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Ginny's Patronus
By Carrick ORourke

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Category: Post-OotP
Characters:Harry/Ginny
Genres: Romance
Warnings: None
Story is Complete
Rating: PG
Reviews: 16
Summary: Ginny is disappointed in the form of her Patronus; that is, until she learns something new.
Hitcount: Story Total: 22452



Disclaimer: Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R. Note the opinions in this story are my own and in no way represent the owners of this site. This story subject to copyright law under transformative use. No compensation is made for this work.



Author's Notes:
This was written for the ReWrite It! challenge for hpgw_otp on Live Journal. My prompt was "Dumbledore's Army." I think the story turned out really well. Hopefully, you'll enjoy it, too.




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Ginny's Patronus
by
Carrick O'Rourke

Ginny Weasley scowled in frustration at the puffs of silver vapor shooting out of the end her wand. This was the first of what Harry Potter promised to be several lessons for the D.A. on the Patronus charm. Members of the D.A., or Dumbledore's Army, had been looking forward to learning how to conjure a Patronus and now they finally were learning. It was not, however, going well for Ginny and that frustrated her.

She wasn't alone. Most of the other students were also struggling with their attempts at conjuring a Patronus. Some, in fact, were having almost no success. Neville Longbottom was struggling with the spell words while Lavender Brown's repeated tries of fancy wand-waving produced nothing more than wisps of silvery smoke. Even Ginny's boyfriend, Michael Corner, was cursing under his breath each time he failed.

There were, of course, some who were doing very well. Hermione Granger, for example, seemed to have picked up on the spell very quickly and was happily watching her otter scamper around her. Fred and George had also quickly mastered the protective charm and were now entertaining some of the D.A. with their racoon Patroni as they chased each other around the room. The twins appeared to be goof-offs, but Ginny knew very well they were powerful wizards with superb skills so she wasn't surprised they had learned quickly.

"Yeah, they're bloody brilliant," Ginny muttered quietly to herself as she again produced a large, indistinguishable blob of silvery smoke, "and I can't do a damn thing." She glanced across the room at Harry hoping he might see she needed a little more help and gave an angry scowl. Of the members of the D.A. that were having early success with the difficult charm, Ginny was most frustrated that one of them was Cho Chang whose Patronus was a large silvery swan.

Naturally, Ginny thought darkly, her Patronus would be something beautiful and graceful like a swan. Why couldn't it have been something ugly like a blast-ended-skrewt? No, of course Cho Chang wouldn't have an ugly Patronus. If there was going to be a blast-ended-skrewt Patronus, Ginny thought, she would be the one to have it. That is, if she could even conjure a bloody corporeal Patronus at all. And, it was obvious that Harry Potter wasn't going to be any help as he was completely enthralled with only Cho.

"Oh, bloody hell!" Ginny was brought out of her thoughts by Ron's loud exclamation as a number of students turned and looked at him in surprise. "My Patronus! It looks like a bloody little dog!" Ginny and the other kids looked at Ron's Patronus which, while not completely corporeal, certainly did have the appearance of a small dog.

Hermione was wearing a large grin. "Ron, it looks like a Jack Russell terrier. It's adorable."

"Oh yeah," Ron mumbled in frustration, "real cute." He went back to practicing as did the other students.

Ginny turned back to her own practicing, casting a sideways glance at Harry as she did. He was again focusing his full attention on Cho. Ginny screwed up her face in concentration and tried to think of happy thoughts. She thought of being at the Burrow with her family and eating fresh berries and homemade ice cream. She thought of taking hot bubble baths with her favorite vanilla-scented bubble bath. "Expecto Patronum!" Out of her wand came the usual weak puff of silver vapor.

Ginny gave a frustrated growl and again screwed up her face in deep concentration. "Think of something happy. Think of something happy." Kissing. That's something nice, Ginny thought with a smile. She thought of her first kiss which had been with Michael Corner. It had been really nice. But she had always thought her first kiss would be with Harry Potter — and then it wasn't. By the time she had become Michael Corner's girlfriend, she knew her hopes of ever being Harry's girlfriend were slim at best. Hermione had told her to look elsewhere; if it was meant to be, she would eventually have Harry. Well, obviously it hadn't been meant to be. "Expecto Patronum!" The result was even worse than before and Ginny swore under her breath.

By the time the D.A. session was over, Ginny had still not been able to perform the Patronus charm. As Harry and was directing the D.A. to leave twos and threes, Hermione pulled Ginny aside.

"Ginny, I could see you were having trouble with your Patronus charm. Why don't you have Harry work with you?" Ginny felt her face turn red and scowled.

"I don't think he has time. He's too busy with Cho Chang."

Hermione gave a perturbed snort and whispered to Ginny. "Are you jealous? I mean, you do have a boyfriend, Ginny."

Ginny felt her blush deepen. "No. You know I like Michael. It's just . . . well, it's just . . ."

"I understand."

"I mean," Ginny continued a little reluctantly as she glanced over at Michael talking with a couple of other Ravenclaws, "I really do like Michael. It's just that . . . I . . . oh, I'm being stupid. We're probably not even supposed to be together. It was just little girl dreams of being with the Boy who Lived and all of that rubbish."

"Ginny, you've never thought of him that way and I know it. Now, do you want to stay for a few minutes and have him help you or not?"

Ginny forced a smile and thought to herself that it probably looked more like a grimace than a smile. "Sure. I'll explain to Michael."

A few minutes later and with all but Harry, Ron, and Hermione gone, Ginny tried again to conjure a Patronus. Ron and Hermione sat and talked quietly with each other while Harry worked with Ginny.

"Okay, Ginny," Harry repeated patiently, as Ginny once again produced an undistinguishable wisp of silvery smoke, "that was a good try. You're really doing a good job. It took me quite a while to get it down." Ginny nodded as Harry continued, "Are you thinking of something really pleasant?"

Ginny again nodded as she tried to remember what exactly she had been thinking. Her thoughts were interrupted by Harry's voice. "I think maybe your wand movement isn't quite right. If you don't mind, I'll stand behind you like this," Harry stepped right behind Ginny and grasped the wrist of her wand hand with his. "Now," he breathed into her ear, "do the Patronus charm and I'll help you with the movement."

Ginny could not explain the intense feeling that seemed to shoot throughout her body at the touch of his hand on her. She couldn't understand it. He had touched her before and yet, it was different this time. She couldn't explain it and didn't really want to. She just wanted to enjoy the sensation that was racing through her. She raised her wand and, with Harry's gentle touch, did the movement and yelled "Expecto Patronum!"

The result was instantaneous and extraordinary. Out of her wand emerged a large, silvery swan-sized bird with a long plumage and a pointed beak that flew majestically around the Room of Requirement. Ginny stared at the bird with a combination of fascination and disappointment.

It was Harry who broke the silence. "It's a phoenix," he said in amazement. "And it's corporeal. Great job, Ginny!"

Ginny attempted a smile at Harry's compliment as she glanced over at Ron and Hermione who had stopped their conversation and were watching the Patronus sail around the room for the third time and then evaporate in front of them. Hermione, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, turned and looked at Ginny. A small grin crossed her face while Ron stamped his foot in disgust.

"Oh sure, she gets a phoenix for a Patronus while I get a damned poodle.

Hermione turned to Ron with her hands on her hips and glared. "It's not a poodle, Ron. It's a Jack Russell terrier and I happen to like them."

The four did not have time to celebrate Ginny's accomplishment as they needed to hurry back to Gryffindor Tower before curfew. They walked quickly and quietly through the corridors until they had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. Once inside the Common Room, Harry again complemented Ginny on her Patronus and then he and Ron bid the girls goodnight and clamored up the stairs to the boys' dorm.

As soon as the boys were out of sight, Hermione turned and looked at Ginny with a bewildered expression. "Ginny, what is wrong? You look upset, and I thought you'd be happy."

Ginny looked up at Hermione, pushing her glum thoughts to the corners of her mind and forcing a smile on her face. "Uh, I am happy." It obviously had not been convincing enough given the expression on Hermione's face. "Oh, okay," Ginny admitted with a sheepish grin, "I'm a little disappointed."

Hermione looked gobsmacked. "Disappointed! Why are you disappointed?"

Ginny felt her cheeks going red and wondered if what she was about to say was going to sound as silly as it seemed to her. Nevertheless, she forged ahead and explained to her best friend. "Well, you see, my mum explained to me about the Patronus charm. She told me that when a couple really love each other and are meant to be together, that quite often they'll have a Patronus that compliments each other or represents the one they love and . . ." Ginny saw that Hermione was about to interrupt and hurried on before she could. "I know what you're going to say, Hermione, but it's not an old witch's tale and even though Harry doesn't love me now that doesn't mean we won't someday be together. So, I, well, I had really hoped . . . I had really expected to have a Patronus that complimented Harry's stag because . . . well, because I've always thought that eventually we would be together.

"Ginny," Hermione had her sympathetic tone she'd used so many times before when the two had been talking about her unrequited love for Harry. "I've read about lovers' Patroni complementing each other and about a person's Patronus representing the one they love. It's mentioned in both Your Personal Patronus and What is That Silvery Thing?" Ginny's face brightened a little but clouded up again as Hermione continued. "But, you know that doesn't always happen."

"Well, it doesn't really matter since my Patronus isn't a doe."

Hermione started laughing, which Ginny didn't appreciate. Obviously seeing Ginny's temper rising Hermione rushed into an explanation, "Ginny, Harry's stag represents his dad. It's his love and pride for a father he never really knew. That's why his Patronus is a stag. The love doesn't always have to be romantic love and, well, I think that's why Harry's Patronus is a stag."

"Okay," Ginny replied as she tried to comprehend all Hermione had said. "But what does that have to do with my phoenix Patronus?"

"Ginny," Hermione responded in her why-have-you-never-read-Hogwarts: A History?-tone-of-voice, "if ever there was something that represents Harry, it's the phoenix."

"The phoenix?"

"Yes, Ginny. Think about it. What is the phoenix known for, for dying and being reborn. Harry is the only one to have ever survived the killing curse. Then in his first year he faced You-Know-Who and again lived. His second year he went down into the Chamber of Secrets and rescued you and . . . Oh, Ginny, I'm sorry for bringing that up. I know it still . . ."

"It's okay," Ginny attempted a smile as she fought to push back the feeling of dread and shame she had every time she thought of her first year at Hogwarts. Deep down she knew she would never get over it and she was a different person because of Tom Riddle — whether for better or worse, she didn't know. "I, uh, I know Fawkes the phoenix healed Harry when he was about to die and then he carried us all out of there." She gave an involuntary shudder.

"Yes. And in Harry's third year he again escaped death from the Dementors, and then last year, well, he again survived when he should have been killed by You-Know-Who. And," Hermione added as the final point, "Harry explained to Ron and me why he survived in the cemetery. Both he and You-Know-Who have a feather from Fawkes in their wands."

The realization seemed to hit Ginny like a bolt of lightening as she looked at Hermione and said, "Harry is a phoenix."

"Well," Hermione smiled, "he certainly is like one, isn't he? That's why I smiled when I realized your Patronus is a phoenix. So maybe you and he are meant to be together."

That night as Ginny slept in her bed she dreamed of a large, powerful bird with beautiful crimson feathers and a long golden tail. But instead of the usual black eyes associated with a phoenix, this one had eyes of emerald green.
Reviews 16
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