Extended Summary: AU. When Ron and Hermione wrongly believe that Harry placed his name in the Goblet of Fire to enter the Triwizard Tournament, Harry appears to be truly isolated. Much to his relief, one person truly believes in him. She will be his inspiration to aspire to greatness, no matter what cost and far beyond what Dumbledore's plans for his destiny would be. Eventual Dark!Harry/Dark!Ginny pairing, with Ron, Hermione, and Dumbledore bashing.
Chapter One: Bravery:
Ginny Weasley stood just in the doors leading to the courtyard at Hogwarts, gazing forward and sighing. The previous night had seen the champions drawn for the Triwizard Tournament. The first three champions had been drawn, nothing too spectacular, but than the drawing of a mysterious, fourth champion. A champion who Ginny was almost certain was thrown into the heat of battle against his will, even if everyone else thought that he willingly found a way to trick the Goblet of Fire. The fourth champion was Harry Potter, the person that Ginny was gazing at right now, trying to drum up the courage to talk to. Harry did not know she was there, he seemed to be submerged in his own frustration and for good reason.
There was no reason to deny it, that at one point, Ginny had a crush on the Boy-Who-Lived. That crush disappeared sometime after Harry had saved her in the Chamber of Secrets. She liked him no less, but she found her affections pointed towards the boy, as opposed to the legend. It was not fair what Harry had to endure, each and every year for the past three years and now being thrown into the Triwizard Tournament, Ginny would have been on the verge of a nervous breakdown if she was in Harry's shoes. Yet, somehow, he managed to hold his sanity together, something that Ginny admired greatly.
Her morning had not been great. It had been filled with people praising Harry for finding a way to trick the Goblet and people saying that Harry tricked the Goblet because he was a glory hog. Ginny just barely resisted hexing both sides. Add to that the row she had with Hermione, with Hermione siding with Ron over the issue with Harry and Ginny wondered if the entire school had simultaneously lost their minds at the same time.
"Just talk to him, Weasley, he won't bite," muttered Ginny to herself as she took a couple of steps away from the doorway she was standing, right towards Harry. "I mean, he's always been nice to you, well, he's been nice to everyone that isn't a foul git like Malfoy or Snape, but still, don't be afraid, he's not going to make fun of you no matter what."
Ginny somehow managed to will her legs to take steps forward. She was sorted into Gryffindor for a reason, even though the hat previously considered Slytherin much to her utter horror. Not because she saw the world in black and white, good and evil, Gryffindor and Slytherin, like some people did, but because she was afraid what her family would think. Mostly her mother and given her reaction where she screamed at Ginny for hours about the diary incident, Ginny felt well justified in her fears. Still, there was a time to prove why the Sorting Hat did in fact settle on Gryffindor. Harry needed someone to stand by him and she needed to get over her shyness. Ginny had to be Harry's friend and maybe more if she was lucky enough.
Harry sat under a tree at the edge of the lake, deep in thought. How could he have been put in this tournament to in the first place? He never was even near the Goblet and now Ron thought he was an attention seeking egomaniac. The rest of the school cast him either dark or appraising looks. He had not even wanted to face Hermione, as she looked away from him quickly, as if she was disappointed. He knew he could not stay out here forever, no matter how tempting it was to avoid the rest of the world.
"Harry?" prompted Ginny, throwing all caution to the wind, forcing herself to look Harry straight in the eyes when she talked to him, noticing how beautiful they were. She wished Harry would not hide them under those ugly glasses and Harry looked at her. "Uh, hi."
