The pounding was so loud. She couldn�t bear it. Why couldn�t she just be left alone? Ginny twisted and turned and fell deeper into sleep. She didn�t hear the door to her room open.

�She�s here, Professor McGonagall, in her bed.�

Hermione rushed into Ginny�s room, her eyes getting used to the darkness. She could just make out the small form of her friend on the bed. Ginny�s room was in complete disarray and while Hermione knew the Weasley men were messy, she knew that Ginny was not. Something was definitely wrong.

Professor McGonagall came in after her and immediately lit the room with a flick of her wand. Taking in the scene before her, she turned back around and stopped Neville from entering.

�Mr. Longbottom, please, go and fetch Madam Pomfrey. Have her knock before she comes in, and please remain outside. I think Miss Weasley would prefer to have some privacy.�

Hermione didn�t hear what Neville said, but she was sure he was reluctantly agreeing. Hermione bent down near Ginny and put a hand to her head, the girl was deathly cold.

She doesn�t have any clothes on, Hermione thought absentmindedly to herself. No wonder she�s so cold.

�Ginny. Wake up. Can you hear me?�

Hermione pulled the blankets around her and looked up at McGonagall, who� s concern was evident on her face.

�Is she...?� McGonagall asked quietly.

Hermione looked down at Ginny and frowned. �She doesn�t seem to want to wake, Professor, and she�s icy cold. I don�t know how long she�s been lying here like this.�

McGonagall patted her shoulder and Hermione moved out of the way. McGonagall pointed her wand at Ginny and whispered something Hermione didn�t hear. Ginny stirred, but it was only a slight movement. Hermione didn�t know if that was a good sign or not.

A short knock on the door made Hermione jump and she went to answer it. As she opened it to let in Madam Pomfrey, she saw Neville and another boy she didn�t know standing behind her, looking worried. A small crowd of students was forming behind them.

Hermione looked back at McGonagall. �Professor, what should I tell the students?�

McGonagall looked at her sharply. �Tell them to go back to dinner and have Longbottom follow them. We don�t need to have the entire school worrying about this until we know what�s happened.�

Hermione closed the door securely after her, praying Madam Pomfrey would be able to wake Ginny. She looked at Neville, who had a pale look about him. The boy next to him looked anxious and if Hermione didn�t know any better, she�d swear he even looked guilty.

�Neville,� Hermione said as she nodded at her friend. She took his hand into hers. �McGonagall needs you to escort the students back to dinner. Try to keep the rumors at a minimum. Just say she�s been taken ill.�

Neville�s eyes looked wildly about and then he stared at Ginny�s door.

�Neville, please. Ginny needs to you be strong now. I�m sure the last thing she wants is to be the talk of the school.�

Neville nodded. �But... she�s alright, right, Hermione? I did the right thing? Coming to get you?�

Hermione smiled. �Yes, of course, Neville. I�ll be sure to tell her that you were looking out for her.�

Neville nodded and then turned, his eyes resting on the boy next to him for a moment and Hermione couldn�t read his expression. Neville turned around to face the crowd of students that had been trying to listen to their conversation.

�Everyone back to dinner! Prefects, get your houses in order. I don�t want to have to take points away from anyone. There�s nothing to see here, just a Head Girl who�s come down sick. Come on, off with the lot of you.�

Hermione had to smile at Neville�s bravado. Sometimes he was so similar to the boy she had known at twelve and other times he was completely different. She reckoned a war could do that to people. She was about to go back into Ginny�s room when she realized the boy from before was still standing there. She looked over at him and his eyes searched her face.

�Are you a friend of Ginny�s?�

He nodded and licked his lips. �I... we�re... she...�

Hermione noticed he was wringing his hands together in a nervous gesture.

�Are you alright? I�m sorry, what�s your name again? I haven�t learned all the students names yet-�

�Louis. It�s Louis Fagan. And she�s... going to be okay, right? Nothing can happen while someone�s just sleeping, right?�

Hermione frowned. What a strange question to ask.

�Do you know what�s wrong with Miss Weasley, Fagan?� Hermione asked him, suspiciously.

�No! No. I mean... I saw her... last night... we... were...�

�Was she acting sick at all? Showing any symptoms of anything?� When Hermione saw his panicked expression, she moved in closer to him. �It�s just... it could help us figure out what�s wrong with her.�

�No. No. She was... she was sleeping still, I think. Professor Longbottom showed up and he told me-�

Louis was interrupted by the door opening behind them. Hermione turned around and saw Professor McGonagall beckoning to her.

�Miss Granger, if you wouldn�t mind, we need your assistance.�

Hermione turned to say goodbye to Louis, but he had already walked away, practically running down the hall. Frowning, Hermione watched him. Now that had been decidedly odd, what had he been about to tell her?

�Miss Granger?�

�Coming, Professor McGonagall.�

Louis Fagan and whatever was troubling him, would have to wait.

�Ah! There you go mate, that�s it!�

George, Harry, Fred and Ron were having a mini-game of Quidditch. It was four brooms against one enchanted golf ball, and two enchanted deflated basketballs that stood as Quaffles. The twins were using rocks as bludgers. Mr. Weasley was watching them with a smile on his face. Ron had just managed to knock the Quaffle into what they had designated as a scoring area. Harry felt as though he were back in fourth year.

�I see our dearly beloved brother has improved since Hogwarts,� Fred cried out as Ron hit another Quaffle through. �Not that it would take a lot to improve over.�

�You�re just sore that me and Harry, the best Quidditch players never to go pro, are beating your sorry arses.�

In response, Fred managed to make the rock he�d been holding whiz by Ron�s ear.

Ron flew over to Harry.

�Reckon I hit the mark on that last quip, eh?�

Harry laughed. He hadn�t felt this happy in a long time.

Before the twins could retaliate more, Mrs. Weasley called out from the kitchen.

�Okay you lot, dinner�s ready!�

Mr. Weasley looked up at them. �Best come at once boys, she�s been cooking for a long time and you know she doesn�t like to be kept waiting when a feast is about to be served.�

George and Fred flew down and landed, tossing their bludger-rocks into the garden. Ron took the spell off of the basketballs and Harry tossed the golf-ball Snitch at him.

�Did you have that the whole time?�

Harry grinned. �Yeah, caught it right from the start. I don�t think Fred gave it a fast enough spell.�

�Well, don�t tell him that, he likes to think he can do really good Motion Spells.�

As they settled into their chairs, Mrs. Weasley beamed at them. Her eyes lingered on Harry for a moment.

�Oh, Harry, I can hardly believe you�re leaving! And going so far away. You will make sure that you write to Ron and keep us informed?�

�Yes, Molly. Ron�s already threatened to come after me if I don�t.�

Mrs. Weasley glanced at her son. �You�d best not be thinking about running off to America with him, Ronald. Your office is backed up enough as it is, with Hermione gone.�

�Mum! That office runs itself like a well-organized owlery. It doesn�t need me around to keep it running.�

�But you�re the Assistant to the Department Head! And you need to set a good example as the Minister�s son.�

�There, there, Molly. Ron�s doing fine work, aren�t you son? Didn�t you just finish that report on Muggle-Bating ahead of time?�

Ron turned a bit pink. �Well, actually that was Hermione�s report, I just handed it in, because she kept nagging me about it.�

Fred and George winked at Harry.

�Yeah, Ron, nice of you to get a girl that�s like Mum-�

�Always nagging at you to get your work in order-�

�It must be as though you�ve never left home.�

Mrs. Weasley turned a baleful stare to her two boys. �Well at least Ron has a girl. You two... I don�t know what woman would put up with either of you! You�re lucky you have a Mum who does care for you or you�d never eat. Or bathe.�

�Aw Mum, that�s not true, I�m sure someone would remind us-�

�By the time we started really smelling-�

�Of course, we do have those Weasley�s Sweetly Sniffing Scents we could use-�

�They do come through in a pinch-�

�Enough!� Mrs. Weasley laughed then and Harry grinned at all of them. He missed this. He knew he would miss it in America. He couldn�t believe he was leaving.

Suddenly an owl came flying through the open window.

Mrs. Weasley got up to receive the letter. �That�ll be from Ginny, no doubt. I wrote the school to ask if she could join us for Harry�s party, but I didn�t receive an answer.�

Harry was aware of several of the Weasley faces looking at him, but he ignored them and continued eating.

�Oh, dear. Oh no. Arthur, we have to go to Hogwarts at once. Something terrible has happened!�

All eyes were on her as she clutched at her neck. She looked as white as a ghost. Mr. Weasley stood up and walked over to her.

�What is it Molly? Something wrong?�

He took the letter from his wife and read it. His face suddenly went pale as well.

�Sorry boys, we�ll have to call this short. Your mother and I have to get to the school. Ginny�s come down ill.�

Fred and George stood up immediately.

�Let us go too-�

�What is it? Did they say what�s happened?�

Mr. Weasley shook his head. �No, just that she�s had some sort of attack of something. They want us there to be with her, they might have to take her to St. Mungo�s. We�ll send word when we know something. Sorry, Harry. If we don�t see you, have a good trip tomorrow.�

Before anyone could say anything else, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were out the door, Apparating the closest they could get to Hogwarts.

Everyone stood around and looked at each other. Harry felt a feeling of dread wash over him. Did this have something to do with what had happened between Ginny and him?

Harry moved away from the table, his food forgotten. He looked out of the window at the approaching darkness and felt a nagging feeling.

�She�ll be fine, Harry,� Ron said behind him. Harry turned to meet his eyes.

�Ginny�s a fighter. I�m sure she�s just come down with a flu bug... or... something.�

Harry nodded and watched as George and Fred started to clean up the dishes. Apparently they had lost their appetite too.

Harry couldn�t shake the cold feeling that had settled onto his heart.

Be alright Ginny, please be okay. Don�t let this be because of me.