Ch. 29
I'm Back...

Ginny didn't know what was happening.

It felt like she was asleep, her mind in a sort of drowsy dream state, but she wasn't. She could feel the slight draft that came from an open window in the Hospital Wing, she could smell cinnamon and pine, she could hear adults talking. Talking about her to be specific.

"Tore her magical core-"

"Relapse-"

"Incurable."

Her heart was beating lightly and in a rhythm that calmed her. Each breath brought in her favorite scent, one unique to Harry. There were traces of cinnamon, broom polish, and a heavy smell of pine. She could sense his heart and his breathing patterns, his vitals blending with her own.

She still hadn't opened her eyes, too afraid to look around. She heard the sounds of students outside, running around and celebrating their first day of school. Yeah, first day of school and Ginny already got herself in trouble.

It was kind of like the year before, when she had saved Harry from the Triwizard Tournament. She didn't want to open eyes then, either. She hadn't been in a 'coma' for very long, since Harry came and gave her some of his own magical core. It didn't feel like she'd completely shattered her core, like before, just that she'd drained herself.

Harry's hand was in her own, the warmth calming as he slept. She had the feeling that he hadn't left her side since she had passed out after Umbridge.

Umbridge...

Ginny hoped to high heaven that the road had been kicked out for torture. There was something in her gut that told her that wasn't the case, however. Harry was the only witness that could talk at the moment, and that wasn't much to go on since it was clear both he and Ginny disliked Umbridge from day one.

The inky blackness behind her eyelids lightened, a glow dancing around her vision. Like sand blowing across the night sky, it swirled around her mind. She was being healed now, she could feel it. The Bond was healing her, and quickly.

Strength returned to her limbs, her heart pounded in her throat, and a tingling sensation raced up her arm and into her chest. The glow grew brighter, nearly blinding her even though her eyes were shut.

And then, just as she felt the urge to open her eyes, her whole body went numb and blackness overtook her once again. The bed disappeared from underneath her, replaced with a hard, cold surface, and a white light replaced the golden one from the Bond.

She regained her feeling, the tips of her fingers touching cool, wet stone. Ginny shivered and arched her back as the cold leaked through her clothes. Her head pounded, and her eyes refused to open. Her heart thumped, her bones ached, and she shivered from uncertainty.

You know how when you are asleep, sometimes you feel like someone is watching you? You wake up, turn around quickly and see that dark shape. The shape of a monster prowling in your doorway. You remain unmoving, your breaths coming quickly and with vigor, your heart stops for a moment. The being under your bed has come to say hello. You feel claws on your back, raking down your spine as you keep your eyes on the figure.

Then it disappears, and your left alone, your back turned away from it, and your mind convinced you it was just a dream. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. Maybe it was your eyes playing tricks on you as you remembered the ghost stories from your childhood, maybe it was your imagination. But no matter what you do, you can still feel the cold eyes on you, giving you shivers. Your heart won't stop racing, and you feel like you'll have a heart attack.

Then the light comes, washing over you from the sun and keeping your sanity intact. Whatever was lurking in the dark, it isn't there. Light reaches every corner of your room, and you can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

That was much like it was for Ginny. She opened her eyes with uncertainty as she gazed around the dark Hospital Wing. As her eyes adjusted, the walls turned blue from the lack of light, and the blackness in the shadows was deeper than the blackness of the sky.

She felt pinpricks on her neck as she gasped in air, her eyes open to the night. It was as if she'd been thrown from one world to another, and her head had been jarred in the process. A headache to rule all headaches knocked on her temples May I come in? I'll only make your brain feel as if it's exploding a little bit!

There were no beds, all of them reduced to firewood. Instead, around her the Hospital wing was empty except for charred remains of furniture. The door to Madam Pomfrey's office was ajar, and Ginny squinted to see through the darkness at the furnishings of the woman's office. She saw nothing.

Then there came the urge to turn, turn around and look towards the hospital door. Merlin, I'm getting a lot of urges today!

...

That sounds kinda bad.

Ginny shook her head, trying to keep her mind on track as she succumbed to her instinct and turned around to look at the doorway. Her eyes adjusted almost immediately, but in the middle of her vision there was a dark shadow that wouldn't let up no matter how long Ginny looked at it. It wasn't that long until she realized that it wasn't just a shadow, it was a figure.

Her eyes remained firmly on it, her fingers pressing into the stone of the floor. An owl hooted outside but otherwise there was silence. The shadow didn't make a move.

Eventually, Ginny's eyes stung from not blinking and she shivered, closing her eyes for half a second. When she opened them again, the figure was gone. She was now convinced she was dreaming, even though it felt like she was wide awake.

Just as she closed her eyes once more, drifting out of a dream state, she had the image of a crooked smile, white teeth set against the blackness of the hospital wing. And as clear as day, the cold voice she hadn't heard in years was resonating through her mind.

I'm back...