"You stupid girl ... it's all your fault," At the sound of Tom's voice, Ginny realised that the Dementors were coming. However, she was ready for the voice this time.
Doing her best to ignore the taunting voice in her head, she looked around the stadium. The other students were screaming. Some were cowering where they had been standing and some were running for the exits. Adam was standing next to her staring into space and trembling slightly.
Suddenly, Adam grunted and Ginny watched with horror as he crumpled to the floor like a rag doll. As he fell, he toppled forwards and landed on his front, in a heap, amongst the group of terrified first-years in the row in front.
Ginny leapt to Adam's side, pushing the first-years out of the way. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him.
"Wake up! Wake up!" she called to him as she rolled him onto his back.
Adam's eyes were wide open and he was starting straight ahead.
"Adam!" she cried desperately.
Adam did not respond, but his body began to twitch.
"Arghhhh!" Adam screamed, raising his hands to cover his face. "ARGHHH!"
Adam tensed and then slumped motionless onto the floor.
"What's wrong with him?" one of the first-years asked.
"I don't know! I don't know!" Ginny cried. "Adam! Please wake up!"
Ginny felt herself begin to cry as Adam still did not respond.
"Ginny!" she heard a voice call.
Ginny looked up and saw Professor Lupin racing through the crowds of students towards her.
"He won't respond! Help him!" Ginny pleaded.
Professor Lupin reached Adam and waved his wand over him.
"I need to get him to the hospital wing," said Professor Lupin. He picked up Adam and began pushing his way through the crowds towards the castle.
Ginny got to her feet and ran after Professor Lupin; she needed to make sure Adam was alright. As she ran, she noticed the Dementors were now all gone. Her panic and desperation to help Adam had driven Tom's voice from her mind, so she hadn't noticed when they had been driven off.
When they reached the hospital wing, Professor Lupin placed Adam on a bed and shouted for Madam Pomfrey. The nurse soon arrived and quickly ushered her and Professor Lupin out of the cubicle so she could treat her patient.
"You can go back to Gryffindor Tower now, Ginny," said Professor Lupin. "I'm sure he'll be fine."
"I'm staying," replied Ginny stubbornly. She was ready to argue with the professor over this.
"Okay," Professor Lupin replied simply.
Ginny turned to look at Professor Lupin, surprised that he had let her stay without an argument. "Why do Dementors affect him so badly?" she asked.
Professor Lupin paused and looked at her. "It's probably because he has some bad memories in his past," he said. "That's what Dementors do. They make you re-live your worst memories. The worse the memory, the stronger the reaction."
Ginny didn't want to think about what Adam's worst memory must be if Tom Riddle only made her feel queasy.
A few minutes later, the sound of curtains moving behind her made Ginny jump. "He's awake," Madam Pomfrey announced, appearing through the curtains.
Ginny leapt to her feet and dashed into the cubicle. When she reached Adam's bed she saw he was now sitting up, propped up by pillows and looking very pale. Ginny was relieved to see him smile when she approached his bed.
"Hi," he said softly.
"Hi," replied Ginny. She sat down on the edge of the bed, allowing Professor Lupin to take the only chair.
"Madam Pomfrey says you'll be alright in a couple of hours. You did hit your head on the way down, so she wants to monitor you for a bit," said Professor Lupin.
Adam nodded.
"What happened?" Ginny asked. Adam had not reacted this badly to the Dementor on the train.
"Take your time," Professor Lupin added. "You don't have to tell us if you don't want to."
"I-I..." Adam hesitated. "I think I saw my mum."
"How?" Ginny asked softly. How could he have seen his mum?
"I don't know. It was all sort of blurry, but I could make her out. She had red hair, kind-of like yours Ginny, but darker and I heard her voice!" he replied excitedly.
"Are you sure it was your mother?" Professor Lupin asked intently.
"Yes! She called me her son!" Adam said, looking almost excited. Then his face screwed up in concentration. "I think she was trying to protect me from something. There was a man in a cloak and she was standing between me and him."
"The man shouted something and then there was lots of green light. Mum fell to the floor and then I woke up here."
"What did he shout?" Ginny asked curiously.
"I think it was spell," Adam frowned. "I can't remember the words... it's all kind-of fuzzy."
"Professor, do you know any spells that make a green light?" asked Ginny, turning to Professor Lupin. She noticed that Professor Lupin was suddenly looking very pale. "Is everything alright, sir?"
"Yeah," Professor Lupin sighed. "There is only one spell that's green. The Killing Curse."
Ginny gasped in horror. The Dementors make Adam see his mum being killed!
"So," Adam said impassively, "I saw my mum being killed?"
"Yes," replied Professor Lupin shakily. He was still very pale.
Ginny didn't know what to say. She was amazed that Adam didn't seem that upset; he had just seen his mother being killed!
"I'm sorry, I need to go," said Professor Lupin suddenly and, without another word, he dashed out of the room.
"Are you okay?" asked Ginny, taking Adam's hand, once Professor Lupin had left.
"Yeah, got a bit of a headache, but other than that, I'm good," said Adam with a smile. "I think my story upset Professor Lupin more than me."
"You do seem awfully calm about your mother," Ginny commented, then, despite everything, she giggled. "It did seem to bother Professor Lupin more than you!"
"It's strange, it's actually nice to know that I wasn't abandoned because she didn't want me." Adam laughed. "That is so messed up."
"Do you not have any other memories of your parents?" asked Ginny.
"None," replied Adam. "So it's kinda nice, in that way, knowing a bit about what she looked like."
"So bad memories are better than no memories at all?" asked Ginny curiously.
"Yeah," Adam replied hesitantly, looking as if he was still trying to figure it out himself.
They sat there in silence. Ginny still didn't know what to say.
"I'll go and see if Madam Pomfrey will let you out," Ginny said finally, and she stood up and left in search of the nurse.
Remus November 24th 1994
"Why the hell were the Dementors in the school grounds?" snarled Remus as he barged into Albus' office.
"They were attracted by the intensity of emotions in the stadium and decided to ignore their orders," Albus replied angrily. "I have called the Minister about it. I have told him that if he cannot control the Dementors then they must be removed." Albus' expression softened. "How is Mr. Winters? Did he see anything?"
"He's fine," Remus paused and swallowed the lump that threatened to appear in his throat. "From what he described, he remembered Lily being killed."
"Has he realised what that means?" Albus asked intently.
Remus sighed sadly. "He seemed simply pleased to now have some memories of his mother. He realised she must have been killed by a wizard, but hasn't made any connections beyond that."
Remus watched as Albus visibly relaxed, his precious secret now safe.
"We have had a very narrow escape here, Remus. I am regretting now agreeing to allow the Dementors here, and if I can't get the Minister to agree to remove them, then we will need to teach Adam how to repel them. We can't have him recalling anything else from that night."
"He's only fourteen! There's no way he could perform the Patronus charm!" Remus exclaimed. "We don't even teach it at NEWT level!"
"I think you'll find Adam is a very capable wizard."
Remus felt a surge of pride. "Well, he would be, wouldn't he?"
"Give me some time to approach to Minister about removing the Dementors. If I am unsuccessful, then I want you to teach Adam the Patronus charm," Albus instructed.
"What if he asks why he's being taught this?" asked Remus.
"Simply tell him it is because he has a strong reaction to Dementors."
Remus sighed heavily. "Very well. I need to head back to the hospital wing to check on Harry," he said. "Good day, Headmaster."
Ginny December 9th 1994
Ginny scribbled furiously at the sheet of parchment in front of her. Pausing for a second, she glared up at Professor Snape, who was sitting at his desk.
"It will do no good glaring at me, Weasley. Finish your lines," he said smugly.
Ginny grumbled under her breath and continued with her lines. In her opinion, she had been well justified in what she had done. Draco Malfoy had been taunting Adam for fainting during the First Task. They had ignored him for well over a week until it had finally got too much. Adam had flipped and nearly punched Malfoy, but she had got there first with an extremely well-placed Stinging Hex to his bits.
Apart from Draco Malfoy, life for Ginny had returned to normal since the drama of the First Task. The Triwizard Tournament had taken a back seat to everyday life at Hogwarts, with the Second Task still being some months away.
Once Ginny had finally finished her lines, she left Snape's classroom and began climbing the large number of stairs back to Gryffindor Tower. Having decided to stop to use the loo on the way back, Ginny was washing her hands in the sink when Hermione burst in through the door.
"Hi, Ginny!" she exclaimed when she saw her. "What are you doing here at this time of night?"
"Just had detention with Snape," Ginny replied grimly.
"I've just been to the library," Hermione commented. "Oh!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Did you hear about the ball?"
"No! What ball?"
"They're having a Yule Ball on Christmas eve for all the fourth-years and above!"
"How does that involve me?" Ginny asked. She was only a third year. She wouldn't be able to go.
"If someone in the fourth year asks you, you can go!" Hermione replied excitedly.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Come on, Hermione! Who would want to ask me?"
"Oh, Ginny! You're really pretty. Someone will definitely ask you!" Hermione said with a smile on her face.
Ginny wasn't so sure.
"Hermione, what's up with you? You seem so bubbly," Ginny asked. She had never seen Hermione get so excited for something as girly as getting a date for the ball.
Hermione looked around as if checking they were alone in the bathroom.
"Okay, but you must promise not to tell anyone, not even Adam?" she asked.
"Okay..." Ginny replied hesitantly.
"I was in the library and Viktor Krum just asked me to go to the ball with him!" Hermione replied, practically bouncing up and down.
Ginny gasped, speechless.
"I know! I was so shocked! He asked me! ME!"
"Hermione! If you don't want anyone to know, you need to calm down!" Ginny exclaimed. "Anyway," Ginny continued carefully, "did you not think about going with my brother?"
Hermione snorted. "Ron? He won't go with me. He spent the whole day after Professor McGonagall told us asking me for advice on who he could ask!" replied Hermione.
Ginny thought that Hermione looked slightly sad as she said this, but she wasn't sure.
Once Hermione had finally calmed down, the two girls made their way back up to the Gryffindor common room. They walked through the portrait hole and Ginny spotted Adam sitting on one of the chairs, pouring over some piece of homework. She groaned; they had so much homework these days.
Ginny sat down on the chair next to Adam, causing him to jump slightly.
"Hi," he said with a grin.
"Thank Merlin that's over with!" she exclaimed.
"You didn't have to get in detention for me," Adam replied. "I'd have punched him myself."
"Hush, it's fine!" Ginny admonished. "Did you hear about the ball?"
"What?"
"There's a Yule Ball for the fourth years and above," said Ginny.
"So we can't go, then?" Adam asked.
"We can if someone asks us to go with them," Ginny said.
"So we can only go if someone asks us?" Adam asked.
"Yeah," Ginny said. "But no one's going to ask me!"
"Sure they will!" Adam replied. "I'd ask you!"
Ginny turned to look at Adam, who had suddenly blushed bright red when he realised what he had just said.
"N-N-Not that it would get us anywhere, I mean," Adam stammered.
Ginny sighed. It was a pity she and Adam couldn't simply go to the Yule Ball together.
"We'll just have to wait and see, I guess. Maybe both of us will find someone to go with," said Ginny, trying to sound positive.
December 17th 1994
"So a Cheering Charm, if overdone, causes the subject to go into a fit of hysterical laughter. This means that it is important to be able to correctly judge the strength required," said Adam.
"Yep, that sounds good," Ginny replied.
Ginny sighed and glanced down at her essay. The way she had written it in hers didn't sound anywhere near as good as Adam's, but she couldn't change it now. She would get accused of copying Adam.
"Ginny?" said a voice from behind her.
Ginny turned from where she was sitting and saw Neville standing behind the sofa.
"Hi, Neville," she said.
Ginny watched as Neville fidgeted uncomfortably on the spot, he was glancing around the room furtively as well. Ginny wondered what he was up to.
"Um, Ginny," Neville blushed. "Would you," he paused. "gototheballwithme?" he finally rattled off very quickly in a nearly inaudible mumble.
He asked me to go to the ball!
Ginny was elated; someone had asked her to go to the ball!
"Oh, yes, Neville, of course I will!" she exclaimed happily.
Neville's face broke out into a massive grin.
"Thanks, Ginny!" he replied beaming.
Neville left and, as he walked back over to the other side of the common room, Ginny was pleased to see he had a spring in his step. She turned back to Adam, excited to tell him the good news, but he was staring intently at the parchment in front of him.
"Did you hear that?" Ginny exclaimed.
"Yep," Adam replied, still looking straight ahead. "So you get to go, then!"
Adam turned to look at her with a strange expression on his face. "So... Neville."
"Yes! I get to go to the ball! And Neville is a sweet boy," Ginny replied.
"Yeah, brilliant," said Adam flatly.
"Adam? What's the matter?" Ginny asked, puzzled. "I thought you would be happy for me."
"I am!" Adam said loudly, glaring at her.
Ginny glared back at him, deciding that if he wanted to glare at her, she would glare at him too.
"I need to go," Adam said in a huff. He stood up and charged up the boys' staircase.
Ginny watched, slightly bemused, as he went. What was up with him? Suddenly it hit her. Adam was jealous; no one in the fourth year seemed to want to go with him, so in all likeliness he wouldn't be able to go.
Ginny hoped Adam would be able to find someone to go with. It wouldn't be the same without him there.
December 24th 1994
Ginny looked at her appearance in the mirror for what felt like the hundredth time. At last, when she looked at her reflection, she felt moderately satisfied. She was wearing a long black and white dress that her mum had bought her. The dress had a black bodice and a full skirt that swirled in a mixed black and white pattern down to the floor. There were floral patterns embroidered onto the material. She wasn't sure where her mum had got it, but she was very pleased with how it looked.
Her mother had seemed ridiculously excited at the prospect of her going to the Ball. Ginny, meanwhile, was decidedly nervous. She had never worn a dress as fine as this one. Part of her was sure she wouldn't do it justice. She preferred to spend her time in jeans and a t-shirt. She only ever wore dresses for special events.
Ginny had spent ages on her hair, carefully clipping it back so that it at all hung neatly along the back of her head and over her shoulders. She didn't want it hanging over her ears, getting in way and obscuring her vision the way it normally did. She spun around on the spot, enjoying the way the dress seemed to billow out around her. Glancing at the clock in her dormitory, she saw she only had five minutes until she had to be downstairs, so she moved to the doorway and poked her head out.
She was just about to go downstairs to the common room, when one of the seventh-year girls bustled past her wearing a sleek, form-fitting evening dress. Ginny shrank back inside her room shyly. She looked rubbish compared to that girl!
Come on, Ginny! You aren't shy!
She forced herself to step gingerly onto the staircase and made her way down to the common room. When she reached the common room, she saw there were several boys waiting around in their dress robes. Some of the girls were already there, mingling with their dates. Ginny spotted Adam sitting on one of the sofas wearing jeans and a t-shirt. She was really disappointed that he hadn't been able to find a date for the ball.
She saw Adam's eyes meet hers and his expression changed into a massive grin. He stood up and made his way over to her.
"Wow, Ginny! You look awesome!" said Adam with a blush.
Ginny felt a surge of pleasure at the compliment; she knew that Adam was very disappointed that he couldn't go to the Yule Ball.
"Neville is lucky," Adam continued and he pointed over her shoulder. "Go on."
Ginny turned around and saw Neville waiting timidly in the corner; she walked over to him and he held out his arm for her to take.
"Ginny, you look very nice," he said shyly.
Ginny smiled. "Thanks, Neville. Shall we go?"
Neville nodded. As they left the common room Ginny looked over her shoulder and saw Adam sitting on his own on a sofa looking rather lonely. Ginny waved brightly at him as she stepped out of the portrait hole.
Adam December 25th 1994
Adam dozed in his chair in the Gryffindor common room. He didn't quite know why he had stayed in the common room all evening. The common room had been strangely empty all night with only the first-, second- and a smattering of third-years still in Gryffindor Tower. Most of these had made their way to bed reasonably early, leaving Adam alone.
He hoped that Ginny was having a good time at the ball, he honestly did. He was very aware that he had been an arse to her at times about it, but he was very envious that she got to go and he didn't. It was a very selfish thing, he reflected, that he had felt so jealous when Neville had asked Ginny. Lucky her for getting to go to the Ball...
The sound of the portrait hole opening behind him disturbed Adam and he peered over the back of the seat, watching as two seventh-years stumbled into the common room, both of them giggling. For the previous hour or so, there had been a steady stream of people returning from the Ball but Ginny had not returned yet.
Eventually the portrait hole opened and Ginny and Neville stepped through. They appeared absorbed in conversation. Ginny was smiling, still looking as nice as she had when she left for the Ball many hours earlier. Adam watched as Neville slowly dipped his head and kissed Ginny on the lips.
Adam was aware, as he watched them, that he was intruding on a private moment, but he couldn't look away. He felt a strange flush of anger. He gripped the sofa he was sitting in harder, his hands sinking deep into the fabric of the cushions as he resisted the urge to leap out of his seat and charge over to Ginny.
When he saw Ginny pull back from the kiss, Adam ducked down out of sight below the back of the seat. It wouldn't go down well if Ginny saw him spying on her. No, that would not be good.
Adam waited for Ginny and Neville to leave the room, busily trying to suppress the intense feeling of jealousy he had felt when Neville kissed Ginny. He had to figure out what had made him feel that way.
Yawing hugely, he glanced around the room, hoping that Ginny had left the room and hadn't heard him. Luckily, she had already gone upstairs.
Finally, tired and slightly confused, Adam decided to make his way up to bed.