Ginny
by Verity Evans
I’ve read a lot of editorials on MuggleNet about Ginny, and about her importance in Books 6 and 7. About how she might be Harry’s love interest, how she’s becoming a very powerful witch, and a central heroine in our favorite story. So naturally, when I noticed something funny about Ginny down in the Department of Mysteries, my first reaction was to log on to MuggleNet and search the editorials archive to see if someone else had noticed it too.
Hmmm… Nope. Nope. Ooh, there’s one that looks like-… oh, nope. … Darn.
Well, I guess I’ll have to come up with my own theory.
What I noticed was this:
In the Death Room, in the Department of Mysteries, the Archway has a particular effect on 4 people in our little group: Harry, Luna, Neville, and Ginny.
Harry is entranced, unable to look away, and he hears voices on the other side of the Veil. This makes sense. Harry has grown up being extremely close to Death. His parents are both dead, he’s seen people die. He has many people on the other side of that Veil that he longs to see. So, naturally, it would have some kind of pull on him.
Luna also has a relationship with Death. She saw her mother die. She can see the thestrals. She too could hear the voices beyond the Veil. So, her fascination with the Archway is also understandable.
In OotP, we find out that Neville also has a connection with Death. He too can see the thestrals. He saw his grandfather die. Neville has been through a lot in his life, and I’m sure we’ve not heard what all of it is. As such, I wasn’t at all surprised that Neville, too, was transfixed by the Archway.
And Ginny. Wait, hang on… Ginny? This one had me stumped. Ginny has never seen anyone die, she cannot see the thestrals. As far as we know, no one extremely close to her has died, and her connection with Death seems to be fairly minimal. And yet, she had to be dragged out of the Death Room by Hermione.
She also had trouble tearing herself away from the bird device in the Time Room. This could be put down to the mere fact that it was pretty, but I don’t think so. She becomes very defensive and cross when Harry yells at her to keep going, saying “You dawdled enough by that old arch!” (OotP, pg 685) Obviously, Ginny has some fascination with Time as well.
To be honest, I haven’t any brilliant theories as to what it is that makes Ginny so mesmerized by Death and Time. However, I’m certain that it has something to do with her experiences in the Chamber of Secrets. She was nearly killed by Riddle, having her essence absorbed by him for the better part of year. It was his “memory” that had such a powerful and traumatic effect on her. And now, three years later, she seems to have a fascination with Death and Time. Coincidence? Maybe. But I don’t think so.
In Chapter 23, Harry is reminded by Ginny that she too has been possessed by Voldemort. When he tells her that he had forgotten, she replies coolly, “Lucky you.” (OotP, pg 442) Ginny cannot forget, she won’t ever forget. She spent the better part of a year pouring her heart and soul out to Tom Riddle, trusting him with her most guarded secrets. He, in turn, spent that year feeding off her love and trust, possessing her, infecting her and draining her of her life. To say she had a traumatic year is a wee bit of an understatement, and I’m far from convinced that she escaped that experience unscathed. I think she has a lot to work through, and I think these obstacles will prove very important in Books 6 and 7.