Ginny Weasley and the Heirs of Darkness

Chapter Eleven: Victory on the Pitch

The three weeks until the season's first Quidditch match flew by for Ginny in a blur of practices, homework, and late-night chats with Fiona, Bronwen, and Laurana in library study room two.

Though her three friends had initially been shocked by Ginny's strange pronouncement that she was no longer pursuing a relationship with Draco (Bronwen had sulked for days), they silently supported her decision, desperately curious as to what could have happened to so drastically and permanently change her mind. But Ginny was secretive about the whole issue, changing the subject whenever any of the others dared to bring it up.

In fact, Ginny refused to talk about boys whatsoever. She would listen sympathetically as Laurana ranted about her mystery boy- for some reason, Laurana wouldn't reveal his name. And Ginny nodded encouragingly as Fiona and Bronwen spoke of their budding relationships with Linus and Julius. But she'd made it clear that she was tired of the topic, and the other girls tacitly agreed to avoid mentioning Draco or Harry in Ginny's presence.

Instead, to Katie Bell's delight, Ginny now ate, slept, and breathed Quidditch. Ron had recovered from his mild head injury, and since nothing had happened since his attack, the prefects were once again patrolling only one pair an evening, which meant the Gryffindor Quidditch team could scrape up more time on the pitch. And even on the nights when Katie, Ginny, or Ron had duty, the others were still astride their broomsticks, practicing for the match against Ravenclaw.

"The first match is a crucial one," Katie boomed at her team as she paced in front of them. They were ranged along the bench in the Gryffindor changing room, wearing their scarlet robes, ready for the game to begin.

"We know, Katie," Mimi Wood complained. "Honestly, you've told us this a thousand times."

"She's worse than your cousin," Harry confided to the third-year Beater.

Mimi nodded. "Apparently. Katie, can we just go out there?"

Katie sighed- only Dean and Ginny had been paying her even the slightest bit of attention anyway. "Alright. Everyone, join hands."

The team formed a circle, and Ginny grasped Dean's hand with her left, Ron's with her right. Katie shot a worried glance from Ginny to Harry, but Ginny gave her a reassuring smile; the lingering problems with Harry weren't going to affect her game.

"Gryffindor!" they all cried together, squeezing their teammates' hands. Katie grinned broadly.

"All right, everyone, let's go out there and kick some Ravenclaw arse, shall we?"

Colin Creevey's eyes widened in shock, but Ginny just laughed; she knew why Katie was so driven to win this game. Oliver Wood had been motivated by the desire to see Gryffindor finally take the Quidditch cup, but Katie had already experienced that euphoria. No, Katie's interests were more personal. She wanted to beat Cho Chang.

Ginny still hadn't figured out that particular rivalry, and Cho hadn't been very forthcoming with information. Maybe the game would give her some sort of clue.

The Gryffindors lined up, waiting for their names to be called. They heard the magical loudspeaker crackle to life, and the voice of Seamus Finnigan, who had taken over after Lee Jordan graduated, echoed throughout the stadium.

"Welcome, ladies and gents, harpies and germs, to the very first match of the Hogwarts Quidditch season!" The crowd roared, and Ginny could feel her blood hammering in time with the stomping and cheering. She glanced nervously at Ron, who grinned at her.

"Don't worry, Gin, you'll be brilliant, I know it! You're a Weasley, aren't you?"

Ginny knew Ron had meant that to reassure her, but she just felt even more edgy; Charlie and the twins were in the crowd- what if she didn't live up to their high Quidditch standards?

Seamus's voice interrupted her worried thoughts. "Today's match is Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw."

"Mount your brooms," Katie called authoritatively, "and go out when you hear your name."

"On the Gryffindor side, we have Captain and Chaser Katie Bell- hello, looking fine today, Katie- oh, sorry, Professor, won't happen again- joined by her teammates Weasley, Thomas, Wood, Creevey, Potter and Merlin-I-wish-she'd-go-out-on-a-date-with-me Ginny Weasley!" A muffled sound, then, "Apologies, Ginny, McGon- uh, Professor McGonagall said that was inappropriate."

Distracted from her nervousness by Seamus's teasing, Ginny flew out onto the pitch, following Katie in a lap around the stadium before taking her place in front of the Gryffindor goalposts. Feeling her hands still trembling, she scanned the crowd for familiar faces, hoping to further calm her nerves. In the Gryffindor stands, she spotted a comforting patch of bright red-orange- Charlie, Fred, and George. Charlie was waving merrily at his siblings, and the twins were holding a flashing gold and scarlet sign that read "Weasley & Weasley, A Winning Team." Ginny wondered, amused, whether the sign referred to herself and Ron, or if it was just a clever advertisement for the twins' joke catalogue.

From the Slytherin stands, Bronwen, too, was waving a sign- "Ravenclaw's Remarkable," it said in blue and bronze. Ginny sighed; so Bronwen was cheering for Fiona, then. It wasn't really a surprise, since she'd have to pick one of them, but it stung a little.

Bronwen must have seen that Ginny had noticed the sign, because she tapped the border of it with her wand. The sign flickered, and it was now crimson and yellow, with "And Gryffindor's Great" scrawled across it. Bronwen tapped it a second time, and sparkly silver and green letters proclaimed "But Slytherin's Superior!"

Ginny grinned. Typical Bronwen.

After the Gryffindor cheers had dulled to a mere roar, Seamus announced the Ravenclaws. "And the Ravenclaw team, led by Captain and Keeper Linus Clearwater; Chasers Quindlen, Wolfswaite, and Patil; Beaters Greyson and Howard; and Seeker, that familiar sexy Head Girl- really, Professor, I'll try to restrain myself- Cho Chang!"

The Ravenclaw supporters seemed as if they were going to cheer themselves hoarse; if there was one thing that could shake up the normally reserved Ravenclaws, it was Quidditch, and they screamed as loudly as any boisterous Gryffindor or overzealous Slytherin. If the game could be judged by the crowd's enthusiasm, this one would be spectacular.

Madam Hooch was refereeing the match; she gave a quick lecture about the rules, then the Snitch and Bludgers were released, spiraling off into the air. Finally, the Quaffle was brought out.

"The game begins!" Seamus announced. "The Quaffle's been taken by Greer Quindlen of Ravenclaw, a fourth-year with two years of Hogwarts Quidditch already under his belt. He passes to newcomer Fiona Wolfswaite- oh! intercepted by Ron Weasley of Gryffindor!"

Ron sped down the field, and in a brilliant maneuver that had taken weeks to perfect, he shot over Padma Patil, ducked a Blugder sent his way by Niall Howard, and dropped the Quaffle into the waiting hands of Katie Bell, who had matched his progress and was hovering about twenty feet below him. Colin Creevey smacked a Bludger at Linus Clearwater, and with the Keeper distracted, Katie put the Quaffle neatly through the center Ravenclaw goal-hoop.

"Bell scores! Ten points to Gryffindor!" Seamus cried as the crowd cheered wildly. Ginny could see Fred and George jumping up and down with particular exuberance; Katie was a good friend of theirs.

The game continued, and Ginny was forced to pay closer attention as the Ravenclaw Chasers took control of the Quaffle. Weaving in and out, Fiona and Padma passed the Quaffle back and forth between them, dodging Gryffindor Chasers and the occasional Bludger sent at them by Colin and Mimi. Ginny could feel her heart throbbing in her ears. She had to prevent this first shot.

Padma feinted to Fiona, passing the Quaffle to Greer Quindlen, who had snuck up on the left. He threw the Quaffle toward the hoop furthest from Ginny- there was no way she could make it in time-

"Ravenclaw goal! Quindlen takes ten points!" The Ravenclaw stands visibly shook with all of the clapping hands and stamping feet.

Ginny gritted her teeth, feeling like she'd let her team down. Ron sent a sympathetic smile her way before catching the Quaffle Katie tossed at him; soon all the Gryffindors were at the other end of the field. Linus Clearwater blocked Dean's shot, and the Ravenclaws took possession.

This time she'd block them, she knew it. She'd been practicing for weeks-

"Cho Chang has spotted the Golden Snitch! She and Harry Potter are racing after it, but who will catch it?"

The crowd's attention was now solely fixed on the two Seekers as they sped across the pitch, a blur of sapphire and scarlet. "Ravenclaw shot stopped by Gryffindor Keeper Weasley," Seamus announced, but it hardly mattered; everyone was enthralled by the battle for the Snitch. Ginny tossed the Quaffle to Dean, who sunk a goal past Linus.

Geoffrey Greyson whalloped a Bludger at Harry, but Mimi Wood, ever watchful, intercepted it and sent it careening toward Cho. "Thanks, Mimi!" Harry called. Cho ducked the Bludger, but the rapid shift in weight made her balance on her broomstick precarious; her moment of readjustment was all Harry needed, and with an added kick of adrenaline, he swept past her, fingers closing victoriously around the Snitch.

"Gryffindor scores one hundred and fifty points as Potter catches the Golden Snitch! Gryffindor wins- one hundred and seventy to ten!"

The Gryffindor stands went mad. It was always considered lucky to win the first match of the season, but to win so quickly, and by such a phenomenal margin- virtually unprecedented.

Ginny touched down, joining her celebrating team. "We won! We won!" Dean and Ron were hollering, slapping Harry on the back. Ginny hugged Mimi and even Colin; then she was passed to Katie, whose face would have broken in half if her grin had been any broader. "One seventy to ten!" she cried, taking Ginny's hands and jumping up and down.

In the shuffle of Gryffindor fans who were storming the field, Ginny was forcibly moved in Harry's direction, and she bumped up against him. In the heady excitement of their win, it was like old times- Ginny threw an arm around his shoulders. "Congratulations, Harry, it was brilliantly played!"

He looked down at her, grin wavering, then fading. "Thanks," he said stiffly.

Well, it was better than the cold shoulder, Ginny reasoned. The crowd jostled her again, and she slipped through an opening, heading for the locker rooms.

"Ginny!" She turned to see Fred, George, and Charlie, waving and calling her name. Ron was with them, grinning from ear to ear.

"We won!" he called to her as she walked toward them.

Ginny looked over both her shoulders, pretending shock. "We did? And here I've spent the past five minutes crying in the locker room."

Ron rolled his eyes as Charlie and the twins snickered. "Did you hear the news? As soon as Harry caught the Snitch, Neville and Dennis ran to the castle and raided the kitchens- we've got pumpkin juice, fruit tarts, marshmallows and about a trillion other things. Party in the common room as soon as everyone's changed."

"Okay- see you there, then."

After changing from her robes into a pair of comfortable old jeans and a baggy dark blue Weasley sweater (one of George's old ones, with a big gold "G" on the chest), Ginny let her hair loose from its ponytail and stuffed her Quidditch uniform into her locker. Neither Katie nor Mimi had returned to change, but Ginny didn't feel like waiting, so she stowed her broom in the shed and made her way back to the castle alone.

The Ravenclaw team was gathered in the castle's entryway, already changed out of their game robes. Ginny wanted to stop and chat with Cho and Fiona, but the timing didn't seem right.

Not that I really contributed to our win, Ginny reflected bitterly. One measly blocked shot. Compared to Dean and Katie's goals, Ron's brilliant interception, the key plays made by the Beaters, and Harry's capture of the Snitch, Ginny felt like the most useless player on the team.

"Why the long face when you're on the winning team?" Fiona called after her.

Ginny stopped, turning to face her friend, who had separated from the rest of the Ravenclaws. "Kind of a hollow victory," she replied.

Fiona gave her a half-hearted smile. "You have the thankless position, Gin," she commented. "Do well, and you're taken for granted, do poorly and everyone's mad." She searched Ginny's face. "Do just fine, and you still kick yourself, hmm?"

Ginny suddenly felt terrible, pitying herself when her team had, after all, won the match. "No, I'm alright." She changed the subject. "Did you see Bronwen in the crowd?"

"Yes! Trust Bronwen to come up with something like that," Fiona replied, giggling. "So, what are your plans for tonight?"

"We're having a party in the common room, I guess."

Fiona raised an eyebrow. "Don't look so excited," she said sarcastically. "Hey, we're having a gathering with the Hufflepuff team in the Great Hall later, you should stop by." Linus Clearwater, Captain of the Ravenclaw team, was best friends with Davy White, the Hufflepuff Captain, and the two teams maintained a very pleasant balance of solidarity and rivalry. "Laurana will be there, too, and I'm sure no one would mind if you came."

Ginny shook her head. "It's alright; I should really put in an appearance at the Gryffindor party." She leaned closer to Fiona, a small smile on her face. "Tell Cho she should come- Charlie will be there."

"Oh, that reminds me," Fiona said. "She brought him up last night." Her gray eyes shone, delighted by their new intrigue. Ginny might be mum on the subject of Draco, but at least she'd still scheme on her brother's behalf.

"And?" Ginny asked eagerly.

"Oh, she's definitely still interested. Having those teaching assistant sessions with him has made them, um... closer."

"Good," Ginny said. "We had our final set of rounds last week, but she wouldn't say anything to me- I suppose she thinks it'll get back to Charlie or something."

"And Charlie? What does he say?"

Ginny sighed. "Absolutely nothing. He is twenty-three, Fiona. No guy wants to talk to his baby sister about his love life. Does Evvan tell you anything?"

Fiona shook her head. "Even Rhiannon won't talk to me about her boyfriends."

"Well, really, does Rhiannon need any advice?" Ginny joked. Rhiannon Wolfswaite, Fiona's thirteen-year-old sister, was the most popular girl in the third year, and the bubbly young Gryffindor bore little resemblance to either of her more reserved Ravenclaw siblings.

"No," Fiona laughed. "She's started counseling me about Linus, actually." She glanced over Ginny's shoulder to the main doors of the school. "Oh, Merlin, Ginny, don't look now, but you'll never guess who's here."

"Who?"

"Oliver Wood," Fiona whispered in an awed voice.

Ginny shook her head, baffled. Fiona, Bronwen and Laurana all spoke about Oliver in hushed tones, as if he were some sort of Quidditch god. Having shared a common room with Oliver for two years, Ginny wasn't that impressed by him; besides, her own brother Charlie was a far better player, he had just chosen not to sign with a professional team.

"I know," Fiona said, exasperated, "you don't understand the attraction. Just trust me, he's gorgeous."

Ginny shrugged. "Whatever." She glanced over her shoulder and realized that most of Gryffindor house, including many alumni, was tromping into the entryway. "I guess I have to go."

"Have fun," Fiona said with a smile. "See you later."

The Gryffindor party lasted late into the night, but Ginny left early. She knew she should have been happy: they'd won the match, Hermione and Ron were back together again, things seemed promising for Charlie and Cho, and Harry had spoken to her for the first time in weeks.

Yanking comfy pajama shorts and a Gryffindor sweatshirt on in place of her clothes, Ginny snuck out of her room and into the sixth-year girls' dormitory, intent on finding Crookshanks. Cuddling the ornery feline seemed preferable to lying in bed feeling sorry for herself.

"Ginny?"

Jumping nearly out of her skin, Ginny slumped against the stone wall, breathing hard. "Circe save me, Hermione, you scared me half to death!"

"I could say the same for you," the older girl replied pleasantly. "What were you looking for?"

Ginny smiled, embarrassed. "Your cat. I didn't think anyone else had gone to bed, so-"

"It's alright." Hermione patted the edge of her bed. "Why don't you sit? I was just doing a bit of reading, so I don't mind the interruption."

Not wanting to stay but not wanting to seem rude, either, Ginny perched awkwardly at the foot of Hermione's bed. "How are you?" she asked hesitantly.

Hermione smiled. "I'd rather ask how you are," she said bluntly. "Ron's so happy that you're speaking to him, I think he's stopped minding that you broke up with Harry." Unlike Ginny's close friends, Hermione didn't realize that Harry was still a touchy subject. "But it seems to me like you're not doing so well."

Ginny squirmed uncomfortably, not wanting to have this conversation with her brother's girlfriend. If she'd wanted the advice of an older girl, she'd have gone to Cho. Hermione was a very sweet, friendly, intelligent girl, but she and Ginny were not even remotely on the same wavelength. "Trust me, Hermione, it has almost nothing to do with Harry." She stood. "I really should get to bed- lots of homework to do tomorrow."

Hermione wasn't fooled- Ginny made good enough marks, but she wasn't the sort to be preoccupied with homework. But Hermione didn't know what to say to the younger girl- Ginny was so much more secretive than Ron; unlike her brother, whose expressions revealed every thought that went through his head, Ginny could be quite aloof. "Did you still want to take Crookshanks?"

"No, that's alright. Good night, Hermione."

"Good night, Ginny."

Frowning, Hermione wondered just how truthful Ginny had been. She'd been watching the younger girl since Ron was attacked- though she didn't want to suspect Ginny, Hermione knew many things that most other students didn't: Ron had been found outside of Moaning Myrtle's toilet after the attack, and Moaning Myrtle's toilet held the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets.

In addition, Ginny had been very reserved recently. Breaking up with Harry had been particularly out of character- Ginny had always adored Harry, and their relationship had been fine up until the argument between Ginny, Harry, and Ron in Diagon Alley.

Hermione's brow furrowed as she concentrated, absent-mindedly skimming her fingers across Crookshanks's thick ginger fur. It was all there, she knew she could piece it together if she only thought hard enough.

Diagon Alley... Ginny had been missing, and the argument had occurred almost immediately after she'd turned up again. But why?

Something nagged at the back of Hermione's mind. There was something significant about that day...

Hermione shot to an upright position, disrupting Crookshanks, who gave her a nasty look, his bottlebrush tail twitching testily. She had it- the Malfoys! Just before Hermione had met up with Ron and Harry, she'd seen Lucius and Draco go into Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. Hermione gritted her teeth angrily. Lucius Malfoy had given Ginny Tom Riddle's diary, and now he was after the poor girl again? She knew the Weasleys and the Malfoys shared a mutual dislike, but to play it out through their children- it was just sick. But that also explained why Draco had been toying with Ginny recently. It was all part of Lucius's plan to hurt the Weasleys through their youngest daughter.

Hermione paused for a moment of reflection. She couldn't go to Ron- he'd overreact.

Harry- he'd been angry with Ginny lately, but if he knew she hadn't been herself, that she might possibly be under the Dark Lord's influence once again- Hermione was sure he'd be willing to help. She made up her mind. She'd speak with Harry first thing tomorrow.

***

"Haven't you been writing to Father like you're supposed to?"

Frédéric groaned, rubbing his eyes. The night before, he'd fallen asleep on one of the common room couches, absorbed in a book Damian had lent him: "Wizard Gaming, A Champion's Guide," by Milton Jouerbien. Georgine's face swam in front of his bleary eyes. "Mmph?" he asked.

His twin put her hands on her hips. "Eff, I got a letter from Father this morning at breakfast. Which you missed, by the way." She gave him a disdainful look. "Honestly, I don't know what's wrong with you. You've changed, you're not the same as you were in France."

"I'm not the same?" Frédéric stared at her, horrified. "It's you who's changed, Georgine. You-" Frédéric hesitated, trying to think up the worst insult imaginable. "You're boring!"

Georgine reeled. "What?" she demanded angrily. "Well, I'm so sorry, Eff," she snapped, voice rich with sarcasm. "I'm sorry I'm being responsible for once, writing letters to Icarus, paying attention, making the right friends, cultivating connections. We don't have Celeste and Delphine to do everything for us anymore. Father is finally trusting us, Eff, letting us do something for him instead of Delphine. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"I don't want to just be Father's tool." Frédéric exuded exasperation. "We're fifteen, Ji! Making the right friends, cultivating connections? You're turning into Axelle or mother- ac age!"

Georgine's eyes blazed angrily, shining brightly with an undercurrent of deep pain. "I can't believe you don't understand! Act my age? Frédéric, acting young and stupid got my wand broken in France; I'm not repeating that experience here. From now on, I'm doing what Father wants me to do, and I suggest you do, too." She thrust quill and parchment at him. "You can start by writing that letter."

Glaring at his sister's back as she flounced away, Frédéric balanced his book on his knee, using it as a writing surface. Fine, he thought. She wants me to write to Father, I'll write to Father.

Chèr Papa,

Georgine told me you'd been disappointed by the lack of post from me, so I thought I'd send you something. Hogwarts is fine, though very different from Beauxbatons. Hope everything is well with you and Maman.

Votre fils,

-Frédéric

Feeling smug, Frédéric folded the letter in thirds, addressing the outside and tossing it into the mail basket by the door. Instead of each visiting the Owlery individually, the Slytherins all tossed their outgoing post in the basket- they'd arranged with one of the castle's house elves to pick it up outside the common room each morning and take it to be mailed. Much more efficient that way.

It was a very flippant letter, certain to infuriate Nicodème Belleton, but Frédéric didn't particularly care. Many miles and a good-sized body of water separated him from his father's wrath, and he'd meant what he said to Georgine; he didn't care to be his father's tool. He glanced across the common room to where his sister was sitting with the rest of the Slytherin Quidditch team. Draco Malfoy made an aside comment to Georgine, and she giggled; Frédéric frowned. In spite of what he'd said to Georgine a few weeks ago about not making an enemy of Draco, he hadn't expected her to suddenly try to befriend him, either. Draco was everything Frédéric didn't want to be- an exact replica of his father, incapable of thinking for himself.

Frédéric reflected on the conversation he'd had with Damian yesterday. They'd been working on the Laurana prank, and the subject of Draco had come up. Damian had assured Frédéric that Draco was trustworthy, that Slytherins, in the face of the other houses' scorn, had a particular closeness.

He still didn't want to see Georgine waste her energy on Draco, though- he didn't like how obsessive his twin had become about her special responsibility; she was taking their father far too seriously. Frédéric intended to enjoy his time at Hogwarts just as much as he had enjoyed Beauxbatons.

"Hey, Godswift," he called across the common room to Damian. "Let's put the finishing touches on your sister's little gift, shall we?"

***