4Memoirs of a Girl Named Hermione Granger
How the War was Won
Everyone will know the name Harry Potter and will know how he brought the downfall of Voldemort, but what people don't know is what or rather who its Catalyst was. I smile every time I think of that day because none of use (Harry, Ron or my self) realized the significance of the events that unfolded until much later.
It started in the Great Hall, actually it truly started with the events of our second year at Hogwarts, with the Chamber of Secrets and Ron's little sister Ginny(Ginevra) Weasly. She was a shy girl, who grew up too fast and into something none of us knew how to handle. She was a mystery to all of use despite Ron's best efforts. Ginny never told us what happened to her in the chamber and as it seemed to have had little effect on her, none of us -her family included- bothered to ask.
Ginny was and still is - with her lava red hair and explosive tempter- a volcano. But it was on this particular day she erupted.
The Great Hall was a buss of activity, it was April and exams were on our tail, but it was the war that held the attention of students and teachers alike. Sides were being declared and lines were drawn in the sand –or so we thought.
"Move out of the way Pothead, pure-bloods coming through" Draco Malfoy sneered.
"Oh ya well, when I defeat Voldemort, all you Death Eaters will be rounded up and thrown into Azkaban" Harry turned to face Parkinson, Crabbe, Goyle, Zabini and Malfoyattempting to get his point a cross.
Harry was about to say something, but I cut him off "come along Ron (who was getting redder by the second), Harry. Malfoy is just trying to get to you, I bet there all Death Eaters already"
"Do you want to see Mudblood" Malfoy snarled as he started to raze his sleeve.
The air in the Great Hall suddenly started to hum with volatile magic; an enormous crack was heard as one of the goblets at the head table exploded covering professors with its contents.
"That is it" Ginny yelled she had managed to grab the attention of everyone in the Hall.
"I've had enough of this, you are both hypocrites," she turned towards us "You, Potter, you think just because you're the Golden Boy, you think you have the right to judge everyone, you dear brother need to stop being such a hot head and think for yourself, AND YOU Granger are so sanctimonious, you preach the school rules during the day while you run around breaking them at night."
Malfoy and the others started to laugh; they must have found it amusing to watch us being told off by another Gryffindor. But it seamed only to upset her more.
Ginny's eyes flashed and she spun around to face the Slytherins.
"You're so naive" she spat
"I'm just a pure of blood as you are" she garbled a stake knife from the table and dragged it across Malfoys arm and hers "but our blood is as red as a Muggles"
"Don't role your eyes at me Parkinson,I'm not the one who's going to blindly follow a hypocrite of a Mudblood" the hall erupted into gasps. Even I was shocked to hear such a word come out of her mouth.
"Yes that's right. Your precious Voldemort is a dirty half blood. His Father was a Muggle and He grew up in a Muggle orphanage."
"You're a liar" Malfoy hissed
"Oh am I Malfoy? Who do you think opened the Chamber or Secretes? I did with the help of Tom Riddle the 16 year old Lord Voldemort" Ginny's face broke out into a nasty grin and razed her wand.
A jet of red started to come from her wand:
TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE
"This is the Mudblood name of your precious Lord" then she flicked her wand and the letters started to move, revealing:
I AM LORD VOLDEMORT
She broke out in to a cruel laugh "You all might as well bow down to Potter. He's got purer blood than Voldemort or Tom. The irony of it all, Pure bloods serving a Mudblood and dieing for him. I laugh every time I think of it"
"You're a liar who knows nothing" Zabini spoke up
"Am I?" she advanced on Malfoy (who happened to be the closest Slytherin to us) before stopping inches from his face "Why don't you go ask Lucius or have you forgotten our first meeting in Flourish & Blott's Draco."
She turned on her heal and left.
Who would have thought that one simple confrontation and the truth -that few were willing to shed light on- would have put into place a series of events. Draco Malfoy Did not kill Albus Dumbledore as he had been told to by Voldemort. His refusal to follow Voldemort's orders must have sent signals off to the reset of the Slytherin elite. Voldemort lost the confidence and support of what should have been a new age of Death Eaters.
Do not delude yourself to think that Draco Malfoy turned spy for the Order. No, Draco Malfoy was the epitome of Slytherin and a Malfoy at that. But when it came time to rebuild the Wizarding World in the Post-Voldemort era, -though it pains me to admit it- his assistance was critical. Had he not have been there to represent the stability needed in such turbulent times, the Wizarding world would have been vastly different from today.
Ron of course demanded (from Ginny) to know what was between his sister and Draco. But she refused to say. We concluded that it mustn't be love, but something more powerful, I hesitate to think respect.
Who was the Catalyst? Was it Ginny or Draco or Both? You decide.
AN: please review and let me know what you think.