[Fic] "Secrets" chapter 10 -- Harry Potter

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Summary: "Chamber of Secrets" from Ginny's point of view. Ginny tries to convince herself that she isn't guilty of Tom's crimes, with rather limited success. A Valentine's Day catastrophe does not help anything.

Author's Note: Once again, I apologize for the ridiculous length of time it takes me to write each chapter of "Secrets" these days. There are only 5 chapters left. I'd like to have them done before I turn 25, but the way things are going, I really don't know how likely that is. Sorry.

The singing Valentine, in canon, is open to a fair bit of interpretation. Did Ginny actually write it? If so, did she mean to send it? Were her brothers playing a trick on her? Was Draco just trying to embarrass Harry and bringing Ginny into the trick as icing on the cake? It's never explained, so I think my version works as well as any other. I'm also trying to account for the ridiculously long period of time when Ginny knows that Harry has the diary, but she doesn't do anything to take the book back. Again, I think my explanation works within canon.

Thanks to Lasair (lasultrix) and Quetzle (aichmetes, aka Cat), my betas, for cleaning up this chapter -- Lasair told me what to take out, and Cat told me how to rearrange the remaining stuff so it works better. Special thanks to Lasair for Ginny's first and third poetry attempts. Any remaining canon goofs, grammar mistakes, continuity errors, bad dialogue, implausible characterizations, boring passages, and Americanisms are my fault, not theirs.

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( Chapter 10 - Slings and Arrows )

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( Special Bonus! More Bad Poetry! )

...I join Lasair in being slightly worried about her flatmate's sanity.

Also, I think I shall go and make backdated entries for my other Secrets chapters, or at least a master page with links to both the (mostly up-to-date) FF.net version and the (sadly out-of-date and badly formatted) FictionAlley version. Then I can put that in my lj memories and finally have all my fic listed in one central location! Mwahahahaha!!!

World domination will be attempted next Thursday. Donations accepted. *holds out hat*

[Fic] "Secrets" chapter 10 -- Harry Potter

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Summary: "Chamber of Secrets" from Ginny's point of view. Ginny tries to convince herself that she isn't guilty of Tom's crimes, with rather limited success. A Valentine's Day catastrophe does not help anything.

Author's Note: Once again, I apologize for the ridiculous length of time it takes me to write each chapter of "Secrets" these days. There are only 5 chapters left. I'd like to have them done before I turn 25, but the way things are going, I really don't know how likely that is. Sorry.

The singing Valentine, in canon, is open to a fair bit of interpretation. Did Ginny actually write it? If so, did she mean to send it? Were her brothers playing a trick on her? Was Draco just trying to embarrass Harry and bringing Ginny into the trick as icing on the cake? It's never explained, so I think my version works as well as any other. I'm also trying to account for the ridiculously long period of time when Ginny knows that Harry has the diary, but she doesn't do anything to take the book back. Again, I think my explanation works within canon.

Thanks to Lasair (lasultrix) and Quetzle (aichmetes, aka Cat), my betas, for cleaning up this chapter -- Lasair told me what to take out, and Cat told me how to rearrange the remaining stuff so it works better. Special thanks to Lasair for Ginny's first and third poetry attempts. Any remaining canon goofs, grammar mistakes, continuity errors, bad dialogue, implausible characterizations, boring passages, and Americanisms are my fault, not theirs.

---------------------------------------------

( Chapter 10 - Slings and Arrows )

---------------------------------------------

( Special Bonus! More Bad Poetry! )

...I join Lasair in being slightly worried about her flatmate's sanity.

Also, I think I shall go and make backdated entries for my other Secrets chapters, or at least a master page with links to both the (mostly up-to-date) FF.net version and the (sadly out-of-date and badly formatted) FictionAlley version. Then I can put that in my lj memories and finally have all my fic listed in one central location! Mwahahahaha!!!

World domination will be attempted next Thursday. Donations accepted. *holds out hat*

[Fic] "Secrets" index page -- Harry Potter

Secrets is the second fanfiction story I started writing, back in May 2002. It's 15 chapters and an epilogue, of which 11 12 13 chapters are currently completed and posted. I hope to have the story finished by my 25th birthday. *crosses fingers* (ETA, 11/4/07: Okay, by my 26th birthday, maybe?)

4/22/08: By my 27th birthday. OR ELSE. (note, 1/27/09: ...within a two month margin of error? *headdesk*)

Anyway, "Secrets" is a retelling of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, from Ginny Weasley's point of view. It includes a lot of new material (since Harry paid very little attention to Ginny that year) and also a few scenes lifted nearly word-for-word from canon. I do my best to keep everything workable within the canon framework, though I have twiddled a couple minor things, like the bit where JKR makes the students go to classes on Valentine's Day, even though that was a Sunday in 1992. This means that the publication of OotP -- in which Ginny briefly described her possession -- forced me to revise my plot outline substantially, and I refined my understanding of Ginny even more after reading HBP.

I flatter myself that I accurately predicted some traits that hadn't been revealed in the first four books. I also think that JKR did an inept job of giving Ginny more development and page time -- the Harry/Ginny romance in HBP was particularly awkward -- but I take the information and use it as best as I can.

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Secrets - Table of Contents
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Chapter 1: First Impressions. 6,450 words, 5/17/02. In which Ginny writes in her new diary, Harry and Ron miss the Hogwarts Express, Hermione frets, and Ginny meets two girls on the train. (FictionAlley version)

Chapter 2: Unpleasant Surprises. 8,925 words, 6/16/02. In which we arrive at Hogwarts, watch the Sorting, and finally reach the end of the day. (FictionAlley version)

Chapter 3: Overreactions. 11,275 words, 7/22/02. In which we follow Ginny through her first week of classes, during which much goes right but more goes wrong. (FictionAlley version)

Chapter 4: Sleepwalking. 12,025 words, 11/30/02. In which Ginny and Xanthe arrange a study session, Snape oozes nastiness, we discover what Apple whispered to Daphne on the train, Ginny sleepwalks, and Tom does something slightly disturbing. (FictionAlley version)

Chapter 5: Making It Work. 11,900 words, 5/6/03. In which Tom reveals pieces of his past, Ginny sleepwalks again, an Herbology class presents unforeseen challenges, Sprout is unexpectedly kind, and Halloween arrives. (FictionAlley version)

Chapter 6: The Mechanics of Defense. 11,025 words, 1/5/04. In which tensions rise after Mrs. Norris is found Petrified, and neither her family nor Tom can soothe Ginny's anger and fear. Guest-starring Sir Vladislav the enchanted suit of armor! (FictionAlley version)

Chapter 7: Twice Is Coincidence. 8,750 words, 10/1/04. In which Ginny performs an incantation to help free Tom from the diary, the Gryffindor-Slytherin Quidditch game is a spectacular disaster, and Colin takes an exasperated suggestion far too seriously. Is anyone safe from the Heir? (FictionAlley version)

Chapter 8: With a Family Like This.... 8,875 words, 12/30/04. In which Ginny's guilt over Colin's Petrification drives more wedges between her and her family, while the Dueling Club disaster and third attack rekindle students' terror of the Heir. Thank goodness Tom is still there to listen and comfort her! (FictionAlley version)

Chapter 9: Telling Stories. 11,450 words, 8/27/05. In which things settle down over Christmas holidays, until Xanthe tells Ginny a bit of family history that casts the previous months in a new and unwelcome light. (FictionAlley version)

Chapter 10: Slings and Arrows. 9,325 words, 5/5/06. In which Ginny tries to convince herself that she isn't guilty of Tom's crimes, with rather limited success. A tumultuous Valentine's Day does not help anything. (FictionAlley version)

Chapter 11: A Place to Stand. 9,400 words, 3/23/07. In which life doesn't stop and people don't leave Ginny alone just because she wants to escape. In an effort to fight back against Tom, she investigates Percy and possession, with varying degrees of success. (FictionAlley version)

Chapter 12: Into the Dark. 12,150 words, 1/17/09. In which Ginny wrestles with moral dilemmas and fails to reach any satisfactory conclusions. Attempting to protect Harry and claim responsibility for what she unleashed, she recovers Tom's diary, but that proves a nearly fatal mistake. (FictionAlley version)

Chapter 13: Shattering. 12,050 words, 3/19/09. In which Harry kills Tom and the basilisk, and Ginny faces her complete failure to either solve her own problems or keep Harry safe. She does not cope well, but at least not everyone blames her for helping Tom. That's a good thing, right? (FictionAlley version)

Chapter 14: Making It Better. 10,650 words, 7/21/10. In which Ginny attempts to make amends and regain something approximating a normal life, with varying degrees of success. If you pretend hard enough, can you make something true? (FictionAlley version)

Chapter 15: Open Doors. In which Ginny wavers between pretending everything is fine and wanting everyone to know how hurt she is. This makes apologizing for her prejudice and her enabling of Tom's reign of terror rather awkward. // In which Ginny returns home and begins to reclaim her life. There are no magic solutions, no shortcuts to happiness, but sometimes peace sneaks up and ambushes you when you least think you deserve it. (FictionAlley version)

Epilogue: Isis Alone. The Weasleys in Egypt, summer of 1993. (FictionAlley version)

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I advise reading "Secrets" at FF.net rather than FictionAlley. For a long time there was no direct editing at FA, and I still haven't figured out their current programs, so the FF.net chapters are more current, better edited, and better formatted than their FA equivalents.

I would love you forever and ever if you read and reviewed this story, because "Secrets" is my baby and it does not get half the attention it deserves. Actually, it doesn't get as much as ten percent of the attention it deserves, and really, if people can like, review, and rec a Naruto story set six years before the manga, featuring female OCs as two of its five main characters, and deliberately changing fundamental aspects of the canon hero's background, then there is no reason whatsoever why you can't love "Secrets" too.

*nods firmly, and then gives you puppy-dog eyes*

[Fic] "Secrets" index page -- Harry Potter

Secrets is the second fanfiction story I started writing, back in May 2002. It's 15 chapters and an epilogue, of which 11 12 13 14 all chapters are currently completed and posted. I hope to have the story finished by my 25th birthday. *crosses fingers* (ETA, 11/4/07: Okay, by my 26th birthday, maybe?)

ETA2, 4/22/08: By my 27th birthday. OR ELSE. (ETA3, 1/27/09: ...within a two month margin of error? *headdesk*)

ETA4: WHICH IS FINALLY FINISHED AS OF 7/27/13!!! It took me eleven years and change to write, but by god I got there in the end.

Anyway, "Secrets" is a retelling of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, from Ginny Weasley's point of view. It includes a lot of new material (since Harry paid very little attention to Ginny that year) and also a few scenes lifted nearly word-for-word from canon. I do my best to keep everything workable within the canon framework, though I have twiddled a couple minor things, like the bit where JKR makes the students go to classes on Valentine's Day, even though that was a Sunday in 1992. This means that the publication of OotP -- in which Ginny briefly described her possession -- forced me to revise my plot outline substantially, and I refined my understanding of Ginny even more after reading HBP.

I flatter myself that I accurately predicted some traits that hadn't been revealed in the first four books. I also think that JKR did an inept job of giving Ginny more development and page time -- the Harry/Ginny romance in HBP was particularly awkward -- but I take the information and use it as best as I can.

Note: Chapter titles go to the ff.net version of the story; AO3 links and FA links are labeled as such. Please read the AO3 version, as it allows for strikethrough text formatting, which I had to somewhat awkwardly write around in the ff.net version.

--------------------------------------------
Secrets - Table of Contents (155,000 words)
--------------------------------------------

Chapter 1: First Impressions. (AO3 version) 6,450 words, 5/17/02. In which Ginny writes in her new diary, Harry and Ron miss the Hogwarts Express, Hermione frets, and Ginny meets two girls on the train. (FictionAlley version)

Chapter 2: Unpleasant Surprises. (AO3 version) 8,925 words, 6/16/02. In which we arrive at Hogwarts, watch the Sorting, and finally reach the end of the day. (FictionAlley version)

Chapter 3: Overreactions. (AO3 version) 11,275 words, 7/22/02. In which we follow Ginny through her first week of classes, during which much goes right but more goes wrong. (FictionAlley version)

Chapter 4: Sleepwalking. (AO3 version) 12,025 words, 11/30/02. In which Ginny and Xanthe arrange a study session, Snape oozes nastiness, we discover what Apple whispered to Daphne on the train, Ginny sleepwalks, and Tom does something slightly disturbing. (FictionAlley version)

Chapter 5: Making It Work. (AO3 version) 11,900 words, 5/6/03. In which Tom reveals pieces of his past, Ginny sleepwalks again, an Herbology class presents unforeseen challenges, Sprout is unexpectedly kind, and Halloween arrives. (FictionAlley version)

Chapter 6: The Mechanics of Defense. (AO3 version) 11,025 words, 1/5/04. In which tensions rise after Mrs. Norris is found Petrified, and neither her family nor Tom can soothe Ginny's anger and fear. Guest-starring Sir Vladislav the enchanted suit of armor! (FictionAlley version)

Chapter 7: Twice Is Coincidence. (AO3 version) 8,750 words, 10/1/04. In which Ginny performs an incantation to help free Tom from the diary, the Gryffindor-Slytherin Quidditch game is a spectacular disaster, and Colin takes an exasperated suggestion far too seriously. Is anyone safe from the Heir? (FictionAlley version)

Chapter 8: With a Family Like This.... (AO3 version) 8,875 words, 12/30/04. In which Ginny's guilt over Colin's Petrification drives more wedges between her and her family, while the Dueling Club disaster and third attack rekindle students' terror of the Heir. Thank goodness Tom is still there to listen and comfort her! (FictionAlley version)

Chapter 9: Telling Stories. (AO3 version) 11,450 words, 8/27/05. In which things settle down over Christmas holidays, until Xanthe tells Ginny a bit of family history that casts the previous months in a new and unwelcome light. (FictionAlley version)

Chapter 10: Slings and Arrows. (AO3 version) 9,325 words, 5/5/06. In which Ginny tries to convince herself that she isn't guilty of Tom's crimes, with rather limited success. A tumultuous Valentine's Day does not help anything. (FictionAlley version)

Chapter 11: A Place to Stand. (AO3 version) 9,450 words, 3/23/07. In which life doesn't stop and people don't leave Ginny alone just because she wants to escape. In an effort to fight back against Tom, she investigates Percy and possession, with varying degrees of success. (FictionAlley version)

Chapter 12: Into the Dark. (AO3 version) 12,150 words, 1/17/09. In which Ginny wrestles with moral dilemmas and fails to reach any satisfactory conclusions. Attempting to protect Harry and claim responsibility for what she unleashed, she recovers Tom's diary, but that proves a nearly fatal mistake. (FictionAlley version)

Chapter 13: Shattering. (AO3 version) 12,050 words, 3/19/09. In which Harry kills Tom and the basilisk, and Ginny faces her complete failure to either solve her own problems or keep Harry safe. She does not cope well, but at least not everyone blames her for helping Tom. That's a good thing, right? (FictionAlley version)

Chapter 14: Making It Better. (AO3 version) 10,650 words, 7/21/10. In which Ginny attempts to make amends and regain something approximating a normal life, with varying degrees of success. If you pretend hard enough, can you make something true? (FictionAlley version)

Chapter 15: Open Doors. (AO3 version) 9,000 words, 7/27/13. In which Ginny continues her string of awkward apologies before returning home and starting to reclaim her life. There are no magic solutions, no shortcuts to recovery, but sometimes happiness sneaks up and ambushes you when you least think you deserve it. (FictionAlley version)

Epilogue: Isis Alone. (AO3 version) 3,625 words, 7/27/13. The Weasleys in Egypt, summer of 1993. (FictionAlley version)

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I advise reading "Secrets" at AO3 rather than ff.net or FictionAlley. The ff.net version is slightly altered in a couple places for text effect issues (basically, they don't allow strikethough). As for the FA version... oy. There was no direct editing at FA for a long time, and I still haven't figured out their current programs, so those chapters are outdated (if they are even posted at all, whoops).

I would love you forever and ever if you read and reviewed this story, because "Secrets" is my baby and it does not get half the attention it deserves. Actually, it doesn't get as much as ten percent of the attention it deserves, and really, if people can like, review, and rec a Naruto story set six years before the manga, featuring female OCs as two of its five main characters, and deliberately changing fundamental aspects of the canon hero's background, then there is no reason whatsoever why you can't love "Secrets" too.

*nods firmly, and then gives you puppy-dog eyes*