Harry really didn't understand girls… at all.
The memory of Ginny kissing his cheek after the concert kept replaying in his mind.
Did she… like him?
But she had been angry after he kissed her during the Beltane dance… She wouldn't have been angry if she liked kissing him, right? So she didn't like him like that, right?
Harry wished he had someone he could ask about this sort of thing.
Obviously, he couldn't ask Ron or his other brothers. The Dursleys were also out. Oliver Wood or Katie Bell? It felt pathetic that the person he most wanted to ask how to understand girls was Ginny herself.
Ginny had done so much for him already. She had been there for him after Hermione's death. She had helped him confront Lockhart. She had been his comfort and his closest companion all this time. She had even thought of a way to help him survive the Dursleys…
Harry loved the choker Ginny had given him - the tiny metal heart dangling from the band around his neck.
Not long after the concert, the Dursleys had tried to lock away his spellbooks, wand, cauldron and broomstick, shoving them into the cupboard under the stairs with a shiny new padlock. But while wearing his choker, Harry could walk right up to it - right in front of Uncle Vernon's stupid face - open the lock with the easily stolen key and grab whatever he needed.
They'd also forbidden him from doing homework and only tossed him scraps to eat - bits of burnt toast or wilted lettuce. But thanks to Ginny's Muggle-repellent charm, he could sit at the kitchen table, helping himself to whatever he wanted - bread, cheese, even Dudley's leftover bacon - while scribbling Potions notes. The Dursleys didn't seem to notice him there.
Only Aunt Petunia was a problem - sometimes. When she really wanted to find him, she somehow could. He'd asked Ginny about it in a letter and she'd written back that maybe Petunia was closer to a Squib than a Muggle. So Harry still tried to avoid her when he could, dodging all of them if possible.
Even so, he could now eat as much as he liked, do his homework and send letters whenever he wanted. His freedom was all thanks to Ginny. Why hadn't Dumbledore ever given him something with a Muggle-repellent charm to protect him before? Whatever… It didn't matter. What mattered was that Ginny had and it felt good to have someone who truly cared.
Another nice thing about being ignored by everyone was that he could watch Dudley's stash of VHS tapes.
The Dursleys had never taken him to the cinema - instead, they used to lock him in the cupboard when they went out. And he wasn't usually allowed to watch telly, either. But with the choker on, it was like he didn't exist. He could sneak into Dudley's room when he was out and flip through the stack of tapes by the VCR, watching movies like Back to the Future, Terminator 2 and Ghostbusters in peace.
Today, Dudley and Aunt Petunia were out together - probably shopping again - and Uncle Vernon was still at work. Harry rummaged through the pile again, digging out a VHS in a plain black case with no label, half-hidden under one of Dudley's comic books.
He shrugged. Probably another dumb wrestling match or one of those violent Muggle films Dudley liked to hoard. He slid the tape into the VCR, hit play and flopped back onto the bed, expecting explosions, car chases or maybe some cheesy action one-liners.
The screen flickered, then cut to a kitchen scene and two completely naked women.
Harry's breath caught.
His face went hot all at once.
The screen showed a red-haired woman perched on the counter, legs wide apart, while the dark-haired one knelt in front, her face pressed close to the patch of wild red hair down there. Her tongue flicked out, moving over the soft, pinkish folded skin below it, darting around the top, then sliding along the whole messy bit, kissing and sucking at it.
Harry froze, eyes bulging, his heart slamming against his chest. What in Merlin's name was this?
Was that what girls had under their clothes - those weird folds and hair? Was this… sex? He'd always thought it took a man and a woman - he hadn't even imagined two women could do something like that…
"Haa, yeah! Keep going!"
The red-haired woman's voice was loud, breathy, over-the-top, cutting through some plinky music doodling in the background. Her hands squeezed her own chest - soft, round, jiggling…
Harry's mind spun. Did Ginny have that same odd skin down there, all floppy and hidden, with hair above it? The thought popped in unbidden and he flinched, a wave of shame crashing over him.
But the image - Ginny, bare like that - stuck, refusing to fade. His trousers went tight, a boner kicking in hard and it made him feel like a total creep.
"Ngh! That's so good!"
The moans kept coming, sharp and fake-sounding, the music looping annoyingly behind them. The dark-haired one was moaning too for some reason.
Then he heard it - the familiar rumble of Aunt Petunia's car outside in the drive.
Harry shot upright as panic slammed into him. The tape kept whirring.
He slammed the stop button, static flickering across the screen and tore the VHS from the player. It was hot in his hands as he shoved it back under the pile where he'd found it, heart hammering in his chest.
The front door clicked open downstairs just as he made it to his room. He slammed the door behind him, chest heaving, face burning, pulse still racing.
He flopped onto his bed, boner still nagging at him, the scene looping in his head like a stuck reel.
He was disgusted with himself, especially about his thoughts about Ginny.
In the following days, he stopped going to Dudley's room, still too ashamed and confused about what had happened. He tried to find something else to do, but his summer homework was already done.
He could have walked aimlessly through Little Whinging, but he had no motivation to do anything at all.
So now he was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, when he suddenly realized he wanted Ginny to be here. It wasn't some great epiphany - just a feeling that had been building quietly, now slowly becoming overwhelming.
He still felt guilty about his disgusting thoughts of her. But he didn't want her here for… that. He just missed her. He wanted to see her face, hear her voice.
He remembered her hugs, her presence, her smell - lavender and rain.
He didn't want to leave his bed or do anything. He just desperately needed Ginny here right now. Every cell in his body was yearning for her. He had never felt like this.
It was like being ill and his only possible cure was her. Her hand in his hair.
Why did he have to suffer like this? It was like a man dying of thirst, dreaming of water…
Ginny…
He breathed slowly in and out.
That was… strange.
He still missed her, but maybe he should try to think of something else.
But not having Ginny with him right now felt like part of him was missing.
He was all alone. The choker had saved him from most of the Dursleys' abuse, but it also meant that he hadn't spoken a word to anyone in weeks. He felt so lonely.
And the only person in the world he wanted beside him wasn't here.
Not even Hedwig was here. He had sent her to Ginny with a letter two days ago and she hadn't returned yet. He looked out of the window into the night sky - he usually kept it open so Hedwig could fly back in when she returned.
He looked at his watch. It was one o'clock in the morning. Harry's stomach gave a funny jolt. He had been fifteen years old, without realizing it, for a whole hour.
Then suddenly two owls soared through the window, one of them holding the other, which appeared to be unconscious.
They landed on Harry's bed and Harry recognized the unconscious owl at once - his name was Errol, and he belonged to the Weasley family. Harry dashed to the bed, untied the cords around Errol's legs, took off the parcel and then carried Errol to Hedwig's cage. Errol opened one bleary eye, gave a feeble hoot of thanks and began to gulp some water.
The other owl was Hedwig. She, too, was carrying a parcel and looked extremely pleased with herself. She gave Harry an affectionate nip with her beak as he removed her burden, then flew across the room to join Errol.
Harry now turned to his present and unwrapped it. Inside was what looked like a miniature glass spinning top. There was a note from Ron beneath it.
'Dear Harry,
Happy birthday!
You wouldn't believe what happened a few days ago with Scabbers! Well, I shouldn't call him that anymore, I guess. But Ginny told me she would use the fellytone to tell you in person. Mum said the same thing. Sorry, mate.
The present is a Pocket Sneakoscope. If there's someone untrustworthy around, it's supposed to light up and spin. Percy says it's rubbish and isn't reliable because it kept lighting up at dinner last night. But he didn't realize Fred and George had put beetles in his soup.
Bye Ron'
Harry put the Pocket Sneakoscope on his bedside table, where it stood quite still, balanced on its point, reflecting the luminous hands of his clock. He looked at it happily for a few seconds, then picked up the parcel Hedwig had brought.
Inside this, too, there was a wrapped present and a letter, this time from Ginny.
'Hello Harry,
I wanted to give you my present in person, but Mum caught me when I called the Knight Bus… I hope you're not too lonely on your birthday.
My present for you is a Singing Portrait Box for the new Weird Sisters album! Much better than a stupid Sneakoscope, right?'
For a moment, he could almost hear Ginny provoking Ron and Ron rising to the bait as always, while he watched them bicker. Ginny's letter somehow made him feel less lonely.
'Dad managed to connect our telephone and you can call us now. You can find our number at the bottom of the letter. Please call us in the morning. There's something important, I need to tell you and it's better in person.
Mum says if I try to sneak out again, I'll be grounded for the rest of the summer - she is way too strict.
Talk to you tomorrow.
Ginny'
He opened Ginny's present. Inside was a tiny, ornate box. When he lifted the lid, the portrait of the band sprang to life.
"Well hello, young man!" the singer exclaimed - wasn't his last name Wagtail? "What song would you like to hear today?"
"Ah, I just wanted to try it out," Harry deflected. He didn't want to wake the Dursleys.
"Nonsense! Music is good for the soul! Let's play 'Do the Hippogriff'!"
"Move your body like a hairy troll!
Learning to rock and roll!
Spin around like a crazy elf!
Dancin' by himself…"
"Where does the noise come from!?" Harry heard Vernon's voice from the hallway. "It's in the middle of the night!"
Panicked, Harry snapped the lid shut just as the door flew open and Vernon Dursley looked furiously into the room. He looked suspiciously around the room but just couldn't keep his gaze on Harry.
"It must have come from somewhere else," he muttered to himself, "nothing here…" and closed the door. The charm could be disturbingly effective…
Hedwig had also delivered his Hogsmeade permission slip and next year's book list - she had certainly earned a rest. It would be wonderful to visit Hogsmeade on weekends with Ginny, but she was one year younger and he already knew that he would never be able to persuade Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia to sign the form. Maybe they could sneak out together like on Beltane?
He placed the letters carefully on his bedside table before lying down. Tomorrow he would hear Ginny's voice and talk to her again, he reminded himself - a small smile forming as he drifted off to sleep.
Harry woke early the next morning, watching the clock until it felt acceptable to call.
He dialled the number and waited while it rang.
"HELLO?! HELLO?! CAN YOU HEAR ME?! THE MUGGLE FELLYTONE WAS SUDDENLY MAKING NOISES! HARRY, IS THAT YOU?!" Ron's voice answered so loudly Harry nearly dropped the receiver.
Harry looked around, but thankfully Aunt Petunia was busy in the kitchen preparing breakfast and didn't hear Ron - his choker was probably working overtime to keep it that way.
"Hi Ron, you don't have to scream. I can hear you just fine…" Harry replied, hoping Ron would hear him over his own shouting.
There was a muffled scuffle and then Ginny's voice replaced Ron's.
"Hello, Harry. Happy birthday! Sorry about Ron… he's an idiot - a congenital condition," Ginny's voice came through, clearer and calmer. Harry found himself smiling at the sound of her voice.
"Hey, what the heck, Ginny… Ouch, did you just cast a Stinging Hex on me!? Mum forbade us from using magic," Ron's voice echoed in the background as he stomped away.
"Ginny…" Harry hesitated, suddenly aware of how awkward he might sound. What would Dean say? He just wanted to hear her voice…
"Harry," her voice turned serious. "You don't get the Daily Prophet at the Dursleys, right?"
"No?" Harry replied, wondering where this was going.
"Well, three days ago we found out that Scabbers, Ron's pet rat, was actually an Animagus - a wizard who can become an animal, like Professor McGonagall. It turns out that he was a Death Eater who had framed his former friend Sirius Black for his crimes. Black had been sitting in Azkaban, the magical prison, for more than a decade," Ginny paused while Harry was stunned.
Ron's rat? A Death Eater? Merlin's pants.
"Is everybody okay?" he couldn't help but ask.
"Yeah, Mum defeated him before he could harm anybody."
"Mrs Weasley did?" Harry said, stunned - he couldn't picture the short, plump and kindly-looking woman defeating a Death Eater.
While Harry was thankful that Ginny was telling him all this, her letter had hinted that this had something to do with him… But Ginny's next words answered his unasked question.
"Yeah, but this is not important… Sirius Black was found dead in his cell two days later and he is… was your godfather," Ginny told him gently.
Godfather? Like the person who should take care of you after your parents die?
"I'm sorry, Harry, you have to hear it like this," Ginny hesitated while Harry's thoughts continued to spiral.
"Why didn't this Black guy take care of me after my parents were killed if he was my godfather?" he asked, voicing the question that was most prevalent in his mind.
"Dumbledore and Barty Crouch threw him into prison without a trial after your parents died and Dumbledore, as Chief Warlock, became your magical guardian."
Ginny's words echoed in his mind… Had Dumbledore thrown an innocent man into prison just so that he could place Harry with the Dursleys?
Harry also wondered who Sirius Black had been. He must have been a close friend of his parents if he became his godfather.
And that wasn't even considering what this said about the justice system of Magical Britain… no wonder so many Death Eaters had escaped justice after Voldemort's defeat.
"There's something else," Ginny said, interrupting his spiralling thoughts.
"Something else? Ginny, I'm not sure I can handle any more shocking revelations…" Harry told her dryly.
Her snort at the other end made him feel slightly better somehow.
"I'm really sorry, Harry," Ginny apologised and Harry could hear that she meant it.
"It's okay…" Harry replied, exhausted. "Just tell me."
"Sirius Black left everything he owned to you in his last will," Ginny continued. Harry didn't really care about money, but if Ginny was telling him this, it had to matter. "And the Malfoys have filed a lawsuit to stop the Black fortune from going to you…"
The Malfoys? What did they have to do with this?
"Dumbledore has arranged a Magical Solicitor to represent you, but you need to be there in three days for the first hearing for procedural reasons… You should go if you don't want to risk the Malfoys stealing your inheritance."
"What?" Harry said, confused - he really didn't want to step into a Magical courtroom after what he had just heard about Sirius Black. Part of him wanted to ignore it - but not if it meant the Malfoys would profit.
"Don't worry - it's just one appearance. Your Magical Solicitor will explain everything to you and Dad will bring you to the Ministry for your hearing. We will come to 4 Privet Drive in three days at 10 o'clock, okay?"
"You will be there too?" Harry asked hopefully.
"Yeah, I convinced Dad, since I need to go to Diagon Alley anyway," Ginny answered.
How was he supposed to say no if it meant seeing her again so soon?
After that, they kept talking for a while about more inane things, till Ginny was called to breakfast by her mother.
Only then did Harry notice the hollow ache in his stomach and headed for the kitchen, where the Dursleys were already eating. He could just take something from the table and eat in his room, thanks to the Muggle-repellent charm and they would just ignore him doing so.
Vernon was droning on about something, but Harry tuned him out, piling bacon and eggs onto a plate. But then Vernon drained his teacup, glanced at his watch and added, "I'd better be off in a minute, Petunia. Marge's train gets in at ten."
Aunt Marge… wonderful.
Would the Muggle-repellent charm keep Ripper away too?