It's The Great Pumpkin, Harry Potter!

It's the Great Pumpkin, Harry Potter (05)

Chapter Five: Clearing The Air ...

"Thank you."

Three pairs of eyes snapped from their reverie and focused on the person who had spoken. After a moment, Ginny lifted her eyes from their inspection of the toy serpent, and locked on Harry Potter's eyes.

"The message isn't just for you, Harry," she said, with a sad, wistful smile. "I think it's meant for all of us."

Harry frowned, puzzled at her statement. Before he could voice his questions, however, Ginny continued: "Before anything else, there is something I must tell you ... something I have been meaning to tell you for a long time."

A look of panic came over Harry's face. He knew what Ginny was going to say ... he'd been dreading this moment for years ... fearing the moment when he would have to break little Ginny's heart ... to tell her that yes, he loved her but that he was not in love with her ...

With a deep breath, Ginny exhaled, saying in a sad, calm voice, "Thank you for my life, Harry Potter."

For a long moment, Harry was speechless. Of the many scenarios he had built up in his mind, this was something he never expected. "Ginny," he said, waving a hand in the air, prepared to pass the gratitude off, embarrassed once more at the prospect of his achievements being brought to the light of day.

"Shut it, Potter." Ginny's response brought all eyes on her and she looked back at Harry with a glint of determination in her eyes. "For once in your life, shut up and listen when someone thanks you for saving her life."

Harry closed his mouth.

"I know what you were thinking, Harry. Here's where I give you my speech of undying love and devotion ... this is where I promise that I will wait for you ... and hope that someday, somehow, you will look at me in the same way that I look at you.

"But no ... you've given your heart to someone else. There is nothing that I can do to change that ... you've both shared too many things together for me to play catch-up ..." She glanced briefly at the photo of Harry and Hermione hugging in the Great Hall, and gave him a tremulous smile. "But I still owe you my life."

Ginny walked over to where Harry was seated. Harry quickly stood up, and Ginny grabbed his hands, holding them tight and, looking deeply into his green eyes, said, "I have never been able to thank you properly, Harry ... simply because I have always had my crush over you standing in the way. I always thought that the only proper way to thank you for giving me back my life was for you to fall in love with me ... so that I can return what you have given me in full measure, and more.

"I never realized that there are other ways, Harry. I have always thought that there is only one kind of love ... but there is friendship, affection ... being there to help whenever needed. But you never even gave me a hint that you needed my help, Harry ... neither that you needed my friendship.

"I can understand that. But Harry, don't close your mind to me ... don't close your heart to us ... those who you have touched over the years. Myself ... Fleur Delacour's sister... Neville ... my Mum and Dad. You cannot give your heart to all of us ... but we, those of us who can, will give you back the friendship, affection, and trust you gave - in equal measure or more."

Harry Potter stared at her in disbelief. Was this little Ginny, the girl who followed him around like a fan in her first year? Was this Ginny who, as late as last year, still blushed whenever he came within greeting distance?

"She's right, Harry." He turned to look at Ron, who was absently tossing the stuffed-toy hippogriff from one hand to another. "All these (waving the hippogriff at the other toys) ... is a reminder that you've touched so many people over the years. Not just Hermione and myself ... there's Neville and his Rememberall in first year ... Hagrid and all those Petrified in second year ... Sirius in third ... Fleur's sister ...

"But you know what's more important to me, Harry? You never failed me ... you never turned your back on me, even when I was being a prat or when I wasn't even there for you.

"Ron," Harry said in a dangerous voice. He didn't need reminding of all that ... and he didn't like Ron's beseeching tone of voice. But Ron cut him off with a gesture.

"One thing that all of this shows me," and he waved his hand at the assembled reminders of adventures past, "... is that you and Hermione have shared far more together than I have with either one of you."

"Ron ..." Harry tried to interrupt, but Ron continued, "Harry ... you were the one who remembered that Hermione had locked herself in the girl's bathroom in first year ... you found the page in her hand in second year ... it was you, Hermione and the Time-Turner in third year ... and ..." Ron turned away from Harry, "it was you and Hermione for the First Task last year, when I was too stupidly jealous of you to even think straight."

Ron paused, looking Harry in the eye. "The Great Pumpkin is right, Harry. 'Love is never lost.' You may never love Ginny in the way she hoped for ... Hermione may not love me in the way everyone hoped she would ... but we've shared too much together ... we owe each other too much ... to let something like you falling for Hermione, or Hermione falling for you, to come between us."

Harry did not answer. He sat down again with elbows on his knees, staring at his feet. Hermione, who had been quiet the whole time, suddenly stood up and walked over to sit beside him. In a soft voice, she told him, "Follow your heart, Harry Potter."

Without looking up, Harry reached for her hand ... holding it tightly for a brief moment before quietly bringing it to his lips.

The awkward silence stretched ... all four of them again locked in their thoughts, but with Harry and Hermione quietly holding hands - and with Harry's lips still touching Hermione's hand. Ron glanced at Ginny, who was still holding the toy serpent in her hands, apparently thinking back on her first - and almost last -- year at Hogwarts.

"I guess that means no more singing Valentines from you, Ginny."

"Harry!" Ginny reacted as if she'd been poked with a hot needle - and threw the toy snake at Harry's head, as a slow blush covered her face to the point where one could not tell where her hairline started - or ended.

A soft giggle escaped Hermione's lips ... followed by a loud snicker from Ron ... and then, Ginny smiled. "What a git I was! Remember that dwarf dressed as Cupid singing, 'His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad ...'"

It was suddenly too much for the four friends - their somber mood was suddenly broken as a roar of laughter erupted from their throats, with Ginny's high, clear laugh rising above the laughter of the two boys and Hermione. Ron was so taken with hilarity that he inadvertently kicked the still-floating Great Pumpkin and tipped it over ... and a cascade of tarts, pumpkin cauldrons, cream cakes and other pastries spilled out on the table.

"Food!" shouted Ron.

"Ronald Weasley!" Ginny said, shocked. "Can't you think of anything but food? You already had four servings during the feast!"

"Can I help it if your great dramatic scene with Harry gave me an appetite?"

"I wasn't the only one with a great emotional scene, Ron Weasley! Honestly!" Ginny rolled her eyes at him, as Harry and Hermione smiled at each other. Her eyes suddenly narrowed as she watched Ron opening one of the packages of cakes.

"Ron!" she half-shouted, as she reached over and plucked the cake that was almost at his mouth. "Are you sure of that? Who do you think will be giving out cream cakes at a time like this?"

Ron, irritated at having the tasty morsel taken from him, looked crossly at her -- and then, his eyes widened. "Gred and Forge?" he squeaked.

"Either them or the Terrible Two," Ginny replied.

"But they couldn't! Do you think they know enough to put all these together?" Ron protested, sweeping his hand at the pumpkin, the gifts and the parchment

"Do you want to risk it?" Ginny responded.

After a moment of contemplation, Ron replied, "No."

And then his smile returned, albeit with a decidedly evil glint in it. "I vote that we leave the goodies out here -- and ask those four to test it for us."

Ginny smiled. "Now, that's what I call a plan!"

Grinning, Ron turned to Harry and Hermione - and felt his jaw dropping to the floor with an audible 'thud.'