The Veil of Memories

Chapter 4

The Prophecy

"Well, perhaps Dumbledore told him your name?" suggested Harry, holding on tightly to the handle of his broomstick as another gust of wind blew up.

"But why, Harry?" asked Ginny.

"Well, I don't know, perhaps it just came up. Or perhaps he knew your parents. I mean...." Harry's voice trailed off as he pointed up at Ginny's unmistakable bright red locks which now blew back into the wind like the tail of a comet.

"He doesn't know them. I owled Mum and Dad last night and asked them. They'd never heard of him. He knows about me because he's involved in all this memory business somehow, Harry, and he knows that I am, too. Only I don't know how."

Harry suddenly looked alert. "You asked your parents," he said. "Did you - did you tell them about, I mean, about your memories?"

Ginny shook her head. "I knew it would worry them," she said, her quiet voice nearly altogether lost in the wind that now swirled around the Quidditch pitch. "But I know they don't remember either. Mum asked me if Ron had found a date to the ball. It must not just be only at Hogwarts then."

Harry opened his mouth and closed it several times. He seemed on the brink of saying something to Ginny that he wasn't sure she wanted to hear. He was saved, however, when Ron swooped up beside them.

"Sorry to interrupt but Marvin Berke wants to know if you're going to watch his tryout or just float here in mid-air chatting."

"Sorry," said Harry immediately. "I'll be there in a minute."

He gently tugged onto Ginny's right hip and pulled her toward him. The twin Firebolts hummed softly as they touched and Harry planted a swift kiss on Ginny's lips.

"I have to do this now," he said quietly. "We'll talk again later, all right?"

Ginny nodded and silently broke away from Harry, circling around to the left chaser's position. Harry told Marvin Berke, who was looking a little nervous, to join her on the right. Ron assumed the keeper position. Harry blew his captain's whistle and tossed the Quaffle to Ginny. Her task was to pass it back and forth with Berke and try to score on Ron. As Ginny took the Quaffle in her hand and tried to pass it, however, she found that she was far too distracted to play properly. After three fumbled passes, Harry diplomatically replaced her with Susan Richards, a fourth-year whom Ginny remembered as trying and failing to get the chaser position held by Arabella last year, but whom everyone else seemed to remember as having made it onto the team.

Ginny found a place in the stands and watched the play unfold in Susan's more capable hands. Her mind very quickly turned back to Janus. How could he have known who she was? She certainly didn't know him. Try as she might, Ginny couldn't think of any more plausible conclusion than that Janus was yet another player in the sinister plot to selectively erase the school - and now it seemed the entire wizarding world - of the memory of Muggle-borns ever having attended Hogwarts. It also seemed clear that she was meant to have some part to play in whatever diabolical plot had been unleashed but what that was, she could not possibly know.

Then again....

Ginny sighed. She knew in her heart of hearts that she hadn't owled her parents earlier because she was afraid they might tell her what she had least wanted to hear. That they didn't remember the others either. That it was just her. Ginny could understand exactly how Ron and Harry felt. She must seem completely mad to them. She was so sure she knew what she knew, and yet -

"Sickle for your thoughts, Weasley," drawled a voice behind her.

Ginny swung her head around to see Malfoy sitting three rows behind her, his feet propped up on the seat just in front of him. Her hand went quickly for her wand as she cursed herself for getting so lost in thought that she had failed to stay alert, especially at a time like this.

Malfoy raised his eyebrows. "If you are not in the mood to talk, you can just say so. There's no need to hex me."

Ginny pointed her wand at Malfoy. "This is our team's tryout, Malfoy. Get out!"

"You know, there are so few of you Gryffindors you'd think you'd want to make friends."

"I'm not going to warn you again, Malfoy!"

But Malfoy showed little sign of wanting to move. He leaned back on the seat behind him and sighed.

"But it seems you already have," he remarked nonchalantly. "Tell me, Ginny, how was your Potions class the other day? A little less severe now, perhaps?"

Ginny tightened her grip on the wand in her wand but inwardly cursed herself as it started to tremble.

"I'm going to stop you, Malfoy," she hissed. "I'm not afraid of you or your Death Eater friends."

Malfoy drew back his head and laughed loudly.

"And every taunt you throw at me," Ginny went on, ignoring the interruption, "just makes me that much more sure of what I still know."

An unpleasant smile curled up the sides of Malfoy's mouth.

"Beginning to doubt yourself now, are you, Ginny? Perhaps that's for the best, don't you think? You think you remember what really happened, but couldn't it be that your head is full of lies that I mock you into believing are true? Either way, it doesn't much matter. None of your friends are ever coming back - oh, look, if it isn't loverboy to the rescue."

Harry sped his Firebolt hard in the direction of Malfoy's face, pulling up quickly only at the last second. His adversary, however, did not flinch.

"Is Malfoy bothering you, Ginny?" asked Harry, looking murderously at his Slytherin rival.

"Only in his imagination," replied Ginny, still holding her wand tightly.

"Clear off, Malfoy!" barked Harry.

Malfoy smiled and got to his feet. "You Gryffindors are so unfailingly predictable. You can both rest assured that I have no interest in the fortunes of your pathetic team."

Malfoy turned to leave. Harry, apparently satisfied that the matter was concluded, turned on his broomstick and began to speed off. Malfoy's back was barely turned when Ginny pulled him roughly around by the collar of his cloak and pointed her wand into the side of his neck.

"Something else, Ginny?"

"Yes, don't ever call me by my first name again, Malfoy!"

Ginny released her grip on Malfoy, pocketed her wand, and lifted off on her broomstick to join Harry. She was well out of earshot when Malfoy mumbled to himself:

"But isn't that how I've always known you?"

***

Ginny felt Harry's hand hold tightly onto hers as they walked back to Gryffindor Tower. It had not been a very promising practice session. Only one of the prospective chasers for Katie Bell's open position had even gotten a shot on Ron, and that was only because she had held onto the Quaffle and failed to pass all the way to the hoops. Worse, Ginny couldn't help but think that the players already on the team hadn't looked much better, herself included. She knew they were missing the Muggle-borns but found she lacked the energy to say as much to Harry. She settled for giving his hand a reciprocal squeeze and leaning her head gently against his fast-beating chest as they climbed the stairs.

"I'm not going to run away to Malfoy, you know," she said, trying to smile.

"Oh, what?" said Harry, who looked a bit lost in thought himself. "No, of course not, I - "

Ginny winked and looked down meaningfully at their joined hands.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Harry. "I - I just - I'm worried about you, that's all."

"I'm worried about you, too, Harry," Ginny replied as they approached the Fat Lady.

"Balderdash," said Harry and the portrait hole swung open. "I mean - I know, I just...." He hesitated.

"You don't have to tell me what you're thinking, Harry," said Ginny quietly as they stopped in front of the fireplace. "I'd feel the same if I was in your position. But I'm not going to give up."

Harry hesitated again for a moment, then nodded firmly. "Don't then," he said. "I - er - " he added after a moment's pause. He pointed to the bathroom.

"Go and get washed up for dinner," said Ginny. "I'll manage while you're away."

Harry smiled a little shyly in return. He turned around but Ginny snaked an arm around his waist and before Harry knew what was happening, she had pulled him into a long, passionate kiss, ignoring the glances of the few students who still remained in the now perpetually half-empty room.

They said nothing to each other after that but parted very slowly. Harry had a funny grin on his face as he moved backward toward the bathroom, still watching Ginny. He finally collided with the door and reluctantly entered it.

Ginny felt her cheeks burning as she turned to sit down on the sofa in front of the fireplace. She knew that she should be washing up herself but a sudden draught of wind came in through the nearby window. Ginny shivered and quickly realized that the fireplace was devoid of flame. It might still have been the first week of September but it was already getting cold outside. After a few more moments staring at the fireplace, Ginny's chill overcame her inertia and she got up to place a few logs into position in the fire. She drew out her wand to set the tinder alight when a sudden terrified yelp drew her attention.

Ginny looked quickly around. So far as she could see there was no one about except some third-year boys milling near the staircase to the girls' dormitory, apparently waiting for their classmates to join them for dinner. Shaking her head and wondering if she hadn't gone mad after all, Ginny pointed her wand at the logs again.

"Incen - "

There was a louder yelp this time. Ginny jerked her head quickly back. Still, however, no one seemed to have noticed. But as far as she could trust her own ears, the source of the noise seemed a bit more precise this time. Without daring to look back again, Ginny crouched to the ground and stared up into the chimney shaft that stretched up above the fireplace, stifling a gasp.

Dobby the house-elf hung suspended upside down directly above the fireplace, his feet stretched out along the sooty brick interior like an insects' and his upside-down face dominated by a pair of even larger than usual, very frightened-looking eyes. In contrast to the rest of his body, however, Dobby's long pointed ears were withdrawn protectively over the sides of his face.

"Dobby is very sorry," he croaked. "Dobby doesn't mean to make Ginny Weasley feel cold but Dobby wonders if she wouldn't start a fire just now. Dobby might get a little bit burned."

"Dobby, what are you doing up there?"

Dobby let out an even more pitiful whimper.

"D - Dobby is preparing."

"Preparing for what, Dobby?"

"Dobby cannot say. If Dobby tells Ginny Weasley, Dobby will have to punish himself."

"No, Dobby," said Ginny patiently as a fleck of soot fell onto her forehead. "You do not have to punish yourself. Now tell me what you are preparing for."

Dobby moaned again. "Dobby is preparing for S.L.E.D."

"What's S.L.E.D., Dobby?"

"Society for the Liberation of Elfin Domestic labor. The para-military arm of S.P.E.W."

Dobby's sentence ended with a loud gasp from both him and Ginny. It was Ginny who spoke first after that, mostly because Dobby had put a free hand over his mouth while searching frantically with the other for something with which to punish himself. All of this went on while he continued to suspend himself above the fireplace by his spread-out feet.

"W - what did you say, Dobby?" hissed Ginny up the chimney, her eyes now nearly as large as the house-elf's. "Did you say Elfin Domestic labor?"

Dobby withdrew his hand from his mouth and put it to use with his other in an increasingly frantic search for some means of doing himself harm.

"Dobby has said too much, much too much! Dobby must punish himself now!"

"No, Dobby, you are not - "

Ginny's protests were cut off when a cloud of soot fell down onto her face followed closely by Dobby himself. She cleared her eyes just in time to see Dobby reaching for a very large poker which sat by the side of the fireplace. Stumbling for a moment under its weight, Dobby managed to bring the poker up to his head when Ginny seized it firmly.

"Dobby must punish himself!" squeaked Dobby. "Ginny Weasley must let go!"

"No, Dobby!" Ginny held onto the poker fiercely. "You are not going to hurt yourself and you are going to tell me exactly what you know about 'Elfin Domestic labor!'"

"Dobby - cannot - say!" Dobby cried through clenched teeth as he pulled hard on the poker.

Ginny turned her head briefly to notice that there was now a large audience of third year boys and girls watching her odd wrestling match with the house-elf. She turned back to Dobby and yanked hard on the poker pulling both it and him in the direction of the portrait hole which dutifully opened. Dobby struggled to hold on to the poker, dangling in mid-air like a parody of a water-skier, as Ginny pulled it and him out of the common room.

Dobby did not seem very interested in talking, however, but continued to hold tightly to the poker even as Ginny tried to wrestle it from his grip.

"Ginny Weasley must let go!" he squeaked loudly. "Dobby has said too much. Dobby must - "

"Who is organizing S.L.E.D., Dobby?" Ginny broke in. "What's going on? Who started S.P.E.W.? Do you know? Do you remember? Tell me, Dobby!"

Ginny tried to give the poker one final frustrated tug but Dobby held on even more tightly.

"Dobby cannot say who is organizing S.L.E.D.," Dobby croaked between pants. "But Dobby hopes that Ginny Weasley has not forgotten that Hermione Granger started S.P.E.W. Dobby knows he will never forget her kindness."

Ginny dropped the poker so suddenly that Dobby fell crashing into her midsection. Ginny ignored the pain from the poker which fell hard onto her foot, let out a cry of mirth, and jumped into the air as if she'd just caught the Snitch to win the Quidditch cup.

"Dobby is very sorry - "

Ginny picked Dobby up in her hands, twirled him around in the air, and planted a huge kiss on his cheek. After she had placed him back down to the stone floor, she and Dobby continued to stare at each other, the poker lying forgotten at their feet. Then Dobby touched the side of his face, smiled broadly, and twirled his ears around three times.

"But h - how?" Ginny said finally. "Why - " She stopped again. "Dobby, you've got to tell Harry! You've got to tell Dumbledore! Nobody remembers. Everyone thinks I've gone mad!"

But Dobby's face fell and he eyed the poker again. His hand reached down for it but Ginny was quicker and seized his wrist.

"Dobby!" she shouted between clenched teeth. "As a Hogwarts student and N.E.W.T.-level witch-in-training I order you not to harm yourself!"

Dobby let go of her grip and smiled again. "Dobby is very grateful to Ginny Weasley for Dobby does not truly want to harm himself."

"Dobby, do you know what's really going on?" asked Ginny urgently.

"Dobby cannot say!"

Ginny sighed. "But you know, Dobby, don't you? Why can't you tell me? I ordered you not to harm - "

Dobby took a long step backwards and folded his arms, looking back at Ginny with a defiant determination she had never seen in his eyes before, not even the time he had first tried to stop her, Colin, and Amanda from entering the kitchens during their O.W.Ls in what now seemed like another world.

"No, Dobby cannot say and Dobby will not say! And if Ginny Weasley cares anything for her own safety, she will not say anything either." Dobby's voice dropped to an urgent whisper. "There are dark wizards here, at Hogwarts!" The house-elf put his hands to his mouth and looked longingly at the poker which Ginny quickly kicked to the side.

"Which dark wizards, Dobby? Professor Janus? Is he a dark wizard? Tell me!"

"No! Dobby will not say! Dobby can only say that if Ginny Weasley does not stay quiet, she will put herself in great danger. But Dobby will tell Ginny Weasley one thing: S.L.E.D. will act and Ginny Weasley must watch for it! Farewell, Ginny Weasley!"

And before Ginny could reach out and grab him, Dobby had snapped his fingers and disappeared.

Ginny let out a deep sigh and stood in place for a moment. She then reached down for the poker and had just taken hold of it when the portrait hole opened and Harry walked out. His eyes widened in alarm as he quickly took in Ginny's soot-covered appearance and the poker in her hand but he merely cleared his throat and said:

"Er, ready for dinner?"

***

Even before her encounter with Dobby, Ginny had decided she was better off keeping her knowledge mostly to herself. She now had a renewed faith that what she remembered was right but she was not going to broadcast it all over the school anymore. She was definitely not going to say anything more about it to her brother whom she was sure was one last straw away from owling their parents and having her checked into St. Mungo's.

She did plan to tell Harry, though, but because they were always surrounded by others, she did not get the chance until the following morning at breakfast.

"You do remember Dobby, don't you?" she said, after she had finished.

"Well, of course I do."

"Not 'of course,' Harry, but it's a good sign. You don't remember S.P.E.W., though, do you?"

Harry frowned and shook his head.

"Though I suppose that if we could just find Dobby, we could be a lot closer to solving this mystery," said Harry brightly, though Ginny couldn't help but think it was mostly for her benefit.

Ginny sighed. "I have a feeling that might be easier said than done. I don't think Dobby will be very anxious to show his face again anytime soon."

Harry cleared his throat. "Ginny, if what Dobby said was true - "

"I know." Ginny cut him off. "I'll be quieter about this, I promise. And don't say anything to Ron either."

"Don't worry. I've absolutely no desire to."

But this proved much harder than either Harry or Ginny had hoped. As the three of them sat down together to have lunch, Ron was clearly in an irritable and flustered mood. From the occasional meaningful look that Harry sent her, Ginny could also tell that he had been behaving that way for most of the morning. She wasn't sure if Harry had figured it out, but she was sure that it had something to do with the ball, the day of which had now arrived. It had also not escaped her attention that Ron kept darting his head back and forth furtively as if trying to catch - or miss - someone or something. Ginny wondered if it was this Carolyn person but she didn't feel very inclined to ask. She sighed inwardly as she remembered her resolution of three days earlier that she would get Hermione back in time for the ball, something that now seemed laughably impossible. Ginny tried to take consolation in the fact that Ron's preoccupation with the ball would take his mind off his plan to owl their parents, at least for the time being. And it might well have done were it not for a chance comment.

"I reckon ol' McGonagall has no idea how much work she gives us!" came at the end of a long litany of Ron's complaints. "What with the three essays she's assigned, it's a wonder any of us will find the time to go to this ball tonight!" Ron glanced around the hall furtively again.

Harry and Ginny exchanged another significant look.

"Actually," said Harry, clearing his throat. "I think one of the essays might have been the one you didn't finish from earlier in the week, Ron."

"Yeah, well, I was busy with Quidditch tryouts, wasn't I? You can't expect a bloke to do homework every night! Where's all the pumpkin juice gone to?"

"I think you drank it all," remarked Ginny laconically.

"I know that! I mean, isn't someone going to come and fill up the jug? These house- elves are getting worse each year! I reckon we ought to have a caretaker here, someone to help keep them in line, be in charge, you know."

"Well, someone better than Filch, at any rate."

Ron and Harry suddenly stopped eating and looked over at Ginny.

"What?" she said. "Filch? The caretaker? Mean, nasty. Puts students in detention all the time. Has a creepy cat. Squib."

But the only response Ginny received was a rather frightened expression from Harry and a disturbingly shrewd look from Ron.

"There aren't any Squibs in this school," Ron replied, continuing to watch his sister closely. "They're not allowed. Not even on the staff. Something about keeping a line of defense in the castle at all times."

"Well, if there is a rule like that," said Ginny, meeting Ron's gaze, "then someone forgot to tell him about it."

Harry watched the exchange nervously. "I think what Ginny means is that - "

"I think that Ginny has gone completely off her rocker!" decided Ron. He put his empty glass down on the table decisively. "And you're just encouraging her!" He pointed an accusatory finger at Harry.

Harry's nervousness vanished quickly. "I'm trying to help her!" he retorted, his anger suddenly rising.

Ron looked back and forth between Harry and Ginny and shook his head. He then pushed his chair back and got to his feet.

"That's it! I've heard enough! I can't believe I've been so stupid as to let things go like this for so long! I'm not wasting another moment; I'm going up to the owlery now and I'm going to tell Mum and Dad exactly what's happened to you. We're going to get you into St. Mungo's and get rid of the memory charm Malfoy put on you just like we should have done right at the beginning of the week!"

"Why don't you go right ahead, Ron?" said Ginny, her cheeks flushed. "That's just what Mum and Dad need right now, isn't it, something new to worry about? But do go on. I'm sure this will reassure them that you're following dutifully in Percy's footsteps!"

Ron met his sister's gaze. "You might be a little grateful that I'm doing this for your own good, you know - "

"Sorry, no!" Ginny got to her feet as well.

" - but I won't take it personally. I'll just make sure the healers can find something for your temper while they're at it!"

"Then you'll be checking in right alongside me!"

"Ron, I think maybe - "

"You stay out of this, Harry!"

"Oh, good!" said a cheery voice behind them which caused Harry to shake his head in utter disbelief. "Finally taking some action, are we?"

But Ron was equal to the challenge this time.

"That's right, Luna," he said, his eyes never leaving his battle of wills with Ginny. "I'm going to do something I should have done a long time ago."

Luna put her arms around Ron. "Oh, I knew it would be you to fight the xenophobes, Ronald. You're so brave!"

Ron turned around quickly and left the Great Hall, followed closely by Ginny and Harry.

"Can we just wait a moment for Neville?" said Luna behind them. "I'm sure he wouldn't want to miss this."

But Ron, Harry, and Ginny kept walking forward purposefully and Luna was forced to run to catch up.

"Look, Ron," said Harry. "Maybe Ginny just needs some time to think through this by herself."

"I'm sorry, mate," said Ron. "But I've let you try your way the whole week and now we're going to try mine."

"How considerate of you to let me have a say," remarked Ginny.

"You know, I think you've taken a wrong turn, Ronald. The dungeons are down that way."

"Ron, I just think - "

"No, don't bother, Harry," said Ginny. "Once he's set his mind to something, it's as good as lost. I don't mind letting him make a fool of himself."

Ron stopped walking suddenly and looked suspiciously at his sister.

"What makes you think I'm going to do that?"

"Just a feeling, that's all," she said, suddenly sounding more thoughtful than angry.

Ron narrowed his eyes for a moment, then turned to look at Harry who just shrugged.

It seemed to take them ages to reach the owlery. Once they did, however, Ron wasted no time in walking straight through, causing many of the school barn owls to scatter in a mêlée of flapping wings and feathers. He quickly located Pigwidgeon and beckoned him over. Pigwidgeon somersaulted in the air several times and chirped happily that he was being given an assignment.

Ron fumbled in his bag for a parchment and quill and began scrawling hastily on his knee. Pigwidgeon stopped in mid-flight, mildly confused as to why Ron didn't hava letter already prepared. He landed on Ron's shoulder and, if Harry didn't know better, he would have sworn that he was reading the letter as Ron wrote it. He looked over at Ginny and noticed that her expression of stern defiance had now been replaced by an omniscient half-smile.

Ron finished writing the letter, frowned slightly at his messy handiwork, but then quickly rolled up the parchment and moved to attach it to Pigwidgeon's leg.

"Pig, take this to Mum and - "

Ron broke off as Pigwidgeon gave a hoot of alarm and jumped backwards onto the floor of the owlery.

"Pig, stop playing around! I need you to take this letter. It's important!"

But Pig jumped further backward as Ron reached forward and then flew into the air, hooting loudly.

"Pig, what's the matter with you? I said - "

Pigwidgeon flew high up into the rafters and seemed to be trying his best to blend inconspicuously with the other owls who, if appearances could be trusted, were now huddling around him protectively.

Ron stared up after him in disbelief.

"Doesn't seem to be listening to you, Ron," said Ginny breezily.

"Useless over-feathered git!" Ron cried at Pigwidgeon. "Don't know why I put up with you when I could have gotten a decent rat instead!"

Pigwidgeon hooted indignantly in response but remained put.

Ron turned back around.

"Harry, can I use Hedwig? Please, this is important. I know what I'm doing."

Before Harry could respond, Ginny turned to him and said:

"Go on, let him, Harry. He'll just have to learn the hard way."

Ron looked back suspiciously at Ginny. Hedwig had already wandered over to Harry and was resting comfortably on his forearm. Harry nudged her slightly in Ron's direction and the snowy owl came to rest dutifully on his shoulder.

"Right," said Ron, looking a bit more relieved. "Hedwig, please - "

But as soon as Ron held out the parchment, Hedwig let out a protesting hoot of her own and flew back to Harry.

Ron sighed heavily. "You try, Harry." He handed the parchment to Harry.

"Hedwig - " Harry began.

But Hedwig turned and hooted loudly at Harry, almost as though she was trying to warn him of something. When Harry tried to offer her the parchment, she flew over to Ginny's arm and continued to hoot anxiously at Harry from afar.

Ron let out an exasperated grunt that was like something like a cross between a rhinoceros and a giant.

"It's no use losing your temper, Ronald," chided Luna. "I'm sure it's not every owl who's brave enough to send a message to the xenophobes."

"Fine!" cried Ron, looking around the room angrily. "You, over there, fat feather ball!" He pointed at a barn owl. "You look like you need some exercise. How about - "

But as soon as Ron took a step forward in the owl's direction, both he and his nearby friends flew off into the rafters, all hooting fiercely.

"It doesn't seem like anyone very much wants to deliver your message, Ron," remarked Ginny, as she gently stroked Hedwig's feathers, unable now to stop a smile from spreading fully over her face.

"What did you do to them?" Ron demanded.

"What did I do to them, Ron?" asked Ginny incredulously. "Listen carefully to what you're saying."

"Oh, do calm down, Ronald," said Luna. "If you'd like, you can use my owl. She's very friendly and I'm sure she'll behave well and send your letter."

Ron looked hopefully over at Luna for the first and last time.

"You have an owl?" he asked.

"Oh, yes." Luna nodded sagely. "Only, I have to warn you, she stays invisible most of the time."

Ron clenched and unclenched his fists.

"Is it just me or has this whole school gone barking mad?"

Luna nodded sympathetically. "I know just how you feel," she said dreamily. "I wonder that sometimes myself."

"Right," said Ron decisively, studiously ignoring her remark. "If the owls won't take the letter, we'll have to use floo! I wanted to be discreet," he glared over at Ginny as if this was all somehow her fault, "but as it is, it seems I have no other choice!"

Ginny merely smiled in response and Ron marched past her to the owlery exit.

"He's so sexy when he gets angry like that," Luna remarked to Ginny. "I do hope Neville gets here soon or I'm afraid I might get distracted again."

Ginny chose not to comment on Luna's remark but followed her brother out of the door. Harry drew quickly up alongside her.

"Ginny, what's going on?" he whispered urgently.

"Remember when Hedwig delivered your letter to me the day we went to see Hagrid?" she whispered back.

"Yeah?"

"Well, I'm not sure, but I think it might be connected somehow. Anyhow, I can't let him floo Mum and Dad!"

Ginny walked ahead more urgently in pursuit of Ron, followed closely by Harry and Luna. As they left, however, Hedwig, who had still been perched on Ginny's arm, suddenly flew back through the owlery and out of a side window. A moment later, Pigwidgeon left his perch next to the other owls and followed her.

Ginny and Harry stopped and looked back.

"Where are they off to?" asked Harry. Hedwig had never left without him telling her before, except to get food, and there was plenty of that in the owlery.

"I don't know," said Ginny, looking after them and sounding just as puzzled as he was. "Come on, though." She touched his arm and they walked quickly after Ron, still trailed by Luna, who was gazing around as if she had never been in the school before.

They struggled to keep pace with Ron as he walked quickly down to the Gryffindor common room, almost bumping into the portrait hole when he forgot to supply the password. He cursed under his breath when it was delivered by Ginny, earning a reprimand from the Fat Lady.

"Look, Ron!" said Ginny, trying futilely to equal her brother's lanky strides as he made his way toward the fireplace. "Don't you think you're making a fool of yourself?"

"I don't care!" Ron shot back as he took a handful of floo powder into his hand.

"At least think about what effect your actions are having on others!"

Ron went an especially deep shade of scarlet. "What do you think I'm doing this for? No, Ginny, you're not stopping me, no matter what!" Ron drew up his hand to fling the floo powder into the fireplace. "I'm going to - "

But Ron never did manage to finish his sentence, nor did he have the chance to throw the floo powder. It continued to stay clenched in his hand, which remained suspended above the fireplace. Only small powdery trickles of it leaked out between his clenched fingers onto the stone floor.

For at the same moment, Hedwig and Pigwidgeon soared in through the open window of the Gryffindor common room, ran straight through Ron's lofty ginger-colored dome and landed with a noisy flapping of wings right into Ginny's quickly outstretched hands. There they delivered three parchments which bore the names of Ginny, Ron, and Harry.

There was a moment of silence. Then Ron reluctantly emptied the contents of his hand back into the holder of floo powder and walked over to Ginny and Harry, who was now standing right next to her.

"Why is he giving you my mail?" demanded Ron. "Stupid bird!"

"I don't know," replied Ginny, "but it's not the first time it's happened."

"All right," said Ron, sighing again. "Well, let's open them, then."

Harry cleared his throat and jerked his head in the direction of the common room where numerous pairs of Gryffindor eyes were now watching their raucous activity. Having drawn Ron's attention to this, he then pointed his head in the direction of the corridor.

"Oh, right," said Ron, as Ginny shook her head. "I suppose we'd better."

Ron, Ginny, and Harry left the common room with the two owls and three letters as discreetly as they could. Harry turned to see if Luna would try to follow them. He was pleased to discover that she had reunited with Neville and seemed to find him more interesting than a pair of strangely-behaving owls.

Once safely out in the corridor, not far from the spot where Ginny had dragged Dobby the day before, the three Gryffindors opened their letters. It did not take them long to ascertain that the content was exactly the same.

Do not to send word of Ginny's condition by owl post, floo, or any other means to the outside world. Do not mention anything Ginny believes to have seen and remembered that differs from the memories of others in the school. Your own safety very much depends on following these instructions strictly. As difficult as this may be, I must also ask that you do not attempt to contact me or any of the other staff concerning this letter. You should attend the ball tonight and pretend that nothing untoward has occurred. In the course of time, I will, hopefully, have further information for you.

Albus Dumbledore

Harry, Ron, and Ginny finished reading the letters and looked up, pausing for a moment to read the expressions on one another's faces. Ginny looked somewhat vindicated, Harry seemed irritated, and Ron looked completely surprised.

"What in Merlin's name is this supposed to mean?" declared Ron.

"It means that you should have taken me seriously all along!" replied Ginny.

"I was taking you seriously! I thought there was something seriously wrong with you. Do you think I would have run around like this if I thought you were pulling my leg?"

"I mean you should have known I was telling the truth!"

"If you mean I now believe all those Muggle-borns really existed and I have some imaginary girlfriend who can't go to the ball with me because she's lost in an alternate reality, then I didn't and I still don't! What does it say here?" Ron pointed his finger at the letter. "Your 'condition?' Doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement to me! At any rate, I think Dumbledore might have stuck his head in a Pensieve once too often already."

"Look," said Harry before Ginny could think of another retort. "No one knows better than I do what it's like to be a pawn in one of Dumbledore's plans. I didn't like it then and I like it even less now. But there's too much at stake for us not to give him the benefit of the doubt, at least for the time being. We'd just better do what he says - at least until we can come up with something else."

***

The Great Hall was once again transformed as the staff and students, dressed in their finest robes, began to gather for the ball. Harry and Ginny sat at one side of a round table next to Seamus and his Ravenclaw date. A single enchanted flame burned at the table's center and the soft light sparkled over Ginny's soft flawless face. The hair which she had let fall straight again in the summer was now wound tightly into elegant curls. She wore a scarlet and grey dress that left her freckled shoulders bare and hugged her growing curves closely. A long open seam on both sides allowed a rare glimpse of her legs, which were covered in a kind of shimmering grey material to match her dress. She smiled warmly at Harry and he could see from the look on her face that Ginny knew she had succeeded in banishing all thoughts of Dumbledore's schemes from his head - at least for one night. He felt his arm drift over the silky material of Ginny's dress and around her waist.

Harry and Ginny talked to Seamus and his date for a while, though Harry's eyes rarely wandered far from his girlfriend. He did notice Draco Malfoy, however, looking coolly elegant, seated at a table suitably far away and pretending to listen to the grating voice of Pansy Parkinson who was sitting next to him. Once Harry thought he saw Malfoy's head turn in his direction but it quickly returned to Pansy.

Harry also noticed that most of the teachers were seated at a table just in front of the risers. Dumbledore sat at the head wearing his usual purple cloak with yellow half-moons and stars stitched down the side. To his immediate right sat Professor Janus, dressed this time from head to toe in black, complete with another feather-capped hat, which contrasted dramatically with his pale face and blond hair and beard. To Dumbledore's left sat McGonagall and next to her, Harmon. Both of them cast the occasional suspicious look across at the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Master. Harry also noticed Hagrid was sitting at the far right end of the table next to Firenze. He tried to wave a greeting but Hagrid was not looking in his direction. He, too, kept leaning over to stare at Janus, each time looking slightly more worried and puzzled.

"I wonder where Ron has got to," said Ginny suddenly, bringing back Harry's briefly wandering attention to her, which wasn't very difficult. "Are you sure he's coming? Wasn't he sulking all afternoon?"

Harry suddenly felt a little nervous. He coughed lightly.

"Yes, I am sure. He was changing when we came down. And, er, actually - "

Harry was saved the trouble of an awkward explanation when he saw Ginny's eyes widen at something just behind him. He looked back to see Ron making his way to the adjacent chair on his right, his face extremely pale, his head turned in every direction except at his sister, and his arm entwined with Ginny's roommate, Amanda.

Amanda, for her part, seemed much less nervous. She sat down next to Ron and leaned over to talk to Ginny whose body tensed in Harry's embrace.

"Sorry we got here so late! I couldn't get the spell right to make my hair go well with this dress. I'm still not completely satisfied, really. What do you think?"

Ginny's mouth opened but no words came out. Harry found himself very grateful when the conversation was interrupted as Dumbledore got to his feet.

"I believe you all know that I very much dislike giving long speeches, especially on occasions like this," he said. "I will only say that we all know the reason we are here - "

At this, there was a loud roar of applause from the students and staff punctuated with hoots and cheering. Seamus reached over Ginny to slap Harry hard on the back.

"So," Dumbledore went on as the cheering finally died down. "Without further delay, let the ball begin!"

Dumbledore smiled during his entire short speech and the intervening applause, but Harry couldn't help feeling that it had seemed very forced. Dumbledore's eyes were missing the sparkle they had shown during the welcoming feast and later again when he and Ginny had visited his office. Perhaps it was just the dim light but Harry thought Dumbledore's face seemed much older than usual. He looked across to see that Ginny had stopped eyeing Ron and Amanda. He could tell that Dumbledore's change in mood had not escaped her attention either.

Neither Harry nor Ginny had much time to ponder their observations, however, for almost immediately following Dumbledore's "speech," lights came on over the far side of the Great Hall where a stage with an array of odd-looking instruments had appeared. Behind the instruments were several unusual-looking animals that looked like a cross between unicorns and gigantic snails. This, as Harry had been told earlier in the week by Luna, whom he'd assumed had merely been making it up, was the Garroos, an alternative band featuring magical creatures of the same name. The Garroos could only be found on a small Icelandic peninsula and were mostly unknown before the band's recent surprising popularity. A group of avant-garde Ravenclaws had leaned on Dumbledore to invite them to play for the ball.

The lead Garroo (Harry did not know their names and thought they all looked the same) stepped forward and said something in a high-pitched squeaky voice that seemed to surprise most of the occupants of the hall, judging from the murmurs that arose while he, she, or it was talking. Harry had the vague sense the Garroo was trying to speak English but he could not understand any of the words. The talk was not long, however, and soon the Garroos struck up a strange but not unpleasant melody using a short but wide pair of snowy-white wings to play a harp-like instrument and their long horse-like noses to pound on a set of volcanic rocks. It was a bit like listening to phoenix song with a rumba beat.

Harry quickly got Ginny to her feet before her attention could wander back to Amanda and Ron and led her swiftly out onto the dance floor. The tempo of the music kept shifting and no one seemed very sure how to move. Harry just held onto Ginny by the hip and guided her along as best he could. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Ron was not having as much luck with Amanda, who had let out two yelps followed closely by murmured apologies from Ron. Turning back to Ginny, he was less pleased to see that her attention was also wavering to her brother and roommate whom she followed with narrowed eyes and a severe frown.

Harry cupped her chin in his hand and turned her back to face him.

"Am I so horrible to look at?" he asked.

"No, of course not, I just - "

"You used to love to look into my eyes," Harry added, before Ginny could finish her excuse.

Ginny's own eyes widened. "I still do, of course."

"Then prove it," said Harry softly, twirling her gracefully to a point in the dance floor away from Ron and Amanda.

Ginny smiled.

"You never used to have this much confidence when you danced."

"I have a good teacher."

Ginny was about to respond when Neville glided by arm in arm with a gigantic stuffed horse that looked like the mascot of a Muggle sports team.

"I wanted to come as a Garroo," said Luna's voice. "But the tail makes it difficult to move."

Sweat poured from Neville's forehead as he tried to guide Luna who was obviously having trouble seeing from inside the costume. He grasped hold of her quickly as she threatened to bound into a corner of the stage. What with Neville's clumsy footing and Luna's sightless strides, it seemed they were having a wrestling match rather than a dance. Harry found himself grateful, however, as it made Ginny giggle and took her attention away from Ron. He steered her into another corner and planted a soft kiss on her lips.

"Just forget about everything else, okay, just for tonight?"

Ginny nodded.

Harry's success in relaxing Ginny lasted as the night wore on. But his efforts were challenged during a pause in the dancing when they returned to their seats to find Amanda sitting alone, her elbow propped up ungracefully on the table and her hand in her chin. Harry quickly looked around for Ron just in time to see him heading toward the exit of the hall. He wanted to follow him but before he could excuse himself, Amanda sighed and said:

"I hate to tell you this, Ginny, but your brother's as stiff as a piece of parchment."

"Is that so?" said Ginny coolly.

"I mean," Amanda went on, missing her roommate's tone entirely, "I wanted to give him a chance, right? That's why I asked - "

"You asked - " Ginny's face seemed to light up like a roman candle.

"Well, yes, didn't you pay attention when I told you during Defense Against the Dark Arts? Anyway, I'm not sure it worked out very well."

"Good!" said Ginny hotly as the Garroos struck up another incongruous melody.

"Good?" said Amanda, turning around and noticing for the first time that Ginny didn't look pleased. "You're the one who's been telling me I should go out with him for the past year!"

This seemed to take the wind right out of Ginny's sails. She pointed a finger at herself. "I - told - " She sighed loudly and shook her head. "This is wrong. This is just all wrong."

"You're telling me," said Amanda.

"Come on, Harry." Ginny got to her feet and took hold of his arm. "It's time for another dance."

"But, wait, what about - "

But Harry found himself steered to the dance floor. This time Ginny decided to lead. Angry energy seemed to burn from her with every sharp twirl into which she steered Harry. They didn't speak for a while, then Ginny finally said between pants:

"I just wish I knew how to go about solving this mystery." She cocked her head in the direction of the staff table. "He's the answer. If I could just find out how."

Harry did not need Ginny to tell him that she was looking up at Janus. Turning around, he could see that the staff table now seemed full of merriment, partly due to the wine the house-elves kept pouring into the goblets of the teachers. Hagrid seemed to have forgotten to look over at Janus now and had given his full attention to the Garroos, who obviously fascinated him. Professors Trelawney, Flitwick, and McGonagall were giggling merrily at a series of caustic jokes from Professor Harmon, who seemed in good form. The only teachers who were not joining in the merriment, however, were Dumbledore and Janus. The headmaster seemed to have dropped his pretense of happiness altogether and his face now looked very drawn and weak. Janus also looked very serious and was leaning over to say something to him in an agitated whisper. All of this seemed to be lost on the inebriated staff, however.

Ginny had obviously noticed, too.

"I wonder if Janus is controlling Dumbledore somehow," she remarked. "Maybe that's why he doesn't want me to say anything."

"I don't think Dumbledore would let someone do that very easily."

"Who knows, Harry? Who knows who Janus is or how far his powers go?"

Janus seemed to grow more agitated and started gesticulating with his finger but Dumbledore continued to listen passively. Finally, the headmaster nodded to something Janus said and the two got up to leave. They had not gotten very far, however, when a high-pitched cry rang out from one corner of the table. Both stopped and turned to see what had caused the disturbance.

Trelawney, a goblet of wine in one hand and Harmon's arm in another, was pulling the Potions master reluctantly toward the dance floor.

"Come along, Counselos," she said. "I've waited years to do this! Whoops!" Trelawney lost her balance as she staggered along to the dance floor, tipping a quantity of wine onto the floor. She recovered and hit Harmon playfully on the arm. "Naughty boy, trying to trip me up like that!" She flashed him a seductive wink.

McGonagall got to her feet and walked quickly toward the couple.

"Professor Trelawney," she said curtly. "I think - "

Trelawney turned back around and regarded McGonagall through dazed-looking eyes. "Minerva! How nice of you to join us! Perhaps we can make this a three-way affair!"

McGonagall pursed her lips.

"Professor Trelawney," she repeated, her face reddening. "I demand you return to the table at once! You are behaving in a manner unbecoming to a Hogwarts teacher!"

"Me? Unbecoming, Minerva?" whined Trelawney loudly. "Aren't I already unbecoming? Can I possibly get more unbecoming than I already am? It would have been better if you'd let Umbridge sack me! At least then I wouldn't be wasting my days here, a useless old bag, while everyone prostrates before that over-hoofed beast!" She pointed a bony arm in Firenze's direction.

"Sibyll!" hissed McGonagall lividly. "You have had far too much to drink! You do not know what you are saying. Come back with me this instant!"

McGonagall tried to reach over Harmon and take hold of Trelawney's arm but the Divination teacher yanked it back. She let her still half-full goblet of wine fall to the floor, ignoring the scarlet stain that crept up the bottom of her dress from the spill. The Garroos stopped playing.

"No! I'm going to have my dance! You can't stop me! You can't - "

Trelawney's sentence ended in a sudden croak. Her face went very white and her hands flew to her throat.

"Sibyll!" cried McGonagall urgently. "Sibyll, what's - "

Trelawney fell to the dance floor on her knees, her hands still clutching her throat.

"Someone, please fetch Madam Pomfrey!" McGonagall cried. "And quick - "

McGonagall's instructions were cut off as Trelawney suddenly let out a low, rumbling cry and pushed Harmon and McGonagall aside with her hands. Chills ran up and down Harry as she opened her mouth and, in the same wide-eyed gaze and harsh voice with which he had heard her speak twice before, cried out:

"Cursed by his enemies...left by his friends...the Dark Lord has yet now returned. Cruel and dangerous... he desires still the original prize for which he once named himself...No army awaits him but the tricks of the mind... and yet he will gather his forces. His enemy, our hero, is lost and confused...yet never higher than now are his stakes...to lose is the end of everything but to win is to also surrender... to vanquish the Dark Lord, our hero must let go of that from which he least wants to part... cruel and dangerous... the Dark Lord... has yet now returned."

Trelawney let out a last dramatic moan and, in the midst of the frightened gasps and cries of the on-looking students and staff, fell head first to the floor in a faint.