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Elemental Force	By : aikakone Category: Harry Potter > General > General Views: 3426 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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See disclaimers and notes at the bottom of the chapter.

CHAPTER 1

Acts of Promise

I have all I want; is that simple enough?

~Neil Finn

Hogwarts, September

Ginny stood on the lawn of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, turning her face to the sun. It was a beautiful September day, and she loved the feel of the warm rays of light on her skin. Her flaming hair floated in the breeze while she faced the sky with a contented smile like a cat warming itself on a windowsill.
While the war had come out fully and tragedy of many kinds was all around, Ginny had her own little private joy that buoyed her spirits. She and Harry were finally together and had been a couple since the previous spring. Part of the reason they were together, she assumed, was that her brother decided to play matchmaker. It was one of Ron's most successful endeavors of the last year.
Being with Harry was lovelier to Ginny than anything else she could have imagined because it was actually real. Sometimes she wanted to pinch herself to make sure this was really true, but in her flirtier moods she asked Harry to be the one to pinch her instead. He was still somewhat shy about flirting with her in public, but in private he never held back the signs of his affection.
She had survived her OWLs, and received several high marks in her various subjects. While anyone would seem deficient in the shadow of Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley was on her own merit a gifted witch. Of course, she did well in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Ginny had Harry and Dumbledore's Army, which still met and practiced each week, but there was more than just that.
The Ministry had actually stepped up to the challenge in acknowledging the very real threat of War. As an answer to that challenge, during the last academic year the Defense class was taught by not one but four different people. Each teacher was a gifted Auror or Unspeakable with practical experience fighting Dark magic. The variety of real training was incredibly stimulating to the students. The only one not pleased with how the class had gone was Snape, who still wanted the Defense position for himself alone.
Ginny had overheard a rumor in the Order that letting Snape teach Defense Against the Dark Arts might endanger his position as a double agent. He was still in his Slytherin dungeon, as surly as ever. Just because he worked for the side of good didn't make him any nicer. That was probably why he made a great double agent–his own irritable personality had never changed.
She hadn't been out on the grounds to think of those things. She had come to languish and enjoy. While it could be said of others that they experienced spring fever, Ginny was made differently. Her irresistible zest for life and energy began in the fall of the year. She was an unabashed victim of fall fever, and she loved every moment of it.
A puff of smoke wafted near Ginny and caught her attention. She turned to see Colin Creevey, who had slowly become a pleasingly handsome young man, with his camera taking her picture. He was starting to mature out of his hero-worship of Harry, but taking photographs was still one of his passions in life.
Colin smiled widely at her saying, "Ginny, you look wonderful. You must really be happy today."
"I am, Colin," she sighed with pleasure. "Autumn is my favorite season of the year. I just love how it feels and the bright colors everywhere." Ginny stretched like a cat as she added, "They're Gryffindor colors, you know."
Colin put his camera back in its case and shivered. "Aren't you cold?"
"Who? Me? No! I like the cooler weather. It's better for red-heads." Ginny shook the front of her robes in an effort to fan herself, explaining, "I am actually pretty warm right now."
Colin found that hard to believe. For fall, it was beautiful but chilly. Eventually it was going to be another one of those cold-in-your-bones winters.
"Come on," he prodded her. "We don't want to be late for our first Defense class. I wonder who will be teaching it this time. I would love to have Professor Shacklebolt again."
Ginny laughed easily, and her eyes twinkled. "He was good, but too bad we can't have Tonks. She would be morphing every class. Just think of it!"
Colin smiled and nodded without comment.
"From what I hear, though," Ginny continued, "we won't have the same Defense teachers as we did last year. The Ministry wants to keep us on our toes. They're still making up for that mess with Umbridge two years ago."
"If the Ministry tried making up for every bad Defense teacher we ever had," Colin said as they walked back in to the castle, "Professor Lupin would still be teaching here. He was my favorite, even if he was a werewolf."
Ginny agreed with him and they both walked to their Defense class ready to see what other new things their sixth year would bring them.
~*~*~*~
A few days later, Hermione sat at the table in the Great Hall reading her copy of the Daily Prophet, a habit she'd gained during her fourth year encounter with Rita Skeeter. While she'd finally admitted that the Quibbler could have its uses, she preferred the more mainstream media. The Daily Prophet, like many of the other official things in the Wizarding world, finally got its information about the Second War out to the people.
"Oooh," Hermione said with an air of drama as something caught her attention.
Harry was eating his breakfast beside her and asked, "Any news of the Chudley Cannons?"
"Honestly, Harry! Don't you read anything besides Quidditch Weekly?" Hermione would never understand the draw of the game, even if her best friends did.
"Hey! My girlfriend and my other best friend don't mind. Besides, that's what we have you for," he said with a teasing smile and a nudge. Harry had himself been keeping as aware of the news as possible after Lord Voldemort's return at the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, but that didn't stop him from teasing Hermione.
Ron, who was sitting across the table from Hermione, asked directly, "So what is it? You know you'll tell us anyway. Don't keep us in suspense."
Hermione nodded and read the news blurb aloud to Ron and Harry.

"Several children are missing all over England and believed to be abducted by Death Eaters. Sources say Dark wizards are suspected of practicing Dark experiments on them. The Ministry advises parents to closely supervise children and not let them out in public without an escort.

"That's probably wise," Hermione commented after reading the article and putting the paper down in front of her, "but I can't help wonder what the Death Eaters are doing."
"Are you really sure you'd like to find out?" Harry asked her with a hint of cynicism. "Maybe you'd like to go get captured, and then you can tell us all about it."
"Harry!" Hermione looked at him indignantly. "You've been around Ron too long. That's something I would expect him to say."
Ron looked to them with an affronted expression on his face. "Leave me out of this. I just hope it won't stop Dumbledore from letting us go to Hogsmeade."
"What's so particularly interesting about that article, anyway? It seems like normal Death Eater terror tactics to me." For someone pursued by the Darkest wizard in modern times, Harry seemed rather unconcerned about the subject of the article. "It's just another way to try to paralyze us with fear."
"I just want this war to be over so we can live in a better world, that's all." Hermione picked primly at her cloth napkin, secretly worried that it would never become a reality.
"Ha!" Ron snorted indignantly causing her to look up at him. "We know what kind of better world you'd like to make it. You'd do it single-handedly if you could," he said with a measure of respect.
He rose from the table to walk to the first class of the day and continued talking to her. "Hermione, the world doesn't work that way. Even after V... V... Voldemort's gone there'll be someone else to go make our lives hard. There's always the Draco Malfoys of the world," he said, gesturing to the Slytherin table.
Hermione stood up with him and chastised, "Don't be a pessimist, Ron!"
"I am not a pessimist," he said coolly. "I'm a realist."
She tugged at his elbow and bossily ordered, "Let's go."
Harry finished his own breakfast and trailed behind them out of the Great Hall.
~*~*~*~
Gryffindor and Ravenclaw sixth years were having Transfiguration together on Friday afternoon, the last class before the weekend. It was a much better lot in their opinion than having double Potions with Snape in the Slytherin dungeon. While the students were working on the fairly easy beginning of the year reviews like changing books to butterflies, David Tompkins, one of the Ravenclaws working with Luna Lovegood, sneezed, causing her to tell another one of her Quibbler tales.
"My father published this story last month about a man in the Faeroe Islands who could freeze water when he sneezed. In fact, there are lots of people who can control the elements without the use of a wand. We found this one witch in Egypt who could move sand when she..."
"Luna! Not another tale, please," Artemis Florin, a fellow Ravenclaw, hissed at her. "They are absolutely absurd! You know those stories aren't true."
"Oh really? And you all thought crumple-horned snorkacks didn't exist until my father and I went to Sweden and found one!" She looked triumphant and proud of the achievement. The classmates around her were effectively silenced so all that could be heard for several moments was the sound of them blinking.
An enthusiastic voice too soon shattered the silence. "Professor McGonagall!" Colin Creevey's hand was waving wildly in the air. "Does elemental magic actually exist?"
She stopped walking from each student workspace and frowned sternly at the boy. "Mr. Creevey, you had better succeed at your Transfiguration assignment before you venture into something so unpredictable."
"But it is possible to do wandless magic, isn't it? Why I heard when Harry Potter blew up his Aunt Marge..."
"Who told you?" Ginny said with sudden interest in the conversation.
Colin turned to Ginny, saying quickly, "I listen. I hear things."
"If you had shown as much attention in your History of Magic class, Mr. Creevey, you would have learned about early magic by now."
"Professor Binns is the History of Magic," Ginny said sotto voce to the Gryffindor beside her.
"Miss Weasley!" McGonagall's eyes narrowed in reproach.
"Sorry, Professor," she said contritely, not that she actually was sorry. It was a fairly accurate assessment of the class that was taught by a ghost.
Professor McGonagall took off her glasses and cleaned them as she thought of her answer. "Wandless magic is not reliable. It does exist, but it is random, unpredictable and extremely hard to control. Wands were created to focus the magic."
A beat of silence followed until Luna decided to speak. "Professor, there are everyday types of wandless magic. Ones that you don't have to read my father's paper to believe," she amended as a few of her classmates gave her disbelieving looks.
"Like what, Luna?" one of the gruff Gryffindor boys asked.
Turning to him, she stated confidently, "Professor McGonagall is an animagus, and she doesn't need her wand to make those transfigurations."
McGonagall tried to shush her distracted student. "That is true, Luna, but that takes years of practice."
"There's also broom magic," one of the Ravenclaw Quidditch players noted.
"That doesn't count," Ginny scoffed. "The charms on the brooms have to be done with a wand first before we ever get to fly them."
Giving in to the discussion, Artemis supplied, "Potions. Potions is wandless magic, and Professor Snape will be the first one to tell you about that."
"That's right!" one of the boys yelled back in excitement of the moment.
"Students!" Professor McGonagall shouted over the din. "I suggest very strongly that the entire lot of you focus your minds and your magic on the Transfiguration tasks you have before you, or you will never get your magic remotely close to the ability to be used without a wand." She stared menacingly at each one of the students before her.
"Back to work!" she said again as she decisively finished the students' discussions for them.
A few of the classmates glared daggers at Colin and Luna, but they all returned to their Transfiguration assignments until the end of class.
~*~*~*~
The Gryffindor Quidditch team contained the trinity of Potter, Weasley and Weasley. Harry, whose Quidditch privileges were restored after Dolores Umbridge had been disposed, had logically been made the captain, and Ron played Keeper. Ron had gotten over his initial set of nerves that he had during his first year on the team, and now he was becoming the kind of Keeper that could actually gain Oliver Wood's level of maniacal respect. Ginny played Chaser, and she was joined by Kristin Jones and Kristin's boyfriend, Kyle Rothery. The Beater positions were taken by Hobart Simmons and Gabardine, "That's Dina to you," Hughes.
Kristin and Kyle were fourth years who had been sweethearts since as long as anyone could remember. They had both grown up in the same village, and their families had been good friends with each other. In appearance, Kristin was a normal-sized girl with shoulder length blonde hair and blue eyes. Her special interest in school was Herbology, so she was often chatting with Neville Longbottom. Like Kristin, Kyle had blond hair, which was fixed in a short buzz cut, but he had large, warm brown eyes. He wasn't funny in the same stellar way as his idols Fred and George Weasley, but he had quite the sense of humor and was always looking for a good prank.
As for the other members of the team, Hobart was so named because his father was a patriotic Australian wizard who wanted the world to know it. He was better known as Hobie to his friends, and Hobie was so good at being a beater that he'd gained the more flashy nickname The Tasmanian Devil.
Dina, on the other hand, wasn't a witch that at first gave off a very sporty impression. She was always dressed impeccably and had the air of a diva, much like her older heroines Lavender and Parvati. When she got on top of a broom, however, she was ruthless. As a beater team, Hobie and Dina were a force of reckoning.
Dina had explained to Ginny one time why her parents had named her Gabardine. Her mother had been quite the fashionista, and she still was. Her father was similar to Ginny's in that they both were fascinated with all things Muggle. "Gabardine" was their best compromise between something of fashion and textiles and rampant Muggle-philia. Her father had told her that it also just sounded "pretty," so Gabardine, a.k.a. Dina, but never Gabby, it was.
Harry was quite proud of his team, and he worked them out at least twice a week, usually on Tuesday and Saturday mornings. As team captain it was one of the things that he knew was truly his and that he could do well on his own merit. Even his encounter with the false Moody in his fourth year had shown that Quidditch and flying was something that was truly his, and the vindictive Umbridge had not quelled his passion for the sport. So though Harry's true nature was not to seek attention, he worked his team with passion and pride and that naturally brought positive attention his way.
Harry was working out his team one early morning when Luna Lovegood, David Tompkins and Colin Creevey with his camera came to the Quidditch pitch. The team hadn't noticed the visitors coming onto the pitch because at that moment they were trying a new tactical flying formation at Ron's insistence. He thought it would make them look more impressive coming on the field, and Harry agreed to try it.
"Kristin, Kyle and Ginny, you take the left flank. No, the other left, Kristin!" Harry yelled to his three chasers.
When they had lined up properly, he addressed the rest of his players. "Hobie, Dina and Ron at the end on the right flank. You got it?"
As the players lined up in the order Harry had commanded, the visitors to the pitch saw them form a perfect V with a precise sixty degree angle. "On my mark, kick off the ground. One. Two. Three. Mark!"
At that moment the whole team kicked and rose off the ground as one unit. Luna looked up at them and squealed and clapped in delight. David, who was allergy-prone, looked up to the sky and started sneezing because of the bright sunlight. Colin, on the other hand, did what he had come to do. He was excitedly taking pictures of the team as they were flying through the air in their formation.
"Oh, this is great!" he enthused from behind the lens of his camera. "These will be great in our paper, Luna!"
David wiped his nose. "We need to get interviews with the players. We could do a whole series with all the house teams."
"Nice idea," said Luna who was still watching the team in the sky. "Do you think it should be every team as a unit, or individual players?"
"I think we should compare positions like they do in Quidditch Weekly. First we can do all the captains, then the other positions–Seeker, Keeper, and so on." Tompkins replied with authority.
"As long as they let me take their photos, I'm ready!" Colin was clearly enjoying everything about this.
While the mismatched group of three was having their conversation, Ginny and Ron left the formation and landed near them.
"Come to spy on our game and sell our secrets to Ravenclaw?" Ron looked pointedly at the two Ravenclaws present.
"Hi, Ron!" Luna said sweetly. "We came to watch the team practice because..."
"We are going to write some articles about you in the school newspaper," David finished for Luna.
The rest of the Gryffindor house team landed near the others and was now listening to the discussion.
"The school doesn't have a newspaper," Harry pointed out coolly. The Quibbler had helped him for sure, but he would always be wary of reporters and newspapers of any kind.
"We do now!" Luna giggled. "It was my idea, too. I get to be an editor, just like my father. David is the reporter, and Colin is the photographer."
Colin spoke to Harry. "That was some beautiful flying you did with the team. I can see David's headline right now–'Here Come the Flying Lions!'" He grinned widely.
"The Flying Lions?" Ron choked.
"Hey, I like it! Don't forget to mention the Tasmanian Devil is on the team," Hobie said as he did a few jig steps and bowed low.
"That is kind of catchy..." David murmured as he scribbled on his pocket parchment. "The Flying Lions..."
"Hey, you could also call us Potter's Pride," Kyle interjected.
"Why that?" Kristin scoffed.
Kyle gave his girlfriend a look as if to ask, Shouldn't it be obvious? "Well, it fits the lion theme, doesn't it?"
Ron and Hobie chuckled at Kyle's explanation, while Dina tried to get the photographer's attention.
"Colin, you can take my photograph." she said as she stood next to her broom and modeled prettily.
He obliged her request and took several photos. Around them, the student newspaper staff and Quidditch team members were discussing further what would be involved in the newspaper itself and the articles specific to them. By the time they finished, David had made an interview appointment later in the month with Harry.
~*~*~*~
At the end of another week of classes, Ginny went to the common room to work on her long list of assignments. It was times like this that she wasn't sure her brain had actually survived the OWLs after all. She conjured a cup of tea and set to work. Much later when both Harry and Ron returned to the common room from whatever it was that they had been doing, they sat on the sofa near her.
"Oh, Gin, do you think you could spare your poor brother some tea?" Ron asked in his best mock-polite voice.
Ginny waved him off and said, "Help your self."
Ron tasted the tea and made a face like he'd just sucked a lemon. "It's cold!"
"Well give it here, you big baby!" She reached for the cup and held it momentarily between her fingertips before handing the now hot tea back to her brother.
"Thanks!" He grinned goofily at her and then invited Harry to play a game of wizard's chess.
"Sure, Ron," Harry nodded absent-mindedly to Ron because he was watching Ginny. After a moment, he addressed her. "How did you do that?"
She looked up from her assignments. "Do what?"
Harry pointed at Ron who still had the tea cup. "That with the tea," he said.
"Oh, probably just something I picked up from Mum. You know how she's always cooking." Ginny smiled tiredly at him and said, "Good luck with your game. Maybe you'll actually beat Ron this time, right?"
"I have to try!" he said with bravado. "I'm nothing if not persistent."
"Yeah? Well, I had better be persistent at this homework, or I won't be able to go to Quidditch practice tomorrow morning." She frowned at the stack of books still left in front of her. "My captain would have my hide if I don't show up!"
"I know him," Harry said conspiratorially. "I could put in a good word for you."
"Could you now? Maybe you can have him fix me up on a date with that cute Seeker." She looked at him seriously, but could not manage to keep a straight face. She laughed as she said, "I hear he's got great hands!"
Harry smiled in laughter and blushed softly. "I'll see what I can do."
He stood up and kissed Ginny on the crown of her head before walking over to the game Ron had begun arranging.
~*~*~*~

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Harry Potter, so if you're someone important's lawyer, please don't sue. Considering this is *fan fiction*, it's not like I thought all this was mine anyway. I just have to put the disclaimer here since the site owners said so. The disclaimer applies (obviously, one hopes) to all chapters of this story. Thank you.

Lyric Quotes: Every chapter will be introduced by a quote from Neil Finn. All Neil Finn quotes in this or future chapters are copyright Roundhead Music (BMI).

The specific quote in this chapter is from "Private Universe", performed by Crowded House on the album Together Alone.

For the purpose of this story Ginny's birthday is October 31st.
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Elemental Force