Bat-Bogey Hexers

34

You promised Tom, but it was just a lie, Ginny wrote angrily into her diary.

Did you really expect me to keep my word?

He was right, Ginny hadn't expected him to.

But how could you do it to me Tom? How could you make me attack one of my brothers best friends?

It was easy.

Well since you didn't keep your word, I don't have to keep mine. I'll tell Dumbledore what you did.

You won't do it. You'll only be getting yourself in trouble. You're the one who made opened the Chamber, not me.

Once again Tom was right. Ginny could never reveal the secretes of this diary. It would only get her expelled.

Well, I'll never write in here again wrote Ginny. And she shut the diary without waiting for Tom's reply.

She didn't understand how the diary worked. She didn't know how to fight the magic is held. But maybe if she didn't write in it, Tom couldn't take control of her.

Ginny tied the diary shut tightly with a scarf, then she stuffed it away in her trunk.

She lay down on her bed, feeling terrible. The sorting hat must have made a mistake. A real Gryffindor would've told McGonagall earlier everything she knew. A real Gryffindor would show the diary to the Headmaster. But Ginny couldn't. She was coward.

The next day Ginny crept out of her dormitory before dawn to go visit Hermione in the Hospital Wing. She knew she wasn't supposed to leave the dorm alone, but she had too.

The door to the Hospital Wing was locked when Ginny arrived.

"Alohamora," Ginny whispered. There was a click as the door unlocked and Ginny slipped in.

The curtains were drawn sparing Ginny  the horror of seeing all the petrified bodies. The curtains near the closest bed were parted slightly. Through them Ginny caught sight of Hermione.

Ginny swallowed hard, then slowly walked toward the bed. She pushed aside the curtains further. Hermione lay there as if she were made of stone. Her eyes were staring up at the ceiling, completely empty of all emotion. One hand was clenched.

"I'm so sorry Hermione," Ginny whispered as she sank onto the bed. Tears rolled down her freckled cheeks. "I'm so, so, so, so sorry."

Ginny let out a choked sob as guilt exploded in her.

"Who's there?"

Ginny jumped at the sound of a loud voice. She leaped off the bed and hastily wiped her tears on her jumper sleeve.

Madam Pomfrey came bustling out of her office. The nurse looked around with a worried expression.

"It's just me," said Ginny in a small voice.

Madam Pomfrey's eyes focused in on her. The woman's hand flew to her heart.

"Oh my! You gave me such a fright! I thought the attack had come back to finish them off!" said Madam Pomfrey. Ginny avoided her gaze. "How did you get in here?"