Tell Me

I definitely didn't intend for this chapter to take this long to put together, but real life and a brief distraction with the Grissom/Sara ship on CSI, when combined with a case of writer's block kept me from getting this chapter up sooner. I have nobody to blame but myself.

Though, you also get rewarded with what is by far the longest chapter of this story. I hope that it makes some things clearer.

I will say that I already know that I have two separate ideas for the final chapter of this story, and I'll probably write both out, so it might take a bit longer than I'd like to get the final chapter posted. I will say that if, after I post the original ending, enough people review saying they want to read the alternate ending, I'll post it as well.

Please read and review. More reviews encourage faster updates (real life permitting, of course). Of course, constructive feedback is encouraged.

Disclaimer: I'll refer you back to Chapter 1 to save space and simplify things for those whom have already read it.

Tell Me

Chapter 12: Delusions Disillusioned

Upon arriving in Headmistress McGonagall's office, she promptly conjured a chair that Tonks lowered into the chair then tied down with a Binding Charm. Hermione set to work conjuring up a couple of couches for people to sit on where they could look at Ginny as they interrogated her.

Suddenly Ron's eyes were drawn to a couple of people standing by the Headmistress' desk.

Blimey! I figured that Mum and Dad would be called in, but I didn't expect Ol' McGonagall to have them here waiting for us. Though I suppose they would have had Ginny for using the Cruciatus on Parvati, even if she hadn't got caught trying to give Harry a love potion.

Harry looked up and saw Molly and Arthur too. “I'm so sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley,” he said softly.

Hermione wrapped Harry up in a tight hug as Molly and Arthur walked over to him. “This is not your fault, Harry,” Hermione insisted.

“Hermione's right, Harry dear,” Molly chimed in. “I don't know what possessed Ginny to make the choices she did, but they were her choices all the same, and now she's going to have to pay the penalty for what she did.”

Arthur looked at McGonagall. “Any idea where Ginevra got the love potion, Minerva?”

McGonagall shook her head. “I was actually hoping that you might have some idea,” she replied. “No matter. Miss Weasley herself can provide us with that answer once Horace gets here with the Veritaserum.”

I'm surprised at how well Mum and Dad are taking this. They seem way too calm, especially Mum. I thought she'd be going spare right now.

Hermione guided Harry over to a couch and sat him down, never relinquishing her tight grip on his arm. Ron sat down on the other side of Harry and nodded grimly at him.

I can't say I blame Harry for not wanting to look at Ginny right now. I wouldn't want to look at somebody who had tried to give me a love potion either, especially if I thought they were a friend. And Harry's the last bloke that needs to deal with this sort of thing. He's been through enough trouble with You-Know-Who to have a friend betray him like this.

Hermione kept whispering to a still-dazed Harry as Slughorn entered the Headmistress' office. Whatever she was saying to Harry was evidently having some effect, as he was starting to relax a little bit.

“Are you ready to get some answers, Minerva?” Slughorn asked.

McGonagall looked at Harry. “Are you ready for Miss Weasley to be questioned, Mister Potter?”

Harry sighed and shot a quick glance at Hermione and an apologetic glance at Molly and Arthur. “Let's get it over with,” Harry said reluctantly.

Slughorn dripped three drops of Veritaserum into Ginny's mouth. Tonks followed with an “Ennervate!” to counter the Stunner Ginny had been placed under.

Ginny instantly started struggling against the ropes that bound her to the chair.

“Ginevra Weasley!” Molly screeched, instantly causing Ginny to freeze in terror. “Have you any idea how ashamed of your actions your father and I are right now?”

“I thought I was going to give you what you wanted, Mum, a big happy family,” Ginny said through tears, drawing a snort from Ron. “And even if I got caught, Dad should be able to get me off.”

Woah! Where in the world did Ginny come up with an idea as illogical as Dad getting her off for an Azkaban worthy offense, never mind the Unforgivable. She's either gone nutters or has visions of being Voldemette.

“I don't hold nearly the sway at the Ministry that you believe me to have, Ginevra,” Arthur replied soberly. “And you should have realized full well that any action you took against somebody as famous as Harry would get you into more trouble than I could get you out of.”

“Where did you get the love potion, Miss Weasley?” McGonagall asked.

“I copied the directions and ingredient list from a book Mum had in the attic at home, and got the ingredients from Diagon Alley before school started.”

“Merlin's beard,” Molly muttered. “I thought that I'd gotten rid of that book.”

“Where did you brew the potion?” Hermione demanded.

“In Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, since the three of you didn't need it anymore. I knew that you were the only students brave enough to go in there.”

Other than Ferret Face, Ron muttered darkly to himself.

“What did you hope to accomplish by using a love potion on Mister Potter?” Shacklebolt asked.

“To make Harry come to his senses and get back together with me, so Ron would get the courage to ask the jealous little bitch out, and Mum could get her big happy family.”

Harry, Ron, and Hermione all snorted, earning amused looks from the adults. “What indication has Harry given you recently that he fancies you?” Ron asked.

“He promised to come back to me after the war was over,” Ginny insisted.

“No, I didn't Ginny,” Harry corrected. “I broke-up with you to protect you, but I never promised we'd get back together. We've both changed, and you definitely for the worse. I meant it when I called you what I did in the library.”

Ginny's mouth hung open in shock, but it quickly shut as Tonks asked, “Do you know what the penalty for using a love potion on someone without their consent is?”

“Yes,” Ginny responded. “Up to 25 years in Azkaban and the snapping of their wand.”

“Was it your intention to use the love potion on Harry?” Ron asked.

“Yes,” Ginny answered unremorsefully.

“Moving on to a different topic,” Shacklebolt broke in. “Did you meet with Miss Parvati Patil in your dormitory room yesterday afternoon?”

“Yes,” Ginny responded.

“What happened in your room?” McGonagall demanded.

“She asked why I was so upset after I came back to the common room after Harry called me a `scarlet woman' to Madame Pince…”

“Wait a minute, Miss Weasley,” McGonagall interrupted. “Mister Potter, why did you call Miss Weasley a scarlet woman?”

Uh oh, now Harry's in for it. Hermione will give him an earful after Ol' McGonagall gets through with him.

“It was how she was conducting herself, Headmistress,” Harry answered weakly under McGonagall's glare.

“While that may be the case, that does not give you the right to address a fellow student in such a manner. Five points will be taken from Gryffindor. You may now continue, Miss Weasley.”

“After I explained what happened in the library,” Ginny continued, “Parvati asked if I was going to use the love potion on Harry. I then made her promise not to tell anyone, and to make sure she kept her promise I used the Cruciatus Curse on her. Then I dumped her body down the stairs so she'd be found in the common room and draw suspicion away from me.”

“Did Parvati know you already had a love potion?” Harry asked.

“Yes. I told her about it when she asked how I was going to give you a little push to help you ask me out again.”

“And did you make her promise then not to tell anyone?” Tonks asked.

“Not anyone. I made her promise not to tell that jealous little bitch,” Ginny snapped, pointing at Hermione.

“What do you have against me?” Hermione asked in confusion.

“Because you were jealous that I had been with Harry, so you had to resort to using your feminine wiles to seduce him and trap him into a relationship with you by getting pregnant with his child,” Ginny snapped.

The cry of outrage from everybody else in the room made the former Headmasters and Headmistresses of Hogwarts run for cover. “Mister Potter, Miss Granger,” McGonagall barked at them, “Is there any truth to Miss Weasley's accusations?”

“No, Headmistress,” Harry responded immediately. “I haven't been that intimate with anybody yet.”

“Me neither, Headmistress,” Hermione echoed.

Tonks pointed her wand at Hermione while Shacklebolt pointed his at Harry. “We don't doubt your integrity you two,” Tonks reassured them. “We're just doing this as a legal formality.”

“Ostendo sum sanctimonia!” Tonks and Shacklebolt uttered together, producing identical white halos over Harry and Hermione's heads.

“Yep,” Shacklebolt confirmed. “They're both virgins.”

Harry and Hermione blushed as they looked at each other with sheepish grins on their faces.

They won't be for much longer if they have anything to say about it. They've probably dreamt about doing it together already.

“Did you suspect Miss Patil had told anyone?” McGonagall inquired.

“Yes,” Ginny replied angrily. “I'm sure she broke her promise and told the jealous little bitch. Only she had my blind brother watch me instead to cover up her little affair with my Harry.”

“That's not true!” Ron cried out before he could stop himself. “Parvati told me and Seamus in the boys' dormitory and I was watching Ginny because I hadn't had a chance to warn Hermione yet.”

“I didn't hear anything from Parvati until we were in the hospital wing after Ginny used the Cruciatus on her,” Hermione concluded.

“And we've already established that Mister Potter and Miss Granger were not having an affair,” McGonagall added.

Shacklebolt's eyes suddenly widened. “Miss Weasley, is it true that you had an incident with a cursed diary during your first year of school here at Hogwarts?”

Harry, Hermione, and Ron all gasped. Why hadn't we thought of that?

“Yes,” Ginny replied blandly.

“Who did the diary belong to originally?” Shacklebolt followed-up.

“Tom Marvolo Riddle,” Ginny replied dully.

“Better known as Lord Voldemort,” Harry muttered darkly.

“Were you examined by a psychological healer after the incident?” Tonks asked.

“Yes,” Ginny replied without emotion.

“What were the findings?” Tonks inquired.

“That I was fine and had no damage from the traumatic incident,” Ginny replied in boredom.

“So you were in control of your mental capacities and intentionally chose to attempt to harm Mister Potter?” McGonagall asked in disbelief.

“It would have been better for Harry to fall in love with me than with the jealous little bitch,” Ginny replied. “At least I'm a pureblood.”

Everyone gasped. “You do remember that my mother was muggleborn, right?” Harry asked.

“She was so cunning that she would have been a great Slytherin,” Ginny answered snottily. “And as far as I'm concerned that makes you the purest of purebloods.”

“Why is it so important to you that Harry be considered a pureblood?” Tonks asked.

“So he can finish the noble work of The Dark Lord,” Ginny stated.

Whoa! She really does want to be Voldemette!

Shacklebolt used a simple Cutting Charm on the left arm of Ginny's robe, revealing nothing. “Are you a Death Eater?” he asked.

“No,” Ginny replied blandly.

“Then why do you want Harry to continue You-Know-Who's work?” Ron asked.

“Because The Dark Lord had the right idea about mudbloods,” Ginny replied fiercely. “And the extermination should start with that jealous little bitch,” she added, pointing at Hermione.

Harry squeezed Hermione's hand. “I'd never kill Hermione, Ginny, and you know it. She means too much to me.”

Hermione beamed at him. She looks like she wants to drag him into the nearest broom closet and snog him senseless right now.

“Is getting rid of Hermione Granger the only reason you want muggleborns removed from the wizarding world?” Tonks asked.

“No, they give witches and wizards a bad name,” Ginny snapped.

“Considering that Miss Granger is the brightest witch of your age, she hardly gives magical folk a bad name,” McGonagall interjected.

Tonks looked at Shacklebolt. “I believe I've heard enough,” she told him.

“So have I,” he replied before Stunning Ginny. “We'll be right back after we give our report to the Head of the Wizengamot so she can pass official judgement.”

Tonks and Shacklebolt then flooed out of the Headmistresses' office. As soon as they were gone, Hermione pulled Harry into a hug that would have made Hagrid proud, as Arthur walked over and put a hand on Harry's shoulder. “I don't know how Ginny came to those beliefs Harry,” Arthur said. “We raised her better than that.”

Hermione let go of Harry so he could turn around and put a hand on Arthur's shoulder. “I know, Mr. Weasley,” Harry replied. “If I had any idea she was developing those beliefs I would have told you.”

Ron looked at McGonagall and Hermione. “Is there any way to detect that somebody is under the Imperius Curse?”

Molly gasped. “Do you really think Ginny has been put under the Imperius Curse, Ronald?” she asked.

“As much as I love my sister, justice has to be done,” he said calmly. “But that's not my sister. At least not the sister I know. So I think we should check out the possibility if we can.”

Harry looked thoughtfully at Ron, then added, “Polyjuice would have worn off by now. What about Metamorphagus ability? We should check for that too.”

McGonagall nodded. “I see that spending so much time with Miss Granger over the last seven years has caused her to rub off on you two,” she observed to Harry and Ron, before glancing at a grinning Hermione.

Ugh. I don't want to be compared to Hermione. I need to quit acting so smart.

Hermione suddenly sat up straighter than usual. “Wait a minute!” she exclaimed. “There isn't a way to test for Metamorphagus ability since it's so rare it hasn't been thought of as a danger.”

Harry smirked at Hermione, then barked at her. “Constant vigilance! Constant vigilance!”

Ron broke out laughing at Harry's passable imitation of Moody, and McGonagall was having a hard time hiding a smile.

Hermione's eyes widened. “Of course! Ask Ginny something only the real Ginny would know! Oh Harry, you're brilliant!”

Hermione leaned over and kissed Harry's cheek, causing both of them to blush. At that same moment, Tonks and Shacklebolt flooed back into the Headmistress' office with the Head of the Wizengamot, Hestia Jones.

“Do we have to test your purity again you two?” Tonks asked teasingly.

“I've been here the whole time, Nymphadora,” McGonagall said evenly, causing Tonks to bristle at the use of her given name.

“We've briefed Hestia on what we've found out so far, Minerva,” Shacklebolt informed the Headmistress. “She has a couple of questions to ask Miss Weasley as a formality before passing official judgment, unless you've thought of anything.”

McGonagall looked at Ron and Harry. “Mister Weasley, Mister Potter, would you care to inform Aurors Shacklebolt and Tonks about what you thought of after they left?”

Harry looked at Ron, then spoke up for both of them, “Auror Shacklebolt, Auror Tonks, we were thinking that Ginny should be checked for being under the Imperius Curse and to see if somebody else is using their Metamorphagus abilities to pose as Ginny.”

Hestia nodded thoughtfully. “Well spotted, both of you. I don't remember Auror Shacklebolt or Auror Tonks mentioning testing for those in their report.”

Hermione looked at Tonks. “How many witches or wizards have the ability to change their bodies?”

Tonks looked thoughtfully at Hermione. “It's very rare and generally only runs in families. The Blacks have that ability, but Bellatrix would have been the only one that we are aware of in the ranks of You-Know-Who with that ability and Mister Longbottom took care of her during the final battle.”

“That doesn't mean that there isn't somebody else posing as Miss Weasley, so I agree with Mister Potter and Mister Weasley that we should test for that possibility,” Shacklebolt chimed in.

Hestia looked at Shacklebolt. “Auror Shacklebolt, go back to the Ministry and fetch the potion for testing if somebody is under the Imperius.” After Shacklebolt left, she turned to the rest of the group. “I would have sent Auror Tonks, but we'd like the potion here in one piece, not broken all over the floor.”

Tonks laughed along with the students in the room. “I'm not as clumsy when I'm working though.”

“We have to wait for Auror Shacklebolt to come back before I can pass judgment, but we can test for Metamorphagus ability in Miss Weasley while we wait if anybody has any ideas for how to do so,” Hestia said.

“I do,” Harry answered, “but I'll need Ginny woken up for me to do it.”

Tonks nodded and Enneverated Ginny again. Harry looked apologetically at Ron, Molly, and Arthur, then asked Ginny, “What did I first tell you when you woke up in the Chamber of Secrets?”

Ginny looked at Harry and smiled fondly. “It's alright. Riddle's finished. Look! Him and the basilisk. C'mon, Ginny, let's get out of here.”

Hermione looked at Harry who looked at her and nodded in response to her unanswered question. “Verbatim. And there's no way that Voldemort would have known about that to be able to tell Bella.”

“That's just spooky,” Ron muttered.

“No wonder you can't get a girlfriend, Ronald,” Hermione turned and sniped at him. “It's sweet for somebody you care about to remember what you said in that much detail.”

Ron looked down in embarrassment.

Harry looked at Ginny. “I don't care about her anymore, at least definitely not like she wants me to.”

Ginny screamed out. “Quit denying it, Harry-poo! I know you want me just as much—”

Ginny's voice was cut off by a well-timed “Stupefy!” from Tonks, who promptly shrugged. “We didn't need to listen to another round of that rubbish.”

“Agreed,” Ron sighed, earning sheepish smiles from Harry and Hermione.

McGonagall looked at Harry. “So now we've proven that it is actually Miss Weasley in this chair, and not somebody posing as her. Am I correct, Mister Potter?”

“That's correct, Headmistress,” Harry answered as he looked at Tonks and Hestia.

Hestia nodded thoughtfully. “Well done, Mister Potter. Handled as professionally as any auror would have done under like circumstances.”

Harry blushed slightly. “Thank you, ma'am.”

Just then, Shacklebolt flooed back into the Headmistress' office and pulled a flask of the potion out of his robes and walked over to Ginny. “Mister Potter, Miss Granger, Mister Weasley, have any of you seen this potion used before?”

“No, Auror Shacklebolt,” Hermione answered for the three of them, her curiosity evident in her voice.

“What this potion will do is, if a person is under the Imperius, then their body will go into convulsions for a minute as their body expels whomever is controlling it, without causing injury to the victim,” Shacklebolt explained.

“What happens if somebody isn't under the Imperius?” Hermione asked.

“Nothing,” Tonks chimed in, “but as a safety precaution we tie everybody to a bed before we administer the potion.”

McGonagall nodded in understanding, then transfigured one of the couches into a bed, so Tonks could levitate Ginny's body on to the bed and secure it firmly in place.

Tonks then cast another “Enneverate!” on Ginny to wake her up, so Shacklebolt could feed Ginny the potion.

Everybody waited with baited breath for a minute, but nothing happened. “How long does it normally take for the potion to kick in?” Hermione couldn't resist asking.

“It should have kicked in by now,” Hestia informed her.

“So we can conclude that Ginny was acting on her own then?” Ron asked.

“That's right, Mister Weasley,” Shacklebolt told him.

I didn't think she was, but I figure we should check out every possibility.

“I have a couple of questions for you, Miss Weasley,” Hestia told Ginny.

“Haven't I answered enough bloody questions already?” Ginny snapped at her.

“I just want to verify some things from your earlier answers before I pass judgment on you,” Hestia calmly replied.

“I suppose, since I don't have any choice in the matter,” Ginny replied irritably.

“Did you say that you wanted Mister Potter to continue Lord Voldemort's work of eliminating muggleborns from the wizarding world?”

“Yes, starting with that jealous little bitch over there,” Ginny barked.

“Did you of your own accord decide to use a love potion on Mister Potter and the Cruciatus Curse on a Miss Parvati Patil, whom isn't present in this room because she's still recovering from her injuries?” Hestia inquired.

“Yes,” Ginny replied unremorsefully.

“And you're aware of the punishments for using a love potion on somebody and for using an unforgivable curse?” Hestia demanded.

“Yes,” Ginny replied blandly.

Hestia nodded. “Hand me Miss Weasley's wand please, Auror Shacklebolt.”

Shacklebolt pulled Ginny's wand from his robes and handed it to Hestia.

Hestia took Ginny's wand by the ends and held it up for Ginny to see, then snapped it in half. “I hereby find Ginevra Molly Weasley guilty of trying to use a forbidden love potion on Harry James Potter and of using the Cruciatus Curse on Parvati Darshana Patil. Consequentially, I declare on this 6th day of May in the year 1998 that Ginevra Molly Weasley be forbidden to use magic forever and that she be detained in Azkaban Prison for the rest of her days.”

“NO!!!!!!!!!!!” Ginny screamed out as Tonks and Shacklebolt unbound her and started taking her towards the fireplace.

“Just a minute,” Harry said with a start. “I have a question for Ginny before you take her away.”

“Very well, Mister Potter,” Tonks replied, pausing to let Harry walk around and look at Ginny.

“Tell me, Ginny…What did you hope to accomplish by breaking the law?”

Ginny's head stayed focused on the ground. “I thought I could set things right,” she answered dejectedly.

Arthur walked over to Ginny. “Think about this while you're in Azkaban, Ginevra,” he commanded gently. “If you have to break a just law to try to set things right, then they're too broken to be fixed and you have to adjust to the new normal. That's what your mother has already done, since she's seen the way things are meant to be.”

Arthur and Harry both nodded at the aurors, who left with Ginny and were followed through the fireplace by Hestia.

Hermione walked up to Harry and pulled him into a hug. “I'm so glad that's over,” Hermione whispered in Harry's ear.

Harry gently wrapped his arms around Hermione's waist and whispered back, “So am I.”

***

Ostendo sum sanctimonia—reveal purity

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