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If You Can Help Her | ||||||
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Category: Alternate Universe Characters:Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fluff, Humor Warnings: None Story is Complete Rating: R Reviews: 570 Summary: This story starts with an alternative ending to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets where Harry helps Ginny recover from her experience, unknowingly initiating a bond that affects the rest of their lives. Rating is for violence in the later chapters. **A French translation called "Si tu peux l'aider" is being written by the author Sined. It's posted on Fanfiction.Net. Hitcount: Story Total: 296414; Chapter Total: 10866 |
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Harry Potter and all characters, etc. belong to J.K. Rowling, not me. If You Can Help Her — Chapter 6 Starts in … …The Prisoner of Azkaban — Chapter 11 — The Firebolt Harry woke up the next morning to find everybody still in bed. He thought about what he’d learned about Sirius Black and realized that if it weren’t for Ginny, he’d have probably had a nightmare. He found himself amazed at how much of a difference that one person was making in his life. He remembered that almost everyone would be leaving for the holidays and was grateful that Ginny, along with Ron and Hermione were all staying with him at Hogwarts. He definitely did not want to spend Christmas alone, and he definitely did want to spend Christmas with Ginny. The thought of Ginny inspired him to get up, shower, and get downstairs as fast as he could in hopes of seeing her. When he made it downstairs, he wasn’t disappointed. Ginny was sitting at a table with Hermione. Both of the girls had serious expressions on their faces and were so engaged in their conversation that neither noticed Harry walking toward the table. He heard Hermione say, “I just don’t know whether or not we should tell…” “Harry!” interrupted Ginny as she notice him approach. “Good morning Ginny, Hermione. You’re up early.” “So are you,” said Ginny. “Hermione was just telling me that…” “Nothing Harry!” said Hermione, glaring at Ginny, “Absolutely nothing!” Ginny winked at Harry with an amused look on her face. Harry then realized what they must have been talking about. “…She and Ron overheard Fudge, Hagrid, McG…” said Ginny. “Stop Ginny! I thought I could trust you!” yelled a very aggravated Hermione. Ginny continued, beaming at Harry, infuriating Hermione, “…that Sirius Black…” “I am never confiding anything in you again!” shouted Hermione, getting up from the table. Harry, who had been trying to keep a straight face and look curious, started laughing, “It’s all right Hermione. Ginny and I were under my cloak at the next table.” Then he put on a more serious look, “I know that Sirius Black betrayed my parents.” Hermione’s eyes practically popped out of their sockets. “You heard? Are you Ok? How did you? Harry, you shouldn’t have sneaked into Hogsmeade. You and Ginny could have gotten in serious trouble! What if Black had been there?” “He wouldn’t have seen me through my cloak, would he have?” Hermione sighed and said, “I guess not, but you shouldn’t have gone. What’s more important is how you’re doing, Harry.” “I’m alright,” said Harry. Hermione gave him an odd look, as though she didn’t believe him. “I admit that when I first heard it, I wanted to hunt Black down myself, but Ginny managed to calm me down.” He took Ginny’s hand in his at that moment. Hermione smiled at them both and said, “Well, I guess Ginny’s an even better influence on you than I thought!” Harry looked into Ginny’s eyes and said, “I don’t know what I’d do without her,” and kissed her softly. “Here comes Ron,” said Ginny, not long after. “Why don’t we do the same thing to Ron that we did to Hermione?” “You mean pretend that you don’t know about Sirius Black and get Ron to make a fool of himself trying to keep me quiet?” said Hermione. Harry and Ginny both nodded. Hermione said, “Sounds like a good idea to me!” After doing just that to Ron, who afterwards insisted that they explain how they got to Hogsmeade, they went down for breakfast and said goodbye to their friends who were leaving for the holidays. Then they went down to Hagrid’s and found out about the hearing. The next few days passed quickly, and before Harry new it, it was Christmas morning, and he was being woken up by Ron throwing his pillow at him. “Oy! Presents!” Harry reached for his glasses and put them on, squinting through the semi-darkness to the foot of his bed, where a small heap of parcels had appeared. Harry opened them up to find that he’d gotten a sweater, along with some goodies, from Mrs. Weasley. He was pleased to find that he’d gotten a new pair of Quidditch gloves from Ginny, but what excited him most didn’t have a tag to say who it came from. It was a new broom. Not just a new broom, but a Firebolt! He couldn’t believe that anyone would give him one of these world-class brooms! While he and Ron were discussing where it came from, Ginny and Hermione came upstairs. As soon as Ginny saw the broomstick in Harry’s hand, her eyes went wide and she asked, “Is that, is that a Firebolt?” “Yes!” said both Ron and Harry together. “Who sent it to you?” asked Hermione. “No idea,” said Harry. “There wasn’t a card or anything with it.” To his great surprise, Hermione did not appear either excited or intrigued by the news. On the contrary, her face, as well as Ginny’s, fell, and Hermione bit her lip. She spent the rest of the conversation trying unsuccessfully to convince Harry that the broom could be dangerous, while Ginny kept silently looking at the floor as though unsure what do do.” The girls left the dormitory when Crookshanks, whom Hermione had brought in with her, made another attempt on Scabber’s life. There wasn’t much Christmas spirit in their group that afternoon. Ron wasn’t speaking to Hermione because of Crookshanks, while Hermione and Ginny were eying Harry’s broom apprehensively while Harry was examining it. At about noon, they went down to the Great Hall for lunch. Professor Trelawney, the last to arrive, was pleased to join them, changing the number of people dining together from thirteen to fourteen. When Ron, Harry, and Ginny got up to leave, Hermione stayed behind and spoke to Professor McGonagall, who shortly thereafter joined them in the Common Room and confiscated Harry’s new broom to have it tested for curses. As soon as the professor was gone, Ron rounded on Hermione, “What did you go running to McGonagall for?” Hermione threw her book aside. She was pink in the face, but stood up and faced Ron defiantly. “Because I thought — and Professor McGonagall agrees with me — that that broom was probably sent to Harry by Sirius Black!” “What?” shouted Harry, getting angry, “How could he?” “Harry,” Ginny yelled, “It makes perfect sense!” “Stay out of this, Ginny!” shouted Ron, “It’s none of your business!” “Then it’s none of your business either, dear brother!” Upon hearing Ginny agree with Hermione, Harry decided to try controlling his temper, at least long enough to hear her out. As calmly as he could, he asked, “Ginny, how does it make perfect sense?” Ron looked at Harry with disgust, shouted, “I CAN’T believe you’re listening to them!” and stormed off. Ginny looked at Harry and saw that he was struggling with his temper, and put her hands on his. She looked him in the eye and said softly, “Listen Harry, Sirius Black wants to kill you, correct?” “Yes.” “It’s common knowledge that you’re on the Quidditch team, correct?” Harry nodded, “Yes.” “It’s common knowledge that your broom was just destroyed, correct?” Harry shrugged, “I guess.” “It’s common knowledge that you’re a thirteen-year-old boy who would probably want to try out his new broom immediately, correct?” “Well, yes. Who wouldn’t?” “And it’s common knowledge that a hundred-foot fall from a broom would most likely kill the victim. Am I right?” Harry nodded, “Yes.” He could see where she was going with this. “So, a good plan to murder you would be to get you to ride on a cursed broomstick. Correct?” Harry shrugged and said, “I suppose, but that doesn’t mean…” Hermione, deciding it was safe to join the conversation, said, “I know we can’t prove it’s been cursed, but why should we take that chance? I, for one, don’t want to watch you fall from your broom again!” Hermione was starting to cry. “Neither do I Harry! I nearly died watching that!” Harry decided to concede. He could see why Hermione did what she did. He said, “I guess you’re right Ginny.” Then he turned to Hermione and gave her a hug while saying, “You did what you felt was right. I know you only did it because you care about me. You’re the best friend I could ever ask for. I hope I haven’t ruined your Christmas by acting like a baby over my Firebolt.” Hermione was now crying on his shoulder saying, “No you haven’t. Thank you for understanding. I was afraid you wouldn’t forgive me. What are we going to do about Ron?” Ginny said, “He can sulk alone until he’s ready to grow up! I’m not gonna let him ruin my holiday!” They then proceeded to enjoy the rest of Christmas day, playing games, building snowmen, having snowball fights with the twins. Harry apologized for being too preoccupied earlier to thank them for their presents. Then he and Ginny took a walk, and she thanked him very thoroughly for the silver necklace with a heart-shaped ruby that he’d gotten her. After she assured him that the necklace more than made up for him missing her birthday, he produced a set of silver bracelets, one for each of them to wear. “Harry, that’s too much! I can’t accept that! It must have cost a fortune! My mum wouldn’t let me take something like this. I’m very touched, but you’ve got to take either the necklace or the bracelet back!” “No, Ginny. You’re worth more to me than all the gold in Gringotts! I know you’re uncomfortable with people spending money on you, but you’ve allowed me to be your boyfriend, and I want to express my love for you. Please don’t try to stop me.” “I love you too, Harry, and I guess I’ll accept these wonderful gifts that I don’t deserve. But honestly Harry, I don’t want you to empty out your vault for me. Please don’t go overboard like this again.” Harry smiled slyly and said, “You mean like on Valentine’s Day?” “I’m serious, Harry! I’ll have a hard enough time getting mum to let me keep these gifts! You don’t have to spend a lot of money on me! Just spend time with me.” “Can’t I do both?” When Ginny finally felt that she’d convinced Harry not to go overboard on Valentine’s day, they proceeded to dinner, where Ron reluctantly started talking to Hermione, after being reminded that it was Harry’s broom that was confiscated, and that Harry is now fine with it. Ron was still sulky, and occasionally gave Harry and Ginny weird looks, muttering something about Harry letting her control him under his breath. Somehow though, Harry decided that even though he really didn’t think the broomstick was cursed, Hermione’s friendship, not to mention Ginny’s love, was a lot more important to him than any broom, even a Firebolt. |
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