MetaFic

Harry Potter licked his lips. He didn't really want to fight six centaurs. All he wanted was to get himself and Ginny safely back to Hogwarts. Harry, wand at his side, faced the lead centaur.

"We didn't mean to trespass. It was a bit of an emergency, actually. So if you don’t mind, well just be on our way," Harry tried to keep his voice calm.

"I am afraid, Harry Potter, that we cannot allow you to leave the forest." The lead centaur pawed the ground with one front hoof. "You and the foul woman you brought before caused the death of five of our number at the hands of the giant. You are no longer a foal; you will he held responsible."

"Fine, but let Ginny leave. She's done nothing to you. She doesn't even have her wand, she's no threat to you." Harry spoke calmly.

"I'm not leaving you alone with this lot," Ginny hissed.

"Your mate will not leave this clearing either." The centaur stepped back and raised his bow, "Good-bye, Harry Potter."

"Stupefy!" Harry shouted as the lead centaur fired his bow. The stunner caught the centaur squarely, and his arrow went wild as he crumpled to the ground.

"Flamma Murus!" A giant wall of flame rose before Harry, causing the five remaining centaurs to quickly retreat. Harry and Ginny climbed onto the broom and turned the opposite way. There was a hiss as several arrows came toward them through the fire.

Harry yelped in pain and the broom lurched downward. Ginny stared in shock at the arrow protruding from Harry's shoulder, just inches from her face. Harry landed the broom as the centaurs charged, readying another volley. Harry turned to face the centaurs, pain and anger etched across his young face. Five bows shattered under the strain of facing Harry's uncontrolled wandless magic. Two of the centaurs charged on, one drawing a short spear from his arrow quiver as he advanced.

Ginny Weasley leapt toward the centaurs, arms extend, changing in mid-air. She struck the spear-wielding centaur and dragged him to the ground, lashing out with her teeth and claws. The second centaur continued his charge at Harry, who drew his wand and shouted, "Petrificatus Totalus!" The centaur's limps snapped together and he fell to the ground.

Ginny allowed her opponent the chance to flee. He turned, bleeding profusely from several wounds, and galloped to the two remaining centaurs. The three quickly turned and ran away.

Ginny shifted back to human form. Gasping and panting, she rushed up to Harry.

"If I fly us out, can you hold on?" she asked.

Harry nodded and grimily got to his feet. "Let's go."

They mounted the broom, and Ginny tried to guide them out of the forest, which proved no small task, as parts of it were now on fire from Harry's wall of flames. The trees near the fire pulled up roots and started walking away from the fire. The trees on fire kept trying to bash their own limbs on the ground to put themselves out. Ginny thought she heard a cry of "Extinguish!" from somewhere, but she had turned and started away from the fire.

She tried to gain altitude, but they were too heavy for the racing broom, which was struggling and moving sluggishly under her. As she turned back toward where she thought Hogwarts would be, she found several large patrols of centaurs galloping along the paths. She turned away, but found her new direction blocked by a swarm of Acromantula. Twice they were forced to battle their way free of Acromantula's, with Ginny guiding the broom while Harry, despite the pain of the arrow in his shoulder, blasted away with a wide range of offensive hexes and curses. Ginny sighed in frustration. Everyone seemed very active tonight. Just as she was considering trying to find someplace to hide, she saw it.

The Ford Anglia was idling near a small stream. Ginny landed several meters from the old family car, not wanting to get too close in case it had gone completely feral. The car seemed to recognize her, as it slowly rolled toward her and opened its doors.

"Harry, Harry come on, climb in the back and lay down." Ginny said.

Harry was sweating terribly, and trying to keep conscious. He climbed into the battered car and lay on his stomach, keeping the shaft of the arrow protruding from his shoulder from touching anything. Ginny climbed up front and settled behind the steering wheel. She took a deep breath, then pushed on the accelerator.

Ginny Weasley's skills as a Quidditch player came in handy that night as she dodged trees, drove around giant spiders, and in one case blazed through a patrol of centaurs. She stayed behind the wheel of the car until it reached the front gates of Hogwarts.

Ron and Hermione dashed out to meet them.

"Ginny!" Hermione cried, "We saw the headlights from the tower windows. The forest is on fire and most of the professors are out trying to fight it! Where have you been? Have you seen Harry?" The words tumbled out of Hermione's mouth in a jumble.

Ginny climbed out of the car. "Help me move Harry to the infirmary,"

Ron opened the back door. "Bloody hell, Harry, you've been shot with an arrow. Come on mate, let's get you up to Madam Pomfrey."

Ron helped Harry as he carefully climbed out of the car, and Hermione quickly conjured a stretcher. For once Harry didn't complain, but only lay down on his stomach gratefully. The four started moving toward the hospital wing when they were intercepted by the last person Ginny thought to ever see again at Hogwarts.

Draco Malfoy.

He was flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, with Pansy Parkinson near his side.

"Well, well, well, seems Saint Potter's gone and gotten himself shot up by the talking horses. I suppose we'll just have to finish the job for them."

Hermione Granger set Harry's stretcher down. "How can you be here Malfoy? I thought the Ministry had you locked away for attacking Harry and Ginny in Diagon Alley."

"Ah yes, well, it was a simple matter really." Malfoy put on a sad and earnest face, "Honestly, Madam Judge, my own father, a known follower of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, use an Imperious curse on me, his only child, to force me to do his evil bidding." Malfoy put the sneer back on his face. "The fools bought the lie and set me free, and Dumbledore was forced to re-admit me, since I was innocent and all. Now I've the chance to finish what we started in Diagon Alley."

"I'd suggest you move along quietly Malfoy, if you know what's good for you." Ron had stepped forward and placed himself between Malfoy and the others.

"Or what, Weasel, you'll go tell your daddy at the Ministry?"

"At least mine isn't a corpse. No, Draco, I'll just bust all your teeth out of your head."

"You'll pay for insulting my father's memory, Weasel!"

Had Draco Malfoy been more experienced in these matters he would have already had his wand at the ready and he would never have let Ron step so close to him. As it was, when he finally did reach for his wand, Ron Weasley made good on his previous statement and smashed Draco in the face with a solid right jab. The small blond boy went down in a heap. Crabbe and Goyle stood stupidly for a moment, until Pansy shrieked at them to get Ron, but by then Neville Longbottom and several members of the D.A. had come up to the scene. The mix of hexes and jinxes that struck Crabbe and Goyle left them in a state somewhere between jelly and motor oil. Pansy started to run away, but found herself staring into the large protruding eyes of Luna Lovegood. Luna never moved, but she also never blinked. After several seconds, Pansy started to shake in fear, and finally collapsed on the floor in tears.

Draco Malfoy pushed himself up to one knee, "You'll pay for that, Weasley. I'll be there when you least expect."

"However, since you were kind enough to confess you crimes before most of the Hogwarts staff, that threat will not be made good in this school," Professor Dumbledore stood in the doorway, along with several others. They were covered in soot, and Madam Hooch looked a bit scorched, but they had all heard Draco Malfoy's words.

"Now, if Mr. Malfoy would be kind enough to go with Professors McGonagall and Vance to my office and wait there, I'll escort Mr. Potter and Miss Weasley to the infirmary. Oh, Professor Flitwick, would you please try to sort out those two?" he pointed at Crabbe and Goyle.

The various groups went about their business, and the Headmaster floated Harry's stretcher to the infirmary, with Ginny walking alongside it, staying close to Harry. Dumbledore left the two with Madam Pomfrey. He told Ginny that as soon as Harry was able to have visitors, he would return and discuss the evening's events with them. Ginny stood silently, glaring at the Headmaster, but had finally nodded her agreement.

It took Madam Pomfrey almost thirty minutes to patch Harry back up. She spent the entire time going on about students being attacked with nasty, barbaric weapons. She sent Ginny to the infirmary shower while she worked on Harry behind a closed curtain. Ginny showered, and changed into the clean nightclothes that were set out for her. By the time she exited the shower, Harry was lying comfortably on his bed, dressed in clean pajamas, fast asleep. Madam Pomfrey fussed over Ginny before placing her in a bed just slightly down from Harry. Once the matron had gone to her office for the night, Ginny sneaked over to the bed next to Harry's. She lay there in the near dark, soothed by watching the gentle rise and fall of his chest, until finally sleep overtook her.

***

Harry Potter climbed back to consciousness with a small groan. He could tell by the sounds and smells where he was. Again. He opened one bleary eye to find the Headmaster sitting at the foot of his bed, waiting patently for Harry to awake.

"Ah, Harry, it's good to see you’re awake," the Headmaster said. "I have called a meeting of the Order. Once Miss Weasley is awake–"

"I am," Ginny mumbled from under her covers.

"–and the two of you have eaten breakfast, please come to the Room of Requirement. There I hope to be able to answer the questions I'm sure both of you are eager to ask."

Harry nodded agreement, and Dumbledore stood and left the room.

"All right there, Ginny?" Harry asked.

Ginny sat up and pulled the blankets close to herself. "Yeah, I think I'll be okay." She smiled shyly at Harry. "Thank you for coming after me last night."

"Voldemort himself couldn't have kept me away," Harry said earnestly.

Ginny started to respond, then smiled and placed a hand over her mouth to stifle a rising laugh.

"What?" Harry asked.

Ginny pointed to the headboard on the bed Harry was sleeping on, "I guess Madam Pomfrey's finally decided to make good on her threats."

Harry turned around and looked. There, magically engraved on the Headboard, were the words, This Bed Reserved for Harry Potter.

Harry chuckled. "Yes, well Miss Weasley, before you get too much amusement out that, you might consider your own headboard."

Ginny turned and looked her headboard. This Bed Reserved for Ginevra Weasley.

Ginny harrumphed indignantly.

The two teens found school robes at the foot of their beds, and each drifted off to take showers. They met in the infirmary waiting area, where Madam Pomfrey forced them to finish a bowl of warm porridge before allowing them to leave.

They walked down the hallway toward the Room of Requirement in companionable silence, holding hands. The events of the previous night seemed to have brought them even closer to each other. As they neared the room, the door cracked open quietly, but did not open enough to allow them entrance. Harry started to reach for the door to pull it the rest of the way open, when Professor Snape's voice came to him clearly.

"Headmaster, please, you must see reason. It is obvious the boy is out of control. He very nearly burned down the entire forest last night."

Lupin's tight voice spoke. "Yes, after being attacked by centaurs."

"He had no business going into the forest in the first place," Snape countered.

"He was trying to find Ginny," Hermione spoke up.

"I told him to go after her," McGonagall said.

"Once he saw she had gone into the forest, he should have left Miss Weasley's rescue to the faculty. But instead, in his arrogance and disregard for school rules, he set off to play the hero, and in the process destroyed several ancient trees and has caused the denizens of the forest to become even more suspicious of wizards," Snape hissed back.

"Severus–" Dumbledore spoke up softly.

"I agree with Snape, much as I hate to say it," The voice of Charlie Weasley, who had finally been allowed to leave St. Mungo's spoke. "Harry just seems to find ways to get into danger. Someone needs to rein the boy in."

"Charlie–" Ron's voice came low and dangerous.

"Look, Ron, I know he's your friend and all, but can't you see where this heading?"

"Perhaps," Snape said softly, "We should bind Potter's magic until he learns some self control."

There were several gasps from around the room at the idea.

Lupin's angry voice broke in. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Yes, let's bind Harry's magic so that when Voldemort comes he'll be defenseless. You'd like that, wouldn't you, Severus?"

"Frankly," the soft, calm voice of Emmeline Vance broke in, "even if I thought it was a good idea, which it is not, I'd be loath to try to bind Potter's power. I'm not sure he'd allow us to."

Snape voice held a sneer. "You talk as if he would have a choice."

"You didn't see what he did to Malfoy and Dolohov. You didn't see him destroy that Dementor," Tonks told him.

"All the more reason to put him in check now," Snape said. "His casual killing of two wizards shows an obvious talent for dark magic. Add that fact to his ability to speak Parseltongue, and I fear he may prove as great a threat as the Dark Lord, should he be allowed to continue running wild."

"Harry would never go dark!" Lupin countered.

"He's killed two wizards already," Snape said.

"It was in the heat of battle. He thought Ginny was dead," Tonks growled.

"So at the first opportunity he allows his emotions to override his judgment, killing two people. In a particularly gruesome manner I might add," Snape said. "What's to stop him from losing his temper and setting one of the students on fire?"

"It was an awful amount of force he used. Almost excessive," Shacklebolt pointed out.

"I think we all did what we had to," Neville spoke up.

"Still," Charlie said, "he set them on fire. He could have stunned or petrified them, but instead he used lethal force."

"And what would you have done, brother dear, if you'd have thought they'd killed your sister?" Ron spat.

"Ladies, gentlemen, please stop this arguing," Dumbledore's weary voice broke in.

"I'm pulling Ginny out of Hogwarts," the stern voice of Molly Weasley broke in.

"Molly, we can't just forego Ginny's education," Arthur Weasley spoke.

"Listen to me, Arthur. I love Harry like my own son, but Ginny's too young for all of this, she's barely fifteen. She's going to get killed. I was never happy with her becoming an Animagus in the first place, and now look what's happened, she's found out what she really is. We'll never be able to keep her out of danger if we let this continue."

"Wait a minute," Ron said. "I don't understand why Ginny's Animagus form changed to a lion?"

"It didn't change," Hermione said, "She's always been a lion. She was never supposed to be a cat."

"Hermione–" Molly Weasley spoke in a low threatening voice.

Hermione acted like she never heard her. "They forced Ginny into being a cat. They put magical restrictions on her that forced her Animagus form change from a lion to cat. That's why when her Patronus appeared, it had such a terrible affect on her. She was seeing what she was supposed to be."

"And when did you figure this out, Miss Granger?" Professor McGonagall said.

"I've suspected since the first time I saw the full markings. I recognized some of the symbols as binding runes, but I couldn't prove that's what was going on until last night."

Ron voice came soft and dangerous. "Why? Why did you do this to Ginny?"

"It was a mutual decision," Dumbledore said in a whisper. "Your mother was adamant that Ginny not know her true nature until she reached her seventeenth birthday. When Professor McGonagall told us that Ginny would soon make the change no matter what, it was decided to put restrictions on her form. Your mother agreed to let Ginny stay with Harry if we restrained Ginny's abilities. I thought it best, because it promised Harry a measure of companionship over the summer. And Ginny in her true lioness form would not have been able to stay in Harry's room. As a small housecat, she was perfect for the role of Harry's companion and watcher."

"Ronald," Molly Weasley spoke to her youngest son, "you must understand. If Ginny had known she was able to assume the form of a lion, she would have constantly been in the thick of battle. She would have thought that being such a powerful creature would make her less likely to get injured. As a small cat she would be unable to fight directly. It was for the best."

"Well, she knows what she is now. You can't change that," Ron said.

"Yes, I can," Molly whispered.

There was a long pause before Remus Lupin spoke, an incredulous note in his voice. "You're not thinking of having your own daughter Obliviated?"

"Yes. It's best she forget all this." Molly Weasley sounded like a woman who was trying to convince herself she was right.

"If that's the case mother, then you'd best have me Obliviated too, because I'll be the first to tell Ginny what's happened," Ron said.

"No, you won't! I'll be sending Ginny to Beauxbatons once her memory is modified," again Molly Weasley sounded unsure of herself.

"Molly, even if you modify her memory, the markings she has will clue her in that something's not right. I don't completely understand what happened, but Pomfrey says the ones that stayed have become permanent," McGonagall said. "You can't change what she is. I've tried to tell you this, and I wish you'd understand. You can wipe her mind clean if you want, but she will still be an Animagus, and she'll still figure out how to change."

"You don't understand! You don’t have children!" Molly snapped at McGonagall.

"Mum, maybe this isn't such a good idea," Bill Weasley spoke for the first time.

"I've made the decision. It's final."

The door to the Room of Requirement opened completely. The occupants of the room looked to find Harry and Ginny standing in the doorway, hand in hand.

"Ah, Harry, Ginny, please come in," Dumbledore said.

Neither teenager moved, they just looked at the others with flat expressions.

"How long have you two been standing there?" Remus Lupin asked.

"Long enough," Harry said softly.

Ginny looked at her mother, letting the tears slowly fall. "You'd really do that to me? You'd take away my memories? You'd actually change who I am?"

Molly Weasley looked horrified. She stood and started toward her daughter, "Ginny, please, I'm–"

"Good-bye, mother," Ginny said. With a wave of her hand, the door closed.

Harry reached out with his wand. He placed the tip inside the lock on the door. "Signum," he muttered.

It took the combined might of the Order of the Phoenix an hour and half to open the door. By the time they did, Harry and Ginny were gone