bottomless affection, that lightening of the eyes and the heightened awareness that transformed Ginny's countenance when Harry walked into a room. It may be appearing on a young woman now, instead of a young man, but it was unnervingly familiar nonetheless.

Harry had apologized before they sat down--meekly and honestly as was his way--and they had proceeded as if nothing had happened.

They were passing the Great Hall, both teenagers deep in thought, when Harry stopped suddenly and went to open one of the Hall doors. Ginny hesitated and followed, stopping when she came up behind where he was leaning against the doorframe. She squeezed in next to him, and he glanced at her before returning his gaze to the Hall.

"I've always wondered what this place was like when my parents were here," he said, finally. He spoke so quietly that she had to lean in to hear him clearly; it was hard to tell whether he was talking to her or to himself. "Like, were my dad and Sirius like the twins? Once I saw what they did to Snape, and how much my mum seemed not to like them, I couldn't ever be sure that they were as good as everyone says."

"Well, people always exaggerate goodness or evil a bit when other people die. Your parents were seen as heroes, so naturally everyone remembered the best parts of them. But for Sirius, since everyone thought he had betrayed them, everyone exaggerated his flaws."

"Except for Remus and Professor Wrightman."

"Especially Remus and Professor Wrightman." At this Harry turned his head quickly to look at her curiously. "Harry, think. What was your first reaction to Sirius when you heard that he had betrayed your parents?" Harry paused as he recalled his thoughts, and then nodded in realization.

"I was furious," he conceded.

"And you didn't even know him yet. Imagine how they must have felt. Remus was his best friend. And remember last time? Professor Wrightman said that Sirius was the only man she ever trusted." Harry frowned. "And the ones who hated him the most, the Death Eaters, Bellatrix, and Voldemort? They all knew it could never have been him. And you can bet that Bellatrix and Voldemort probably exaggerated his goodness. Of course, they hated him, too. Just for the opposite reason." Harry sighed.

"So what am I supposed to think?"

"Very few things are as black-and-white as we'd like them to be. Take Snape. Is he an enormous git? Sure, he is. But he puts his life on the line every day for the Order, and in particular, to keep you alive. So what does that make him? He hated your father and your godfather, he called your mother a Mudblood, and as far as we can tell, he doesn't seem to be any more inclined to like you either. But he's brilliant, and he's on our side. In a pinch, we can be on the same team, and we could probably work together. But if someone asked you about him, you'd probably say that you hate him. Or that he's a mean bastard."

"So my parents and Sirius weren't perfect. I get it." Ginny smiled.

"Actually, as far as I can tell, your mum nearly was perfect. I have never heard a single negative thing about her. Not from Professor Wrightman, not from Sirius, not from Remus, not from anyone." Harry seemed to calm a little at this observation. He was quiet for a while, and Ginny couldn't be sure what was going through his mind. After a bit, he cast his gaze around the Great Hall, lingering on each of the House tables one by one.

"I love this room," he said at last. "Not as much as the common room or my dormitory, or even the Quidditch locker room, but I feel like I can trace my life through this room."

"I'd agree with you there," Ginny added, "but I think I would add the Room of Requirement and the Kitchens to your list." Harry smiled at the mention of them. There certainly hadn't been any bad memories for either of them in those two rooms. Nodding and smiling--obviously running through pleasant memories--Harry backed away from the doors, and Ginny fell into step with him as they resumed their trip back to the Tower.

"So," he said when they were approaching the Fat Lady. Ginny glanced at him and he slowed to a stop just outside where the Fat Lady would be able to hear them.

"So?" Ginny asked expectantly. Harry looked up and directly into her eyes.

"So, tomorrow's Hogsmeade," he elaborated . . . somewhat. Ah, yes. Hogsmeade. That would explain the slightly obtuse conversational skills.

"Yes, it is."

"And you're going to Hogsmeade with Theo Nott."

"Yes."

"On a date."

"Yes." Then, to Ginny's surprise, Harry cracked a small smile.

"Okay, I just wanted to clear that up. So now hopefully I won't come and sit down at your bloody table and order you butterbeers like an enormous git." Ginny laughed. Harry looked rather proud of himself for being the cause.

"Even if you did, I rather doubt that Theo would be as ungracious as Duncan."

"Of course he wouldn't. He's quite a catch, that Theo Nott." And here, though Harry was making a commendable effort to be good-humored, Ginny could tell that he still wasn't particularly pleased about her date. His smile didn't reach his eyes--not by a long shot.

"Well, at least I don't think he would cheer against me in Quidditch," Ginny joked, hoping that the reference to Michael Corner, who neither of them particularly liked, would lighten the mood. It helped a little.

"That's true," Harry agreed. There was a somewhat tense pause, in which it seemed like Harry was deciding whether to tell her what was preoccupying him.

"Harry," Ginny prompted, as unobtrusively as she could manage. He looked up at her again. "Is there something on your mind?" She bit her lip as she anxiously waited for him to answer. He took a few moments before answering, and seemed to be examining her face.

"Do you like him a lot?" he asked, almost whispering, but maintaining eye contact with her. It was as if by whispering, the question wasn't as big of a deal. Ginny wasn't sure how to answer. She felt a fleeting urge to try and make Harry jealous, but given his personality, she doubted that would help her cause with him. But she also didn't want Harry to think that she didn't care about Theo.

"I do like him a lot." A nearly imperceptible flinch went through him. "I'm not sure how much that is, though. He's not like most boys I know." She paused for effect. "Then again, neither are you." Harry's gaze snapped forward to meet her own.

If only they knew that the same thought was passing through each of their minds: Too bad this is the last Hogsmeade trip of the year.

"Ginny," he began, in somewhat of a rush. "If . . . I mean to say, would you . . . that is, do you think that . . . Oh, bollocks." He shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at the floor. Ginny's heart was beating so fast she thought it might burst out of her chest. Harry glanced at the portrait as if he were seriously considering making a break for it. Ginny wasn't sure what he had been so anxiously tempted to ask her, but she didn't want to discourage him, whatever it was.

"Harry?" she ventured softly. He instinctively looked up at the sound of her voice, before remembering his embarrassment and fixing his gaze somewhere in the proximity of Ginny's shoulder.

"Er, yeah?"

"I'm hungry. Let's go to the Kitchens." He visibly sighed with relief. And then he actually smiled.

"All right." He held out his hand. "Let's go to the Kitchens." She took his hand and off they went.

* * *

Ginny and Theo met up in front of the Great Hall the next day just after breakfast. Ginny found that she couldn't stop smiling. Theo appeared to be exceedingly--albeit quietly--pleased with himself. They walked and chatted about a number of things, including Potions, various members of Theo's House, Quidditch, and their families.

Unlike her date with Duncan, Ginny found that their conversation made the trip pass by quite rapidly. Before she knew it, they were approaching Quality Quidditch Supplies, where Theo noticed her pretending not to look at the window display. Smirking pleasantly, he asked her if she would like to browse, and once she admitted that she did, opened the door to let them inside.

They spent quite a while in the shop, and Ginny found that although he did not play himself, Theo was very knowledgeable and very interested in the game. His team was the Kenmare Kestrels which, while not the Chudley Cannons, was evidence that he was a true fan and not a bandwagon-type.

He explained that while he loathed everything about his parents and all associated with them, he had first been introduced to Quidditch when he was very young, and as the Nott estate is located in County Kerry in southwestern Ireland, Kenmare was the local team and the natural object of his undying allegiance. He also elaborated that, while he spent most of his holidays with his Caldwell relations, whose ancestral estate was situated in Northern Ireland, he never took to supporting their team, the Ballycastle Bats.

As they continued to stop and check out many of the items in the store, the first two games of Gryffindor's season, as well as the approaching match with Hufflepuff, came up several times.

While he certainly had his own opinions, Ginny was pleased to discover that he wasn't like Ron and Michael Corner in the sense that he could respect someone else's views without necessarily agreeing. Quidditch discussions with Ron (and with Michael, when she was still dating him) always deteriorated into angry shouting matches because those two boys always had to be right.

When Ginny had seen her fill, they left the store and walked to the Three Broomsticks on Theo's suggestion. Ginny was thrilled that he didn't even glance in the direction of Madam Puddifoot's.

Ginny volunteered to order them butterbeers from the bar, while Theo agreed to find them a booth. Both the fact that he was a relatively mysterious Slytherin sixth-year and the fact that he had walked into the pub with Ginny Weasley in full view of all the student patrons made Theo's task significantly easier than it would have been for the average student. Ginny matched Rosmerta's smile as she approached the bar.

"So, who is it this time?" Rosmerta inquired, indirectly alluding to Ginny's last date with Duncan Moran. Ginny smiled this time rather than rolling her eyes.

"Theo Nott. He's my partner in Potions." Madam Rosmerta's eyebrows lifted slightly in recognition of Ginny's good humor.

"Well you certainly seem better pleased with him than the last bloke you brought in here," the hostess commented. Ginny's expression displayed her agreement and relief.

"Definitely. It probably helps that I actually like him." Rosmerta laughed.

"Yes, I think that would make dating a bit easier." Ginny's face seemed glued into a smile. Rosmerta lifted their drinks to the counter.

"We'll be having lunch in a bit, but no rush," Ginny said. "Thanks for the drinks!" Rosmerta nodded in recognition and Ginny turned to find Theo and their table. This action was violently disrupted by someone knocking into Ginny as she turned, thoroughly soaking her bare arm in butterbeer.

"Neville!" a familiar voice chastised. Ginny looked up to see a horrified Neville and, behind him, a concerned-looking Harry. Luna was standing somewhat to the side, but was obviously with their party.

"Sorry, Ginny!" Neville cried, picking up the mug that had fallen to the floor at their collision. Luna reached her wand around to cast a drying spell on Ginny's wet arm.

"Thanks," Ginny said to her in response. Then she turned to Neville with a small smile. "No harm done, Neville. Accidents happen. I'll just get new drinks." Then her gaze found Harry. "Hey, Harry." He didn't quite smile, but certainly didn't look displeased to see her either.

"Hey, Gin. Sorry about this."

"No worries, Harry," she assured him. Glancing at his company, Ginny's smile broadened. "I see you've found some good company this time. Did the other two run off again and leave you in the dark?" Harry laughed.

"Yes, I have, and yes they did."

"Well I'm glad about the first part, and I don't really know what to say about the other thing," Ginny responded thoughtfully. "Do you think we should clue them in that we know?" Harry shrugged.

"I can't decide if it would horrify them or relieve them to know that we know."

"I think they deserve a little of both, to tell you the truth," Ginny said. Harry smiled wryly.

"I think I agree with you."

"Then maybe we can let them know tomorrow," she suggested.

"Sounds like a plan," Harry agreed, smiling slightly. He held her gaze for a moment and then looked to his two companions. Neville was turning from the bar with new drinks for Ginny, and Luna was speaking to him as he did so. When Ginny turned to thank Neville for fetching the butterbeers, she thought she saw Harry sneak a glance at Theo sitting by himself in a booth in a far corner of the pub.

"Thanks Neville, you needn't have done that." Neville smiled sheepishly.

"It was the least I could do for dumping the first ones all over you." Ginny smiled and said goodbye to him and Luna. Luna responded cheerfully that Ginny should remember to avoid kissing people because, if not done exclusively to one's soul mate, it could cause a person to sprout warts on their arms. Harry's face (and, Ginny suspected, her own) was flushed red when they turned to each other to part ways. Ginny couldn't tell if Luna was hinting at something or just being spacey as usual. Harry cleared his throat nervously.

"Erm, see you later Ginny. Have . . . I hope you have a nice time today." Ginny smiled, though not without a considerable degree of self-consciousness.

"Thanks, Harry. I'll see you at dinner." And with that, she took the drinks back to the table where Theo was waiting for her. Ginny hoped Luna wouldn't decide to take matters into her own hands on the subject of her and Harry, and any feelings they may or may not have for each other. When she arrived at the booth Theo had commandeered, the young man looked very much like he had been observing the entire exchange from across the room. His first words to her were a bit startling.

"Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood were the other two students who went with you to the Department of Mysteries last year, weren't they?" he asked. Ginny blinked.

"Ah, yes, they were. Do people not know that?" she confirmed and wondered aloud. She had thought that, between Dumbledore and the Daily Prophet, most of the wizard families had gotten some sketch of what had gone on at the Ministry of Magic the previous June. Perhaps she had been mistaken.

"No, most people don't know that, I reckon. The Prophet only said six students including Harry Potter were involved in the events that occurred in the Department of Mysteries. From my family I know that you, your brother, and Hermione Granger were three of the others, but I didn't know that Longbottom and Lovegood were the final two." Ginny's brow furrowed. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." Ginny's eyebrows rose slightly as if she did not quite believe him.

"Okay, so perhaps I might say something about it to Devon Pearce." Ginny smirked knowingly. Did they already know each other so well?

"I know," she replied. "And if you happened to mention it to the Ramseys or Professor Wrightman, I would not see a problem. But that is really as far as it ought to go." Theo assured her of his discretion and their conversation took a different, though no less intriguing turn.

"I get the impression that Harry is not particularly pleased that you accepted a date with me," he commented, in the way one might suggest that it might rain later. His manner disarmed Ginny momentarily, since she was still not quite used to such directness in the discussion of awkward subjects.

"Um, I'm not quite sure how I'm supposed to respond to that," she admitted. Theo nodded in apparent agreement.

"I mention this because he has never paid me much attention during the nearly six years we've been in school together, but ever since you agreed to spend the day with me today, he has, shall I say, been much more attentive of my existence."

"Well, he can be very protective when it comes to Ron and my family," Ginny said, not at all convincingly. She didn't particularly care how convincing she was, though, since she hardly knew how she wanted to respond in the first place.

"I don't think that is where his particular concern stems from, in your case," Theo replied, with no small amount of insinuation in his tone. Ginny gulped. Oh, not Theo, too. First Hermione, then Luna, and now Theo? Was her date really attempting to tell her that Harry was jealous? Ginny was a bit tired of waiting for Theo to come to his point.

"Then what do you think, Theo?" she began, her voice rising slightly. "That Harry likes me? That he's jealous because I've come to Hogsmeade with you instead of him? Don't be ridiculous. He's seen me practically every day for the last four years. He had plenty of opportunities to ask, and what's more, he knew I had a thing for him when I was younger. It would have been a right sure thing to ask me to Hogsmeade, but he never did. There's no way that he cares that much about who I go to Hogsmeade with."

Okay, so maybe that was a lie. He had brought it up the previous night, and she certainly remembered the way his eyes never seemed to match his supportive remarks. Theo looked skeptical.

"Would it still be a sure thing?" Theo asked, shaking Ginny from her ambivalent inner monologue.

"What?!" she replied, her voice reaching heights in pitch that she hadn't previously known to exist.

"It's a simple question. I would merely like to know where I stand." For the love of Merlin, they hadn't even ordered lunch yet, and he's asking where he rates? Couldn't she at least get a whole date in the books before the boy-wackiness started up again? What was it with her dates and the moments just before they ordered lunch?

"Well, seeing as we haven't even been on a whole date yet, how about I let you know by the end of the day?" Theo paused for a moment and then nodded.

"That seems reasonable," he conceded. Ginny was flabbergasted. Did all Slytherins take so direct an approach to romantic relationships? At first the attentions of Baron Ramsey and Theo had been refreshing in their frankness, but now Ginny wasn't sure she could take much more of this. They had been growing closer and getting to know each other at such a nice pace, and now he'd gone and nearly spoiled it.

"Put it this way," she began, pausing to make sure she actually wanted to say what was on the tip of her tongue. "You and Harry are the only boys that I would agree to go to Hogsmeade alone with, where I would actually look forward to the trip. But seeing as he didn't ask me, and you did, what he thinks doesn't much matter at the moment, does it?"

At this submission, Theo's face curved into the somewhat sly, somewhat triumphant grin that only she--though Ginny didn't know it--could bring out in him.

"No," he admitted, "I suppose it doesn't."

And with that, Madam Rosmerta arrived at their table to take their lunch orders. Ginny and Theo thought about and looked at nothing but each other until late afternoon when they began the trip back to Hogwarts, and when, unfortunately, there was indeed quite a bit more to think about and look upon besides each other.

* * *

Ginny and Theo were walking casually up a small hill as they left the outskirts of the wizarding village. The turrets of the castle and the Quidditch rings came into sight as they overtook the mound, but any musings they might have shared with each other were cut off by a particularly urgent yell.

"Ginny, look out!" Harry shouted, and by pure instinct Ginny fell to the ground, eyes searching out danger and arms groping for Theo, who she had tugged down with her. She heard footsteps pounding and glanced up to see Neville and Harry rushing to meet . . .

Dementors.

Six of them. Coming out of the small patch of woods that ran up one side of the small hill. Harry kept glancing toward her, and Ginny thought that if he kept it up, he might get himself killed--or, seeing as they were dealing with Dementors, much, much worse. As she looked down at Theo, she caught Luna's slight form running to stand with Harry and Neville in her peripheral vision. She glanced at her somewhat startled date.

"Can you conjure a proper Patronus?" she asked him quickly. He nodded briskly, his face all business. "What form does it take?" She had to be sure, for everyone's safety, but for Theo's in particular.

"A dolphin," he replied immediately.

"Then let's go help them," she said, rising and pulling him up with her.

Just as she did, he pulled her back down and rolled them over. Simultaneously, Ginny felt the temperature plummet. There were more of them. Without thinking, Ginny hugged Theo tightly--much to his distraction and not unpleasant surprise--and whispered the Apparation spell, whisking them across the mound just as she could feel the coldness creeping in again. They reappeared about fifteen behind the other three, and Ginny was almost immediately on her feet. Harry, Neville, and Luna were starting to feel the pressure of holding the Patronus charm for a long period of time.

"Expecto Patronum!" Theo's voice rang out, followed quickly by Ginny's own.

Only, where Theo's dolphin came wooshing out of the end of his wand, Ginny's Patronus sputtered. Need a happy memory, she chastised herself. What was the one she'd used with Remus? Oh yes, the Chamber of Secrets. Suddenly images of giant serpents, mysterious older boys, and clumsy saviors filled her head, and as she began to re-live the joy of seeing Harry arrive to save her in her mind, she heard faint shouts around her. Her head cleared briefly, reminding her of the danger at hand, and she dropped her wand, thrusting out her arm and pointing with only a finger at the rushing Dementors on pure instinct.

"Expecto Patronum!" she thundered, and Harry came swooping forth, much like the real version was apt to do on his broom. Patronus Harry went at the now ten Dementors, slashing at them with his sword, and joining Harry's stag, Theo's dolphin, Neville's thick vines, and Luna's unicorn in their swirling battle with the Dementors. Suddenly Harry's stag fizzled and Ginny looked to find him staring at her in utter disbelief.

So he'd seen her bloody Patronus at last. Well now he'd regret teasing her about it, wouldn't he? But there was no time to be humiliated with twice their number in Dementors trying to get at them. They were much weaker with Harry's Patronus out of the picture, and Ginny struggled to hold up her own charm with one hand while she shoved Harry hard to the ground with the other, knocking him out of his temporary shock.

"Get up! We need your Patronus!" she insisted, and Harry snapped back into Boy-Who-Lived mode. With one smoldering look at her--a look that sent shivers up her spine--he closed his eyes and re-cast his Patronus, conjuring a stag nearly twice as big and more than twice as bright as the other charms. Ginny briefly wondered what memory he had used to cast the spell.

Patronus Prongs gored Dementor after Dementor, drawing their attention away from the others, and allowing the other four teenagers to pause and re-cast them. This second casting drew brighter and larger Patronuses from Neville, Ginny, Luna, and Theo, but none were as grand or as blinding as Harry's. They had all used different memories this time around; Ginny's had been a recollection of the time they had first found Herpo in her bathroom messing about in the toilet paper at Spinner's End.

Though they were holding out pretty well so far, Ginny knew they wouldn't be able to last very long, and the Dementors would be ready to pounce on them when their charms gave out. Harry must have realized this, too, because Ginny heard him call out.

"Theo, can you Apparate?" he shouted over the noise from their struggle.

"Yes!" the answer came back, and Ginny heard her name next. The wind seemed to have picked up significantly.

"Ginny! You'll have to Apparate yourself and Luna to the castle gates! Theo and I will get Neville!" Ginny nodded. It was becoming downright blustery now--not to mention cold--and the wind was almost completely swallowing their words. Ginny put three fingers in the air, and counted them down, running toward Luna as she did. On zero she practically leapt onto her friend and shouted "Apparatus!" in the slight hope that yelling the incantation would add power to the spell.

Before she could blink, the two of them landed with a significant thud at the gates to the castle and they rushed inside, screaming alternately for Professor McGonagall, Professor Wrightman, Professor Snape, and the Headmaster. When they had made it half-way to the large doors of the castle, they heard a loud crack, and turned to see the three boys tumble out of thin air at the foot of the gate.

Luna screamed as they both noticed that one of the Dementors had gotten through the Apparation with them, and still had a firm grip on Harry's ankle. This sent Ginny and Luna running back toward the gate, but not before Ginny sent a strong Reductor Curse toward the large heavy doors of the school. One of the doors exploded, and Ginny hoped it would attract the attention of a faculty member in time to help them.

Theo had already cast a Patronus by the time they reached the boys, and it looked like Harry was able to wrest his ankle away from the Dementor. But as Ginny looked up to see whether any teachers were coming to help them, she noticed that the several Dementors they had left on the other side of the hill were fast approaching. There was no Apparating on Hogwarts grounds, but she had to hope that there would be some kind of protection against the dark creatures inside the gates of the school.

"RUN!" she yelled, yanking on the nearest arms she could reach, which turned out to be Luna's and Harry's. She took off with the other four fast on her heels. Harry soon overtook her, and by the time they were half-way to the doors of the castle they saw Dumbledore and Professor Wrightman appear in the area around the damaged door. If she hadn't been panting from an outright sprint, Ginny would have sighed with relief.

The thought briefly crossed her mind that she could be severely punished for damaging school property.

Professor Wrightman spotted them first, pointing and drawing Dumbledore's attention. At nearly the same time, Ginny felt someone tug on her shirt, and she stopped running. It was Neville, and Ginny turned with the others to see Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick emerge from the side of the castle, casting powerful Patronus charms to give the teenagers some cover. The five of them shared a look and jogged the rest of the way to the headmaster.

Still not particularly comfortable with Dumbledore, Ginny began spilling the story of what happened to Professor Wrightman. They were all ushered inside the castle as she spoke, and Dumbledore transfigured the remnants of the old door into a new one. They were eventually led up to Dumbledore's office, with Ginny explaining all the while. During a pause when Ginny was nearing the end of her tale, Dumbledore inserted a question.

"And how did one of our front doors come to explode off of its hinges?" he asked her not unkindly. The three boys seemed surprised that the destruction of the door had anything to do with their encounter. Ginny swallowed and took a deep breath, glancing at Professor Wrightman for reassurance. The Defense professor didn't look angry, and Ginny took that to be a good sign.

"Well, when Luna and I were running to get to the castle," Ginny began, "we were screaming for help, but with the wind and the distance to the castle, I thought it was unlikely we would be heard. Once we saw that a Dementor had come through with the boys, we had to go back and help, and the only thing I could think of to get your attention was blowing up the castle door. And I supposed it worked, because here you are."

Dumbledore pondered this and Professor Wrightman sent Ginny the slightest of nods. Ginny hoped rather than believed it was a nod of approval. But what else could they have done? Sent and owl? Honestly. Dumbledore put his head in the fireplace, and from the hushed sounds Ginny could make out, it sounded like he was floo-calling the Ministry. Well good, perhaps the Ministry of Magic would still be good for something.

They spent the better part of an hour in Dumbledore's office answering questions. Professor McGonagall returned at that point, to report that the Dementors had been contained by Aurors and were presently being transported away from the school grounds. This news allowed Ginny a small bit of relief, though she was hardly confident that either the Aurors or the people of Britain would be particularly safe. When McGonagall and Flitwick departed, a silence descended over the five students and two faculty members. After a moment, the headmaster spoke.

"I must admit, I rather expected Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley to be involved in this little adventure, and not Mr. Nott," he observed. Harry and Ginny shared a look, since they had an idea as to what might account for the absence.

"Well, we're not quite sure where they are at the moment," Ginny began. Harry looked as if he might smile, but it was interrupted by a shiver. After-effects of exposure to Dementors, no doubt. Noticing this, Professor Wrightman disappeared briefly behind some shelves at the far end of the room, and returned with numerous chunks of Honeyduke's chocolate. Harry's eyes widened with approval, and he looked relieved. They thanked their teacher, who resumed her seat. Harry spoke up after swallowing his first few bites of candy.

"Actually, we haven't seen them since last night. Ron was gone when I woke up this morning." The two instructors glanced at each other, not looking alarmed, but perhaps preliminarily cautious.

"We're pretty sure we know what they're up to, though," Ginny interjected, to ease the adults' concern.

"Oh?" Professor Wrightman spoke this time. "And what reason do you suppose they have for disappearing?"

"I think what Harry and Ginny are alluding to is the fact that Weasley and Granger fancy each other and go off to . . . er . . . express their mutual affection behind Harry's back," Theo responded when neither Harry nor Ginny looked particularly inclined to explain.

"Ah," Dumbledore rejoined. "I see. Well, just to be safe, I think we'll fetch them anyway." He sent Fawkes off with the task. Harry and Ginny both looked slightly impressed that Theo had caught on so quickly. Or maybe Ron and Hermione were just as bloody obvious to everyone else as they were to Harry and Ginny.

* * *

This course of action decided upon, the five students were dismissed and sent back to their dormitories. Neville begged off to check on a special project he was doing for Professor Sprout, and Luna parted with them almost immediately, as the Ravenclaw dormitories were in an altogether different section of the castle. This was how Ginny was left solely in the company of Harry and Theo. Awkward.

"So," Ginny said, turning to begin walking away from the headmaster's office. Behind her back the boys shared a glance as if to say Does she really think she's getting away so easily? They were both curious, and both determined to be satisfied about that curiosity. When they didn't follow her, Ginny stopped and turned. "Well, are you coming?"

"I think perhaps we should discuss some things first," Theo offered. Ginny's brow furrowed, and then her eyebrows shot up as she realized that the whole lot of them had seen her Patronus. Oh bloody fuck. Well. The jig is up, I suppose.

"You do?" she returned, stalling without any real effort to disguise it.

"Yes, we do," Harry agreed.

"Then talk," Ginny prompted. Harry and Theo looked at each other, each in the hopes that the other wanted to speak first. When it became apparent that this was obviously not the case, Harry sighed and began working up the nerve.

"Your Patronus," he began a little nervously, but looked to be gaining resolve. Ginny's jaw hardened in an attempt to keep herself from blushing. "Was that . . . me?"

Ginny supposed the fact that he was surprised rather than horrified was something to be relieved about.

"Yes." Harry looked like he might collapse. Theo broke momentarily from his thoroughly pensive expression to glance at Harry with slight concern as to his ability to remain upright. They both looked back at Ginny when she spoke up again.

"It shouldn't be a surprise, should it?" she went on, sounding much more even and confident than she felt. "Did you notice the sword you were carrying? It was the one you had when you came to get me in the Chamber of Secrets. A Patronus is a protective charm. It's not much of a stretch to think that the person who saved my life when I was a child symbolizes safety and protection to my subconscious." She wondered if she had sounded as matter-of-fact as she hoped.

"But it wasn't my 12-year old self who came out, it was me as I am now," Harry returned.

"Well, when I see you and think about you, it's usually the way you are now, yeah?" Ginny answered a little defensively. "It's not like I think of you as still being twelve years old." Unlike the way some people--Mum and Ron--still think about me.

"You think about me?" Harry said, barely above a whisper, eyes hopeful. Theo scowled. Ginny blushed.

"Er . . . well, of course I do," Ginny began, not at all sure what to say. She didn't want to deny it and give Harry the idea that she only wanted to be his friend, but she also didn't want to hurt Theo. "We have most of our activities together, and we even have a class together now. You are part of most of the things that are important to me." This didn't seem to mollify Theo very much. He appeared to be thinking very hard about something.

"Oh," Harry said. Ginny couldn't tell if he was sad about her explanation, or if he was still just surprised at the admission. Just then, Theo walked up to her and, right there in front of Harry, lifted up her chin, looked her in the eyes, and kissed her.

While certainly unexpected, it was not the least bit unpleasant. In fact, it was very, very nice.

As she began to respond, one hand came up around her waist and another softly held the side of her face. When he went to deepen the kiss, he found that her mouth was already slightly open and waiting. Upon making this discovery, he moaned quietly and plunged in with control and no small amount of enthusiasm. He was fluid and not sloppy, strong without being overly forceful, and had obviously done this before. Her right hand grabbed a handful of his shirt in the front, and her left attempted to steady herself by holding onto his hip.

A few moments later, two things happened--They heard the sound of someone walking away down the corridor and their lungs began to burn for air. It took Ginny a second to realize that the person quickly retreating down the hallway was Harry, and she wrenched herself backwards out of Theo's semi-embrace, eyes wide.

Theo looked more unkempt than she had ever seen him, and it suited him. His shirt was a little wrinkled, it had come untucked in places, and one of the buttons had come undone. He was panting and so was she. Ginny was torn between slamming Theo up against a wall to resume their previous activity and running after Harry to explain. Sod it all, she thought to herself. She and Theo hadn't taken their eyes off each other. Ginny gulped and made her decision.

"That was . . . wow," she said with honest affection, wide eyes, and small smile. Then she took off at a run down the hall after Harry.

* * *

After running for a solid five minutes, Ginny came into sight of the Fat Lady and shouted the password from about ten yards away so that it would swing open and she wouldn't have to slow down. With a quick glance around the common room, during which she noticed Kerney eyeing her curiously, she took off up the stairs toward the sixth-year boys' dormitory.

Wondering if he would have locked it, she slammed up against the door and tried the handle. Nothing doing. Backing up to try again, she waved her hand in the appropriate movement and shouted "Alohomora!" When she tried the door again, she went stumbling inside to find Harry by one of the windows, looking startled and then furious.

"What are you doing here?!" he demanded, just short of shouting. Ginny had rarely seen him so angry. Ginny threw a quiet "Colloportus!" at the door.

"You took off! What was I supposed to do?" she demanded back.

"You seemed pretty well occupied when I left," he responded scathingly.

"He kissed me!" Ginny yelled, pointing toward the door, presumably to indicate Theo.

"You weren't exactly hesitating to kiss him back!" Harry shouted. He was breathing hard, and looked like he was either going to blast her out of the room or burst into tears. It was at this moment that Ginny could no longer contain the frustration she had been feeling about Harry's resentment toward her recent romantic entanglements.

"Well, maybe I wanted to!" she roared back, tears starting to well in her eyes, her voice choking up a bit. "Maybe I like being kissed by handsome boys who care about me! Maybe I like feeling desirable! You have no right to be angry with me for that!"

"YES I DO!" he insisted, appearing on the verge of tears. His cheeks were flushed with emotion and through her own rage and frustration, Ginny thought he might be shaking.

"What right do you have?" Ginny returned angrily. "As we have discussed many times, you are not my brother, and you certainly have never expressed any interest in any other role in my life that would give you a right to be angry!"

At this response, Harry's whole countenance fell. The room went from barely containing their shouts to dead silence in an instant. Ginny was trying with all her might to keep from sobbing, and Harry just stared at the floor. When he finally looked up, he looked nearly as broken as when Sirius had been killed. Tears began silently streaming down Ginny's face.

"You're right," he said quietly. "I haven't."

With one last look at her, he went over to his four-poster and sat on the edge, staring into space. His expression was a strange mix of disbelief, frustration, and utter sadness. Herpo appeared out of nowhere and made his way onto Harry's lap. Harry began stroking and petting his cat mindlessly, barely glancing down at him in recognition.

Ginny stood there watching the boy and his cat for nearly five minutes before she decided that Harry had nothing more to say to her. Only when she turned to leave and had her hand on the doorknob, did he finally speak up.

"Don't go," he said with a slight sense of urgency in his tone. Hand still on the doorknob, Ginny turned back to him to find both Harry and Herpo watching her. When she didn't say anything, Harry sighed and looked back at his lap. After a few more moments of silence, Ginny went to turn the knob.

"Why does everything have to be so hard?" Harry asked out loud. The question was one of frustration, but it was laced with an edge of bitterness that Ginny had never heard from him before. It reminded her of the resentment she had occasionally heard in Sirius' voice when he had been forced to stay at Grimmauld Place for so long. Somehow she doubted anyone else had ever heard it from Harry.

Out of most people the question would sound like immature whining, but from Harry, who Ginny knew really did have an unbelievably difficult go of it, it only made her heart ache. Nothing in this boy's life was easy, except for Quidditch. The least she could do was answer him.

"I suppose some things just wouldn't be worth as much if they were easy," she replied. Harry looked up at her, perhaps surprised that she had answered him. She tried to smile in an effort to comfort him, but it would only form half-way. He watched as she wiped tears from one eye with her sleeve and slipped out the door.

* * *

Ginny walked back in a daze to where she'd left Theo standing in the hallway near Dumbledore's office. As she had guessed, he was no longer there. She honestly didn't know what to think. To further complicate matters, her confused ponderings were interrupted by Ron and Hermione noisily exiting the headmaster's office. Trying not to panic and very much wanting to avoid an encounter with the two of them, Ginny sped quietly down the hall and darted behind a suit of armor.

Sometimes it was a blessing that Ron and Hermione were always carrying on at ungodly volumes.

". . . how do you reckon he found out? Did you . . ."

". . . I didn't say anything. And how on Earth would Ginny have found out . . ."

". . . he's probably just furious with us . . ."

Fat chance, Ginny thought to herself as they passed by her. Not when he's doing such a splendid job of being furious at me. Her angsty inner monologue was cut off by the sound of a familiar voice which, given the fact that her present emotional state was in complete uproar, was a very welcome one indeed.

"Gin?" Kerney asked, causing Ginny to turn and smile in relief. Once the initial relief passed, the relieved smile crumbled and Ginny held back tears just long enough for the Kernel to wrap her up in a hug. After a few minutes, Ginny calmed down, caught her breath and looked up at her friend.

"Thanks," she said meekly. She moved to start walking down the hall in the direction of the Kitchens, wiping her eyes with her sleeves. The Kernel fell into step with her.

"What happened," Kerney stated more than asked. Ginny appreciated the fact that it didn't sound like she was prying.

"Well, I had a lovely day with Theo, and then . . . well, then we were coming back to school and Theo, Harry, Neville, Luna, and I were attacked by Dementors," Ginny began, then added miserably, "So of course they all saw my Patronus." As if that was the worst of her troubles.

"And then I blew up one of the castle doors, and then we went to Dumbledore's office to explain, and when we were done I was stuck alone in the hall with Theo and Harry, and Theo kissed me right in front of him, and it was brilliant, but Harry got mad and we fought again, and now I'm confused and I feel absolutely wretched. And hungry." Having arrived at the portrait of the fruit, she tickled the pear.

Kerney followed her into the warm familiarity of the Kitchens with slightly raised eyebrows and a shake of the head that expressed her utter lack of surprise.

Once Ginny had taken care of her hunger, they moved on to the confusion and wretchedness. The Kernel was brought up to speed on the day's events, laughing heartily at the notion of Ron and Hermione thinking they were at all discreet. By the time Ginny had finished her explanation, Kerney had been surprised more than once by what she heard, something that happened rather rarely in Ginny's experience. At last Ginny looked to her friend for counsel, or a reaction, at the very least.

"So, what d'you reckon?" The Kernel nodded in assent.

"I reckon that Harry is bloody scared of you." Ginny's face fell. "Not like that. I think he's scared of you the same way you're scared of him," Ginny's expression was more tentative now, "the way your brother scares the living hell out of Hermione Granger. It's the same way that Andy and Nadine are absolutely petrified of each other. It's the power they hold over each other. The power that Harry has over you, and, now that we come to it, the power he must believe you have over him."

"What do you mean, power?"

"Ginny, why the bloody hell did you try for so long to get over him? Because you knew that if he was ever in trouble, or if he ever asked you for anything, you'd do it. You'd be at his side in an instant. Didn't matter if he dangled Cho bloody Chang in front of you for the length of a school year. His godfather's been kidnapped by Death Eaters in the bowels of the Department of Mysteries? You're there, no questions asked. And from what Luna says, your loyalty was firmer there than his supposed two best friends. While they questioned him, you didn't blink. That's the power I'm talking about.

"It's the absolute trust, that vulnerability that you resign yourself to when you care that much about someone. Take control-freak Hermione. I think half the reason she wants her and Ron to be a secret is because she's paranoid that others will see her vulnerability. Her brain has probably told her a million times that Ron is not her kind of bloke, but she just can't help it. No one can. For Andy and Nadine it was fear that one would reject the other because they've known each other so long, and so well. I reckon it's not that easy to feel attractive to someone who's seen you at your worst or most private moments.

"And then there's Harry. Here's a boy who has had so little control over his life since the day he stumped Voldemort that he probably resents the hell out of every authority figure he comes across. He's got a bloody mad dark wizard out to kill him, and that leaves him with about two areas in his life he has any control over. One is Quidditch, which I reckon to be the only thing that has kept him sane over the last five years. The other is his affection, which, given his life situation, is probably not something he has any natural talent for like he does with the Snitch.

"If he gives in to how he appears to feel about you, that's the ball game, and he knows it. Because if you knew how he felt, he wouldn't be able to deny you anything. A bloke like Harry plays for keeps. He's a lot like your brother Ron that way. Sure, Ron is louder and much more aggressive about it, but don't think that Harry Potter doesn't work in the same extremes. He won't dive in like Ron apparently has, because he's so bloody noble and he doesn't think he'd be able to pick the survival of the Wizarding world over you if Voldemort ever made him choose. That's the power you have. That's the fear."

"But that's so stupid!" Ginny cried, her body confused between a half-choked sob, incredulity, and anger.

"Love makes people stupid," Kerney replied. Ginny found little comfort in this, but she doubted the Kernel had meant to be comforting. "But you and Theo didn't cooperate with his little plan. He could make excuses when you dated Corner, because he was a git. But Harry respects Theo. He can't find anything wrong with him, and now the bloke went and kissed you, and hell if you didn't appear to like it. And in case he missed it, you ran after him and made sure he realized that he's got a decision to make. Whether you meant to or not, I do believe you just threw down the gauntlet to Harry Potter, mate."

"Oh, sod it all," was all Ginny could muster in response.

"No kidding," Kerney answered honestly.

"So what do I do now?" Ginny wondered aloud. "I think Harry might be okay if we could act like nothing happened, but then, what about Theo? I do like him, but if there's a chance Harry would ever look at me that way, I don't want to lead Theo on. How do I manage this without being a complete wench to one of them?"

"You've got to be honest with yourself, and decide what you want. Then, be honest with Theo. I think you've already made it clear enough for Harry that he's got to make the first move and, given the history between you two, I reckon that's pretty fair."

* * *

The next week passed by Ginny in a way that made her feel alternately like she was moving at hyper-speed and as though she were underwater. In most spare moments--at meals, when she spaced out in class, in the shower, during Quidditch drills--she thought on the question Kerney had told her to ask herself: What do I want?

It wasn't so much that she found answering the question difficult; it was how she felt about her answer that she needed to sort out. She wanted Harry, and there was really nothing else to think or say about it. But the reality of the situation was that Harry hadn't made a move, and her own pride and self-consciousness would not permit her to make it herself.

Theo, on the other hand, had asked her out, and it had been wonderful. He had kissed her, and it had been wonderful. It had been so wonderful, in fact, that she rather fancied the idea of him doing it again. And yet she couldn't deny that if Harry ever seemed romantically inclined toward her, she wouldn't be able to restrain the desire to be with him.

The last exchange she had shared with Harry on that strange day kept coming back to her in her mind.

"Why does everything have to be so hard?"

"I suppose some things just wouldn't be worth as much if they were easy."

She hated being right.

* * *

Tragedy in Theo's family provided a respite for Ginny's inner reflection, though she would have faced the uncertainty and awkwardness of encountering her Potions partner in a second if it meant that his grandfather would still be alive.

Devon had told her about Mr. Caldwell's death on Sunday, the day after Hogsmeade, when the two of them had dinner together in the Kitchens. Theo hadn't mentioned to Devon how his grandfather had died.

But even more surprising than the cause of Theo's sudden absence was the fact that all five of the Ryan and McGrath children had been taken out of school as well. Ginny was unsure of whether they were absent for the same reason, seeing as she had no idea why the Ryans or the McGraths would have anything to do with Theo's grandparents. Again, Devon provided a much-needed explanation.

"I'm surprised that you don't know," her Slytherin friend began, honestly. "Theo's uncle Chad and Andy's uncle Will have been best friends since before they started at Hogwarts. The McGraths and the Caldwells have always been close allies and friends. Theo's mother, Andy's parents, and Andy's aunt Tracy were all friends at Hogwarts as well. The attachments between those two families run deep, and as the other family who is so closely connected with the McGraths, the Ryans would have been invited as well. Mr. Caldwell was the patriarch of his family, leaving Chad Caldwell to take over in his place. Of course his closest friends would be there to support him."

"I had no idea," Ginny responded with surprise. She really had to stop underestimating the depth of the connections that ran through the old families of the wizarding world. Her knowledge of Gertrude Wrightman should have taught her that. "When do you think they will be back?" Devon's face took on an expression that Ginny had never seen on her before: a slight hint of sadness.

"I would be surprised if Theo returned before your match against Hufflepuff next week," Devon replied. That was nearly two weeks off. "I imagine that Stephen and the Ryan sisters will be back by the end of this week. Andy will probably be gone as long as Theo is. As the oldest son in his family, and Theo's friend, Andy will have nearly as many things to attend to as Theo."

"Andy and Theo are friends? Since when?!" Ginny wanted to know. How could she have missed this? Andy was one of her best friends, and she had really thought she was getting to know Theo. Apparently she had been mistaken.

"Since before they came to Hogwarts," Devon replied evenly. Seeing that Ginny was about to ask why they had never told her about their friendship, Devon continued. "Just as there are perfectly good reasons why you and I don't publicize our friendship, there are equally prudent reasons why they don't either. I do know that in Stephen's first year here, they had a hell of a time getting him to remember not to wave and say hello to Theo in the corridors." Ginny's face fell into a look of considerable chagrin at hearing this. She did not like the idea of children having to censor themselves like that.

"But if everyone knows how close their families are, why would it be a problem?" Ginny asked.

"Because of who Theo's other family connections are," Devon explained. Ginny recalled what Theo had told her of his family.

"His mother and his father," she confirmed out loud. Devon nodded in confirmation.

"Will McGrath and Chad Caldwell, along with Andy's parents and Theo's grandparents, held very strong views during the first war. They were never particularly outspoken about it, but everyone knew they opposed the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters. Will McGrath, Chad Caldwell, and Andy's parents were even rumored to have connections with the Order of the Phoenix." This was certainly news to Ginny.

"But Theo's mum married a suspected Death Eater," Ginny inserted. She had a feeling that there were some subjects that Devon might not elaborate on if Ginny didn't hint that Theo had already told her about them. Slytherins.

"Yes, she did, and practically tore her family apart in the process. Apparently, when Theo started to approach school age, Will and Chad took it upon themselves to bring him back to what they saw as his proper family. If Samantha Caldwell had kept her name and not married into a dark family, Theo eventually would have been the Caldwell heir, not Chad." Ginny nodded in assent. That much she had figured out for herself, though Theo had never said it explicitly.

"I still can't believe they've been friends all these years and I never had a clue." Devon sighed, and Ginny wondered if her Slytherin friend was growing slightly impatient with her thick, Gryffindor brain.

"It was very hard for them at first. With rumors that Voldemort was returning, and Draco strutting around the Slytherin Dungeons like he bloody owned the place, Theo didn't exactly have an easy first two years. His father was indifferent toward him and his mother had grown cold since her estrangement from her family. He was not the confident young man that we recognize as our friend. His grandparents and his uncles did that. He feels the loss of his grandfather terribly."

"Is there anything we can do? Anything I can do?" Ginny asked. She couldn't help but feel guilty for running off after he kissed her. If she had stayed, she might have been with him when he heard the news. She might have been able to comfort him.

"Other than writing him, I'm not sure there is anything to be done at the moment," Devon answered, looking strangely sympathetic. "My family is sending flowers for the funeral, and I was going to write him tonight. We can send our letters together, if you like." Ginny nodded.

"I'll have mine ready. Why don't we meet at the Owlry during lunch? Everyone will be eating in the Great Hall and no one will miss us."

"I do have an owl, you know," Devon reminded her. Always having to ask to use Pig, Hedwig, or a school owl every time she sent a letter, Ginny tended to forget that many other students had their own.

"I'll owl you my note tonight and you can send them off then, is that alright?" Devon replied that it would be perfectly suitable.

* * *

A note to Theo wasn't the only owl Ginny sent that night. Having learned that the funeral would be held on Wednesday, Ginny had sent her mother a request that she send flowers on behalf of their family. She hoped the gesture would signify more than her own sympathy and support. Regardless of what they may have been in the last war, the Weasleys were more than fully invested in the present one. A show of support from another old, albeit much more humble, wizard family might remind the Caldwells and the McGraths that they were not alone this time around.

On Wednesday Ginny noticed that the Ramsey twins were not at school, and figured that, given what she had heard about Gretchen's relationship with Theo's grandmother when they had returned to Hogwarts after the deaths of their parents, she reckoned that they had gone to the funeral as well.

* * *

In the time between the funeral and the return of Andy and Theo to Hogwarts, only two things occurred of note. First, Ginny had her career planning meeting with Professor McGonagall that was required of all fifth-year students. And then, as Devon had indicated, Gryffindor played Hufflepuff in Quidditch to decide who would advance to the cup final.

The first thing Ginny noticed walking into her career advice meeting was McGonagall's particularly calculating look. It reminded her of the way McGonagall had looked when Ginny and she had first discussed Ginny's desire to take her O.W.L.'s early.

The second thing she noticed was the collection of pamphlets on the table with glossy pictures depicting all of the jobs she had considered and decided not to pursue: Healer (which her mother would prefer second only to Ginny popping out multiple grandchildren as quickly as possible, preferably with Harry), Potions curator, Gringotts employee (that particular picture was fairly unattractive, but seemed more life-like than the rest), Experimental Floo Coordinator, Charmer, Daily Prophet employee.

There were more, but Ginny didn't feel much like looking at them. Her family often called her stubborn, and true to that depiction, she had come into this meeting knowing only two positions in the working force that would satisfy her--notwithstanding professional Chaser, which she doubted the deputy headmistress would accept.

"Miss Weasley," Professor McGonagall greeted her, motioning to the seat across from her as she looked down at what might have been Ginny's course work and evaluation forms. Ginny resisted the urge to snatch them out of the professor's hand and
read over them. Snape's comments would have been especially interesting.

"Hello, Professor," Ginny replied, taking her seat.

"We have discussed previously how your early exams would strangely effect your future choices. Have you thought any more about that?"

Odd question. But Ginny had known it would be brought up. "Yes. I know that I'll be forced to make certain changes to my curriculum in my seventh year, but I was hoping to continue with Transfiguration, Potions, and Defense in some capacity in seventh year while working intensively in other subjects that my future profession will demand."

"You are aware that Hogwarts used to have a practice of seventh-year projects?" McGonagall asked.

"Yes," Ginny said. "It stopped the year before Bill became a fifth-year. He was terribly put out. Wanted to study curse breaking."

"Many students chose to focus on the subject which later became their profession," McGonagall said, still looking calculatingly at Ginny. "If we were to allow you to propose and work on an individual project, do you know what you would do?"

Ginny stared. She had thought she might be allowed to sit in on seventh year lectures, help the professors, study with someone. She hadn't thought McGonagall would give her
such freedom. Rumor had it the projects stopped when one ambitious student studying Herbology--the effects of some plant or other on the lives of Mandrakes--had been hurt.

"I suppose I'd like to contact the Department of Mysteries and see if I might be able to work on something that could also serve as an admittance test," Ginny said.

McGonagall's lips narrowed. Never a good sign. Ginny prepared for a fight. Instead, all she received was a sharp look and a question: "The Department of Mysteries?"

"I know they don't normally work with people my age--well, I suppose I don't know that so much as I assume it. No one really knows that much about them, but it's one of the few jobs I'm actually interested in."

"Why?" Such a simple question asked with so much vehemence. Ginny paused to make out exactly what she wanted to say.

"It's hard, after seeing those rooms and what happened to people there, not to want to know more," Ginny said. "At least, it is for me. I mean, they were so strange! And that curtain." The familiar flash of memory of Sirius came to Ginny. "What was that? Why
was it there without any warning and how did Remus and everyone seem to know that he was gone forever? And those brains, how did they hurt my brother? Why did they? There was a wall of what looked like water that managed to change a Death Eater's head into a baby's and back again. There are things in there . . . things that could really help in the fight against Voldemort. Maybe there is a way to destroy Dementors instead of just holding them off with . . . if someone just took the time to study in one of those rooms . . . And--"

Ginny stopped; she'd been babbling. She hadn't done that since second year. Third year at the latest. How embarrassing.

"Didn't mean to carry on like that," Ginny said to recover herself, but McGonagall looked far from taken aback by her enthusiasm. She didn't even look upset. Her intelligent eyes looked oddly satisfied with Ginny's sentiment.

"Are you determined to be an Unspeakable?"

Determined? Was she determined? When Andy and even Kerney asked her what she wanted to do, she always told them that she was open to possibilities. But that wasn't exactly true, and if Ginny had to be honest with anyone about her goals, she supposed it should be her career counselor of sorts, McGonagall.

"Yes," Ginny said. "The only other job I'd really consider is being a professor. Of Potions, preferably." McGonagall picked up the pamphlets and straightened them before sitting back--no, not relaxing--her back never touched the back cushion.

"There is an opportunity during the summer holiday that might interest you."

"What sort of opportunity?" Ginny asked, curiosity more than a little piqued.

"The sort that is only being offered to you, and only if you demonstrated a prior interest during your conversation with me," McGonagall answered in a very un-McGonagall, un-straightforward way. "It is an apprenticeship with the Department of Mysteries." Ginny shook her head in disbelief. It was too convenient for her to be offered this after only just mentioning her interest in the subject. She'd never brought it up with anyone before.

"Why?"

"The reasons given," McGonagall said, summoning a piece of parchment from her desk across the room and then handing it to Ginny, "were skill, intellect, and display of potential."

Once again, Ginny instinctively rejected such a generous offer. She had not appealed to the Department of Mysteries. How had they heard of her? She couldn't have been the first student to take the O.W.L.'s early, could she? She wasn't even the best student in the school. Were seventh years also offered this chance? From McGonagall's description, no, they weren't. Ginny looked down at the parchment for answers.

To Professor McGonagall,

Deputy Headmistress, Hogwarts School,
Academic Advisor to Ginevra Weasley,

The Department of Mysteries extends an invitation to Miss Ginevra

Weasley to study in the Department of Mysteries for the months of

June through August of 1996, with an access level of Apprentice.

Miss Weasley's unique potential, intelligence, and background have

given rise to this invitation. We expect an immediate response.

Unspeakable,
Specialist in the Third Room,
Gertrude Wrightman

Ginny coughed. "Professor Wrightman?"

"Yes," McGonagall answered curtly. "It has been her occupation for nearly twenty years until she came to teach here." Ginny shook her head as things rapidly became clear to her. The apprenticeship had come at Professor Wrightman's behest. She was offered it because she showed an interest. Still, there were a couple of very odd things.

"It certainly is a short letter," Ginny said, reading it again.

"It's mysterious," McGonagall said with evident derision. Ginny smiled at the professor's disgust as she kept reading.

One word caught her eye. "What do they mean about my background?"

"They did not send a separate letter to me," McGonagall said by way of an answer. Interesting. Everything that the professor knew, Ginny knew. It felt oddly unsatisfying. If information was kept from her until she was older than McGonagall, Ginny might just decide to give up on all these people.

"Professor, I'm taking all of the classes that I need. I plan to take O.W.L.'s in the rest of my classes and continue them in whatever capacity I can, which I think ought to help me with whichever career I choose," Ginny said. "So do you mind if we cut this short a bit? I'd like to talk to Professor Wrightman about this."

Professor McGonagall nodded, standing. "I must say, Miss Weasley, that I had rather hoped you would have an easier conference than your brothers."

"What were theirs like?" Ginny asked, brightening somewhat, standing, and indicating the parchment. "Did they also receive summons to mysterious departments?"

"Every one of them had already decided what they wanted before they walked through my door," McGonagall recalled, and not without something akin to fondness. "Bill wanted to work in curses and could not be convinced to find a career more fitting for a Head Boy. Charlie wanted to live in the wild for a while, to see how it was to live with only his wand." Ginny remembered his gap year and smiled at the memory of her mother's all too predictable reaction to the idea.

"Percy came in with four feet of parchment that was a step-by-step plan to rise within the Ministry. The twins came in together, despite their separate appointments, insisted on making me tea, and calmly explained that they planned to undermine the government through radical political speeches and widespread dungbombing if necessary. They also explained a goal to mobilize the people of the United Kingdom in order to create the world's largest human pyramid." Ginny smiled in appreciation of her twin brothers. She had always thought that McGonagall had liked them best, despite herself.

"That sounds like them." Sometimes Ginny almost painfully missed her family. It was all well and fine to be near Ron, but there was nothing like being home with all of her brothers at once. Even Percy. "What did Ron say?"

McGonagall looked at Ginny for a long moment. "I cannot discuss students who haven't left school."

A thought occurred to Ginny as she looked down at the parchment that might be the key to her future. She remembered the battle they had fought through in the Department of Mysteries, and she remembered Ron right beforehand, as they were about to leave Hogwarts, following Harry without hesitation or question.

"But Ron does, you know, have a plan, doesn't he?" Ginny asked. "You don't have to tell me specifically, but he thinks about the future, right? I mean, I can't imagine him doing it, but it must be something he considers."

McGonagall nodded as she gestured at the door and it swung open. "He considers it."

Ginny couldn't help but wonder if the beginning and end of Ron's consideration were that he would follow Harry to his final confrontation with Voldemort. Ginny wondered, despite her interest in a future, if she shouldn't begin to consider the idea that people she loved--certainly she herself--might die in the fight they all knew was coming.

* * *

Talking to Professor Wrightman was, as always, both frustrating and enlightening. Ginny had knocked on the professor's door and been surprised when the Defense professor opened the door almost immediately, as if she had been waiting with her fingers poised on the handle.

"Miss Weasley." Wrightman stepped back to let Ginny enter, which she did.

"I just left my meeting with Professor McGonagall," Ginny said, turning to see the professor shut her door and walk past Ginny to her desk without showing any reaction to Ginny's statement. Ginny decided that, as with most Slytherins, the direct approach would be best. She placed the parchment on the desk and backed up as she said, in a rather mild tone, "Explain this to me."

Professor Wrightman looked at the parchment and then up at the sixth year. "It's an invitation from the Department of Mysteries."

"Yes, I gathered that much. I was hoping you could tell me why I received it," Ginny said as she leaned against the armrest of the chair.

"I believe the exact reasons given were your unique potential, intelligence, and background."

"Yes, right. That's really vague and confusing."

"Do you not want the position?"

"I don't know yet," Ginny said, starting to stall. "Why didn't you ever mention that you were an Unspeakable?" Not that I didn't already know.

Gertrude Wrightman folded her hands in front of her and Ginny couldn't help but notice how perfect her nails looked. "I am currently your Defense professor."

"But for the last twenty-some years you've worked in the Department of Mysteries. Don't you think that's something your students would be interested to know?"

"I was under the presumption that my students wanted to know how to defend themselves against the Dark Arts," Wrightman said, smiling a half-smile as if she found Ginny amusing.

"Who else received this invitation?" Ginny asked.

"No one." Okay. McGonagall had been right. That didn't make things much clearer, though.

"What do you want from me?"

"Want?"

"My dad says that there's no such thing as a free lunch, and this is the lunch of a lifetime, so to speak. No matter how well and how early I took my O.W.L.'s, they didn't warrant this offer," Ginny said, leaving the armrest so that she stood upright on her own as she looked at her little blonde Defense professor. "So I want to know what it'll cost me."

Gertrude Wrightman looked at Ginny with her unwavering light blue eyes and said, "Tom Riddle." Ginny's face closed off, but Gertrude continued without pause. "You
will work with me on my project and in return you'll let my colleagues and I study Tom Riddle through you."

Ginny thought of the dreams at the beginning of the year--the Unforgivable Curses she had cast and had enjoyed casting, the pain that consumed her afterward--but she said, "I'm not connected to him anymore. Any memory I have of him is four years old."

"You lie well," Gertrude said with something like appreciation. Ginny refused to let a response on her face.

"How would you know if I'm lying? I'm not," Ginny responded.

"Whether or not you choose to accept it, you do have unconscious connections to Tom Riddle." Professor Wrightman leaned back, though she, like McGonagall, did not actually touch her backrest. Somehow Ginny was not surprised that it was more intimidating coming from the woman in front of her.

"You are a fifteen-year old girl with proficiency in areas of study in which none of your family has shown potential. You understand concepts in advanced classes so quickly that it seems professors are only refreshing your memory instead of presenting new ideas. Most telling, your worst classes are subjects that either weren't offered fifty years ago or weren't taken by one Tom Riddle. The ability you have with wandless magic--though you do an admirable job of hiding it--is one only manifested in people whose personal magical mental wards have been thoroughly or continuously breached."

"I'm a seventh child and the first girl in seven generations. I work hard in classes that seem most worthwhile and that takes away from study time for other classes. I have certain abilities, but so what? Other people have had them! It doesn't have to mean that the bloody Dark Lord's human incarnation lives in my head still!" Ginny didn't like the feeling that she had to defend herself to her teacher. It never felt like this when she talked about it with Harry.

"Perhaps it doesn't. Or perhaps you, who were susceptible to retaining such abilities because of your unique birth, were affected by the hostile invasion of another consciousness on your innocent, eleven-year old mind." Professor Wrightman's gaze never wavered. "Perhaps you ought to consider the possibility that when one of the most talented wizards to ever walk this county controlled your mind and body, he changed you. When his diary was destroyed you were his only conduit to the world. Does it seem possible that he left behind pieces of his soul, his power in you, and most importantly a possible connection to his living body?"

Ginny hated this. She hated hearing Gertrude Wrightman voice all of her inner concerns about herself, all of the thoughts she had pushed out of her head since the nightmares had subsided. Back then, when she had been lying in bed in the middle of the night, she had acknowledged that Voldemort would probably be able to control her more easily because of her experience in first year. And she had long recognized the fact that her ability with school probably related to the Chamber of Secrets and the diary, but the way Professor Wrightman talked about it made Ginny want to deny every part of everything she said.

"He's not still in me," Ginny insisted. "You don't know me. We've had all of three conversations and all were about you and your past. I may have accidentally fallen into your Pensieve, but I promise you've never been privy to my most important memories. You've never been anyone in my life except a professor that thought too highly of herself because she is part of an archaic nobility that still bears less respect than the oldest names, the Founders' names."

"Listen to yourself," Gertrude Wrightman replied fiercely. "When you become truly angry, you grow cold, withdrawn. You exude power and a clear apathy toward those with whom you are angry, like you could hurt them without flinching. And twice I have seen your eyes burn red during such exchanges."

Ginny felt as if she had been slapped. Instantly, her anger grew cold and just as she was about to respond, she realized she had done exactly what Professor Wrightman said she would do--exactly what Tom had done, and she hated this conversation all the more.

"You want to study me."

"I want you to work with some very talented witches and wizards to learn more about Tom Riddle and how his existence effects you."

"I won't spend three months being poked and prodded like a Potions experiment."

"We would do no such thing," her professor said, sounding disgusted with the idea. "You provide a link to a man that threatens the world, a link no one else has. You would learn as much as we would, share in all of our findings."

Professor Wrightman had correctly divined that Ginny's ultimate weakness--other than Harry--was her desire for information, but she said, "Harry has the same connection." The Defense professor shook her head.

"His is different."

"Then I imagine he would be a better test subject than me."

"Harry could and has provided valuable information about the Dark Lord, but now we want to know about Tom Riddle." Gertrude gazed seriously at Ginny. "Besides, Harry has other things he must do this holiday, like staying with his aunt to replenish the magical protection she provides him."

They had already argued over the term "protection" in relation to Harry's aunt, so instead of picking a fight about that, Ginny asked for clarification of something else that was bothering her.

"If Tom had not possessed me, would you still have offered me this position?"

"No," Professor Wrightman said resolutely. Ginny had to admire the way her teacher never seemed to lie. "However, had you shown less power, character, intellect, or potential, even if you had been through the same experience, you would not have been given this opportunity."

Well, at least there was that.

"What happens if I don't have the information you need about Tom Riddle?" Ginny inquired, with a strange kind of insecurity gnawing at the back of her mind.

"Do you know what Tom Riddle did in his third year to gain the attention of the Headmaster?" Professor Wrightman asked. Ginny shook her head briefly. "He sent a spell at the very door that you blew up when you ran from the Dementors."

Ginny shook her head determinedly. "It was a spur of the moment decision. The only way to alert the faculty to the danger."

"The only way? Or the way you instinctively thought to do it, because in a hidden part of you that you hate and suppress and can't even feel, lie the memories of a sixteen-year old boy. Memories that could help defeat the man whose name so many fear to speak."

"He doesn't control me."

"But could he?" Professor Wrightman asked. Then more softly, "Wouldn't you like to know?" Again, Ginny thought of her dreams. Her teacher was apparently thinking related thoughts. "You could be a threat to Harry."

Ginny looked sharply at her professor and when she saw that she was sincere, Ginny sat into the chair.

"You're playing to my weakness."

"I'm playing to your strength." The Defense professor nodded at her. "We do not judge at the Department of Mysteries. Ever. When scouting for potential recruits, the first indicator is an open mind. We will give our findings to no one, only the results of the research in the forms of spells and potions that we have deemed appropriate tools." There was a long pause before Ginny felt confident enough to respond.

"Can I think about it?"

"Not for long," her professor cautioned. "We would be proud to work with you, but if we must, we will begin other projects instead." Ginny wanted to hit something.

"You can't just dump this on me in this ridiculous letter, tell me I might embody some incarnation of Voldemort, and then expect an answer immediately. I'll have to talk to my parents, who will never in a million years let me do this, by the way, and figure out transportation to the Ministry, and--"

"You would live with me during the holiday," Professor Wrightman cut in. Ginny's jaw dropped.

"What?"

"Only Unspeakables have direct connections to the Department of Mysteries."

"That didn't really stop six students from waltzing on in last June. Or a fleet of Death Eaters. How protected can it be?"

"The Death Eaters captured, tortured, killed, and used necromancy to have one of our Seers open her personal alcove by having her deposit her own blood in a security ward that, through a flaw we had not been aware of, was not prepared to handle all of her blood being poured into it. The system override came on and allowed access to the main floors. There was also quite a bit of dark magic and the help of the security system that the Ministry had secretly installed when they rebuilt the department in 1982. You had an easy time because the Death Eaters wanted you all to come."

Ah. Well, then.

"So if I do this, I am going to stay at your house?"

"Two full weeks prior to entering the department, all personnel must reside with an Unspeakable." Professor Wrightman confirmed. "Apprentices must reside with their designated Unspeakable for the duration of their apprenticeship. We recommend that you have no contact with family except letters, and even those ought to be limited. Your acquaintances will be the people I invite into my home and, if you choose to do journey there, those in the nearby village."

"Nothing but letters?!" Ginny exclaimed. "Not even Hogwarts has rules like that!"

"Consider it an opportunity to be away from your family for the first time. To know who you are without being defined by them." Not for the first time, Ginny thought Gertrude Wrightman was hardly one to talk about the virtue of not being defined by one's family.

"I'd still see my father at work."

"Rarely, if ever."

"You're being deliberately mean."

"You're being childish."

* * *

On the heels of such a meeting, Ginny didn't really spare a thought for the Quidditch match against Hufflepuff. As it turned out, she needn't have done so anyway.

Due to the fine match-up she made with her good friend--and Hufflepuff Beater--Jamie Bowen, and the quality of the Gryffindor Chasers and Hufflepuff Beaters in general, the game was built up nearly as much as the Gryffindor-Slytherin rivalry. Unfortunately, the match itself proved to be the most anti-climactic one Ginny had ever seen or been a part of.

The projected quality of the match-up had depended on one simple thing, one thing that had never seemed to be lacking in the progression of a Quidditch match: time. The last two games Gryffindor had played in had run uncommonly long, each lasting more than three hours. Against Hufflepuff, on the other hand, Harry went diving for the Snitch in the twelfth minute and it was over. So absorbed was the crowd with watching the superb gamesmanship that was developing between the Chasers and Beaters, that half the stadium didn't notice went Harry's Firebolt went shooting into the sky in celebration, Golden Snitch glittering in his right hand.

As Devon had predicted, Stephen preceded his brother in returning to school by nearly a week, and was thus able to play in the match. The win provided somewhat of an uplifting effect on him, since he would be able to write his family and invite them to come and watch the final.

The win also had a relatively calming effect on Harry, who stopped avoiding her, as he had been doing so religiously ever since their row two Saturdays before. This sequence of events had Ginny agreeing resolutely with Kerney's estimation that Quidditch had single-handedly kept Harry from losing his mind over the last several years. And not for the first time in her life, she thanked Merlin for Quidditch.

Such was the state of affairs in Ginny's life as she trekked down to her Defense Professor's office, still dressed in the sleek Gryffindor Quidditch uniform she had designed for the team. When it came down to it, she knew she had to do whatever she could to help Harry. Together with the added bonus of not spending the summer holiday in the jurisdiction of her parents and the opportunity to find out more about the rooms in the Department of Mysteries, how could she possibly say no?

Perhaps she wouldn't see Harry for three months, but if it meant she would get to see him live past Hogwarts, then she would do it. She would accept Gertrude Wrightman's offer for the summer.