Well, here we are. The final chapter. Took me long enough. I just wanted to take the time to thank each and every one of you who read this story. You are the reason it has had over 800 views at this point. I especially want to thank each person who took the time to review: Ginge, Anon, Melodie, Teenaged Author, Shinen no Hikari, and jeremiah123. I know it takes a lot to review and I appreciated it.

JK Rowling owns Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley. In her infinite wisdom, she paired them together. What she has joined, let no troll separate. As always, everything in bold is a direct quote from Chamber of Secrets.

"Please take care to review the theory of Peltollere. I am seeing far too many furry matchboxes for this level of students. This is our last time meeting before your exams and you all have the potential to do well in this course if you've put forth the effort. Now you are dismissed. Please form a double line behind me. Mr. Trowley, if you would kindly stop pestering Miss Lovegood."

"Excuse me. Professor McGonagall?" Ginny tentatively approached the acting headmistress.

The elder witch gave an exasperated sigh, "Yes, Miss Weasley, what is it?"

Ginny fidgeted with her hands. Her resolve to turn herself in was quickly crumbling. If she didn't say something now, she doubted she ever would.

"Miss Weasley." Ginny started and met McGonagall's sharp gaze. "Did you have something to say to me?"

Her mouth bobbed open a few times until she was finally able to mumble, "I… I was only wondering if I could speak to you," she looked furtively at the students around them, "you know, in private."

McGonagall's brow furrowed, "I must escort your classmates to the Great Hall for supper first. However…"

"Ah! Professor McGonagall! I was meaning to run into you!" Gilderoy Lockhart beamed through her doorway. A group of bored looking fourth years were behind him. "A little birdie told me that you are an animagus. I have some experience with the theory and would be happy to share my expertise with you. I knew a wizard who had such poor control over his transformations that he would spontaneously sprout whiskers when under duress. I was able to develop stress relieving exercises for him that practically cured him. It made him a new muskrat, he said! Well, I became concerned for your own stress level, what with your new position and—"

McGonagall quickly interrupted his monologue, "Yes, yes, that is fine, Gilderoy. We will discuss it later. What I need from you now is to escort my class to supper. I will be there soon."

"Yes, right! No problem! All in a day's work!" he gave McGonagall his most winning smile. She remained unmoved by his charm. As he left, Ginny could hear him addressing the group. "The quiet in this castle is positively unnerving. How about some entertainment? I know! Have I ever told you all the harrowing tale of the time I faced down the Vampires of Venezula?" A collective groan rose from the students before McGonagall shut the door.

"Please sit, Miss Weasley." Ginny sat in a chair set before the Professor's desk. McGonagall took her seat and surveyed Ginny carefully. After a measure of silence, she spoke first, "There was something you wanted to tell me?"

Ginny felt as if she was going to burst. She had to say something. But the words wouldn't come. Where could she even start?

"I know something about the Chamber of Secrets." she managed to murmur.

McGonagall's eyes widened with surprise and then she appeared to quickly compose herself. "Oh, what do you know?"

"I…" but the words caught in her throat. A familiar chill ran up her spine as Tom's voice hissed in her ear.

"You think she'll be able to protect you from me? She's going to be against you the instant you utter the words 'I opened the Chamber'."

Ginny tried to will his voice away and confess, but Tom continued his verbal abuse.

"Give it up, Ginny. It's useless to fight me. What? You thought that I wouldn't notice this 'secret' conversation. I see everything you do now!"

Professor McGonagall looked more and more concerned as Ginny fought an internal battle against Tom.

"Ginny," she paused carefully before proceeding, "I know you might be afraid to confide in me, but the attacks need to stop. I will do everything in my power to ensure that the perpetrator receives the fullest punishment for these crimes."

Tom cackled, "See, Ginny dear. That's all she really cares about— Justice. And you are on the wrong side of the law. Come now, say the words and we'll be done here. Come on, you can do it," he taunted.

It was as though she had been pushing against a bolted door with all her strength and then someone let her in. The words burst forth of their own volition before she could control what they were.

"I've… I've made a mistake. I don't know anything. I have to go." Ginny bolted up from the chair and ran for the door. McGonagall called after her, but Ginny was already too far gone to listen to her now.

%G%

She was a bloody coward. How the Sorting Hat had been convinced to place her in Gryffindor, she would never know. Maybe Professor McGonagall was the wrong person to turn to. She had to tell somebody, but who could she trust? Family would have been her natural answer in the past, but was it still true? Percy only saw things in black and white; right and wrong. He turned in his siblings to Mum without a second thought. He wouldn't hesitate to turn in a rule breaker to the Aurors— little sister or not. The twins probably wouldn't take her seriously. They would assume that she was having a laugh about being responsible for the attacks. Maybe Ron could help. She had been closest to him growing up. The others had already been at school when they were still young so it had just been the two of them at the Burrow. He had wiped her tears when she had fallen from their toy broom. This was just a bigger fall.

Three days before their first exam, Professor McGonagall made another announcement at breakfast.

"I have good news," she said. Students began to shout out what they hoped was the good news, from Dumbledore's return to the Heir of Slytherin's capture. McGonagall called out over them and announced, "Professor Sprout has informed me that the Mandrakes are ready for cutting at last. Tonight, we will be able to revive those people who have been Petrified. I need hardly remind you all that one of them may well be able to tell us who, or what, attacked them." Ginny felt McGonagall giving her a pointed look at this statement. "I am hopeful that this dreadful year will end with our catching the culprit."

Ginny gathered all the courage she could muster and walked purposefully over to Ron. She sat down on the bench next to him and waited for him to notice her.

"What's up?" said Ron. He didn't even look up at her. He was more focused on the porridge he ladled into his bowl. Maybe this wasn't the best time to tell him what she had done. No, she had to do this now. She had put it off long enough. She scanned the Gryffindor table for anyone who seemed a bit too curious about their conversation. Everyone seemed too preoccupied with the good news to pay her any mind. Except for Harry. She had caught his eye and then quickly glanced away. She had forgotten about him. How could she confess to both Ron and Harry?

"Spit it out," said Ron, his eyes turned to her.

"I've got to tell you something," Ginny mumbled, carefully not looking at Harry.

"What is it?" said Harry.

"What?" said Ron impatiently.

Ginny opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Harry leaned forward and spoke quietly, so that only Ginny and Ron could hear him. She was momentarily mesmerized by his presence. He had never been this close to her before. She blinked. Now was not the time for that.

"Is it something about the Chamber of Secrets? Have you seen something? Someone acting oddly?"

They had to understand. They just had to! She hadn't meant for any of this to happen. Ginny drew a deep breath and, at that precise moment, Percy appeared, looking tired and wan.

"If you've finished eating, I'll take that seat, Ginny. I'm starving, I've only just come off patrol duty."

The moment was lost. Percy couldn't know what she had done. He would never forgive her for what she had done to his girlfriend. She jumped up from the bench and ran away as fast as she could.

%G%

It was time for a new plan. Tom had to be stopped, but telling someone didn't seem to be the answer. She had run all the way to Gryffindor tower and finally caught her breath once she entered the portrait hole. The common room was empty. Most of the students were either at breakfast still or on their way to their first class. Ginny tried to think what to do. She had first encountered Tom through the diary so he was linked to it somehow. It would make sense that if the diary were destroyed, it would the end of Tom too. But how to destroy it? Pulling the diary from its hiding place in her robes, she stared at the battered black cover. She had simply thrown it away before and it had returned to her unharmed. Harry had broken his ink bottle over it and it didn't look any different than before when she had had it. Obviously liquid had no effect on it.

What was the opposite of water? Fire! Ginny hadn't learned how to conjure fire yet, but the common room did have a fireplace. She approached the hearth with anticipation. Please, Merlin, let this work. She tried to throw the book into the flames, but Tom seemed to have other ideas. Her grip became an iron vise on its spine, refusing to let go.

"Not this time," she willed her hand to relinquish its hold and with every ounce of strength she hurled the diary into the fireplace. The force of her throw caused her to lose her balance and land on her backside. She sat there, staring into the fire, and breathed a sigh of relief. It's over.

It soon became clear to her that something was not right. The diary sat in the ashes, but was not consumed by the flames. It remained the way it had always been. The pages didn't curl and glow from the heat. Suddenly, the diary flew out from the fireplace at her. She crawled hastily behind an armchair. Slowly she edged out and peeked around the red upholstery. The little black book lay innocently between the armchair and the fireplace, but she knew it was anything but.

She crept closer to inspect it and noticed that it didn't appear to be smoking. Hesitantly, she touched it with her pointer finger. It was cool to the touch. She curiously picked it up from the ground and stared at it. What now? Water and fire have no effect on it. I'm only a first year! I don't know any spells to destroy it! That's it! I'm turning it in to Professor McGonagall.

The book felt odd in her hands. It was becoming cooler and cooler by the second. The diary became so cold to the touch that Ginny threw it across the room as if burned. It fell open on the floor; a green mist rising from its pages. The mist billowed and thickened as tendrils of smoke reached for the ceiling. Ginny stood aghast as the smoke took the form of a young man, his torso fading into the diary. He was captivatingly handsome with jet black hair and a tall stature. He wore Hogwarts robes and a silver prefect's badge gleamed on his chest. Tom Riddle sneered and shook his head.

"Ginny, Ginny, Ginny… I'm very disappointed in you. Why couldn't you have just played along with our little game? No matter, I have devised a solution to this… shall we say… complication."

His smoke like arms reached for her. She tried to run away, but her feet were frozen in place. He placed his ice cold hands on her temples. She shook her head violently from side to side, but was unable to rent his grasp from her.

"Shhhh… just stay still. It'll all be over soon." he whispered.

Ginny's eyes became heavy and she couldn't fight to keep them open any longer. Her vision went black.

%G%

All she knew was that it was cold and dark. She tried to move, but she felt oddly disconnected from her body; as if every part of her had fallen asleep. She waited in the pitch darkness, for she didn't know how long, until she heard his voice.

"Now, Ginny, we will begin. I must warn you this will be quite painful. Just relax and hold still," Tom cackled, "What am I saying? You're completely helpless!" he laughed higher and colder at his taunt.

It was then that the sensation began. It was difficult to describe. Ginny could only compare it to being like one of her Mum's Weasley sweaters that had a loose thread. Tom was slowly and agonizingly pulling the string and unravelling her very soul. Memories began to flash before her eyes. After so long in the dark, the brightness of them burned her retinas. Images of her year at Hogwarts— Colin snapping photos, the twins laughing at their latest prank, Percy kissing Penelope in an abandoned classroom, her room mates whispering gossip before bed, Hermione and Ron playing a game of chess, Harry catching the Snitch, his green eyes sparkling with triumph.

After each had played out and faded she felt empty and lost. She tried to recall why, but she couldn't bring a reason to her mind. All she knew was Tom Riddle and he was swelling with power.

"Mmmmm. That's it, Ginny. We are making excellent progress. I knew that delicious youth was good for something. Certainly, it was rather grating to put up with your endless moaning these past months. But it was worth being patient for. I haven't felt this good in years! Now, let's try a bit more."

She would have screamed if she had lungs. Riddle resumed pulling the string. Inch by excruciating inch her life was being stolen as more memories came to her. The Burrow— her Mum's fresh baked biscuits, her Dad's cluttered woodshed full of Muggle objects, Bill and Charlie's letters from abroad, Percy joining in with their games after she begged him to, the twins sneaking her chocolate frogs when she was in time out, Ron sitting with her on the roof and gazing at the stars.

As quick as they came, they were gone. She was all alone. But she had to have come from somewhere. She had to belong somewhere. No, no one had ever loved her. She had never had a place to call 'home'.

"That's right. No one is coming for you. You are forgotten and unloved. Who would want to listen to your incessant whining? No one."

Despair clutched at her heart. What Tom said was the truth— she had been abandoned. She tried to cling to her thoughts, but she felt so hopeless. Another flash and she was standing before a mirror. She looked upon her reflection, but her appearance melted away. Her freckles swept from her cheeks like grains of sand and her ginger hair faded until it was colorless. Her image faded from the mirror until she was staring at a blank wall. It was dark again and she could barely remember who she was. Her name— it began with a "G", didn't it? Or was it a "J"?

The pain was nearly gone; the last of the thread was nearly pulled. She was so tired. It would be good to finally give in after all this torture. Just a little longer and she could rest forever.

Then there was a long, dreadful, piercing scream. But to her surprise, it wasn't her.

Memories came flooding back to her. Her name was Ginevra. She liked to be called Ginny. She had ginger hair and freckles like everyone else in her family. She was a member of the Weasley family. She was the seventh child and only daughter to her parents, Arthur and Molly. Her six brothers enjoyed teasing her, but they also loved her. She had been accepted to Hogwarts and sorted into Gryffindor. Her brother was best friends with Harry Potter— the Boy who Lived.

She moaned and opened her eyes. The last memory hit her harder than any other. She had opened the Chamber of Secrets for the Heir of Slytherin— Tom Riddle. Slowly, she sat up and rubbed her eyes. Harry was kneeling next to her. Ginny was alive, but her life as she knew it was over. Searching the room for any sign of Tom, she sighed with relief that he was nowhere to be found. She recognized the Chamber from her nightmares and jumped at the sight of the dead monster that had haunted her dreams for months. Harry was covered in blood and he was holding the diary. It had an ink-stained hole right through its center. It's really over.

It all became too much for her. She was overwhelmed with feelings of relief, fear, grief, and guilt. She drew a great, shuddering gasp and tears began to pour down her face.

"Harry— oh, Harry— I tried to tell you at b-breakfast, but I c-couldn't say it in front of Percy— it was me, Harry— but I— I s-swear I d-didn't mean to— R-Riddle made me, he t-took me over— and— how did you kill that— that thing? W-where's Riddle? The last thing I r-remember is him coming out of the diary—"

"It's all right," said Harry, holding up the diary, and showing Ginny the fang hole, "Riddle's finished. Look! Him and the basilisk. C'mon, Ginny, let's get out of here—"

"I'm going to be expelled!" Ginny shakily tried to stand up and Harry helped her to her feet. "I've looked forward to coming to Hogwarts ever since B-Bill came and n-now I'll have to leave and— w-what'll Mum and Dad say?"

Her vision swam with tears; she allowed Harry to direct her toward the Chamber entrance. A beautiful phoenix with flame ombre feathers waited for them. She could barely take in anything. Tom was destroyed, but now there was no evidence for her claims. Did Harry believe her or was he just pacifying her until he could turn her over to the authorities? Her family was going to be so disappointed in her. She was going to be a blemish on the Weasley name for the rest of her days.

She felt Harry's hand applying gentle pressure on her elbow as he pushed her forward. Stone doors closed behind them with a soft hiss.

"Ron!" Harry yelled, "Ginny's okay! I've got her!"

Momentarily cheered with the knowledge that her brother had come to rescue her, she hurried toward the wall of haphazardly piled rock. Ron's familiar freckled arm thrust through a gap in the rock and pulled her through to the other side. "You're alive! I don't believe it! What happened? How— what— where did that bird come from?"

Ginny's sobs came louder and harder. Ron still thought she was innocent. He didn't know what she had done. He was going to hate her when he found out. She wasn't even listening to them anymore. She followed them numbly further up the tunnel. Gilderoy Lockhart was sitting at the mouth of a pipe, humming to himself, but Ginny could barely care why he was there.

The boys seemed to be deciding how to get back to the surface. The phoenix waved its golden tail feathers at Harry.

"He looks like he wants you to grab hold…" said Ron, looking perplexed. "But you're much too heavy for a bird to pull up there—"

"Fawkes," said Harry, "isn't an ordinary bird. We've got to hold on to each other." He turned to her, "Ginny, grab Ron's hand. Professor Lockhart—"

"He means you," said Ron sharply to Lockhart.

"You hold Ginny's other hand—"

They took their positions and Fawkes swiftly rose upward, lifting them easily until they landed on the wet floor of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Tears continued to flow down Ginny's cheeks. It was nearly over now. Ron and Harry would be taking her to Professor McGonagall at any minute and the truth would all come out. She would never see her family again and it was all her fault.

Ron had said something to her, but she had been too caught up in her thoughts. He gave her an anxious look and turned to Harry. "Where now?"

Fawkes swooped forward down the corridor. His golden feathers glowed and guided them outside Professor McGonagall's office. Harry knocked and pushed the door open.

"Ginny!"

Before she could register who called her name, she was enveloped in a warm embrace. She breathed in her parents' scents— buttercups and wood shavings— content to being suffocated if it meant it was in their arms. Her Mum pulled away only to fling herself at Harry and Ron; pulling them into a hug.

"You saved her! You saved her! How did you do it?"

"I think we'd all like to know that," said Professor McGonagall weakly. Her teacher looked frazzled; strands of hair were coming free from her usually tight bun. Professor Dumbledore was beside her at the mantlepiece; Fawkes landed lightly on his shoulder. He was strangely silent for just returning from his forced leave of absence.

Harry, now released from her Mum's hold, walked over to the Professor's desk and laid the impaled diary, a glittering sword, and the frayed Sorting Hat on its surface. He took a breath and turned to the Headmaster.

"I guess it all started when I had my first detention with Lockhart. I heard a voice coming from the walls. It said it was going to kill someone. I tried to warn Lockhart, but he didn't know what I was talking about. And then the voice was gone. I heard it more times this year and it was usually before someone was petrified. That's how I found the victims. I would try to follow the voice and would find someone petrified instead. When Ron and I visited Hermione in the hospital wing, we found a piece of paper in her hand. She had figured out that the monster was a basilisk. I'm the only one who can hear it because I speak Parseltongue. Spiders flee from it and so Ron and I followed them into the forest. We met Aragog, Hagrid's pet spider from when he was in school. Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets! Tom Riddle falsely accused him to cover up that he was the Heir of Slytherin. Aragog also told us that the muggleborn that had died had been murdered in a bathroom. I guessed that it might have been Moaning Myrtle who had died and that the entrance to the Chamber was in her bathroom. So when we heard that Ginny had been taken, Ron and I decided to get Lockhart and rescue her together."

"Very well," Professor McGonagall interjected, "so you found out where the entrance was— breaking a hundred school rules into pieces along the way, I might add— but how on earth did you all get out of there alive, Potter?"

Harry paused and briefly looked in Ginny's direction. She nuzzled deeper into her Mum's shoulder and braced herself for the truth to be revealed. She needed to savor this moment where her family still loved her and thought she was innocent. Harry was already looking at her with fear. Because he knew. He knew she had helped Tom Riddle hurt so many people. Through tear-filled eyes, Ginny met Professor Dumbledore's gaze. A shiver ran down her spine as his piercing blue eyes met her brown ones. It was as though he were reading her thoughts. The shame was too much for her so she abruptly turned away.

"What interests me most," said Professor Dumbledore gently, "is how Lord Voldemort managed to enchant Ginny, when my sources tell me he is currently in hiding in the forests of Albania."

"W-what's that?" her Dad stammered. "You-know-who? En-enchant Ginny? But Ginny's not…Ginny hasn't been…has she?" He leaned in closer towards his wife and daughter, giving Dumbledore a bewildered look.

"It was this diary," said Harry quickly, picking it up and showing it to Dumbledore. "Riddle wrote it when he was sixteen…"

"Brilliant," he said softly. "Of course, he was probably the most brilliant student Hogwarts has ever seen. Very few people know that Lord Voldemort was once called Tom Riddle. I taught him myself, fifty years ago, at Hogwarts. He disappeared after leaving the school…traveled far and wide…sank so deeply into the Dark Arts, consorted with the very worst of our kind, underwent so many dangerous, magical transformations, that when he resurfaced as Lord Voldemort, he was barely recognizable. Hardly anyone connected Lord Voldemort with the clever, handsome boy who was once Head Boy here."

"But, Ginny," said Mrs. Weasley. "What's our Ginny got to do with— with— him?"

Ginny marveled at the tone of disbelief in her Mum's voice. They still didn't realize her role in the attacks. But she was sick of secrets. She had had a year of them and she needed to exorcise them from her conscience.

"His d-diary!" she sobbed. "I've b-been writing in it, and he's been w-writing back all year—"

"Ginny!" said Mr. Weasley, flabbergasted. "Haven't I taught you anything? What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain? Why didn't you show the diary to me, or your mother? A suspicious object like that, it was clearly full of Dark Magic—"

This was it. She was going to be expelled and thrown into Azkaban. She deserved it for being so foolish to help You-Know-Who himself. "I d-didn't know," sobbed Ginny. "I found it inside one of the books Mum got me. I th-thought someone had just left it in there and forgotten about it—"

"Miss Weasley should go up to the hospital wing right away," Dumbledore interrupted in a firm voice. "This has been a terrible ordeal for her. There will be no punishment. Older and wiser wizards than she have been hoodwinked by Lord Voldemort."

Her Mum and Dad solemnly nodded in agreement and helped her to her feet. Dumbledore strode over to the door and opened it. "No punishment? How could this be? They couldn't possibly be letting me off the hook," Ginny thought to herself.

"Bed rest and perhaps a large, steaming mug of hot chocolate. I always find that cheers me up," he added, twinkling kindly down at her. "You will find that Madam Pomfrey is still awake. She's just giving out Mandrake juice— I daresay the basilisk's victims will be waking up any moment."

Ginny thought of only one person.

"Colin." She had a lot to tell him— maybe, just maybe he would be as forgiving as everyone else had been tonight.

"So Hermione's okay!" said Ron brightly.

"There has been no lasting harm done, Ginny," said Dumbledore.

%G%

Ginny absentmindedly stared into her mug of hot chocolate. Her parents were speaking in hushed tones to Madam Pomfrey in her office. They were talking about her, she knew it. Her Mum and Dad had barely left her side until the school nurse asked to speak with them privately. Something must be wrong with her. The large oak doors of the infirmary creaked open to reveal Professor Dumbledore. He swept into the nurse's office. More whispers; more discussion. They were stealing glances at her and the Headmaster was nodding slowly at something Madam Pomfrey said. He placed a comforting hand on her Mum's shoulder and whispered something softly. She nodded. Ginny looked down at her drink again. It had grown cold in her hands.

"Ginny," Dumbledore had sat in a chair by her bed without her noticing. "I was wondering if I might speak with you."

"Sure." She continued to stare at the mug clutched in her hands.

"It must be irksome to feel as though everyone is talking about you. I've experienced it many times in my life and I've always found it rather unsettling."

"How did you know?"

Dumbledore cocked his head to the side, "Know what?"

"That Riddle had enchanted me. The diary was destroyed and you knew he had possessed me."

"Dark magic always leaves traces. That diary still radiated evil even though it was destroyed. Harry was also quite adamant of your innocence. I doubt that he would so readily defend anyone who allied themselves with his greatest enemy. But if I am not mistaken, I don't think that is really what you are worried about."

Ginny glanced down at her lap. She nervously tapped the edge of the mug and spoke so only the Headmaster could hear her, "I'm just… I'm scared that he's still… in me. What if he comes back and makes me do worse things? The things I did… I don't think I could live with myself if I hurt anyone else."

Dumbledore chuckled sagely. Ginny scowled at him for not taking her seriously.

He quickly held his hands up in defense. "No, no, Ginny. Please don't misunderstand me. It is wise for you to be cautious after all you've gone through this year. I just find it interesting when two people feel that they are all alone in the world; that their trials and tribulations are unique to them and that no one will understand. They isolate themselves out of shame and guilt when if they only opened up to each other, they would find that they had more in common than they first thought."

What could he mean? She was the only one to have been possessed by You-Know-Who. But her questions died in her throat. She was entranced by his pure blue eyes as they peered through his half moon spectacles.

"Ginny, you are not alone. You have friends and family that will always love you. That is one thing Tom Riddle never knew or understood. I've had my fair share of experience with him and I can confidently say that I don't see anything of him in you. The fact that you are even concerned about attacking others again demonstrates that."

"But I did attack them! What if they can never forgive me?" she wailed.

"Yes, you made a mistake trusting Lord Voldemort, but that was your only mistake. You placed your trust in an unworthy source. Every misstep comes with a lesson learned. This lesson was a bitter potion to swallow, but I doubt that you will give your trust so unquestionably without first measuring that person's character from now on. As for forgiveness, I'm sure you will find that a true friend will surprise you with the depth of their heart— if you have a little faith. Speaking of, I believe the Mandrake draught has been administered to all those who had been petrified. Perhaps you could escort Mr. Creevey and the others to the feast? Only with Madam Pomfrey's discharge orders, of course." The Headmaster winked with a smile.

Her Mum and Dad were approaching them as Dumbledore stood. "Thank you, Arthur and Molly, for allowing me to speak to your daughter. Well, I'm off to the feast! I daresay it will be one of the best we've had in many a year!" With that, he left as swiftly as he had come.

"Your Father and I were talking with Madam Pomfrey. She assured us that you are perfectly healthy and that the potions she gave you have done the trick," her Mum was softly stroking Ginny's hair like she used to when she was smaller. It instantly calmed Ginny and she sighed in contentment. "We were wondering though if you wanted to come home with us tonight."

After thinking on it for a few seconds, she replied, "I think I need to finish here by myself. I don't want to run away. I'm done with all that."

"That's my girl," her Dad beamed at her.

"But you listen here, Ginevra Weasley," her Mum put on her 'don't-mess-with-me' stance, "if you change your mind, you will owl us straight away, do you understand me?"

"Yes, Mum."

"Right, well, we'll see you in a few weeks. We love you, you know that?" her Mum caught a stray tear from her eye.

Ginny quickly nodded and choked back tears, "I love you, too." They were wrapped in each other's arms, releasing only to switch her Mum's embrace for her Dad's. After her parents left, Ginny looked around the room. Hermione was talking excitedly to Penelope; Justin interjecting every so often. Filch had run in at some point and was currently stroking Mrs. Norris while she purred contentedly. Sir Nick had shifted through one of the infirmary's walls, probably to meet up with the other ghostly inhabitants of Hogwarts. But Ginny only really observed Colin as he nursed the potion Madam Pomfrey had handed out to each of the previously petrified students. Rising from her cot, she made her way over to his, hoping he wouldn't chase her right off.

"Hey," she mumbled.

"Hey," he didn't even look up at her.

She shifted from foot to foot. He was probably going to tell her to piss off, but before he could, she had to spit this out.

"I'm really sorry… about… everything. You deserve a better friend than me. I really missed you and I know that's my fault, but I hope you can forgive me. I should have never called you that word. No one is that word— especially you."

He didn't make any move or reply. It was as if he were still petrified. "No," Ginny checked, "he's still breathing."

Steeling her resolve, she attempted to look him in the eyes. "I know it's a lot to ask after everything I've put you through, but I was hoping that we could… you know… start over? I would like us to still be friends."

Colin slowly lifted his head and met her eye line. "I need some time to think, Ginny. This has been all so weird and I'd like to think about it."

Ginny hung her head and turned to leave. Dumbledore had been wrong. There was too much for Colin to forgive. "Right… sorry… shouldn't have asked…"

"BUT… could we write to each other… over the summer?"

"Yeah," she smiled, "that sounds great."

Colin softly mirrored hers with one of his own. Warm relief washed over her. It would take some time, but maybe they could heal.

%G%

The rest of the school term was rather monotonous and Ginny couldn't have been more pleased by that. She had had enough excitement for one year. Before anyone knew it, it was time to board the Hogwarts Express back to London. Ginny's only worry was being alone for the ride. She was giving Colin the space he had asked for and she wasn't exactly on speaking terms with her room mates. Her brothers were being particularly attentive to her since her secret had been revealed, which was quite nice. Perhaps their Mum had put them up to it. Fred and George hoisted her trunk up into a nearby compartment. She hadn't even had to ask them for help. Now all she had to do was find somewhere to sit.

"Would you like to sit with us?" Hermione asked politely.

Ginny couldn't help but smile at the casual invitation. The older girl had never made mention of the younger's involvement in her petrification. Hermione Granger was a better person than she could ever be.

"Yes. I would love to," Ginny answered happily. Hermione gave a wide grin in return. If someone had told her three weeks earlier that she would be sitting in a train compartment with her brothers, Hermione, and Harry and that she would be heading home, she would have thought they had confunded themselves a few too many times. But here she was, laughing and joking with friends. She hadn't been expelled and she was forgiven for her crimes. Yes, she still had some trust to earn back and she had to forgive herself for the mistakes she had made this year, but Tom Riddle was gone from her mind.

"Let me try, Harry," Ron said as he raised his spellotaped wand high. They had been practicing disarming spells for the last half hour and Harry had been successful almost every time.

Hermione quickly placed a hand on Ron's and lowered his wand arm, "I don't think that would be wise."

"Yeah, wouldn't want you to burp up anymore slugs, mate," Harry cheeked.

Fred grinned, "Or it could be worse. Slugs might come from, let's say…"

"Unmentionable places." George finished with a smirk. Everyone laughed, including Hermione who hid her giggle under her palm. They were nearly to King's Cross when Harry turned to Ginny. She froze. His eyes sparked with curiosity and she anxiously wondered what he could possibly ask her.

"Ginny— what did you see Percy doing, that he didn't want you to tell anyone?"

"Oh, that," said Ginny, giggling with relief. "Well— Percy's got a girlfriend."

Fred dropped a stack of books on George's head.

"What?!"

"It's that Ravenclaw prefect, Penelope Clearwater," said Ginny. "That's who he was writing to all last summer. He's been meeting her all over the school in secret. I walked in on them kissing in an empty classroom one day. He was so upset when she was— you know— attacked." She frowned. She had broken her pact with Percy. She had to do something to make up for not only attacking his girlfriend, but setting the twins on him. "You won't tease him, will you?" she added anxiously.

"Wouldn't dream of it," said Fred, who was looking like his birthday had come early.

"Definitely not," said George, sniggering as he rubbed his sore head.

Ginny rolled her eyes. Well, she would make it up to Percy somehow. Right now though, she was content to be here with her friends and family. She had seen so much darkness and evil that it was wonderful to have this moment of lightness. As they stepped off the train onto Platform 9 3/4, she hoped there would be many more like them.

I first read Chamber of Secrets when I was 12 years old. I remember being shocked by the revelation that Ginny had been possessed the entire time, but I also had an inkling that she would be very important to Harry (i.e. "Wouldn't it be great if they end up together?") I read the rest of the series with this in mind and celebrated the moment that they finally kissed in Half Blood Prince (vindication! I wasn't crazy!) And although I love the movies to a certain extent, I've found that more and more people watch them over reading the books. Because of this, I find that generally people don't understand why Harry chooses Ginny even when they are so clearly meant for each other. I blame this on poor screenwriting and this is why I decided to write this fiction. I wanted to describe the Ginny that I saw glimpses of throughout the series. I hope that I did her justice. Thank you for taking the time to read and review.