MetaFic

Professor Emmeline Vance gave Harry Potter a measuring look. She was an older witch, stately and calm, who favored greens and browns in her clothing. "I asked that you continue your little club, Mr. Potter, because it proved very successful last year, both in attendance and performance."

Harry Potter nodded. In the first two weeks of school, he had come to respect the new instructor. She was no-nonsense, capable, and seemed to want to teach them the kind of skills they would need if faced with a dark wizard. She had been engaging in short duels to test the abilities of her students individually during the last fifteen minutes of each class. While Harry had yet to face her, he was proud of Ron for making her work hard before she managed to disarm him. She would be the primary faculty sponsor of Dumbledore's Army, with Professor Flitwick providing some extra help and supervision from time to time.

"Thank you, ma'am. I've drawn up a lesson plan, if you care to see it," Harry said.

"No, I'm sure it will be fine. If I see anything that bothers me, I'll come talk to you about it. I liked what I saw the first time. Remember, Mr. Potter, this is your group, not mine."

The first meeting had almost overflowed the Room of Requirement. They reviewed spells from the previous year, with Harry assigning Hermione and Susan Bones to begin aiding the new students. Near the end of class Harry told the group that they would be practicing the Patronus Charm. He explained that it was well beyond the Ordinary Wizarding Level, but he thought it worth the time to try to teach it. He then called out the names of those who he knew had been able to successfully cast the spell the previous year and had them demonstrate. Before dismissing the group, he asked that they check before the next meeting as to where it would be located.

Harry asked, and Dumbledore gave permission. The meetings would be held in the Great Hall on Friday nights from there on out.

And so, on the second meeting of the group, everyone was practicing the difficult spell. Those who could cast a fully corporal Patronus were aiding those who couldn't. Periodically a new silvery shape would flash across the floor and a cheer would go up.

Harry saw Ginny working with Hermione again. The frustration on Ginny's face was plain. The charm simply kept failing for her. Harry checked his watch. He was well aware that OWLs and Quidditch were already starting to play a large part in Ginny's life, even though they were only a couple of weeks into classes. Moreover, her special Animagus tutoring with McGonagall had not even started yet. He decided enough was enough, at least for tonight.

"All right, everyone," he cried, "that's it for tonight. Next time we're going to work on defensive spells. If you didn't manage to cast a Patronus, don't worry, this is really advanced magic. We will come back to it again in a few weeks. All right, clean up crew, let's get the table and chairs back in place."

The bulk of the students filed out, leaving what Harry had called the clean up crew, which consisted of himself, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna.

Harry walked up to Ginny as the last student left and Professor Vance walked out of the Great Hall. "Hey," he said, "don't beat yourself up, I had a hard time mastering that spell."

Ron nodded agreement. "Look, I just managed it tonight, okay? And, well, Neville and Luna still can't do it."

"I can't even get mist," Neville admitted.

Ginny sighed. "I know, I just–" she hugged herself and looked miserable. "I thought that monster was going to suck out my soul," she whispered.

Harry looked around at the others. Hermione and Luna had efficiently set the Great Hall back up for breakfast, but he decided it couldn't hurt to let her try a few more times. "All right, if you want to keep trying, I'll stay here and help you practice."

Ron chuckled. "Practice, right, that's a new word for snog, then?"

Ginny turned and narrowed her eyes at her brother. Ron didn't so much as flinch.

"Come on, Ginny," Harry said. "Give it a try."

Ginny raised her wand and spoke the incantation, but was again rewarded with only a few strands of silvery mist.

Harry looked at her skeptically. "Well, you've got the power to do it, I know that for a fact. Try a different memory."

Ginny closed her eyes and focused. She raised her wand and cast the spell again. Only mist came forth.

Harry frowned. He didn't want to ask her what her memory was because he knew how personal it could be. Instead, he walked up to her and leaned down. Placing his mouth near her ear, he offered her a possible memory. "Remember when you were staying with me as Ginger? And I was teasing you with the towel?" he whispered into her ear.

Ginny started to giggle. She closed her eyes, her smile widening, and placed her wand at the ready.

Expecto Patromun!"

The silver mist blasted from her wand and quickly formed itself into an animal. Harry smiled in pleasure as a silver lioness, bristling and roaring, ran around the room before returning to Ginny.

Everyone turned to Ginny, congratulations on their lips, and then froze at the sight before them.

The silver lioness had not returned to Ginny's wand, but instead sat in front of her, a curious look on its face. Ginny had gone wide-eyed. Her mouth was open in shock. Suddenly, she dropped to her knees and started to scream, as if she were in horrible pain.

Harry ran up to her and dropped to her side. "Ginny, Ginny what's wrong?"

She turned to face him, her eyes riddled with agony. "Get them off! Get them off of me!" she half-screamed, half-hissed.

Harry looked down at her hands. The formula marks were moving across the back of her hand, changing colors and configurations as they went. He pulled back her sleeve. It was happening on her arm also.

"Get them off of me!" she wailed.

Harry turned to the others. "Go find McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey! Quickly!"

The four dashed out of the room.

Ginny grabbed Harry's arm. Her grip was tight and immediately it started to cut off his circulation. "Help me get them off!" Ginny reached down and, with her right hand started pulling the markings off her skin, "Help me, Harry, they're burning!" Frantic now, and nearly mad with the pain, Ginny Weasley started ripping her own clothing off in an attempt to reach the things tormenting her. She would pinch one off her skin, and throw it to the floor. Finally Harry broke out of his shock and started helping her, grabbing the markings as they moved across her bare back and flinging them across the room. If a mark was moving and black in color, it would come away. If it had turned blue or green, it stayed on her skin. The markings he removed left angry looking red marks on Ginny as they came loose. Through it all, the Patronus lioness sat calmly.

When all of the black marks were removed, Ginny Weasley, now on her hands and knees on the floor, took a deep breath and started to scream out in anger and pain. The scream continued, and Harry thought for sure his heart would break from the agony of it.

"Potter! What do you think you are doing! Miss Weasley, put your clothes back on this instant," the stern voice of Professor McGonagall spoke from the doorway.

Ginny Weasley's head snapped up and she glared at the Transfiguration Professor. Ginny took a deep breath and screamed at McGonagall.

Harry pulled away. As Ginny continued to scream, her body started to change, becoming longer, broader at the shoulder. Her head morphed and her open mouth changed into a large muzzle, filled with sharp looking teeth. The scream changed to a roar, as Ginny finished her transformation.

The tawny lioness finished her roar, and flung herself at the startled Professor. McGonagall simply did not have enough time to move, and the lioness smashed into her. Ginny gave a forlorn hiss a she stood over her Head of House, as if to ask, "What have you done to me?" then suddenly turned and bounded out the door.

Harry gave a glance to McGonagall. The professor looked at him, then waved her hand, "Quickly, Potter, go after her."

Harry ran out the door. He could tell where Ginny was by the occasional roar and periodic scream of a startled student. He dashed into the long hallway leading to the front doors just as Ginny leapt toward them, knocking Filch flat in her haste to escape. He ran up to the door, but now that she was outside, Ginny put on a burst of speed toward the forbidden forest. Harry spun and dashed for Gryffindor Tower.

Harry ran past Hermione, who yelled at him. He kept moving, though he could now hear her pursuing him. He rounded a final corner, sprinting past Luna Lovegood, who had Madam Pomfrey in tow. He thought he heard Luna say, "We won't need you after all," but he wasn't sure. A quick dash up the stairs, though the portrait hole, and past a group of startled students in the common room brought him to his dorm. He looked around at his things. He would need his broom first of all. He threw some chocolate into one pocket because, he thought, you never know. He poured water from the nightstand pitcher into a bottle with a stopper, and cast a charm to help keep it closed. He remembered that if Ginny transformed back, she would be naked, so he pulled out his longest jumper and smallest sweat pants from his chest. He stripped the duvet from his bed and took Ron's for good measure. As he was rolling everything up in the duvets, he heard a panting Hermione in the doorway.

"H-Harry-wh-what's-going-on?" she asked between gasps for breath.

Harry gave his wand a flick, and the pile of supplies shrank. He placed them in his pocket. "Ask McGonagall," he said, then mounted his broom and zipped away.

In the common room he pointed his wand at the door, forcing it open. Harry flew along the third floor corridor, then turned and climbed, heading for the Astronomy Tower.

Once Harry burst into the night air, he pointed his broom at the Forbidden Forest. He suddenly realized that he would have no way to track Ginny. She could, he thought, be anywhere. Still, he had to try. Harry entered the forest, moving slowly on his broom, flying as low as he could.

His first possible sign of Ginny were the two dead Acromantula. There had been an obvious struggle. Harry drifted to the ground and cast a light spell. There were large cat prints heading deeper into the forest. He followed. After twenty minutes of slowly tracking her, the cat prints changed into bare feet. A minute later Harry saw her.

Ginny was laying on her side with her back to him near a large old oak, naked, covered in red welts, curled up, and shivering. Harry noticed there were still some light blue and green markings on her body. He cautiously made his way toward her.

"Ginny?"

Ginny turned and gave him a wild look, then scrambled toward the tree, trying to cover herself while shrinking away from Harry. She gave a tiny whimper.

"Go away," she whispered.

Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out the small bundled. He enlarged everything back to normal, and then slowly advanced toward Ginny, holding the duvet.

"It's okay, Ginny, I'm here to help."

She tried to back deeper into the tree, but there was nowhere for her to go.

"I said stay away!" she growled.

Harry slowly moved toward her, trying not to startle her. She continued to shiver violently. As Harry drew near, she turned her face away and tried to curl up into a tighter ball. Harry gently placed the duvet over her shivering body, then moved to embrace her in a hug.

"I'm right here for you, Gin. No matter what, I'm right here."

Ginny burst into tears and allowed herself to be rocked back and forth by Harry. She finally gathered herself, and drew a deep breath. "Please tell me I didn't kill McGonagall," she said.

Harry passed her the jumper and sweat pants, which disappeared under the duvet. "No, McGonagall's fine. She's a little stunned is all."

"I lost control, Harry. I couldn't control myself, I just started going on instinct and that instinct told me it was all McGonagall's fault." Ginny sniffed and wiped her nose with the back of her hand, "I wanted to kill her."

"But you didn't. No one got hurt."

Ginny started the shiver violently. "It was just like first year all over again," she said staring off into nothingness.

Harry realized that she must be in shock. He talked her into getting dressed under the duvet, then he made her eat some chocolate and drink some water. As she chewed her chocolate, he sent up a series of red sparks, hoping that someone would come and find them. He had no idea how deep into the forest they were.

He turned back to Ginny, who continued to stare at nothing. "I'm going to get you back to Hogwarts. We can use my broom, but you'll have to hold on." When she didn't respond he became more concerned, "Ginny?"

She looked up at him, taking another bite of chocolate. "The Acromantula make this horrible screaming sound when they die, did you know that?"

"Yeah, I know."

"Really?" there was a curious light in her eyes. "How did you find out?"

"Ron and I ran over a bunch of them in your father's car."

Ginny chuckled. "I miss that old car." She turned back to Harry, an odd look in her eyes. "They died very quickly. And do you know something, Harry? A part of me enjoyed tearing them apart. A part of me wishes I'd done the same to Pettigrew." She gasped at her own words, bursting into tears again. "There's something wrong with me, Harry. Terribly wrong."

Harry settled down next to her. He took the other duvet, and placing it over both of them, climbed under the one she had wrapped around herself. He placed an arm around her shoulders, and pulled her toward him.

"I think what happen was--" he hesitated a moment, getting his thoughts together, "I think the change came on so sudden and so painfully, that you didn't have control of your emotions. You were in terrible pain, Gin. You couldn't have been thinking clearly. So the animal instincts took over. Believe me, I know exactly how it feels to be in so much pain that you lose control."

Ginny snuggled closer to Harry, enjoying the warmth and contact. "What do you mean?"

"I killed Lucius Malfoy and Antonin Dolohov."

"I know. No one blames you. It was self-defense."

"Maybe, but what most people don't know is how it happened. I killed them because–because I thought they had killed you. I was in so much pain at the thought of you being gone, I lost control and struck out. I made them burn, and I bludgeoned Malfoy as the fire killed him."

"Oh, Harry."

Harry brushed her tangled hair away from her head. He leaned over and placed a gently kiss on her forehead, and hugged her tightly. "It's okay. I just want you to understand; you're never alone. I'll always be here with you."

Ginny closed her eyes and smiled. "Thank you."

That sat that way for several minutes, until finally Harry spoke up. "Ginny, we need to get back to the castle."

"Don't wanna. I'm comfortable right here," she said, her eyes still closed. She snuggled closer to Harry, practically sitting in his lap.

Harry gave her a little squeeze. "Gin, it's going to get colder, the ground is as hard as stone, and I've got a tree root poking me in the bum."

"Well, we could find softer ground," she teased. "I'm just not–" she stopped and cocked her head. "Harry, there are several centaurs coming this way. I can hear their hoof-beats slowly walking our direction."

Harry stood quickly, dragging Ginny to her feet. "We have to get out of here. The last time I had a run in with centaurs it went pretty poorly." Harry shrunk the bedclothes and put them in his pocket. "I don't think they'll be too happy to see me again." Harry picked up his broom and motioned Ginny to climb on.

"No, Harry Potter, we are not at all happy to see you," a voice called out from the darkness. Before Harry and Ginny could manage to leave the ground, six centaurs, their arrows trained on the teenagers, stepped into the clearing.