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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: 108205; Chapter Total: 3541 Awards: View Trophy Room |
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It was many hours later when Ginny heard the front door slam. She has nearly been asleep, so she briefly wondered whether she had dreamed the noise, but as she snuck stealthily into the darkened hallway and peered out the window, she saw Remus march swiftly out the gate, twist and vanish. She tried to creep silently down the stairs, dodging the creaky spots as she had done for so many years, straining her ears as she crouched awkwardly on the edge of a step, listening to her parents in the kitchen. ‘-Going to go back to Tonks?’ her father was asking urgently. ‘No!’ Molly was whispering with distress. ‘I was desperately trying to persuade him, I did make some progress, but he’s so conflicted-’ ‘Did I guess right then? Is Tonks…?’ There was silence, Ginny could only assume that her mother was either shaking or nodding her head. He heard her father give a heavy sigh. ‘He thinks it will be like him, he’s worried he’s cursed them both,’ Molly was saying. Ginny frowned in confusion. Who on earth was she talking about? She couldn’t imagine Remus cursing anyone. ‘Running away won’t help,’ said Arthur irritably. ‘I always thought he coped with his condition quite well, but apparently not.’ ‘Well, once you throw a child into the mix everything’s terrifying, you stop thinking straight, don’t you?’ said Molly. Thunk. Ginny had been so shocked, that her foot had slipped off the edge of the carpeted stair and she had lost her balance, falling awkwardly, and painfully, into a sitting position. The door to the kitchen opened immediately. ‘What was I just saying after dinner?’ asked her father angrily. ‘About respecting people’s privacy?’ ‘I came down to get a glass of water,’ Ginny said immediately, still sitting like a small child on the stair. ‘Don’t even try it,’ said Molly dangerously. ‘How much did you hear? No, in fact, I don’t want to know, just don’t you dare repeat a word to anybody.’ ‘Are Tonks and Lupin having a baby?’ asked Ginny. ‘Oh, go to bed, Ginny,’ said Molly warily. ‘Well are they?’ ‘Ginny, bed,’ ordered Arthur. ‘Is Remus running out on them? What a complete-’ ‘GINEVRA!’ She scampered back up to her room. *** For the next few days she tried desperately to wheedle information out of her parents, but they remained tight lipped. She had successfully recruited Fred and George into the efforts, as they seemed just as horrified and intrigued as she was, but they had a business to run and thus there were other things to distract them. Ginny had very little to do but sulk, so sticking her nose in the affairs of others seemed like a good way to spend her time. ‘You should be preparing for your interview tomorrow,’ lectured Molly, ignoring Ginny’s questioning once again. ‘What on earth am I supposed to prepare?’ asked Ginny incredulously. ‘They haven’t exactly said what it is, they haven’t told me to write anything or practice any spells…’ ‘Well, have you thought about what to wear?’ Molly asked briskly, folding laundry with a firm flick of her wand. ‘Er, clothes? I dunno. I don’t really plan my outfits in advance.’ ‘Yes, we can all see that,’ said Molly disapprovingly, looking pointedly at Ginny’s ripped jeans and scruffy Quidditch top. ‘I think you should try and look professional.’ ‘Why? I’m going to school, not getting a job.’ ‘I just think it’s best we don’t rock the boat, and a good first impression will help,’ said Molly patiently. ‘Now, have you fed Crookshanks?’ Ginny groaned. ‘Just because I’m bored doesn’t mean you need to give me extra chores. Can’t I go down to the village?’ ‘Certainly not. Go and feed the cat.’ Feeling highly resentful, Ginny trudged upstairs to find Crookshanks, wondering dully if Harry, Ron and Hermione were bored. Obviously not, idiot, she thought bitterly. They’re off saving the world, getting stuck in to all the action. Her thoughts strayed once again to the mysterious objects Harry, Ron and Hermione were hunting. She couldn’t think why they would be searching for objects after Harry had said they were trying to kill Voldemort, so she had considered that they were looking for things that could be used as weapons against him. But then she remembered Ron wondering how to destroy them, and she was back to square one. Crookshanks was hiding under Hermione’s old camp bed, which Ginny had not yet bothered to put away. ‘Do you miss her?’ she crooned to the grumpy looking cat. ‘It’s ok, I miss her too…’ She made gentle clicking noises, rubbing her fingers at him, but he simply hissed at her. ‘Do you want to come with me to Hogwarts or not?’ Perhaps her impatient tone had reminded him of Hermione, or maybe he had even understood her, but Crookshanks tentatively made his way out from under the bed and allowed Ginny to scoop him up. He purred in her arms and she scratched gently behind his ears, gazing at the wall, completely lost in thought. She had expected to miss Harry and even Ron, but Hermione’s absence was making her feel lonelier than ever. It was Hermione who would know exactly how to prepare for the interview, Hermione who would nod in sympathy when she described how excluded she felt, Hermione who would listen to her thoughts on Tonks and Lupin, and Hermione who would be feeding this stupid cat. In times like these, friendship was what kept you going, but her father had been nervous even about letters being sent, so she’d been unable to write to Luna or Demelza. Though what she would have said to them she had no idea. The next day, her nervous mother bullied her into a frumpy set of professional witches robes and pulled her hair into such a tight French braid that Ginny wondered if it had changed the shape of her face. ‘Now remember to stay calm,’ Molly said hurriedly. ‘Don’t let them wind you up, Ginny, don’t let it get like the wedding, just stick to the facts and don’t worry too much.’ ‘I’m fine, Mum,’ Ginny assured her. ‘Dad’s taking me, remember? I won’t be alone.’ This did seem to calm Molly a little, but it was still with a tearful wave that she bade them farewell. Gripping tightly onto her father’s arm, Ginny felt the unpleasant, suffocating sensation of Apparition, and suddenly she was stood in front of the shabby looking visitor entrance to the Ministry of Magic. She began to remember that night in the Department of Mysteries, but her dad took her firmly by the arm and began pulling her to the telephone box. ‘Let’s not loiter, Ginny,’ he said anxiously, glancing over his shoulder. He muttered to himself as he dialed the code into the receiver. ‘Welcome to the Ministry of Magic,’ said the cool female voice. ‘Please state your name and business.’ ‘Arthur Weasley, escorting Ginevra Weasley for her, er, attendance interview.’ ‘Thank you. Please take the badge and attach it to the front of your robes.’ Ginny took her badge, pinned it grumpily to her lapel. ‘All visitors are required to present your wand for registration at the security desk, which is located at the front of the Atrium.’ ‘That’s moved, hasn’t it?’ said Ginny as the floor of the telephone box shook and began to sink slowly into the ground. ‘Yes,’ mumbled Arthur, clearly trying to stay casual. ‘Things have got a bit stricter. Try not to look like you’ve noticed anything’s wrong.’ ‘What do you-’ Her words caught in her throat as she followed his pained expression. The long hall seemed far darker and colder than when she had seen it last, with a grotesque black marble statue in place of the golden fountain she had been expecting. On the dark paneled walls, Harry’s face stared out from sinister posters, UNDESIRABLE NUMBER ONE emblazoned across his chest. She swore under her breath. ‘What the hell are-’ ‘Not here, Ginny’ whispered Arthur urgently. ‘Don’t look at them.’ She tore her eyes away and looked more closely at the statue. The twisted forms of humans and the slogan ‘MAGIC IS MIGHT’ sent shivers down her spine, and she suddenly felt a nauseous feeling similar to just before an important Quidditch match. They did not have to walk very far before they were pulled aside by grim looking security. They were led to a security desk with odd looking scales, behind which a badly shaved wizard looked nervously at them. ‘Sorry about this, Arthur,’ he said apologetically. ‘You understand.’ Her father didn’t say anything, but the security that had pulled them over now pushed them against the wall, patting them down and sweeping a probity probe over every inch of their bodies. ‘You’re a pretty one,’ said one of them quietly as he swept the probe up the inside of her leg. Her disgusted expression only made him wink. ‘Wand, please,’ one of them said, stretching out a hand. She looked uneasily at her father. Handing over her wand didn’t seem like a good idea. Arthur, however, gave a short nod, his face stony. Her wand was dropped into the odd instrument, which began to vibrate with a quiet clatter. From the base, a slip of parchment came out, which the badly shaved wizard tore off smoothly. ‘Fir, eleven inches, dragon heartstring, been in use five years?’ She nodded, and he threw it back to her. ‘Good luck,’ he said. ‘Do I need it?’ He simply shrugged. Her father led her away through the crowded atrium. The chatter of the workers buzzed in her ears, and she found herself focusing very hard on trying to look unperturbed by the threatening atmosphere of the place. Arthur checked her letter as they stepped into a lift. ‘It looks like you’re in the Apparition Test Centre, that’s on level six, I think.’ The test centre had been filled with small, temporary desks, the kind Ginny had only ever seen in exams. The entire room, at least half the size of the Great Hall, was a flurry of activity, with huge queues of teenagers lining the walls and tired looking Ministry workers behind every desk. The sheer number of people made the room hot and sticky; students were fanning themselves with documents and the Ministry workers had charmed parchment into oriental style fans which hovered and fluttered near their faces. ‘It just isn’t good enough,’ a nearby worker was saying, red in the face. ‘This isn’t proof.’ ‘What does count as proof?’ asked the student opposite, her voice shaking with desperation. ‘What do you want me to do?’ ‘Were we supposed to bring documents?’ Ginny asked her father quickly. ‘Don’t worry,’ he said, reaching into his inside pocket. ‘I have your birth certificate and some photos here. Kingsley did warn me.’ ‘They didn’t tell us to bring that stuff though, did they? They barely said what to expect.’ ‘It’s been a nightmare, honestly,’ came a familiar voice. She turned to see Ernie Macmillan queuing just in front of her. ‘Terribly unorganized. I’ve been here for an hour and a half already, this isn’t a queue — they call out your name when they want to see you. I mean, what was the point of individual appointments if they’re just going to keep us waiting anyway? I personally think there’s been a distinct lack of oversight for the entire operation.’ Her heart sank and she looked up at her father. ‘Do you need to go?’ ‘Yes, I’m sorry,’ he said, his face crumpling. ‘I have to get to the office, you come straight up to me when you’re done though.’ He handed her a bundle of documents, and reluctantly left the room, leaving her with Ernie and the hundreds of other students. ‘How are you, Ernie?’ she asked distractedly, trying to make conversation. ‘Oh, you know,’ he said, waving a hand airily. ‘Same as everyone else. I was hoping to see… Er… No, that would be silly, wouldn’t it?’ ‘Yes,’ she said firmly, knowing exactly who he had been hoping to see. ‘No one’s heard from him.’ A wailing noise caught their attention, and they looked across the room to see a girl sobbing at a desk, with an awkward looking security wizard trying to tug her away. ‘Merlin’s beard,’ spluttered Ernie. ‘That’s Sally-Anne!’ ‘Who?’ asked Ginny, watching with horror, but Ernie didn’t answer straight away. He seemed transfixed by the scene. ‘It’s not a problem,’ the Ministry worker was saying to Sally-Anne soothingly. ‘You just need to be processed by the Muggleborn Registration Commission.’ ‘Sally-Anne Perks,’ said Ernie faintly. ‘She’s in my year, my house… She’s Muggleborn.’ Ginny’s stomach lurched, and she stared at the tearful blonde girl, now being led into a different room by security. As the door opened, she caught a glimpse of another room, similar to this, filled with adults, many of which were in Muggle clothes. ‘Stupid girl,’ Ernie was muttering, his chin shaking. ‘Stupid, stupid girl. We told her, Justin and I, we said she should get out while she could, Justin’s gone already…’ ‘Where do you think they’re taking her?’ asked Ginny. ‘All the Muggleborn’s they’ve found have been taken through there,’ said another boy, who had clearly been listening in on their conversation. ‘None of them have come back through yet.’ ‘How long have you been waiting, Euan?’ asked Ernie curiously. Euan shrugged. ‘A few hours.’ Ginny sighed, and sat on the grimy, threadbare green carpet, leaning against the wall. ‘Might as well get comfy then.’ It was a horribly long wait. The heat was stifling; students that were of age were conjuring cups of water to go round but they simply weren’t quick enough to keep up with demand. Every half an hour or so traumatic scenes of a student being led through the same door as Sally-Anne would capture her attention, but for the most part utter boredom was the dominant emotion; frustrating and exhausting and uncomfortable. ‘Are all the students here?’ asked Ginny hoarsely, hoping to find someone she knew better to talk to. Ernie shook his head, yawning. ‘Just Hufflepuff’s A to M and Gryffindors M to Z. I think. Merlin knows how they thought up the system.’ She felt disappointed that she would not see Neville or Luna, but looked around, hoping to spot Demelza. She spotted a russet ponytail that she thought might belong to her, but the student was already talking to a Ministry worker at a rickety table on the far side of the room. Euan was called over, and perhaps forty minutes later so was Ernie, leaving Ginny to lean her head back against the wall and scrunch her eyes shut. The chatter of the hall merged into a droning buzz, and she found herself picturing the lake in glorious sunshine. She could see his hands, playing delicately with her own, softly raising interlocking fingers against a deep azure sky, the smell of the grass and the feel of his chest moving with laughter surrounding her with joy… ‘Weasley, Ginny.’ She opened her eyes and stood up, staggering a little. She glanced at her watch and realized she must have been dozing for at least an hour. Feeling slightly embarrassed and rather dazed, she followed a petite witch to one of the desks and sat down awkwardly, a little worried about their knees touching. ‘Now,’ said the witch briskly. ‘Do you have any documentation with you?’ ‘Er… Yes, my birth certificate.’ The witch glanced down at it. ‘Mmhm… And you can confirm that this is yours?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Oh, look, and it’s your birthday tomorrow!’ ‘That’s right.’ ‘Well, happy birthday! Okay, you can go.’ ‘I- what?’ Ginny stared at her. She was already marking her name off a clipboard. ‘Are you serious?’ ‘Well, you’re a Weasley, aren’t you? Well known Purebloods.’ ‘Yes, but… That’s all? After over three hours of waiting?’ ‘Collect your blood status card on the way out,’ said the witch, getting up from her seat. Ginny had not wanted to be interrogated. She had no desire to sit and be grilled with endless questions about her family tree, and she certainly did not want to be in this crowded room any longer. Yet there was something extremely annoying about the anti-climax, and she didn’t want to leave without at least something to angrily report back to Fred and George. ‘Where are you taking all the Muggleborns?’ she asked the witch quickly. She flushed, looking shiftily over at security. ‘They just have to go through a separate process for their cards. Through there. Muggleborn adults have to register too.’ ‘But why?’ demanded Ginny. ‘Why do we even need cards in the first place?’ The witch looked down at her, then back at security, then to her clipboard. ‘Look,’ she said in a low voice. ‘I’m friendly with your father. Just be grateful I’ve authorized you, all right? You could have been here a lot longer.’ She stalked off, looking for the next student on her list. Ginny left the room, wondering if she had dreamed the entire encounter. On her way out, she stopped by another security desk and was given a small, rectangular card with her photo on it. GINEVRA WEASLEY: PUREBLOOD CONFIRMED 09 AUGUST 1997 ‘Keep that with you at all times,’ advised the wizard who handed it to her. ‘Losing it could get you into quite a sticky spot.’ ‘What do the Muggleborns get?’ Ginny asked coldly. ‘Never you mind,’ he said, turning to the next student. ‘Ginny! Ginny!’ Just ahead of her, Pavarti Patil was gesturing to her frantically. She hurried over, and Pavarti embraced her dramatically. ‘Oh, Ginny, I’ve been so worried! How are you all, how’s-’ ‘Everyone’s fine,’ said Ginny shortly, conscious that security was watching them. ‘How are you and Padma?’ ‘We’re fine, but we could believe what was written about Harry in the-’ Ginny hushed her desperately. ‘Come on,’ she muttered. Walk with me to my Dad’s office, you can Floo from there.’ ‘Is he okay though?’ whispered Pavarti as they linked arms and walked swiftly towards the lifts. ‘I don’t know, probably,’ said Ginny through gritted teeth, glancing around anxiously. ‘He dumped me at the funeral, remember?’ ‘Oh, right, of course,’ said Pavarti looking shocked. ‘I mean, I thought that was just…’ ‘No, it’s true,’ said Ginny pointedly. ‘Exactly as Hermione told you, understand?’ The golden grille slid shut in front of them, but they were not alone in the lift. Other exhausted students were staring at Ginny; she could almost see the questions forming on their lips. She wondered if this was how Harry had felt all these years. ‘I didn’t realize he was so mean,’ said Pavarti, still sounding very uncertain. Something was aching in Ginny’s chest. ‘Yeah… Well… Men, eh? They can be very cruel.’ They reached level two, and Ginny guided Pavarti out. The lift rose away with a shudder, and Ginny realized that for the first time they were alone in a deserted corridor. Pavarti had clearly realized too. ‘I’m not stupid, Ginny. I wasn’t stupid when Hermione tried to convince us, and I’m not stupid now.’ ‘You clearly are,’ snapped Ginny. ‘I mean, what are you playing at, talking like that in front of people? There’s a reason he left me, and he did leave me, just not in the way we’re trying to tell everyone. If you want to keep me and my family safe, you have to keep telling everyone that story.’ ‘No one believes it,’ Pavarti said, looking very offended. ‘No one that knows him. It’s just not like Harry to do that.’ ‘I don’t care,’ Ginny hissed furiously. ‘As long as everyone repeats the same gossip around Death Eaters and Slytherins, I don’t care if they believe it.’ There finally seemed to be some understanding in Pavarti’s face, her eyes were welling with tears. ‘He’s not coming back, is he? I was looking for him today, but he didn’t show. And Lavender had her interview a couple of days ago and said Hermione wasn’t there. And your brother,’ her eyes suddenly widened with realization. ‘He’s not here either!’ ‘No, they’re not coming back,’ said Ginny irritably. ‘But… They’re supposed to…’ Pavarti looked terrified. ‘He’s meant to be our leader. Like in fifth year.’ ‘Well, he’s not going to be,’ said Ginny bluntly. ‘You’d better look like we’ve been gossiping about Lavender or someone. We’re nearly at my dad’s office.’ |
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