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Unforgiveable?

The youngest Weasley knew deep down that what she had done was wrong, she had acted in a fit of blind jealousy and maddening anger.

She had tried so hard to be perfect for Harry, she had studied hard and done well in her courses, she had practiced long hours to be good enough to stand as a peer with him on the pitch, she took great pains to always appear to be what she thought was his ideal, an outgoing, pretty and vivacious young lady who could speak to him about spells or challenge him at sports. She prevailed upon her connection with Ron to get close to the trio, and even struck up a friendship with Hermione,and began to feel less like an outsider.

Ginny had thought she was making great progress, they had even kissed. And then things went tits up, Dumbledore dies and Harry has some epiphany , says he just can't endanger her anymore and that they are quits for the time being. Well what could she say to that, she salvaged as much of her pride as she could and tried to leave the door open to future possibilities.

She stayed single and available while waiting for him to come back, but when he finally comes back he's hanging all over Granger of all people! This simply couldn't be right, their was no way some muggle-born bookworm with mousy brown hair and a penchant for lecturing could possibly have snaked Harry from her, it just wasn't in the realm of possibilities. Seething with jealousy and anger she decided her course,

Harry just needed a nudge back in the right direction, Just a gentle push to get rid of his silly fixation on Hermione , and back where it belonged.

Ginny brewed the Amortentia potion for the next week in a long abandoned room in the dungeons of the castle. All the week long she tried to pretend she didn't see Harry always with Hermione, studying together, talking in the common room, or worst of all sneaking off to be alone.

At the great hall two days after the potion was finished brewing she had seen an opportunity and taken it, covertly adding a dose of the potent agent into his customary cup of pumpkin juice. Ginny saw Harry pick up and drain the tainted glass, and her heart raced as she waited for it to affect him, for him to turn and look at her with a new light in his eyes and declare his love. But he simply got up, giving his goodbyes, plead that he promised to meet Hermione in the library,and left.

The next night she saw them kissing at the common table and she made her final mistake, she subtley added the rest of the potion, nearly three times the recommended dose into his glass of hot chocolate and waited across the room for him finish it.

Suddenly she saw him freeze, and she thought it was finally working. But, instead of turning to her with love in his eyes, he just put the heels of his hands to his temples, uttered a guttural coughing noise and fell off of the couch he was sharing with Hermione and began convulsing on the floor.

Hermione broke down on the spot, screaming for someone to get Madame Pomfrey. She was crying and unfocused but she was Hermione Granger, the smartest witch of her generation and the war had turned her into a practiced observer. Even in the grip of panic she noticed the while everyone else was caught in the grip of panic , Ginny simply stood shaking her head in mute denial.

The next day Harry was still in the infirmary on a coma, and Pomfrey had confirmed that the potion was keyed to Ginny. Hermione all but ran back to the Gryffindor tower. She spotted Ginny leaning against a wall with a haunted expression on her face, as soon as she spotted Hermione she opened her mouth as if to say something, but Hermione took two quick steps and swung her arm in a powerful slap knocking Ginny to her knees.

Hermione's eyes were hot with unshed tears. "I challenge you to the Judicium Caelestis for the crime of poisoning my bondmate and attempting to breach our marriage." was ground out through clenched teeth.

Ginny just stared up in shock, this seemed to polarize Hermione and she drew back to strike her again, but was caught from behind by Ron. "Hermione what the hell are you doing!" he shouted, as he dragged her way from his sister who was just sitting on the floor crying quietly.

"Your darling sister fucking poisoned Harry!" she screamed as she was dragged away.

Ron froze. "What did you just say?" he asked in almost a whisper.

"She fucking dosed him with Amortentia! Poppy say she used so much that he might never wake up, and if he does, he has better than even chances of spending the rest of his life in a daze." Hermione said before bursting into tears.

Ron looked at his sister and a tear trailed down his face "Gin.. what were you thinking? What have you done?" came out in a choked voice, and she just cried harder.

Ginny sprang to her feet and spun as if to run back up to her room , but the second she turned Neville whipped out his wand and snapped "Stupify!"and as she fell, "levicorpus, incarcerous!" he turned to the rest of the shocked Gryffindors and said in a remarkably even voice "Lets take this to the headmistress, we need to know exactly what is going on."

Neville, being a prefect, led Ginny to the Headmistresses office and genlty led her up the stairs when the guardian gargoyle shifted aside for them.

Minerva McGonagall looked up in some surprise at seeing a red faced Neville Longbottom coming up her stairs followed by the levitating bound body of an unconcious Ginny Weasley. The thin ascetic woman looked at him with a grim expression "What exactly is going on Mr. Longbottom?" she asked.

Neville froze for a moment before the formulaic phrases pounded into him by his grandmother burst from him. "Lady Potter ,Hermione, consort designate to House Potter has accused Ginevra Molly Weasley youngest daughter the house of Weasley of poisoning her lord and head of house as well attempting to sever their marriage bond. She has claimed right of arms and has challenged Ginevra to the Judicium Caelestis."

The Headmistress froze at hearing this, the Judicium Caelestis was a seldom used convention in recent memory. Unlike the current conventions for wizardly dueling, their were no safeguards, no fouls, and no carefully formulated rules to increase the likelihood of a non fatal resolution, in the Judicium Caelestis, the only way one survived was by the dubious mercy of the victor. The fight lasted until one side was dead or a reprieve was offered to a fallen opponent. All weapons and tactics were allowed and the only restriction to spellcasting was the unforgivables.

Schooling her features to a calm facade she looked at Neville. "Bring me Hermione and Madame Pomfrey, you may place Ms. Weasley in one of the secure rooms in the infirmary." she said.

Neville walked quickly to the infirmary with Ginny bobbing in his wake and told Madame Pomfrey that she was required in the Headmistresses office before depositing his burden in one of the rooms and leaving her in bed after dispelling his levitation effect. Then he left to get Hermione. When he arrived back at the tower Hermione was gone. He asked a couple of people before Seamus supplied that she hadn't gone to her room, she had just slipped out of the portrait hole and nobody really wanted to get in her way when she looked so ready to snap.

A moments thought told him exactly where he could find her. A short trip later he was smiling apologetically at Madame Pince's dour look as he walked into the library so late. He found her curled up in the rearmost of the stacks with her forehead on her drawn up knees, her shoulders twitching as she silently sobbed. Feeling awkward he walked close and kneeled down, putting a hand on her shoulder. Hermione looked up at him with a tear ravaged face.

"N..Neville" she hiccuped "w..what am i gonna do." the last word trailing off into more crying.

Not used to dealing with crying girls he flushed a bit as he leaned against the shelf next to her and drew her into a slightly awkward one armed hug. "Hermione, you can't break down like this right now." he said quietly "Harry needs you right now, you need to be strong for him." She looked at him and a watery smile before dashing the tears out of her eyes with her hands.

Schooling her face a bit calmer she asked, "So, what did you need to find me for?" she asked voice cracking slightly,

"Hermione, the Headmistress needs to see you in her office, do you think you can hold together for a talk with her now?" he asked gently. "And making sure your holding up of course, that's what friends are for." he added with a weak chuckle.

A nod and a rib creaking hug later they made their way to the Headmistresses office. Inside McGonagall was sitting behind her desk and Madame Pomfrey was standing to the left of it.

"Good evening Miss Granger, Poppy was just explaining to me Harry's status, as well as her testing of the elixir used on him. She tells me that her findings are conclusive and Ms. Weasley is assuredly the culprit, but are you sure you wish to pursue such a grave course of action against her? Surely we can find a way to end this matter without more blood being spilled." Minerva asked, pleading with her eyes.

"No!" Hermione almost shouted, "I can't believe you would even ask that! Ginny freaking poisoned Harry and you want me to be reasonable? He may never wake up and even if he does he may never be the same. And you expect me to leave her to go with a slap on the wrist." Hermione ranted, hot tears spilling down her cheeks, "She fucking owes her life to him, I thought we were friends for years and this is how she repays us!" her face was still wet but her eyes grew hard. "She betrayed me, that i could forgive, if not forget, but Harry is down there in a coma because she was so crazy with jealousy she had to try to use a love potion on him, and this is probably the only real justice he can get, the ministry would never support a claim made by a muggle-born, especially if made for Harry after the way he ripped into them last year."

Minerva looked at Hermione with tired eyes "Can't you at least wait to see if Harry will recover, Poppy says that if he's going to come back to us it will be in the next two weeks."

"Two weeks Headmistress, if Harry recovers fully i will drop my challenge and Harry can decide what to do about this, but if he is lost to me or his mind is damaged irrevocably i will see her on the field and take what satisfaction i can." Said Hermione in a dead voice before turning sharply and leaving.

~---O---~

At the same time Hermione was speaking with McGonagall, Ron was confronting his sister after rushing down to the infirmary and casting an 'ennervate' on her followed by a quick 'muffliato'.

"Ginny, do you have any idea what you've done?" he asked in a hoarse voice, obviously fighting off tears.

"I know Ron," she said pleadingly "I was an idiot, i don't know what came over me, If...If Harry doesn't get better I don't know what I'll do..." she trailed off and looked at him with lost eyes.

"Do? What your going to do?" anger rising in his voice "You act like your going to do anything! Did you not listen? Hermione just challenged you to the Judicium Caelestis, if she decides to pursue this all your going to do is get bloody killed!" Ron almost shouted in her face, his hand gesticulating wildly.

Ginny drew herself up a little bit "Come on Ron, this is Hermione, if i hurt her too much Harry would never forgive me, heck i don't know if i could forgive myself if i really ended up hurting her. We've been friends since my first year here, but its not like I would just let her take me down."

Ron stared at his sister for a moment not quite comprehending what she had just said , and then it clicked. "Ginny, you seem to think you have a chance, I don't know what your thinking but here are the facts"he said , gripping her shoulders and staring into her eyes. "Fact one, even back when the DA started Hermione won nearly all of your duels, fact two, in the last year while you have been here studying, Harry and Hermione hunted down some of the most well guarded items in our world, fought countless battles against death-eaters and spent whatever spare hours they could find being personally trained by Moody, the single most respected Master Auror alive today" he said calmly, but a little tremor leaked into his voice when he added "I have personally seen her kill sixteen people." he said, and Ginny's eyes widened.

"W..what, what are you talking about? she stammered with a shocked expression.

"Ginny," he started gently, "why do you think i couldn't stay with them?" His eyes looked into the distance no longer focused on her. "I just couldn't do it, we knew we had to stop fighting like schoolkids, we were fighting killers who enjoyed what they did, Harry and Hermione could get through it, I...I couldn't" voice cracking a little bit "we talked about it and decided that we needed to start using spells a simple 'ennervate' would cure, so we practiced the 'reducto' curse and 'diffindo','bombarda' and so on, the next time we encountered a group of death eaters I opened up with a 'reducto' with some real force behind it." Ron swallowed noisily, "When the curse hit one of the death eaters her shoulder exploded Ginny." Ron gagged a bit but continued, "the blood was everywhere. I froze. Harry knocked me down , out of the way of a curse, but i just lay there, staring at her, the fall had knocked her mask off and I recognized her," he stared in her eyes, "She just lay there screaming and writhing, i mean Parkinson was always a bitch, but i had seen her for years in school, i knew her," Ron paused to catch his breath,

"Thats horrible Ron, but she was there to kill you, you did what you had to so you could stay alive" Ginny said, hugging her brother.

Ron pulled away "You don't understand Ginny . I froze, a full dozen death eaters tracked us down and attacked, and as I lay on the ground, Harry and Hermione ripped the whole group to pieces." a slight pause, "All i saw were brief flickers of them as they apparated one after the other, almost silently. They cast every curse imaginable from every angle. A group of twelve trained wizards, and they all fell and died in under three minutes." he said in a haunted voice.

"They were the enemy Ron, Harry did what anyone would do to those murderers." Ginny said emphatically.

Ron looked down at her, she still didn't understand, "Ginny after the rest of the death eaters were down I was getting up to check on Pansy, she was still trying to scream, but all she could manage was gagging. Hermione stopped me and told me quietly that she'd take care of it when she saw how horrified I was" he swallowed noisily again,"she walked over to Pansy and i figured she was going to put her in stasis so we could get her to St. Mungos, and she just looked down and with a quiet 'diffindo' opened Pansy's throat from ear to ear." he was staring off into the distance again. "She just did it so casually, there was no emotion in her eyes." he let out a shuddering sigh. "Do you unerstand now Ginny?

"Shes a ...monster, how could she do that?" Ginny's voice cracked a bit.

Ron's features hardened, "She did what she had to Ginny. She gave Pansy the mercy I was too weak to give her. We obviously couldn't go around capturing death eaters and sending them back to be healed, we were at war. I could understand in my head why we had to be ruthless, but I just couldn't harden myself the way they could. They could just shut out the guilt and horror and do what had to be done, but me, I froze up the first time the shit hit the fan. After a few weeks and more encounters with death-eaters we talked it over and decided I should go, if i stuck around all I would do is get one of them or myself killed or captured."

Ron seemed to be winding down.

"So you're saying I should just give up, saying i should just lay down and die?" Ginny said with a touch of bitterness, "Hermione the great war hero is coming to get me so I'm as good as dead aren't I. It doesn't work that way Ron, Hermione is as human as anybody else." Ginny spat with more than a little bitterness.

"Ginny I may not act like it much, but I'm your brother and I love you. If you go out there and fight Hermione she is going to kill you, no take backs, no fuss. I don't show it often but she is bloody scary, you look at her and see the bookworm trailing after the Boy Who Lived, but I've been there and I see the smartest witch I've ever met getting ready to execute a friend because she was too sodding jealous to let go. I see my best friend preparing to kill my sister in front of me, and God help me I can't tell her its wrong. Please, please try to find a way to settle this off the field, if Hermione kills you it will tear everybody apart." Ron was nearly weeping now, "Please Ginny, please, I don't know if mom can take this after everything else."

Cold eyes bored into his and the voice that came was devoid of emotion. "So I'm already written off, my only choice is to beg my executioner for a stay of sentence eh?" Ginny poked her finger into his chest, "I'll have you know that Hermione may be smart, but i have the highest DADA marks in my year, I am going to win this, I'll try not to kill her but I am going to win, and when Harry gets better he'll understand, I can help him just the same, I can fight right along side of him."

Releasing her shoulders Ron leaned back and let out a shuddering sigh, "I can't talk with you, even after what you did you still talk as if Harry is going to be with you in the end. You fucking poisoned him, and Harry may be able to forgive a lot but that's beyond the fucking pale. I'll owl mom, maybe she can talk some sense into you, or calm Hermione down." Ron turned to leave, "Think about what I said." were the last words he spoke before canceling his privacy charms.

The next day Ginny was released to return to classes, but was barred from leaving the castle proper.

~---O---~

Harry showed no signs of recovery and Hermione was with him for long hours in the infirmary, sitting by his side and speaking quietly about their friends and what had been happening at the school. Hermione was feeling sick to her stomach at the thought of what would happen if she killed Ginny, they had been friends for years, and her brother was her best friend, not to mention the fact that she loved and respected her parents as well.

Ginny on the other hand felt horrible about what she'd done, but didnt quite understand why she wasn't being totally ostracized, most of the staff looked at her with...pity. Two days after the confrontation in the Gryffindor common room the normally exuberant professor Flitwick asked Ginny to stay after class to speak with him.

As the class filed out and Ginny walked to Professor Flitwick's desk his infectious smile faded to a more somber expression. "Ms. Weasley, I've heard of your situation, and though i think you acted deplorably, that it was likely an act of youthful indiscretion rather than a choice made with malice. It would be a great shame to have such a gifted student perish, especially at a time when so many deaths already haunt our days." he said quietly. She started to open her mouth as if to reply but he raised his hand, forestalling her, "please don't try to justify yourself to me, I do this not only for you, but because your death would destroy miss Granger, and with her, any hope that we have of Harry recovering." he finished quietly.

"Why does everybody keep acting like this is an execution! First Ron, now you." Ginny shot out,"It's a duel, and I have just as much chance of winning as she does. I can't stand the thought of ...killing her, but if I can incapacitate her quickly... Hermione's smart, she'll take a truce if I offer one." came out with a bit of a quaver in it.

Filius tilted his head slightly in confusion, "Ms. Weasley, you do not seem to grasp this fact, but if you see Hermione across the field, it will indeed be an execution, you have almost no chance of surviving as you are, let alone winning." came out in a slightly clipped tone, "You may not know this, but in my day i was a professional duelist, and i say with no particular shame I would not wish to face an opponent of Miss Granger's caliber if presented an option to do otherwise. I called you here to offer to help hone your skills after classes end over the next few nights, it is my sincere hope that if you can drag out the fight sufficiently Hermione may lose her resolve to take your life and perhaps show you some leniency."

"I....I'll come by tonight professor, thanks for offering to help me," came out in a rush as she spun to leave. "I have to get to potions." she said quickly and slid out the door.

"Oh sweet goddess preserve me what have I gotten myself into," he said morosely removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes.

~---O---~

For the rest of the time leading up to the appointed Ginny spent evening learning from Flitwick or practicing techniques he had shown her.

"Of vital importance will be ending her movement advantage, I helped Moody several times in the training that she and Harry received, and Miss Granger thoroughly embraced the adage that she who controls the land controls the world. She has mastered the art of short repeated apparation jumps both to evade attacks and confound opponents. This jinx will create a small area in which entrance or exit via apparition is impossible." said the diminutive charms professor

"The 'stalak scutum' spell will create a physical shield of dense stone which you can use for cover. This form of speed conjuration is less useful in multiple opponent engagements, and it is my hope that Miss Granger will not have formulated an effective countermeasure for it," he went on.

"Concentrate on evading or deflecting her attacks, Hermione is a powerful witch, and if you pit your shielding charms against her combat magics she will collapse them in short order."

"Do not goad her, Miss Granger will not be swayed by her anger to foolish action, but it will surely destroy any chance you have her mercy." he looked at her sharply, "I know you think you have made great strides these last days, but take my advice in this, if you do otherwise i truly fear it will all be for naught," he finished solemnly.

"Be ready for a physical attack, not just a magical, I am not sure, but knowing as I do what a proficient swordsman Naster Auror Moody is i cannot see him failing to pass at least some skill in arms to Harry and Hermione. He has always been one to insist that a warrior have as many arrows as possible in his or her quiver."

On and on the lessons and advice went, with Ginny spending every hour available practicing what she'd learned. Until the day of the scheduled battle.

~---O---~

It finally came to the appointed day. Hermione had known that Ginny was jealous of her relationship with Harry , and that it had put stress on their own friendship, but she certainly hadn't seen this coming.

Hermione stood at the east end of the Quidditch pitch, dressed in a simple gray cloak over plain dueling leathers a sheathed sword carried in hand, across from her was the witch who had tried to break her bond with Harry using a possibly lethal dose of amortentia.

Ginny stood on the field wearing loose black robes , her wand already in hand. Her eyes were red rimmed from tears and she had an air of resignation. She had come to grasp the enormity of her mistake, but it wasn't possible for her to back away from this fight. Hermione had challenged her to the juris macto, a fight to the death for her crime.

Much of the stands were full of ministry personnel, friends and older students, as first through third years students had been barred from attending. The Headmistress stood ramrod straight in the center between the two dressed in sober black robes and a tartan sash. "We are gathered this day to witness a justice decided by combat, but it is my duty to try to resolve this matter before blood needs be shed." she turned to Hermione, "Hermione Jane Granger, though the actions of Ginevra Molly Weasley were reprehensible can you not find it in you to let this matter be solved without violence?

"I cannot." came the hoarse reply from Hermione.

Minerva bowed her head for a moment and then spoke. "The challenger will not be swayed, may the gods bear witness. If any should raise hand to interfere before a conclusion is reached may the earth open and swallow him, may the waters rise and drown him and may the air draw away and choke him." a dull hum was felt by the assembled as the ritual phrase resonated through the air. She then turned and paced slowly off the field.

Over the murmur of the crowd Minerva raised her hand and held it aloft until all were silent and focused on her. Her hand fell in a sharp cutting motion, "Begin!"

As soon as the Headmistress shouted Hermione flickered, and with sound crossed between thunder and tearing canvas her blurring form was flickering from place to place seemingly randomly around the field never in one spot for more than a fraction of a second.

Ginny raised her wand quickly and intoned, 'Impeda Apparturum!" and immediately the sound stopped and with a lurch Hermione was a dozen meters away behind her.

Wasting no time Hermione began to run forward and raised a hand at Ginny, "reducto!" and deep furrow was plowed in the pitch as Ginny dove to the side narrowly avoiding the curse.

Ginny raised her wand "stalak scutum!" and a large block of stone shuddered into existence between her kneeling form and her opponent.

Hermione grasped her sword and dropped the scabbard, as she moved she flung out her hand, and with a shouted "defero nex!" a bar of white hot flame as big around as a golf ball snapped into existence for a brief second, piercing right through the stone barrier. The crowd gasped as they heard Ginny let out a shriek as the lance of unstoppable fire drove through her barrier and pierced her shoulder, she collapsed writhing to the ground.

With a muttered word a silvery shield appeared shimmering before Hermione and she slowly paced around the barrier to see if her foe truly was fallen. As Ginny came into view Hermione was sickened, the smell of burnt flesh hung in the air, and there she saw her lying, back arched and shuddering as she tried to draw in air to scream but could only cough and choke as tears poured down her cheeks and blood ran freely where she had bitten through her lip. Her legs were weakly scrabbling at the ground as she tried to escape her torment, but her struggles got more frantic as Hermione came into view. Her one working hand tore at the ground, fingernails ripping as she tried to pull away from her. Forgotten her wand lay a few feet away.

Ginny coughed and gasped, "please please please, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, please don't do this Hermione, please please," she sobbed out, shaking her head slowly, still struggling to move, tears streaming. Hermione stood resolute, "I'm sorry Ginny." as she grimly raised her hand, crackling with risen power.

A voice came distantly from the school "Wait! Stop them! Wait!" And Hermione looked up and held her hand a moment as she saw a frantic Poppy Pomfrey rushing and stumbling to the field, "Stop Hermione, Harry woke up, don't kill her, hes awake!"

A stunned look came over Hermione. Her sword fell from suddenly numb fingers as a shudder passed through her body and she began to stumble towards Madame Pomfrey "Tell me this isn't a trick." Hermione grit out through clenched teeth as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Its not a trick Hermione, hes awake, his eyes popped open a few minutes ago and he started struggling and muttering your name." Poppy panted out, hands on her knees, "as soon as I calmed him a bit I rushed out hoping I could stop...oh my sweet goddess!" she broke off as she caught sight of the weakly panting Ginny. "Get in there and see him," she shot out as she bent to inspect Ginny. With a muffled word and a flick of her wand Ginny's expression, twisted in agony, faded into blissful unconsciousness.

Hermione rushed off to the castle, followed distantly by many of the witnesses.