Story: The Titans of Secrets
Chapter Six: The Mysterious Letter

The sound of something rough being scrubbed against something hollow filled the room.

"Ugh! Why do I have to do this?!" Ginny exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.

"I'm sorry," Harry apologized for not the first time in that particular detention session.

"Yes, of course you are!" Ginny shouted in annoyance, throwing the cauldron she had just scrubbed into a pile of newly washed vessels. She bent over to take a vial but broke it accidentally, causing fresh blood to splatter everywhere along with Salamander eyes. "Damn it!" she swore. Harry hurried over to her, carefully avoiding the glass pieces.

"I'm sorry -" he apologized again then took out his handkerchief and offered it to her. Being the stubborn girl she was, she refused it and got back to work after wiping her bleeding hand on her shirt. Harry looked rather put out as he got back to the scrubbing.

"Is - everything - done?" a drawling voice came as the door to the gloomy place opened.

"Just a moment, Professor," Harry said before snatching the knife out of Ginny's hand and wiping it clean, not even leaving a pint of tunip berry juice on it. He kept it rather gently at the place where the cleaned utensils were and stood up.

"Get back to your dormitories and ten points from Gryffindor for delaying your task," Snape ordered with a sneer. Before Ginny could protest, the raven haired boy dragged her out, taking their wands from the Potions Master.

Ginny squinted lightly as her pupils got used to the light after the darkness of the dungeons. The Hogwarts air seemed much fresher and refreshing than the Dungeons'.

"I'm sorry," Harry apologized again. She snorted.

"Just how many times do you plan on apologizing?" she asked as they started on their way to dinner. She saw, from the corner of her eye, Harry shrugging.

"Till you forgive me, I s'pose."

"I thought I forgave you long ago," she said, turning to face him. He looked guiltily at her and her heart skipped a beat witnessing his sad eyes.

"Genuinely? I know I've been an idiot."

"O-of course I did!" Ginny stuttered, trying not to turn away which would result in him thinking she was still mad at him. This time, he smiled gratefully at her and she wondered why she just did not melt into a puddle yet. YET.

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After dinner, Ginny found Gilligan curled up on the couch in front of the fire in the Gryffindor common room. Feeling obligated to check on him, him being her friend, she approached him slowly and sat on the chair beside the couch.

"Hey," he said lowly.

"Hey Gilligan. Are you okay?" she asked gently. He sighed. "You haven't been hanging out with us lately."

"I just don't feel too fine. Just a. . . blue day, y'know?" Ginny nodded. His green eyes glimmered, reflecting off the red fire. "How was your detention with. . . Harry?"

"Okay. He did most of the job, so yeah," Ginny replied, choosing her words carefully. She still did not have the clear picture as to why Gilligan was fighting with his elder brother. Gilligan nodded ever so slightly then sat up.

"Ginny. . . Can I tell you something?" he asked. Ginny nodded and grabbed his hand to give a reassuring squeeze.

"Of course you can. You can confide anything in me and I promise to keep it a secret."

Gilligan smiled at her. "It's just that. . . I think Harry is drifting away from us. It's not like he never did but this time. . . because of school, it's happening in a much quicker pace.

"He was chosen to be a seeker for the Puddlemere United when he was just eleven. Until then, we both played together, spent time together. Heck, we were inseparable but when he joined international Quidditch, he couldn't come home. Sometimes, he never showed up even for the night. He would stay over. He was partly educated in the team's quarters itself and was earning euros easily. He didn't have the need to show up.

"Mum and dad. . . mum especially was so worried he would soon leave the family. When he did come home, she smothered him so much that I was mostly left behind but I didn't care about it much. He's my brother and he hardly interacts with us besides some hastily scribbled parchments.

"But that day. . . it was my fourteenth birthday and mum had thrown a party. Harry had some 'special training session' and he penned a letter stating that he wouldn't be able to attend. Mum took it the hardest. She fell ill and I was forced to confront him.

"Ever since, our relationship has been a bit rocky. . . I can't forget the look of horror on mum's face. The reason why they came over to visit me that day was because of that. They are more worried about him leaving us now that we are in a boarding school.

"Ginny. . . Am I bad to confront him for that?" Gilligan finished with a question.

Ginny looked down thoughtfully and lifted her head to meet his gaze. "You aren't, Gilligan but both you and your family are insecure. Harry, as far as I know him, isn't the type to disown his family. Everyone is insecure to things they don't know about, Gilligan. Trust him. Trust Harry and he'll come back to you as the same boy he was when he was ten."

Gilligan smiled lightly at her although his eyes still held melancholy. He got up suddenly.

"It's better if you go to bed. I've got to finish a Divination essay and I'll be hitting the hay. Good night, Ginny," he said sadly. She didn't want to leave him alone but finally agreed and with another round of goodnight's she left up to the Girls' Dormitory.

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The next day was less eventful. So far, Ginny's day had been good except for one instance.

The group of Gryffindors were on their way to Transfiguration when a sudden gust of wind almost made them lose their balance. Ron and Neville fell to the floor dramatically and Hermione clutched a pillar for support. Being the physically trained student he was, Harry did not deter and managed to study a flailing Ginny. When they got back to their feet, Ginny still coloured, Hermione started looking around.

"What was that?" Neville asked, picking up Ginny's bag for her.

"A wind!" Ron stated the obvious.

"Yes it was but there is something mysterious about it," Harry reasoned, looking around.

"What is mysterious about a wind? It's probably the trade winds?" Neville asked Hermione.

"Hogwarts is well protected against such sudden gusts and hurricanes, " Hermione explained. "It still seems strange. . ."

Students in the same corridor were still recovering from the shock as the Gryffindors headed to their Transfiguration class.

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The day was coming to an end when Ginny decided to unpack her bag and arrange the next day's books in. Naturally, she was surprised when she saw a letter in her bag. She took it out after shutting the curtains around her to see that it was addressed to her but it had no sender's address or name. Curiosity took the better of her and she opened it.

There was a blank parchment. It startled her when wordings started appearing on it.

Ginny Weasley,
You have been shortlisted as a potential candidate for one of the most discreet department of Magic. More information will be provided to you by us if you wish to meet us.

Do not be weary, your Headmaster knows about it and will let you use the portkey to the meeting place on 17th of September at half past ten in the morning.

Keep this letter a secret. No one other than you will be able to see the contents of this letter. If anyone other than you finds out about it because of you telling them willingly, they, along with you, will be severely punished.

Hoping to meet you.
Blackburn

Ginny gasped inaudibly. She was being offered a job among one of the most secretive agencies in the Wizarding world! She had no idea which agency this was but she sure was eager to visit them so she cast away all other thoughts and waited till the seventeenth of the month which was less than a day away.

Finally, the plot started!

What job do you think Ginny is being offered? And how do you think the letter got into her bag? Let me know!

Your thoughts on the chapter? Comment!

Thank you for reading!

Miyoko x