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Not From Others | ||||||
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Category: Post-HBP, Post-DH/AB Characters:Harry/Ginny, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom Genres: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, General Warnings: Dark Fiction, Death, Extreme Language, Mild Sexual Situations, Negative Alcohol Use, Violence Story is Complete Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 348 Summary: She may not have been able to join Harry, Ron and Hermione, but Ginny refuses to go down without a fight. As war approaches, Ginny returns to Hogwarts to resurrect Dumbledore's Army and face the darkest year the wizarding world has ever seen. DH from Ginny's POV. Canon. Hitcount: Story Total: 108204; Chapter Total: 3323 Awards: View Trophy Room |
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Professor Sprout, concerned that Ginny had missed her first lesson, and Professor McGonagall, concerned that her current N.E.W.T lesson was missing several students, hurried down the corridor to the hospital wing, whispering frantically. ‘I left Smith in charge, the students seemed very worried about her as well, you were quite right to fetch me, Pomona.’ ‘My students seemed to be under the impression she was dragged off after dinner, I can’t believe none of them spoke to us-’ ‘Can you blame them? They’re terribly nervous… Ah, Poppy. We were wondering if Miss Weasley was here? Or whether you’ve seen her?’ Madam Pomfrey looked up from a simmering cauldron, looking pale and as stern as ever. She gave a short nod, then scooped the silvery potion into a large goblet. ‘Right this way,’ she said curtly. The two Professors followed curiously; the hospital wing seemed completely empty. They followed her into her office, where to their surprise they found a small group of students huddled round a bed that had been pushed hastily against the wall. Ginny Weasley lay in it, propped up by a good number of pillows, seemingly floating in and out of consciousness. Longbottom turned at their entrance, his face rather puffy and a dark bruise lining his jaw, holding Weasley’s hand. ‘What on earth…?’ ‘They tortured her again, Professor,’ said Finnegan grimly, who was sitting at the end of the bed. Dragged her into our class and did it right in front of us. Got a student to do it.’ ‘Which student?’ asked McGonagall sharply. ‘Goyle. I refused,’ said Longbottom. His voice was hoarse. He looked strikingly like his mother. Ginny was only faintly aware of the conversation around her. She could hear Professor Sprout’s outrage, and wondered if she should apologise for missing class. She couldn’t quite find the effort to open her mouth though, so instead remembered when she and Hermione stayed up late knitting hats for house elves. ‘Drink this,’ came a calm voice, and she found the back of her head being supported by a firm hand, and a goblet pressed to her lips. She drank deeply. The potion was icy, but with it her body seemed to relax, her mind clearing. Over the rim of the cup, she could see Professor Sprout watching her tearfully. When she had finished, she looked up at Madam Pomfrey, who placed her palm over her forehead, and then clicked her fingers by Ginny’s ears. ‘Can you tell me your name?’ she asked briskly. Neville inhaled sharply. ‘Ginny Weasley.’ ‘How do you make objects levitate?’ ‘Wingardium Leviosa.’ ‘Who’s top of the Quidditch League at the moment?’ ‘Kettering Kestrels.’ Madam Pomfrey smiled. ‘She’ll be fine, you’re just a little dazed, aren’t you?’ ‘Yes,’ said Ginny dumbly. ‘I’m sorry.’ ‘Don’t be stupid,’ said Neville. ‘I hope they’re not planning to make this a habit every time I come back to school,’ said Ginny. ‘Well, if you’re well enough to crack jokes, you’re well enough to talk to me,’ said Professor McGonagall. ‘Pomona, I’m terribly sorry, I know it’s your free period, but would you mind…?’ ‘Not at all,’ said Professor Sprout, hastily wiping tears from her cheeks. ‘I bet the power of being in charge has gone to Smith’s head, I’ll go and supervise your class now.’ ‘Thank you,’ said Professor McGonagall. ‘Perhaps suggest that I am still hunting down truants. I feel Miss Weasley’s condition should not be discussed openly.’ ‘Not much point of that, Professor,’ said Seamus as Professor Sprout left. ‘Everyone’s already gossiping.’ ‘And the earth is still turning, Mr Finnegan, life at Hogwarts will always remain so. Despite this, as teachers we should at least attempt to keep certain matters private. Now, tell me everything that happened.’ Between the three of them, they told Professor McGonagall the sudden and terrible events that had transpired, though even Ginny in her slightly confused state was wise enough to keep the coins secretive. She did, however, learn new information from Neville and Seamus. ‘They were asking loads of us if we’d heard about a broadcast,’ said Neville. ‘Wanted to know exactly what was said, and whether any of us had heard.’ ‘They hadn’t heard it themselves?’ asked McGonagall. Seamus shrugged. ‘They were sure it had happened, but…’ ‘I bet they were tipped off,’ said Ginny quietly. They stared at her. ‘What d’you mean?’ asked Neville. ‘Tipped off by who?’ ‘Potterwatch is protected,’ said McGonagall. ‘And they wouldn’t have known when it was on unless they were regular listeners. Is that what you’re saying Miss Weasley?’ Ginny nodded. Memories and disconnected words were dancing tauntingly through her mind, but she was struggling to tie them together into a coherent sentence. ‘We’ve thought before that… Someone in the D.A… Luna, the sleepover, someone must have…’ ‘Someone’s snitched on you before,’ said Neville quickly. ‘That’s what you mean?’ Ginny nodded. ‘I’d completely forgotten,’ Neville continued. ‘We knew it had to be someone in the D.A giving information to the Carrows, but we couldn’t figure out who and we just ended up thinking about other things…’ He drifted off and exchange a glance with Seamus. Ginny wondered if they too, were thinking about the coins currently sitting in their pockets. ‘That’s why I was banned from Hogsmeade,’ she said. ‘Because someone tried to get me in trouble.’ ‘And if it’s someone in the D.A, they will be a regular listener,’ said Neville. ‘We base our meetings around the broadasts.’ ‘I can’t believe we just… Forgot,’ said Seamus, with a stunned expression. ‘I mean, how bloody stupid of us.’ ‘Not at all,’ said Professor McGonagall. ‘Young people often ignore information they don’t like, and prefer to pretend there’s no problem. It’s a lesson you learn with age, sadly.’ A small bell sitting on the desk jumped a foot into the air and rang shrilly. Madam Pomfrey, pushed it down absent-mindedly and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her. ‘We should be grateful, in a way, Miss Weasley,’ said Professor McGonagall. ‘If they were acting on the word of a tip-off rather than evidence they were probably hoping that you would-’ She broke of suddenly, suddenly as alert and still as a hunting cat. The murmur of a deep, bitter voice was audible through the door, mixed with Madam Pomfrey loudly protesting. ‘Snape?’ whispered Neville. McGonagall rose. ‘Stay here,’ she said to them quietly. ‘Don’t make a sound.’ She shut the door too, but Ginny slid softly off the bed (supported by Neville), and the three of them crouched by it, pressing their ears against the gap. ‘-attempting to locate her,’ Snape was saying in a low voice. ‘For what purpose?’ asked Professor McGonagall. ‘Poppy and I are trying to do the very same, to ensure her safety and wellbeing.’ ‘I’m sure,’ replied Snape. ‘I wish to do the same. May we discuss in the office?’ ‘We may discuss in my office, Severus. Poppy, thank you for the tea, when I find Miss Weasley I will send her along.’ Neville tugged Ginny back and hastily helped her back onto the bed, Seamus leaping back to his chair in a flash. They waited with baited breath, but the door didn’t open, and Madam Pomfrey seemed to busy herself in the wing. ‘How are we going to hide you?’ whispered Neville desperately. ‘I guess I’ll have to go home,’ said Ginny. ‘We need to find out who the bloody hell snitched on us,’ said Seamus. ‘Because even if you go home, Ginny, it will just be someone else.’ ‘Yeah, I’m not giving up on the D.A,’ said Neville. ‘Sorry, Ginny, I understand if you want to-’ ‘I’m not giving up,’ she said swiftly, feeling a little offended. ‘I know I’ve had a bit of a wobble, but-’ ‘It’s more than a bit of a wobble,’ said Seamus. ‘But it’s spurred me on, if anything,’ said Ginny firmly. ‘I’m not letting them think they’ve won, because they haven’t.’ ‘You sound like Harry,’ said Neville, shaking his head. ‘Completely barking. So you’re not going home then?’ ‘Not yet, I suppose,’ she said heavily. ‘I’d like to right now, but I know once I got home I’d feel bored and useless.’ Seamus raised his eyebrows. ‘There are easier ways to entertain yourself than getting tortured, you know.’ She was about to answer, but Madam Pomfrey bustled back in, clutching a clipboard and a mug. ‘My tea’s completely cold now,’ she grumbled. ‘Come on boys, you can go back to class. Miss Weasley, you need more rest, I’ll get you some dreamless sleep potion — NOW Mr Finnegan.’ ‘See you soon, Ginny,’ Neville said, giving her hand one last squeeze. ‘Make sure Colin and Demelza know I’m all right!’ she called after them. ‘And, er, don’t forget that Galleon you owe me!’ Seamus gave her a wink as they left, and she was grateful for the warm messages of support that soothed her as she lay hidden in the tiny office. *** Ginny’s return to classes seemed a highly delicate operation. Teachers hovered around her in corridors, regularly making excuses to walk with her to her next class. Her Muggle Studies and Defence lessons were regularly interrupted by teachers, Prefects and student messages, all with random requests or forgotten possessions. Even the portraits seemed to be in on it, watching her closely in the common room. Though Ginny was grateful for their concern, it put her rather on edge. The D.A had rallied around her, furious at her treatment and eager for revenge. Polly, Zaha and Demelza provided sympathetic ears and warm hugs, soothing Ginny’s rather increased paranoia. ‘I just think you’re so brave,’ said Polly, handing her a mug of tea. ‘I’d have gone straight home if it were me.’ ‘I couldn’t even if I wanted to,’ said Ginny. ‘Will you sit with me in Muggle Studies though?’ ‘Of course I will! We’re not letting you face them alone.’ She did not need to be particularly concerned. Though she had been expecting taunts, smug hints and gleeful punishment, both Carrows seemed irritated her, yet also apparently keen to avoid direct conversation or contact. Often she had caught them throwing filthy glances at her, but mostly they acted as though she didn’t exist. Around a week after her experience, Colin rather nervously showed her the photograph he felt should be shared around the school. There was Harry, kneeling over the body of Albus Dumbledore. The stories in the press had described him as disconnected, uncaring, even pleased, and slowly students had remembered how collected he had been, how reserved and serious. It was not a large leap of faith to begin to agree with The Prophet, and the rumours that Harry had been the one to kill him had been given a breath of life. Yet this photograph, captured so expertly by Colin, showed the reality. The low light from people’s wands illuminated the undeniable expression of disbelief and devastation on Harry’s face. She watched as photo-Harry reached out and straightened the glasses on Dumbledore’s face. In a terrible, crushingly sad way, it was a beautiful photograph. That night, on Ginny’s insistence, they silently snuck out of the Common Room. Her, Colin, Seamus, Neville, Lavender and Parvati, her most trusted members of the D.A. That Luna wasn’t with them was painfully obvious, but their anger fuelled them. Colin handed them large wads of photos each. ‘Don’t forget the charm. Don’t leave any or take any back with you. Don’t forget the slogan.’ ‘And don’t use the coins,’ said Ginny quietly. They took one floor each, with the exception of the dungeons, ground and first floor, and slipped silently away down the darkened corridors. The reaction began at dawn, when the earliest rising students discovered the controversial redecoration of Hogwarts. Each photo blown up as big as each wall or other surface would allow, the dignified, heroic and humanised Harry looked down on the students of Hogwarts, reminding them of what they had lost. Beneath, in a wide variety of handwriting quality, bright red graffiti stated: FOR DUMBLEDORE. FOR HARRY. DUMBLEDORE’S ARMY. As furiously as they tried, neither the Carrows nor Snape were able to remove the photos (which had been stuck with an obscure permanent sticking charm Seamus had discovered) nor the graffiti, which they had etched into the walls before colouring in the bright crimson red. Whenever attempts were made to repair the castle walls and fill in the marks the graffiti had left, the stone would crumble away back to the message within minutes. ‘I’m sorry, Professor,’ said Flitwick. ‘But this is the problem with permanent sticking charms. They are permanent.’ Carrow’s growl of frustration did not quite stifle the sniggers of surrounding students, who scarpered as she reached for her wand. The student community couldn’t stop talking about it. Ginny’s coin was in a near constant state of warmth as D.A members who hadn’t been involved tried to find out the heroes behind the inspiring action. Incredible work, such a beautiful photo. One of Colin’s? Lavender x Who did this? So brave. Hannah Snape furious, excellent work mystery hero. Michael Ginny, however, remained extremely uneasy about using the coins. ‘Someone’s betraying us,’ she said to Neville. It’s almost certainly someone in the D.A.’ ‘They’ve never brought anyone to our meetings,’ he pointed out. ‘They’ve never disrupted any of our plans.’ ‘Yet,’ she reminded him. ‘We can’t make plans using these anymore… Not til we’ve figured something out.’ Keen to avoid the Carrows, who were stalking round the school looking for someone to punish, Ginny took the opportunity of a clear Saturday morning to visit Hagrid. It was good to be in the open air, she breathed it in deeply, enjoying the smell of pine and frost. She barely had to knock before Fang’s howling barks announced her arrival, scratching at the door and whining. ‘Ginny!’ Hagrid beamed down at her, but hadn’t been quick enough to hold back Fang, who leapt up so enthusiastically that she was pushed backwards onto the cold ground. ‘Oof! Fang!’ The dog slobbered over her enthusiastically, desperate to lick her face. ‘Get off her, yeh ruddy great lump,’ he pulled Fang off and extended a giant hand to help her up. ‘How are yeh, Ginny? Come in, come in, I jus’ put some tea on…’ ‘How’s Grawp?’ she asked, settling into one of Hagrid’s oversized armchairs. ‘Oh, ‘e’s fine, we’ve ‘bin learnin’ our ABCs… He struggles a bit with rememberin’ the letters and all tha’ but I’m sure we’ll crack it soon.’ He handed her a large mug of oddly pink looking tea, which she tried her best to look grateful for. ‘Are the centaurs not giving you trouble any more then?’ ‘Well, they don’ like me being there, tha’s for sure, but they can’t do nuthin’ when I’m with Grawpy. Their piddly arrows aren’t goin’ to make much difference to us. You’re all righ’, aren’t yeh, Ginny?’ He watched her carefully, and feeling a little awkward she blew slightly on her tea before answering. ‘You heard about my welcome, then?’ ‘Course I blummin’ well heard. Nearly marched righ’ up to the castle t’sort them out for yeh. It’s not righ’, not righ’ at all.’ She smiled at him. ‘Thanks, Hagrid. I’m all right now though, really.’ She took a sip of the tea and held back a grimace. ‘Ooh, er, what’s in this, Hagrid? It’s lovely… Very… perfumey.’ ‘Quivering winter zinnia, I found ‘em growing round by Dumbledore’s grave. They’re coming up lovely. I thought young Neville Longbottom migh’ like some as a matter o’ fact, I’ll send some back with yeh. If he replants them they should hum. How is he? All of yeh still getting into trouble, no doubt?’ Ginny told Hagrid everything about the D.A, even the coins. She took great comfort in Hagrid’s irrefutable loyalty, and the words came tumbling out of her mouth before she had time to think through what to say. She even confessed her fears about betrayal. ‘So it must be someone in the D.A,’ she finished miserably. Hagrid’s eyes had darkened significantly. ‘Well I’m glad you brough’ it up,’ he said in a low voice. ‘I was goin’ t’speak to yeh about tha’…’ ‘You were?’ Ginny said, surprised. Hagrid gave a brief glance to the window. ‘Yeh sure no one followed yeh down here?’ Ginny shook her head. ‘I think they’re all still fussing about the photos.’ He nodded, but drew the curtains anyway. Now in the low orange light of his fire and various lanterns, he looked unusually scary. ‘I overheard an argument between Professor Snape an’ the Carrows, first nigh’ back.’ ‘When I was locked up?’ ‘Yeah… I was headin’ up to the Headmaster’s office ‘cause my fourth years have got a timetabling problem - anyway, tha’s not important. I didn’ realise til later that they musta been talkin’ about you. Snape was shoutin’ at ‘em, saying no, absolutely not, it was out of the question, an’ that it wasn’t good enough.’ ‘What wasn’t good enough?’ Ginny was watching, her mouth agape, struggling to comprehend the idea of Snape and the Carrows arguing so viciously. ‘Well, they was saying tha’… Tha’ the Dark Lord should know, an’ tha’ he was back in the country now so it would be no bother.’ Ginny was clutching her mug very tightly. She hadn’t realised quite how close she’d been… ‘But Snape was sayin’ that they couldn’t just trust the word of a random student with a grudge, an’ that if they were wrong they’d all pay.’ ‘So they really didn’t hear it themselves? Someone did inform them?’ Hagrid’s face was a terrifying expression of fury. ‘Someone musta done. The Carrows were saying that they could get it out of yeh, but Snape wanted hard evidence, not hearsay, if he was goin’ to summon him. Said he wasn’ goin’ to risk his neck for the sake of some school gossip, an’ tha’ there was no proof there even was a radio programme.’ ‘Blimey…’ whispered Ginny. She felt as though she had been hit by the Hogwarts Express. ‘He didn’t think whoever snitched on me was very reliable, then?’ Hagrid shrugged. ‘I s’pose not. I reckon he was just frightened in case they ‘ad it wrong. I didn’ realise You-Know-Who hasn’ been in the country, I s’pose they were all enjoying him not being around. He said he wouldn’ summon ‘im, but they could give you detention. I didn’ know it was you, Ginny, I’m really-’ ‘You couldn’t have done anything anyway,’ she told him. ‘And it sounds like I got off easy.’ She took another sip of the sickly tea. ‘They didn’t catch you eavesdropping then?’ ‘Nah,’ he chuckled. ‘I know yeh won’t believe me, but I can creep off quite quietly when I have to.’ He patted Fang’s head absent-mindedly. ‘No idea who could be betraying yeh then?’ ‘No,’ said Ginny quietly. The thought of it made her shoulders sink. ‘And I have no idea how to find out. But these coins, Hagrid, I can’t give them up. They’re so useful for us. I don’t know what to do.’ ‘I’m glad yeh fightin’ back, Ginny, but perhaps lie low for a while.’ Ginny drained her cup. ‘Absolutely not. But don’t worry, I won’t get caught.’ |
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