Worth a Thousand Words

Tom studiously ignored Ginny's hand as it grabbed a roasted peanut from the bag between them on the stadium step.

It was Ginny's roommates' fault, really. He'd finally gotten the story out of her after they'd managed to sneak out of the library unseen--in fact, she'd given him a theatrical re-enactment of the usual scene in her dorm room, and after twenty minutes of dramatic wailing about the scandal and the horror of a good Gryffindor girl hanging around with one of those despicable Slytherins, never mind the one who'd grown up to be You-Know-Who, he'd put his hands over his ears and agreed that something needed to be done.

Which led to the current circumlocution. Ginny was not actually sitting with Tom in the aisle between the Slytherin and Ravenclaw sections of the Quidditch stands as the Gryffindor/Hufflepuff match got underway. She would be able to tell her roommates this in perfect honesty. She was sitting with her brother Percy, who was sitting with his girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater of Ravenclaw, on the edge of the Ravenclaw section. It was hardly her fault that Tom, quite coincidentally, happened to be sitting just opposite on the edge of the Slytherin section. And--since both of them were surrounded by older and bigger students--it was perfectly understandable that they'd both gotten nudged off the actual seats and into the aisle. Under the circumstances, it was a matter of Gryffindor honor for Ginny to steal Tom's peanuts, especially since with typical Slytherin greed he'd brought enough for two.

"This ought to be interesting," Tom observed as the teams lined up in the center of the field. "Diggory's been putting his team up to extra practices since the last match, and he's quite a clever Seeker. Harry's got the better broom, and I think a better eye for the Snitch, but Cedric's been playing a lot longer."

Ginny cocked an eye his way. "I thought we weren't speaking to one another. If I have to listen to Briana Moran's banshee shrieking again . . ."

"Feed her one of your brothers' toffees. I'm talking to myself, it helps me think. If it appears that my talking to myself is holding up one end of a lucid conversation with you, that just goes to show I'm insane, just like Briana always suspected."

Ginny giggled and took another peanut. "I've about had it with them anyway--and it's not like they can see us all the way over here. Not when they're staring at Cedric Diggory with their tongues hanging out."

At that, the match started. Both teams were in fine form, looping and weaving high above the pitch. Finally, Harry and Cedric both dove toward a barely-perceptible gleam of gold--Tom and Ginny both held their breaths--

And then a chill stole across the Quidditch pitch. Dark, cloaked shapes appeared as if from nowhere on the ground; pale, dead hands fluttered horribly in and out of tattered robes. The Dementors had come to the match. Still high in the air, Harry staggered and fell off his broom into the midst of them, and they converged toward his unmoving form like a spreading rot.

Before the Dementors could reach Harry, Dumbledore stood, his face thunderous, and leveled his wand at them, shouting something Tom couldn't make out. A vast silver phoenix shot out of the headmaster's wand, gleaming like a star as it spread its wings and swooped toward Harry. The Dementors broke at its approach and scattered in all directions.

Including through the packed stands. Tom and Ginny had barely enough warning to dive out of the way as one shot past them, its foul robes sweeping through the air inches from their faces . . . and as it passed, Tom was suddenly nine years old in the Underground tunnels as bomb blasts shattered the night, was standing before Hogwarts' gates feeling his life drain back into Voldemort, knowing the cackling wraith of malice was his future.

No. That was the past. The war was long over, and he had beaten Voldemort in the end. Tom shook off the memories with a snarl and looked around. Pandemonium reigned; the teachers were trying to herd panicked students back to the castle, Dumbledore and Professor Lupin were down on the Quidditch pitch seeing to Harry . . . and Ginny sat trembling and pale, her eyes fixed on something only she could see. He grabbed her by one shoulder, trying to shake her back to reality, and her eyes fixed on his face. She screamed in utter terror and fainted. Tom swore at himself--given what he'd seen, he could guess what memories she must be reliving. Stupid, stupid . . . He looked around again, desperately. Ginny's brother had his arms around the sobbing Ravenclaw girl, stroking her curly hair and whispering something into her ear--what was his name, dammit, Ginny had too many brothers--

"Hey, you--Percy!" he shouted above the crowd, and the older boy looked up. Tom pointed to Ginny, and Percy's jaw set.

"Can you get her out of here? I've got my hands full with Penelope, she keeps muttering about snakes and won't move!"

Tom eyed Ginny doubtfully--well, if she stayed passed out . . . "I'll try to get her to the hospital wing! Or to Ron or a teacher!" Percy nodded shortly and scanned the crowd, still unconsciously trying to soothe Penelope. He pointed past the distraught girl's head, indicating a bubble of calm surrounding the irrepressible Professor Flitwick.

"Try over there! I'll follow when I can!"

Tom nodded and pointed his wand at Ginny's limp form. "Mobilicorpus!" *Now let her stay unconscious until I can get to Flitwick. Damn Sirius Black anyway.*

*****

Ginny was floating, somewhere in that uncertain region between nightmare and waking where she couldn't tell where she was and was simultaneously glad to be waking from horror and terrified because she couldn't make herself move even if she'd been able to figure out where to go.... Only, she was moving anyway....

...But only for a few seconds before she felt a sharp falling sensation and landed on something hard with entirely too many corners.

Ow.

Something brushed her shoulder; Ginny opened her eyes to see a foot leaving the location and decided she needed to sit up. Doing so made her head spin, but at least she was less likely to get stepped on, and... and why was she sitting on the steps looking down on the Quidditch pitch?

She hated not knowing how she got where she was. It was too much like last year, when....

"Ginny?"

She jumped. That -- no. She shut her eyes and took three very deep breaths to make herself calm down and think. Last year. Not this year. The diary was last year and it was gone. She was hearing Tom Riddle's (younger) voice because You-Know-Who had accidentally recreated him, and he'd joined Harry instead and replaced the evil one. She'd only thought she was with the other one because of the Dementors.

She was so cold.

Dementors. Harry had fallen off his broom. Where was Harry? Dumbledore had been going to help him, hadn't he? He'd be all right; he had to....

"Ginny." Tom again. He sounded worried.

He was her friend -- really, this time -- and she was almost sure, when she forced herself to think about it more carefully, that he had been trying to help when she'd fainted. She had just felt she was waking up before -- she'd felt someone shaking her and had just been remembering that she was at the Quidditch match, not in the Chamber, when she'd seen his face and....

The hot rush of embarrassment and guilt was the warmest she'd felt since the Dementor brushed past.

"I'm sorry."

"What?" Tom sounded confused. "Er... did you hit your head?"

"I don't think so." Ginny remembered to open her eyes and looked up at him; he was a step or two down from her. "Why?"

"Because I should've said that. I shouldn't have gone and shaken you like that, after what I saw--and then I should've, I don't know, picked you up instead of using Mobilicorpus--are you sure you didn't hit your head? You fell pretty hard--anyway, we need to get to Flitwick, he's closest, your brother said he'd try and find us after he got his girlfriend calmed down . . ." Tom stopped babbling. "Are you okay?"

Ginny took another deep breath. "I'm freezing and I feel like a complete idiot. And you were trying to help -- you did, except I wasn't thinking straight." She paused. "Other than that... I think so. Er... are you?"

"Except for worrying, I think so. I'm cold too, though, I hadn't noticed." He scanned the crowd. "We're almost there. And you don't need to feel like an idiot, I should've realized that's what Dementors do, I read about them once in the back of my Dark Arts book, and I should've remembered." He started to shove his way through the crowd, then reconsidered and started trying to redirect them toward Professor Flitwick.

"We should have Madam Pomfrey take a look at you and make sure you're all right. And find out if Harry is. What was that Dumbledore did to frighten them off, I wonder?"

"I'm not sure." Ginny stood up carefully -- her legs were shaky -- and climbed a step to catch up, then lost her balance as an older Ravenclaw brushed by and had to grab Tom's arm. " -- Sorry about that -- At least, I don't know how to do it. I think it's called a Patronus, but I don't remember where I heard that.... Dad, maybe, he's had to visit Azkaban on Ministry business before." She hesitated. "What did you mean, what you saw?"

Tom slipped his shoulder under Ginny's arm to steady her. "Memories. At least, that's what the book said. Everyone feels cold and despair when Dementors come near, but if you have . . . particularly bad memories, you relive them. It's not supposed to be a common reaction--I don't think it happened to Percy, he seemed steady enough."

"So do you."

Tom shrugged, careful not to dislodge Ginny's arm. "Most of what I remembered was fifty years ago, and once I remembered that I was able to shake it off. Mostly." He smiled a little weakly. "As soon as I have the leisure to collapse, though . . ."

Ginny opened her mouth to reply and was thwarted by having a chocolate bar shoved into it by a passing, very frazzled-looking sixth-year. She coughed and grabbed it, biting off a more manageable piece before offering the other end to Tom.

Most. Except the beginning of the year, she suspected.... Still, if it was that, he'd won. "Thank you for staying with me." They were within Professor Flitwick's circle of influence with the next few steps, apparently; everyone around them seemed to be a good deal calmer, and they could hear his piping voice making what must from the tone be soothing comments, though Ginny still couldn't quite make out the words through the other noise.

"What was I going to do, leave you? --Thanks." Tom took a bite of the chocolate, and felt warmth wash all the way down to his toes. He blinked. "Chocolate's never felt like that before. Not that I've had much, but . . . and here I thought that was just some folk remedy the book was mentioning."

Ginny laughed a bit shakily around her own bite. Boys. Sometimes she wondered if they ever chewed food. She finally swallowed and immediately had to fight the urge to sit down; the warmth of it was very nice, but the relief made her want to curl up and go to sleep -- somehow she didn't think this was the best spot for it. "Why should that mean it doesn't work? And I don't know, I wouldn't have blamed you for leaving me to somebody else after I fainted at you. I am sorry --"

"Because it's sweets. I don't know. I suppose it's just magic, eh?" He flashed a grin, but then shook his head. "And I wasn't going to--I mean, Percy had his hands full with that girlfriend of his, and it's not your fault anyway." He frowned. "I hope they get rid of those things after this--obviously whoever's supposed to be controlling them isn't doing any kind of job. That Fudge didn't look like much of a wizard."

"Fudge would be a lot more useful here if he were sweets," Ginny muttered. Penelope... she had the uncomfortable feeling she might know what Penelope had seen.

Tom finally managed to weave the two of them through the crowd to get within earshot of Professor Flitwick. "Professor--do you know if Madam Pomfrey's in the hospital wing, or has someone gone and gotten her? A Dementor passed right by us--we've both had chocolate, but Ginny fell while I was bringing her. Oh, and Percy Weasley said he'd be here as soon as he could, he's with Penelope Clearwater over near the Slytherin section."

"Oh dear -- Madam Pomfrey is still in the hospital wing, yes, young Potter had to be taken there, so I've been directing calmer parties to take the few others with serious reactions back there."

Professor Flitwick hopped up another step and put his fingers under Ginny's chin to turn her face to the light and peer into her eyes, then scrutinized Tom in the same fashion and flicked his wand at both of them. Blue sparks flurried around them; Ginny felt as if she'd been dunked in warm water for a moment. "That should help a bit. Do you feel you can make it back on your own, or would you like me to find someone to send with you?"

Tom craned his neck to get a look at the path back to the castle. It was a bit crowded, but significantly calmer. "Yes, I think we'll be all right getting back. Thank you, Professor. Er--do you know if Harry's all right?"

Ginny was very glad Tom had asked, and watched nervously as Flitwick hesitated. "I am sure he will be, Mr. Riddle. He is in good hands."

Tom traded worried glances with Ginny; "will be" implied he wasn't. "We'll probably find out more when we get there. Why did they show up at the match at all? Black wasn't here, was he?"

"Oh, no, no -- at least, I certainly shouldn't think so! If he had been, they should have been converging on him, not on Harry Potter. Unfortunately, as their food is positive emotion, it's most likely that they were so attracted by the excitement of the match as to overcome the restrictions regarding their locations...."

"Ugh. I hope Professor Dumbledore gets rid of them."

"I'm certain he'll have a great deal to say on the matter. Attacking students...." Flitwick sighed. "And yet, Sirius Black is still at large. Their presence may still be considered necessary." He nodded to them as Percy and Penelope arrived, Penelope looking both shaken and embarrassed. Ginny met her eyes for a second, blushed, and looked away. "Take care on your way back to the castle." He waved them off as he turned to the new arrivals.

Percy mouthed "All right?" worriedly at Ginny; she managed a smile before starting toward the exit.

Tom unobtrusively got his wand out as they started back to the castle. He didn't really think the Dementors would be back so soon after Dumbledore had done his... Patronus thing... but the shadows looked darker. He supposed it was just in his head, but either way he felt better having his wand out.

"Let's see," Ginny muttered. "They can't manage to keep him out of the castle, and they come to the match -- and somehow I think I'd be less upset if I thought they were really interested in Quidditch." She didn't feel as if she might fall anymore, but hadn't quite let go of Tom's arm. She didn't care what her roommates might say; it reminded her that she wasn't alone and that the dark tunnel walls that tried to close around her when she didn't breathe deeply enough weren't real. Or at least weren't there. And it wasn't his wand hand anyway.

She thought she remembered the Patronus was the only spell that worked on Dementors, though.

"Couldn't manage to keep him on the bloody island, either. They seem more like weapons than guards. Grindelwald used them."

"Really? Well, I suppose they couldn't all be at Azkaban even when those haven't been sent out, could they.... Ugh, what a thought." She looked up at Hogwarts and tried to occupy her mind with guessing which windows belonged to the hospital wing.

Then she tripped over a chicken.

She didn't realize it was a chicken until it answered her gasp with an indignant cluck and pecked her leg hard. "Oh dear. What are you doing out?"

Tom snorted, then doubled over with laughter. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's just--a chicken. Of all things."

Ginny thought about this for a moment and then giggled too, just a bit, and scooped up the stray chicken. It continued to complain loudly. "I suppose we should take it back to the coop first...."

Tom raised an eyebrow. "What, before finding out if Harry's all right and if there's any long-term effects to Dementor flashbacks, you mean? Are you sure you didn't hit your head?"

"It's not that far."

She did want to check on Harry, of course, but it wasn't as if they could do anything for him, and she really shouldn't leave the chicken out... and maybe she wasn't making a whole lot of sense, if she was feeling guilty over chickens again.

"Well, if you're sure . . . but it seemed to be doing all right before you tripped on it, is all I'm saying."

Ginny looked doubtfully at the chicken. "...Well, if there's a way for them to get out Hagrid ought to know, really. I'll hurry. You can go on if you want."

"I really think the chicken is probably fine --" But Ginny had already hitched up her robes and started running toward the chicken coop.

"Ginny--argh. Wait for me!" He didn't think anybody should be wandering around by themselves. And . . . well, there were still those shadows; he didn't want to be wandering around by himself either. He jogged after her trying to catch up.

"Sorry...." She stopped and looked back until he came up alongside her, then hurried on. The coop appeared to be intact, aside from a small gap through which the least-plump hen had apparently squeezed. Ginny put the indignant bird back into the coop and moved a convenient rock into the opening. "There."

"Good. Now can we go inside?"

"Yes. It was just the one." Ginny had the distinct feeling that the rooster was eyeing her with suspicion; she turned away from it. "Let's."

The rest of the walk back to the castle was blessedly uneventful, and they found Madam Pomfrey presiding over a busy sickroom, older students assisting her. She bustled over and handed each of them a thick block of chocolate. "Both of you get started on those while I have a look at you. Twelve other students in here already, and this is just the first wave, I'm sure. Minister Fudge will be hearing about this; we were assured those creatures would remain under strict control."

"Is Harry all right?" Ginny blurted.

Madam Pomfrey hummed under her breath as she inspected both of them. "Harry Potter, dear? He's resting--got a nasty bump on his head, as well as a very bad reaction to those awful creatures, but he should be right as rain in a day or so. If Professor Dumbledore hadn't driven them off him, though... oh my, you've got a bit of a bump yourself, don't you?" She took a small, steaming bottle out of her robe pocket. "Drink that with your chocolate, please; I'll check on you again in a moment, when I've attended to some others."

"Yes, ma'am." Harry would be all right. That was good. Relieved, she looked at the bottle -- maybe she had hit her head, then. Ginny sniffed at the steam, then took a bite of chocolate and set the rest on her lap before unstoppering the bottle and drinking the contents quickly. The steam still pricked sharply up the back of her throat, making her cough.

Tom, meanwhile, not requiring further attention, had spotted Hermione hovering over what he assumed was Harry's bed. "Have you seen Ron?" he asked her. "I wanted to make sure he knew Ginny got back here safe. She reacted... awfully badly to those Dementors."

"Oh, no, she would, wouldn't she.... I think he went to look for her. He said something about her sitting with Percy...."

"That was -- well, she was sitting with me really, but said she was sitting with Percy to throw off her roommates. She says they've been pretty awful. We were in the aisle, and a Dementor shot right past us, and then--well, it would've been better probably if I hadn't been the first thing she saw when she snapped out of it. Madam Pomfrey said Harry reacted too, and that's why he fell off his broom?"

Hermione nodded grimly. "He got too close to them once before, when they first got here," she said in a hushed voice, "and...." She pressed her lips together. "Well, nobody reacted well, obviously, but it seemed to be worse for him."

Tom nodded. "It would be. Have you read anything about them yet? I was going to go to the library tonight -- I mean, if both Harry and Ginny are going to go to bits every time one comes near, I want to see if there's anything I can do that'd help. With both of us working on it, though -- well, if there's anything to find, we'd find it."

She looked startled. "I've been looking, but I haven't found anything very helpful yet -- there's the Patronus charm, but I'm hoping there are more detailed instructions on how to perform it somewhere. I didn't think to ask you to help; I probably should have...."

"Ginny mentioned that -- was that what Dumbledore used? I looked them up once in my Dark Arts textbook first year, but as it was a first-year textbook it just advised 'Run.' That can't be the only thing, though, I mean, I don't see Fudge being up to one and he brought them here somehow."

"I haven't found out how to do anything but drive them off," she whispered. "There must be some way to order them about, though; the Ministry does it all the time, don't they?" There was a commotion at the door as Ron, looking very distressed, dashed in, spotted Ginny, and descended on her like a concerned fireball.

"Not very well, apparently, but --" He looked up at Ron's entrance. "Oh, good. Not the day for wandering around on one's own, this."

Hermione sighed. "Is it ever?" She eyed Ron, then looked down and stared at Harry's pale face for a moment, then dragged her eyes up to look at Tom again. "You look exhausted."

Tom shrugged. "I'm all right, really. Was able to shake off the Dementors... reasonably quickly, and then I had to get Ginny someplace safe. I'll be glad of my bed tonight, but nothing serious."

Hermione looked a bit dubious, though Tom didn't think he could possibly look more haggard than she did. "All right. If you do make it to the library after dinner, though, I should be there."

He nodded. "See you there, then."

*****

Dinner that night was more subdued than Tom could remember ever having seen it; even Malfoy was eating silently. Professor Dumbledore got up midway to announce that a team of Aurors was to be sent up to keep the Dementors under twenty-four hour supervision, but he didn't seem happy about what was obviously a stop-gap measure, and as soon as Tom finished eating he made his way to the library. He sometimes thought the Hogwarts library must contain every book on magic ever written; surely there was something about warding off Dementors.

*****