A Bump in the Night

Chapter 3

Parvati, Lavender, and Kathryn were dead.

Each tied up with ropes, each one's eyes unfocused, each with green blue-yellow tinged skin, and each leaking fluids.

Hermione, despite all her bravery, fainted. Ron grabbed her and pulled her from the room. Running as fast as they could they came across Professor McGonegall's classroom first. They burst in, by this time Hermione had recovered somewhat. They stopped, gasping for breath.

"What is the meaning of-" started McGonegall.

Ginny and Hermione cut her off, "DEAD!"

" Dorm room!"

"Parvati and Lavender and-"

"Horrible!"

"Come help us!"

"They're dead!"

"Who's dead?" asked McGonagall.

"Lavender, Kathryn, and Parvati!" moaned Hermione.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Someone get Professor Dumbledore!" said McGonagall in a weak voice. Harry and Ginny, thoroughly frightened by their teacher's tone, hurried out of the now gruesome smelling room. It smelled like nothing they had smelled before. It was the smelt of lingering death. Three deaths.

~*~*~*~*~*

Harry and Ginny jogged quickly to the headmaster's office.

"Five years," Harry muttered

"What?" asked a frightened Ginny.

"I've known them for five years," he answered.

"It all seems too surreal to be happening."

Harry was silent.

"What's happening, Harry?"

"I don't know."

~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~**~

Dumbledore was told and he went to break the news to the girl's parents. The rest of the day went as a blur for Ginny. Unfortunately, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were not told what else was being done on the girls' murders. As far as they could tell... nothing...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~

"Ah a Weasley. Surprised to see you out here. Are you not scared like the other Gryffindors? Too scared to go to your dorms. As if that'll help you."

Ginny sighed. She turned around. "Malfoy, what do you know about it?"

Malfoy's gaze faltered just a tad. Ginny didn't see it, but Malfoy could certainly see something wrong with her. She was paler than usual and- wait a minute what did Draco care? It was a stupid Weasley. So what if she looked on the verge of collapsing?

The truth was Ginny had been comforting the girls in her dorm and Hermione. She had put on a brave, face. She was too numb to cry anyway. With out a word, she sighed and left.

Malfoy tried his best to smirk.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

That night the Gryffindors slept in the Great Hall as they had done in Harry's 3^rd year. In the middle of the night Ginny got up to go to the bathroom. After telling a prefect she walked barefoot down the hall towards the bathroom. (note: this was not Moaning Myrtles.) As soon as she opened the door a cold swept over her. She shivered and suddenly the room changed. She saw a young girl on the floor before her. She had her arms tied by ropes. She'd been stabbed and there was blood pooled around her body. She looked like she had been there for a long time. Ginny stumbled back.

The girl's eyes opened. She started to breathe raspily. Ginny let out a scream and backed away and out off the door. The scene changed and returned to its normal state. Ginny was still scrambling back when someone picked her up. She gasped and twisted around to see who it was.

Malfoy.

Ginny opened her mouth to say something, but Malfoy clamed his hand down and pulled her down the hall to an empty classroom.

"What's going on?" she demanded, very scared and very confused.

"Never mind that!" Malfoy said impatiently. "Pull up your sleeves!"

Ginny pulled them up and gasped. On her arms were the same marks that Hermione had.

"It's happened to you too." Malfoy said walking over to her.

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked very confused.

She trembled, Malfoy could see. Ginny was very nervous about Malfoy's change of character. Why was he acting like this? So...nice.

Draco pulled up his sleeves. He had the scars, too.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*