Her Blazing Spirit ━━ G. Weasley ✓

🏮 | The Change in Atmosphere

Ron had accepted Ginny's excuse, but only after calling her a stupid for taking the decision of battling in war as an attacker when she could do better at defence. Ginny refused to admit the truth even after his persuasion, leading Ron to give up. After the short reunion, Ginny hurried to the Lake to give Harry a better duel than before.

As usual, Harry was standing in silence beside the tree, and looked up at the sound of her footfall. "There you are. I hope Loaf made a good impression on you?" It was not a statement, rather a question. Harry trusted Ginny to be the right judge of character when it came to their group.

Hermione jumped to conclusions, Luna refused to judge anyone while Neville was too naïve to be the right person to determine others' character.

"Yeah, I guess. We haven't talked much, yet." It was a partial truth. The only words she exchanged with Ron was the updating each other with a week's news.

"Well then, I trust you to do it later." With the conversation done, Harry bowed to her before taking up his stance. Ginny returned the gesture before the duel ensued.

It was fast paced like any other. Harry was easily deflecting all of her jinxes and hexes. Either he was agile enough to dodge or simply strong enough to get something in the way that would take the hit instead. "Lesson three: if you're not able to defend, destruct other stuff around you. Helps you escape." He had remarked, off-handedly, when her expulsion curse hit the boulder he had summoned instead.

An owl swooping into the makeshift field interrupted the duel. It perched itself on the arm that Harry offered and stuck its leg out for him to take the mail that was addressed to him. By observation, Ginny saw a red ribbon tied to the rolled parchment, indicating a letter of priority.

She watched as his eyes scanned through the parchment, blurring for a while before looking up sharply. "I hate to end this duel here but there's a matter of urgent importance that needs to be addressed. Sirius has summoned me to his chamber. I hope you don't mind, Weasley."

Ginny was taken aback by the extreme seriousness and formality that his tone had suddenly taken up. "Yes, of course. See you at dinner, I guess?" Harry nodded and left the place in a jog, leading Ginny to ponder on what the letter withheld. Perhaps that was business that she should not poke her nose into.

Then again, curiosity can kill a kneazle.

—xoxo—

Harry was absent from the dinner. In fact, Ginny never saw him return even after going to bed. When questioned by the real Ron, she simply said that he had a job to do and therefore had to abandon the duel.

Training was hard as ever the next day. Sirius had apparently addressed all the team leaders to not procrastinate. In Harry's stead, Ginny bore the responsibility of the training that her group had to undergo.

A new department had been established right by the food stall: potions laboratory. Hazardous as well as healing potions were prepared there by young potions master learning under a bubbly, old wizard who went by the name of Slughorn. Ginny was not certain what lead to the sudden development but as far as she and the other team members were not concerned with it, she decided to ignore the same.

The only alone time that she got with her brother was when they walked up the flying camp. Since Neville was an attacker, he was always in the offense camp while Luna and Hermione attended the defenders camp together. Thanks to Harry's absence, Ginny enjoyed the walk with Ron.

"Loaf is a pathetic name, ruddy hell!" Ron exclaimed, carrying the broomstick that he was given for his level of flying: Nimbus 2000. Ginny laughed, swinging her own Nimbus 2000 over her shoulder, while prompting her brain for a nimble and cheeky response.

"Ron isn't half bad a name, though."

"Oi!"

The siblings laughed their way to the camp, teasing each other just for old times' sake and forcing nostalgia and homesickness upon themselves. They had no idea if they would ever return back to Hogsmeade but Ginny just hoped against hope that her parents and brothers would forgive her, for her what she thought was both a selfless and stupid decision, just the way Ron had. After all, the reason she walked into war was to save her father. . .

—xoxo—

The weather had suddenly gotten sultry when news came that training had to be enforced even fiercely. The rumor that the Dark Lord had attacked a place was spread as the reason for the sudden decision that Sirius had announced, prior to the dinner.

Ginny, and surprisingly Ron, had lost their appetite after hearing the news. Harry was still absent from the group but Luna had mentioned seeing him while on the way back from the defence camp.

"He's probably planning things," Hermione said, reassuring herself more than anyone. It had become apparent that both, Luna and Hermione, looked up to their leader and worried for his well-being. "I think he'll show up before bedtime."

Alas, he never did. It was well past midnight when Ginny woke to shuffling in the room. Due to the dark setting, all she had been able to see was a silhouette creeping into Harry's bed. She had no idea if it was him. Nevertheless, she decided to check on her fears and, after making sure her partially grown hair was tucked under her cap, she climbed down the ladder slowly.

"Chief?" she whispered, standing on the other side of the closed curtains, her wand drawn as a precautionary measure. There was a gasp and the screen was forced open.

"Weasley? Why are you out of bed at this time?"

"Well, I was checking if it's really you or some intruder."

"I daresay it's me. Hit the hay. Let's talk tomorrow."

There was no opposition to his command but the girl knew, by his tone even if the words were whispered, that something was seriously wrong.

What are your thoughts about this chapter? What do you think actually happened that made the training serious? Comment!

Thank you for reading!

Miyoko x