Right in Front of Me

light of a clear blue morning

'Cause I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of a brand new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
Oh, and everything's gonna be all right
It's gonna be okay.

"She's not dead yet, but she will be. Poor foolish girl. She just wanted someone to talk to." Tom leaned down and grabbed the worn leather book that was lying next to Ginny.

"What's... what's that?" Harry asked, hand still holding Ginny's.

"Oh, I'm glad you asked Harry. This is my diary. Little Ginny Weasley found it, because I wanted her to of course. It was enchanted. I was able to talk back through the words... I can be very persuasive." He laughed cruelly.

"She's a little girl, that's not impressive." Harry said without thinking. He flinched, expecting Tom Riddle to curse him or... something. But he didn't. "Why... why do you look like... well, I thought you were..."

"Why am I in this body? Good questions, Harry, good questions. Let's just say a part of me lives within these pages. I'm in this body because this is what I looked like when I created this enchantment."

"What... what did Pansy Parkinson have to do with this? Before she pushed me down the slide she said she was sorry, so I doubt you had her under some spell."

"Oh a friend of mine has her parents somewhere." He said nonchalantly, waving his hand.

"But how are... are you not a... how were you able to contact someone?" Tom Riddle laughed again and motioned towards Ginny.

"Why with Ginny's help of course!" Harry cringed. Poor Ginny...

"Just... take me instead. Let Ginny go."

"That's very noble of you, Harry. But I'm afraid it's too late for that. Soon she'll be dead, and I'll be restored fully." Suddenly there was a rustle and Tom Riddle smiled wide. "That'll be my friend coming to help me." Harry turned to see a creature he'd never seen before, some kind of giant snake. No, of course it wouldn't be easy to get out of this.

.

.

.

"Lily, hovering isn't going to make him wake up any faster." He heard his dad say. He felt too weak to even open his eyes.

"We've spent far too much time in this infirmary in his three years at Hogwarts." Lily responded, he could hear her pacing. "It makes me so worried James. He's only 13..." There was silence for a moment before he heard his dad speak again.

"He's brave, and strong. He gets that from his mum." Finally he felt like he could open his eyes and he saw his mum and dad hugging. He felt serotonin pulse through his veins at seeing the people he loved again. When he spoke his voice was very coarse.

"Mum... dad..." They flipped around and practically ran to his side.

"Harry! Oh, darling. Hi, how're you feeling, love?" Lily said, caressing his cheek.

"Feeling like I just fought a giant lizard." His dad laughed and combed through his hair.

"Harry, how does this keep happening?" James asked him, trying to sound amused but falling.

"I've been asking myself the same question." He started to sit up a bit and his parents helped him. "Where's Ginny? Is she Ok?" James motioned to a Ginny laying in a bed to the right of him. Molly and Arthur were sitting by her side. Molly made eye contact with him and smiled tearfully. She walked over to him.

"Because of you, our baby girl is alive. We can never thank you enough, Harry. You're such a brave boy." She kissed his cheek and he flushed deep red. He didn't do much. Of course no one would leave a 12 year old girl to die. But he smiled and nodded.