“Gosh, Harry, it was sooo…”
“Stupid?”
“No…”
“Unintelligent?”
“No…”
“Dangerous?”
“NO!” Ginny turned to look at him. “Will you let me finish my sentence? It was FUNNY.”
They had both just gotten out of their first meeting of the Slug Club, and were trying to get back to their own compartments. Harry pushed Ginny to keep her moving forward through the crowded passage. “No it isn’t funny at all. Don’t you know there’s a war on? Malfoy’s father is a Death Eater, and he might even be one himself for all we know. You can’t go around hexing Death Eaters and expect there will be no retribution.”
Ginny tossed her head. “Oh I know there will be retribution! That’s what makes it all so exciting.”
“Ginny, this is not a game,” Harry said angrily.
“Look, Harry,” Ginny said, “I know you have this crazy theory about Draco helping You-Know-Who and all--no, LISTEN!” She held up her hand when Harry tried to shut her up. “He is an absolute moron, a fiend, an evil troll, oozing bubotuber pus, pretty much anything disgusting you can think of, but he isn’t a Death Eater. He isn’t a cold-blooded killer.”
“How do you know?” asked Harry.
“I just do,” Ginny said firmly. “We’re almost at the station. You go find Ron and Hermione. I have to go meet Dean.” Ginny turned and hurried the other way as Harry sighed and entered the compartment to find Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Luna.
---------------
The banquet went off without a hitch, and to Ginny’s surprise, Malfoy barely seemed to notice her at all throughout the entire meal. As they had left the Great Hall she had caught his eye, but he had only smiled strangely at her.
“I’m confused,” Ginny complained to Hermione as they watched Ron and Harry play a game of exploding snap. They were sitting in the nearly empty Gryffindor common room.
“He acted like nothing happened.”
“Maybe he just forgot,” said Ron helpfully. “He isn’t very bright, is he?” Ron had been the happiest of the three when he had heard of Ginny’s hex.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Ron,” Hermione snapped, looking up from her reading. “Malfoy isn’t stupid, we all know that. And Ginny, stop talking like you want him to do something back to you. I almost think you and Malfoy enjoy doing all these things to each other.”
“But I do!”
Hermione sighed. “You need to grow up a bit. Sometimes I think you’re a bit too… giddy.”
“Giddy? Me?” Ginny’s eyes danced with laughter. “I’m not giddy at all! Why, today I didn’t even slide down the banisters on the way to the common room. Is that giddy? Is that the action of a giddy person? Tell me, Hermione!” She stood up and gestured with a dramatic flourish.
“You didn’t slide down the banisters because you were riding on Dean’s back pretending he was a broomstick,” pointed out Harry.
“That is a minor detail,” Ginny said dismissively. She sat back thinking. “I wish I could duel Malfoy.”
“NO WAY,” said Ron, Hermione, and Harry all at once.
Ginny pounded her fists in frustration. How could she explain to them exactly why it was so important that she challenge Malfoy? Couldn’t they see that she wouldn’t be happy unless they were locked in eternal combat?
“Dueling is illegal, Ginny,” Hermione said, her face stern.
“Oh right, like that’s ever stopped you lot before,” Ginny retorted.
“But even if you did duel him, Malfoy wouldn’t fight fair. We all know that. The only way to make sure would be if you had a Morphelius Stone, and that---” Hermione suddenly stopped speaking, her face going red as Harry and Ron both glared at her.
“A… What?” Ginny asked.
“Oh, nothing at all,” Hermione said, waving her hand vaguely in the air.
Ginny stared at her. Hermione began to read again. Harry and Ron were suddenly concentrating very hard on their game.
“What’s a Morphelius stone?” Ginny asked them.
“What?” Ron asked innocently. “Morliph – Morlep – ah I can’t say I’ve ever heard of it. Have you heard of it, Harry?” He squinted at Harry.
“I can’t say that I have, mate. It’s a funny name for a stone, though, isn’t it?” Harry shrugged at Ginny.
Ginny stared at all of them. They weren’t telling her. They had locked her out of their world again.
“Fine, don’t tell me. But I remember what it’s called: the Mor-phe-li-us stone. And in case you’ve all forgotten, I can just look it up in the library.” Ginny was about to leave when Hermione grabbed her hand.
“Wait, wait. I’ll tell you what it is,” Hermione said tiredly. “Just promise me you won’t go and do anything stupid.”
“Really?” Ginny asked excitedly. She walked back to sit next to her. Hermione was so responsive to reverse psychology. “I promise I won’t do anything stupid!” Ron gave a snort.
Hermione put her book down on the table and looked at Ginny anxiously. “A Morphelius stone was used to settle disputes between wizards back before there was a Ministry of Magic. Both wizards enter into a pact and the stone sets them challenges, which they have to complete. The stone also ensures that neither of the wizards cheats or attempts to harm the other unless it is part of the challenge. It’s similar to the way the Goblet of Fire worked in the Triwizard Tournament.”
“Is it dark magic?” asked Ginny.
“Not… exactly. They are quite common, we even use them in potions in our seventh year, but Ginny – You absolutely cannot use one to challenge Draco.” Hermione had never looked so serious.
“I’ll tell mum if you do,” Ron added.
Ginny rolled her eyes at him. “Don’t worry guys. I won’t.” NOT. “I absolutely, positively wouldn’t do such a thing.” NOT. NOT. NOT. “And thanks for telling me, though I would have found out anyway.” She got up and left them, deep in thought as she walked towards the girl’s dormitory.
“She’s going to look for one, isn’t she?” Ron asked.
“Yes,” said Harry and Hermione sadly.
----------
Ginny had barely entered her room when a black-headed figure hurtled into her with a shriek of “Ginny!” They both collapsed onto the floor, Ginny banging her head on the doorframe as they fell.
“Marie, you idiot,” Ginny said groaning as she stars circled in her vision.
“Oh, sorry Ginny,” said Marie, giggling. Ginny grumbled in reply. It was a bit hard to talk back with Marie’s elbow digging into her chest. She pushed her off and sat up, rubbing her jaw gingerly.
“Do you always have to be so enthusiastic in your greetings, Marie?” came a worried voice from behind Marie’s head. Ginny looked behind her to see Jane, her eyes anxious as always. Marie smiled apologetically.
“Where were you two on the train?” asked Ginny as Jane helped them both up. “You weren’t at the feast either.”
“Marie had a bit of an… accident,” explained Jane.
“Oh noooo…”
“I was trying to practice Apparition on the train,” said Marie, “only a few feet over…I thought I could do it!” Ginny rolled her eyes, Marie thought she could do anything. “But then Jane yelled ‘Stooooooop!’ so loud I got distracted and splinched myself.” Ginny winced. “It hurt really bad and I was crying except I was crying in two different places you know, because one eye was in my face and one eye was beside me. Then they came and took me to St. Mungo’s and they put me back together and ohmygod it hurt soooo bad, and,” Marie beamed at her, “it was so totally AWESOME!”
Jane sighed. “You’re hopeless.”
“Show her the picture, Jane! Show her the picture,” Marie begged, pulling Ginny to sit down on the bed.
Jane walked to her bag and pulled out a photograph with the air of one indulging a lunatic. She brought it over to show Ginny. It showed Marie (though many of her body parts were lying beside her) on a stretcher being wheeled through the white halls of St. Mungo’s. The body parts were moving and blood was pouring from the various holes in the body. It looked like the most painful thing Ginny had ever seen. “The nurses said I was the bravest splinch victim they had ever seen. They even gave me a badge of honour!” Marie pointed to her robes to show a Technicolor badge that displayed the words “Marie O’Donnell: Splinch Survivor” in flashing neon.
“Oh. My. God. You are insane!” Ginny said laughing.
Jane grunted. “Yes, we know that!”
Ginny pulled them both into a hug. It was good to see her best friends again. “I had something to tell you both too, but it doesn’t feel important anymore compared to splinching!”
“Ooh, what is it?” Marie asked. Even Jane looked interested.
“I hexed Malfoy on the train!”
“Oh cool!” said Marie.
“You didn’t!” said Jane.
“I did indeed,” said Ginny proudly, standing up to face them both. “But I’ve got something even more important to tell you both. I think…we need to have a war council!"
Five minutes later they were all sitting under the covers of Ginny’s bed, their wands casting light up onto their faces. “Now,” Ginny began, “if I know Malfoy, he’ll be planning something. He doesn’t like being beaten. He’ll want to get me back, which is why I need to get him back first…. I have an idea.” She told them about the Morphelius stone.
“But where do we get one?” asked Jane. “If it’s banned...”
“That’s the thing!” explained Ginny triumphantly. “It’s not banned! Hermione told me that seventh years use them in Potions, which means there must be some right here at Hogwarts!”
“You mean we would have to steal them from Snape?” Marie whispered, nearly trembling in excitement. She loved a good bit of mischief making.
“No! There’s a new potions master this year,” Ginny explained. “He's really strange and...happy. Not like Snape at all.”
“Can we really do it without getting caught?” Jane asked doubtfully.
“Jane, stop worrying about things all the time. It’ll work out just fine!” Ginny put her hand in the middle of the ring. “Now, who’s with me?”
Jane looked doubtful, but Marie took her hand and set it on top of Ginny’s. “We’re in!”
“Good!” Ginny grinned at them. “Now we need a plan of action.”
“Stupid?”
“No…”
“Unintelligent?”
“No…”
“Dangerous?”
“NO!” Ginny turned to look at him. “Will you let me finish my sentence? It was FUNNY.”
They had both just gotten out of their first meeting of the Slug Club, and were trying to get back to their own compartments. Harry pushed Ginny to keep her moving forward through the crowded passage. “No it isn’t funny at all. Don’t you know there’s a war on? Malfoy’s father is a Death Eater, and he might even be one himself for all we know. You can’t go around hexing Death Eaters and expect there will be no retribution.”
Ginny tossed her head. “Oh I know there will be retribution! That’s what makes it all so exciting.”
“Ginny, this is not a game,” Harry said angrily.
“Look, Harry,” Ginny said, “I know you have this crazy theory about Draco helping You-Know-Who and all--no, LISTEN!” She held up her hand when Harry tried to shut her up. “He is an absolute moron, a fiend, an evil troll, oozing bubotuber pus, pretty much anything disgusting you can think of, but he isn’t a Death Eater. He isn’t a cold-blooded killer.”
“How do you know?” asked Harry.
“I just do,” Ginny said firmly. “We’re almost at the station. You go find Ron and Hermione. I have to go meet Dean.” Ginny turned and hurried the other way as Harry sighed and entered the compartment to find Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Luna.
---------------
The banquet went off without a hitch, and to Ginny’s surprise, Malfoy barely seemed to notice her at all throughout the entire meal. As they had left the Great Hall she had caught his eye, but he had only smiled strangely at her.
“I’m confused,” Ginny complained to Hermione as they watched Ron and Harry play a game of exploding snap. They were sitting in the nearly empty Gryffindor common room.
“He acted like nothing happened.”
“Maybe he just forgot,” said Ron helpfully. “He isn’t very bright, is he?” Ron had been the happiest of the three when he had heard of Ginny’s hex.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Ron,” Hermione snapped, looking up from her reading. “Malfoy isn’t stupid, we all know that. And Ginny, stop talking like you want him to do something back to you. I almost think you and Malfoy enjoy doing all these things to each other.”
“But I do!”
Hermione sighed. “You need to grow up a bit. Sometimes I think you’re a bit too… giddy.”
“Giddy? Me?” Ginny’s eyes danced with laughter. “I’m not giddy at all! Why, today I didn’t even slide down the banisters on the way to the common room. Is that giddy? Is that the action of a giddy person? Tell me, Hermione!” She stood up and gestured with a dramatic flourish.
“You didn’t slide down the banisters because you were riding on Dean’s back pretending he was a broomstick,” pointed out Harry.
“That is a minor detail,” Ginny said dismissively. She sat back thinking. “I wish I could duel Malfoy.”
“NO WAY,” said Ron, Hermione, and Harry all at once.
Ginny pounded her fists in frustration. How could she explain to them exactly why it was so important that she challenge Malfoy? Couldn’t they see that she wouldn’t be happy unless they were locked in eternal combat?
“Dueling is illegal, Ginny,” Hermione said, her face stern.
“Oh right, like that’s ever stopped you lot before,” Ginny retorted.
“But even if you did duel him, Malfoy wouldn’t fight fair. We all know that. The only way to make sure would be if you had a Morphelius Stone, and that---” Hermione suddenly stopped speaking, her face going red as Harry and Ron both glared at her.
“A… What?” Ginny asked.
“Oh, nothing at all,” Hermione said, waving her hand vaguely in the air.
Ginny stared at her. Hermione began to read again. Harry and Ron were suddenly concentrating very hard on their game.
“What’s a Morphelius stone?” Ginny asked them.
“What?” Ron asked innocently. “Morliph – Morlep – ah I can’t say I’ve ever heard of it. Have you heard of it, Harry?” He squinted at Harry.
“I can’t say that I have, mate. It’s a funny name for a stone, though, isn’t it?” Harry shrugged at Ginny.
Ginny stared at all of them. They weren’t telling her. They had locked her out of their world again.
“Fine, don’t tell me. But I remember what it’s called: the Mor-phe-li-us stone. And in case you’ve all forgotten, I can just look it up in the library.” Ginny was about to leave when Hermione grabbed her hand.
“Wait, wait. I’ll tell you what it is,” Hermione said tiredly. “Just promise me you won’t go and do anything stupid.”
“Really?” Ginny asked excitedly. She walked back to sit next to her. Hermione was so responsive to reverse psychology. “I promise I won’t do anything stupid!” Ron gave a snort.
Hermione put her book down on the table and looked at Ginny anxiously. “A Morphelius stone was used to settle disputes between wizards back before there was a Ministry of Magic. Both wizards enter into a pact and the stone sets them challenges, which they have to complete. The stone also ensures that neither of the wizards cheats or attempts to harm the other unless it is part of the challenge. It’s similar to the way the Goblet of Fire worked in the Triwizard Tournament.”
“Is it dark magic?” asked Ginny.
“Not… exactly. They are quite common, we even use them in potions in our seventh year, but Ginny – You absolutely cannot use one to challenge Draco.” Hermione had never looked so serious.
“I’ll tell mum if you do,” Ron added.
Ginny rolled her eyes at him. “Don’t worry guys. I won’t.” NOT. “I absolutely, positively wouldn’t do such a thing.” NOT. NOT. NOT. “And thanks for telling me, though I would have found out anyway.” She got up and left them, deep in thought as she walked towards the girl’s dormitory.
“She’s going to look for one, isn’t she?” Ron asked.
“Yes,” said Harry and Hermione sadly.
----------
Ginny had barely entered her room when a black-headed figure hurtled into her with a shriek of “Ginny!” They both collapsed onto the floor, Ginny banging her head on the doorframe as they fell.
“Marie, you idiot,” Ginny said groaning as she stars circled in her vision.
“Oh, sorry Ginny,” said Marie, giggling. Ginny grumbled in reply. It was a bit hard to talk back with Marie’s elbow digging into her chest. She pushed her off and sat up, rubbing her jaw gingerly.
“Do you always have to be so enthusiastic in your greetings, Marie?” came a worried voice from behind Marie’s head. Ginny looked behind her to see Jane, her eyes anxious as always. Marie smiled apologetically.
“Where were you two on the train?” asked Ginny as Jane helped them both up. “You weren’t at the feast either.”
“Marie had a bit of an… accident,” explained Jane.
“Oh noooo…”
“I was trying to practice Apparition on the train,” said Marie, “only a few feet over…I thought I could do it!” Ginny rolled her eyes, Marie thought she could do anything. “But then Jane yelled ‘Stooooooop!’ so loud I got distracted and splinched myself.” Ginny winced. “It hurt really bad and I was crying except I was crying in two different places you know, because one eye was in my face and one eye was beside me. Then they came and took me to St. Mungo’s and they put me back together and ohmygod it hurt soooo bad, and,” Marie beamed at her, “it was so totally AWESOME!”
Jane sighed. “You’re hopeless.”
“Show her the picture, Jane! Show her the picture,” Marie begged, pulling Ginny to sit down on the bed.
Jane walked to her bag and pulled out a photograph with the air of one indulging a lunatic. She brought it over to show Ginny. It showed Marie (though many of her body parts were lying beside her) on a stretcher being wheeled through the white halls of St. Mungo’s. The body parts were moving and blood was pouring from the various holes in the body. It looked like the most painful thing Ginny had ever seen. “The nurses said I was the bravest splinch victim they had ever seen. They even gave me a badge of honour!” Marie pointed to her robes to show a Technicolor badge that displayed the words “Marie O’Donnell: Splinch Survivor” in flashing neon.
“Oh. My. God. You are insane!” Ginny said laughing.
Jane grunted. “Yes, we know that!”
Ginny pulled them both into a hug. It was good to see her best friends again. “I had something to tell you both too, but it doesn’t feel important anymore compared to splinching!”
“Ooh, what is it?” Marie asked. Even Jane looked interested.
“I hexed Malfoy on the train!”
“Oh cool!” said Marie.
“You didn’t!” said Jane.
“I did indeed,” said Ginny proudly, standing up to face them both. “But I’ve got something even more important to tell you both. I think…we need to have a war council!"
Five minutes later they were all sitting under the covers of Ginny’s bed, their wands casting light up onto their faces. “Now,” Ginny began, “if I know Malfoy, he’ll be planning something. He doesn’t like being beaten. He’ll want to get me back, which is why I need to get him back first…. I have an idea.” She told them about the Morphelius stone.
“But where do we get one?” asked Jane. “If it’s banned...”
“That’s the thing!” explained Ginny triumphantly. “It’s not banned! Hermione told me that seventh years use them in Potions, which means there must be some right here at Hogwarts!”
“You mean we would have to steal them from Snape?” Marie whispered, nearly trembling in excitement. She loved a good bit of mischief making.
“No! There’s a new potions master this year,” Ginny explained. “He's really strange and...happy. Not like Snape at all.”
“Can we really do it without getting caught?” Jane asked doubtfully.
“Jane, stop worrying about things all the time. It’ll work out just fine!” Ginny put her hand in the middle of the ring. “Now, who’s with me?”
Jane looked doubtful, but Marie took her hand and set it on top of Ginny’s. “We’re in!”
“Good!” Ginny grinned at them. “Now we need a plan of action.”
Leave a Review