"Ah... me?" Ginny, who wasn't in high spirits and clearly lacked interest in the activity, was unexpectedly called by name. She was momentarily stunned before slowly lifting her head. She saw Hermione standing before her, smiling and extending a hand.
Ginny hesitated. She wasn't inclined to participate in this activity, whether due to physical or mental reasons. The red-haired little girl wasn't in a suitable state for dueling with others at the moment.
It's impossible to say that Ginny hadn't noticed the oddities about herself lately. Whether it was waking up to find herself not in her dormitory or the mysterious feathers and bloodstains appearing on her wizard robes, these things left the twelve-year-old girl feeling helpless and bewildered.
She had no way, nor did she dare, to tell others about these strange occurrences. Even her own brothers were kept in the dark, especially with the troubles currently brewing within the walls of Hogwarts Castle.
Fortunately, she had a special friend with whom she could share her worries and pains.
That special friend, in fact, couldn't be considered a "real human."
He was a diary.
Yes, "he" was a diary.
A diary belonging to a senior who graduated from Hogwarts many years ago, named Tom Marvolo Riddle.
This wasn't the point. The point was, the diary could respond to what she wrote on its blank pages.
According to the diary, "he" was a magical artifact that fully inherited the personality of his master, Tom, and was created based on it.
Having lived in The Burrow, not having seen much of the outside world and with few friends, Ginny was immediately captivated by Tom's humorous yet knowledgeable personality. She almost instantly became what Tom called "his first friend."
Ginny completely overlooked the unknown factors of where this diary came from and successfully made her first friend at Hogwarts.
The more they communicated, the more Ginny admired Tom Riddle.
Unfortunately, these happy days didn't last long before Ginny began noticing her abnormalities.
Naturally, Tom Riddle's diary, her best friend, became her sole confidant.
On sleepless nights, Ginny would often light a small lamp, curl up under her blankets, and use a pen to converse with Tom in the diary.
As they chatted, Ginny would naturally fall asleep, but when she woke up the next day, she still felt no improvement in her spirits. On the contrary, she seemed to be getting worse.
And when she tried to recall the events of the previous night, she was at a loss.
She knew nothing.
The stranger her physical condition became, the more Ginny wanted to confide in Tom Riddle, and the more she confided, the more she depended on him.
And the more she depended...
...the more she felt the abnormalities in her body.
Ginny wasn't a foolish little girl; she had already sensed something was wrong with the diary.
She finally realized the source of the discord that had been lingering in her heart.
Where did this diary come from?!
Ginny began to trace back her memories, only to be horrified to find that her recent memories were becoming blurred and blank.
She tried to rid herself of her dependence on Tom, but found, helplessly, that whenever she tried to force herself to resist the urge to open the diary, the backlash of dependence became even stronger.
She wanted to discard the diary but found herself unable to harden her heart.
In this contradictory yet subtly balanced state, Ginny not only endured physical and mental abnormalities but also fought an internal battle over this matter.
The outcome of this was that Ginny's spirit was nearing its limit, on the verge of collapse.
Her friends' concern, her brothers' care—she saw it all.
But she chose to conceal it, for reasons even she didn't understand.
Was it the diary's influence? Or was it her unwillingness to involve those around her?
The most likely explanation was both.
But... what should she do?
She avoided dragging others into her troubles, but what about herself?
Ginny was completely lost... no, she was trapped in an inescapable abyss.
Ginny felt miserable. She actually... wanted someone to save her too...
The little girl who rejected others' concern, who worried about others and closed herself off, was also longing to be saved by someone.
"If you're feeling okay, how about we pair up?" In front of her, this older classmate, one of her good friends, the rising star of Gryffindor, the little genius others talked about, Hermione Granger, maintained her posture and asked her gently, her eyes full of warmth and concern.
Ginny knew, she could feel it—even though they were about to duel, there was no tension in Hermione's demeanor.
"...Hermione probably wants to invite me to participate in this activity to relax," Ginny thought slowly, her mind sluggish. Even so, she was genuinely happy to have this brown-haired friend in front of her, and grateful for her and her other friends' care in life during this time.
But...
"No... I..." Ginny instinctively wanted to refuse. Lately, phrases like "No, I'm fine," "Thank you for your concern, I'm okay," and "It's alright, don't worry about me" had almost become her catchphrases.
"This time, is it the same again... should I continue to refuse others' kindness?" Ginny thought bitterly, her hand unconsciously clenching her robe under her wide sleeves.
The little girl's gaze gradually became unfocused, but for some reason, she was drawn to Hermione's outstretched, smooth hand.
To her surprise, she didn't feel the usual cold rejection that arose in her heart whenever she wanted to accept help.
On the contrary, Ginny's spirit felt as if her tired body was being completely immersed in a warm, comforting hot spring.
Incredibly... comfortable...
"I... can be a little selfish once in a while, right?"
"I can accept Hermione's kindness, can't I?"
Ginny made up her mind.
"...I can, let's team up." She replied.
The girl longing for salvation reached out her hand.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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