A Sorrowful Goodbye

Chapter 3
All Shall Be Revealed

Ginny had been dreaming. She couldn't remember exactly what it was about, but there was something important about the dream. Sitting up in her dorm bed, she realized that it was still pitch black outside. She groaned inwardly. She felt wide-awake, not even tired anymore. Was it because of her dream? She didn't know.
Her eyes were drawn towards the window, facing the forbidden forest. Sometimes when she couldn't sleep (and that was often), she would sit on the windowsill and gaze out the window. Once, after a particularly horrible nightmare about Tom Riddle, she had leaned back, and began counting the stars. Gradually, after several hundred, she had felt herself lulled into a dazed, sleepy state, and had slept right there on the windowsill. This was one of her favorite places in Hogwarts.
Silently, so as not to wake the other sleeping fifth year girls, she pulled back the covers and slipped out of the warmth of her bed. It was the middle of November, and already the air was cold. The chill of the stone floor sent a jolt of shock up to her ankles, her nerves protesting at the discomfort. Still, she made it to the windowsill and her pajamas - while somewhat thin with age - were able to keep the cold away once she positioned herself on the sill. She leaned back, watching the silent scenery of the dark trees. The world was shrouded by something. She realized that it was beginning to snow. Her lips tugged into a smile. She loved snow.
Suddenly, a bright shape appeared out of the forest. Ginny blinked. Was it a light? Perhaps Hagrid was investigating some wild animal of his in the forest. But she noticed that a dim candle flickered in his hut, not too far off from the school's exterior. And the light was far too bright, much too graceful for it to be Hagrid carrying some sort of light.
Ginny gulped, wondering what this strange appearance was. It was a small sphere, no bigger than a quaffle ball. She wondered if it could be a ghost. "But," she thought, "do the ghosts ever leave the castle? I've never seen them." The circle of light seemed to turn, was it facing her window? Ginny felt a small panic bubble in her stomach. The glowing orb revolved slowly, until it seemed to transform into a figure, meeting her gaze. Ginny gasped and jumped. Golden eyes met her own, and she was temporarily blinded by the light filtering out of them; similar to if she looked full on at the sun. But, their brightness faded into a dull glow. Ginny began to tremble with not fear, but apprehension. The figure started to make its way toward the window. To Ginny's shock, it began to float upward, closing the gap between them more and more. Ginny stumbled off the windowsill, feeling the panic boil into a scream. However, before it escaped her lips, something firm and warm had pressed itself against her mouth.
Her yell was muffled into a choke, as she lost her flow of air. Struggling, she reached back and felt skin. Ginny scratched it with her raggedly bitten nails. She heard a curse in a low voice that was quite familiar.
"Malfoy?" she asked in surprise. What was he doing here?
He withdrew his hand from her mouth, and she turned abruptly to face him, expecting to see the half-smile of arrogant amusement. Instead, he was looking with sharp intensity into her eyes. She couldn't help catching her breath at his eyes, which looked stormy in the strange golden light.
The light. She had forgotten in the scuffle with Malfoy. Where was it now?
As if in answer to her question, a great flash broke through the castle's stone, giving a gold hue to the room. Ginny couldn't help crying out loud; she felt strangely drawn to it. Then, the source of the light appeared; a celestial human floating on the other side of the window. The figure was a tall, slender woman with billowing golden robes and drooping wings. She seemed not to need them to hover. Her feet were barely visible beneath the clothes, adorned with small, golden slippers. Everything about this woman was heavenly and golden. Ginny felt no fear toward her, and began to instinctively step closer to her. Those eyes were so warm and inviting.
Something strangely cold grabbed her shoulder, and Ginny frowned. She was vaguely aware of Malfoy holding her back, and she cried, "Let me go, Malfoy!"
He continued to grip her forcefully. Ginny felt tears slide down her freckled cheeks. Her only wish was to meet this beautiful woman and do her bidding. How could Malfoy prevent her from her only dream?
"Ginny," he whispered. Had she been more alert, she would have been surprised by his gentleness. "Listen to me." He paused. "This being does not wish to do you good; she is false. Don't go to her; follow me. I will save you, if you'll only listen."
Ginny heard him, but paid him no attention. She heard him sigh in exasperation. His mouth was only inches from her ear. "I'm sorry to have to do this, but." he broke off, and yanked on her upper arm. She yelped in pain as he dragged her away from the woman. Ginny now openly began to sob. She didn't want to leave! If she could just remain here, forever.
However, she vaguely heard Malfoy open the latch on the door, pull her outside, and shut it forcefully. As soon as the golden figure was cut off from her vision, Ginny felt her senses return. She blinked, her eyes adjusting to the sudden darkness. She shivered, realizing that the figure hadn't appeared stunning when she had first seen it. It had almost been frightening.
"What was that?" she managed to gasp after a moment's silence.
Malfoy was strangely grim. "It was what is known as Temptation. I can't tell you much about it until we have the others." He began striding purposefully down the stairs.
Ginny was feeling very confused. What did Malfoy know that she didn't? What was going on? She shook her head, as if to clear to bewildering thoughts from her mind. "What are you talking about?" she asked him in a whisper.
"Like I said, I don't want to tell you much without the others, but-"
Ginny cut him off. "What others?"
He stopped outside the sixth year girls' chamber. He reached out to turn the latch, but before he opened the door, he faced her, saying "Your friends."
As the wooden door creaked open, Ginny realized with shock that another strange figure was standing in the room. Only, this one was dressed in plain brown robes, and was a kindly looking elderly man. A fierce intelligence shone from his knowledgeable eyes. His palm was facing up, a large book floating above it. And there was Hermione, treading - in a sort of daze - toward him.