Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ A Butterfly Effect ❯ Chapter 11: Nitwit Blubber Oddment Tweak ( Chapter 12 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

That burst of reviews for the interlude made me cry with joy. 200 reviews! Well… not really… since 20 of them are me answering questions.

I love you all. *happy face*

It's October. Thus, the interlude.

Lavender will receive no more punishment. She's had a hard life.

IMPORTANT: James and Lily can only see Harry's life as it happens. I have NOT eliminated the possibility of children. Be patient my lovelies.

Coming from the isolated wizarding mid-1900's-esque culture, James wouldn't have known anything about AI or IVF when he died in 1982. AI and IVF were not even commercialized until the late 70's.

I repeat… I have NOT eliminated the possibility of children.

Last bit wasn't a chapter. It was drabbles within the fic. I'll probably have a few interludes here and there. Not too many though.

Beware. Time skips and PoV changes galore in this chapter. Read carefully.

Chapter 11: Nitwit Blubber Oddment Tweak

'Sensitivity to initial conditions'means that each point in such a system is arbitrarily closely approximated by other points with significantly different future trajectories. Thus, an arbitrarily small perturbation of the current trajectory may lead to significantly different future behavior.

0000

"Do you want one?"

Harry stared pointedly in the other direction as if the girl hadn't said a word. Ginny hoisted the bag off the seat and plopped it into her lap. With it, she scooted all the way down the bench to Harry's end and once they were knee to knee, pulled a neatly wrapped sandwich square out of the bag.

The redhead held it out to her. "It's alright… have one." Harry glanced down at the square but did not take it, nor look at Ginny. For some reason, she was breathing rather heavily, a knot stuck in her throat. Ginny sighed and said, "Oh come on, there's no use pretending anymore. I know you want one." She flashed Harry a sly smile. "I... caught you in the act. They do smell wonderful, don't they?" Ginny took Harry's hand in her own and placed it overtop the sandwich. "Please. Have one. My mum made plenty."

Harry finally looked at the girl. She was so very close and Harry could see shiny cherry-red hair spilling out from underneath the crochet beret in a long plait. Ginny's smiling face was covered in freckles and her large, amber, gold-flecked eyes were boring directly into Harry's.

Harry didn't miss dreaming.

Every time she flipped the hourglass, she could watch this memory as she floated through the vast sun that was her magic. Every night she could relive the happiest moment of her life. Every night they could be together in her head, even if they weren't in reality.

Harry slowly opened her eyes and hugged the warm body sitting between her legs. She breathed the girl in; the real thing was so much better than a memory.

Ginny, however, didn't respond to her touch.

Like every day for the past month, the redhead was deeply absorbed in her diary; absorbed in Tom.

And Harry… well, she didn't like it one bit.

Tom was a good enough bloke for a seventy year old Ravenclaw, but Ginny was Harry's and the boy in the diary was taking up all of their free time together.

Harry knew what would distract the girl from the book. She happily stuffed a few strands of cherry-red hair into her mouth.

To Ginny's simultaneous amusement and annoyance, Harry had taken a liking to chewing on Ginny's hair. Thanks to her stuffed broom, Harry had discovered that she liked to chew things… especially strawberry flavored things. She didn't really bite… she just… lipped.

Ginny growled playfully, put down her diary, and turned in Harry's arms. "Stop that. You're going to chew it all away."

"But… I can't help it," moaned Harry, leaning back into their favorite tree. "I need my plushie."

"You're twelve! You don't need a plushie."

Harry nodded and whispered into Ginny's ear, lips brushing along her creamy freckled cheek. "Yuh hunh. I do."

Amber eyes filled with fire and warmth and every emotion known to man; they were filled with the look that Ginny only gave to Harry. "Nuh unh," the redhead said softly, a smile playing across her face.

"Yuh hunh, times a hundred." That same feeling that had been plaguing Harry's mind for weeks returned in full force. Do more. She closed her eyes, eagerly anticipating… well, she didn't know what she was anticipating.

Ginny rubbed her freckled nose against Harry's. "Nuh unh, times a thou-"

She was interrupted by an enormous boom of rolling thunder. Shrieks and laughter burst out from all around the lake as a heavy rain began to pound down upon them in sheets. Ron, Hermione, and Neville, who had been collecting Water Bluebells for Herbology, ran over to their tree, arms full of little blue flowers that were waving green tentacles all over the chests of their bearers. Ron grunted disgustedly as a tentacle found its way up his nostril. "BLEGH! Harry, take some of these, will you?"

"No can do, Ron." Harry picked up Tom from the ground, shaking off the water from the diary's pages. "My hands are full, see?"

Ron snorted and moved forward as if to dump them on her. Harry squealed and jumped up, darting off toward the castle; Ron in hot pursuit. She was fast… but Ron's stride was enormous.

"HA HAA," he shouted triumphantly as he caught her just beyond the Quidditch pitch. The bluebells fell to the ground and he pulled her back into his chest. "Got you!" His grin was wide and his sky-blue eyes twinkled with mirth. His shag of hair was soaked and falling into his face.

Harry's heartbeat quickened. Is this it? Will he do it? Remembering her pact with Hermione, she resisted the urge to pull him down for a Luna-esque kiss. Harry did however try to convey what she wanted with her eyes. She brushed her sopping wet hair back behind her ears and gazed intently up at his lips. Something must have gotten through to him because his wide grin faltered and he stepped back, nervously running a hand through his hair.

Damn't, Ron!

Later that evening, Ron took to berating Hermione for being pushy when she tried to help him with his History of Magic essay on 'The First Giant Uprising.' After their bushy-haired friend had stomped off in a huff, Harry tried again. Every so often, she would casually catch Ron's eye from the armchair across the room where she was reading Hermione's third year spell book. She attempted to smile… seductively… just like those women on Aunt Petunia's telly dramas.

Eventually, Ron's ears had gotten so pink that he had to hide them from view due to Fred and George's taunting. When she went over to console him, he abruptly stood up and excused himself to bed. She wanted to call after him, but Ginny clamped a hand over Harry's mouth. "Let him go," she whispered quietly. "You're overdoing it. I saw those fake smiles. You need to be yourself, Harry."

Harry turned to her in confusion. "But how do I get him to choose me if we just act like mates?"

Ginny sighed exasperatedly. "Harry, don't be like Lavender. If he likes you he should… I dunno… like you as you… you know?"

"Yeah, I… I guess." Harry looked over at the cheerful blonde girl and her… cheerful assets. "She's so pretty though and she's already snogged Ron. Hermione and I, we…well, Lavender's going to win anyway, isn't she?" Harry muttered moodily to Ginny.

Ginny promptly flicked her on the head. "My brother is not a prize, you big twit."

Harry frowned. "I suppose I am objectifying him a bit, aren't I?"

"Just a bit," laughed Ginny, running her hands down through Harry's hair, prepping it for a thorough session of fiddling. "But… why do you think that anyway? It's not like she's anywhere near as gorgeous as you are… and you're already friends with him."

Harry giggled and leaned back into Ginny's chest. "You think I'm gorgeous?"

The redhead scoffed. "Oh shut it. You know you are."

Harry had been told she was pretty before, but it wasn't until now that she actually believed it. "Thanks Gin," she whispered, turning her head to place a small kiss on the girl's cheek. "You're pretty gorgeous yourself."

Ginny's face broke into a wide grin and she pulled Harry just the tiniest bit closer.

It was Harry who held Ginny as they slept that night, mainly to prevent the girl from falling out of the bed. Ever since Alice's episode, Ginny had been losing sleep to nightmares; she tossed and turned all night long. Harry was worried to say the least. She ran a finger up and down Ginny's arm, tracing the path of her freckles. You're getting so pale, Gin. I wish I knew how to help.

Ginny let out a frightened moan and Harry shut her eyes tightly, hating the sound. She tried to ignore it, but it still took several hours of exhausting worry for Harry to be tired enough to fall asleep.

The next day, despite the storm and the team's complaints, Oliver still had them out for morning Quidditch practice. Harry was flying completely blind in the rain. I should buy water-repellent goggles… because this is ridiculous. She was only just able to sloth-roll out of the way of Angelina, who barreled through the spot where Harry's head had just been.

"Bloody Hell, Harry!" she shouted back. "Sorry about that! Nice move though!"

When Alicia broke her leg crashing into the stands, Wood begrudgingly agreed that it was time to stop. They splinted her up and moved as a group towards the locker room. Right outside the edge of the stands, however, their progress was stopped abruptly. The team… plus Ginny… gasped as a great WHOOSH of air and displaced rain drops swept over them.

Jumping with a flip from a shiny Nimbus Two-Thousand-One, a woman slammed down into the mud in front of them. She wore full blue and white Quidditch attire.

When the ebony-skinned woman turned, the entire team let out a unified squeal of delight. Oliver fell to his knees in worship. Angelina dropped Alicia unceremoniously, who was too shocked to mind or feel pain. Katie half-feinted. Fred and George, for once in their lives, said nothing as they stared slack-jawed. Ginny grabbed onto Harry's arm and bounced with her excitedly.

Gwenog Jones, the best Beater in the English league and five year captain of the Holyhead Harpies, was standing not four feet away, staring directly into Harry's eyes. "Hullo," Jones said with a cheerful wave.

An explosion of noise from the Gryffindor team made the woman jump. They crowded around her, touching her arms to make sure she was real. Oliver blushed to the roots of his hair when Gwenog shook his hand. Similar reactions were elicited from Katie and Alicia.

When Gwenog finally held up her hands for quiet, the only sound that could be heard was the squelch of Ginny's shoes in the mud as she bounced. "So," said the woman. "That was some excellent flying given the weather."

There was another explosion of noise, but it was quickly silenced by another raised hand. "I won't beat around the bush," said Gewnog pointedly. "Potter, Spinnet, Johnson, Bell. Step forward please."

They scrambled to form a line.

"I am here to invite the four of you to the Holyhead Harpies training camp during the coming summer. If you perform admirably, your names will be given priority in the tryout lists once you have graduated from school... if it is your desire to tryout, that is."

Harry was floored. She numbly took the packet of details from Jones. The Harpies! Bloody Hell… A voice in her head that sounded exactly like Lee Jordan shouted, 'And here she is! The one and only! Potter!"

She stirred from her day-dream when a strong arm pulled her away from the rest of the team. "I'd like a word, Potter," muttered Gwenog, dragging her a good twenty yards from the tittering group. When they were safely out of earshot, the woman turned to her and said quickly, "Alright, I'll lay it out flat for you. I don't mean to be insensitive to your teammates, but that was just a formality. I'm here for you. I've heard things from my scouts about what you do with a broom; amazing things; impossible things for a girl your age. From what I just saw out there, I now know that they're true. We want you as soon as you graduate. Would you be willing to sign an exclusivity agreement to only play for the Harpies?"

Harry's mind went into overdrive. "What? Why… why now? I'm… I'm twelve!"

Gwenog let out a bark of laughter. "Don't be daft, lass. The scouts are already swarming around you. Not to sound pompous… but they say you're the next me. Judging by your team's reaction… I suppose I'm the first Captain that's approached you?

"Y-yeah," stuttered Harry.

"Aye… well, that will change. The sharks are circling and I want the first bite, Potter. What do you say? Do you want to be a Quidditch Goddess?"

Harry's insides screamed yes, but she looked over at Ginny and her heart sank. I don't want to go without her… "H-How long is the camp, Miss Jones?"

"Two weeks." Gwenog frowned and followed her line of sight. "Is she any good, Potter?"

Harry's eyes swiveled back around to the older woman. She had read her mind. "Ginny is amazing."

"If that's your only condition... then bring her along. So… is that a yes?"

"That's a definitely," replied Harry with a grin.

Gwenog handed her a second invitation for Ginny, gave her the deal, told Harry to send it by owl, jumped on her broom, and sailed off into the rain.

Ginny screamed when Harry told her what had just transpired, screamed again when she heard that she would be going with Harry to the Harpies training camp, and again when she saw the ridiculously large number of galleons indicated at the bottom of the parchment.

Harry's ears hurt. "Pipe down, you silly twonk. I don't want people to know."

Ginny scoffed and bounced excitedly. "You're a Harpy, Harry! Why on earth, do you not want people to know?"

"Because I… well, I dunno. Just don't tell anyone except for Ron and Mione, alright?

"Yeah, alright." Ginny grinned and hugged her invitation tightly. "Oh! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She jumped into Harry's arms and they fell into the mud with a splat.

Ron moaned miserably when Harry told him the news at breakfast. "Harry! You can't! You can't play for the Harpies! The Canons won't ever win if you play against them!"

Hermione tutted him and congratulated her, handing Harry the morning paper. "The headline is a bit off-putting. A dark wizard killed another dark wizard is what I took away from the story."

Barnabus Borgin Found Dead; Dark Deal Gone Bad; Aurors on High Alert

Harry saw the gruesome picture and decided against reading the article.

For the rest of the day, Harry daydreamed about flying in the League Championship, swathed in blue and white, holding the Snitch above her head. Snape had already given her two detentions because of it. Every so often she would poke his mind rather sharply as payback. He jumped every time and glared at her unpleasantly, but could do nothing to discipline her.

She was getting quite good at basic mind magic: closing doors and making probes. Ginny had taken to getting Harry to try to read random numbers in her head. The redhead always cheated.

"Miss Potter?"

Harry jumped and looked around wildly. Professor Flitwick and the rest of the Charms class were gazing at her expectantly. The tiny man staring down at her from atop his stack of books was by far her favorite Professor, so she felt a bit guilty that she hadn't been paying attention. "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't hear the question."

Flitwick chuckled and squeaked out, "I asked if you would be kind enough to show us your Avis charm; one blue, one green, and one yellow should do it. Class, watch closely at the way Harry flicks her wrist in order to achieve the different colors. The same flicks may be applied to any conjuration and animation."

Harry nodded and waved her wand. "Avis. Tiny animated birds shot out of her wand and soared excitedly about her head. She giggled when one nested in her hair.

"Well done, Miss Potter! Ten points to Gryffindor." Professor Flitwick turned on his book stack and began to write on the board. She started to sink back into her daydream, when someone whispered in her ear.

"Come to me…"

Harry sat up ram-rod straight. The voice was deep, chilling, and achingly loud… but no one else in the room seemed to think anything was amiss.

"Kill…"

Harry gasped; she had heard the voice before. "Hermione!" she whispered frantically under her breath. "Did you hear that?"

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Yes. Ten points. Well done." She looked a bit miffed that Flitwick hadn't called on her.

"Not… not that! The voice! It said… it said 'kill!'"

Hermione's eyebrow rose even higher. "I didn't hear anything, Harry. It doesn't look like anyone else did either. Are you feeling alright?"

Harry avidly searched the faces of the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw Charms class, thinking that perhaps someone was having a go at her. Seamus and Dean were asleep. Neville was staring intently into his Rememberall. Lavender and Parvati were giggling over a copy of Witch Weekly. Ron was muttering "Avis," causing little bird eggs to pop out of his wand. Mandy Brocklehurst was picking her nose. Terry Boot was staring vaguely up at the ceiling. Padma Patil was scribbling notes furiously. Michael Corner was reading a comic concealed in his Charms book. Stephen Cornfoot was squeezing a rather large pimple on his chin. Morag MacDougal and Lisa Turpin were doing their make-up. Kevin Entwhistle and Anthony Goldstein were arm-wrestling. Su Li was crying softly about something or other and Sarah Fawcet was consoling her.

Not a single person in the class was indicating that they too had heard a murderous voice.

The bell rang. Flitwick yelled out above the clamor, "One roll of parchment on the techniques of manipulating animation, please! Due Monday."

Harry grabbed up her things as the class groaned and darted out the door, running as fast as she could in the direction she thought the voice had come from.

She rounded a corner.

WHAM.

Her books went flying as she crashed into another student. They spun, teetered, and Harry rolled in midair to take the brunt of the fall, nobly sparing the other person a nasty head bump. When they hit the ground, a pair of arms snaked around her shoulders and dreamy blue eyes opened not two inches from her own.

"Hello, Harry," said Luna vacantly. "I didn't think we'd be touching again so soon… especially since you've been avoiding me."

"Er… hi, Luna." It was true. Every time Luna came up to her or Ginny, Harry would make an excuse to be somewhere else. "I… I haven't been avoid-"

Luna interrupted her. "It's quite alright. I'm getting quite used to it. Most of my classmates avoid me, you see. It's gotten so bad that I'm almost positive I have an infection of Dudbubblies."

Harry looked away guiltily. She didn't mean to be as cruel as she had been… it was just… strange to be in the presence of the girl that had kissed her. "I'm… I'm sorry if I've been hurting your feelings, Luna."

Luna pulled her up and brushed her off, smiling at her lazily. "Oh no, Harry. Not at all. I'm quite happy to look at your back from across the Great Hall. Your backside is almost as nice as your frontside you know."

Harry felt her cheeks burn and was truly relieved that this hallway was abandoned apart from them. Luna's hands fell slowly to her waist, thumbs hooking into the waistline of her skirt, pulling her closer. Harry grabbed the blonde girl's wrists and muttered, "Um… what are you…"

Luna seemed to realize what she was doing and withdrew her hands, shrugging and shuffling her feet apologetically. "Yes. Right… I forgot about the rules again. I wanted to kiss you, you see."

Harry couldn't reply to that… had no idea how to reply to it. She stared at Luna; remembering how the blonde girl's lips had molded so wonderfully against Harry's; how her scraggly hair had felt as it brushed against Harry's skin. It was nice… what's… what's the harm? But… no… it's wrong! It's wrong. Is it wrong?

The awkward moment stretched into an awkward minute.

"Luna… it's just… wrong," Harry said slowly. "It… it was nice… but it's wrong."

Luna smiled and leaned back against the wall. "Yes… it was nice, wasn't it?"

After a moment, Harry nodded. It really was. "Look Luna, I have to go. I… I promise I won't run away from you anymore."

"That's very kind of you, Harry," said Luna with a happy bounce. "I like to look at you up close like this. Well, watch out for Humdingers. They're particularly hungry today."

Harry picked up her books, waved at Luna nervously, and walked away as quickly as she could without it appearing like she was trying to escape.

After an hour of searching the west end of castle for the voice, Harry gave up and returned to the dorms. She smiled when she pushed open the door to the first year dorm. Ginny was finally sleeping peacefully, her diary open on her chest. Harry crawled into the bed, pulled Tom out of her grip, and cuddled into her side.

Ginny's hand tangled into Harry's hair and the redhead moaned miserably.

Her heart fell. "Gin…" Harry whispered softly. "What's wrong? Is… is it me?"

Ginny's beautiful amber eyes opened blearily. "Harry?" she asked. Her voice was weak… vulnerable.

"Yeah. I'm… I'm right here, Gin. What's wrong? What… what were you dreaming about?"

Ginny grabbed Harry's blouse and pulled her close. "I… I can't remember. It was bad though. Harry, there's… there's something I have to tell you! It's so important… but I can't… I can't remember… I can't ever remember." She sniffled weakly and buried her head into the pillow.

"I… I want to help," Harry whispered, running her thumb down Ginny's cheek. "How can I help?"

"Don't go to dinner," mumbled Ginny. "Stay with me."

Harry threw her leg overtop Ginny's thigh and slid as close as she possibly could without clambering on top of the girl. She took the freckled hand that lay between them and squeezed it tight. Their bracelets spun and their charms clinked together with a tinkle. "Always, Gin."

When Ginny fell asleep, Harry turned over to pick up Tom and a self-inking eagle feather quill from the bedside table.

Tom?

Hello Harry Potter.

I need to ask you. Has Ginny told you anything really important? Did she tell you that she needed to tell me something?

Ginny tells me much. Most of our conversations involve you, schoolwork, Quidditch, and a boy named Michael Corner.

What about Michael Corner?

That is between Ginny and myself, Harry Potter.

Harry growled and threw the book across the room to bounce against the window. Stupid diary.

"Watch where you throw thingss, Chica. You almosst disslodged the green Francess plant."

"Sorry, Alice," Harry sighed. "Bad mood. Ginny's getting sick and I'm hearing voices. So… not really a good day."

"The King hass come. No day iss a good day."

"Are you ever going to tell me what that means?" Harry asked in frustration.

Alice was silent.

But in that silence, Harry heard shouting echoing up from the common room. She got up off the bed and went down to see what the commotion was. To her surprise, nearly everyone in Gryffindor was crowded into a large huddle around the fire, all looking down at something in the center. Harry squeezed through the bodies to reach Ron, who was right on the inner edge. She tugged on his sleeve. "Ron, what's going-"

Harry gasped.

Lavender Brown was lying on the ground in front of them. Her arms were raised in front of her, frozen in place. Her legs were in a similar pose, but parted as if she was walking on air. Her skin had a grayish tint. Her eyes were wide and locked onto the ceiling, unmoving. Her mouth was open in a silent scream.

Harry's first thought was a body bind, but the eyes were unmoving. She looked…dead.

Parvati was sobbing over the girl's prone form. Harry knelt down next to her and took her hand. "Parvati, what happened?"

The Indian girl sniffled. "I f-found her in the Library after dinner… like this. No one c-can help her!"

Harry shouted to the room, "What are you idiots doing? Go get Professor Dumbledore! Get Madame Pomfrey! Honestly!"

There was a great shuffling for the portrait hole, but when the students reached it, they stopped abruptly. She could see a pointed sparkling hat above their heads. The crowd parted for the purple-robed Headmaster like the parting of the Red Sea.

Dumbledore wasted no time asking questions. He swept down upon Lavender and pulled out his wand. A golden light poured over the girl and the Headmaster closed his eyes, muttering indistinctly under his breath. He lightly touched several places on Lavender's body with the wand: her head, her neck, her chest, each arm and each leg.

When Professor Dumbledore breathed a sigh of relief, so too did the rest of the room. He stood and said loudly, "Miss Brown has only been petrified. When she is revived, she will surely be able to tell us who or what petrified her. I must insist that all students stay in their common rooms for the rest of the evening."

"Sir," said Parvati meekly. "When… How long will it take to revive her?"

Professor Dumbledore didn't need to answer her. The sad look on his face sent Parvati into a fresh wave of tears. The wizened old man waved his wand and Lavender floated into the air. He guided her body out of the portrait hole and as soon as it had closed behind him, the common room exploded with loud shouted conversations.

Harry squeezed Parvati's shoulder sympathetically and made her way back upstairs to Ginny. She closed the door behind her with a snap and the deafening shouts from downstairs turned into a muffled hum of noise. Her body heaved with a great sigh and she turned.

Ginny was awake again, sitting up in bed, writing in the diary.

That is between Ginny and myself, Harry Potter.

Harry bristled, stomped over to Ginny, wrenched the diary out of her hands, and was about to throw it into the bin when a fist sailed toward her face. The right side of her head exploded in pain and she felt the sickening sensation of the skin around her eye swelling rapidly. Harry fell to the ground from the force of the blow.

Ginny was standing over her, breathing heavily, arm still raised.

Tears sprang to Harry's eyes as she scooted away from the person she loved most in the world; the person that had just struck her. The blow was so much harder than any Uncle Vernon or Dudley had ever landed… could ever land… because this blow went straight to her heart. Somewhere in her body, a bond that was ironclad… a joint that was unbreakable… a piece of her soul that could never be destroyed… snapped in half.

Harry retreated into the corner, huddling next to the desk. She was hurt. She… she was betrayed… and Ginny didn't care. "Gin," Harry moaned in anguish, clutching her aching head. "W-Why?"

The redhead was grinning. "Harry Potter…" Ginny whispered, eyes bulging with sickening glee. "I could kill you now… but… that would bring far too much unwanted attention upon me. It's too soon for that. However, I can assure you that you will be dead before this year is through!" Her head tilted in a way that made the grin seem all the more terrible. Ginny's beautiful amber eyes… they were manic; filled with hate.

Harry knew that look; she had seen the expression before on another much more sinister face… Voldemort's face.

Dumbledore spoke softly, "Till next time then, Tom…Incendios Grata."

The bond that was broken snapped back into place… but Harry's heart shattered in the process. Tom. Oh God… Ginny!

Ginny raised her wand.

I won't let him have you! A rage like Harry had never felt consumed her; consumed everything that she was. It burned through her like wildfire. She lunged at Ginny. "GIVE HER BACK TO ME, YOU FUCKING BAS-"

"Obliviate."

"Sir," said Parvati meekly. "When… How long will it take to revive her?"

Harry winced and stumbled as a very sudden and very painful sensation erupted around her right eye. Ow! Cramp! Cramp! Holding her face gingerly, she looked towards the bed with her good eye.

Ginny was still asleep.

"Anything happen, Alice?" Harry asked lightly.

"You left… and then you returned… or… you returned… and… I… I cannot remember, Harry sspeaker."

Harry snorted. "You need to lay off the bananas."

"Perhapss I do."

Harry crawled back into the bed and pulled Ginny into a tight embrace.

For the next few days, no one could talk of anything except the attack on Lavender. The Prophet even ran a few articles about the safety of the school being compromised. Ginny was stunned to hear the news. When she told Harry that she too had been in the Library before dinner, on the same floor and section as Lavender, Harry had nearly had a heart attack. "It could have been you!" she cried as they ascended the steps to Astronomy which all the first and second years attended together.

"But it wasn't, Harry," said Ginny, waving her telescope nonchalantly. "Don't worry about it."

"Don't… Don't worry about it?" Harry grabbed Ginny's arm and pulled her into an abandoned tower classroom. She slammed the door with a bang. "DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT?"

"Harry, what-"

Harry cut her off with a heated whisper. "You toss and you turn and you moan at night. You're paler than Nearly Headless Nick. The circles under your eyes are bigger than Scabbers! You never take your eyes out of that stupid book. You… you don't spend time with me. Of course I'm going to worry about it! I'm adding it to my lengthening 'worry about Ginny' list."

"Is that what this is about, Harry?" asked Ginny with a small smile. "Are… are you jealous of my diary?"

Harry scoffed. "N-No!"

Ginny slipped her hands around Harry's waist. "You are."

"No, I'm not. I'm worried about you!"

Ginny shook her cajolingly. "Say it. Say 'I, Harry Potter, am jealous of a book.' Say it. "

"No," said Harry mulishly. "I'm… I'm just…"

"Jealous?" Ginny supplied unhelpfully. Harry gave Ginny her most annoyed glare and the redhead giggled. She lightly kissed Harry's cheek and whispered, "Come on. We'll be late."

On top of the Astronomy Tower, Harry wondered if seriousness was what led to having greasy hair. Professor Sinistra, like Snape, took her somewhat underappreciated class extremely seriously. Whenever the woman would flail, gesturing violently and grandiosely at the stars, her greasy black hair would slap nastily against her dark-skin. When they walked in late, she gave them detention instantly. There was a reason she was everyone's least favorite teacher aside from Snape and Lockhart.

"What did we miss?" Harry asked Hermione under her breath.

"The usual," muttered Hermione. "The importance of constellation angles and other such nonsense." Astronomy was the one subject Hermione didn't really take seriously. She always said that magical astronomy was linked much too closely with fortune-telling, when its only real benefit was navigation.

"Joy," agreed Harry morosely.

They were supposed to be working on completing their star charts that night, but Harry couldn't focus. She kept glancing over at Ginny. The redhead was so pale. Harry could have sworn that her body became see-through at one point.

"What's this, Potter?" said a stern voice from right behind her.

Harry's star chart was snatched from her hands to be held closely under the nose of Sinistra. As the woman stared at the map, her eyebrows rose into her hairline. She gave Harry a penetrating look and held her hand up to the heavens… searching for something. She grunted and handed the star chart back to Harry. "Thirty points to Gryffindor, Potter."

The tower went deathly silent. Sinistra never gave out points.

The woman turned to the class and gestured upwards. "Potter has discovered a new constellation with a powerful magical aura. Look there… beside Polaris… the double spiral in the sky. Next lesson we shall observe this new phenomenon closely. Truly a job well done, Potter." Sinistra almost smiled at Harry… almost.

Harry looked down at her chart. There, in a large swirl of ink from her quill, were two intersecting spirals. She had done it completely by accident as she doodled absentmindedly on the chart.

Harry flipped the hourglass.

Just like her mustard trails back at the Burrow, she could feel the mark; could feel it pulsing; could feel its magic swirling endlessly. She looked over at Ginny who met her gaze and raised an eyebrow in inquiry. Harry nodded.

It's the rune. It's the light on my arm.

Harry looked up to the stars and her eyes were immediately drawn to that same swirl in the sky.

It's… It's so…

Ginny's hand slid into Harry's own as she too gazed up at the rune, eyes sparkling in the moonlight. "It's really pretty, isn't it?"

Pulling Ginny close, she muttered, "It's beautiful, Gin."

0000

Albus had been having such a wonderful week preparing the school for the grandiose Halloween celebration. It was ironic that something so small could ruin it all.

He stared in denial at the blood red daisy that sat in a crystal vase upon his desk. You were dead. I saw your body.

Yet… a part of him knew it to be true. Borgin had been killed by a spell of Albus' own creation. Only two people on earth knew how to cast it… and now… the flower.

The evidence was concrete.

There was a note. He picked it up with trembling fingers.

Nitwit Blubber Oddment Tweak

Albus clutched his chest; his worst fear realized. Weakly, he muttered the old code they had always used to address their letters. "Now I Triumph With Infinite Time. The Blade… Oval… and Triangle."

He clutched the Elder wand tightly. What have I done?

0000

"Are you sure?"

She dragged him toward the bed by his tie. "Of course I am, Draco."

Draco nodded, pulled the clothes from his upper body over his head, and gently stripped Pansy of her vest, blouse, and bra. He pushed her back into his pillows, enveloping her lips in a hungry kiss. His tongue danced expertly with her own and his newly calloused hand slid over the small of her back in just the right way. Thank you, Quidditch.

She moaned weakly into his mouth, her body arching upwards of its own accord. His flat, naked chest was so warm against her bare breasts. Heat surged between her legs and she gasped into his mouth eagerly.

Pansy had been holding off on allowing him to touch her like this for the past three months. Now… as he dragged his fingers tantalizingly across her skin, she desperately wished she hadn't waited. This was heaven.

His lips left hers and he trailed soft kisses down her neck to find her breast, latching onto its hardened bud. He suckled her nipple lightly, swirling his tongue around the tip. A delicious shock shot through her body, setting the nerves in her spine on fire. "Oh Merlin… fucking… oh… Draco!"

She grabbed one of his attentive palms and pushed it downward, thrusting both of their hands into the waistline of her skirt.

Draco drew back, his hot breath tickling her moistened bud. "Pansy… what-"

She growled in annoyance and pulled his head back down. "Don't argue. Just touch me. Now."

Thankfully, he didn't need telling twice. His fingers ventured downward, slipping into her knickers, trailing through her still blonde curls. When they found her lower lips, she almost climaxed then and there.

Draco sighed and released her nipple as her body trembled beneath his swirling fingers. "You're so beautiful, Pans."

Pansy groaned and grabbed his hair, yanking his head back up to smash her lips against his. She was so close.

She thrust into his hand and urgently whispered against his mouth, "I'm… I'm almost there. I… Draco… inside!"

Draco understood perfectly. He plunged two fingers into her sex and fluidly broke through the barrier she had been afraid to break herself. There was a wrenching moment of agony, but she was in so much ecstasy that the pain molded into the pleasure seamlessly.

Even though he pumped her clumsily, she came anyway. Her orgasm rolled over her in waves, causing her thighs to shake violently. A long high-pitched whine escaped her throat. It's never been this good!

She went weak. She couldn't move. Her muscles screamed in gratitude.

"That was amazing," drawled Draco huskily, his fingers sliding slowly out of her.

There was something in his eyes that she had never seen there before. She had seen his lust. She had seen his hate. She had seen his fear. She had seen everything… except this. It was the same look that Potter always gave to that little redhead cunt.

Pansy said the words before she could stop herself. "I love you, Draco."

He grinned and kissed her… but didn't reciprocate the sentiment.

Pansy found that she didn't really care, because his eyes… and the bulge against her leg… said everything she wanted to hear. When did I become such a sappy fucking Hufflepuff?

Smirking, she rediscovered her Slytherin side and shrugged off the rest of her clothes.

Draco was staring hungrily at her most intimate area. Feeling his erection twitch with a violent throb, she grabbed his chin roughly and forced him to look into her eyes. "Again."

He ogled her, slack-jawed.

"Now!" growled Pansy impatiently. Do I always have to wear the pants?

Draco brought her over the edge four more times before the sounds of the other Slytherins, noisily returning from the Halloween feast, drifted down from the common room above them.

"Close the curtains," Pansy commanded, planting a kiss on his pale chest. "And I'll stay to return the favor."

Draco had just managed to shut them when Pansy heard the door to the dormitory burst open.

"-think it is? Draco?" asked a cracking squeaky voice that obviously belonged to Teddy Nott. "He wasn't at the feast. He had plenty of time to write it on the wall."

A deeper voice, Blaise's, replied in a drawl, "Malfoy? The Heir of Slytherin? Don't make me laugh, Teddy. Draco doesn't have enough power in him to petrify a Flobberworm."

Pansy bristled. How dare he insult Draco! She was about to rip open the curtains, when Draco's arm circled protectively around her waist. He shook his head slowly, flicking his eyes up and down her bare body.

Oh. Right.

He sat up straight, lightly stroking her thigh as he listened intently to what the other boys had to say about him.

"Watch your fat mouth, Zabini," grunted someone in a slow drawl… most likely Gregory. "The Malfoys can make you, your filthy gypsy mother, and your poor drunk of a father disappear without lifting a finger."

"Did you just insult my parents, Goyle? Aren't your mother and father siblings?" There was a grunt of anger, shuffling, and then a loud thump, which Pansy supposed was a body hitting the floor. "Pathetic," said Blaise with a laugh. "You're no better at magic than the sorry sod upstairs. You'd do well to remember that I'm your better."

"And you'd do well to remember that Potter isn't the only one with a pet snake," spat Gregory. "Hex me again and my King Cobra will end up in your pillowcase."

"Yeah?" sneered Blaise, albeit somewhat less confidently than he was speaking a moment ago.

"Yeah," grunted Goyle. "You don't want to be making threats right about now, Zabini. Anyone could be the Heir. You might just find yourself not waking up one morning."

"My money's on Parkinson," chimed a rather stupid sounding voice that she immediately recognized as Vincent. "Psychotic, she is. I'd put her down if she wasn't such a hot piece of arse. Draco's in for a surprise when she starts bleeding him while they shag."

The boys outside the curtain guffawed lightly and Draco's arm tightened around Pansy's waist. "Ignore it," he told her gruffly, the silencing charm on the curtains preventing him from being heard by the other Slytherins.

"I plan to," Pansy replied primly. "What's this 'Heir of Slytherin' business, do you think?"

"It sounds familiar. Something we missed, I suppose."

"Hmmm, I didn't miss it," she said coyly, pushing him back into the pillows and reaching for the button of his trousers.

"So," Draco drawled, raising an eyebrow. "Are you planning to bleed me, Pans?"

Pansy smirked at the playful taunt and kissed his stomach. "I plan on doing for you what you did for me. But I'll certainly cut you up if you want me to, Draco. My Father has all sorts of toys we could use."

"Mmm… I think I'll pass."

0000

Ginny groaned and put her head down to the pillows. She had the most terrible headache.

Harry mewled and pawed at Ginny's arm. "Please come to the Feast, Gin… please."

Ginny pulled Harry close and sighed into her soft black hair. "I feel really terrible, Harry. Madam Pomfrey can't see me until after and I can't sit through the noise. You go. Bring me some candy."

Harry's bright emerald eyes flickered with sadness. "But… we… we need to have Halloween together…"

Ginny leaned in and rubbed her nose on Harry's. "We'll have plenty of Halloweens together, silly."

The black-haired girl grunted stubbornly and climbed on top of her. "I won't move until you agree to come."

"Haaarrrryyy," Ginny moaned. "Please, I need to sleep."

Giggling, Harry collapsed onto Ginny's back, becoming a mass of deadweight. She mumbled something into her shirt.

"What?"

Harry raised her chin to Ginny's shoulder. "I said I love you."

Ginny's toes curled at the way Harry said it. It made her feel like she was the most important person in the world. Ginny reached backwards and wiggled her thumbs into the pockets of Harry's jeans. "If you love me you'll bring me candy."

Harry groaned. "You're really not coming?"

Ginny shook her head. "My temples are pounding. It's so bad that even talking hurts."

Harry slid halfway off her back so she could look into her eyes. She was all business now. "It's because you're not sleeping, Gin. Tomorrow we're going to the Hospital wing and getting you a week's supply of Dreamless Sleep potion."

"Fine… but candy first, please."

Harry snorted, smacked her on the bum, kissed her cheek, and left for the mountains of sweets and savories that lay in wait for her inside the Great Hall.

Ginny groaned as a particularly sharp spike of pain shot across the space behind her eyes. She got up and shuffled to the bathroom to splash some cold water on her face.

She didn't like to look in the mirror anymore. Her skin was sickly pale, her rich cherry hair was turning a dull orange, her eyes were reddened and the black circles beneath them made them look even redder.

"Ginny."

She froze, eyes flicking into the mirror, goosebumps shooting over every inch of her skin. The voice was right behind her… but no one occupied the reflection except for herself. Something instinctive told her not to turn around… screamed at her… begged her not to turn around.

She started to turn.

"Don't turn around."

"H-Harry?" she stuttered, not daring to turn… yet itching to turn. She shivered. "That's… that's not Harry." She twitched her head to the left.

"DON'T TURN AROUND!"

She had never been so terrified in her life. She needed to turn. She had to turn.

"Ginny… I'm right behind you, Ginny."

Her body swiveled.

"If you turn… you will die."

Ginny froze again. Trembling, staring into the empty mirror, she asked through chattering teeth, "W-Who are you?"

"I have many names. Oh Ginny… I'm behind you."

She needed to turn. She had to turn.

"DON'T TURN! DON'T TURN AROUND!"

Her heart was pounding so fast she thought it would explode.

"I'm reaching out, Ginny."

Her breath was ragged. She needed to turn. She had to turn.

"I'm so close. Oh Ginny… I'm right behind you… I can almost touch you… I can almost taste you!"

Ginny whirled around… and scoffed in disbelief.

No one was there; just an empty shower and an empty bathtub.

"I'm going insane. Bloody headache."

She turned back to the mirror… and screamed.

The boy… that terrible boy… was standing right behind her. His eyes were a sickening red. His skin was a deathly pale, almost transparent.

His arms wrapped around her body like snakes, wrenching open her shirt and skirt. His hands sank into her skin like hot metal would through butter. Blood spurted everywhere: over her face, over his face, over his old-fashioned Slytherin uniform.

His tongue penetrated the skin of her cheek. Crimson liquid filled her mouth, spilling out past her lips.

Ginny flailed in agony. She could feel him inside her; inside her skin; inside her mind; ravaging her very essence. His arms were fully submerged in her chest now, fingers gripping her heart… squeezing.

And then… his entire body sank into her.

Tom grinned, clutching the sink, the girl's body still wracked by the pain of his first true possesion. He could control her until he saw fit, instead of for a fleeting moment.

Weakling child.

As he cleaned and healed the wounds of the body, his Prime raised its head from the hole where the tub had just been; eyes closed and ready to obey Tom's every command. "Tonight Masster… we sshall risse."

Tom laughed cruelly as the last vestiges of Ginny Weasley's control left her body.

0000

Ginny whirled around… and scoffed in disbelief.

No one was in the bathroom except for herself.

She turned back to the mirror and her hands slipped off the sink.

She stared down at them in shock. Her palms were dripping with blood that was not her own. The night's events flashed back to her in a torrent. "Oh no… Harry! OH GOD! What… what have I d-"

"Ginny."

She whirled around.

"Gin," said Harry weakly, shaking Ginny's shoulders with concern. "Are you alright? You were… Your eyes were burning a hole into the wall."

Ginny sat up in bed, clutching her still painful temples. "Yeah. I'm fine. Merlin, the Feast went by quickly, didn't it?" She eyed Harry's candy-less arms disappointedly. "No candy?"

Harry shook her head. She was ghostly white. "I… I dropped it… when… when I saw him."

"Who? Harry… what's wrong?"

"Filch," whispered Harry, brilliant green eyes wide with fear and shock. "He's... He's…"

0000

Cliffhangar!

Review! Any and all opinions are welcome. I actually read and consider them.

NEW ART.

Check out my profile for a link to this story's Fan-Art page. Contains some NSFW content for your viewing pleasure.

Another somewhat short chapter. Next chapter = big events… plus evil Tom. Mwuahahahahah.

If anyone has noticed… I'm totally a Doctor Who fan. : )

Goyle's a little OoC. But since he was never really expounded upon in the books, I thought it would be okay if I made him slightly intelligent.