Ginny's Story

Chapter 26 Getting Used To It

Chapter 26 Getting Used To It
Harry,
Isn’t it strange how one can get used to something so strange and different to what you’re used to. That’s what I’m thinking right now, because although I hate what Hogwarts and the whole wizarding world has become, I guess I’m used to it now.
Don’t get me wrong, Harry, I hate it all and don’t approve of what the Death Eaters are doing in the slightest. I hate that my face is a constantly scratched up mess and that we - the DA - are always being put in detention because we stand up for what he believe in.
I know that life for people who don’t support you is much easier and pain-free, but I wouldn’t trade my support in for the world.
I’m stronger now. Going through all of this has made me a stronger person and I can now withstand pain. Would you be proud of me? I hope so, because I’ve done all of this for you.
I love you. Please come back safe and... alive.
Love Ginny

I set down my quill and blew on the ink, making it dry faster. I then folded up the parchment and placed it in my carefully hidden trunk, where bits of parchment letters to Harry laid, untouched. Nobody would ever see them, and that was just how I liked it.
“Ginny!” Parvati shouted from outside the dormitory. “Neville wants you.”
I hastily shut my trunk and ran outside, hurriedly thanking Parvati as I went.
“Neville, what is it?” I panted.
Neville grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the common room, explaining as he did so. “First years got caught trying to graffiti the Great Hall with support for Harry. They’re in the dungeons now.”
I shook my head in disgust. First years... how could anybody torture first years like that? They were just innocent and naive children, after all.
The dungeons were cold and dark - much more so than any other part of the castle. Neville and I lit our wands, but all that achieved was an eerie stream of dim light - but it was still better than nothing.
We hurried along the corridors until we reached the room we referred to as the ‘torture room’. It was the room that was the smallest but had the highest ceilings with cages lined on it, left over from centuries ago when they used that sort of punishment. In a way, it was a bit like we had stumbled back in time.
“Nev, levitate me up there and I’ll let them out,” I said breathlessly.
“Levicorpus,” Neville said in a rush. I felt my body drift upwards through the air until I reached the cage where five students were held.
“Alohomora,” I muttered. The lock sprung open and Neville levitated me down, then we both did the same with the first year students.
“Thank you,” one of the students said quietly. They looked shaken to the core at what they had just been through. I had no idea how long they had been in those cages, but I did know what it did to a person. It made you feel hopeless, and all the bad thoughts we all tried to block out of our minds, rush to the front and suffocate all other thought, especially the happy ones. It was terrible.
“Look out!” a first year girl screamed, pointing behind Neville and I. We spun around and saw the Carrows standing side by side, wands drawn.
Neville shot the first spell, trying to disarm them both, but only managing to disarm Alecto. Amycus snarled and swiped his wand through the air. I ducked, but Neville was too slow. The spell hit his cheek, drawing a large and bloody cut on it.
“Stupefy!” I cried, stunning Amycus before he could do any more damage. Neville and I rounded the younger children out of the dungeons, running back to our common room.
“Bright light,” Neville panted the password when we reached the Fat Lady portrait. She swung open the portrait and we all stumbled inside.
How odd, I thought. How odd that I was just writing a letter to Harry about how we were getting used to things... but now that I think about it, you can never really get used to living like we are now, we can just begin to expect it.
I shrugged away those thoughts and sat next to Neville, who was dabbing the cut on his face and muttering small healing spells under his breath.
“How is it?” I asked gently, making him jump in surprise.
Neville shook his head. “Not good. There must have been something in that spell that makes cuts heal very slowly.”
“You should see Madam Pomfrey,” I suggested worriedly. Neville shook his head again.
“Nope, no way am I going out again tonight when the Carrows are loose. How about we just look up the spell and see if it has any information on how to heal it.”
I ran to my dormitory and fetched a book I took from home, since I knew I would need to learn some healing spells. I flicked pages until I found the spell that was used on Neville. I read through the passage and sighed.
“Neville,” I said heavily, coming back into the common room. “Looks like you’re going to have that cut for a while, and then after that, a scar. Turns out if you don’t treat it ten minutes after it occurred, it doesn’t heal properly.”
“Oh well,” Neville shrugged. “Scars are just part of a war, aren’t they? Maybe people will start calling me ‘the boy who fought’ or something of the sort.”
I snorted with laughter. “More like ‘the boy who got caught’!”
Neville gently slapped my arm and we collapsed in laughter and something Fred and George told me once came to my mind.
‘Laughter is the best medicine to heal darkness.’ I had to keep reminding of myself of that quote to keep my spirits up.

So I added a bit of action in here thqat I hadn't planned to, but I hope you enjoyed it!