Ginny's Sixth Year

Chapter 21

When I woke up, Bill had left. George was sleeping on Fred's shoulder, and Fred was staring at me blankly. "Fred? What time is it?" I whispered.

"What?" Fred asked. He clearly hadn't been paying attention.

"Time."

"About 1:15. George is just tired. Bill got called into work; something about a sick goblin, I think. How're you feeling?" Fred said.

"Better. A lot better. How hideous do I look?"

"You have a faint resemblance to Bill that has nothing to do with having the same parents. You have a pretty nasty scar on your cheek." He paused. "Neville and Luna came visit you during lunch. Brought this up to you." He handed me a pile of homework with a note from Neville on it. 

Ginny,

Here's your Dark Arts and Potions homework. Snape decided that sixth and seventh years should have classes together. Carrow was furious when he found out where you are. Watch your back.

Neville

Couldn't I just have one peaceful moment? 

"What does he say?" Fred asked, craning his neck to get a better look at the note.

"Apparently I have classes with the seventh years now. They combined the years. And Carrow is really mad at me for coming here today."

"You won't get another detention, will you?"

"I hope not." 

Just then, none other then Amycus Carrow burst into the room. "Madame Pomfrey! There's an emergency! A student is ill!"

"Bring him or her up!" Madame Pomfrey cried, obviously annoyed that he had not done this in the first place.

"I can't! I don't want to hurt him!" Carrow bellowed. "Hurry up! I'll stay here with your patient."

Madame Pomfrey muttered something along the lines of "stupid bloody Death Eaters" and left.

"You know who that student is, Weasley? Longbottom. Thought it'd be a good distraction."

"No!" I cried. 

"Yes. Now, are you so simple that you forgot what I told you? You are not allowed in the hospital wing! Who are these people? They must be he twins I keep hearing you talk about! Wake up!" Carrow flicked his wand at George, who jolted awake.

"Wuzzagoinon?" George asked. He looked from Fred to me to Carrow. "You!" 

"You two are going to watch this." Carrow flicked his wand at the twins and their eyes were suddenly glued on me. 

Fred must have realized what was going to happen. "No! Take me instead! Don't harm her! I'll do anything!" he bellowed.

"Aww, how sweet! Crucio!" screamed Carrow, his wand now pointed at me. Searing pain consumed me, my scars did exactly as Madame Pomfrey had warned. Fred and George screamed. Carrow finally let up. "That was fun." Carrow waved his wand at George and I and we were unable to look at anything other than Fred. I noticed the tears streaming down his cheeks. "Crucio!" Fred collapsed in pain. I could hear George screaming in the background.

"Please! Stop! No! I'll do anything! Don't hurt them! Hurt me!" I cried. 

It seemed to be hours before Madame Pomfrey burst in. "What in the name of..." she shouted over the the three Weasleys screaming and Carrow laughing. "Put your wand away!"

"Sorry, ma'am," Carrow said, though he was clearly unapologetic. "I'll leave now."

Madame Pomfrey waved her wand and made my bleeding stop. I leaped out of my bed and knelt next to Fred.

"You okay?" I asked. Tears were steadily flowing down all three of our cheeks.

"Ginny. You shouldn't have said some of the things..." Fred's voice trailed off. He tried to get up, but he fell.

"Freddie?" George cried. George helped Fred up. 

"How do you feel?" I asked quietly.

"In awe," Fred said dreamily.

"Of what?" George asked. His voice sounded the same Fred's had when George had told Fred that he was "saintlike."

"Ginny. How she survived this curse so many times. It hurts."

George cracked a smile and ran his fingers through Fred's hair. "I noticed." 

Fred swatted George's hand away. He weakly reached his hand out and touched the scar on my face. "What have they done to my sister?"

We sat in silence for a few minutes. I stared at the tears flowing down Fred and George's cheeks. I don't know if I had ever seen Fred cry before that. I was surprised that Madame Pomfrey wasn't swarming me with complaints about my reckless behaviour while injured. I guess that she was giving us space. "Miss Weasley, you may go," she said at last. We all knew that it was safer for me to leave than stay.

Fred was obviously in pain, but he helped me stand up and asked me where I was going next.

"Muggle Studies," I answered grimly.

"Oh joy! I get to meet the other one!" George said sarcastically. He was still limping, and he was mostly there to make sure that Fred didn't collapse. Together, we walked to Muggle Studies.