In response to all the hints/begging/death threats requesting the next chapter, here it is! Apart from someone getting a richly deserved kicking at the start, this is just about the fluffiest chapter in the whole story. Several important things happen in it, however, and Ginny learns a lot of shocking information. And before anyone asks; yes, she will be confronting her family about this. You’ll just have to wait until the Christmas holidays for that merry little conversation.
Oh, and by the way. I gave Ginny that type of wand (rosewood with dragon heartstring core) for a specific reason: it was the wand I was given on Pottermore. I just liked the idea of Ginny playing with my wand (oh-err! I say, Matron! etc.)
Massive thanks to Tom (MinistryMalcontent) and Arnel for their wonderful beta work. Between JKR’s grammatical inconsistencies and HP Lexicon getting things wrong, what chance do I stand?
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Harry Potter and the Butterfly Effect | ||||||
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Category: Alternate Universe Characters:Harry/Ginny Genres: Action/Adventure Warnings: Death, Disturbing Imagery, Extreme Language, Intimate Sexual Situations, Rape, Spouse/Adult/Child Abuse, Violence/Physical Abuse Story is Complete Rating: R Reviews: 733 Summary: Minor events can have repercussions far beyond their size and importance. When one of these minor events occurs to a ten year-old Harry Potter he finds his world turned upside-down and it starts him down a very different path than the one he expected to follow. Hitcount: Story Total: 199423; Chapter Total: 9211 Awards: View Trophy Room Author's Notes: |
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Saturday, 6 September 1997 Saturday morning arrived, cold and windy. As she had the feeling they would be spending most of their time outside, Ginny dressed warmly; and she had her heavy cloak with her. While Harry had called it a ‘sort of’ date, she suspected that dressing nicely wasn’t a requirement. At nine o’clock on the dot, Harry appeared out of the archway that led to the Head Boy’s quarters. She experienced a sudden irrational burst of jealousy that Hermione had her room right next to Harry’s, but she fought that down. As soon as Harry caught sight of her, he broke into a big smile. “Morning, Ginny. Ready for out little trip?” he asked. “Well, apart from having no idea where we’re going or what we’re doing, yes. Are you sure you’re not just luring me out the castle so you can have your wicked way with me?” she teased him. It was a great surprise to her that she felt so comfortable flirting with Harry, bearing in mind how little time she had known him. “My intentions are entirely honourable,” Harry assured her, to her slight disappointment. “Come on, we have a fair distance to travel. Let’s get started.” They left the Common Room and headed down the main staircase. They reached the Entrance Hall and were just about to go outside when they heard a shout from behind them. “Oi! Ginny! What do you think you’re doing?” cried a male voice. Ginny turned and groaned. Walking towards them at a fast pace was her brother Ron, accompanied by Seamus and Dean. The last thing she needed right now was her over-protective moron of a brother. Sure enough, Ron squared up to Harry in an aggressive manner, while the other two boys stood either side, clearly trying to intimidate him. Ginny really couldn’t believe they would be so stupid as to try to threaten a man who recently killed Bellatrix Lestrange. “What the hell do you think you’re doing with my sister, Potter?” Ron spat. “I’m taking her out for the day,” Harry informed him coolly. “And who said you could do that, eh? Just think cos’ you’re some big hero you can have any girl you want?” Ron was going bright red, a sure sign his temper was rising out of control. “Actually, Ginny said I could take her out,” Harry retorted. “That’s my baby sister, scumbag,” Ron raged. “You bloody well stay away from her or you’ll regret it.” Harry glanced at his watch before he turned and looked back at Ginny. “Ginny, we could stay here and argue with your brother, but he seems a bit of an idiot to me. Do you mind if I hurt him a little bit?” he asked. Ginny pretended to think about it for a moment. “Nah, do what you like with him,” she responded after a second. “But try not to hospitalise him. Mum would only get upset.” “Okay,” Harry agreed pleasantly. If Ginny had not seen Harry in action a few days before, she doubted she would have believed anyone could move as fast as he did. As soon as he turned back to face Ron, he suddenly lashed out with his left elbow catching Seamus in the mouth. The Irish boy went down hard, spitting teeth. Harry then twisted and punched Dean hard in the face. Dean fell with blood streaming from his nose. To his credit, Ron reacted fast. He threw a punch at Harry, but missed. Harry grabbed the boy’s wrist and twisted it hard, causing Ron to howl with pain. He then turned while still holding Ron’s arm and managed to throw him over his shoulder. Ron hit the floor hard and lay there, moaning. Harry stood in the middle of Ron’s fallen gang with his hands on his hips. He bent down to address the injured redhead. “Hopefully, Weasley, you will now realise that you can’t intimidate me. Now, I’ll say this slowly so you can understand: Ginny is sixteen and quite capable of deciding if she wants to go somewhere and with whom. You do not control her life. I strongly suggest you do not annoy her any further, or you might not like the results, got it?” Harry said firmly. Ron raised his head and glared. “WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON HERE!” a stern voice bellowed. Everyone turned their heads toward the staircase and saw Professor McGonagall standing there with a face like thunder. The intimidating witch stormed down the steps and approached them swiftly. “I said: what’s going on here? I want an explanation,” she repeated with a voice as cold as ice. “I’m afraid there’s been a terrible accident, Professor,” Harry said calmly. “These three boys were coming down the staircase and they all slipped on the polished floor. I think they’ve hurt themselves.” “That’s true,” Ginny added, catching on fast. “I think Mr Filch has over-polished the floor. It’s very slippery!” McGonagall looked down at the floor and slid her foot along it. It was, to be fair, very highly polished. “Is this true, Mr Weasley?” she asked. “Yes, Professor,” he said, looking like he was raging inside. “I think we were going a bit too fast and didn’t realise how shiny the floor was.” “The caretaker should leave warning signs out or something,” Harry added helpfully. McGonagall looked at Ron, Seamus and Dean in turn, but none of them looked like they were going to contradict that story. She huffed in frustration. “You three had better go to the hospital wing immediately. And do try to avoid bleeding on the floor, Mr Thomas!” She turned an unfriendly eye on Harry. “I suggest you proceed to wherever it is you are going to, Mr Potter.” “Righty-oh!” Harry said cheerfully, before looking back at the three injured boys. “See you, guys. Hope you get patched up alright. And remember, no running in the corridor. You’ve seen how dangerous it is!” Ginny had to stop herself laughing at the indignant expression on Ron’s face. She then made a point of linking her arm with Harry’s as they headed out the door. As they passed through the courtyard and started to cross the main bridge, she gave in and started chortling. “I hope I didn’t go too far, Ginny,” Harry said, sounding slightly worried. “Merlin, no!” She assured him. “Ron’s a moron. He and his two goons aren’t averse to throwing their weight around, so it’s high time they got a taste of their own medicine. I’ve lived with him treating me like I was five years old for ages now, and I’m sick of it. Maybe he’ll get the message now.” “I hope so,” Harry agreed. “So,” she said, changing the subject. “Where are we heading?” “Over there,” Harry said, pointing to the tree line. “The Forbidden Forest?” she asked apprehensively. “Only the outskirts. We just need to be past Hogwarts's protective wards so we can Apparate,” he explained. “Apparate? You can do Side-Along-Apparition?” she asked. “Where exactly are we going?” Harry just tapped the side of his nose and smirked. Soon, they had reached the outskirts of the forest, and Harry indicated that they had gone far enough. He turned to look at her. “Have you ever Apparated before?” he asked. “No, first time,” she confirmed nervously. “Well, hold tight!” Without warning he grabbed her firmly round the waist and twisted slightly. Ginny suddenly felt like she was being squeezed through a very small tube very fast. Before she knew what was happening, her feet hit the ground hard; and she would have fallen over if it wasn’t for Harry holding her. “What the hell… where are we?” she gasped before her senses returned. “Bloody hell! We’re in Diagon Alley!” “Diagon Alley’s main Apparition point,” Harry confirmed. “Come on, we’ve got some shopping to do.” Harry linked his arm with hers again and led her down the Alley. Ginny couldn’t help but look around excitedly at all the sights. She’d only been to the Alley a few times when she’d been younger. As most of her school supplies were donated to her by Hogwarts, there had been no need to visit in recent years. They were about half-way down when Harry came to a halt. “Why have we stopped?” Ginny asked. “I told you if you were a good girl you’d get a present. Well, you’ve been a good girl,” he explained, indicating the shop in front of them. Ginny looked up at the sign which read: ‘Ollivanders: Maker’s of Fine Wands since 382 BC’. “But I told you, I can’t afford a wand!” Ginny said forcefully. “It wouldn’t be much of a present if you had to buy it yourself, would it?” Harry laughed. “But you can’t. It’s too much! I couldn’t accept a gift like that,” she objected. “Look, Ginny, that wand of yours is useless. I said that I would prove that you are a powerful witch, right? The only way to do that is for you to see the difference in your spell casting when you’re using a decent wand. Besides, with a properly working wand, you won’t need my help in tackling aggressive Slytherins or overprotective brothers,” he reasoned. Ginny looked back toward the shop with longing in her eyes. What if it was true, and she’d actually be able cast spells properly with a new wand? She’d have a chance to do well in NEWT exams and maybe get a good job! And like Harry said, it could mean no more running in fear from bullies; and she could teach her idiot brothers a lesson or two. But wands were expensive. She couldn’t accept a gift of that value. “Harry, I can’t,” she said miserably. “It’s a lovely thought, but wands just cost too much!” Harry laughed again. “Ginny, do you know who looked after me for many years? The Flamels. That is, the creators of the Philosopher's Stone. You know, that thing that could create gold? I was their sole heir. Oh, my godfather, Sirius Black left me everything when he died, and the Black family were very rich. Do I need to add that I was sole heir of the Potter fortune as well? Gosh, that must make me one of the richest wizards in the country. Oh, wait, that’s wrong. I’m THE richest wizard in the country,” Harry said, grinning. Ginny stared at him open mouthed. Coming from the mouth of some rich pure-blood, Harry’s words would have sounded the height of narcissism, but the wry twist to his lips as he said the words made it clear that he didn’t take his apparent wealth too seriously. “If you think the price of a new wand means anything to me, you’re nuts,” he continued. “Especially as it would mean you could look after yourself. I thought we agreed we were going to stand up to the Slytherins together? How are you going to do that with a broken wand?” “Okay! You win! Waste your money on me, see if I care,” she laughed. With a triumphant smile, Harry guided her through the door into the musty shop. Ollivander himself was stood behind the counter as if he had been waiting for them. “Good morning, Mr Potter. Good to see you again. I trust that wand of yours is still working satisfactorily?” the old man asked. “It’s working fine, thank you, Mr Ollivander,” Harry confirmed. “We’re here today to get a new wand for my friend here.” The old man’s eyes turned to Ginny. “Ah, a Weasley! Young Ginevra if I’m not mistaken. That old wand of your grandmother’s finally given up the ghost, eh?” he asked. “How do you know about that?” Ginny said in surprise. “Do you have the wand on you?” Ollivander asked. Ginny handed her wand over to the man who started to examine it closely. “Yes, there we are, you see. This crack running along the length? Your parents asked me to repair this wand before you were born. I warned them it would be a temporary measure at best, but your mother was quite insistent. I rather got the impression that she was keen for her mother’s wand to be passed down to you.” The old man sighed. “It’s really most unfortunate. I tell people that wands should be individually tailored to a witch or wizard, but they will insist on thinking that they are transferable.” “You mean my parents knew this wand would stop working for me?” Ginny said indignantly. “I did explain to your mother, but she is a very strong-willed woman. This wand's core was damaged badly, and nothing I could do would change that,” he confirmed. “But… why? Why did they do that?” she spluttered. Her face was going an alarming shade of red. “As I say, your mother was very keen for you to inherit your grandmother’s wand. Of course, repairing a wand is a lot cheaper than buying a new one,” Ollivander replied. “I don’t believe it!” Ginny raged. “My education, my job prospects; it all could have been ruined because my parents wanted to save a few Galleons! And mum, with her bloody obsession with family! Why didn’t she just put gran’s wand in a display case rather than forcing it onto me?” She was furious. All the disappointed looks she received when her parents saw her report card, all of Percy’s sodding lectures on ‘trying harder’, and all of the despairing looks from her teachers: they were all her parents’ fault! “Easy, Ginny,” Harry said, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I’m sure they didn’t mean for this to happen. Some people just don’t understand wand lore.” “I know,” Ginny said, fighting back the tears, “but why does this all happen to me?” Wordlessly, Harry pulled her into his arms and held her. A few tears ran down her cheek, but she fought against them. She hated crying, especially in public. Using the cover of Harry’s arms, she wiped her face and managed to get herself under control. “I’m okay now,” she whispered. “Thank you.” Harry looked down at her. “What do you say we find you a decent wand?” he suggested. She nodded happily and they turned to Mr Ollivander who was watching them with an understanding look on his face. The old man vanished into the back of his shop for a minute or two and returned clutching an armful of small, rectangular boxes. It was the fifth wand Ginny tried that was the one. As soon as she picked up the rosewood wand with a dragon heartstring core, she knew it was the one for her. A shower of red sparks confirmed her choice, and it was all she could do to keep from jumping in the air with joy. She suffered a moment of guilt when Harry dropped nine Galleons into Ollivander’s hand, but in truth, she was just too happy with her new wand to get too worked up about accepting the present. As soon as they left the shop Harry guided them back to the Apparition point. Ginny couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed their trip was ending so soon. “So, we heading back to Hogwarts now?” she asked, trying to sound up-beat. “Actually, I thought we could go somewhere you could try out your new wand,” he replied. “Where?” Ginny asked “You’ll see,” he replied mysteriously. The experience of Apparating was no better the second time, and she staggered a bit on arrival. After her head had cleared, she looked up and was surprised to see the sea stretching out before her. A quick look around revealed that she was standing in a rather overgrown garden attached to a large white house with a grey slate roof. She looked at Harry questioningly. “Welcome to Cornwall,” Harry said. “This house belonged to Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel, who I came to live with when I was ten. They were truly wonderful people and I have so many happy memories of this place. Nick and Perry were also great teachers, and to enable me to learn magic, they built a heavily warded room where I could cast any spell I liked without detection. I think the wards should still be in place.” “So I can try out my new wand?” Ginny asked excitedly. “Absolutely,” he confirmed. Ginny squealed with delight and practically dragged him into the house. The door opened automatically at his touch, and she found herself in a large and surprisingly clean kitchen. “Wait up a second, Ginny,” Harry said. “Bolly! Misty!” At his call two house-elves suddenly appeared. “Master Harry!” the female elf shouted excitedly, and flung herself around Harry’s legs. “Master Harry!” the male elf echoed. “You’s is coming back to the old master and mistress’s house! Has you finished at Hoggywarties already?” “I’m afraid not, Bolly,” Harry laughed. “This is just a flying visit. Tell me, what is the state of the wards on the house? Can magic be detected by the Ministry?” “The wards is being still in place,” Bolly confirmed. “They’s not as strong as they was, but they are good enough. No one’s will know if magic is being done here.” “Great!” Harry said. “Guys, I’d like you to meet a friend of mine, Ginny Weasley. Ginny and I are going to use the training room for a while. Do you think you could have some lunch waiting for us about twelve?” “Of course!” Misty cried happily. “Pleased to meet you, Miss Weaszy.” “Um, hello,” Ginny replied uncertainly. She had very little experience with house-elves. “Thanks, you two,” Harry said. “Come on, Ginny. Let’s see just how good you are with that new wand.” Harry took her hand and led her up stairs to a large, bare room that clearly had been set aside for spell casting. They entered and shut the door. Ginny stood with her new wand in hand feeling a little nervous. “How about we start with something simple?” Harry suggested. He conjured up a small, blue ball. “Try a Levitation Charm first.” “Okay,” Ginny said uncertainly. She’d always been rubbish at Levitation. “Wingardium Leviosa.” The ball shot into the air and hit the ceiling with such force that it burst. Harry cried out in delight. “What did I tell you? Are you a powerful witch or what?” For the next hour Ginny ran through every spell she could remember with the same positive results. Quite a few of the spells she had never managed to cast before and she needed a bit of help from Harry. He even taught her a couple of defensive spells she had never encountered before and for the first time in her life, she managed to produce a Shield Charm. With each new success her excitement grew. “I can’t believe it! After all these years thinking I was useless, I can actually do this stuff. It’s brilliant!” she cried and threw her arms around Harry’s neck. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” “You’re welcome, Gi… umph!” Harry was suddenly cut short by Ginny pressing her lips against his. She had intended to plant a kiss on his cheek, but somehow in her excitement she missed. Neither of them moved for a moment before Ginny slowly pulled away. Oh gods, what had she done? Harry had been so kind to her, and she had just thrown herself at him! She’d only known him a week; what would he think of her? She felt her face go red, and she was afraid to meet his eyes. Then she felt his finger under her chin forcing her to look up. She saw Harry had turned an equally bright shade of red. “Err, thanks, Ginny,” he said shyly. “If I’d known I was going to get such a nice thank you gift, I’d have bought you a dozen wands.” They stared at each other for a second before they both burst out laughing. Ginny couldn’t remember when she had been so happy. Years of frustration and worry about her magical ability just fell away. For the first time since she had been a small girl, she was actually feeling positive about the future. And, to top it all, she’d just kissed Harry Potter and he’d liked it. Life, suddenly, was good. “Come on, Ginny,” he said after they had both calmed down. “All this magic has given me an appetite. Let’s see what the elves have made for lunch.” They headed downstairs to discover that Misty and Bolly had interpreted the request for some lunch as an excuse to create a small banquet. The two famished teenagers sat and proceeded to make a sizeable dent on the small mountain of food laid out before them. “You know, Harry,” Ginny said in between taking bites out of a chicken leg she was holding, “I really enjoyed leaning those new spells. You’re a good teacher.” Harry ate another forkful of coleslaw and looked at her. “Thanks, Ginny. You were pretty quick in picking up new things. In fact, this leads me onto something I want to talk to you about.” He put down his fork and suddenly he looked nervous. “Ginny, I like you. I like you a lot, and I hope we’ve become friends in this last week,” he began. “Of course we have,” Ginny interrupted. “Good,” he said smiling. “But the thing is, I’m a dangerous person to know. My adopted grandparents, the Flamels, died because someone tried to get to me. My godfather and his friends died while fighting Voldemort. Hell, even my parents died because Voldemort was trying to kill me when I was a baby. To put it bluntly: people who hang around me have a tendency to get hurt.” “Are you trying to push me away?” Ginny asked with a hard edge evident in her voice. “Not really,” Harry said, looking embarrassed. “If I was a stronger person I should. The fact is I’m lonely, and I really enjoy your company. But you have to understand that being around me will make you a target and, frankly, I don’t think I can stand to see another person I care about hurt.” Ginny was silent for a second, clearly thinking things through. She then stood up and marched round the table to stand directly in front of him. “Harry, I’m already a target. My family are marked as blood traitors and my parents are well known supporters of Dumbledore. Mum and Dad fight for the Order, and I think my two older brothers are joining as well. Yes, knowing you might bring more unwanted attention to me, but I’ve done pretty well defending myself up to this point. Now I have a working wand, I feel even safer,” she said firmly. “Besides, I’m a bit lonely, too. Oh, I have Hermione and Luna, but as well as they know me, they've never made a difference in my life like you have.” Harry smiled and looked relieved. “Oh, and just for your information, if you ever try and push me away just to protect me, I’m going to have to hurt you.” To prove her point she lightly slapped him round the head before returning to her seat. “Ow!” Harry complained. “There’s no need to get violent. But seriously, I’m glad you said that, but I do have a condition on us being friends.” “A condition?” Ginny asked. “Who puts conditions on friendship?” “I do,” Harry insisted. “When we were training I was a bit worried that you’d never been shown how to create a shield.” “We’ve had some really awful Defence teachers,” Ginny pointed out. “Yeah, I figured. Gilderoy Lockhart was one, wasn’t he? But my point is, if I’m going to make you a bigger target by knowing you, I want to make sure that you can defend yourself. I want to give you a few extra lessons myself so I’m certain that if it comes to a fight you can hold your own.” “You’re going to teach me Defence? Harry, that’s wonderful!” Ginny shouted enthusiastically. A thought occurred to her. “Can I invite Hermione and Luna as well? The Slytherins are always picking on them, too.” “Sure,” Harry agreed. “But no more than those two. We want to keep this secret, and I have no desire to teach half the school!” “Great!” Ginny said happily. “Oh, wait until Hermione hears about this. She’s going to burst with excitement at learning from you.” Harry snorted. “Yeah, can’t wait,” he joked. “She’ll probably start telling me I’m pronouncing the incantations wrong.” “Probably,” Ginny agreed laughing. Harry looked sober for a second. “It must have been really difficult for you, Ginny,” he said sympathetically. “I’d forgotten that your family was already targeted by Voldemort’s supporters. I suppose ever since Lucius Malfoy got your dad sacked from the Ministry, the Weasleys have been marked.” Ginny looked downcast. “It was me that got dad sacked from the Ministry, Harry. It was my fault for allowing myself to be possessed by that bloody diary.” “Who told you that load of crap?” Harry said dismissively. “Oh, I know that Fudge used the diary incident as a final justification to sack your dad, but it was just a matter of time anyway.” “What are you talking about?” Ginny asked coolly. Harry looked surprised. “Malfoy and your dad have been at loggerheads for years. Arthur was trying to get the law changed to provide extra legal protection for Muggles and, of course, Malfoy hated that idea. I’m afraid the law was a bit of a naïve idea, really.” “What’s wrong with trying to pass a law to protect Muggles?” Ginny asked hotly, feeling she should defend her father. “Nothing at all,” Harry agreed, “but the law had no chance of getting passed. Lucius Malfoy owned Fudge. He’s spread so much gold around the Ministry, he’s got influence in nearly all departments. Once Malfoy got wind of what your dad was trying to do, he was bound to stop it. First he bribed your father’s superiors to discredit his work. Then he started rumours about theft and incompetence. Finally, he paid Fudge a fat bribe to sack Arthur once and for all. The diary was just an excuse.” “You mean, even if I had never touched the diary, my dad would still have been sacked?” Ginny asked in shock. “Oh, yes,” Harry confirmed. “As soon as he declared his pro-Muggle stance, he was a target. I admire his courage, but I can’t help but think that with a family the size of yours he should have been a bit more careful.” Ginny stared at the floor, thinking her head was going to explode. It wasn’t her fault! None of it was her fault! If anything, she was the victim of her father’s political views. Oh, she agreed with his ideas totally and was proud that he had stood up to the pure-bloods, but why did she get the blame for his sacking? It was like she had become a scapegoat for all the family’s problems. Add in the issue with her wand and she was beginning to think her parents had it in for her. “Are you alright, Ginny?” Harry’s voice broke her out of her thoughts. “It’s just… I never knew any of this. All my brothers blamed me solely for Dad getting fired from the Ministry. Why did he never say anything? Why did I have to take the guilt?” she asked, tears forming in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Ginny,” Harry apologised. “I shouldn’t have said anything.” “No!” Ginny shouted. “Harry, you are the first person who has ever told me the truth about all this. My family have lied to me and punished me for something that wasn’t my fault. I needed to know these things!” Harry sat by her and awkwardly put an arm round her shoulders while she cried a little. Damn it, she was turning into a right hosepipe. She really didn’t want Harry to see her like this. “Sorry,” she muttered. “You must think I’m some stupid little girl acting like this.” “Merlin, no!” Harry said fervently. “I’ve been told lies and had secrets kept from me all my life. I know what it’s like. Maybe you should talk to your family about this? Perhaps your parents had a reason for their actions?” “Yeah, of course,” Ginny said bitterly. “I bet they had a really good reason for making me the target of some madman with a possessed diary, wiping my memory, sabotaging my education, and making me the pariah of the family. There’s bound to be a good reason for all that, right?” “I don’t know, Ginny,” Harry said sadly. “But I’m sure they didn’t do any of this on purpose. There must have been something behind it all.” “I don’t know, either,” Ginny said in a miserable voice. “But I think I’m going to have to think all this through before I confront my parents about it.” “That’s probably a good idea,” Harry agreed. “Say, why don’t we take a walk along the beach? That always used to cheer me up when I was feeling down.” “Okay,” Ginny agreed. “That might be nice.” The two of them stood up and prepared to go out. Harry suggested Ginny’s cloak might look a little odd to the Muggles, so he lent her one of Perry’s old coats. He found an old jacket of his which just about fit still, and they left out the back door. Harry led them out of a small gate at the far end of the garden and down a small lane. They then followed a narrow path which led directly to the beach. Ginny’s head was spinning from the events of the morning. It was barely afternoon and she was already a sadder, if wiser, witch than she had been at the start of the day. No matter how she turned things over in her mind, one question kept coming back to her: how could her parents have done this to her? Try as she might, she couldn’t work out what she had done to deserve such treatment. Realising that it was just all too much to deal with at the moment, she tried to push all such thoughts from her head. She decided that she would just try to concentrate on the positives of the day. In her pocket was her brand new wand which would enable her to shake her reputation as a near Squib. She was also free of the guilt that her actions had ruined the careers of her father and her brother Percy. Finally, she had found that in Harry she had a true friend. Feeling a little bit better, Ginny started to take notice of her surroundings. The beach was fairly deserted, no doubt due to the chill wind rolling in off the sea. She was glad of her borrowed coat which was warm, despite its apparent thinness. It probably had an in-built warming charm, she suspected. The beach itself was surprisingly long and stretched out into the distance. Ahead she could see the ground on the landward side begin to rise and form cliffs about a mile on. As they walked they began to encounter outcrops of rock and small pools. Harry had a dreamy expression on his face and it was clear how much he was enjoying being back. It must have been a wonderful place to grow up, she thought. It was only when they approached a sizeable group of rocks did it dawn on her that Harry was holding her hand. A little spark of happiness ran through her, and her earlier worries slipped away a little more. Harry stopped by one of the flatter rocks and sat down, gently pulling Ginny down next to him. They sat there for a second, watching the waves crashing onto the shore. “I’ve missed this place, you know,” he said. “You were lucky growing up here,” Ginny commented. “I know I grew up in Devon, but we were miles from the sea.” “I was ten when I first came here. This bunch of rocks was one of my favourite places to hang out. Lisa and I used to spend hours here in the summer,” he continued to reminisce. “Lisa?” Ginny asked. Harry turned and grinned at her. “My first, and to date, only girlfriend. I met her when I joined a martial arts class when I was ten years old. She was about half my size and she beat the stuffing out of me!” he laughed. Ginny snorted. “She sounds like a girl after my own heart. Is this why you wanted to come back here? Hoping she was still around?” “Nah,” Harry said looking a little wistful. “I gave Lisa up years ago. Well, actually now I think of it only a couple of years ago, but it seems like a lifetime. I don’t think I could date a Muggle now; I just couldn’t hide my magic that well.” “I know what you mean. The village near our house is all Muggles, and we had a terrible time trying to blend in whenever we visited it. And by Wizarding standards we’re Muggle experts,” she said, remembering all the trouble that her brothers had managed to get themselves into. “Before I came here, I lived with my Muggle aunt and uncle who were right bastards. I never even knew that magic existed until my uncle took a swing at me one day and triggered a burst of accidental magic that nearly flattened the house.” Harry was pleased that he could smile at the memory now. “This was the first place I was truly happy.” “Your uncle used to beat you?” Ginny asked, shocked. “The Boy Who Lived was abused by his Muggle relatives? Wasn’t someone watching over you?” “Yeah, it was supposed to be Dumbledore but I guess he had better things to do.” A trace of bitterness had crept into his voice. “It took for me to nearly burn out my magical core for him to notice me.” “Really? My parents worship the ground Dumbledore walks on,” she confided. “Personally, I think he’s as nutty as a fruitcake.” “I bet they don’t know the half of what he’s got up to over the years. Trust me; Albus Dumbledore is a long way from being the shining beacon of light he’s made out to be,” Harry said indignantly. “One day the truth will come out and it will shock everybody.” “What about your aunt and uncle?” Ginny asked. “I’m surprised you didn’t go back and hex them to oblivion when you turned seventeen.” “Oh, I decided that would be my reward to myself once I’ve dealt with Voldemort,” Harry grinned evilly. “Once he’s gone I’m going to make sure my darling aunt and uncle get what they deserve.” “Can I help?” Ginny asked eagerly. “Absolutely!” he agreed. They both grinned at each other in anticipation. They lapsed into a comfortable silence as they sat and watched the sea rolling in. After a while, they decided it was time to head back to Hogwarts. Standing, they made their way back along the beach, still holding hands. |
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