Love, War and Friendship - The Wizarding Way

Told From Hermione's POV

I hate to admit it but I spent most of the night thinking and next day thinking about what Ginny said. I didn't really believe her of course. A Seer? True Seer's as Professor McGonagall had said before are very rare. She was probably just confusing nightmares for visions and Ron just didn't want to discourage her or something. But even still I spent most of my time in the library during lunch completely forgetting about the plans I'd made to meet Harry. I think he had some ideas about finding a broom closest but I really had too much on my mind.
Everything Ginny had told me in the dormitories later that night had perfectly matched up in the books on how premonitions occurred and even the Keeper (something I had really not believed to be true) was written about. The funny thing was she'd gotten her explanation of the Powers that Be had been perfectly accurate. Obviously I didn't think she was right I just wondered how she knew that was all. Besides a spell such as one to open the portal to the Powers had to be done by a powerful Seer. Even someone like Professor Trelawney so there was no harm in letting her take me there because it wouldn't work could not attempt it.

I was planning to find Ginny right now and tell her as soon as she wanted to we could try it but on my way to lunch I ran into Harry and Ron, sporting a fresh bleeding nose.
"What happened to you?" I ask after I'd given Harry a proper kiss hello. I didn't want him to be mad that I'd failed to remember our "date". He didn't seem to be, more concerned about making fun of Ron. You'd think as a best friend he'd be more supportive but instead he kept teasing saying even I could fight better than him, which was certainly not the truth.
I was shocked to discover that Draco had been the source of his injury. He'd definitely need to get in control of his temper if he wanted to be a part of our group. An angry Harry was one thing, he had reasons but an angry Draco was unacceptable. In my terms anyway. I know Ron felt the same but Ginny would hit the roof if I ever suggested this and who knew what Harry thought.
"Do you know where Ginny is?"
Ron grimaces. "Probably still off making googly eyes at Malfoy." He rolls his eyes. "I'm not going back there."
"I'll come," Harry offers grinning brightly and holding out his hand for me to take.
I held my breath, anticipating a fight as I shake my head. I couldn't say what I had to say with Harry hanging around. He looks hurt letting his hand fall slowly to his side.
"Harry I'm sorry it's just -"
"Personal?" Ron asks. He probably knows already. The Weasleys are the kind of family that never seems to keep things from each other.
"Yes exactly!" I smile gratefully at Ron. "Its - uh - girl stuff. You know..."
Harry wrinkles his nose at me. "Hermione," he complains unhappily. "We haven't been together all day."
"We have so," I say allowing him to envelope me in his arms. "We have all our classes together."
I knew I should have been trying to find Ginny before it was time for next class but I couldn't help settling contentedly against him. Being held by Harry gave me the same type of feeling I got sitting in front of the fire on a cold day. I didn't care if I was only sixteen years old I knew without a doubt that I was in love with this boy.
"But that's class," he says. "I can't do what I want to do in class. I can't even talk to you in class let alone -" he cut himself off by unexpectedly giving me a sweet kiss, making all my resolutions melt away. I would have stayed in that exact spot all day long if it hadn't been for Ron.
"You guys!" he cried disgustedly. "Oh come on my poor eyes! This has got to be worse than Malfoy and Ginny!" He went on and on until I finally pulled away to glare at him, remembering my need to speak to Ginny.
"Bye!" I call to them hurrying away before either of them could convince me to stay. Once this was over with I could stop thinking about dying. I had wondered late last night how everyone would react if I was killed. I knew Harry and Ron would be distraught, or so I hoped. Ginny would be sad too but as for everyone else I wasn't sure if it would even register to them that I had died. They'd just have one less person to copy off of in class.
"Ginny!" I exclaim seeing her and Neville leaving the entrance hall together. There was no sign of Draco. Had they had another fight? "Ginny!"
"Hey," she smiles, stopping to let me catch up. Ok she was happy, there hadn't been a fight. "What's up?"
"I was just thinking about -" I look over at Neville.
"About the 'thing'?" she suggests carefully coding her words. "The thing I told you I could do last night?"
I nod.
Ginny's face perks up. "So you believe me?"
"Possibly."
"Oh." A little bit of the light fades from her eyes. "But you still want to do the spell so I can - er -," she looks over at Neville. "Show you?"
"Yah. How soon do you think you could get it ready?"
"Tonight," she answers confidently, looking very pleased for herself.
I frown. "Are you sure? It's a very complicated -"
"I keep all the ingredients brewed up just in case," she interrupts sending a sharp glare my way and nodding her head at the boy beside her, who looked very confused. "All we need to do is the reading. I can't really explain it fully all right? But we'll meet in the common room before dinner and I'll tell you everything."
"Ok," I say as she walks away. I had this disturbing feeling in the pit of my stomach telling me things weren't going to go as well as she thought. I swear I had read that the ingredients had to be freshly prepared but I guess she would know better than me. I hoped so at least.

***

Told From Ginny's POV

Why had I told Hermione I had the stuff made? If I was trying to impress her it certainly wasn't going to work when there wasn't anything brewed to use and the spell completely backfired. If there was even a chance of having everything ready I'd need to start now, which meant I'd have to skip my two remaining classes and hope I wouldn't get caught. I'm sure Professor McGonagall would be appalled to know the reason why I was missing her transfiguration class. If she knew I was a Seer she would scoff worse than Hermione, probably saying I was making it up as a way to get attention. I hated that. Just because I was the youngest in a family of seven children didn't mean I was constantly thinking up ways to get attention.

"Neville," I say on sudden inspiration, clutching my stomach like I was about to be sick. "Do you think you could let my teachers know that I'm not feeling good enough to go to class?"

Neville agrees quickly as I'd known he would, taking out a paper and pen to write down their names and classroom numbers so he wouldn't forget.

"Would you like me to take you to the hospital wing?" he looks genuinely concerned for me. I might need some extra assistance maybe - no I'll use someone else.

"I think I'm just going to go lie down in bed. ... You don't happen to know where Snape's corridors are do you?"

Neville's bewildered. "N-no. Why would you want to know that?"

I blush. "No reason. I'm gonna go now," I tell him slowly backing up. I think I've convinced him for sure that I'm not feeling well.

Who would know where Draco slept? I couldn't assume any of the Slytherins did, I mean I hadn't a clue where McGonagall stayed and she was head of Gryffindor house. Oh well. I didn't have time to go searching the school for him. This I'd just have to do myself.

I walked quickly on my way to the common room, hoping I wouldn't run into anyone so I'd have to stop and talk to anyone. Most importantly I didn't want to see Hermione with her gloating smile saying I told you so when the stupid spell went wrong. I could just see her in my minds eye being what she considered sweet but was really quite patronizing, telling me how it wasn't my fault because after all the Powers that Be are only a myth. I would prove her wrong.

I was surprised to find Draco standing next to the Fat Lady looking extremely bored. When he saw me a huge smile leapt across his face. I stifled my own and looked up at him suspiciously.

"How'd you get here?"

"Harry," he says simply. "I wanted to talk about ... stuff."

He wanted to talk now? Did things ever go my way? "Look Draco I can't right now. I've got so much to do and -"

"Fine," he says somewhat sullenly. "Fine I'll just go."

"Draco," I sigh grabbing his arm before he can brush past me. "I need your help."

"With?" He still looks fairly angrily at my refusal to talk about things with him and believe me I was kicking myself for not doing this now. He could never open up to me again for all I know but right now I had to do this.

"I can't explain it but it's really important. Please?" I beg him giving him the puppy eyes that has never failed to work on every single one of my brothers plus my father, Charlie's especially a sucker for it.

"Will I get to know the password?" he looks over at the Fat Lady.

"I suppose," I say. "But I'll get the prefects to change it as soon as you leave."

He sticks his tongue out at me and motions me forward. "Wingardium Leviosa," I tell the portrait. She swings open without complaint to let Draco and I through.

"That's the password?" he laughs. "Wingardium Leviosa?"

"Shut up," I hiss pushing him through the portrait hole. "Ron made it up."

"Whoa," he murmurs once he'd entered the common room. "We really got ripped off in Slytherin. It's like a dungeon down there."

One or two students who are sitting and talking glare at Draco as I quickly usher him over to the dormitory stairs.

"I'll be just a moment. I need to get the stuff but I'll - Draco no!" I shout after him, remembering the incident with Ron last year as he scrambles up the stairs ahead of me. Nothing happens. Draco turns back to grin at me.

"What's wrong?"

"You're not supposed to be able to do that."

"Pure intentions I guess," he shrugs.

"Yah right," I have to laugh.

"No never around you Ginny love, now come on!" He runs back down the stairs again to drag me up with him.

"Then how'd you get up?" I ask not budging as he continues to tug on my arm.

"I'm not in your house so the I can go where I please," he explains with a sigh. "Come on!"

"What's the rush?" I want to laugh again but I can't. There's only two ways he could know about the stairs first: he could have read Hogwarts: A History or second: he's gone into the girls dormitory in another house. I feel a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach as I remember Padma Patil. She was in Ravenclaw.

"To see where you live," he says before whispering something that would probably cause even Snape to blush into my ear. "Just a fantasy," he laughs at my expression. "Now which ones yours?"

I lead him through the door into the room I share with only two other girls. Neither of them spends much time in here. They're always off flirting with some boy.

"This is -" Draco starts bouncing on the bed. "Well the bed is nice but the rest -" he looks around the room where clothing and make up are strewn everywhere, none of which interestingly enough are mine. Growing up in a house full of children I had been used to everyone leaving junk everywhere from the kitchen table to the bathroom sink. This had always bothered me. I was probably the neatest, or make that the only neat child Mum and Dad had ever had.

"Messy?"

"We've not even been here a day," he muses kicking a few stray skirts away from his feet.

"Just wait and see what it'll be like in two weeks," I sigh getting out my potions kit.

"Is that an invitation?" he grins patting the spot beside him on the bed. I ignored it. "I could get used to this bed."

"Draco," I say absently but there's a warning tone in my voice. Best to stop it before he started spouting off sexual innuendoes, which did nothing besides make me blush and become flustered. Right now I needed to concentrate.

"So what are we doing?"

"A potion," I tell him rummaging through my trunk for the book on divination Ron gave me years ago. It contained the spell we'd used to conjure the portal the first time. It had been risky now but it was riskier still now. At least Ron had believed in the Powers and in the usage of Divination but Hermione had no aura whatsoever. Though the main ingredient to the spell was the Seer to get us there and back safely the potion would have to be done perfectly. Luckily I had Draco. He was excellent at making potions. All I had to do was get him to make the potion without telling him what it was for. Having been exposed to so much Dark magic as a child he'd probably heard much of the Powers and probably mostly bad things. Visiting the Powers that Be was dangerous especially if you didn't have an offering, something I hadn't worked out yet. But I would. This was going to go perfectly. It had to.

***

Told From Ron's POV

"Tell your sister if she's not well by tomorrow morning she should see Madame Pomfrey," McGonagall calls to me as Harry, Hermione and I walk by her classroom on our way to potions.

"Ginny's sick?" Harry asks.

"She looked fine at lunch," Hermione adds. I can detect smugness in her voice. Maybe she was off with Malfoy and Hermione didn't want to say it because of my nose, which still smarted a little, so she was giving hints. But then I assume if Ginny was messing around with Draco instead of going to class she would be more disapproving and at least have told Harry, who seemed to have just as much a clue as me.

"I guess," I say not really sure if I should wait until after class to check on her or go now but I did have potions and Snape would have my head if I was late. However my opinion changed five minutes into the lesson when it because quite clear Malfoy wasn't going to show. Was he with Ginny? I was almost positive. He was a bad influence on her. Ginny wasn't like Hermione but she certainly wouldn't normally skip classes especially for some guy. I felt my fists clench under the table. Harry looks concerned too, motioning his head towards the empty seat we'd saved for Draco. After the escapade in our first class we weren't about to let him sit with any of the Slytherins. Parvati had taken Draco's old seat anyways and a sad looking Lavender had squeezed in between Dean and Seamus.

"I would welcome you all back," Snape says after he'd finished writing out our instructions on the board. "But I can't say it's a pleasure to see most of you." He flashes a particularly nasty look at Harry who he had also seen a few times over the summer break to work on diminishing his connection to You-Know-Who.

"This year is going to be a hard year and as the teacher I refuse to teach anyone who doesn't meet up to my standards. You must arrive on time and your potions must work as they were intended to or you are out of this class." He pulls out his attendance book. "Which means there is already one strike against Mr. Malfoy."

As all the Slytherins tittered and made many rude comments about Draco I wondered if Snape really meant what he said or had just said it to make sure the rest of his house didn't turn on him. Draco was surely still his favourite since Snape had offered to share his rooming space, which Dad had told me was very small.

Today we were making a potion that was supposed to take us to the place we were needed the most. Of course our version was a little tamer so we wouldn't be able to leave the castle. If we got it wrong we would have to rush to the hospital wing to get the antidote before the pain became too great.

The class was deathly silent while working even Hermione who had never once failed to concoct the perfect potion was sweating over getting this right. I could tell she was determined not to be one of the ones that got kicked out of the class and I was certain she wouldn't be although I wouldn't say the same for Harry and me. One of the stupidest things you could do was tell Hermione she couldn't do something that involved her academic future.

Twice she had to quietly stop us before we put in the wrong ingredients. She should have kept a closer eye on Neville whose potion had gone a murky grey before melting through his cauldron and pouring all over the classroom floors. Snape had given him both a detention and kicked him out of the class for this.

I breathed a sigh of relief when my potion turned the flashy red the board said it should. Harry's changed too but Hermione's stayed the same, as it had always been the color it should be. When the rest of the class had finished and given samples of the potion for Snape to examine he stepped before us with an evil grin on his face.

"All the teacher's are aware many of you may be popping into odd places all over the castle, though I'm sure many of you will go nowhere. We will start from the left side of the classroom making Ms. Jagts the first and Mr. Weasley here will go last."

I gulped noisily as a white-faced Ravey steps forward to drink her potion. The whole class watches in eager anticipation to see what would happen but several seconds later she was still standing before us.

"Better run before the pain hits," Snape warns her. "Oh and that will be a zero on this days work."

The rest of the Slytherins had similar experiences as Ravey to Snape's dissatisfaction. He glared at Hermione fiercely when her potion worked and she disappeared, reappearing moments later in Harry's lap. Seamus and Dean laughed heartily over this while Snape's lip curled.

"How sweet," he murmurs sarcastically. "Mr. Potter we're waiting."

Harry grins at Hermione, clearly not expecting to go anywhere else. But as he vanishes, letting Hermione drop to the ground with a loud thud he doesn't come back. Dean also disappears from the class while Seamus's potion does nothing (he was quickly ushered to the hospital wing) and Lavender drops out of the air in front of me. Hermione smirks and I remembered what she'd said last night. Lavender liked me but the spell took you to where you were needed most which meant I needed her. What did I need her for? What could I possibly need Lavender Brown for?

I drank my potion quickly to quell my thoughts and was engulfed in a wave of fog. Coughing and sputtering I found myself on a floor covered with - bloody hell was that girls knickers? I stand frantically, looking around.

"Ron?"

Ginny and Draco are sitting by a large bed, her own cauldron between them. She gets to her feet, eager to block both things from my sight.

"How did you get in here?"

"What are you doing?" I ask her only mildly angry, trying to get by her when a sudden idea hits me. "You're not doing Dark magic are you?"

Before she gets a chance to answer I'm transported back to the classroom along with everyone else. Hermione readily helps us to our feet asking us where we'd gone, particularly Harry. I can tell he's lying through his teeth when he says that one of the Creevey brothers desperately needed a picture. Can he lie at all? But I don't tell the truth either saying I was taken to the class of some first year who had a wild crush on me.

"Honestly," Hermione rolls her eyes disbelievingly. "If you didn't want to say you didn't have to!"

I didn't want to get into what was going on with Ginny until I knew what actually was. Maybe I'd have a little talk with Harry about it but not bring Ginny into it. I'd say it was a couple first years. Yah that's it and then before the night was over I'd have a little chat with my sister and tell her that if she continued to skip classes to brew odd potions with Malfoy I was going to write to Mum and Dad. That would knock some sense into her.

***

Told From Draco's POV

There was something wrong here. There were very few potions that would call for these sort of ingredients to be mixed together. It was bordering on dark magic as Ron had said. But since it was Ginny who was as good as my father was bad I trusted that there was a good reason for this and did my job without complaint.

It bothered me that she kept flipping through a battered divination book. The whole Seer deal made me uncomfortable. I knew what having access to unworldly powers could do to a person and Ginny had this whole other world locked away inside her head. It was only a matter of time before she either got rid of it or she lost herself entirely. It was surprising she was still so alert but then she didn't get visions all that often.

Ginny sighs and put the book down on her desk, checking her watch. "I'll be right back," she says squeezing my hand before leaving the room. I wait until the gentle patter of her footsteps die away to pick up the book, opening it to the exact page she'd left off on.

At least one person performing the ritual must have a connection to the spiritual world. Each participant must drink one cup of the Portico potion (recipe on pg 76) then join hands and chant the following incantation-

"Draco?" Ginny's already tugged the book away before I've even registered that she's back. She was going to try to see the Powers. If that wasn't a way to get hurt I didn't know what was. The Powers were powerful beings of God like descent. Absolutely nothing could harm them and they contained enough magic to crush an average size wizard at the snap of their fingers. If Ginny angered them - the only ones safe were those whose strength could rival their own. Surely Ginny realized this wasn't her. If they didn't like her question they would take her offering and squish her like a bug.

"What do you think you're doing messing with this stuff?" I ask, my voice lower and far harsher than I intended. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"What do you mean?" Ginny smiles falsely, appearing not to understand what I was saying though we both knew this wasn't the case.

"You're going to use this to create a portal and I'm not going to let you!" I pick up the heavy cauldron of simmering green brew and lift it with great difficulty over my head.

"Draco no!" Ginny tries desperately to get at it but can't reach, as I was so much taller than her.

"Are you insane? It's dangerous. They'll never let you in. You're too young and your Seer abilities aren't strong enough."

"That's not true!" she shouts giving up trying to get her potions back. "I've been there before with no problem."

I drop the cauldron with a loud clang, splashing several droplets of green liquid onto the gray-carpeted floor. "What? When?"

She takes a deep breath, stepping closer. "I was ten. We went to ask them to take away my visions."

"Me and Ron," she says softly.

I can't believe she did something like that when she was only ten. How could Ron have let her do something so stupid?

"Were you ok?" I ask anxiously imagining Ginny lying beaten in some far off hazy world. "Did they hurt you in any way?"

"No!" she smiles at my concern. "They weren't exactly bundles of joy but they never touched me."

"Why?"

Ginny shrugs. "I don't think they hurt anyone. It's just a rumor to keep unworthy people from venturing to see them."

"Why are you going back?"

She looks away. "I - uh - can't tell you."

I'm hurt that she doesn't trust me enough to tell me what's going on but I don't press knowing I too haven't trusted her with my own childhood woes she always wanted to hear.

"Promise me you'll be careful," I say as she creeps closer, letting me run my fingers through her long, copper hair. I don't care if she thinks they're safe. I know stories from real people who have attempted to delve into the mysteries of the spirit world and outer dimensions to great pains. Great men had returned physically and mentally damaged. It was hard to imagine that such a small girl like Ginny escaping these fates when others had not.

"Stop making such a big deal out of this."

"It is a big deal!" I insist. "Look they're protecting you for some reason but that may not last. Horrible things have happened to others just as ... worthy as you who haven't been as lucky. Promise me?"

"Ok," she whispers and I soon realize neither of us will be returning to class though the Portico she'd needed me to create was finished.

***

Told From Harry's POV

Even though my potion worked I still felt slightly light headed or perhaps that was just from the intense thinking I'd been doing over where I'd ended up. I wondered where Ron had gone. It was definitely not to a first year's class. I didn't think any of the first years even knew who he was. Hermione was thoroughly annoyed at both of us for lying to her and left the class in a huff way ahead of us.

"So," Ron says steering me into a corner instead of back to the common room. "I'm dying to know where you went. I'll tell if you will?"

I nod. "All right. I went to the hospital wing," I say quickly. "Now it's your turn."

"Don't speed talk me. There were loads of people in the hospital wing who'd you end up going to?"

I shift my weight uncomfortably. "Ravey. You know the girl who stayed at my place. The veela," I try to explain when he doesn't say anything.

"Yah I know who she is," he tells me, running a hand along the edge of his chin. "What happened?"

"What do you mean what happened?" I ask irritated. "You were there. I got taken to the hospital wing and then Snape took us all back."

Ron gives me a questioning look. "Harry you went before four other people. That left enough time for something to happen. Come on what'd you say?"

"Nothing. I was kinda surprised. I thought I'd stay with Hermione-"

Ron smirks. "Didn't we all?"

"But then suddenly I was in the hospital wing in front of Ravey."

"And?"

I wish he would stop pressing me for information. I was getting there. It was hard to tell things properly when you didn't quite understand everything yourself.

"I don't think she noticed I was there. She was sitting there on the hospital bed crying."

"From pain?" Ron sounds just as confused as I felt.

"No. That was the weird part. She'd taken the antidote but she was holding a picture and crying. I think she said something how stupid she had been letting him go."

"So we're talking about a guy?"

Was Ron really that stupid?

"I thought the him part of that sentence would have told you that."

"Well yah," he blushes. "But I was thinking maybe she'd needed someone to replace whoever she was talking about."

I was on the verge of a headache now. "You don't mean me do you?" I ask in a horrified voice.

"You were the one she needs the most," Ron says giving me a critical once over. "But I figure that's because she's having problems with You-Know-Who."

I'd forgotten about that. That was probably why she needed me. I had been the one she'd come to during the summer. She must simply think I can help her.

"I was talking about me."

"You?" I burst out laughing. "You like her or something?"

I had known this was going to happen. Hermione had mentioned it as well but not in a happy tone. It bothered me that she was bothered by Ron's continuous affinity for veela. Ron wasn't exactly Ravey's type in the first place. He wasn't anywhere near as mean as all of those nasty Slytherin boys who she'd seemed to have taken a liking too.

"I guess you're trying to tell me I have no chance?" he says hotly, his ears a bright shade of crimson.

"No!" I say immediately rushing to defend myself. "I just - remember a certain veela named Fleur?"

Ron covers his face with his hands. "Yes," comes his muffled reply. "No need to discuss that subject any further."

I give him a punch, urging him forward so we can go find Hermione and Ginny up in the common room. "Don't worry. I'd say you've got a way better chance with Ravey than you ever did with Fleur."

"That still doesn't give me a whole lot of hope."

"Where'd you go?" I ask, hoping to get off the subject of veela before we actually did run into Hermione.

"Oh," Ron murmurs. "Ginny's bedroom I think. She and Draco -"

"Ugh," I shield my eyes even though they're not there. "Please don't tell me. I really don't want to know."

"They weren't doing that!" Ron exclaims looking a little sickened. No doubt he didn't want to think about that either. "They were making some sort of potion."

"So Draco missed potions to make a potion?"

Ron glares at me obviously not finding me very funny.

"I think it was dark magic."

"Ginny?" I say. "Dark magic? Ron I don't think so."

He doesn't look satisfied.

"We'll just have to ask her then," I say. "Come on. We're almost there."

But after I haul a lagging Ron up to Gryffindor tower I find it's pointless. Ginny and Hermione are nowhere to be seen and a happy Draco Malfoy is prancing down the steps from the girls' dormitory.

***

Told From Hermione's POV

"Get out," I order Draco, literally pulling him off Ginny by the back of his shirt.

He grins down at Ginny who lay stretched out uncomfortably on the floor her own shirt nearly over her head. I didn't want to know what they had been doing especially if they'd been up here since lunch. I roll my eyes at her blushing face as she waves Draco off. She doesn't move after he's gone although she did fix her shirt so that it was covering all that it was meant to cover.

"Say it," she mumbles straightening to a sitting position.

"Say what?" I bristle.

"That you don't approve."

I'm silent for a moment. I hadn't wanted to give my opinion on the situation at hand but since she asked -

"All right fine. I don't approve. There I said it," I throw my hands up in the air. "I don't approve. Your education is important. It should be above fooling around with your boyfriend on your list of priorities."

"Well," Ginny dusted off her skirt as she stood. "It's a good thing its my list to write then isn't it?"

I didn't like the coldness in her voice. I knew I shouldn't have said anything. Draco was a sensitive subject for her. I supposed she had people getting on her about her involvement with him a lot. More than one person had said to me they thought Ginny deserved better and though most of the Gryffindors had reluctantly accepted that Draco would be a part of them from now on the rest of the school wasn't as supportive with this decision. I was sure Ginny had been told off by quite a few Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students for what she was doing. I heard them talking about it myself.

"Is this it?" I move to the bubbling cauldron, noticing that several packets of fresh lavender lay open on the floor.

"Yes," she ladles potion into two cups, handing one to me. "Drink."

I look down at it sceptically. Oh well, I think as I gulp it down. If this helps Ginny realize the Powers are just a myth ...

"Take my hands and close your eyes," she instructs from where she stood behind the cauldron.

I do, as she says though not as enthusiastically as she wanted. Barely audibly she begins chanting something in Latin under her breath.

"What do I say?" I whisper opening my eyes to look at her. Ginny's almost in a trance like state. She's getting far too into this.

"Shh," she hisses opening her eyes for a second before shutting them. "Close your eyes."

I start feeling like an idiot after a while of standing there. Ginny's dorm mates could come in any moment. Finally ten or fifteen moments later (it felt like hours) the sound of an electric current sounded in my ears and Ginny dropped my hands gasping in delight.

I slowly turned to look almost fainting in shock at what I saw. There was what appeared to be a true gateway opened in Ginny's bedroom right before us.

"Oh my God," I whisper now unsure of what to do. I hadn't believed in any of this and I certainly hadn't planned this.

"Come on," Ginny grabs my hand once again but this time pulls me into the portal against my will. I feel the sheer horror of my childhood fear: falling. I fell into a pit of darkness with only Ginny's hand holding tightly to mine to keep me from becoming hysterical with fright.

Once we landed I found what was there was so much worse than the awful blackness of the falling. The land around us was barren, kind of like an ancient graveyard except for the huge golden pillars that lined two large purple clothed chairs. But what was seated upon the thrones was what scared me the most. They appeared human until you saw their legs diminished into a ghostly tail of white reminding me of Muggle cartoon ghosts. Their eyes were a horrible blood red that beat steadily.

Ginny didn't seem to be afraid of them as I cowered behind her. She stepped towards them despite their evil glares and bowed down low. I followed her lead not knowing what else to do. I hadn't read much into details of the Powers or what to do if you actually saw them.

"Dynasty," the woman bowed back while the man only glared more severely.

Dynasty...as in queen? The way she was treating Ginny could only mean one thing: Ginny was a vital part of the future. They couldn't harm her. But what could Ginny possibly do that impacted the future that much?

"Why have you brought one of the mundane to us?" the man points to me with a scowl.

I was not mundane.

"Please," Ginny gets down on one knee. "I've come before the Powers that Be to make a request."

"We will hear it -"

"After the offering is given."

I watch as Ginny pulls out a sack full of galleons. Draco must have given her those. It passes the angry man's inspection.

"Well?"

"I want to see my vision once again and I want - I want to bring her with me."

Her demand shocks both of the Powers, who jump to their feet.

"Outrage!"

"Never has that been done," the woman says a little more gently. "It is against our ways. We help only those like us."

"Leave," the man, tells her conjuring a new portal with a flick of his hand.

"No," Ginny stamps her foot on the ground causing it to nearly cave in beneath her. "I will leave only when I've been helped or I have my offering back."

What was she doing? From the little I knew about the Powers I did know you weren't to question their judgements and that if you were told to leave you left or they would make you.

Her anger makes them retreat back into their thrones and as she walks closer I swear the woman actually has a frown of alarm on her face. Ginny terrified them.

"Do it," she commands pulling out her wand. "Now. ... Now," Ginny repeats emitting red sparks from the end of her wand. There was a long silence as the Powers exchanged worried glances. I couldn't understand why they were so scared of her.

They finally obliged sending us plummeting through the air into what looked like a small Muggle village.

"This is it," Ginny says from beside me. She circles around as though looking for something specific before pointing to a mansion far off in the distance. "We need to get there."

I have no idea what she's talking about as she grabs my hand and dashes off towards the house. Though I've never seen nor been anywhere near this village it gives me a creepy feeling of familiarity as if I've lived here my entire life.

The sight of the mansion up close makes my insides run cold. It's grisly and about a hundred years old. Ivy runs up and down the walls covering up many of the windows.

Ginny seems to know instinctively where the door is. Pulling it open she ushers me in, leading me up the winding staircase. She stops once we reach a closed door. An evil cackling can be heard from behind it. I give her a questioning look as her hand closes over the doorknob. Do we really want to go in there?

"One thing you need to remember," she says turning the handle. "They can't see you." She lets the door swing open and the horrible scene she'd explained to me back in the Great Hall meets my eyes.

I feel my heartbeat quicken rapidly and my body start to tremble. I couldn't move. Ginny had already walked in, a pained look on her face. She beckoned me to follow but I just stood there. I knew all too well whose body was hit by the flashing green light. It was me. My body that fell to the ground dead. My body.

I watch Harry collapse beside me tears running down his cheeks.

"Hermione," Ginny whispers softly but I ignore her.

I can't help myself. "Harry!" I hear myself scream throwing myself at him. "Harry I'm right here. I'm alive. This isn't real!" I take his face in my hands trying to force him to look at me but he won't. He stares fixatedly down at the body now rocking in his arms.

"This isn't real!" I shout again. "Harry please hear me! It's not happening it's -"

"No," Ginny says attempting to pull me away. "It will happen. Hermione -"

I stop listening to both her and Harry tuning it all out. She's wrong. I can't be dead. I grab the body's wrist feeling frantically for a pulse but if there was one I couldn't feel it. I really was dead. I died. I was going to die.

I scramble away from the body in fear. This was just - I couldn't even think anymore.

Harry sobs like a small child over my death, You-Know-Who laughs psychotically proud of his work, Ginny, Ron and Draco all look on in shock and the real Ginny clutches my hand in pity.

"Do you believe me now?" she whispers. I want to yell and scream at her for showing me such an awful thing but I feel her pain. The pain she must go through every time she Sees something like this. She must feel just as helpless as I do.

"I want to go home," I tell her.

"Ok," she agrees quietly, echoing the same incantation she had back in her bedroom to conjure a portal home. I let her pull me through again no longer noticing the darkness or the feeling of falling as my feet hit the firm ground littered with clothes.

I breathe a sigh of relief. We're back. A scream punctures my momentary happiness. I turn to ask Ginny what the matter is when I let out my own yelp of fear. Standing across from me wasn't Ginny it was ... me. What was going on?

The other me thrust a mirror at me. Looking into it I see Ginny's red hair and blue eyes reflected back at me instead of my own. I glance down at my body to see Ginny's slim legs and tattered robes.

"Astral projection," the other me says. "I'm so stupid!"

"What did you do?" I hiss. I don't know who I'm talking to or why I look like Ginny.

"I forgot to tell you. The gateway that I opened - it doesn't allow for your body to follow you. It's called astral projection when you leave your body in one place and your soul in another. To get back you have to be thinking of your body or -" she looks down at my body uselessly. "This happens."

"Ginny?" I ask squinting at the person in my body.

She nods. "You must have been thinking of me when we fell."

I had been. She should have warned me!

"What are we going to do?" I pull at my hair, thinking briefly that that was usually one of Ginny's signature traits when she was agonizing over something.

"I -" Ginny opens her mouth and then closes it again. "I don't know."

"What?" I shriek. "Ginny please tell me you're kidding! You have to know how to fix this."

She shakes her head or my head I guess, whatever way you want to think about it.

It's a weird feeling being in somebody else's body. I can feel all of my own reactions to the situation and Ginny's as well, though her feelings are much less heightened than my own. Tears begin to slide down my face for no reason. I wipe them away hastily.

"God Ginny is crying the first you think to do for everything?"

"Hey!" she shouts angrily. "My body has been under a lot of stress lately. I'd like to see you do anything else!"

We glare at each other for several seconds before she flops down on her bed which I suppose was now mine unless we sorted this out.

"This isn't helping any," she sighs. "We need to think. Um - we could go down to the library and look up astral projection accidents to see if there's a counter spell that could help." Her eyes widen and she lets out a loud laugh. "Now that had to be your brain talking not me."

I smile slightly. "It's a good idea though. We should get down there before Madame Pince closes -" I gasp suddenly just realizing something. "Ginny what about the everyone else? They're going to think you're me and I'm you."

Ginny thinks thoughtfully and then shrugs. "We'll just have to avoid people until we fix this."

"Or we could tell them," I suggest. "Or go to Madame Pomfrey maybe even Dumbledore?"

"No!" Ginny snaps. "Sorry but Hermione a visit to another dimension is definitely against the rules. It's very heavy magic. I could get expelled."

I hadn't thought of that. Both of us could easily be suspended if not as she'd said expelled. Even adults venturing out to other dimensions were required to fill out forms with the Ministry every time they went obviously to prevent accidents such as this.

"To the library then," I say trying to be cheerful. This had better be sorted out by the end of tonight. I don't know if Ginny and I can keep up a charade around other people particularly Ron, Harry and Draco.

***

Told From Harry's POV

"What are you doing in here?" I ask Draco as he continues on his way out the portrait hole.

"I was having a little fun with my girlfriend," he winks at me, ducking a punch from Ron as we follow him.

"You better watch what you say," Ron hisses menacingly.

I put a restraining arm across his chest. If they started fighting it wouldn't end pretty.

"Relax," I say to him ignoring Draco completely. "You saw them. They weren't doing anything. He's just joking around."

Ron glares but doesn't make a move to fight after I release him.

"What was the potion about?"

Draco shrugs looking uncomfortable. "She wouldn't tell me."

I watch him closely trying to decide whether or not I believed him. I decide he deserves the benefit of the doubt and don't pressure him for anymore information. I honestly don't think he'd let Ginny do anything dangerous or bad - he has too much experience with that field.

"Your girlfriend's acting kinda pissy," Draco tells me smirking. "What's the matter did she not want another go in the bathroom?"

I blush thinking of the many bruises that still peppered the skin on Hermione's right arm from the day on the train.

"You haven't changed have you?" Ron says angrier than me for all his rude comments. "You're still the same slimy bastard you always were."

A grimace flashes over Draco's face before changing back to the ever-present sneer. The only time he ever looked like he had anything to say was around Ginny, which may indeed be the only place he ever said anything nice.

"You like to say you're 'good' but that's just what you want to be," Ron persists. I can tell he's trying to goad Malfoy into another fight maybe so that this time instead of ending up with a bloody nose he can come out the winner. "Deep down inside you're just as sick and twisted as your dad."

"Ron," I warned in a low voice so only he could hear. This wasn't a good idea. I held just as much a grudge against Draco as he did for all his taunts and bullying all these years but it was over now and if Ginny caught wind of another fight ...

Draco's expression didn't alter but I saw a muscle in his right cheek twitch. He was biting his lower lip to keep from saying anything back. Good for him. I was glad he could hold his tongue unlike Ron whose temper flared just as easily as Mrs. Weasley's.

"Think of Ginny," I mutter under my breath. He shoots me a contemptuous look but shuts up.

The three of us stand awkwardly in front of the Fat Lady's portrait not saying anything. Ron's crossed his arms sullenly and Draco's staring down at his shoes. I wonder what he's thinking about. I've often asked myself what besides his bad upbringing could make someone so nasty. I had never been able to think of anything else besides his father's bad example. I'd asked Sirius once what made people go bad. He had told me that people were just born that way which brought me to my thoughts of George. It seemed like everyone had pretty much forgotten about his turning besides Mr and Mrs. Weasley but I thought about it once awhile. George had not always been like that. I shake my head. Draco was proof that people could change if they really wanted to.

"I should -"

"Ginny!" Ron cuts Draco off, happily greeting his little sister.

I smile when I see Hermione's with her. We haven't really had much time together since we'd gotten back to Hogwarts. Granted we'd only been here a day and a half but I felt as if she was trying to avoid me. First there was the argument at dinner last night and then she'd gotten so annoyed with Ron and I in potions. Things just weren't going my way.

Hermione doesn't smile back but looks at me nervously like she's bursting with a secret that she can't tell anyone, throwing a longing look at Draco. Hang on I was just imagining that. Hermione couldn't stand Draco even when he was being nice. I was being stupid.

"Do you think we can talk?" I ask, taking her hand gently.

Hermione flinches at my touch and pulls her hand away. Her actions make me feel as if she'd stabbed me with a knife. Why was she all of a sudden acting so repulsed by me?

"Later," she says edgily glancing over at Ginny who had just turned her head away to avoid a kiss from Draco. (Ron looks very satisfied by this turn of events.)

"Library!" shouts Ginny in a worried voice.

"I promise," Hermione adds but she backs away before I can even give her a small kiss on the cheek.

The two girls hurry off without a backward glance to either Draco or me. They both seemed rather jumpy and uneasy.

"Well that was -"

"Weird?" I finish for Draco raising an eyebrow for good measure.

"Yah," he agrees watching Ginny's retreating back. He looks as hurt as I feel.

"Don't worry," Ron says. "They're just trying to mess with your heads." He sounds confident enough that my mood perked up a little. Maybe they were distracted by something else or who knew? It could be anything.

"Let's go get something to eat."

I laugh at Ron's suggestion. To him the solution to any problem involved food. Draco nods and the three of us make our way down to dinner.

***

Told From Ginny's POV

"That was way too close for comfort Hermione," I say once we were out of earshot from Harry and Draco. I felt horrible for the way I'd acted around Harry. I was used to being Ginny and in constant watch of my hormones when around Harry and Draco at the same time. I forgot I was actually Hermione, well in her body anyways. I was supposed to be all touchy feely towards him.

"Well it's going to happen again," Hermione sighs. "If we don't get this thing fixed soon ..." her voice trails off but I know what she means. I've been picturing it in my head since we left the bedroom. We can't get help from an adult because I'll get in major trouble. Living Hermione's life wasn't exactly on my wish list. First off I'd fail all her classes and well all right the having to be with Harry part wasn't a bad thing for me but her being with Draco bothered me. I couldn't stand the idea of her even talking to Draco in my body.

"So what's the plan if we can't?" I ask.

"We do the best we can to act like the other. Ginny it might take days to find the cure."

"Days?"

I think I'm going to faint. I'm pretty sure Hermione blames this whole thing on me and it is kind of my fault but how can I possibly live in someone else's body and take over someone else's life for days? I could barely stop myself from running crying to Draco. I bet he would know how to fix things. He knows stuff like that. I should have listened to his advice about not going. Hermione didn't really need to see that. I'd wanted her to so she'd be careful and know what she was getting herself into but all it seemed to do to her was upset her greatly.

"We need to stop calling each other by name," I tell her as a Hufflepuff third year passes by. "They'll know something's up if we keep calling each other by the wrong name."

Hermione nods. "Good point." She pulls open the library door, putting a finger to her lips and leads me to the index section. Of course Hermione would know where that was. The library is surprisingly full for the first day of classes but then it's mostly full of seventh years who probably are in for a boatload of homework this year.

A Chinese girl sitting in the far corner with a band of fellow Ravenclaws glares at me. I recognize her as Cho Chang. Wasn't she Harry's girlfriend last year? I glare right back at her. She never deserved Harry. Even Hermione doesn't really deserve Harry in my opinion but he loves her so I haven't said anything to anybody about it. Cho looks miffed, slamming her book down on the table and gathering her things to leave. She's got an old Witch Weekly tucked under her arm. I bet it's the one with Harry and Hermione on the cover.

"I've found it," Hermione says, shoving the index card back in the door. I follow her through the many aisles' of books until she stops in front of a shelf.

"Which one's are about astral projection?" I ask looking around in awe at all the books. I assume that emotion towards the book is from the little bit of Hermione that's still in the body. I definitely do not like books this much. I also feel a strange need to pick up a copy of Hogwarts: A History on the way out.

"All of them." Hermione piles book after book into my arms until I can barely see over the tower not to mention the fact that they feel as if they weigh more than me.

"Lets get a table." She pushes me forward causing half of the books to fall from my arms with a loud crash. "Ginny!" Hermione shouts covering her mouth quickly as everyone at the surrounding tables turned to look at us.

"Thanks for making me look like a psychopath yelling at myself," I mumble making sure no one else can hear.

"Sorry." Her face bright red, she bends over to pick up the fallen books and sets them down at an empty table.

I'm beginning to wonder if being expelled wouldn't be the better idea. There's no way we can keep this going without causing people to think we're completely insane. One of us is going to slip again.

I sigh and bury my head in a book. I hadn't realized astral projection was such a hard thing to do. I had known without even thinking what to do the first time. Perhaps it had something to do with Hermione's lack of aura or the potion wasn't quite right.

There's an odd feeling in the pit of my stomach. I want desperately to go run and spill my problems to someone who can make it all better. I have a habit of always trying to get other people to resolve my messes. The only problem is no one else can help this and even if they could my desire to tell Harry is just as great as the one to tell Draco and Ron. That must be part of Hermione's mindset. Everything had to be about Harry. I wonder if she feels the need to talk to Draco. I look over at her skimming through Nineteen Century Astral Research. Somehow I didn't think she felt it as much as me because ever since Harry had saved my life in second year I've constantly wanted to run to him with all my problems, knowing that he would help me if I asked.

I turn back to my book, which is incredibly boring, if I might add. I want out of Hermione's body and into my own. Although, I think examining Hermione's nice long fingernails, she is a lot prettier than me. If I got Lavender to help I might be able to have some fun while I'm here.

***

Told From Hermione's POV

Ginny keeps looking at me weird. Is it possible that she can hear my thoughts now that she's in my body? I freeze for a moment before realizing obviously if I can't hear hers then she definitely can't hear mine. I can't concentrate. I look at the page for a moment trying to soak up as much information as I can before something else distracts me.

I jump. I meant Harry really I did.

I look back at the book. Astral projection is the unconscious act of letting your soul enter a different realm while leaving the body behind. Many cases have been documented of the last decade where even the most mundane Muggles have under duress or injury been able to project their soul elsewhere. This leads us to believe -

I roll my eyes. "Ginny how short is your attention span?" I ask in irritation. I can't even look at a stupid book for more than thirty seconds without being bombarded with thoughts.

"Have you met any of my brothers? I'm a Weasley. None of us have long attention spans. Not like you," she sound exasperated. "I'm actually finding this interesting. A book," she shakes her head in disbelief.

At least you're not thinking about Harry, I think but don't say. Draco's face kept flitting through my mind something Ginny obviously thought about a lot. He was fairly cute if you looked at him long enough with that blonde hair and his eyes were so intense -

Read I remind myself forcing my eyes down to the paragraph I'd left off at.

- That astral projection is not magical but merely human, although no Muggles have been able to leave this dimension. While projecting the body 3000 miles away may seem an easy feat compared to sending it through time warps and different atmosphere's it causes the least amount of trouble. Projection should first be mastered the simple way before any attempts at leaving our world are made. Accidents such as not being able to get back into your body or going back into someone else's have been known to happen. There are no known cures for either problem.

Ginny must have bad eyesight. It couldn't say that. There had to be a cure. There just had to. I shove the book under Ginny's nose, my index finger pointing to the last sentence.

"What does it say?"

Ginny pushes the book away with a sigh. "I know. It says it in here too. There isn't a cure."

"Then what's the point in looking at the rest? We're stuck. We'll never get out again. Harry won't love me anymore and I hate books now and worse: I keep thinking of Draco Malfoy." I bury my head in my arms, trying hard not to cry.

"Hermione we'll find a way," Ginny says gently. "If we can't then we'll tell Harry what happened. He'll love you no matter what and you've read enough books for the both of us. Everything will be all right you just better stop thinking of Draco!" There's a smile on her face but I can read the underlying seriousness in her voice. Draco was a subject not to be crossed. This was going to make things awfully hard. Ginny would have a fit if I let Draco kiss me but if I didn't and we were stuck like this for a long time it would certainly put a strain on their relationship. Especially after what I'd seen in the bedroom earlier.

"I'll try."

She nods, scooping up the books from the table.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking these back to the common room," she answers handing me a few as well.

"Why not just stay in the library?"

"Because the guys know we'll be in the library and right now our second biggest problem is the guys so I figure we go up and hide in the dormitory and try to figure this all out before we have to deal with them. Sound good?"

"Sounds good," I agree holding the library door open for her. She wobbles beneath the books' weight. I was used to carrying big loads of books but I didn't offer to help her anymore than I already was. It would look odd if Ginny Weasley was seen carrying large quantities of library books around the school. I didn't want anyone suspecting anything plus it gave my arms a break.

"What if the guys are in the common room?" I ask the thought only just occurring to me.

Ginny gave me a look and I can tell you it is really weird watching yourself do stuff. It's almost like talking to a mirror.

"They're eating. Trust me," she says before I can say anything. "I have six brothers. It's dinner. They'll be eating."

It's annoying when we reach Gryffindor tower and she gives me a knowing glance. Do I do that a lot? Maybe that's why people think I'm such a know it all. Harry, Ron and Draco are all missing which I assume means Ginny was right and they did go down to dinner. I wonder if they all went together. Harry and Ron had been a little hostile to Draco since he'd come to live with us.

"They can't find us up here. Well Draco can," Ginny says stumbling up the dormitory stairs. I'm afraid she's going to drop all the books again but she steadies them before they have a chance to tumble.

"Why's that because he's only pretending to be a guy?"

Ginny glares at me but I'm pretty sure she's happy to hear say it. It keeps her from thinking I'm thinking of him in bad ways - which I'm not. Really. I swear. I could never like Draco that way and I love Harry.

"He doesn't belong to Gryffindor so the stairs don't recognize his presence," she explains taking us into the room I share with Parvati and Lavender, dropping the books down on the bed. It takes me a moment to realize why we came here and not her own room. She's going to have to sleep here tonight if she's still me.

She tosses a book at me. "Read."

I groan. "Do I have to? They all say the same. I want to go see -" I stop as she turns to look at me nervously waiting to hear whose name I was going to say. I take a deep breath. "Harry," I finish. "I want to go see Harry."

She looks relieved but annoyed none the less. "You can't see Harry. You're Ginny. It would look odd if you went to him instead of Draco so just please let's take a stab at working this out."

I nod, slowly opening the book.

***

Told From Draco's POV

After Ron left to go on a walk with Lavender I discovered Harry was pretty good to talk to. Around Weasley I was always sure to keep my sarcastic guard up but with Harry it was different. I somehow knew he would listen to what I had to say and treat me with respect if I showed him some back.

"I think I pushed her," I say reaching across the table to grab one of the dinner roles. "You saw how she acted back by the common room. She wouldn't even let me kiss her."

"Well at least she let you let you touch her at all," Harry sighs glumly. This thing with Hermione had really upset him. He, unlike me hadn't touched his dinner at all.

"I hope we didn't go to far for her."

"I hope I don't disgust Hermione."

Neither of us was really listening to the other's problems but it felt good to know we weren't alone in our feelings.

"You don't disgust Hermione," I say. Harry can be so stupid sometimes. No wonder he just barely passes potions every year. Can't he see what's right in front of him? This is the Hermione I watched kiss Harry in front of the Leaky Cauldron though there was a crowd of people around, the same Hermione who cried because she wouldn't see him for two weeks. How could he think he disgusted her? He could probably grow horns and she would still love him because he was Harry Potter. Things always seemed to fall into his lap.

"I do," he refuses to believe me and if I'm not mistaken his glasses are fogging up a little. What a wuss.

"Fine I give up," I tell him. "You disgust Hermione."

"I do?"

"No you bonehead!" I take a large bite of my roll to keep from snapping at him.

Harry looks at me in confusion. Ok I take it back. Harry isn't stupid sometimes he's stupid all the time.

"I need to talk to her and you need to talk to Ginny."

"And say what?" I ask as Harry gets up from the table waiting for me to follow in suit.

"Exactly what you told me except it might not go over so well if you yell at her and call her a bonehead."

I scowl at his cheekiness. There were times when I do realize exactly why Harry and I hadn't gotten on from the beginning. I hated being told off by anyone and Harry had never wasted any time setting me straight.

"I was only kidding," he says lightly.

I shrug. "I know."

Harry raises an eyebrow but remains silent as we leave to go in search of Ginny and Hermione.

"They're probably in the library," I suggest.

"Just what I was thinking," Harry agrees with a grin.

It still feels weird to be friendly with Harry no matter what happens. Over the past five years there hasn't been one time I'd ever agreed with him whether I was pretending or not.

"What are you going to say to Hermione?"

"I'm guessing asking her right out if I'm repulsive is pretty much out of the question?"

I nod as Harry shakes his head.

"I dunno. Whatever pops into my head I suppose."

I think he should plan on what he's going to say but I figure he knows more about talking to Hermione than me. After all most of my conversations with her ended in threats and harsh words.

The girls aren't in the library. I search all the aisles while Harry checks the tables and asks Hannah Abbot if she's seen them.

Hannah giggles. "They were here awhile ago," she's unable to finish as she bursts into another frenzy of giggles. "I could only hear part of what they were saying but they were acting really weird."

Harry and I exchange glances glad we're not the only ones to have noticed this.

"Do you know where they went?"

She doesn't but since they weren't at dinner or the library where else would they be but the common room?

The Gryffindors are not happy that I now know their password however retarded it may be. Well most of them anyways. The sixth years, with the exception of Patil didn't care. Seamus was being pretty cool though Dean I could do without. I'm not really sure if I think this because I don't actually like him or for support of Harry (anyone can tell that Dean fancies Hermione). But then I've never supported anyone so it must be the first reason. Plus he's a Mudblood. I'll make an omission for Hermione but I still respect the ways I've been taught which tell me that wizard training should be kept within all magic families.

"Wait here," I say to Harry racing up the girls' dormitory steps causing several second years to scream in rage as I flew past them.

"That's the Girls' dormitory!" one shouted as if I didn't know already.

"Where's Ginny?" I demand when I throw open Ginny's bedroom door to find she's not there. Two girls sat on the floor gossiping amid their mess.

"She's probably in Hermione Granger's room," one of the girls says in a bored voice. The other glares.

"Where would that be?"

"Across the hall," she squeals as her friend jabs in the ribs. I roll my eyes and manage to say thanks before opening the pink door directly across from Ginny's room.

Inside Hermione and Ginny lie on the bed surrounded by a mountain of books. Neither of them notices my quiet entrance as they continue flipping through books until I scoop Ginny from the bed and toss her in my arms giving her a playful kiss.

Ginny gives me a terrified look and quickly clambers out of my embrace, backing against the wall.

"What did I do?" I ask in complete confusion. I feel almost close to tears even though as I've pointed out before I'm a Malfoy and Malfoy's don't cry.

Hermione peeks at me from above her book with tears in her eyes. She jumps off the bed and pushes me out of the room. "Can you give us just two secs?" she asks me. "We'll be right out I promise." She closes the door before opening it again. "Don't go anywhere!" And then the door's slammed in my face.

***

Told From Ron's POV

"So you need me huh?" Lavender teases referring to potions class.

I feel my face flush red. I haven't figured that one out yet. Luckily it's almost dark outside so it's hard for her to make out the expression on my face.

"More like you need me," I retort. "Who else would be your new best friend?"

Even the dark can't hide the sight of Lavender's face as it crumples.

"Sorry Lav," I say quickly. "It was joke really. I didn't - I -"

"It's ok Ron," she whispers as she reaches for my hand, clasping it tightly with her own very cold one.

Oddly enough this doesn't cause me to blush or get awkward like it does when Hermione throws herself upon me it just feels comfortable.

"I dumped Seamus today."

"What?"

She looks up at me anxiously. "It's ok. We're still good friends. Seamus sort of has a thing for the new girl anyway."

"What?" This time my voice echoes through the school grounds.

"And clearly you do too," she says shakily turning her head away.

I could have hit myself. I'd totally forgotten that Lavender liked me. Should I say something about it? Apologize for not liking her back? No then things really would get awkward. Maybe things were ok though. She still held my hand though a lot less hard.

We walk in silence for a bit just strolling along in the near dark. I suppose to the average onlooker we would look like a couple. I drop her hand pretending I was too cold and needed to tuck my hands into my cloak pockets. I can't encourage her. It's a horrible thing to do.

"So you think you have a chance?" Lavender asks and I thought I saw the glitter of tears in her eyes.

I laugh. "Yah right. Do I ever go for girls I have a chance with?"

Why are you torturing yourself Lavender? I ask silently.

"How bout we talk about something else?"

She smiles a little. "That'd be nice but it's just she's right over there," she points to the dark hooded figure standing and looking up at the moon. Though she's standing far in the distance it's still so obviously Ravey in her blood red cloak.

"Do you want to go talk to her?" Lavender asks.

"Nah," I shake my head. "I'm here with you."

I don't want to hurt Lavender. She was so sweet. I wish I liked her back.

"Ron," she whispers. "This is your chance. There's no other Slytherins around. Go for it." Her smile is weary and her eyes heavy but I can see she's being entirely honest.

"Lavender ..." I start to say but change my mind. "Thanks." I bend over to give her a gentle peck on the cheek. "You're the best."

"I know," she murmurs sadly before giving me a soft push in the direction of Ravey. I turn to look back at her, a hand touching the place my lips had touched, eyes on the ground tears falling rapidly. She waves me away when she catches me watching her. I'm torn between my want to run back and throw my arms around her until she stops crying and my want to go talk to Ravey. Whether it was the wrong choice or not I would never know but since Lavender had urged me forward I continue on my walk to see Ravey.

She's holding something tightly in her hand and talking under her breath. I can't hear her but I wonder if it's about the guy she let go that Harry heard her talking about.

"Hey," I say letting her know I'm there.

She jumps about a foot clutching her chest. "Oh it's you," she gasps. "I thought - never mind. Sorry I'm awful with names who are you again?"

"Ron Weasley," I say kind of disappointed I hadn't been important enough to stay in her memory.

"The one from the train," she nods with a smile. "You're not very popular with the Slytherins." She frowns for a moment before shaking her head and smiling again.

I'm surprised she hasn't run away yet or begun laughing in my face.

"So Ron Weasley," Ravey says folding her arms across her chest. "Do you normally go for walks all alone in the evening?"

"Not usually," I say trying to keep from getting flustered. "Do you?"

She was talking to me!

"Whenever I can get away. I like to be alone."

"Well maybe I can come sometime," I say before starting to go red once again. "No wait you do it to be alone. I was being stupid. Sorry about that it happens on -"

"I'd like that," she stops me mid ramble.

I gape at her. "You're serious?"

Ravey laughs softly. "Completely. Don't act so shocked," she laughs again. "You must have lots of girls eager to spend time with you. What about that girl I saw you walking with?"

"She's just a friend," I mutter though I'm quite pleased she noticed me before I approached her.

"Like I hope we'll be," she says and my hopes go crashing down. "At first anyway," she adds seeing my crestfallen face. "You can never tell what the future may hold. Can you do something for me?"

"Anything."

"Hold out your hand," Ravey instructs dropping the silver pendant everyone had made such a big deal about on the train into my open palm. "Can you keep this safe for me?"

"Of course."

She looks worried. "Please don't show anyone, not even your friends."

I nod and she looks a little happier.

"I've got to go," I say suddenly realizing I should probably go before I screw things up. "But maybe tomorrow night?"

"Sure thing," Ravey smiles looking back at the moon as I start to walk away.

I want to jump up and down but I don't in case she's still watching. I just might have a chance after all. I'd have to do something really nice for Lavender once I got back to the school.

***

Told From Hermione's POV

"Hermione," Ginny says hovering over me menacingly. In my body she was now taller than me. "I am not going to let you screw this up for me."

"What do you expect me to do?" I ask just as angry. "Go make out with him a corner?"

"If that's what it takes!" she throws back though I can see it pains her to say that. "Look Hermione if you cause Draco to think twice about us then things are out the window for you and Harry and I mean it."

I stare at her in shock. She wouldn't actually would she? It was different for her. If I asked her to kiss Harry she'd probably do it gladly because she'd had a crush on Harry for years but kissing Draco? The only reason I even found him the remotest bit attractive was because I had parts of Ginny mixing in with my personality. On a normal day the thought of kissing Draco was enough to make me want to hurl.

Taking a huge gulp of air I hear myself say, "What do you want me to do?"

Ginny paces back and forth thinking. "Talk to him. Tell him - tell him you acted like that because you're so scared of having so much feeling for him and you don't know how to express it," her voice breaks and I know she's dying to run after him and tell him these things herself. "Just tell him what he wants to hear and if you have to then yes please kiss him. You're a smart witch. I trust you."

I barely have enough time to reply before she's opened the door and shoved me smack into Draco whose looking pretty worse for wear.

"Uh Hermione, Harry wants to see you," he tells Ginny quietly. "He's downstairs."

Ginny nods devastated hurrying down the stairs so she doesn't have to watch me talk to her boyfriend. We stare at each other until I avert my eyes when he runs a hand through my hair. I was sure he could look right into my eyes and see that it wasn't Ginny staring back at him but he doesn't.

"Did I do something?" he asks sounding just as broken as his girlfriend had. "This afternoon if I forced you to go too far - Ginny you know I would never - I'm sorry," he pulls me tightly against him. I pat his back awkwardly though I was quite touched by his devotion for her. She needed someone who would make her his world.

"It's ok," I whisper reminding myself that I was Ginny. I had to make sure things were ok for her. "I was - um - I was just so scared of all these feelings I've been having for you and I don't know how to say it or ... I'm sorry for pushing you away like that. It was ... wrong."

"I feel the same," he says in an almost urgent voice, pulling away so he can look me in the eye. "Ginny I've never felt this way about anyone and I've only really known you a month. I was so scared that I'd lost you somehow. It was like you just weren't there anymore."

You don't know how right you really are, I think as he closes the gap between us once again. This wasn't going to work for now. He was going to see through it or he was just going to think Ginny had changed so much that he couldn't be with her anymore.

Tears formed in the back my eyes as he leaned back to cradle the side of my face and a rush of emotion hit me. Only it wasn't mine. It was Ginny's but it wasn't Ginny's because she wasn't here to feel it. I shouldn't be here in this position. It should be her. I want to tell him the truth but I can't. I can't take away the look that's in his eyes. Despite all of my nagging doubts over his relationship with Ginny he had proved me wrong. Draco really truly did care about Ginny. It was all there in his eyes just like it was in Harry's when he used to look at me. He would be looking at Ginny with that look now.

I wanted Draco to be Harry so much it hurt inside. Even with Ginny's thoughts of Draco flashing through my mind every five seconds I couldn't get rid of the ache that was Harry.

"How'd the potion go?" he asks finally letting go of me and taking my hand. He starts to lead me down the stairs and I'm scared to follow but I have no choice. What if we get downstairs and see Ginny and Harry kissing? It would kill me and Draco would know the truth. Or he'd assume the truth was that Ginny still had a thing for Harry.

"Ginny?"

"Oh - er - it didn't. Work I mean. It - it didn't work."

He looks at me in amusement. "I'm glad. Stuff like that is dangerous."

So Draco had known what Ginny was about to do and he'd let her? He just let her go off to see the Powers without even trying to stop her? Even Harry who probably agreed with me that they were a myth would have stopped Ginny from going. What type of boyfriend was he?

I sigh and bite my lip. I was only trying to criticize Draco because I wanted him to be Harry. Comparing the two was useless it wouldn't help Ginny and I switch bodies again. I wasn't sure if we ever would. There was a reverse for almost every spell except that this wasn't a spell. It was an accident that could have happened just as easily as a car crash. It just did and there was no way to reverse it apart from going back in time but even this wouldn't help our predicament. You couldn't touch a soul and force it in the proper body. It'd cause even worse damage for us to jump back in the portal as well as our past selves.

Harry and Ginny aren't in the common room when we reach the bottom of the staircase. Not seeing what they were doing was almost worse than catching them kissing because I knew Harry's fondness for things like broom closets and bathrooms.

"Are you ok?" Draco asks giving my hand a little squeeze.

"Yah I'm fine. Why do you ask?" I say holding back tears.

"You just look really sick that's all."

I nod trying to secure a happy look on my face.

"Want me to show you my room?"

"Sure."

As he leads me out of the portrait hole I'm sure he knows something's wrong but doesn't want to comment on it.

***

Told From Ginny's POV

"Walk with me?" I ask offering Harry my hand. He looks nervous as he nods and I lead him away from the prying eyes of our fellow Gryffindors until we reach a deserted corridor.

"So," I say letting go of him. "Draco said you wanted to talk?"

"And you felt the need to take me all the way out here?"

"You looked upset," I explain carefully. "I didn't want to talk with everyone watching. We don't want another Witch Weekly incident do we?"

"No we can't have that," he agrees bitterly looking down at his feet.

"Harry what's wrong?"

He doesn't answer continuing to stare down at the ground.

"Harry?" I take his head in my hands as I'd seen Hermione do in my vision forcing him to look at me. "What is it?"

I don't release his face until he answers me. There's something wrong. He's acting very unHarry like.

"This isn't working," he says slowly. "You don't seem to want to be with me anymore."

His words stun me. He actually thinks Hermione doesn't want to be with him? That was like saying the sky wasn't blue. I drop my hands immediately.

"How can you think that?"

"Easy all you've done is get irritated at me since we got to Hogwarts and the look you gave me before you and Ginny went to the library," he closes his eyes for a moment. "And you've barely touched me all day."

I squeezed my own eyes shut tightly. I'm sorry Hermione but I have to do this for your own sake.

And I kissed him. I'd always wanted to kiss him. Harry was probably the first boy I'd ever fantasized over and here I was finally kissing him and he thought I was someone else. His lips were much softer than Draco's and his hands stayed, as they should around my waist instead of consistently venturing upward as Draco's did.

I pull away from Harry as an attempt to stop the battle of guilt in my head.

"I love you," Harry whispers leaning his forehead against mine.

"I love you too," I force myself to say back. It hurt to hear those words for the first time said with such tenderness and not have them actually being said to me. Hermione didn't realize how lucky she was. I couldn't imagine Draco ever telling me he loved me. But I didn't love Draco anyway so did it really matter if he said it or not? Did I want him to say it?

"Do you want to go back now?"

"No," Harry says in a voice that clearly thinks I'm just joking. "Hermione think about it. We're finally along together without any distractions. Do you really want to go back?"

Yes I think as Harry gently places a kiss on my nose. He moves back to my lips and I let him kiss me for a moment before stopping him.

"Sorry," I apologize. "But Ginny and I tried this spell that bombed earlier and I just feel really heady. Can we go back?"

He nods disappointedly, swinging an arm over my shoulder. I hope Hermione was having an easier time with Draco. There was a burning fire in the pit of my stomach of guilt for kissing Harry. I feel as if I've betrayed both Hermione and Draco and I liked the kiss, which makes me feel worse. What was I going to tell Hermione? Should I just say I convinced him without having to resort to anything physical?

But when we got back to the common room there wasn't any Hermione to explain things to. She and Draco were gone and I felt about to burst into tears. What if we never got back to our proper bodies? Or what if we did and then Draco didn't like me anymore because he liked the way I acted when Hermione was in my body?

I hurriedly said good-bye to Harry, fleeing up the stairs to go hide under Hermione's covers though it was only seven o'clock. Maybe I'd wake up in the morning and I'd discover it was just a dream.

***

Told From Ron's POV

I was happy to see Harry sitting alone by the fire when I got back to the common room.

"Hey," I greet him.

"Hi," Harry says softly.

Oh great. They're arguing again. I knew this mood of Harry's and it usually involved a girl.

"Guess who I just finished talking to?"

"She's being weird," Harry murmurs more to himself than to me.

I groan. "I know it's hard for you to contemplate having a conversation that doesn't include Hermione but I really wanted to talk about Ravey."

It takes a moment but Harry does seem to snap out of his depressive funk. "What about her?"

"I think she might like me!" I exclaim with a proud smile.

"Cool," Harry says a little less enthusiastically than I'd hoped. "It's about time you had some luck with girls."

I frown. That hadn't been the exact response I'd wanted. I knew you could do it, might have been nice or even just good job Ron.

"But I always kind of pictured you with someone like Lavender," Harry shrugs. "I dunno why."

Lavender. Why did things always come back to her? She was a friend, a good friend. I liked her a lot but not that way. To me she was just Lavender you know?

"She likes me," I say even though Hermione probably already told him. She's not the best at keeping secrets.

"I know," Harry says with a grin. "Everyone knows Ron."

"Oh," I blush.

"But good luck with Ravey," he adds getting up and stretching.

"Where are you going?"

"Bed."

I look down at my watch and let out a laugh. "Harry you gotta be kidding me. It's only half past eight."

"So?" He looks irritated. "I'm tired. I've been having nightmares again too," he tells me in a low voice.

I shake my head at him. He'd always had nightmares where he'd moan and groan keeping everyone up at all hours at the night. I had to fight with the other guys many times over asking McGonagall if Harry could have a separate room. I told them every time that Harry had been made to feel different every day of his life and that I wasn't about to make him sleep alone because of some stupid nightmares and then if they disagreed I just threatened to blackmail them. I'd have to find some more stuff to use against them if he was beginning to have nightmares again.

"Hey guys!" Ginny bounds up to us receiving a withering glare from Harry as he walks away rubbing his temples.

"He's having a bad day."

"Hermione?" she asks anxiously.

"I dunno. Probably. Who really knows with them?"

"Well he must have said something if things were that bad right?"

I shrug. I don't feel like discussing Harry. "He said she was being weird that's all."

Ginny bites down on her lower lip looking remarkably like Hermione when she's concentrating hard on something.

"Well," she says. "I better start on my homework." She starts to pick up a bunch of Hermione's schoolbooks that are sitting by the fire.

"Uh Gin?" I point to the Standard Book of Spells Grade 6. "I don't think that's what you're after."

"Yes it is," she says looking down at it. "I've got homework in - oh!" she gasps suddenly dropping them with a loud clatter. "Well you see I was getting these because Hermione had homework and then I was going to ask her to help me with my Arithmancy. Gotta go!" She grabs all the rest of Hermione's books and sprints up the stairs to the girls' dormitory before I can say anything.

That was ... odd. Had everyone gone off their rocker today?

I look around for Lavender and find her sitting beside Neville working on our transfiguration homework. Damn, I'd forgotten about that. Nearly all of our teachers had given us work even though it was only the first day of classes. Oh well. I'd finish it tomorrow.

"Hey."

Lavender and Neville look up at the same time and smile.

"How'd it go?" Lavender asks brightly. I'm glad to see she's cheerful again. I'd always loved how she could look on the bright side of everything. Quite the opposite of me.

"Pretty good," I settle down beside her on the couch and throw my arm over her shoulders without even thinking about it. "Thanks for making me talk to her."

Her smile fades slightly. "Anytime."

"Talk to who?" Neville wants to know abandoning his work. Probably for the best. Transfiguration was never his strong point. It was always best if he looked on Hermione's paper along with all the rest of us while she was doing her work.

"Ravey Jagts the new Slytherin," Lavender answers for me.

"Oh," Neville frowns looking nervous. "But - never mind."

I can feel Ravey's necklace burning against the side of my leg through my jeans pocket. Why did everyone act so weird whenever Ravey's name was mentioned? It was as if they all knew something about her that I didn't. Like when Hermione had nearly fainted on the train at the sight of Ravey's necklace. She'd said Ravey was a Dumbledore. But that couldn't be possible. No true Dumbledore would be put in Slytherin. I wonder why she had given me the necklace. I remember Harry telling me in an owl that she guarded it with her life at Privet Drive not even letting Lupin near it. Maybe I was special. I grin. Yah that was it.

***

Told From Draco's POV

I sit on the edge of my bed staring into the mirror that hung on the wall across the room. At this time last year I would have been resting in the Slytherin common room surrounded by all those I'd once considered my friends laughing and making fun of Harry Potter and friends. But last year had also been the year I had truly begun to hate everything I stood for. However I hadn't imagined that renouncing my ways would leave me feeling this lonely. I could see the days of emptiness stretching out before me. I had no one. I had thought I had Ginny but who was I kidding? She came from a different world, one that I could never belong to. The Gryffindors would never truly accept me no matter how hard I tried to please them. I wanted her to stay longer and talk but she had been so distant saying she had loads of homework to do even though she had skipped two of her classes. It was kind of like she wasn't Ginny at all. Well she was but she wasn't. She was a shell of Ginny. There were bits of her floating around on the surface but for the most part she was different. I wondered if something more had gone on this afternoon than she was letting on. Possibly the Powers hadn't told her what she'd wanted to hear?

A knock sounds from my open door. I look up eagerly hoping Ginny's come back or that maybe its even Harry coming to report on how things had gone with him and Hermione. My face falls when I see who it is. Snape stands leaning against the doorframe with two large mugs in his hands.

"Hot chocolate?" he offers.

I want to say no but I can tell by the scowl on his face that I don't have a choice. I nod and follow him out to the main area, taking a seat on the giant couch in front of the fire. The room would have had a nice homey feeling if it hadn't been penetrated by his glare and icy attitude. He doesn't sit down but hands me the mug, which I take without a word dreading whatever sort of lecture I was about to receive.

"Where were you this afternoon?" he asks in a cold, snide voice rather like the one he usually uses on Harry.

"I -"

"Another interesting fact is that it appears Miss. Weasley wasn't in class this afternoon either. A coincidence?"

I gulp something that doesn't go unnoticed by Snape. He grins evilly.

"I didn't think so."

He finally stops pacing to sit down awkwardly on the coffee table in front of me. "That wasn't a smart thing to do Draco."

I sigh and look away. He reminds me too much of my father sitting like that leaning towards me with a cross of pity and contempt. I nearly expected him shove his scorched tattoo of the Dark Mark in my face as my father had to show me what my destiny held. As if I wanted to have some ugly thing scarred into my arm forever.

"I must tell you that most of the teachers are aware of your past dealings with the Dark Lord and some don't believe you have stopped. I've been fighting to keep your place here all summer -"

I shake my head stubbornly. "That's not true. Dumbledore wouldn't let them kick me out."

Snape's face contorts in anger. "Dumbledore's word counts for less and less these days. Thanks to your father," he adds.

I chug down my hot chocolate so I don't have to think of response to that.

"Continue to lead nice girls from proper wizarding homes astray such as Virginia Weasley and I guarantee there will be consequences to face. I can't protect you forever."

I turn to see his beady black eyes filled genuine worry. Maybe he was looking out for me but he was telling to me that I couldn't be with Ginny - I balled my fists up tightly.

"I won't leave her."

"I'm not asking you to leave her!" Snape's temper flares along with his nostrils. "I'm simply giving you a warning. You are now in a school where anyone can watch your every move. It would be prudent for you to start thinking of your actions." He drains the contents of his mug and gets up but before he turns to leave he pulls a crumpled piece of paper from his cloak. Tossing it to me I see it's a list of potion ingredients.

"What's this?"

Snape smirks slightly raising a hand to his mouth. I can just sense a triumphant smile waiting to cross his face. He always loves being able to hold things over his students even me.

"The potion you missed today. I expect it to be ready for tomorrow to test out in front of the class."

"Tomorrow's class?" I gaped down at the paper in my hands. "We don't have potions again until next week!"

"Wrong. Check your timetable. Your Herbology lesson has been cancelled due to Professor Sprout's emotional break down. You'll be having potions in your Herbology slots from now on until a replacement teacher is found."

Professor Sprouts emotional break down? I hadn't heard about that.

"What happened?"

"The Dark Lord," he says, a dark cloud passing over his eyes. "Has begun to kill again."

I feel a hitch at the back of my throat. No.

"Who was it?"

"Her son."

Ouch. I hadn't even known Professor Sprout was married let alone had a kid. That had to be horrible. Your own child being killed. Parents weren't supposed to outlive their children. Neither Snape nor I said another word to each other that night after he walked away into the first room without a word and I went into my own and began brewing the potion. Making potions usually calmed me. I was like Snape that way but nothing could soothe the horrible pangs in my stomach knowing that You-Know-Who was beginning to start his mission and it would only be a matter of time before I was called up to initiate stage one of the plan.

***

Told From Ginny's POV

I was the first one of my friends down in the Great Hall for breakfast the next morning. Hermione was still in my room working on her well I guess my homework and looking through all the books on astral projection, and Ron and Harry were still sleeping. I wasn't sure if Draco would come sit at the Gryffindor table if he didn't see me or I suppose I should say my body there. But later after Seamus and Dean came and sat down beside me cheerily sprinkling ketchup over their sausages Draco ambled down and took a seat across from me.

I grin at him. "Hey Draco."

"Hi," he says faintly giving me a funny look.

I'd forgotten that I looked like Hermione. She was always mean to Draco wasn't she? Oh this was all so complicated! I let my head drop with a loud bang on the table top accidentally getting my hair in Dean's porridge but he didn't seem to care. He probably thought it was my way of showing him that I liked him. I bet by the way he kept looking over at me that he'd kiss Hermione again even though he was friends with Harry.

"You ok Hermione?" Draco asks jolting me back to reality.

"Oh yah just great," I say sarcastically watching Harry, Hermione and Ron walk into the Great Hall together. I was miserable being stuck in Hermione's body but she looked like she was quite enjoying her stay in mine. I noticed Draco's eyes narrow at Hermione as she sat down in the chair beside me instead of her usual place by him. I thought I could see a bit of hurt in his eyes. I wanted to jerk her up from her seat and force her to sit down by Draco. I don't care if she doesn't like him. She's going to do it anyway for me but I soon found out she had an ulterior motive. When all the guys had turned their heads away talking about Quidditch (do they ever do anything else?) she passed me a folded piece of paper under the table.

I open it slowly making sure to keep it out of Dean's sight.

I crumple up her note and shove it in my pocket so that no one else can see it and slowly pass over my timetable. I felt a bit reluctant about giving it to her. It was as if by handing it to her I was agreeing to let her take over my life and that if she went to my classes I was giving her permission to do just that.

Hermione scans the list groaning softly, "You take divination?"

"Does the word duh mean anything to you?" I ask in irritation. "I'm Professor Trelawney's favourite student because I actually have an aura." I smirk at her. I don't know why Hermione was making me so angry. Maybe it was because of the way she had totally ignored Draco and started clinging to Harry or maybe I was just mad because I knew there was a chance we'd be stuck this way forever and I was starting to miss my old life.

"Well good for you," she mutters. "I think I'm gonna skip it. Do some research instead."

I look at her enraged. "You can't skip divination!" I screech.

Dean, Seamus, Ron and Harry all turn to look at me all with the same matching expression of disbelief.

"Hermione," Harry says gently. "You hate divination."

"Yah," Ron agrees. "You've been at Ginny to drop that class since she started."

"Oh well," I look over at Hermione anxiously waiting for her to jump in with some explanation after all she's the smart one but instead she just looks up at me innocently shrugging her shoulders. "Uh - you see I just - skipping class is - is bad. And Ginny was going to skip again and - and that's just bad - very very bad. So uh you agree with me don't you Ron?"

Ron's staring at me. "Er -" he says looking back and forth between me and Hermione. Oh God he knows. He must know. He's seen me lie so many times in the course of our lies he must somehow realize that it's me inside not Hermione.

"Er-" he starts again. "She's right. Ginny I really don't think you should be missing anymore classes."

Draco's busy eating his breakfast but I can tell by the way his eyes dart dubiously to Hermione every few moments that he knows something's a miss. Why did this have to happen? Couldn't I have just done what I'd been doing all my life and keep my mouth shut about the stupid vision? Then nothing would have changed and I could be sitting across from the table annoying Ron and talking to Draco but instead I'm stuck here forced to let Harry kiss me (believe me this whole little body swap had definitely fixed my infatuation with him) and be an insufferable know it all. I just wanted to be Ginny again.

"Fine," Hermione says glaring at me for spoiling her plan. "I'll go to divination but I won't look into some stupid crystal ball and pretend to See."

"Ginny?" Draco asks confusion flooding his gray-blue eyes. "You can See and you love divination."

"I do not," Hermione retorts with a frown.

"Yes you do. You told me so yourself."

I jump up from the table grabbing Hermione's arm, pulling her to her feet. "She's just kidding around aren't you Ginny? She didn't get much sleep last night so she's just acting a bit weird. We'll be right back ok?"

I yank Hermione away from the table and out into the Entrance Hall.

"What are you trying to do?" I shout. "Do you want somebody to find out?"

"No," Hermione sticks out her lower lip at me pouting. "I'm just so exhausted from trying to figure this whole thing out and from having to act like you! I just want my own body back!" And with that she breaks down and begins to cry.

***

Told From Draco's POV

"Excuse me guys," I say getting up from the table and following Ginny and Hermione. I wasn't sure why but I felt that Ginny needed me.

Ron scowls at me. "Let them be," he calls after me but I just ignore him and continue walking. Outside of the Great Hall doors I can hear Hermione shouting but her words are muffled and Ginny's collapsed on the ground with tears running down her face. I freeze for a second before collecting her in my arms letting her bury her head in my shoulder.

"What do you think your doing?" I ask Hermione angrily.

She looks startled, her eyes shifting anxiously from Ginny and me before resting on Ginny a look of horror flowing throughout her face. She turns around hugging herself tightly just like Ginny had done the day she'd found out about Padma. Why did Hermione keep reminding me so much of Ginny?

I look down at the girl sniffling on my chest and then at the one standing with her back to me. I had a sudden urge to throw Ginny aside and comfort Hermione instead but that couldn't be right. I didn't like Hermione. She was all prissy and lacked that certain sparkle I loved about Ginny. The same sparkle that Ginny seemed to be missing. Maybe I was just making things up to torment myself. Ginny wasn't any different just tired and a little stressed out. She'd be fine in a few days.

I jumped. This time it wasn't my father's voice that echoed through my head but Ginny's. It sounded like it came from a distant and far away place as if she was trapped somewhere.

The real Ginny had pulled away and was drying her eyes with the corner of her sleeve but Hermione stood staring at me through blank eyes. What was going on?

Ginny? I think back hoping she'll answer.

I watch my girlfriend out of the corner of my eye but she isn't paying any attention to me. No she couldn't be the one talking so who was in my head? Was my father able to change the sound of his inner voice? I remember the day he came and told me how the Dark Lord had taught him telepathy. It was warning. He could speak to me at any time and I was powerless to stop it but he'd also said that a person's telepathic voice could never change because it came from within. No one but Ginny could think her thoughts to me and sound like herself.

I - I can't say her voice fades out for the last time and she's gone.

Ginny smiles at me brightly but as she takes a step closer I stumble backward. That wasn't Ginny.

"Draco?"

"I - I have to go," I say quickly heading back through the Great Hall doors. Ron's busy stuffing his face with toast and goggling at the new Slytherin girl. As I approach he makes a face and motions me out of the way.

"You're blocking my view Malfoy," he mumbles through bites of food.

"I need to talk to you," I tell him not budging.

"It can wait."

"Ron, it's about Ginny."

My words have the desired effect I was looking for as Ron bolts up from his seat.

"What is it?"

"Well ..." I let my voice trail off not sure how to tell him. "I don't think she's in there."

"Come again?" I can tell by the quivering of his cheeks that he's holding back a laugh.

"It's not her."

Ron goes silent before nodding his head in agreement. "I know."

"You know?" I thunder. "Well what caused it? Where is she?"

Ron shrugs. "Your guess is as good as mine."

I have a sneaking suspicion he knows more than he's letting on.

"She's been acting weird ever since that day I missed Potions," I muse. "The day we made the Portico."

Ron's face turns a violent shade of purple. "You helped her make a Portico? You let her go see them?" He grabs me by the collar of my cloak trying to strangle me, only releasing his grip when he sees a few teacher's getting ready to come over to break up the fight.

"I didn't let her do anything," I snap, running hand over my neck where the cloak had rubbed. "You know when she gets something in her mind there's no stopping her."

He sighs but knows I'm right. "Did she take anyone with her?"

"I don't know? Look I think she's trapped in some alternate reality. I heard her calling to me."

"You what?" Ron's looking at me now with wide eyes.

"I heard her. She was talking to me telepathically. I think she got trapped maybe the Powers sent her -"

"When?" Ron interrupts not listening to my ideas at all.

"When what?" I ask straining to hold my temper.

"When did you hear her calling to you?"

"In the Entrance Hall."

"After you followed Hermione and Ginny there?"

I roll my eyes. "No after I followed Pansy Parkinson of course when I followed Hermione and Ginny."

Ron folds his arms across his chest. "No need to be cheeky."

I disregard his patronizing tone. "It was the weirdest thing too. Ginny wasn't paying any attention to me but Hermione was looking at me like she could read my thoughts. It was ... eerie."

Ron's eyes look like they're about to roll back in his forehead. "Hermione?" he repeats in a low voice. "You're sure?"

I nod. Ron curses softly under his breath turning away from me.

"What's going on guys?" Harry asks from his seat at the table. Neither of us had realized he'd been listening to the whole conversation. Ron chooses not to answer so I follow his lead and remain silent.

"Ron -" I start to say but he cuts me off abruptly.

"No I need to -" but he never finishes his sentence as he goes dashing off out of the Great Hall leaving behind a half eaten piece of toast. Harry and I exchange baffled glances. I didn't understand anymore than he did.

***

Told From Ron's POV

I grabbed Hermione's arm and grip it tightly making sure she couldn't get away after I said what I had to say. If I was wrong she was going to think I was a complete nutter. Maybe I was but for some reason I just knew.

"Ginny?" I ask staring into her hazel eyes. Even though Ginny's eyes were blue I could almost see her in them but that was impossible. I really must be going mad.

Hermione looks over at the real Ginny frantically trying to jerk her arm away from me but I hold fast. Eventually she stops struggling and looks up at me with a perplexed expression on her face. "How did you know?"

"It is you!" I sigh in relief pulling her into a hug with a great deal more ease than I would have if she had been the real Hermione. I'm not crazy! I think happily releasing Ginny. "How did this happen?"

Ginny looks at her hands helplessly as she always does when she doesn't want to say something. "You have to promise not to get mad," she mumbles her head down.

"Ginny -"

"Promise!" she cries stubbornly.

"Fine. I promise not to get mad now will you tell me?"

She nods, taking a deep breath. "I wanted to show Hermione part of my vision so I conjured the portal and we went to see the Powers -"

"GINNY!" I explode although I'd already known she'd gone because Draco had told me. "I told you not to go back there it isn't safe!"

"Ron you promised you wouldn't get mad!" Ginny pouts sticking out her lower lip at me.

"Well then I'm breaking my promise! We went that one time because it was important but they'll hurt you if -"

"No," Hermione interrupts stepping forward to join the conversation. "I don't think they would."

"Oh would you butt out?" I ask exasperatedly. "You don't know the first thing about the Powers that Be. You don't even believe in them!"

"Do you know what a dynasty is?"

I shake my head.

"I didn't think so. A dynasty is an era of which a certain king or queen reigned."

It was quite disturbing to hear Hermione's textbook response coming from Ginny's body.

"Thanks for the history lesson but what does this have to do with anything?"

She gives me an irritated look. Now that's something I'm used to seeing from Ginny. "The Powers called her Dynasty," she says.

I give her a blank look. "And that's supposed to mean?"

"That Ginny is what would be considered by the Powers a mortal queen in their realm. She obviously will have vital place in the future."

If Ginny was a queen in the spirit world some of the things the Powers had said that one time we'd visited made a whole lot more sense but that still didn't explain to me how these two-switched bodies.

"Ok but how -" I shake my head at the two of them.

Ginny sighs. "When we went back through the portal home Hermione wasn't thinking of herself. Ron she was thinking of me."

I look back at Hermione with horror realizing what had happened. "See I told you it was dangerous! There isn't any way to fix this you know!"

I had read up on astral projection and the Powers that Be before our trip so I had known the many hazards there were and this was one of them. It could never be taken back or reversed. Ginny looks about to burst into tears while Hermione purse her lips knowingly.

"I'm not sure about that Ron," she says. "I've read some of the newer books and it looks as if there's a possibility of transferring the souls if one or both of the bodies are unconscious."

"Oh right," I say sarcastically slapping myself in the head. "Why didn't I think of that? I'll hit one of you with a bludger that'll sure solve the problem."

Hermione glares. "I didn't say it was the nicest plan but it might be the only way."

"There is no way."

"I'm going to research it some more before we actually attempt it," she talks over me. "Which is why I need to skip divination to work in the library. If -"

"No," I say putting my foot down. "I won't have you getting my sister detention while you're in her body."

"But Ron if Ginny's right and she is Trelawney's favourite student I'm sure I could get a pass to work in the library on astral projection. It is part of the divination studies."

"No."

Hermione crosses her arms, her mouth now a thin line. "I know why you're doing this and it's not funny."

I grin. "Yes it is."

Ginny looks at the two of us in confusion. "What's so funny?"

"It's not," Hermione says with a glare. "Ron knows how much I hate divination. That's the only reason why he wants me to go to that class for you."

"Have fun," I say with a snigger picturing Hermione sitting in Trelawney's room reading tealeaves.

"I'll get you back you know," she says stomping off and leaving me with my sister. She grins at me.

"You're so mean."

"I know," I say sticking my tongue out at her.

Ginny laughs before becoming more serious. "How did you know?"

I shrug. "I just did I guess. I dunno? I just felt it. Not to mention the fact that you two were both being really strange."

She smiles. "Our connection right?"

Our connection...the one that had been made the first night I felt my way through her subconscious mind to free her from her visions. It was then that I started to somehow be able to reach her emotions and sense her presence if I tried.

"Yah," I say softly.

"I wish Draco and I had that type of connection." Her face falls.

"But you do."

"No," she shakes her head. "He completely believes Hermione's me. I thought he heard me before but I was imagining it."

"You weren't," I tell her. "He heard you and he came to me because he thought you were stuck in some alternate reality. He wanted to save you Ginny but I already guessed what was wrong."

Her face lights up. "You're not lying?"

"Does this look like a face that lies?"

She gives me a look before giving me another hug. "Thanks Ron."

I was glad to have made her happy and for the first time I was actually beginning to think that Draco might be good for her.

***

Told From Harry's POV

We waited but none of them returned. Not Ron, not Ginny and not Hermione. I wanted to know why Ron had been so anxious and what was going on but if Draco knew anything he certainly wasn't telling. He just sat unmoving staring at the door they had all run through. Even now as people were filtering away he stayed like that. I couldn't stand it any longer. I pulled my chair out and stood up.

"You're going?" Draco asks finally tearing his eyes away but only for a second.

"I don't know about you but I've got class soon."

Draco shrugs. "Joy another hour filled with pretentious people who hate my guts almost as much as they hate yours. That's my idea of a picnic alright."

If he didn't always insist on being a scornful bastard I might have felt a bit of pity towards Draco. He had nothing much going for him. No true friends with the exception of Ginny as none of the rest of us had had a chance to break through his tough exterior and get to know him. I saw glimpses of the real Draco here and there enough to show me that someday we might be great friends if I kept my mouth shut during his sardonic periods and showed him nothing but respect.

"Aren't you going to wait for Hermione?" there's a pleading note in his voice. I can see he wants me to stay and wait with him.

I sigh and sit back down. "Things with Hermione are not going well."

Draco looks over at me in amusement. "And you're basing this on what? The fact that you two didn't get along for one day? That's stupid," he says seeing my expression.

"Thanks if you're going to insult me I think I'll just go."

"Oh calm down. Don't get your knickers in a twist. I just wanted to give you some advice."

"Because you've had so much good experience with relationships."

I'm being a prat I know but I can't help it. This is Draco Malfoy; my former archenemy trying to give me love advice. It annoyed me. It's not like he was that great with girls either.

Draco glowers. "I may not have had any real relationships or even friendships before Potter but all my life I've been watching people and I know things. I can read people pretty well. But since you don't seem to want to hear what I have to say I'll just leave it."

"Go ahead," I say grudgingly, staring down at the tabletop so I can't see the jubilant look in his eye.

I hear him take a deep breath before beginning. "Look Harry when I say I've been watching people for years I mean you. I've been watching you and your friends for as long as I've known you. I can probably even remember things you can't but I was there the day she realized she loved you. I saw it before anyone else did and it was - what I'm trying to say is don't let one argument or whatever happened yesterday spoil what you could have. Because you have something special. Hermione loves you. Any idiot, including me can see that."

I don't say anything for a long time stunned by his long speech. Hermione had always told me that Draco was jealous of me and now that I've heard all that I think it's true but that's really not the point. He was trying to stop me from making a huge mistake the way a close friend might.

"Thanks," I say. "I didn't real -"

"Stop," he puts hand up to shield his face. "Let's just pretend like I didn't say that."

I can feel the embarrassment radiating off of him like an old heater so I do as he says waiting in a stony silence for my friends to come back. It becomes clear twenty minutes later when none of them have appeared that they aren't coming back. I'm already late for transfiguration and I know McGonagall will take away points when I arrive to class but Draco doesn't seem to want to move. He's sitting there staring unwaveringly at Ginny's empty chair looking extremely miserable. I don't blame him. All his former friends keep trying to attack or if teacher's are around just simply taunting him but it must be horrible. It was like multiplying everything Draco had ever done to me by ten.

"Come on," I say getting up once again.

Draco shakes his head. "I think I'll stay here. Maybe go back to my room for awhile."

"You've got a class to go to," I remind him. "You're a prefect."

"That I am," he murmurs in a bored voice. "But it doesn't matter. You go ahead Potter. I'll find something to do."

"Get up." I yank him to his feet. "I've had enough of you feeling sorry for yourself. You can either accept the way things are or you can do something to change them."

"There isn't anything I can do," he says. "Unless you'd rather I changed schools."

"But you can," I tell him grabbing a chunk of his black cloak and pulling him with me. "If you talk to the right person you can do anything around this school."

"What are you talking about?"

"We're going to pay a little visit to the Headmaster."

***

"Ten points from Gryffindor for your tardiness," Professor McGonagall announces as I walk into her classroom twenty minutes late.

I nod. That's fair. "I have a note from Professor Dumbledore," I tell her handing it over and stepping back so that Draco can proceed.

"Mr. Malfoy," she says in a notably loathsome voice. "Is there something I can help you with?"

He turns to me his blue eyes asking me for help.

"It's all in the note Professor," I try to explain. "If you would just read it."

McGonagall falls silent as she ducks her head to read what Dumbledore's written. I already know what it said as he had read it aloud to ask us both if we thought it sounded all right.

"Well then," she says still looking at it with a puzzled look. If it wouldn't have made her seem so mistrusting I had a feeling she would have whipped out her wand and checked the note for forgery. "I must say I was not expecting this." With slow deliberation she turns to gently place the paper face down on her desk. "I am sure you are both aware that this is not something that happens everyday at Hogwarts but owing to the special circumstances I will allow it. However," she says just as I turn to flash a grin in Draco's direction. "As head of Gryffindor house the safety of my students is my first priority so I will be drawing the line at letting Mr. Malfoy sleep in the house dormitories."

"Thank you," Draco says softly bowing his head to the teacher. She looks caught off guard. I suppose it's the first time she's ever heard a gracious word come out of his mouth. For a moment I think she may even be about to break into smile but her stern look comes back up and she ushers us both into the desks behind Hermione and Ron who both raise their eyebrows at me questioningly.

"What was that about?" Seamus asks poking my back once McGonagall's gone back to the lesson. Today we're learning how to transfigure the desks into farm animals. She tells us proudly that our class is much more advanced than any of her other sixth year classes.

"Draco's going to be taking classes with the rest of us Gryffindors," I whisper back trying to watch McGonagall. It's going to be no easy feat to turn my desk into a lamb.

"Sweet!" Seamus exclaims slapping Draco heartily on the back. "About time you got rid of those nasty Slytherins -" he stops looking stricken. We both expect Draco to get offended but instead he just laughed and turned back to watch the lesson. Seamus and I grin at each other. He and Draco seem to get on well. Ginny'll be happy to hear about that.

I see Hermione smiling broadly at Draco out of the corner of my eye or is it at me? I can't really tell. I try to catch her eye but she ignores me leaning over to whisper something in Ron's ear. I feel a flash of jealousy rush through my body and have to take a few deep breaths remembering what Draco had told me. I wasn't about to screw this up.

"All right your turn," McGonagall says after transfiguring her own desk. "Nice and easy now."

I pull my wand out of my pocket and point it at the desk. My first try results in nothing same with everyone else even Hermione. I'm determined to get it right to make up for missing the first half of class but get discouraged after my third and fourth try. Parvati's the first to do it although her sheep looks severely deformed. Soon almost everyone but me, Neville and Hermione have turned their desks into little lambs.

"Concentrate," Hermione murmurs into my ear.

I smile to find her standing right beside me but how did she expect me to concentrate when she was standing so close? I closed my eyes and took a deep breath deciding I have to get this right now that she's watching. Raising my wand up in the air I repeat the spell. I'm surprised when I open my eyes to see a small baby sheep lying before me, her fleece as white as freshly fallen snow.

"Harry!" Hermione squeals happy with my progress. "You did it! I'm so proud of you." She wraps her arms around me in an enthusiastic hug. Draco gives me thumbs up from behind her back and winks. I guess he was finally right about something. I couldn't judge our entire relationship on the weird stuff that had gone on yesterday.

By the end of class Hermione still hasn't made any more headway with her desk. She said it was probably because she was tired and her work wasn't up to snuff but even Professor McGonagall looked worried. There had never been a class where Hermione hadn't been the first one to get the spell right.

I didn't really think much of it though as Hermione takes my hand as we head for Potions. I hated Voldemort with even more of a vengeance when I found out the reason we were having potions two days in a row was because he'd killed Professor Sprout's son. I felt horrible for her. I felt my blood boil every time I thought about it. Someday I was going to defeat him. Someday when I figured out how.

Draco's gone pale at the idea of going to Potions even though he's Snape's favourite student.

"Not anymore," he tells us explaining that he'd stayed up till midnight last night concocting the same potion we'd done yesterday and today he had to test it out.

"You don't have anything to worry about," Ron says. "You're good with that stuff."

All three of us turn to stare at Ron in disbelief, who blushes looking sheepish. He was not usually one for complimenting Draco.

But, "Thanks," is all he says in response examining the vial of potion closely. "Hope all goes well," he sighs. "Nothing in my life ever seems to."

I'm about to tell him that my life's like that a lot of the time when Snape walks in with a scowl upon his face as he calls Draco to the front of the room. I cross my fingers for him. Good luck, I say to him silently.

***

Told From Hermione's POV

No wonder I quit divination it has to be the most boring class ever. None of this has a point. Ginny was right though she does appear to be Trelawney's favourite. Anything I say (which is all rubbish since I made it up) she buys right away even though I have no idea which planet is which on the star chart. I suppose with whatever little bit of "aura" she has she realized that Ginny's was the real thing.

If I were in my proper body right now I'd be in Potions right about now. I do hope she doesn't get me kicked out of class. I know that Snape would dearly love to do that or better yet what about Ron and Harry? They really are hopeless with potions. I hope they can do ok without Neville and me? Well I don't think he's going back to Potions again not after yesterday's encounter.

"My dear how are we doing?" asks Professor Trelawney hovering anxiously looking over my shoulder to read the incomplete paper. I had mostly been staring into space thinking about what it would be like to have my own legs so I could go running from the North Tower screaming.

"I'm feeling a little blocked," I say with little seriousness but the teacher nods understandingly.

"Take as much time as you need," she says with a respect I never remember her showing me. But then I was too mundane for people like Ginny and Trelawney. She tells me to come fetch her if I need any help before walking away.

Although the heavy perfumes of the room were making me nauseous I wasn't minding Ginny's life that much. I mean I didn't want to stay here permanently but it was nice - different. Her friends were all bright and cheery like Lavender. They knew nothing of the dangers that Harry, Ron and I faced continually. It made them seem so innocent. Was it possible Ginny was also this naive but I had just never noticed?

All right, I picked my quill up off the table and began to write. Did Professor Trelawney want Ginny to have hopeful prospects or a dreary future as she always did with Harry and Ron? Best just to mix them both together. Yes. I was getting the hang of this.

"So," Miranda, the girl sitting next to her at the table who she presumed was one of Ginny's friends giggles. "Tell us more about Draco Malfoy."

I hold back my urge to look up to the heavens and instead pretend to be concentrating hard on my work.

"He's so cute," pipes in another girl whose name is on the tip of my tongue but I can't quite remember. "But still a Slytherin," she reprimands gently. "You can never trust a Slytherin."

"I dunno Hal," Miranda says shaking her head. "Have you seen the way he looks at her?" she nearly swoons. "What I wouldn't give to have Harry Potter look at me that way."

My head snaps up sharply. "You can't have him!"

Hallie and Miranda exchange worried glances. "But Ginny we thought you were over him?"

"I - I am," I say recollecting myself. "But I'm friends with his girlfriend Hermione and he's pretty much taken."

Hallie laughs. "That's a joke. He could do so much better than her."

I feel my face flush and I lower my head down near my work hiding my face with my hair.

"I hear she's been cheating on him with Viktor Krum since their fourth year."

I don't comment straining to keep myself under control. It was ok. They were just gossiping. It meant nothing. This was what being Harry Potter's girlfriend was like.

"I don't understand why any guy would go for her in the first place I mean look at her. She's just average looking but an incredible nerd plus I heard she's kinda mean," Hallie confides.

"Yah and -" Miranda starts to add but stops looking over at me. "So Ginny are you and Draco like dating or is it just a sex thing?"

Oh she is so lucky Ron did not hear her say that.

"Dating," I force myself to say in a normal tone. And we're not having sex."

She better not be at least.

I lay my quill back down on the table for a moment rubbing my temples tiredly. I was getting a major headache and the rest of my body felt like an earthquake was about to hit and then it happened I was all of a sudden hurtled into darkness, leaving my body. Oh no. This couldn't happen while I was in this body. It couldn't. But as the darkness begins to fade out and I find myself standing beside a welcome sign that reads Little Hangleton I know that it is.

***

Told From Draco's POV

I nervously step up to the front of the classroom to present my vial to Snape. I had never once felt nerves in this class knowing Snape would favour me no matter what but things had changed. Snape couldn't risk going against the rest of his house and I understood that.

"Very well," Snape says. "Let's see if it works."

I nod and unscrew the lid slowly. I looked from Hermione's reassuring smile to Ron's anxious frown (Harry was too busy watching Hermione to do anything) before swallowing the gurgling liquid.

It takes a couple of seconds but soon I'm engulfed in a cloud of dark smoke leaving me coughing. I land in a room I don't recognize full of fifth years. The air hangs with the weight of scented candles and all the stuff you'd expect to find in my mother's aromatherapy kit. Now who in this room needed me the most? I don't know anyone in here so who could it be? But then I see her, that fiery red hair shinning at me from across the room. Her back to me. Should I give her a little scare by coming up behind her?

A scream of pain cuts off my thoughts. It's just like the one I'd heard my first day at the Burrow.

"Ginny!" I cry catching her before she hit's the ground writhing in pain and agony. I wasn't sure what to do. Ron was supposed to be the one who dealt with these things. I cradle her head in my hands. She looks in worst condition than she had last time.

"Leave her!" the batty old professor tells me trying to swat me away. "She's experiencing a gift from the Gods. She'll be fine.

Ah this must be Professor Trelawney the divination teacher. She looked every bit as much of a quake as Hermione said. She tries to pull Ginny from my arms just as the smoke comes back and surrounds me again. I clutch her thrashing figure close to my chest unsure if this is going to work. Snape would be calling me back in a minute.

"I see you brought a friend," comes Snape's monotone voice as the smoke clears and I have my vision back. "I'm afraid she'll have to-"

Ginny's wail of pain startles him and the rest of the class.

"Hospital wing!" I exclaim motioning my head pointedly at Ron. He, Hermione and Harry jump from their seats to follow me out of the dungeon.

"Where do you think you're going Weasley?" Snape steps in front of the door to stop them.

A red faced Ron gestures frantically. "Sir that's my sister!"

Snape sighs letting him and Hermione pass but stopping again at Harry. "Sit down Potter," he says nastily

None of us try to convince him otherwise as we race down the corridor's and lay Ginny down so Ron can bring her back or whatever it is that he does.

"We can't do this without Harry," Ron's saying to Hermione in an undertone.

"No," she argues. "Don't you remember what she said this morning about the transfer of souls could be possible if one of us were unconscious?"

Ron eyes flash as I watch the encounter going on between them. "You can't be serious! It'll never work."

Hermione pushes us both out of the way muttering something like, "we have to try something."

Leaning over Ginny's limp body she closes her eyes and presses down lightly on her shoulders. "Come on," she whispers. "Come on."

Ginny's body starts to shake violently and I try to tug Hermione back but she won't budge. Suddenly without notice she's flung backwards into the air hitting the wall hard.