Story: Moira
Chapter Eight: Something Different

Harry's eyes fluttered open slowly. The first thing he saw was a white ceiling with intricate patterns carved into it. He blinked twice. He did not remember why he even landed in this place. It surely did not look like his dorm in the Durmstrang ship.

"Harry?" a small voice asked. Harry blinked again then slowly sat up, only to be tackled by a red bear. Rather a red-haired girl. However, Harry did not return her hug. When she pulled away, she was pink-faced and sweating. "Thank Merlin you are alright!"

Harry frowned then looked down at his hands. They were bandaged. He couldn't, for the life of him, remember why he was in an unknown place with Ginny Weasley.

"Where am I?" he asked. His voice sounded deeper and lower than normal. He cleared his throat and was about to ask again but Ginny cut him off.

"Master Dumbledore's office. You fainted when you hit the waters of the Black Lake."

Harry's frown deepened. He still could not remember what happened. He closed his eyes and concentrated. The last memory he could remember was Ginny leaning on his shoulder and talking about his 'good' heart. He opened his eyes and narrowed them at the redhead in question.

"You did something, didn't you?"

Ginny rolled her eyes in response and face palmed. "Not this again."

"What do you mean by again, Miss?"

"To put it simply, you lost control over your magic yesterday, causing you to do some very evil things," another voice answered. Harry did not have to look up to find the owner of the voice.

"What did I do?" he asked, looking at the floor in front of his makeshift bed.

"Tried to use the cruciatus on Miss Weasley. Thankfully, the ministry hasn't detected it nor has Miss Weasley been injured."

Harry let out a deep breath which he hadn't realized he had been holding. Flashes of events became alive in his erratic mind.

"So much has happened and you never bothered to tell me?" Harry's tone was accusing.

"Harry, I feared you wouldn't understand, kid. You are still a kid and you don't have to –"

"I am NOT a kid, Sirius! I have the right to know any information regarding me and my magical descent!" this time, he yelled at his guilty-looking godfather.

"I am sorry, kid."

"Why did you do that?"

"What?" Sirius asked.

"Sign the ruddy blood pact, what else?"

"Oh. He threatened to kill you. . . kill me. . . I had no other option –"

"You should have died then! And let me die along too! At least I wouldn't have learnt dark things and have had to control the temptation to use them! At least I would die pure! At least I wouldn't have had t–to face a traitor!" Harry accused. His voice was completely filled with loathing for the man whom he so loved just a few hours ago.

"I was ready to die. . . I could have died instead of betraying my godson. . ." Sirius's voice was filled to the brim with guilt as he fell to his knees, a few tears escaping his sharp eyes.

The events of the past hour played in his mind and his hand immediately sought his wand. "Run before I do something."

Sirius looked up to see a struggling Harry. He was holding his head as if someone was talking to him mentally. Shaking vigorously, his eyes turned red and he looked at Sirius with a vengeful look. "Crucio!"

"Harry? Harry!" Ginny's voice rang through his mind and he shook himself out of his flashbacks.

"What?" Harry asked irritably. Ginny looked around, then looked down.

"I'm sorry. I-I was the one who bruised your hands. . . it was because of me that you lost control over your magic. . .I-I feel guilty. . .Will you forgive me?"

Without any response, Harry got up, his back turned to her. "I will have you know that forgiveness is not in my dictionary. And to prove you false, I am an evil wizard with evil intentions. Better stay away from me if you know what's right for you."

With that, he left the office, his robes swishing behind him, unshed tears of guilt masked under his dark eyes and a grim smirk plastered on his pale face. He wondered how many more mistakes he would commit by the time he died.

Back in the Headmaster's office, Ginny looked down at her lap, a few tears leaking down her brown eyes. Dumbledore walked out of his library and looked at his student with pity. He climbed down the stone steps and walked over to the crying witch. "Ginny."

"I am sorry. I have failed, Master. I am useless. I have failed everyone. . .I have lost everything. . .and everyone. . .the world's end would be caused by my failure. . .why? Why, of all witches and wizards, did you choose me, Master?"

"There is a reason why you are the seventh of the seventh, Ginny. There is a reason why Harry was chosen to be dark. Everything has a reason. Every living being has a reason to be created. You are the only one who can tame him, help him and change him." Ginny nodded lowly and Dumbledore slowly wiped her tears away. "The ones well suited for power are the ones who never sought it. The one I know is you."

_________________________

The lamp's glass shattered into a million pieces although the flame never died. His dormitory was a mess and his dorm mates knew better than to try and calm him down. An enraged Harry was an impossible wizard to handle without being tortured or, worse, killed.

Worried sick about his pseudo-brother, Ron slowly entered the dorm. Everything was lying haphazardly. The curtains were torn and glass was shattered on the floor. Ink was splayed across the desk and the mattresses were showing their otherwise internal springs. In short, the whole dorm seemed to have been hit by a crazy cyclone, which was partially true. Harry was the crazy cyclone.

"Harry?"

His dark emerald eyes narrowed at Ron's fearful blue orbs. Ron gulped, then took a deep breath and cautiously walked over to him and slumped down beside him. Harry turned away.

"Is it that Ginny girl?"

"Don't," Harry whispered. "Don't talk about her."

"Blimey. You should have been the one who should have apologized to her, mate! She is a girl and girls are. . .you know? Tender sepals."

"It's petals, Ron!" Draco exclaimed from the other side of the door. He was listening in to their conversation without being in the same room as an enraged Harry. Harry rolled his eyes at their childish behavior. Ron grinned sheepishly.

"How can a chicken eating bloke know about veggies and floweries?"

"There is no such word as floweries, mate!" Draco exclaimed again.

"Shut up, Malfoy!" Ron exclaimed back at the innocent door, then looked at Harry. "Harry, she just wanted to help you. . . we tried to help you too. It's not like you cruciate us every time we ask 'are you fine?'. She seems really good to me."

"You don't know who she is. That's why you are talking in her support."

"She is Dumbledore's student? I am aware of that fact. She would kill you if you were to become dark? I know that as well. Blimey, mate, she's right. I have faith in you that you will not turn dark as Master. You just need to accept help. It could be from anyone. Ol' me, that blondie out of the door, dad or even the redhead. We just want to help you become you! Do I make sense?"

"No!" Draco shouted from the other side of the door again.

"Can you shut the git's mouth?" Ron asked, rolling his eyes. Harry smirked and waved his wand at the door. The room became soundproof but to any eavesdropper, loud jazz music would be heard. Ron grinned. "Look. Accept her apology and apologize to her. If she really made you feel lighter like you said, she's the best person to seek help from."

Harry sighed and nodded reluctantly. Something about Ginny Weasley made him feel different and he was on the lookout to find out what it was. The glittering object on his finger reminded him to have control the next time he would meet the said red head.

Another chapter is done. I have made some character aesthetics for this story. They have been published in my Cherish Graphic Portfolio. I would greatly appreciate it if you guys could give me suggestions on which ones to use!

I hope you liked the chapter!

P.S. I left a small clue of something. It has been mentioned in an earlier chapter too and it's important. ;)

Thank you for reading!

Miyoko x