┏ ೋღ : 𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐂. ೋღ ┓

𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖓𝖞 𝖜𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖑𝖊𝖞'𝖘 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗;
𝔰𝔥𝔢 𝔴𝔥𝔬 𝔥𝔦𝔡𝔢𝔰 𝔞 𝔰𝔱𝔬𝔯𝔪

┗━━ ೋღ : ©-fictophilic : ೋღ ━━━┛

𝕲INNY WEASLEY USED TO HAVE THE BIGGEST CRUSH ON THE FAMOUS 'BOY WHO LIVED'.

You know, Harry Potter?

Before her first year and during the early stage of her first year, her heart would flutter whenever his name was mentioned, and she'd steal glances at him in the common room or in the Great Hall. Her family knew of how much she would rave about the famous boy, and she'd even practiced various ways to casually bump into him in the hallways. She'd been the epitome of a starry-eyed, besotted fan.

Safe to say that is no longer the case.

"Hey, Lovegood," Kyra exclaimed upon seeing the blonde first-year's innocent face. Ginny's ears picked up Kyra's voice and watched the scene from afar, from within her own Gryffindor first-year friend group.

Luna sat in the grass of the courtyard alone, as usual as no one particularly warmed up to the young Ravenclaw. Nonetheless, the platinum-blonde girl beamed up at Kyra and the girl who accompanied her — you. "Hi, Kyra, (Y/n)."

(Y/n) (L/n), a Ravenclaw in the year above her. Ginny had only really known about you through quidditch, since you played for your house team and were one of the few second-years to make the cut. Other than being a quidditch player, Ginny had no opinion about you.

"How're you getting on in Hogwarts?" Kyra asked, taking a seat beside the girl while you followed, sitting in the grass with your arms clutching a neat and pretty book to your chest. "You getting unpacked in the dorm alright?"

"Yes, I am. Thank you two for helping me unpack yesterday. I appreciate it," Luna spoke airily, a soft and innocent smile donning her face.

Ginny watched as the three Ravenclaws conversed, away from the crowded area of the courtyard — though, she noticed how you rarely spoke up until finally speaking up more in the later half of the conversation.

She first met you through Luna Lovegood, with whom Ginny was friendly with — not quite friends, but nothing of ill-intent.

The first thing Ginny noticed about you was your quietness and subtle desire to isolate. The redheaded girl had rarely seen you talking to more than one person at a time — and all those times were only because of the one friend you kept the closest, Kyra Murray.

She had never heard about you before her first year at Hogwarts. None of her brothers had mentioned you before, but why would they?

You and they had never crossed paths — except for Ron on rare occasions, but Ron wouldn't remember you, not when he was too busy worrying about the Philosopher's Stone.

She had never noticed you, because she was so blinded by Harry Potter and his stupid scar.

Ginny watched the quidditch match — Ravenclaw vs Hufflepuff — intently. Despite Gryffindor not playing, she figured this would've been a good way to get her mind off the recent student petrifications that had her a bit terrified.

She didn't know who to root for, nor did she really care who'd win, but she couldn't help but watch you and Kyra execute synchronized plays in the air. Ginny found herself admiring the way you played as a quidditch player.

Kyra and Roger executed showy plays, spinning in the air for dramatics, but you whistled sharply into the cold air, signaling that you were on your way to get them out of a situation they had found themselves in.

You whistled loudly below the swarm, garnering Kyra's attention as she had herself surrounded by Hufflepuff chasers eager to swipe the quaffle from her hands. Kyra's brown eyes glanced down, connecting her eyes with yours, before dropping the quaffle into the air.

Gravity did its job and you soon found the quaffle nearing you as well as Hufflepuffs diving after it. Reacting quickly, you swung your broom and smacked the quaffle dozens of feet away from the swarm of Hufflepuffs and into Roger's arms as he flew towards the goals.

It wasn't long before Lee announced ten more points for Ravenclaw.

You were the assistant in the plays — never quite getting the credit, but always playing a crucial part.

The stupid diary was the bane of her existence.

A stupid diary that had business being her things after Diagon Alley and the little face-off with the Malfoys, Mattheo Riddle, and Lorenzo Berkshire.

With the faint inscription in the book reading 'T. M. Riddle', she could only guess that it had something to do with Mattheo.

That book was controlling her. After pouring every ounce of her soul, heart, and mind into that book, it controlled her to do unspeakable things — something that she didn't currently know.

Even thinking about it later in time, she couldn't understand, for the life of her, why?

"Are you okay?" Luna had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, her soft and dreamy voice breaking the silence of the dark corridor. She stood there with her blue eyes fixed on Ginny, who sat alone on a stone bench, her face pale and troubled. Behind Luna, you and Kyra stood with your curiosities piqued.

Ginny jumped at the unexpected intrusion, her heart racing as she turned to see Luna. She clutched the straps of her school bag, her knuckles white from the pressure. "Yeah..." Ginny muttered unsurely.

"...Are you sure?" You muttered, narrowing your eyes as you observed Ginny's terrible state. Your sharp gaze met hers and Ginny almost flinched at the way your eyes looked as if you wanted to die — or maybe even kill someone.

It was like a storm brewed behind your eyes, begging to be let free — a storm of thoughts, feelings, and emotions. But for some reason — some way, somehow — you managed to control whatever was threatening to spill from your mind.

Despite Ginny's reluctant nod, Kyra noted, "You look a bit peaky." She tilted her head, her brown eyes filled with concern.

Ginny hesitated, her mind racing. How could she explain the horror that had taken hold of her life? A cursed diary was controlling her, forcing her to commit unspeakable acts and petrify her fellow students. She couldn't possibly utter those words, not now.

"It's just..." Ginny trailed off, her voice trembling, unable to find the right words to convey her turmoil. She couldn't bring herself to admit the truth, not to mere strangers. "Sick. I'm... sick...?"

You and Kyra exchanged a glance, sharing a mutual, unspoken understanding that she had been lying. It wasn't that Ginny was a bad liar, nor did they have any reason to think that Ginny would be untruthful, but you could just say it was a gut feeling.

Meanwhile, Luna simply smiled down at the seated redhead. She gently suggested, "You should go to Madam Pomfrey if you're feeling unwell. She'll have you feeling better soon."

Ginny nodded, grateful for Luna's suggestion. She knew, though, that even Madam Pomfrey's expertise wouldn't be able to mend the awful feeling of guilt that resided in her chest. Her secret burden, the cursed diary of Tom Riddle, was a heavy weight that she couldn't share with anyone, and it threatened to consume her from the inside.

The library remained quiet, like it was frozen in time. Students rarely dared to go anywhere other than their dormitories or their classes with the recent petrifications. You sat at one of the wooden tables alone though, diving into your studies for Transfigurations to get your mind off things — to get your mind off Kyra being petrified.

You donned your headphones over your ears, fighting off the fear that you would be petrified too. You figured you wouldn't get petrified since you were a half-blood — at least, that was what you told yourself to make you feel better.

A certain ginger girl entered the library, her arms clutching a pile of books she meant to return. On her way to turn the book in, she caught sight of you and instantly felt a wave of guilt.

If Ginny had been responsible for the petrifications as she theorized, she was responsible for Kyra's petrification as well.

Ginny didn't get it though.

Your best friend had been petrified, and you decided to bury yourself in your studies and your books.

Why?

Ginny didn't understand you.

Perhaps you were dedicated to your learning — that was what Ginny thought.

It was admirable for you to care so much for your studies as a student, especially when kids your age usually couldn't care less.

The Clock Tower chimed, its deep, resonant tones reverberating through the stone walls of the school, almost shaking the tower itself. Ginny's feet remained firmly planted on the cold metal grating of the tower's platform. Her heart pounded as she cradled the cursed diary in the crook of her elbow.

Continuing to climb up the narrow spiral steps, she had been hoping to find a secluded spot, away from prying eyes and the whispers of the Hogwarts monster. She almost made it to the face of the clock, where the panoramic view of the castle and its sprawling grounds promised a moment of isolation. But as she reached the top, she saw you, sitting there alone.

Whenever Ginny spotted you in such solitary moments, it was as if you were in your own world. Your eyes remained intently focused on the pages of your book, your lips sometimes moving slightly as you read the words spread across the pages. Above your head, a pair of muggle headphones clung to your ears — something that Ginny's dad would undoubtedly rave about if he knew.

It was something she had eventually noticed about you — when you were alone, you almost always seemed to have those headphones on, whether you were reading or studying. It was as if you were using them to block out the real world, seeking refuge in the melodies that only you could hear and in the stories that only you could imagine.

In that state, you appeared at peace, a serene island amidst the storm of life at Hogwarts. You even looked as if you had managed to calm the storm within your own mind — something that Ginny desperately wished she could do herself.

Ginny couldn't help but envy that tranquility. She longed for even a fleeting moment of respite from her own turmoil, a moment when her mind wasn't tormented by the thoughts of the diary and the sinister influence it had over her.

But instead, she was stuck with that wretched diary, the source of her torment. She couldn't shake the feeling that it was controlling her, pulling her deeper into a darkness she couldn't escape.

Ginny sat alone once again, staring down at the diary. Sitting on the stone hedge of the courtyard, her back faced the courtyard and her eyes narrowed tiredly. Her hands felt clammy and her throat felt like it was caving in on itself.

Was it really her?

Was she the one who had been responsible for petrifying her fellow students?

Her mind raced with suspicions, and the pieces of the puzzle seemed to point toward her. But more than anything, it had all started with that cursed diary—a sinister artifact that belonged to the enigmatic and malevolent Tom Riddle.

She was determined to put an end to it all. To rid herself of the weight of guilt and the looming darkness that seemed to envelop her every waking moment. She knew what she had to do.

This stupid old diary that had caused her so much pain. She was going to get rid of it.

She was sure of it.

And she was going to get rid of it tonight.

Caught up in her relentless thoughts, a soft clink pierced the silence, pulling her out of her inner disturbance.

Now resting on the stone beside her was a pepperup potion, the red liquid standing out in the clear, glass bottle. Ginny heard soft footsteps fade away behind her and the ginger girl's head snapped around to look over her shoulder.

All she could see had been the (h/c) hair being tussled by the calm wind and the figure's robes blowing behind her. Ginny's eyes honed in on the girl's arm that clutched a muggle novel — one that she was familiar with in associating with you.

For some reason, Ginny could get her mind off what you had done for her. You two were practically strangers, maybe acquaintances?

Ginny and Luna weren't particularly close, but they were friendly acquaintances.

You and Luna, however, were friends — especially since you two were roommates.

Maybe that's why you gifted her the pepperup potion? Because Ginny was your friend's 'friend'.

To say that Ginny was surprised would be an understatement. You two had barely spoken to each other, and yet you gave her a pepperup potion because she was 'sick'.

How did you even remember that she said she felt sick? Why did you remember that?

You just managed to confuse Ginny more and more with your veil of mystery and your hidden internal storm.

She found herself thinking and wondering so much about you that Ginny hadn't even thought about Harry Potter for weeks.

Despite not actually being sick, Ginny had taken the pepperup potion and drank it — but more so because Percy had practically forced her to drink it.

She was grateful, however, for the potion that you had kindly gifted her.

It felt like a reminder that people were looking out for her.

She admired you, as a person, for being as generous as you were.

The Chamber of Secrets drama had now been history, with Harry Potter killing the basilisk and ending the memory of Tom Riddle. Mattheo had been there during the battle, watching on the sidelines.

It had turned out that Mattheo had slipped the diary into Ginny's collection of books during the Malfoy and Weasley face-off at Flourish and Blotts. For unknown reasons, Mattheo didn't open the chamber himself — not directly.

Instead, he left Ginny to have her life drained away by Voldemort, so that the guy could revive himself. He left Ginny to release the basilisk and petrify students while his hands remained clean and his alibis cleared any suspicion of him being the Heir of Slytherin.

It didn't matter though, because she knew the truth, and so did her family, and so did Harry Potter.

They knew of Tom Riddle, and they knew of Mattheo.

Despite this, Dumbledore had asked each and every one of them to keep quiet on the matter — to keep quiet about Voldemort's real name, and to keep quiet about Mattheo's connection with the man.

No one else at Hogwarts would know that Mattheo Riddle was Voldemort's son.

But now, everyone would know that Mattheo was the one who opened the chamber.

Ginny sat in the Clock Tower courtyard, surrounded by her Gryffindor friends. It had been the day after the basilisk had been slain and the diary of Tom Riddle had been destroyed. By now, everyone knew of Mattheo's involvement with the chamber as the Weasleys and Harry Potter spread the word like wildfire.

They technically weren't going against Dumbledore's wishes.

No one other than them knew how Mattheo had been able to open the chamber, but people didn't question it. They just took the gossip and ran with it.

"I can't believe Riddle made you open the chamber," Ginny's friend commented, her brows dipping in concern.

"I heard the basilisk was 100 feet long."

"I heard that Harry Potter fought the beast with nothing but his bare hands."

"I heard that there were fiery explosions during the fight and bats with the wingspan of a human fought alongside Harry."

Yup, took the gossip and ran with it — all courtesy of the twins.

"Well, I heard that the dumb lil Weasley just couldn't help but fall for cheap ol' tricks." A high-pitched and annoying voice rang, causing Ginny to roll her eyes and look over her shoulder. She found Celia Phillips standing there with her bright blue tie and her obnoxious friends. Celia was in Ginny's year and a complete nut case. "I mean, really, Weasley? Couldn't have working brain cells for just a second to realize you were being manipulated?"

"She figured it out eventually!" One of Ginny's friends defended. "Besides, it wasn't her fault! She was brainwashed—"

"She was a pawn," Celia countered. Cruel laughter emitted from her mouth and a wicked smirk cracked on her face. Her friends followed in suit, their laughter sounding like a stampede. "If anything, it was more your fault than Riddle's. He barely had to do anything and he already had you running his errands like a dog. I mean, think about it. Had you not been so weak-minded, people wouldn't have been petrified."

"Merlin, do you ever stop running your mouth?" Ginny groaned, waving the obnoxious girl away in an attempt to have a moment of peace — one that she very much needed after months with the diary. "At least I figured it out. Last I checked, you were stupid enough to blame Harry for the petrifications. Had it been you who was brainwashed, you would've never put two and two together. You've got a lotta ego for such a small head."

"If I was brainwashed, I would've gone for you first," Celia sneered, glaring at the redhead.

Ginny narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. "Still would've been better than listening to you talk more."

"Listen, you weasel." Celia's brows furrowed as she pointed a dainty finger at Ginny. "You're nothing but a—" Celia stopped, her words dying in her throat as she suddenly froze.

Her entourage stared at her in confusion, watching Celia's eyes zip around her surroundings. With the exception of her eyes, Celia couldn't move her body at all — her hands, her feet, and her mouth remained frozen.

One of Celia's friends stepped forward toward the