Beta Reader: Cheryl
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. The only things I own are the plot, any characters, spells etc that you do not recognize.
Author Notes: n/a
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Déjà vu
"Hey Ginny, what's up?" asked Ron, who was sitting quietly by the lake lost in thought. Three days had passed since he had witnessed Harry, his best friend suffer some sort of breakdown. Harry had remained quiet since the event, and Ron had barely heard him speak a word to anybody. Harry had taken to spending hours upon hours alone in the prefect common room in order that nobody would or could disturb him.
Stress had always been an issue in Harry's life, but Ron had never expected it to go this far, or to get this bad. Things at Hogwarts just weren't the same as they used to be, back when their primary concerns were getting the best seat at breakfast and failing a potions exam. Now they were consumed with worry over the death of their friends, families and the potential destruction of the wizarding world.
Ginny took a seat on the soft grass beside her brother, enjoying the surprisingly warm sun cast upon them. "I'm not doing too bad, how about you?" she responded.
Ron shrugged his shoulders and gazed into the distance. "I could be better, I guess."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Ginny asked softly, her eyes focused on Ron, who shook his head in silence. After a few more quiet moments, Ginny decided it would be best to start a new topic. "Ron, do you know where Draco is?"
Ron turned to face Ginny. "He's suspended, you know that."
"Yes, but I haven't a clue why?"
"And you know I can't tell you why," he added, rolling his eyes.
"Please Ron?" Ginny pleaded.
"No!"
"Tell me," began Ginny. "Or…or I'll tell mum about your Twenty-Five Most Beautiful Witches catalogue you have hidden under your mattress."
Ron glared at his sister. "You wouldn't."
Ginny raised her eyebrows, reached into one of her robe pockets and pulled out a quill and a piece of parchment. "Dear mum," she started, but Ron snatched the quill from her hand.
"Okay, okay." Ron conceded, placing the quill on the ground. "This is blackmail you know?" Ginny nodded, and shuffled a little closer to him, her eyes wild with anticipation. Ron took a deep breath. "Okay…where to begin…you know, I really shouldn't be doing this." Ginny picked up the quill and pressed it to the parchment. "Stop!" Ron said quickly, Ginny paused. "No, sorry, I can't do it."
Ginny searched one of her pockets once more and this time pulled out a small bottle of liquid. "I guess this can't tempt you then?" Ginny said, dangling the small bottle before his eyes. "Remember the chocolate drink Grandma used to make?"
"Let me taste it," he said stubbornly. Ginny handed him the bottle and he took a sip. "Umm, tastes like chocolate," he said suspiciously, before raising the bottle to his nose. "Smells like chocolate…"
Ginny nodded, a naughty grin developing on her lips. "So Ron, why did you say Draco was suspended?"
Ron handed her back the bottle. "I thought I already-" He broke off, and cleared his throat. "He was suspected of murdering Felipe Dupree."
"What?" Ginny gasped, her eyes wide with shock. "He wouldn't do that."
"That's what Harry said, I dunno though, I still don't exactly trust him. I never did like the fact that you were dating him, but I guess he did save my life…"
"No, I won't believe it," Ginny said, cutting him off. "Thanks Ron," she said absently. "I'll speak to you later."
*
Ginny wandered through a few corridors, she stopped and watched a few Beauxbatons students shouting to each other. "And den Potter grabs mon cou and `ee treatens moi."
She walked over to them, and a large black haired boy turned to face her. "Wut ez you problem mademoiselle?"
"What were you saying about Harry Potter?" she asked.
A ginger haired boy then stepped in. "Potter `ee attacked uz, all wee wanted wuz to know ware notre ami Felipe wuz."
Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Don't you know? Felipe is dead."
*
Harry crawled into the unusual circular entrance to the hospital wing. He glanced around at the blank white walls, a few single grey beds, he recognised one immediately. He approached it, as quickly as he could, but why was the bed moving further away. "Come back!" he shouted. "Come back! Come back!" he screamed, his lungs throat to puncture due to the tremendous strain he was inflicting on them.
He stopped dead in his tracks, when he eyed three shadows shooting in his direction. He attempted to run but was cut off by an unseen foe. He turned back towards the shadows when, in three quick flashed, he noticed the ghosts of Remus Lupin, Cedric Diggory and…Hermione whiz through his body.
"Hermione!" he yelled at the top of his voice, as soon as he had finished the word he seemed to be transported next to the bed he had been trying to reach. He glanced down at Hermione, who was sprawled out under the covers, her eyes flickering open, her face remaining pale.
"Harry," she groaned, her voice strained and drawn out. "I…I lost the baby. It's gone." Her eyes closed again, and Harry took her hand, while turning to his right to see Madam Pomfrey standing there.
"Mr Potter, I am afraid that I miss-read the test results we conducted. Miss Granger cannot wake up."
"What are you saying?" Harry asked in disbelief.
A satanic grin developed on Pomfrey's face, her eyes narrowed and her skin turned grey. Suddenly, as if by magic, Lord Voldemort was now facing Harry, in place of Madam Pomfrey. "Your mudblood is dead Potter, that is what I am saying."
Harry's breathing seemed to accelerate to ten times its normal rate. He wiped some sweat from his forehead with one hand while the other remained clenched to Hermione. Suddenly, his grip loosened, and Hermione's hand disintegrated bit by bit, before her entire arm, entire chest, entire body had gone, dissolved into darkness…
Harry sat bolt upright on the settee in the prefect common room. He glanced around erratically, making sure that what he had witnessed was not real. It appeared the images were, but he wasn't. The sweat really was covering his head, and his breathing was out of control. But why? What the hell was happening to him?
What had that dream meant? Was it merely his imagination getting the better of him? Was it a sign of things to come as so many of his dreams were? Hermione is going to be in trouble again, I know it. I have to wake her up; I have to, for both our sakes. It's the only way I can keep her safe, from stopping that happening to her.
Harry stood up from his seat and approached the door; he was about to open it when there was a knock coming from the other side. "Who is it?" he asked, hoping he could take as little time as necessary.
"It's Ginny, I need to talk to you and it's urgent." Harry gazed at the ceiling before opening the door and allowing Ginny to enter. "It's about Draco."
"I thought I told you, I can't tell you," he snapped.
Ginny nodded, and sat down on the sofa. She then glanced up at Harry. "Are you okay? You seem a little flustered."
"I'm fine," Harry said as calmly as possible. "Let's make this quick, okay?" Harry sat down on the table opposite Ginny.
"Ron told me why Draco was suspended."
Harry's eyes opened wide, wild with anger. "What! Why?"
"I," Ginny looked down at the ground, then back up at Harry. "I used Veritaserum on him. Before you say anything, I know it was wrong but I had to know the truth Harry, you know what it's like not knowing, you said it yourself."
Harry sighed and whipped a little more sweat from his brow. "So that's why you were asking me all those questions, so you could use me to get your answers by tricking Ron," he said bitterly.
"I know it was wrong, but there are more important things. Why doesn't anybody know Felipe is dead? I just told three Beauxbatons students, they were clueless."
Harry shot up from his seat, and flashed his livid eyes in Ginny's direction, not moving away from her. "What?"
"What did I do wrong?" she asked, looking frightened.
"Ginny! Nobody was supposed to know; now they will tell more people, and they will tell more people and this is going to start more panic amongst the students. How could you? How could you use me, how could you use your brother, how could you do all that for some information?"
"Well you never break the rules do you?" Ginny snapped, now on her feet too.
"This is a little different Ginny, this is going to effect everybody, and don't you think we've witnessed enough deaths yet? Everybody is already panicking and now they are going to be a whole lot worse, especially considering what you found out isn't true. What you found out was information available only to Order members, and I'm certainly not giving you any more information."
"Then I'll just ask Ron," Ginny began to leave but Harry snatched her arm and threw her down onto the sofa.
"No!" He bent down and but his face so close to hers that their noses were almost touching. "As prefect, Order member, and as your friend. I am ordering you to go to Dumbledore's Office and tell him exactly what you have told me. If you go anywhere else, say anything to anyone, including Ron…I will personally drag you there under full body bind if I have to. And Ginny, you better start cherishing your friends, because you just lose one."
Harry turned away and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him, almost knocking it out of its hinges.
Author Notes: There we go, another chapter complete. I'd like to add a quick note, reminding you to keep a check of the reviews page here, because if you ask any questions I can now add a response to your review there, rather than filling up my author notes.
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