'Am I becoming too paranoid?' Ginny wondered, staring down at the diary in her hands.
It was an exact replica of the original diary Horcrux, that had imprisoned Alexander for decades - a blank black notebook with the faint inscription 'T. M. Riddle' on the front page. Even in her past life, she'd been prone to overthinking her decisions, constantly scrutinising everything. Now, she couldn't tell if this trait was saving or consuming her.
In the last few days, she had poured her efforts into creating this decoy diary, as she called it - a fall-back plan in case Lucius Malfoy, for any reason, revealed to Dumbledore that he had given Voldemort's diary to Ginny Weasley. This version, of course, wasn't a Horcrux. That part didn't matter. Malfoy hadn't known that the original diary was one, so it wouldn't raise suspicions.
Ginny didn't intend to use it unless she absolutely had to, but paranoia demanded preparation. If the need arose, the decoy-diary would serve its purpose. Though not a Horcrux, it was still a powerful dark artifact in its own right. She had imbued it with fragments of Tom Riddle's memories, giving it a semi-sentient presence that mirrored the original. This would also make it plausible that a teenage Voldemort, and not Ginny, had created it.
The diary's purpose was sinister, yet entirely believable: To identify a magically gifted student from a light-aligned family, entice them with promises of knowledge and power and eventually compel them to attempt a suicide mission to assassinate Dumbledore. If the student died in the attempt, it would tarnish Dumbledore's reputation and alienate him from the influential light families. If Dumbledore was killed - unlikely, but not impossible - all the better.
The diary's compulsions were designed to grow stronger with each interaction, gradually consuming the user's will and binding them to its dark purpose. It mirrored the original diary closely enough to align with any details Lucius Malfoy might divulge, but its specific goal ensured it had nothing to do with Hermione's death.
It was a careful and calculated creation, serving multiple purposes at once. It painted Ginny as an innocent victim, offered a plausible explanation for her rapid magical progress and provided a dark but realistic motive for its existence - one that was believable as the work of a teenage Tom Riddle. Most crucially, its goal - manipulating a student into attempting to kill Dumbledore - was entirely unrelated to Hermione's death, allowing the diary's influence on Ginny to be seen as a separate and distinct matter, even if the timing might arouse some suspicion.
She leaned back on the worn-out couch she had brought down from the Room of Hidden Things to the Chamber of Secrets. Since her Ritual of Rebirth, nothing had gone quite as planned. Initially, she wanted to stage Hermione's death as a tragic accident - just some hungry Acromantulas killing a student. Her connection to the diary would remain hidden by ensuring the only person who knew about it, Lucius Malfoy, ended up in Azkaban for possession of dark artifacts. But things had not unfolded the way she envisioned.
The first complication was the barrier around the Forbidden Forest. In hindsight, it was likely installed after Tom Riddle's time at Hogwarts, but she hadn't considered that possibility. With that plan thwarted, she had to redirect suspicion onto other people - specifically, Rubeus Hagrid and Gilderoy Lockhart.
Hagrid was easy. In fact, she didn't need to do anything at all. He had already been expelled for the death of Myrtle Warren by an Acromantula and now another student had died in a similar manner. The Acromantula colony was led by Aragog, Hagrid's former pet, and their connection was most likely already known by the Aurors. The public and the Daily Prophet wasted no time condemning him. With Hagrid already arrested on charges of smuggling the three Acromantulas out of the forest, endangering students, concealment of an illegal colony of XXXXX-classified magical creatures and one count of manslaughter for Hermione's death it was clear the Ministry had no intention of looking further into other suspects.
The public might forget about Hermione after Hagrid's trial, even if he is found innocent of the manslaughter charge - just another dead Muggle-born - but Dumbledore wouldn't. That was the real problem. Under Veritaserum or by presenting memories, Dumbledore could prove Hagrid's innocence – at least regarding Hermione's death. The Ministry might move on, but Dumbledore wouldn't until he uncovered the truth about Hermione's death. That's why she needed to frame Lockhart.
A play with the audience of one…
She stared up at the ceiling, lost in thoughts about her plans and about the inevitable confrontation with Dumbledore. She also pondered how she could use the Time-Turner to its greatest advantage.
The core problem with time travel, she reflected, was simple: Once you've already witnessed an event, you can't change it. You might go back and alter something only if you don't yet know how it turned out, but that depends entirely on luck.
Take this scenario: If Dumbledore announced in the Great Hall tomorrow that Ginny had killed Hermione and she was sitting there among the Gryffindors, the Time-Turner would be useless. Even if she went back in time immediately afterward, the event would have been already observed. The only way to change it would be to know in advance that Dumbledore planned such a revelation and act before it occurred. Once witnessed, the timeline becomes immutable.
Then, an idea hit her, inspired by Schrödinger's cat and the uncertainty principle in quantum mechanics.
'Let's call it Schrödinger's Trunk,' she thought, eyeing an empty trunk nearby. Of course, someone had probably thought of this before, but with almost no books on Time Magic in either the Room of Requirement or the Hogwarts library, she had no way to be sure.
She took a Sickle from her stash and declared, "Heads, there's a Galleon inside. Tails, there's a Sickle inside!" She flipped the coin and it landed on heads. When she then opened the trunk, there indeed was a Galleon inside. "Seems like it worked," she mused, gripping the Time-Turner. She had spent the last four and a half hours here, so she turned the Time-Turner five times.
After travelling back five hours, she placed a Galleon in the trunk, returned the Time-Turner to where it was when she first entered the Chamber and then waited invisibly at the entrance for her past self to walk by.
She exited the Chamber of Secrets after her past-self had passed her. This approach had the advantage that anyone watching would only see her enter a girls' bathroom and leave a few minutes later - nothing suspicious about that.
Still, she didn't dare risk having two versions of herself roaming the rest of Hogwarts at the same time. If anyone - students, professors, paintings or even house-elves - saw her in two different places simultaneously, she would be in deep trouble.
Ginny discreetly tucked the decoy diary into her book bag with plans to put it in her trunk later. She then made her way to the Great Hall where breakfast was about to be served.
Upon entering the Great Hall, she spotted Mira, Emily and Daisy already seated and eating. Mira was absorbed in the Sunday Prophet, the weekend edition of the Daily Prophet. Emily, spotting Ginny first, waved enthusiastically. "Hey Ginny, finished your morning run already?" she asked. This was one of the excuses Ginny used to cover her absences.
In truth, the modified Beautification Potion, Ginny had taken two months prior, made any form of exercise or dieting unnecessary. Her body, under the potion's influence, naturally built lean muscle and prevented unhealthy fat gain, regardless of her diet or lack of exercise.
"Yeah, I don't know how you stay so slim without any workout, Emily," Ginny responded as she helped herself to some food, then turned to Mira, "Anything interesting happened?"
Mira looked up from the newspaper, her cheeks flushing slightly - probably embarrassed that she hadn't even noticed Ginny's presence before.
"You could say that," Mira replied, trying to keep her composure. "Several Wizengamot members and other wealthy pureblood wizards from the dark faction have been arrested, likely due to the blackmail material discovered at Malfoy Manor. This scandal is growing by the day."
"Can I see?" Ginny asked and Mira handed over the Sunday Prophet. There, above an article about new anti-werewolf legislation proposed by Umbridge, was the headline story detailing the arrest of seven affluent and influential wizards on charges ranging from murder to Muggle-baiting and tax evasion.
Ginny glanced over at the Slytherin table, but to her disappointment, Draco Malfoy was nowhere to be seen. For a fleeting moment, she entertained the idea of sneaking into the Slytherin common room - she could gain access with Parseltongue - just to witness the unfolding drama firsthand. However, she quickly dismissed the thought. She had more pressing matters to attend to.
Still, it was fascinating to learn that Vincent Crabbe's and Gregory Goyle's loyalty to Draco stemmed from their fathers being blackmailed by Lucius Malfoy. She had always assumed their allegiance was due to debts owed to the Malfoy family or some kind of ancient alliance. Perhaps that was also true - who could say for sure?
Meanwhile, Theodore Nott didn't appear particularly troubled by his father's recent arrest for Muggle-baiting, as well as the far darker charges of raping and obliviating Muggle women.
Amycus and Alecto Carrow, along with Thorfinn Rowle and Marcus Avery, had been arrested for a litany of crimes. The most heinous - at least by wizarding standards - was the murder of several Muggle-born children before they ever had the chance to attend Hogwarts.
"Hey, can I have the sports section?" Emily asked eagerly, glancing over Ginny's shoulder. "There's an article about the Sweetwater All-Stars beating the Quiberon Quafflepunchers after a five-day match. Imagine watching Quidditch for five straight days! That must be incredible, don't you think?"
Ginny handed her the page with a wry smile. "I'm not sure I'd have the stamina for a match that long."
"How dare you!" Emily gasped, clutching her chest in mock offence before breaking into a grin. Both girls dissolved into giggles.
"So, what's everyone doing today?" Emily asked the group, her tone bright and hopeful.
"Mira and I are heading to the library to work on our Potions homework," Daisy replied. "You can join us if you want."
"But it's Sunday!" Emily groaned dramatically. She turned to Ginny with pleading eyes. "What about you, Ginny? You're not going to ditch me too, right?"
Ginny smiled. "Sure, we can spend some time together."
Emily beamed. "Great! Let's go!"
As they left the table, Ginny glanced at her book bag. "I just need to drop this off in our dorm first."
Emily nodded, falling into step beside her. "Sounds good… Oh, guess what? My parents got me a Singing Portrait Box for Christmas! It's for the Weird Sisters' new album."
Ginny raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "A Singing Portrait Box? I don't think I've ever heard of that before."
Emily's face lit up as she explained. "It's this tiny, fancy box with a miniature portrait of a wizard musician painted on the lid. When you open it, the portrait comes to life and performs songs from their album, complete with the whole band or orchestra. You can even request specific songs just by saying the title!" She grinned. "The portrait also talks to you - sometimes they'll banter or comment on your taste in music. It's hilarious!"
Ginny frowned slightly, thinking back to her past-life knowledge. "Huh. I don't remember hearing about those before."
"It's amazing," Emily continued as they climbed the stairs. "I'll show it to you when we get back to the room! The Weird Sisters sound incredible - like you're at a real concert."
Ginny nodded, actually curious. "I'd like that."
As they reached the dorm, Ginny kept up her friendly demeanour, nodding along to Emily's enthusiastic chatter about why the Weird Sisters were the best band in magical Britain. Inwardly, though, her thoughts were elsewhere. 'It's about time to deal with Lockhart,' she mused, pleased that her decoy diary was finally finished as she put it in her trunk.
Still, hearing about the music other teenagers enjoyed wasn't entirely uninteresting. If she wanted to pass as a normal teenager, it wouldn't hurt to learn more. Perhaps she'd even attend a concert someday - if the music was tolerable.
The rest of the morning, until lunch, was spent listening to songs like 'Do the Hippogriff', 'Magic Works' and 'This Is the Night'. To her surprise, Ginny found herself enjoying the music. Emily explained that the style was called Wrock, short for Wizard Rock, and that Myron Wagtail, the Weird Sisters' lead singer, was considered one of the genre's pioneers.
The sound reminded Ginny of Nu Metal and other 1990s metal subgenres she vaguely recalled from her past life. The blend of magical lyrics with heavy, rhythmic instrumentals gave the music a unique edge that appealed to her.
Around midday, Ginny excused herself, telling Emily she needed to catch up with Harry about something. She promised to meet her, Mira and Daisy at lunch. Once she parted ways, Ginny headed to the Quidditch pitch, knowing the Gryffindor team often trained late on Sunday mornings.
Arriving at the pitch, she settled in the stands, watching the Gryffindor team train. Her eyes followed the players as they swooped and dived, broomsticks cutting through the crisp winter air. A pang of longing struck her unexpectedly. 'I haven't flown even once outside Flying lessons - the brooms were horrible slow - since I took over this body,' she realized, the thought tinged with resentment. 'No time. Ever since Hallowe'en, it's been one thing after another - covering my tracks, keeping ahead of suspicion. Even being here is part of a plan...'
When training ended, Harry spotted her in the stands. He flew over, his expression brightening at the sight of her, but his smile faltered when he noticed her serious demeanour as she approached him in the viewing tower.
They were alone, the rest of the team having already headed back to the changing room. Ginny didn't bother with wards - no one was near enough to overhear.
"I remember who obliviated me," Ginny said without preamble, her tone cold and deliberate. "It was Lockhart."
Harry's face darkened, his expression grim but taut with barely restrained anger. He had suspected Lockhart for weeks, but hearing the confirmation sent a wave of rage coursing through him.
"You recovered your memories?" he asked cautiously, his voice low and clipped, as if holding back an outburst.
"No," she said, her tone calm and deliberate, "but I remember him saying 'Obliviate'. It's his voice - no question about it. It's all I could recover with Occlumency."
Her explanation gave her just enough of a buffer, a safeguard if things didn't go as planned. If necessary, she could use the Voxmutatio charm to mimic Lockhart's voice and Obliviate herself, erasing her memory of the Ritual of Rebirth. That way, she could create a genuine memory to show Dumbledore. And if it came to it, she could even claim an unknown third party had used the Voxmutatio charm or the Volubilis Potion - which also changed someone's voice - to frame Lockhart and erase her memories.
But she couldn't fabricate a realistic memory of Lockhart killing Hermione in front of her eyes with Occlumency - it wouldn't withstand the Headmaster's scrutiny using a Pensieve. Settling for a memory of his voice saying 'Obliviate' was safer, believable and far less likely to unravel under questioning.
"I have a plan, Harry," Ginny said, lightly touching his arm. She'd noticed how physical contact always seemed to calm him down, grounding him when he looked ready to explode. It was kind of endearing, in a way, how touch-starved he was.
"We need him to confess," she continued, her voice steady. "I'll pretend in front of Lockhart that I've regained my memories - make him think I remember everything. If I can get him to admit what he's done and why, we'll have proof. Meanwhile, you'll stand nearby under your Invisibility Cloak. The moment he looks like he's about to attack, you can stun him. What do you think?"
"You know about my Invisibility Cloak?" Harry asked, blinking in surprise. "I guess Ron told you?"
"Ron told everyone," Ginny said with a wry smile. "He's not exactly great at keeping secrets. Honestly, it's a miracle the twins haven't 'borrowed' it by now. If Mum and Dad actually believed half the stories he's shared about Hogwarts, they'd probably march straight to Dumbledore."
Harry frowned, clearly weighing the risks. "But you'd be putting yourself in a lot of danger... and I don't even know how to cast a Stunner yet."
"It's not hard. I'll teach you," she assured him, her tone confident and unwavering. "Don't worry, Harry. We've got this."
"Fine…" Harry said after a long pause, his reluctance evident. "I don't like it, but I can't think of a better idea. Just… if you feel like you're in danger, don't take any risks, okay?"
"I promise," Ginny said, lying with ease. As if Gilderoy Lockhart could ever be a real threat to her. Dumbledore or Voldemort might still be far out of her league, but with Tom Riddle's magical knowledge at her disposal and her unrivalled Occlumency keeping her focused, she was more than a match for most adult wizards - and certainly for a fraud like Lockhart.
For the next week, they practiced together in an empty classroom. Ginny focused on teaching Harry the Stunning Spell and helping him improve his aim. She didn't particularly care whether he became proficient with Stunners, but it was crucial for appearances. Dumbledore was bound to examine Harry's memories eventually and ensuring their training seemed authentic was paramount.
On Saturday, the day before their planned confrontation with Lockhart, Ginny and Harry were on their way to their training spot for what would be their final session. After mastering the Stunning Spell, Harry had been practicing his aim by targeting objects Ginny levitated with the Levitation Charm. As they walked through the castle, they unexpectedly crossed paths with someone Ginny recognized - Luna Lovegood.
Luna had been something of a mystery to Ginny. Her talk of Wrackspurts had been strange, yet surprisingly real. Before Hallowe'en, Luna had somehow been able to tell when Alexander was in control of Ginny's body and when he wasn't. Ginny had spoken with her a few times since then and Luna had cheerfully declared that Ginny was completely devoid of Wrackspurts now - a fact that seemed to elate her.
Ginny had two possible theories about what Luna might be perceiving. Either Luna was sensing the effects of her Occlumency - which would align with Wrackspurts supposedly causing a lack of focus and confusion - or she was somehow seeing her magic, now a blend of Tom Riddle's magic and the original Ginny Weasley's. Unfortunately, using Legilimency on her proved ineffective. Her surface thoughts were too chaotic and confusing for Ginny to delve deeper without using her wand, but this wasn't an immediate priority.
"Hey, Luna! How are you doing?" Ginny waved at Luna as they approached, Harry following a few steps behind. "Have you met Harry?" Luna's face lit up with delight at being addressed. Despite her dreamy, detached demeanour, Ginny knew Luna was just a lonely little girl who cherished moments of connection.
"Oh, I haven't! You must be…" Luna tilted her head as if thinking, then smiled. "Ginny's boyfriend, right?"
Harry turned scarlet, tripping slightly over his own feet. "I… what? No, I'm not…"
"Strange, the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks lied to me?" Luna seemed genuinely sad by this.
Ginny listened closely, trying to interpret her words. This Luna was different from the book version and she didn't like that observation.
"You would make a nice couple, like you would have with the old Ginny," Luna dreamily continued, while Ginny froze. "At least that is what the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks said."
Should she just kill Luna? In an instant, Ginny began weighing the advantages of killing Luna against the inconvenience of doing so.
Ginny raised an eyebrow at Harry, grinning - pretending that nothing was wrong. "Relax, Harry. She's just teasing… I think."
Hermione's murder had already been annoying enough. Another one would be even more work for her…
Luna turned back to Ginny, her tone brightening. "Oh, Ginny! I had a brilliant idea. Could I write about your unique lack of Wrackspurts for The Quibbler? You'd be famous for it!"
Ginny chuckled, shaking her head. "I think I'll pass on that one, Luna, but thank you."
Luna nodded, unbothered. After some further small talk, she began to walk away but paused, her expression distant. "Well, do remember, Ginny - sometimes it's better to forget than to remember."
For a moment, Ginny was taken aback by Luna's enigmatic final words. Watching Luna disappear down the path, she recalled her idea to obliviate herself of the Hallowe'en ritual, using Lockhart's voice to create an alibi memory. Maybe she should do it, she pondered.
And maybe Luna could be useful too. After all, even Voldemort and Dumbledore had coveted seers.
"You have unique friends, Ginny," Harry said, pulling her from her thoughts. He was still visibly flustered from being called her boyfriend but was making an effort to hide it. Ginny noticed anyway, of course. "But what did she mean by you being free of Wrackspurts and her last comment about remembering something?" he asked, frowning slightly.
"I'm not sure, Harry... but I think she might possess the gift of the Inner Eye - you know, divination. Maybe she saw me remembering the obliviated memories from Hallowe'en and regretting it." She bit her lip for effect, letting a hint of fear creep into her voice as she looked at Harry. "To be honest, it's something I've been thinking about lately - whether I even want to remember seeing Hermione… seeing her die."
Understanding and a shadow of guilt passed over Harry's face as he instinctively pulled her into a hug, trying to comfort her. "You shouldn't have to go through that alone, Ginny," he murmured. Strangely, the gesture did help calm Ginny, though not because of her feigned fear of remembering Hermione's death. Instead, it steadied her nerves about tomorrow.
For the first time, she would face Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard in Britain. If her plans failed, if he saw through her lies… Ginny knew there would be no escape. She would be exposed. Condemned. Perhaps dead by the day's end.