Disclaimer: JK owns everything I wish I had. That includes the Harry Potter Characters.
Chapter 1
Harry lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. Thinking. About Sirius and Dumbledore. How they had been the closest things he had ever had to fathers. About his mum and dad. How he would never know them. About Ron and Hermione. How they both had agreed to join him and risk their lives in the search for the Horcuxes. About Ginny. For the past few days he had been thinking about her a lot. About her long red hair. About the way she could always bring him comfort. Was it right of him to break up with her? He didn't know.
Harry's thoughts snapped back to reality. He remembered where he was. I'm at the Burrow, he thought. Bill and Fleur's wedding is tomorrow. His seventeenth birthday had been the day before, not that it really mattered to him. His thoughts were on Ginny. He had been at the Burrow for a week now, but he rarely came out of his room. He stayed locked up in there every minute of each day, with the exception of meal times and bathroom breaks. Besides that, he wouldn't come out. Hermione and Ron had been trying desperately to get him out.
"Harry, please come out." Hermione’s voice carried its way into the room. "Please don't stay in there."
"Oy, Mate!" Ron shouted. "Get out of there?" Harry ignored them.
"I give up!" exclaimed an exasperated Hermione. "Ginny, why don't you give it a try?" Harry heard footsteps fade away, and a new set coming towards the door.
"Harry? Er... Harry, please open up. Can't we just talk?"
"No."
"Well, you're talking now. Please, just open the door." Harry slowly moved to the door. He turned the creaking doorknob, and opened. He looked down at Ginny.
"What do you want?"
"I just want to talk."
"Don't lie. You don't JUST want to talk. You want to talk about relationships and feelings. You want to know something though? I don't want to talk." Ginny ignored him.
"Can I come in?" Without saying a word, Harry unblocked the doorway. "Now, that's a bit nicer of us, isn't it?" She sat down on the floor.
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Ginny hadn't noticed until now how thin Harry had gotten. He looked frail and fragile in the oversized muggle clothing he was wearing. His hair was even messier than usual. He looked sick, and depressed.
"What did you want to talk about so badly?" Harry asked sharply.
"About what you, Hermione, and Ron are doing after the wedding." Wondering how Ginny had found out about that, Harry replied,
"What about it?"
"I want to come." Ginny looked up at Harry on his bed. "I'm going to help you do whatever it is you're planning to do."
"No."
"What do you mean, no?"
"You heard me. No, you aren't coming."
"Why not?"
"Because I say so." Harry looked at Ginny angrily. "Don't you get it? Everyone close to me is gone! Dumbledore, Sirius, Mum and Dad. I don't want to lose you too! What if we get attacked, and you're killed? What would I do then?"
"Well, what about Ron and Hermione? They're your best mates, and they get to come!" Ginny started to yell. "They could be killed as well, but they get to come! Aren't you afraid THEY might die? And what about you!? You could be killed and I wouldn't get to say goodbye! Do you know how much I care about you!?" Her expression softened. She spoke in a calmer voice. "Do you?"
She leaned in towards him, their noses barely touching. "Well, do you?" She spoke in barely a whisper. Harry just closed his eyes, listening to her heavy breathing. When he finally opened them, he spoke.
"Maybe I do, but you still aren't coming."
"Why NOT?"
"Because I care about you too much to let you be killed. Ron and Hermione had a choice. The only reason I'm letting them come is because they've been through everything with me. If they weren't my best mates, they wouldn't be coming. Do you know how much I care about YOU? Do you?" He spoke in barely a whisper. "Well, do you?"
"Yes." She kissed him lightly on the lips. "I really do." She kissed him again, then quickly left.
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Full Version: Do You?
I decided that one reply was enough, and I couldn't stand not updating, so here is Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Ginny was refusing to look at Harry. This annoyed him immensely. What did he do wrong? What did he do that was enough to make her ignore him? Well, maybe the fact he kept on telling her she wasn’t coming with him, Ron and Hermione on the Horcrux hunt, but it was for her own good.
“Harry!” Mrs. Weasley was calling him from the kitchen. “Harry, dear, will you come down for lunch?”
He took his time walking down the stairs. The more time he took, the less time he had to endure of Ginny refusing to admit he existed.
“Harry!” Hermione shouted. “Will you please hurry up?” Harry heard her footsteps coming up the steps. She walked up to him. “Could you take any longer?” She grabbed his arm and pulled him down the steps.
“Hermione let go.” Harry demanded. “I’m pretty sure I can get myself down the stairs.”
“Well, you take too long.”
“That’s just too bad then.” They walked into the kitchen. Ginny, Ron, and Bill were all sitting at the table. Mrs. Weasley was having a discussion with Bill about his hair.
“Just a trim.”
“NO Mum.”
“Please, Bill? It’s for your wedding for Merlin’s sake!”
“Leave my hair alone Mum.”
“But, BILL!”
“NO! My hair is fine just the way it is. The only way you are going to cut it is if you sneak up on me during the night, and chop my hair off.” Mrs. Weasley looked at Bill.
“Well, maybe that’s what I’m going to have to do then!” She finally noticed Harry. “Harry! I see that Hermione got you down here! What do you want to eat? Sandwich? Chicken? Some toast?”
“Toast’s fine.”
“Are you sure? We have treacle tart, there’s a pot roast in the fridge, and we also have-“
“Toast is fine Mrs. Weasley.” Harry looked over at Ginny. She looked away. Again.
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Hermione and Ron left the table, apparently wanting to “prepare for the wedding.” Right. Mrs. Weasley left, REALLY wanting to prepare. Bill left to go look for Fleur, leaving Harry and Ginny alone at the table.
“Ginny-“
“Forget it.” She got up and left. Harry followed her.
“Where are you going!?”
“None of your business!” She broke into a run. Out the door, out the gate, and disappeared.
“Ginny! Come back! How am I going to explain this to your mother?”
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Ginny ran for a few minutes before looking back. The Burrow was out of sight. She was lost. A house lay in the distance, so she walked towards it. She knocked on the door, hoping dearly a wizard lived inside it.
The door creaked open, revealing a tall man with long blonde hair.
“Ah, Miss Weasley. What a pleasure.” Ginny stared, and slowly backed away. “Where are you going, child? Surely you aren’t going to go and do something foolish? Why don’t you come in and have something to eat?”
“No. I don’t think so.” Mr. Malfoy smiled at Ginny.
“I insist. Come in. IMPERIO!”
Ginny felt a strange feeling. She felt a bit lightheaded, and sleepy. She wanted to lie down. She wanted to, but a voice in her head told her otherwise.
Come into the house. Come into the house. Come in, and don’t go back home until I say you can….
She walked into the house, in a trance, her mind trying to fight the voice. It was no use, the voice was powerful, and she had to obey. Or else.
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Okay.... Tell me if you liked it or not by voting, or go to feedback here
Chapter 2
Ginny was refusing to look at Harry. This annoyed him immensely. What did he do wrong? What did he do that was enough to make her ignore him? Well, maybe the fact he kept on telling her she wasn’t coming with him, Ron and Hermione on the Horcrux hunt, but it was for her own good.
“Harry!” Mrs. Weasley was calling him from the kitchen. “Harry, dear, will you come down for lunch?”
He took his time walking down the stairs. The more time he took, the less time he had to endure of Ginny refusing to admit he existed.
“Harry!” Hermione shouted. “Will you please hurry up?” Harry heard her footsteps coming up the steps. She walked up to him. “Could you take any longer?” She grabbed his arm and pulled him down the steps.
“Hermione let go.” Harry demanded. “I’m pretty sure I can get myself down the stairs.”
“Well, you take too long.”
“That’s just too bad then.” They walked into the kitchen. Ginny, Ron, and Bill were all sitting at the table. Mrs. Weasley was having a discussion with Bill about his hair.
“Just a trim.”
“NO Mum.”
“Please, Bill? It’s for your wedding for Merlin’s sake!”
“Leave my hair alone Mum.”
“But, BILL!”
“NO! My hair is fine just the way it is. The only way you are going to cut it is if you sneak up on me during the night, and chop my hair off.” Mrs. Weasley looked at Bill.
“Well, maybe that’s what I’m going to have to do then!” She finally noticed Harry. “Harry! I see that Hermione got you down here! What do you want to eat? Sandwich? Chicken? Some toast?”
“Toast’s fine.”
“Are you sure? We have treacle tart, there’s a pot roast in the fridge, and we also have-“
“Toast is fine Mrs. Weasley.” Harry looked over at Ginny. She looked away. Again.
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Hermione and Ron left the table, apparently wanting to “prepare for the wedding.” Right. Mrs. Weasley left, REALLY wanting to prepare. Bill left to go look for Fleur, leaving Harry and Ginny alone at the table.
“Ginny-“
“Forget it.” She got up and left. Harry followed her.
“Where are you going!?”
“None of your business!” She broke into a run. Out the door, out the gate, and disappeared.
“Ginny! Come back! How am I going to explain this to your mother?”
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Ginny ran for a few minutes before looking back. The Burrow was out of sight. She was lost. A house lay in the distance, so she walked towards it. She knocked on the door, hoping dearly a wizard lived inside it.
The door creaked open, revealing a tall man with long blonde hair.
“Ah, Miss Weasley. What a pleasure.” Ginny stared, and slowly backed away. “Where are you going, child? Surely you aren’t going to go and do something foolish? Why don’t you come in and have something to eat?”
“No. I don’t think so.” Mr. Malfoy smiled at Ginny.
“I insist. Come in. IMPERIO!”
Ginny felt a strange feeling. She felt a bit lightheaded, and sleepy. She wanted to lie down. She wanted to, but a voice in her head told her otherwise.
Come into the house. Come into the house. Come in, and don’t go back home until I say you can….
She walked into the house, in a trance, her mind trying to fight the voice. It was no use, the voice was powerful, and she had to obey. Or else.
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Okay.... Tell me if you liked it or not by voting, or go to feedback here
Chapter 3
The day passed, and Harry told no one of Ginny’s departure from the Burrow. No one really noticed she had gone yet, and probably were assuming she had gone out for a walk. Only Harry was truly worried about where she had gone.
The afternoon passed, and Harry could tell Hermione was getting suspicious. She always noticed these kinds of things before Ron, who would explode as soon as everyone knew. Hermione caught Harry walking around the upstairs, and stopped him.
“I know you know why Ginny isn’t here.”
“Now, what would make you think that?” he asked nervously.
“Maybe the fact she hasn’t been here all day. Do YOU know where she is?” She stared at him. “Well, do you?”
Harry tried to stay silent, but he knew Hermione’s pressure was going to make him cave sooner or later.
“Well? Do you know where Ginny is?”
“Er…. No,” he said unconvincingly.
Hermione moved towards him. “I know that you know something, and won’t share it. You don’t want to keep this quiet and have Ginny get hurt or something, do you?”
“No…”
“Then tell me what happened to her.” She grabbed him by the shirt. “Or I will tell Mrs. Weasley that you’re hiding something.’
Harry couldn’t take this any longer.
“Ok! I know what happened to her! I just don’t know where she is!
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After explaining the whole situation to Hermione, she started to think about the problem.
“Well, even if she had run out of the house, wouldn’t she be back by now? I mean, she has enough sense to come back home before dark, doesn’t she?”
Harry’s scar was beginning to prickle.
“It’s not like she would get lost that easily….” Harry was getting woozy. “She probably knows most people around here, so they wouldn’t abduct her…” His scar was aching. “I don’t know what could have happened to her…”
Harry’s scar burst open.
Ginny woke up in a dark room, vision obscured by a cloth tied around her face. It was hot and stuffy, she could not breathe very well.
“I see that you have gotten the girl Lucius.”
“Yes my lord. I assume that we shall use her to get information of Potter and the rest of his guard. We could even use her to tamper with his emotions maybe?”
“Excellent Lucius. Lord Voldemort is pleased with your work.”
“Thank you my lord.”
“Take the girl away. Lock her up in the cellar for a while, keep her until I see fit for her to return home.”
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“Harry? Harry! Get up! Please! Are you alright?”
Harry opened his eyes, and looked up at Hermione.
“Mm… Wait! Ginny! I saw Ginny! Mr. Malfoy has her! And Voldemort was there! We have to get Ginny. She’s going to be used to get information on me… What are we going to do?”
“Wait, Malfoy and Voldemort have got Ginny?”
“Yeah! They probably got her when she ran away from the Burrow! We’ve got to save her!” He sat up. “What the heck am I supposed to do?”
“Harry! Stop! They said they’re going to use her to get information, but that means she’s going to come back! Don’t leave the Burrow!” She frowned. “This could be a trick though…” What if they’ve really got Ginny, but they want you to go there, so they’re trying to use reverse psychology on you by trying to make you think that because they said they were returning her home, she was really being kept?”
“Hey! You could be right! Wait… What?”
“Reverse psychology. It’s when you make someone think something that isn’t true, or something like that. I can’t really remember it that much, but I did a project on it in Elementary school.”
“Oh… So, they want me to think that I have to save Ginny?”
“Maybe.”
“That’s confusing.”
“I know it is.”
Ron burst into the room.
“Have either of you seen Ginny? I can’t find her anywhere! She’s been gone for hours!”
“We know what happened to her,” Hermione said sadly.
They explained everything to him. He didn’t take this as well as Hermione did. As Harry predicted, Ron completely blew up.
“What?! BLOODY HELL! MY SISTER HAS BEEN TAKEN BY VOLDEMORT?! AND WE”RE JUST SITTING HERE? WE”VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING!!!!!!”
“There’s nothing we can do!” Harry said. “Ginny is probably going to come back here, and we don’t know where she is at the moment, so all we can do is wait.”
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tell me if you liked it! I don't think you can vote anymore, so go to feedback here
Sorry I havent been updating! I had writers block and I couldn't think of what to write. My chapter was too short too, so that was another problem. I have one other thing to add. WHY WONT ANY OF YOU PEOPLE GIVE ME FEEDBACK I ALREADY TOLD YOU MY HEAD WOULD EXPLODE AND I WOULDNT MAKE IT TO COLLEGE AND BE PRESIDENT, LET ALONE FINISH JUNIOR HIGH!!!!!!! GIVE ME MORE REVIEWS!!!!
Now, if you have read my little message above you should really listen to it and give me feedback once you finish this chapter. Wont you? Here is my next chapter. My writers block has ceased for now.
Chapter 4
The trio fell asleep in Harry’s room that night. They had spent hours trying to figure out the Ginny problem. Harry was first to wake, and sat in silence watching Hermione and Ron, Hermione’s head in Ron’s lap, both of them breathing softly. Harry felt alone as he watched them, wishing he had someone to lean against.
“Harry?” he watched Hermione open her eyes, and sit up. “Are you OK?”
Ron was startled awake by the sudden movement, and jumped up.
“Ginny! Where’s Ginny?” He looked afraid. “Is she back?”
“We don’t know yet,” yawned Hermione.
Ron ran out of the room, and went downstairs. Harry and Hermione looked at each other, before following Ron.
“Ginny?” Ron was shouting. “Ginny, are you here?”
“What is your problem Ronald? I was trying to sleep!” Ginny walked in.
“GINNY!” Ron shouted, and he pulled her into a hug.
“RON! LET GO OF ME! NOW!!”
“Ron, let go of her,” Harry said quietly. When Ron wouldn’t let go, Hermione pried him off of Ginny.
“Ron,” Hermione whispered. “Ginny could be under the imperius curse or something like that. We can’t open up to her until we’re sure she’s fine.”
“Ok…” They looked back at Ginny. She was watching them talk, obviously wondering what they were saying.
“Hello?” she called. “Still standing here. Still wondering why you guys are whispering.” She walked up to them. “What were you guys talking about?”
“NOTHING THAT WOULD INTEREST YOU WHY DO YOU ASK!?” shouted Ron.
“Yeah… great staying normal Ron,” said Hermione sarcastically.
“No need to shout Ronald.” Ginny looked mad. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going back to bed.” She walked away in a huff.
“Great Ron!” shouted Harry. “Now she thinks we’re up to something! Nice way to act unsuspicious.”
“Sorry.”
“Yeah! You should be!
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Harry lay on his bed, looking up at the ceiling. How was he going to do this? If she were really under the imperius curse, he wouldn’t be able to talk to her about a lot of things any more. He couldn’t talk to her about the Horcruxes, or the Order, or their relationship, since there was a risk of her telling Voldemort about them. But if he didn’t talk to her, the Weasleys might suspect something was different. Life is not going to be easy, he thought. All he could do now was wait and see what would happen.
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Malfoy Manor!
Ginny spun around and around before tumbling out of a fireplace. She landed on the hard stone floor with a thud.
“Ah, Miss Weasley. We have been expecting you.” Lucius Malfoy’s drawling voice filled Ginny’s eardrums. “What do you have to tell us?”
“I have no news.”
“No news?”
“No news.” Her expression was blank. Mr. Malfoy didn’t like this.
“The dark lord will not be pleased with you young Miss Weasley. Now, maybe I should lift this curse, and then I will try again, shall I? Rennervate!”
Ginny woke from her trance.
“What am I doing here? Why the hell are you here? WHY DID YOU TAKE ME HERE YOU CREEP!? LET ME GO!!
“Imperio!” The spell missed. “Imperio!”
“LET ME GO! NOW!” Seconds later Lucius found himself being attacked by giant bats made of bogeys. “
“Stupefy!” The spell hit Ginny square in the chest, and she was thrown backwards into a wall. The world was fading slowly away, turning black…..
Sorry its short. Must remind you, I have writers block.
give me feedback here
please give me feedback! I'm begging you! I really want to live to see my 21st birthday!!! I beg you! PLEASE!!!!! 2 reviews and I will update in 3 days at the most.
Now, if you have read my little message above you should really listen to it and give me feedback once you finish this chapter. Wont you? Here is my next chapter. My writers block has ceased for now.
Chapter 4
The trio fell asleep in Harry’s room that night. They had spent hours trying to figure out the Ginny problem. Harry was first to wake, and sat in silence watching Hermione and Ron, Hermione’s head in Ron’s lap, both of them breathing softly. Harry felt alone as he watched them, wishing he had someone to lean against.
“Harry?” he watched Hermione open her eyes, and sit up. “Are you OK?”
Ron was startled awake by the sudden movement, and jumped up.
“Ginny! Where’s Ginny?” He looked afraid. “Is she back?”
“We don’t know yet,” yawned Hermione.
Ron ran out of the room, and went downstairs. Harry and Hermione looked at each other, before following Ron.
“Ginny?” Ron was shouting. “Ginny, are you here?”
“What is your problem Ronald? I was trying to sleep!” Ginny walked in.
“GINNY!” Ron shouted, and he pulled her into a hug.
“RON! LET GO OF ME! NOW!!”
“Ron, let go of her,” Harry said quietly. When Ron wouldn’t let go, Hermione pried him off of Ginny.
“Ron,” Hermione whispered. “Ginny could be under the imperius curse or something like that. We can’t open up to her until we’re sure she’s fine.”
“Ok…” They looked back at Ginny. She was watching them talk, obviously wondering what they were saying.
“Hello?” she called. “Still standing here. Still wondering why you guys are whispering.” She walked up to them. “What were you guys talking about?”
“NOTHING THAT WOULD INTEREST YOU WHY DO YOU ASK!?” shouted Ron.
“Yeah… great staying normal Ron,” said Hermione sarcastically.
“No need to shout Ronald.” Ginny looked mad. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going back to bed.” She walked away in a huff.
“Great Ron!” shouted Harry. “Now she thinks we’re up to something! Nice way to act unsuspicious.”
“Sorry.”
“Yeah! You should be!
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Harry lay on his bed, looking up at the ceiling. How was he going to do this? If she were really under the imperius curse, he wouldn’t be able to talk to her about a lot of things any more. He couldn’t talk to her about the Horcruxes, or the Order, or their relationship, since there was a risk of her telling Voldemort about them. But if he didn’t talk to her, the Weasleys might suspect something was different. Life is not going to be easy, he thought. All he could do now was wait and see what would happen.
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Malfoy Manor!
Ginny spun around and around before tumbling out of a fireplace. She landed on the hard stone floor with a thud.
“Ah, Miss Weasley. We have been expecting you.” Lucius Malfoy’s drawling voice filled Ginny’s eardrums. “What do you have to tell us?”
“I have no news.”
“No news?”
“No news.” Her expression was blank. Mr. Malfoy didn’t like this.
“The dark lord will not be pleased with you young Miss Weasley. Now, maybe I should lift this curse, and then I will try again, shall I? Rennervate!”
Ginny woke from her trance.
“What am I doing here? Why the hell are you here? WHY DID YOU TAKE ME HERE YOU CREEP!? LET ME GO!!
“Imperio!” The spell missed. “Imperio!”
“LET ME GO! NOW!” Seconds later Lucius found himself being attacked by giant bats made of bogeys. “
“Stupefy!” The spell hit Ginny square in the chest, and she was thrown backwards into a wall. The world was fading slowly away, turning black…..
Sorry its short. Must remind you, I have writers block.
give me feedback here
please give me feedback! I'm begging you! I really want to live to see my 21st birthday!!! I beg you! PLEASE!!!!! 2 reviews and I will update in 3 days at the most.
Ok people. Maybe if I update you will give me feedback. remember... two feedbacks and I will update in most likely less than a week. I know a lot of you don' have big enough hearts to give me feedback... PLEASE PLEASE GIVE ME FEEDBACK!!!! That's all.
Chapter 5
Ginny woke up on the cold, hard stone floor. Her head and back ached, and she couldn’t move her arms. Her right arm ached so badly. She would do anything to make it stop. Chop it off or inject it with some painkiller, anything!
“Girl! Get your lazy self off the floor! Don’t you know it’s rude to sleep in another’s home? Did you not hear me? Get up off the ground!”
Ginny was kicked in the back. Pain seared through her body. She wanted to die. Make it stop!
“Stop it!”
“I’ll stop when you get your lazy **** off the ground!”
She eased herself gingerly off of the ground. It hurt to stand. Her head throbbed horribly. She kept her eyes closed tightly, not wanting to see the horror of what stood in front of her. She held her arm carefully, not wanting to harm it anymore.
“Open your eyes! Or I’ll make you. You understand?”
She opened one eye. Just blurriness. The other. Now things were getting clear.
Alecto Carrow stood before her, a hungry look in her eye. She looked ready to kill.
“Come. Now.”
Ginny obeyed, and reluctantly followed.
“Now, you will try to get information out of Potter, and you will not come back until you have something worth it. You will repeat everything you hear. You lie, and you will be locked up, but since you are under the Imperius curse, of course you will obey.”
Ginny tried to hide her surprise. She was still under the Imperius curse? So, no one knew Malfoy had released her! But, why hadn’t he told? Something caught her eye. A robed figure who was covered in bogeys with wings lay in the dumpster outside the window she looked through. Malfoy! Why had they not realized who it was? Did they think it was an imposter?
“Now, leave. Go to Potter. Now.”
Ginny walked out of the manor, thrilled with the thought of the Death Eaters’ mistake.
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Mrs. Weasley had been screaming for several hours that Ginny had disappeared.
“WHERE HAS SHE GONE??? MY DAUGHTER HAS GONE MISSING! RON! I KNOW YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THIS!! I HEARD YOU YELLING AT HER THIS MORNING!! WHERE DID SHE GO???!!!!!”
“Mum! Calm down!” Bill was yelling. “The wedding is in two hours! Ginny will probably come back! We all know she wouldn’t miss this for anything.”
“BUT WHERE HAS SHE GONE???”
“Mum! She’ll be back!” He grabbed her arm. “Calm down.”
Mrs. Weasley took several deep gulps of air.
“You’re right. She’ll be back for the wedding. I worry too much.”
“You’re right about that too Mum!” Ginny had kicked open the door.
“GINNY!!!” Mrs. Weasley rushed over to her daughter and pulled her into a tight embrace.
“OW! Mum! That hurts!” Pain shot through her arm, and her head throbbed horribly.
“Sorry… Wait, Ginny! What happened to you?” Mrs. Weasley looked her up and down, staring at her cuts and bruises, her eyes settling on Ginny’s s crooked arm. “Who did this to you?? Tell me! I… I… I’ll hunt them down, and I’ll kill them!”
“No Mum!”
“Why not? Why can’t you tell me? I’m your mother!”
“I, I can’t tell you.”
“Why not?”
“I JUST CAN’T, OK?? Don’t you have the wedding to prepare for? That’s much more important than what happened to me.” She stared fiercely at her mum. “Go prepare. Now.”
“Ginny-“
“Now.”
“Fine! Hermione, you help Ginny get ready.” She looked towards Ginny. “You do know that I will find out, don’t you?” She rushed Bill away. Ginny headed upstairs.
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Ginny marched into her room, and laid herself carefully on the bed. Ow. This sucked. Hermione came in.
“Ginny? I know you’ll probably say no, but can you tell me how you got this banged up?”
Maybe she isn’t really under the imperius curse… thought Hermione. Why would she be hurt like this if she were just under the Imperius? I mean, why would she be hurt when she left if she was already under?
“Um… do you really want to know?”
Hermione sat down besides Ginny on her bed.
“I think we all want to know. You know, coming home looking like you just came home from playing football isn’t such a great idea.”
“What’s football?”
“Never mind. Muggle sport. A lot of people get hurt.”
“Oh…”
“So… How did you get like this?”
“Long story.”
“I have a bit of time.”
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there.. now please give me at least two feedbacks! I've only had a few people give it to me and I'm seriously thinking of taking a vow no updating until you guys review. Serious! I need one feedback after hp lover<3
give me feedback here
Chapter 5
Ginny woke up on the cold, hard stone floor. Her head and back ached, and she couldn’t move her arms. Her right arm ached so badly. She would do anything to make it stop. Chop it off or inject it with some painkiller, anything!
“Girl! Get your lazy self off the floor! Don’t you know it’s rude to sleep in another’s home? Did you not hear me? Get up off the ground!”
Ginny was kicked in the back. Pain seared through her body. She wanted to die. Make it stop!
“Stop it!”
“I’ll stop when you get your lazy **** off the ground!”
She eased herself gingerly off of the ground. It hurt to stand. Her head throbbed horribly. She kept her eyes closed tightly, not wanting to see the horror of what stood in front of her. She held her arm carefully, not wanting to harm it anymore.
“Open your eyes! Or I’ll make you. You understand?”
She opened one eye. Just blurriness. The other. Now things were getting clear.
Alecto Carrow stood before her, a hungry look in her eye. She looked ready to kill.
“Come. Now.”
Ginny obeyed, and reluctantly followed.
“Now, you will try to get information out of Potter, and you will not come back until you have something worth it. You will repeat everything you hear. You lie, and you will be locked up, but since you are under the Imperius curse, of course you will obey.”
Ginny tried to hide her surprise. She was still under the Imperius curse? So, no one knew Malfoy had released her! But, why hadn’t he told? Something caught her eye. A robed figure who was covered in bogeys with wings lay in the dumpster outside the window she looked through. Malfoy! Why had they not realized who it was? Did they think it was an imposter?
“Now, leave. Go to Potter. Now.”
Ginny walked out of the manor, thrilled with the thought of the Death Eaters’ mistake.
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Mrs. Weasley had been screaming for several hours that Ginny had disappeared.
“WHERE HAS SHE GONE??? MY DAUGHTER HAS GONE MISSING! RON! I KNOW YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THIS!! I HEARD YOU YELLING AT HER THIS MORNING!! WHERE DID SHE GO???!!!!!”
“Mum! Calm down!” Bill was yelling. “The wedding is in two hours! Ginny will probably come back! We all know she wouldn’t miss this for anything.”
“BUT WHERE HAS SHE GONE???”
“Mum! She’ll be back!” He grabbed her arm. “Calm down.”
Mrs. Weasley took several deep gulps of air.
“You’re right. She’ll be back for the wedding. I worry too much.”
“You’re right about that too Mum!” Ginny had kicked open the door.
“GINNY!!!” Mrs. Weasley rushed over to her daughter and pulled her into a tight embrace.
“OW! Mum! That hurts!” Pain shot through her arm, and her head throbbed horribly.
“Sorry… Wait, Ginny! What happened to you?” Mrs. Weasley looked her up and down, staring at her cuts and bruises, her eyes settling on Ginny’s s crooked arm. “Who did this to you?? Tell me! I… I… I’ll hunt them down, and I’ll kill them!”
“No Mum!”
“Why not? Why can’t you tell me? I’m your mother!”
“I, I can’t tell you.”
“Why not?”
“I JUST CAN’T, OK?? Don’t you have the wedding to prepare for? That’s much more important than what happened to me.” She stared fiercely at her mum. “Go prepare. Now.”
“Ginny-“
“Now.”
“Fine! Hermione, you help Ginny get ready.” She looked towards Ginny. “You do know that I will find out, don’t you?” She rushed Bill away. Ginny headed upstairs.
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Ginny marched into her room, and laid herself carefully on the bed. Ow. This sucked. Hermione came in.
“Ginny? I know you’ll probably say no, but can you tell me how you got this banged up?”
Maybe she isn’t really under the imperius curse… thought Hermione. Why would she be hurt like this if she were just under the Imperius? I mean, why would she be hurt when she left if she was already under?
“Um… do you really want to know?”
Hermione sat down besides Ginny on her bed.
“I think we all want to know. You know, coming home looking like you just came home from playing football isn’t such a great idea.”
“What’s football?”
“Never mind. Muggle sport. A lot of people get hurt.”
“Oh…”
“So… How did you get like this?”
“Long story.”
“I have a bit of time.”
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•••••••
there.. now please give me at least two feedbacks! I've only had a few people give it to me and I'm seriously thinking of taking a vow no updating until you guys review. Serious! I need one feedback after hp lover<3
give me feedback here
Here's my next chapter after 10 days of no updating. My teachers need to lighten my homework!
Chapter 6
Ginny explained the whole situation to Hermione, who gasped, winced, and nodded at all of the right times.
“So, the death eaters think you’re under the imperius curse?”
“Yep.”
“And they think you’re going to tell them information about Harry, Ron and I?”
“Yep.”
“But you’re not REALLY under the Imperius curse?”
“Nope.”
“Wow…” Hermione didn’t know what to do. Could she trust Ginny? Yes. “Well, before we solve this problem, we should really get dressed for the wedding. It’s in…” She looked at her watch. “Oh GOD! It’s in forty-five minutes! We have to hurry!”
In a rush of colors, the two girls dressed, fixed their hair, and moved as quickly as they could downstairs.
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“Do you, Fleur Isabel Delacour take William Arthur Weasley to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
Everyone was sitting on hard backed chairs in the Weasley’s backyard. The wedding service had started nearly an hour ago. Harry and Ron had decided to start a game of hangman, hidden by the shade of the house. Hermione and Ginny were sitting across the isle. They had done a good job of concealing Ginny’s cuts and bruises. The only thing still noticeable was the crooked angle of Ginny’s arm.
“I do.”
Harry looked over at Ginny and Hermione, both of them watching Bill and Fleur up front. Hermione had looked a bit flustered when she came downstairs with Ginny. Like she knew something.
“And do you, William Arthur Weasley take Fleur Isabel Delacour to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
He had wondered what was up. Maybe Ginny had told Hermione how she was hurt? Most likely.
“I do.”
He really wanted to know. Hermione would probably tell him later…
“You may kiss the bride.”
Bill and Fleur had a sweet short kiss, obviously not wanting to snog where everyone could see. Harry remembered when he would kiss Ginny. He really missed her. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to- no. It’s all for the best, he thought.
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Ginny looked over at from a table. He was thinking. She could tell. He always had that cute worry line with his eyebrows when he thought. What was he thinking about? About her? Hermione and Ron? The secret he was keeping from her? The questions pained her so much. Wait! The frown lines were disappearing! A smile was forcing its way onto Harry’s face. What a great smile… She missed it so much…
“Ginny!”
“Huh?”
Hermione had called out to her. Ginny had just lost focus on their discussion of whether House Elves deserved more rights.
“Ginny! Hello? Are you there? Has your brain moved on?”
“Oh. Sorry Hermione. I was just thinking.”
“About Harry?”
“Yeah.”
Hermione put a hand on Ginny’s shoulder.
“Listen. He left you for a good cause.”
“But WHAT’S the good cause?”
“Can’t say. Let’s change the subject. Are you trying out for the quiditch team aga-"
“Hermione, no.” Ginny was getting frustrated. “Until you tell me what is going on, I’m not saying another word to you.” She got up and left.
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After the wedding, the newlyweds disappeared somewhere upstairs, and Mr. Weasley escorted outside an uncontrollably sobbing Mrs. Weasley. Ginny had tried once more to get Hermione to tell about the secret. No luck at all. Frowning in defeat, she had trudged upstairs to her room.
“What’s the secret?” she mumbled to herself. “What secret can be so horrible that I can’t be told of it?” She opened her bedroom door, and threw herself on to her bed. She hadn’t realized until now how sleepy she was. It would be so nice to take a nap right now…. No. She shouldn’t sleep. Well… A few minutes… No. Can’t fall asleep… No… Her body relaxed as she dozed, not noticing the dark figure slowly opening her window…
CRASH!!!!
The window fell on the rug, and Lucius Malfoy tumbled out into the room. Ginny’s eyes snapped open. No. She quickly sat up. Lucius sat there, a smirk on his face.
“You couldn’t possibly believe the Dark Lord would not notice one of his faithful servants missing, would you? Mufliatio!” Ginny knew from the many times Harry had used this spell, no one would hear her scream.
“Incarcerous!” Tight ropes bound themselves around Ginny. No escape. “Now, shall we have a little fun? Crucio!”
Ginny writhed in pain, falling off of her bed. She screamed, knowing no one could hear her.
“Imperio!”
The lightheadedness came back, just like the other day. Dizzy. Sleepy. No…
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I know this chapter isn't that long, but it's all I've got for now.
Two reviews and a maximum of a week's time to update!
Chapter 6
Ginny explained the whole situation to Hermione, who gasped, winced, and nodded at all of the right times.
“So, the death eaters think you’re under the imperius curse?”
“Yep.”
“And they think you’re going to tell them information about Harry, Ron and I?”
“Yep.”
“But you’re not REALLY under the Imperius curse?”
“Nope.”
“Wow…” Hermione didn’t know what to do. Could she trust Ginny? Yes. “Well, before we solve this problem, we should really get dressed for the wedding. It’s in…” She looked at her watch. “Oh GOD! It’s in forty-five minutes! We have to hurry!”
In a rush of colors, the two girls dressed, fixed their hair, and moved as quickly as they could downstairs.
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“Do you, Fleur Isabel Delacour take William Arthur Weasley to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
Everyone was sitting on hard backed chairs in the Weasley’s backyard. The wedding service had started nearly an hour ago. Harry and Ron had decided to start a game of hangman, hidden by the shade of the house. Hermione and Ginny were sitting across the isle. They had done a good job of concealing Ginny’s cuts and bruises. The only thing still noticeable was the crooked angle of Ginny’s arm.
“I do.”
Harry looked over at Ginny and Hermione, both of them watching Bill and Fleur up front. Hermione had looked a bit flustered when she came downstairs with Ginny. Like she knew something.
“And do you, William Arthur Weasley take Fleur Isabel Delacour to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
He had wondered what was up. Maybe Ginny had told Hermione how she was hurt? Most likely.
“I do.”
He really wanted to know. Hermione would probably tell him later…
“You may kiss the bride.”
Bill and Fleur had a sweet short kiss, obviously not wanting to snog where everyone could see. Harry remembered when he would kiss Ginny. He really missed her. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to- no. It’s all for the best, he thought.
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Ginny looked over at from a table. He was thinking. She could tell. He always had that cute worry line with his eyebrows when he thought. What was he thinking about? About her? Hermione and Ron? The secret he was keeping from her? The questions pained her so much. Wait! The frown lines were disappearing! A smile was forcing its way onto Harry’s face. What a great smile… She missed it so much…
“Ginny!”
“Huh?”
Hermione had called out to her. Ginny had just lost focus on their discussion of whether House Elves deserved more rights.
“Ginny! Hello? Are you there? Has your brain moved on?”
“Oh. Sorry Hermione. I was just thinking.”
“About Harry?”
“Yeah.”
Hermione put a hand on Ginny’s shoulder.
“Listen. He left you for a good cause.”
“But WHAT’S the good cause?”
“Can’t say. Let’s change the subject. Are you trying out for the quiditch team aga-"
“Hermione, no.” Ginny was getting frustrated. “Until you tell me what is going on, I’m not saying another word to you.” She got up and left.
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After the wedding, the newlyweds disappeared somewhere upstairs, and Mr. Weasley escorted outside an uncontrollably sobbing Mrs. Weasley. Ginny had tried once more to get Hermione to tell about the secret. No luck at all. Frowning in defeat, she had trudged upstairs to her room.
“What’s the secret?” she mumbled to herself. “What secret can be so horrible that I can’t be told of it?” She opened her bedroom door, and threw herself on to her bed. She hadn’t realized until now how sleepy she was. It would be so nice to take a nap right now…. No. She shouldn’t sleep. Well… A few minutes… No. Can’t fall asleep… No… Her body relaxed as she dozed, not noticing the dark figure slowly opening her window…
CRASH!!!!
The window fell on the rug, and Lucius Malfoy tumbled out into the room. Ginny’s eyes snapped open. No. She quickly sat up. Lucius sat there, a smirk on his face.
“You couldn’t possibly believe the Dark Lord would not notice one of his faithful servants missing, would you? Mufliatio!” Ginny knew from the many times Harry had used this spell, no one would hear her scream.
“Incarcerous!” Tight ropes bound themselves around Ginny. No escape. “Now, shall we have a little fun? Crucio!”
Ginny writhed in pain, falling off of her bed. She screamed, knowing no one could hear her.
“Imperio!”
The lightheadedness came back, just like the other day. Dizzy. Sleepy. No…
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I know this chapter isn't that long, but it's all I've got for now.
Two reviews and a maximum of a week's time to update!
K... Here's one of my longest chapters. Maybe this will get you people to REVIEW MORE!!!
Chapter 7
Hermione stepped back from the crack in the doorway, mortified from what she had just witnessed. She should tell someone! Wait, no… Ginny will be back. I’ll just have to warn them. When it’s time. Not now…
The next few days were terrible at the Burrow. Search parties of Order members went out every night for three hours to look for Ginny. Mrs. Weasley spent most of the time sobbing on the front step, waiting for Ginny’s return, Mr. Weasley at her side. Fred, George, Charlie, and Fleur occasionally checked from the skies, looking for any suspicious activity to report back to the Order. Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in Ron’s room, repeating suspicions over and over again, Hermione trying to keep in her knowledge of the situation.
“Hermione?”
“Yeah?”
“D’you know where Ginny is?”
“No, Harry.”
“Hermione?”
“Yes?”
“Tell the truth.”
“You don’t believe me when I say no?”
“That’s right.”
“I… I don’t know where she is.”
“Please stop lying, Hermione,” Ron said, trying to stay calm.
“I… I told you. I don’t know where she is.”
“Fine… We will find out you know.”
“Find out what?”
“Why you’re lying.”
“I’m not lying!” Hermione stood up. “I… I just can’t say where she is! You got that?” She rushed out of the room.
“Yeah, she’s hiding something alright,” Ron sighed. “But why?”
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Ginny woke up, once again, in the Death Eaters’ headquarters. She stood up.
“Okay, this is just getting stupid! I mean, why kidnap me again? What’s the point? Wait… I’m talking with my own free will!” She looked around. An unconscious Malfoy was lying on the ground a few yards away. “Wha-“
“Quiet!”
Ginny spun around to see who spoke. Draco Malfoy! Great. Just great.
“Why should I be?”
“He’ll wake up if you’re not!”
This was strange. He was trying to help her? No… This could be a trap.
“I’ll talk as loud as I damn please Malfoy.”
“Not if you want to be imperiused again.”
He had a point.
“Fine. But, why exactly are you helping me?”
“I’ll explain later. Come. I’m getting you out of here.”
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Hermione ripped a book from her bag. Books had all the answers to questions. Like one of her favorites; the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. It gave the answer to life, the Universe and everything: 42. Such a wonderful answer. Maybe a book would give her the answer to how to stop Ginny’s disappearances. Maybe.
She ripped open 25 Ways to amuse your Friends. She remembered reading something about locating lost people.
“A fun way to amuse your friends is to make the one you hate disappear. Put the chosen person under a sheet, tap them thrice, and chant ‘Evanesio Disapero!’ The person will disappear before your very eyes! The person will show up again in twenty-four hours, a few miles north.”
No. Keep on going.
“If the vanished person does not show up, there is a quite complex spell that will reveal their whereabouts. The author of this book has decided to kindly share it with you.”
Yes!
“The spell can be found in the book, ’25 Ways to Fix Mistakes you Made from 25 Ways to amuse your Friends.”
No!
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“Malfoy, why are you helping me?”
“None of your business, Weasley!”
“Well, it’s probably my business if you’re rescuing me!” She was getting annoyed. Why wouldn’t he just tell her? Maybe he didn’t want to sound soft. Or maybe he was giving up his position as Death Eater and was going to convert to the good side! Yeah right…
“You really want to know?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, the truth is Weasley, I don’t want to serve the Dark Lord anymore.”
So her fantasy WAS true.
“But don’t be thinking that I’m soft and that you can butter me up to join Potter, your weasel brother and the mudblood. I’m not that nice.”
“You just don’t want to sound soft.”
“Shut up.”
She was quiet for the rest of their walk. Instead of talking, she thought. Where was he taking her? Home? Some underground refugee camp? Home? She closed her eyes, not knowing that Malfoy had stopped walking. She bumped right into him.
“Watch it Weasley!”
“Sure,” she spoke sarcastically. “I’ll be more careful not to bump into your pure blood self.”
“Shut up.”
Malfoy tapped a nearby log three times, muttering “Salazar Serpentio Open.”
Hmm… That doesn’t sound like a refugee camp password. And Salazar Slytherin was evil, right? That could only mean one thing. Oh no. No, no, no. How could she trust him like this? He wasn’t trying to help her! She was going to go face to face with Voldemort himself!
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“25 ways, 25 ways… Where’s that book?” Hermione was muttering to herself wildly. She had spent the last two hours scrounging the closest library to the Weasley’s house for the book that had the spell to recover Ginny. Where was it? It had to be somewhere in this darn library!
“25 Ways to Fix Mistakes you Made from 25 Ways to amuse your Friends!” She grabbed the book clumsily from its shelf causing it to fall upon the floor, face down. Shoot. She picked it up, and opened to the table of contents.
“Spells to fix transfiguration mistakes, spells to fix scars left from the spell, boils, bruises, brain damage, rare diseases, comas, where is this… Yes! Spells to recover lost people!”
She thumbed through the book to the very heart of it, and stared down at a two page long spell. That was complex for sure. Maybe a little too complex for the all-brainy Hermione Granger. She was going to need a little help on this.
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People... GIVE ME REVIEWS! MY HEAD'S GOING TO EXPLODE AND I WONT MAKE IT OUT OF MIDDLE SCHOOL! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE GIVE ME REVIEWS!!!!!! Pretty please? I need two more after hp lover<3 's last review.
Chapter 7
Hermione stepped back from the crack in the doorway, mortified from what she had just witnessed. She should tell someone! Wait, no… Ginny will be back. I’ll just have to warn them. When it’s time. Not now…
The next few days were terrible at the Burrow. Search parties of Order members went out every night for three hours to look for Ginny. Mrs. Weasley spent most of the time sobbing on the front step, waiting for Ginny’s return, Mr. Weasley at her side. Fred, George, Charlie, and Fleur occasionally checked from the skies, looking for any suspicious activity to report back to the Order. Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in Ron’s room, repeating suspicions over and over again, Hermione trying to keep in her knowledge of the situation.
“Hermione?”
“Yeah?”
“D’you know where Ginny is?”
“No, Harry.”
“Hermione?”
“Yes?”
“Tell the truth.”
“You don’t believe me when I say no?”
“That’s right.”
“I… I don’t know where she is.”
“Please stop lying, Hermione,” Ron said, trying to stay calm.
“I… I told you. I don’t know where she is.”
“Fine… We will find out you know.”
“Find out what?”
“Why you’re lying.”
“I’m not lying!” Hermione stood up. “I… I just can’t say where she is! You got that?” She rushed out of the room.
“Yeah, she’s hiding something alright,” Ron sighed. “But why?”
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•••••••
Ginny woke up, once again, in the Death Eaters’ headquarters. She stood up.
“Okay, this is just getting stupid! I mean, why kidnap me again? What’s the point? Wait… I’m talking with my own free will!” She looked around. An unconscious Malfoy was lying on the ground a few yards away. “Wha-“
“Quiet!”
Ginny spun around to see who spoke. Draco Malfoy! Great. Just great.
“Why should I be?”
“He’ll wake up if you’re not!”
This was strange. He was trying to help her? No… This could be a trap.
“I’ll talk as loud as I damn please Malfoy.”
“Not if you want to be imperiused again.”
He had a point.
“Fine. But, why exactly are you helping me?”
“I’ll explain later. Come. I’m getting you out of here.”
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•••••••
Hermione ripped a book from her bag. Books had all the answers to questions. Like one of her favorites; the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. It gave the answer to life, the Universe and everything: 42. Such a wonderful answer. Maybe a book would give her the answer to how to stop Ginny’s disappearances. Maybe.
She ripped open 25 Ways to amuse your Friends. She remembered reading something about locating lost people.
“A fun way to amuse your friends is to make the one you hate disappear. Put the chosen person under a sheet, tap them thrice, and chant ‘Evanesio Disapero!’ The person will disappear before your very eyes! The person will show up again in twenty-four hours, a few miles north.”
No. Keep on going.
“If the vanished person does not show up, there is a quite complex spell that will reveal their whereabouts. The author of this book has decided to kindly share it with you.”
Yes!
“The spell can be found in the book, ’25 Ways to Fix Mistakes you Made from 25 Ways to amuse your Friends.”
No!
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“Malfoy, why are you helping me?”
“None of your business, Weasley!”
“Well, it’s probably my business if you’re rescuing me!” She was getting annoyed. Why wouldn’t he just tell her? Maybe he didn’t want to sound soft. Or maybe he was giving up his position as Death Eater and was going to convert to the good side! Yeah right…
“You really want to know?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, the truth is Weasley, I don’t want to serve the Dark Lord anymore.”
So her fantasy WAS true.
“But don’t be thinking that I’m soft and that you can butter me up to join Potter, your weasel brother and the mudblood. I’m not that nice.”
“You just don’t want to sound soft.”
“Shut up.”
She was quiet for the rest of their walk. Instead of talking, she thought. Where was he taking her? Home? Some underground refugee camp? Home? She closed her eyes, not knowing that Malfoy had stopped walking. She bumped right into him.
“Watch it Weasley!”
“Sure,” she spoke sarcastically. “I’ll be more careful not to bump into your pure blood self.”
“Shut up.”
Malfoy tapped a nearby log three times, muttering “Salazar Serpentio Open.”
Hmm… That doesn’t sound like a refugee camp password. And Salazar Slytherin was evil, right? That could only mean one thing. Oh no. No, no, no. How could she trust him like this? He wasn’t trying to help her! She was going to go face to face with Voldemort himself!
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“25 ways, 25 ways… Where’s that book?” Hermione was muttering to herself wildly. She had spent the last two hours scrounging the closest library to the Weasley’s house for the book that had the spell to recover Ginny. Where was it? It had to be somewhere in this darn library!
“25 Ways to Fix Mistakes you Made from 25 Ways to amuse your Friends!” She grabbed the book clumsily from its shelf causing it to fall upon the floor, face down. Shoot. She picked it up, and opened to the table of contents.
“Spells to fix transfiguration mistakes, spells to fix scars left from the spell, boils, bruises, brain damage, rare diseases, comas, where is this… Yes! Spells to recover lost people!”
She thumbed through the book to the very heart of it, and stared down at a two page long spell. That was complex for sure. Maybe a little too complex for the all-brainy Hermione Granger. She was going to need a little help on this.
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People... GIVE ME REVIEWS! MY HEAD'S GOING TO EXPLODE AND I WONT MAKE IT OUT OF MIDDLE SCHOOL! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE GIVE ME REVIEWS!!!!!! Pretty please? I need two more after hp lover<3 's last review.
Back at Ginny's point of view. I hope you people like it.
Chapter 8
“No way. I can’t believe I trusted you!” Ginny was backing away from the trunk. Any second now she was going to turn around and run. Run as far away as she could. Maybe she would try and dissaparate, even though she didn’t know how. Anything. Anything that would get her away from here.
“Come back here Weasley!”
“Make me!” She was panicking. Malfoy was a Death Eater. He probably knew a lot of dark spells to make her stop. She was stuck. It was hopeless. Running wouldn’t do her much good anyways. But still, it was her best shot.
“Come back here. Right now! This isn’t Voldemort’s hideout!”
She froze.
“It’s not?”
“No. It’s a refuge camp for Death Eaters who have wanted to give up their evil ways.”
Oh. She stepped cautiously towards him.
“How do I know that I can trust you?”
“You just can.”
“I don’t trust you Malfoy.” She walked up to him. “Not at all.”
He slapped her.
“What was that for?”
“For being stupid!”
“I’m not stupid!”
“Oh yeah?”
He grabbed her arm, kicked over the trunk, revealing a wide hole, and threw her in.
“You look pretty stupid standing down there!”
The gap was closing. The pit was becoming a vacuum. Air! Need air! Air gone. Dizzy. Suffocating. Weak. Tired. Hopeless. Ginny collapsed on the ground.
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“Harry! Harry! Come here quick!” Hermione was running through the upstairs of the Burrow, desperately wanting help. Harry walked out of his room looking unhappy, just have woken up from a dream that had him relive another happy moment with Ginny.
“What do you want Hermione?”
“Do you want to know where Ginny is, Harry?”
“Yeah. Doesn’t everyone?”
“Are you good at reading spells, Harry?”
“I dunno. Why?”
“You might want to look at this.”
Harry looked at the book he just realized Hermione was holding.
“What’s that?”
“Our key to finding Ginny.”
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Harry looked over the spell again.
“That’s one long spell.”
“I know it is. Anyways…”
“Hermione?”
“Yeah?”
“Why didn’t the Order think of getting the spell out of this book?”
“Well, this is a really old book. Maybe they don’t know about it.”
She flipped to the front cover of the book, keeping a finger inside the pages to mark the spell.
“See the copyright? This book was written in 1900. It’s been some ninety years.”
“Oh. D’you think the spell’s going to work?”
“I don’t know, Harry.”
“Hermione?”
“Yeah?”
“How do you pronounce that part on the second page, korliglaegetscho?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then how are we going to say the spell if we don’t know how to pronounce it?”
“I… I don’t know.”
“You didn’t really think this out at all, did you?”
“Well… No.”
“That makes sense.”
They stayed silent for a while. Both thinking. Could they really do this spell?
“Are you ready, Harry?”
“No.”
“Well, get ready. We’ll say the spell tomorrow.”
She got up and left, leaving Harry standing there speechless.
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“Ready Harry?”
Harry and Hermione stood a mile away from the Burrow, having told everyone that they were going for a walk.
“Whatever.”
Hermione held the book between them with one hand, and clutched Harry’s left arm with the other.
“Start reading the spell.”
Harry took a deep breath. He spoke loud and clear, hopefully ensuring the spell’s effect.
“Korlieageo… Leigheo…. Disaperoijnis… egoleigh… Koleighti… korliglaegetscho.”
Nothing happened. The only sign of anything magical were the two young wizards gazing hopefully at thin air.
“Hermione?”
“Wait a moment.”
So they waited. Nothing happened for a few minutes.
“Hermione?” Harry faced Hermione. She looked tearful.
“I... I- I thought it would work.” Hermione’s voice was wobbly. “I thought something would happen by now.” Her voice cracked, and she burst into tears. She buried her head into Harry’s chest, sobbing. Feeling awkward, he put his arms around her, in what he hoped was a comforting way. He closed his eyes. Neither noticed the bright blue mist slowly surrounding them.
“Harry?”
“Yeah?”
“Is it me, or did the world suddenly turn blue?”
Harry opened his eyes. He quickly let go of Hermione. The mist was circling the two of them. It closed in, filling his eyes and lungs. He felt like he was being squeezed, and the two suddenly disappeared.
I know this chapter isn't that long. In fact, none of my chapters are THAT long. Kind of average length, don'tcha think? Any ways, two reviews after MY latest review. Remember, head explosion. Not good.
Chapter 8
“No way. I can’t believe I trusted you!” Ginny was backing away from the trunk. Any second now she was going to turn around and run. Run as far away as she could. Maybe she would try and dissaparate, even though she didn’t know how. Anything. Anything that would get her away from here.
“Come back here Weasley!”
“Make me!” She was panicking. Malfoy was a Death Eater. He probably knew a lot of dark spells to make her stop. She was stuck. It was hopeless. Running wouldn’t do her much good anyways. But still, it was her best shot.
“Come back here. Right now! This isn’t Voldemort’s hideout!”
She froze.
“It’s not?”
“No. It’s a refuge camp for Death Eaters who have wanted to give up their evil ways.”
Oh. She stepped cautiously towards him.
“How do I know that I can trust you?”
“You just can.”
“I don’t trust you Malfoy.” She walked up to him. “Not at all.”
He slapped her.
“What was that for?”
“For being stupid!”
“I’m not stupid!”
“Oh yeah?”
He grabbed her arm, kicked over the trunk, revealing a wide hole, and threw her in.
“You look pretty stupid standing down there!”
The gap was closing. The pit was becoming a vacuum. Air! Need air! Air gone. Dizzy. Suffocating. Weak. Tired. Hopeless. Ginny collapsed on the ground.
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•••••••
“Harry! Harry! Come here quick!” Hermione was running through the upstairs of the Burrow, desperately wanting help. Harry walked out of his room looking unhappy, just have woken up from a dream that had him relive another happy moment with Ginny.
“What do you want Hermione?”
“Do you want to know where Ginny is, Harry?”
“Yeah. Doesn’t everyone?”
“Are you good at reading spells, Harry?”
“I dunno. Why?”
“You might want to look at this.”
Harry looked at the book he just realized Hermione was holding.
“What’s that?”
“Our key to finding Ginny.”
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•••••••
Harry looked over the spell again.
“That’s one long spell.”
“I know it is. Anyways…”
“Hermione?”
“Yeah?”
“Why didn’t the Order think of getting the spell out of this book?”
“Well, this is a really old book. Maybe they don’t know about it.”
She flipped to the front cover of the book, keeping a finger inside the pages to mark the spell.
“See the copyright? This book was written in 1900. It’s been some ninety years.”
“Oh. D’you think the spell’s going to work?”
“I don’t know, Harry.”
“Hermione?”
“Yeah?”
“How do you pronounce that part on the second page, korliglaegetscho?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then how are we going to say the spell if we don’t know how to pronounce it?”
“I… I don’t know.”
“You didn’t really think this out at all, did you?”
“Well… No.”
“That makes sense.”
They stayed silent for a while. Both thinking. Could they really do this spell?
“Are you ready, Harry?”
“No.”
“Well, get ready. We’ll say the spell tomorrow.”
She got up and left, leaving Harry standing there speechless.
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“Ready Harry?”
Harry and Hermione stood a mile away from the Burrow, having told everyone that they were going for a walk.
“Whatever.”
Hermione held the book between them with one hand, and clutched Harry’s left arm with the other.
“Start reading the spell.”
Harry took a deep breath. He spoke loud and clear, hopefully ensuring the spell’s effect.
“Korlieageo… Leigheo…. Disaperoijnis… egoleigh… Koleighti… korliglaegetscho.”
Nothing happened. The only sign of anything magical were the two young wizards gazing hopefully at thin air.
“Hermione?”
“Wait a moment.”
So they waited. Nothing happened for a few minutes.
“Hermione?” Harry faced Hermione. She looked tearful.
“I... I- I thought it would work.” Hermione’s voice was wobbly. “I thought something would happen by now.” Her voice cracked, and she burst into tears. She buried her head into Harry’s chest, sobbing. Feeling awkward, he put his arms around her, in what he hoped was a comforting way. He closed his eyes. Neither noticed the bright blue mist slowly surrounding them.
“Harry?”
“Yeah?”
“Is it me, or did the world suddenly turn blue?”
Harry opened his eyes. He quickly let go of Hermione. The mist was circling the two of them. It closed in, filling his eyes and lungs. He felt like he was being squeezed, and the two suddenly disappeared.
I know this chapter isn't that long. In fact, none of my chapters are THAT long. Kind of average length, don'tcha think? Any ways, two reviews after MY latest review. Remember, head explosion. Not good.
Chapter 9
The two teens landed on the dirt with a thud. Hermione quickly stood up, but Harry lay on the ground, massaging his neck. He had landed on his head. Both stayed still, not knowing what to do.
“Hermione?”
“Yes, Harry?”
“That was strange.”
He got up and sat down at a nearby log. Something didn’t feel right, though…
“Harry, get off the log.”
“Why?”
“JUST GET UP!!!”
Feeling afraid, he jumped away.
“Diffindo!”
The log cracked in two. Hermione rushed forwards and moved the pieces away, revealing a large gap in the ground. She looked down.
“Harry!” She yelled. “Come over here!”
He ran over, and looked down the gap as well. There lay Ginny. Cold, pale, and dead looking.
“GINNY!”
He jumped down the hole. He didn’t know why he did it. Hermione could have gotten her out of there easily. He landed carefully, trying to avoid landing on top of her.
“Ginny…”
He touched her pale hand. Ice. Her eyes fluttered.
“Harry…”
She feebly lifted her arm and touched his face.
“I knew you’d find me.”
Her eyes closed.
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Draco Malfoy sat in the Death Eaters’ headquarters, in front of several of the dark lord’s followers, and Voldemort himself. Lucius Malfoy was not there. The hooded figure standing in front of everyone else spoke.
“You have done well young Malfoy. Lord Voldemort is pleased with your work.”
A heavily lidded woman sitting on the left of Voldemort cackled evilly.
“The dirty mudblood will be dead soon! No one has survived a week in my pit before! Good job Draco! Much better than your father could have done it.”
Malfoy looked smug. The Dark Lord and his followers were pleased with him. What higher honor could he get? A sallow faced man stepped forwards breathing heavily.
“You have been given a higher position young Malfoy. You may become a true Death Eater. Come on raids with us. Hunt mudbloods. You have been given a very honorable rank, considering your father’s mistakes.”
Malfoy frowned at this. Stop insulting my father. The hooded figure spoke.
“Do you want to know what other honors we have in store for you? Well, do you?”
Malfoy nodded yes.
“Are you sure?”
Another nod. The hooded figure walked up to him. He placed a pale hand on his shoulder.
“Before you may become one of us, you must pass several tests. The first one is to…
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“Miss Weasley? Miss Weasley? Can you hear me?”
Ginny opened her eyes, and looked around the room. White wallpaper, healers in the room, hospital beds. This was St. Mungo’s all right.
“Would you like to see your visitors Miss Weasley?”
Ginny sat up to look at the person speaking. A young healer who looked rather flustered was balancing back and forth from one foot to another. Probably just hired, Ginny thought. She sank back down on to her pillows.
“Do you wish to see your visitors, Miss Weasley?”
Ginny sighed.
“Why am I here?”
The healer looked nervous.
“I… I don’t know Miss Weasley. Why don’t you ask the boy who saved you?”
“The boy who saved me? That could only mean…”
“MISS WEASLEY DO YOU WANT TO SEE YOUR VISITORS OR NOT?”
“LET THEM IN!”
Ginny had just released all the energy she had left. Feeling tired, she tried to sink as low as she could into the bed. She closed her eyes as the healer went to open the door. Footsteps came closer and closer to her bed. She opened her eyes. Her mum, Hermione, Ron, Bill, Charlie, Dad, Fred, George and Harry all surrounded her.
“Oh Ginny!” Mrs. Weasley couldn’t stand it any longer and hugged her. “I thought something dreadful had happened, and your body would be returned to us lifeless!” She sobbed.
“Mum, let go of me!”
“Sorry.”
She let go. Harry was looking around nervously.
“Well,” he choked out, “I’ll just wait outside…” He started to turn away.
“No.” Ginny commanded. “I think I’ll have a little chat with you. Mum, Dad, everyone else? Can you go for a few moments?”
The crowd surrounding her left. All except Harry.
“So, how exactly did I get here? All I can remember is Malfoy pushing me down a hole.”
“Malfoy pushed you down a hole?”
“Yeah. Anyways, I collapsed, and now here I am. No clue how I got here, how I survived that hole, how you got there in time, and why no one has told me anything yet.”
Harry looked sympathetic. One of the many qualities Ginny loved about him. He explained the whole thing.
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After the few minute long explanation of how Ginny ended up in St. Mungo’s, Ginny didn’t know if she wanted to know anything more about the subject. She didn’t know if she wanted everyone to ask her how she got in that pit. The only thing she did know was that Harry was still standing in front of her.
“Well, I guess I have to thank you.”
“Only if you want to.”
He was sweet. He didn’t mind if she didn’t say Thank You. She motioned for him to come closer. She patted the chair besides the bed, wordlessly telling him to sit down. So he sat besides her, both silent.
“Lean forwards so I can give you my thanks.”
“Sorry?”
“Just lean forwards.”
So he did. He was a foot away from her face. Ginny leaned in closer, making the gap only a few inches.
“Thank you.”
She kissed him softly. When she broke away, she just looked up at him. He was smiling.
“Harry?”
“Yeah?”
“What are you planning that you won’t tell me?”
“Well, Ron, Hermione and I are going to- NO! No, no, no. I am NOT falling for that!” His smile disappeared. He wasn’t going to tell her. He stood up.
“Harry, I…”
“If every time you do something wonderful you ruin it by asking me that, I just can’t talk to you! I’ll go get everyone else.” He walked away.
“Come back!”
“I’m getting the others! Don’t talk to me! I’m not telling you!”
Harry disappeared in the crowd that was her family, and now some members of the Order, that was parading over to her bed.
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So what will happen next? Hm... Give me two reviews after steppy's last review and you'll find out within a week. Or when I think of the next chapter... Do not let my head explode!
The two teens landed on the dirt with a thud. Hermione quickly stood up, but Harry lay on the ground, massaging his neck. He had landed on his head. Both stayed still, not knowing what to do.
“Hermione?”
“Yes, Harry?”
“That was strange.”
He got up and sat down at a nearby log. Something didn’t feel right, though…
“Harry, get off the log.”
“Why?”
“JUST GET UP!!!”
Feeling afraid, he jumped away.
“Diffindo!”
The log cracked in two. Hermione rushed forwards and moved the pieces away, revealing a large gap in the ground. She looked down.
“Harry!” She yelled. “Come over here!”
He ran over, and looked down the gap as well. There lay Ginny. Cold, pale, and dead looking.
“GINNY!”
He jumped down the hole. He didn’t know why he did it. Hermione could have gotten her out of there easily. He landed carefully, trying to avoid landing on top of her.
“Ginny…”
He touched her pale hand. Ice. Her eyes fluttered.
“Harry…”
She feebly lifted her arm and touched his face.
“I knew you’d find me.”
Her eyes closed.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
•••••••
Draco Malfoy sat in the Death Eaters’ headquarters, in front of several of the dark lord’s followers, and Voldemort himself. Lucius Malfoy was not there. The hooded figure standing in front of everyone else spoke.
“You have done well young Malfoy. Lord Voldemort is pleased with your work.”
A heavily lidded woman sitting on the left of Voldemort cackled evilly.
“The dirty mudblood will be dead soon! No one has survived a week in my pit before! Good job Draco! Much better than your father could have done it.”
Malfoy looked smug. The Dark Lord and his followers were pleased with him. What higher honor could he get? A sallow faced man stepped forwards breathing heavily.
“You have been given a higher position young Malfoy. You may become a true Death Eater. Come on raids with us. Hunt mudbloods. You have been given a very honorable rank, considering your father’s mistakes.”
Malfoy frowned at this. Stop insulting my father. The hooded figure spoke.
“Do you want to know what other honors we have in store for you? Well, do you?”
Malfoy nodded yes.
“Are you sure?”
Another nod. The hooded figure walked up to him. He placed a pale hand on his shoulder.
“Before you may become one of us, you must pass several tests. The first one is to…
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
•••••••
“Miss Weasley? Miss Weasley? Can you hear me?”
Ginny opened her eyes, and looked around the room. White wallpaper, healers in the room, hospital beds. This was St. Mungo’s all right.
“Would you like to see your visitors Miss Weasley?”
Ginny sat up to look at the person speaking. A young healer who looked rather flustered was balancing back and forth from one foot to another. Probably just hired, Ginny thought. She sank back down on to her pillows.
“Do you wish to see your visitors, Miss Weasley?”
Ginny sighed.
“Why am I here?”
The healer looked nervous.
“I… I don’t know Miss Weasley. Why don’t you ask the boy who saved you?”
“The boy who saved me? That could only mean…”
“MISS WEASLEY DO YOU WANT TO SEE YOUR VISITORS OR NOT?”
“LET THEM IN!”
Ginny had just released all the energy she had left. Feeling tired, she tried to sink as low as she could into the bed. She closed her eyes as the healer went to open the door. Footsteps came closer and closer to her bed. She opened her eyes. Her mum, Hermione, Ron, Bill, Charlie, Dad, Fred, George and Harry all surrounded her.
“Oh Ginny!” Mrs. Weasley couldn’t stand it any longer and hugged her. “I thought something dreadful had happened, and your body would be returned to us lifeless!” She sobbed.
“Mum, let go of me!”
“Sorry.”
She let go. Harry was looking around nervously.
“Well,” he choked out, “I’ll just wait outside…” He started to turn away.
“No.” Ginny commanded. “I think I’ll have a little chat with you. Mum, Dad, everyone else? Can you go for a few moments?”
The crowd surrounding her left. All except Harry.
“So, how exactly did I get here? All I can remember is Malfoy pushing me down a hole.”
“Malfoy pushed you down a hole?”
“Yeah. Anyways, I collapsed, and now here I am. No clue how I got here, how I survived that hole, how you got there in time, and why no one has told me anything yet.”
Harry looked sympathetic. One of the many qualities Ginny loved about him. He explained the whole thing.
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•••••••
After the few minute long explanation of how Ginny ended up in St. Mungo’s, Ginny didn’t know if she wanted to know anything more about the subject. She didn’t know if she wanted everyone to ask her how she got in that pit. The only thing she did know was that Harry was still standing in front of her.
“Well, I guess I have to thank you.”
“Only if you want to.”
He was sweet. He didn’t mind if she didn’t say Thank You. She motioned for him to come closer. She patted the chair besides the bed, wordlessly telling him to sit down. So he sat besides her, both silent.
“Lean forwards so I can give you my thanks.”
“Sorry?”
“Just lean forwards.”
So he did. He was a foot away from her face. Ginny leaned in closer, making the gap only a few inches.
“Thank you.”
She kissed him softly. When she broke away, she just looked up at him. He was smiling.
“Harry?”
“Yeah?”
“What are you planning that you won’t tell me?”
“Well, Ron, Hermione and I are going to- NO! No, no, no. I am NOT falling for that!” His smile disappeared. He wasn’t going to tell her. He stood up.
“Harry, I…”
“If every time you do something wonderful you ruin it by asking me that, I just can’t talk to you! I’ll go get everyone else.” He walked away.
“Come back!”
“I’m getting the others! Don’t talk to me! I’m not telling you!”
Harry disappeared in the crowd that was her family, and now some members of the Order, that was parading over to her bed.
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•••••••
So what will happen next? Hm... Give me two reviews after steppy's last review and you'll find out within a week. Or when I think of the next chapter... Do not let my head explode!
Chapter 10
Ginny was released from St. Mungo’s after three weeks. The healers had said that the vacuum of a pit she was standing in had weakened her lungs, digestion system, brain function, and memory. This information had caused Mrs. Weasley to burst into tears, and sob how she was so happy Ginny was alive. The healers didn’t want to make Mrs. Weasley mentally ill with all this news, so they had released her quickly. She should have been happy about this, but she wasn’t. Harry was refusing to talk to her. Just like she had refused to talk to him a month ago. She gave him some bad ideas.
“Hermione?”
“Yeah?”
Ginny and Hermione sat on her bed, each holding an issue of the Quibbler, laughing at the unintentional humor.
“You, Ron and Harry aren’t going back to Hogwarts, right?”
“Right. Your point is?”
“Why not?”
Hermione looked tired.
“Well, maybe I should tell you.”
Wonderful. She was going to know the secret!”
“But you can’t tell Harry that I told you. If he finds out I did, he’s going to kill me.”
“I’ll say I overheard you guys talking about it.”
“Good. Okay… Harry, Ron and I are going to search for pieces of Voldemort’s soul, and try to destroy them.”
Ginny laughed. This was a joke, right? Pieces of Voldemort’s soul? Sure…
“You’re joking.”
“No.”
“Stop lying, Hermione. It isn’t funny.”
“I’m not kidding!”
Oh… So it wasn’t a joke. But, why were they trying to destroy pieces of Voldemort’s soul? Aren’t all souls one piece?
“Why are you looking for Voldemort’s souls?”
Hermione’s explanation of the subject was long and complex. Very long and complex. With holes in it. Trying to comprehend it all was like trying to fit a way-too-small sweater over your head. Painful, and useless.
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“Your fist test will be to retrieve the blood traitor Weasley’s body. If she is not yet dead, kill her.”
Malfoy stood before the Death Eaters and Voldemort, smirking. The Weasley was dead. He wouldn’t have to kill her, seeing as she would be dead. This was going to be so easy.
“Consider it done, my lord.”
“Do not fail me, Draco.”
“I won’t”
Bellatrix Lestrange stepped forward, and took Malfoy’s arm.
“I’ll take you there.”
They walked away from the group, and Bellatrix stopped him.
“Do not fail the Dark Lord’s task, Draco. If you do, you will be killed, but if the Lord is feeling merciful he will just torture you a few times. Do not fail the task. You understand?”
“Do not fail the task. I’ve got it.”
“Good.”
She turned on the spot, arriving in a field, looked at Draco, and turned again, disappearing from sight.
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Ginny ran through the Burrow, ignoring Mrs. Weasley’s yells of “The healers told you not to run! Slow down!” Sprinting to Harry’s room, she wrenched open the door.
“WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GO AND TRY TO DESTROY PIECES OF VOLDEMORT’S SOUL! THAT’S JUST CRAZY!!!”
Harry had been lying on his bed up to this point, staring at the ceiling. He looked mildly surprised. He sighed.
“Hermione told you, didn’t she?”
“YES!!! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING???”
“I was thinking, that you wouldn’t find out, for exactly this reason.”
Ginny was breathing heavily. Yelling with weak lungs was not a good idea. Not at all. She needed to sit down.
“Can I…”
“Yes. Sit down.”
She threw herself down on a chair. Both stayed silent for a while. Ginny was surprised at how calm Harry was. She had expected him to be mad. Why wasn’t he blowing up in her face? Why wasn’t he yelling for her to mind her own business? Think, think, think… Why wasn’t he mad?
“I bet you’re wondering why I’m not mad.” He faced Ginny. “Aren’t you?”
She nodded.
“Well, I figured that if I yelled, everyone would hear us, invading our privacy. It wouldn’t be so good if your mother heard our discussion about Voldemort. You already shouted, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she came running up now. But, you do have weak lungs right now, so the sound might not have reached her in the yard. Understand?”
Ginny couldn’t help smiling. In a weird sort of way, this was a bit amusing.
“I also assumed that it would do us no good if I got really mad at you, and that even if YOU yelled, you would get over it, and we would be able to discuss this calm state.”
Ok, now this was funny. Harry wanting to discuss things in a calm state? Was he on potion or something?
“Harry?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you on a potion or something?”
He laughed.
“No. I’m not drinking any potion.”
“Then why are you so calm?”
“I thought things through, and I realized that whenever I get mad, something bad ends up happening to people I care about.”
This was true. Very true. He had been mad right before Sirius died. He had been mad right before she had run off and put under the Imperius curse by Malfoy. Bad things did happen when he was mad. Was that a strange jinx he was stuck with?
“Harry, you have a jinx on yourself. Bad things DO happen to people when you’re mad.”
They laughed. They laughed, trying to forget the problems that would be bestowed upon Harry. They laughed, but both knew it was no use. They would not forget.
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Draco walked over to the pit. Something wasn’t right. The log lay in two pieces, each on separate sides of the hole. This was bad. Very bad. He looked down the hole, disbelieving his eyes. It was empty. Weasley was gone. There was no body to return to the Dark Lord. He looked around. No body. Aunt Bellatrix had warned him what would happen if he failed. In a panic, he searched in the land around the place. No Weasley. He screamed.
With a loud pop, Bellatrix appeared next to him.
“Where’s the body? Do you have the girl?”
“She’s gone.”
Bellatrix stared coldly at him, but underneath the anger there was a hint of fear.
“What do you mean, she’s gone?”
“She wasn’t in the hole?” She looked at Draco. “Did you check the land around it?”
“She wasn’t there.” He looked scared. “What’s going to happen to me? Am I going to be killed?”
She didn’t say anything. She thought. Was the Dark Lord feeling merciful today? She would have to bring the boy to him.
“Come.”
She grabbed Draco’s arm, and disappeared.
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Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting in Ron’s room. Harry looked unnaturally calm. He was staring at Hermione strangely. Ron looked at Harry, confused looking. He obviously was going to be the last person to figure out what Hermione had told Ginny.
“Hermione?” He had a fake smile on. Why did she do this? He thought. What made her tell Ginny about the Horcruxes?
“Uh… Yes Harry?”
“I was just wondering… WHY YOU TOLD GINNY ABOUT THE HORCRUXES!!!” His fake smile had disappeared. He was mad. Very mad.
“I TOLD BOTH YOU AND RON TO KEEP THIS A SECRET!!! I TELL YOU TO SHUT UP ABOUT IT, AND YOU GO TELL THE PERSON I LEAST WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IT!!! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?”
Ron looked at Hermione. She told Ginny? Wow…
“Well.” Hermione said coldly. “There’s no need to yell at me. I don’t recall you yelling at Ginny during your little chat.”
“How did you know about that? How did you hear us?”
Hermione said two words; “Extendable ears.”
Ron stared at her, mouth hanging open.
“Wow Hermione! I never thought you would sink so low and listen in on Harry’s private conversations! I’m in shock!” He had a curious look on his face. “Why did you do it?”
“Well, I thought someone should keep in check what Harry says.”
“That gives you no rights to listen in on me!” Harry stood up. “What did you think I would say, ‘I plan on risking my life to kill one of the most advanced in dark magic wizards of all time’? How stupid do you think I am?”
Hermione was offended. She just wanted to make sure Harry didn’t do anything rash! She stood up as well.
“Well, if you don’t appreciate my trying to help, I guess I won’t stand for all your insults anymore!” She stormed out. Ron shrugged.
“She’s sort of right, Mate.” He got up, and left too, leaving Harry standing in the center of the room.
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Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Not up to my usual standards. I've been so loaded with homework, and I have a test to study for friday. I hope you can survive without my magnificant story until saturday. Well, unless you don't give me three updates by Saturday. THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE YOU TERESA!!! Well, don't let my head explode Saturday.
Ginny was released from St. Mungo’s after three weeks. The healers had said that the vacuum of a pit she was standing in had weakened her lungs, digestion system, brain function, and memory. This information had caused Mrs. Weasley to burst into tears, and sob how she was so happy Ginny was alive. The healers didn’t want to make Mrs. Weasley mentally ill with all this news, so they had released her quickly. She should have been happy about this, but she wasn’t. Harry was refusing to talk to her. Just like she had refused to talk to him a month ago. She gave him some bad ideas.
“Hermione?”
“Yeah?”
Ginny and Hermione sat on her bed, each holding an issue of the Quibbler, laughing at the unintentional humor.
“You, Ron and Harry aren’t going back to Hogwarts, right?”
“Right. Your point is?”
“Why not?”
Hermione looked tired.
“Well, maybe I should tell you.”
Wonderful. She was going to know the secret!”
“But you can’t tell Harry that I told you. If he finds out I did, he’s going to kill me.”
“I’ll say I overheard you guys talking about it.”
“Good. Okay… Harry, Ron and I are going to search for pieces of Voldemort’s soul, and try to destroy them.”
Ginny laughed. This was a joke, right? Pieces of Voldemort’s soul? Sure…
“You’re joking.”
“No.”
“Stop lying, Hermione. It isn’t funny.”
“I’m not kidding!”
Oh… So it wasn’t a joke. But, why were they trying to destroy pieces of Voldemort’s soul? Aren’t all souls one piece?
“Why are you looking for Voldemort’s souls?”
Hermione’s explanation of the subject was long and complex. Very long and complex. With holes in it. Trying to comprehend it all was like trying to fit a way-too-small sweater over your head. Painful, and useless.
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“Your fist test will be to retrieve the blood traitor Weasley’s body. If she is not yet dead, kill her.”
Malfoy stood before the Death Eaters and Voldemort, smirking. The Weasley was dead. He wouldn’t have to kill her, seeing as she would be dead. This was going to be so easy.
“Consider it done, my lord.”
“Do not fail me, Draco.”
“I won’t”
Bellatrix Lestrange stepped forward, and took Malfoy’s arm.
“I’ll take you there.”
They walked away from the group, and Bellatrix stopped him.
“Do not fail the Dark Lord’s task, Draco. If you do, you will be killed, but if the Lord is feeling merciful he will just torture you a few times. Do not fail the task. You understand?”
“Do not fail the task. I’ve got it.”
“Good.”
She turned on the spot, arriving in a field, looked at Draco, and turned again, disappearing from sight.
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Ginny ran through the Burrow, ignoring Mrs. Weasley’s yells of “The healers told you not to run! Slow down!” Sprinting to Harry’s room, she wrenched open the door.
“WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GO AND TRY TO DESTROY PIECES OF VOLDEMORT’S SOUL! THAT’S JUST CRAZY!!!”
Harry had been lying on his bed up to this point, staring at the ceiling. He looked mildly surprised. He sighed.
“Hermione told you, didn’t she?”
“YES!!! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING???”
“I was thinking, that you wouldn’t find out, for exactly this reason.”
Ginny was breathing heavily. Yelling with weak lungs was not a good idea. Not at all. She needed to sit down.
“Can I…”
“Yes. Sit down.”
She threw herself down on a chair. Both stayed silent for a while. Ginny was surprised at how calm Harry was. She had expected him to be mad. Why wasn’t he blowing up in her face? Why wasn’t he yelling for her to mind her own business? Think, think, think… Why wasn’t he mad?
“I bet you’re wondering why I’m not mad.” He faced Ginny. “Aren’t you?”
She nodded.
“Well, I figured that if I yelled, everyone would hear us, invading our privacy. It wouldn’t be so good if your mother heard our discussion about Voldemort. You already shouted, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she came running up now. But, you do have weak lungs right now, so the sound might not have reached her in the yard. Understand?”
Ginny couldn’t help smiling. In a weird sort of way, this was a bit amusing.
“I also assumed that it would do us no good if I got really mad at you, and that even if YOU yelled, you would get over it, and we would be able to discuss this calm state.”
Ok, now this was funny. Harry wanting to discuss things in a calm state? Was he on potion or something?
“Harry?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you on a potion or something?”
He laughed.
“No. I’m not drinking any potion.”
“Then why are you so calm?”
“I thought things through, and I realized that whenever I get mad, something bad ends up happening to people I care about.”
This was true. Very true. He had been mad right before Sirius died. He had been mad right before she had run off and put under the Imperius curse by Malfoy. Bad things did happen when he was mad. Was that a strange jinx he was stuck with?
“Harry, you have a jinx on yourself. Bad things DO happen to people when you’re mad.”
They laughed. They laughed, trying to forget the problems that would be bestowed upon Harry. They laughed, but both knew it was no use. They would not forget.
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Draco walked over to the pit. Something wasn’t right. The log lay in two pieces, each on separate sides of the hole. This was bad. Very bad. He looked down the hole, disbelieving his eyes. It was empty. Weasley was gone. There was no body to return to the Dark Lord. He looked around. No body. Aunt Bellatrix had warned him what would happen if he failed. In a panic, he searched in the land around the place. No Weasley. He screamed.
With a loud pop, Bellatrix appeared next to him.
“Where’s the body? Do you have the girl?”
“She’s gone.”
Bellatrix stared coldly at him, but underneath the anger there was a hint of fear.
“What do you mean, she’s gone?”
“She wasn’t in the hole?” She looked at Draco. “Did you check the land around it?”
“She wasn’t there.” He looked scared. “What’s going to happen to me? Am I going to be killed?”
She didn’t say anything. She thought. Was the Dark Lord feeling merciful today? She would have to bring the boy to him.
“Come.”
She grabbed Draco’s arm, and disappeared.
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Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting in Ron’s room. Harry looked unnaturally calm. He was staring at Hermione strangely. Ron looked at Harry, confused looking. He obviously was going to be the last person to figure out what Hermione had told Ginny.
“Hermione?” He had a fake smile on. Why did she do this? He thought. What made her tell Ginny about the Horcruxes?
“Uh… Yes Harry?”
“I was just wondering… WHY YOU TOLD GINNY ABOUT THE HORCRUXES!!!” His fake smile had disappeared. He was mad. Very mad.
“I TOLD BOTH YOU AND RON TO KEEP THIS A SECRET!!! I TELL YOU TO SHUT UP ABOUT IT, AND YOU GO TELL THE PERSON I LEAST WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IT!!! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?”
Ron looked at Hermione. She told Ginny? Wow…
“Well.” Hermione said coldly. “There’s no need to yell at me. I don’t recall you yelling at Ginny during your little chat.”
“How did you know about that? How did you hear us?”
Hermione said two words; “Extendable ears.”
Ron stared at her, mouth hanging open.
“Wow Hermione! I never thought you would sink so low and listen in on Harry’s private conversations! I’m in shock!” He had a curious look on his face. “Why did you do it?”
“Well, I thought someone should keep in check what Harry says.”
“That gives you no rights to listen in on me!” Harry stood up. “What did you think I would say, ‘I plan on risking my life to kill one of the most advanced in dark magic wizards of all time’? How stupid do you think I am?”
Hermione was offended. She just wanted to make sure Harry didn’t do anything rash! She stood up as well.
“Well, if you don’t appreciate my trying to help, I guess I won’t stand for all your insults anymore!” She stormed out. Ron shrugged.
“She’s sort of right, Mate.” He got up, and left too, leaving Harry standing in the center of the room.
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Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Not up to my usual standards. I've been so loaded with homework, and I have a test to study for friday. I hope you can survive without my magnificant story until saturday. Well, unless you don't give me three updates by Saturday. THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE YOU TERESA!!! Well, don't let my head explode Saturday.
Um... I did something really weird with the computer, so I had to repost this.
Chapter 11
Hermione walked out the front of the Burrow. She needed to be alone. Where, though? Where could she find a place where she could have peace and quiet? A place where Harry wouldn’t yell at her, Ron wouldn’t ask her ‘why?’ and Ginny wouldn’t pressure her into telling her confidential information. Nowhere that far away, after what happened to Ginny. Maybe a hill. Yes, that sounded nice. A soft hill about a mile away, sitting alone with no wizard or muggle in sight. That would be perfect. Hoping to find that perfect spot, Hermione walked on, making sure she didn’t wander too far away from the Burrow.
After a half hour’s worth of walking, she came to a field. No hill in sight, but there was a field. Good enough. Hermione walked to the center, and lay down on the soft grass. She closed her eyes, prepared to sleep. This was nice…
“Hermione?”
Ugh… There went the quiet.
“Why did you follow me here, Ron?”
“I just wanted to make sure you didn’t disappear like Ginny.”
Oh. That was nice of him. But, would he go now?
“That was very nice of you Ron, and I appreciate it, but would you leave me alone?”
“Um… Okay.”
Her eyes still closed, she listened to his footsteps fade away, but she knew that he was still in the field. He wasn’t leaving. She sat up, and opened her eyes.
“Ron, why are you still here?”
She knew it was harsh of her to say that, but she really didn’t want anyone disturbing her.
“Um… I’ll just go.”
“You do that.”
Ron walked away. Hermione felt a bit sorry for him. She knew that if it was her, she would have felt hurt by what she just said.
“Ron?”
He turned around, clearly hoping he didn’t have to leave.
“You don’t have to go. You can sit next to me if you want, just... Don’t say anything. I came here for peace and quiet.”
Smiling slightly, he jogged over, and plopped down next to her. He opened his mouth to say something.
“I told you to stay quiet!”
His mouth snapped shut.
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Draco stood before the Dark Lord, trembling.
“You failed to complete the task, young Malfoy. Death Eaters who fail my tasks do not last long.”
“The body wasn’t there, my Lord. There was nothing I could-“
“SILENCE!”
Draco fell to his knees. He kissed the ends of Voldemort’s robes, begging for mercy.
“I will do better next time, my Lord. Next time. There was nothing I could do about Weasley. She wasn’t there!”
“Do you know what happens to Death Eaters when they fail me, Draco?”
Draco nodded his head. This was it. Voldemort was going to kill him.
“Lucky for you, Draco, the Dark Lord is feeling merciful.”
HE WAS? YES! HE WASN’T GOING TO DIE!!!
“Lucky you… CRUCIO!!!” Voldemort’s wand pointed at Draco. Malfoy collapsed on his back in pain, twisting and writhing. The pain shot through him. It swirled around inside of him, striking him over and over again. It squeezed him, letting less oxygen into his lungs. He wanted to die, wanted it to stop. Death wouldn’t be so bad! Pain was all he knew, pain was all he would ever have. Only pain. Make it stop!
“AAAAARGH!!!!!!” He screamed. It was horrible. But, a moment later, it stopped. Breathing heavily, he lay on the floor. It was over. For now.
“Have you received my message, Draco? CRUCIO!”
The pain returned, this time worse. It shot through his body like a bullet. He curled up in a ball. The pain was endless. He screamed once more.
“CRUCIO!!!” This time, Draco did not feel it. He was numb. He had twisted over on to his stomach, the cold stone floor pressing on his cheek. His eyes half closed, the world in front of him blurry. He could not see the walls of the room or the Death Eaters surrounding him. He could not feel the stone floor he rested on, or the curse set upon him several more times. He could not hear his mother’s cries from the back of the room, or Voldemort’s laughter directed at his pain. He was nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing.
The curses stopped.
“Bella! Check to see if young Mr. Malfoy is alright.”
Draco felt a cold hand between his shoulder blades. Bellatrix could feel the blood pumping through his body.
“He’s alive!”
Draco closed his eyes, wanting to sleep. He wanted to sleep, but two hands hooking underneath his arms, lifting him up prevented him from doing so.
“I think the message has sunk in, don’t you? You are dismissed.”
Draco staggered out, and walked a few yards before collapsing on the floor, unconscious.
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“Why did you want to know so badly? Didn’t you understand that it was secret?”
Harry sat on his bed, while Ginny sat on the floor.
“Did you really expect me to sit back, and completely ignore the fact that you weren’t talking to me because you didn’t want to spill some secret?”
Harry never thought about that.
“Not really.”
“Didn’t think so.”
“What did you expect me to do? Tell you I was going to risk my life to try and destroy pieces of Voldemort’s soul and finally go kill him?”
“Not really.”
“Didn’t think so.”
Ginny and Harry sat, both thinking about what they had just said. Ginny suddenly remembered something she had been meaning to ask Harry since earlier that day.
“Harry?”
“Yeah?”
“Why did Hermione storm out a couple of hours ago? And Ron followed her.”
“Oh. That. That is not for you to know right now. Maybe you can ask Hermione about it later.”
“But I want to know now!”
“Later.”
“Why won’t you tell me anything? I mean, I can go to you and tell you anything, but you stay shut about every tiny little thing! Why can’t you trust me? It’s not like I’m in danger or anything. I’m in as much danger as I would be as your girlfriend, since, may I remind you, MY FAMILY IS IN THE ORDER!”
Ginny decided that if she was going to do all the talking, she might as well leave.
“Well, I’m going to bed if you aren’t going to talk to me about anything.”
She stormed out.
Great, thought Harry. This is exactly what I need. Another time where Ginny refuses to talk to me because I just can’t tell her what I’m up to.
He walked to the door, and yelled out, “SORRY!”
Listening from her room, Ginny smiled at his apology, reminding herself to butter him up for more information later.
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It was nightfall, and Hermione and Ron were still in the field. After several minutes of Ron asking her if she forgave Harry, and her yelling at him to be quiet, they had fallen asleep.
Hermione woke up first, and found that her head was lying across Ron’s chest. Blushing, she stood up as quickly as she could. She nudged Ron’s leg with her foot.
“Ron. Ron! Get up!”
Ron twisted on to his stomach.
“Mmrh… It’s not 8:00 yet…”
“WAKE UP RONALD!”
Ron jerked awake, and jumped up.
“It’s nighttime!”
“You haven’t noticed? Come on, Ron. People are probably wondering where we are.”
“Okay…”
They waked to the gate of the field, and pried open the entrance. They walked, until Hermione remembered something.
“Ron?”
“Hmm?”
“We can apparate now.”
“Yeah… But, let’s just keep on walking.”
So they walked. For half an hour they just walked. No conversation, no glances at each other. They walked, and that’s all they did until they reached the Burrow.
That's all for now. I'll update in the morning, at least, my morning. More afternoon for some of you.
Chapter 11
Hermione walked out the front of the Burrow. She needed to be alone. Where, though? Where could she find a place where she could have peace and quiet? A place where Harry wouldn’t yell at her, Ron wouldn’t ask her ‘why?’ and Ginny wouldn’t pressure her into telling her confidential information. Nowhere that far away, after what happened to Ginny. Maybe a hill. Yes, that sounded nice. A soft hill about a mile away, sitting alone with no wizard or muggle in sight. That would be perfect. Hoping to find that perfect spot, Hermione walked on, making sure she didn’t wander too far away from the Burrow.
After a half hour’s worth of walking, she came to a field. No hill in sight, but there was a field. Good enough. Hermione walked to the center, and lay down on the soft grass. She closed her eyes, prepared to sleep. This was nice…
“Hermione?”
Ugh… There went the quiet.
“Why did you follow me here, Ron?”
“I just wanted to make sure you didn’t disappear like Ginny.”
Oh. That was nice of him. But, would he go now?
“That was very nice of you Ron, and I appreciate it, but would you leave me alone?”
“Um… Okay.”
Her eyes still closed, she listened to his footsteps fade away, but she knew that he was still in the field. He wasn’t leaving. She sat up, and opened her eyes.
“Ron, why are you still here?”
She knew it was harsh of her to say that, but she really didn’t want anyone disturbing her.
“Um… I’ll just go.”
“You do that.”
Ron walked away. Hermione felt a bit sorry for him. She knew that if it was her, she would have felt hurt by what she just said.
“Ron?”
He turned around, clearly hoping he didn’t have to leave.
“You don’t have to go. You can sit next to me if you want, just... Don’t say anything. I came here for peace and quiet.”
Smiling slightly, he jogged over, and plopped down next to her. He opened his mouth to say something.
“I told you to stay quiet!”
His mouth snapped shut.
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Draco stood before the Dark Lord, trembling.
“You failed to complete the task, young Malfoy. Death Eaters who fail my tasks do not last long.”
“The body wasn’t there, my Lord. There was nothing I could-“
“SILENCE!”
Draco fell to his knees. He kissed the ends of Voldemort’s robes, begging for mercy.
“I will do better next time, my Lord. Next time. There was nothing I could do about Weasley. She wasn’t there!”
“Do you know what happens to Death Eaters when they fail me, Draco?”
Draco nodded his head. This was it. Voldemort was going to kill him.
“Lucky for you, Draco, the Dark Lord is feeling merciful.”
HE WAS? YES! HE WASN’T GOING TO DIE!!!
“Lucky you… CRUCIO!!!” Voldemort’s wand pointed at Draco. Malfoy collapsed on his back in pain, twisting and writhing. The pain shot through him. It swirled around inside of him, striking him over and over again. It squeezed him, letting less oxygen into his lungs. He wanted to die, wanted it to stop. Death wouldn’t be so bad! Pain was all he knew, pain was all he would ever have. Only pain. Make it stop!
“AAAAARGH!!!!!!” He screamed. It was horrible. But, a moment later, it stopped. Breathing heavily, he lay on the floor. It was over. For now.
“Have you received my message, Draco? CRUCIO!”
The pain returned, this time worse. It shot through his body like a bullet. He curled up in a ball. The pain was endless. He screamed once more.
“CRUCIO!!!” This time, Draco did not feel it. He was numb. He had twisted over on to his stomach, the cold stone floor pressing on his cheek. His eyes half closed, the world in front of him blurry. He could not see the walls of the room or the Death Eaters surrounding him. He could not feel the stone floor he rested on, or the curse set upon him several more times. He could not hear his mother’s cries from the back of the room, or Voldemort’s laughter directed at his pain. He was nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing.
The curses stopped.
“Bella! Check to see if young Mr. Malfoy is alright.”
Draco felt a cold hand between his shoulder blades. Bellatrix could feel the blood pumping through his body.
“He’s alive!”
Draco closed his eyes, wanting to sleep. He wanted to sleep, but two hands hooking underneath his arms, lifting him up prevented him from doing so.
“I think the message has sunk in, don’t you? You are dismissed.”
Draco staggered out, and walked a few yards before collapsing on the floor, unconscious.
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•••••••
“Why did you want to know so badly? Didn’t you understand that it was secret?”
Harry sat on his bed, while Ginny sat on the floor.
“Did you really expect me to sit back, and completely ignore the fact that you weren’t talking to me because you didn’t want to spill some secret?”
Harry never thought about that.
“Not really.”
“Didn’t think so.”
“What did you expect me to do? Tell you I was going to risk my life to try and destroy pieces of Voldemort’s soul and finally go kill him?”
“Not really.”
“Didn’t think so.”
Ginny and Harry sat, both thinking about what they had just said. Ginny suddenly remembered something she had been meaning to ask Harry since earlier that day.
“Harry?”
“Yeah?”
“Why did Hermione storm out a couple of hours ago? And Ron followed her.”
“Oh. That. That is not for you to know right now. Maybe you can ask Hermione about it later.”
“But I want to know now!”
“Later.”
“Why won’t you tell me anything? I mean, I can go to you and tell you anything, but you stay shut about every tiny little thing! Why can’t you trust me? It’s not like I’m in danger or anything. I’m in as much danger as I would be as your girlfriend, since, may I remind you, MY FAMILY IS IN THE ORDER!”
Ginny decided that if she was going to do all the talking, she might as well leave.
“Well, I’m going to bed if you aren’t going to talk to me about anything.”
She stormed out.
Great, thought Harry. This is exactly what I need. Another time where Ginny refuses to talk to me because I just can’t tell her what I’m up to.
He walked to the door, and yelled out, “SORRY!”
Listening from her room, Ginny smiled at his apology, reminding herself to butter him up for more information later.
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•••••••
It was nightfall, and Hermione and Ron were still in the field. After several minutes of Ron asking her if she forgave Harry, and her yelling at him to be quiet, they had fallen asleep.
Hermione woke up first, and found that her head was lying across Ron’s chest. Blushing, she stood up as quickly as she could. She nudged Ron’s leg with her foot.
“Ron. Ron! Get up!”
Ron twisted on to his stomach.
“Mmrh… It’s not 8:00 yet…”
“WAKE UP RONALD!”
Ron jerked awake, and jumped up.
“It’s nighttime!”
“You haven’t noticed? Come on, Ron. People are probably wondering where we are.”
“Okay…”
They waked to the gate of the field, and pried open the entrance. They walked, until Hermione remembered something.
“Ron?”
“Hmm?”
“We can apparate now.”
“Yeah… But, let’s just keep on walking.”
So they walked. For half an hour they just walked. No conversation, no glances at each other. They walked, and that’s all they did until they reached the Burrow.
That's all for now. I'll update in the morning, at least, my morning. More afternoon for some of you.
Um... I couldn't update sooner because I woke up at 10:00 and my Dad made me take a shower, and then I had art class at 12:00 and I didn't get back home until an hour ago, but my sister hogged the computer the rest of the time. So, here I am updating. The end is useless though...
Chapter 12
Ginny had woken up a few minutes after Ron and Hermione came back. She stayed in bed while she listened to Ron’s footsteps come up the stairs. Only Ron’s. Hermione was still down there. After a couple of minutes of waiting for Ron’s rumbling snores to come, she quietly tiptoed downstairs, where she found Hermione sitting at the table. Reading a book.
“Hermione?”
Hermione’s head snapped up from her book, and focused on Ginny.
“Why are you down here so late, Ginny?”
“I could ask you the same thing.”
Smiling slightly, Hermione patted the seat besides her. Ginny came over and sat down.
“What are you reading?” she asked as she looked over Hermione’s shoulder.
“25 ways to amuse your friends.”
Ginny laughed.
“What’s so funny?”
Trying to wipe the smile of her face, Ginny choked out through he laughter,
“That’s not really your kind of book, is it?”
Hermione smiled a bit.
“What do you mean? Who says I can’t have a bit of a sense of humor?”
“Harry and Ron.”
They both laughed, but made sure they were quiet enough not to wake up the other members sleeping in the household.
“Ginny?”
“Yeah?”
“There’s something bothering you.”
Ginny tried to act surprised.
“There is not!”
Hermione sunk into her chair. She sighed.
“Ginny, I’ve known you for five years. Something’s up.”
Ginny sat there, wondering if it was best to tell Hermione. Harry might find out she had talked to her and yell at one of them some more.
“Well…”
“Is it about Harry?”
“Um… Yes.”
Hermione looked at her book, still listening.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’ll tell you if you don’t stare at your book the whole time.”
Hermione closed the book, keeping a finger inside to mark the page.
“So?”
Ginny stood up, and paced back and forth while telling her thoughts. She stared at the floor.
“Well, I’ve been wanting information about what Harry, you, and Ron are doing instead of going to Hogwarts. I keep on interrogating you guys for information, acting real immature, and just not a very good person. I’ve invaded your personal information, and didn’t really care what would happen to your plans if I did. Also, when you and Harry first got here, Harry was acting immature about things, but now I am.”
“I assume that’s an apology?”
“Pretty much.”
Hermione smiled.
“It’s accepted.”
Feeling better, Ginny crept back upstairs to her room. Before entering her room, she called softly to Hermione, who was coming up the stairs as well,
“Thanks.”
Hermione shrugged.
“You’re welcome.” Both entered their rooms, and fell asleep.
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•••••••
“Draco! Draco! Get up!”
“Mmrh…”
“GET UP!”
Malfoy jolted awake, and looked around. He was lying in a bed he did not recognize. It was certainly not a bed he would have chosen to sleep in. He looked for the person who had rudely awoken him. He stared coldly at the person besides him.
“Why did you have to go and wake me up? I was having a perfectly good dream, and you went and interrupted it!” Realizing how childish that sounded, Draco looked in the opposite direction. His aunt Bellatrix, who had been standing besides him, looked annoyed.
“The Dark Lord wishes to see you. He thinks your next task should be given to you. After all, it’s been three days!”
“Three days?” How could he have been asleep for three days? “Um… Why have I been asleep for that long?”
“The Cruciatus curse was more powerful than expected. It drained your energy, and you have been having energy replenishing potions every few hours. It’s been very annoying having to attend to you every few hours, you know. Now, get up. The Dark Lord is requesting to see you.”
Not sure what to expect, Malfoy cautiously tailed Bellatrix, stepping carefully as if expecting to step into a trap. He walked down the stone stairs, and entered the familiar chamber. His eyes focused on the spot he had been tortured. One of his shoes was lying there, forgotten from the last time he had been there.
“Good luck,” Bellatrix whispered in his ear before joining the Death Eaters at the other end of the chamber.
“Malfoy,” a drawling voice said. “I see you are awake.”
Malfoy turned to the hooded figure in front of all of the Death Eaters. It was unmistakably the Dark Lord. He showed no signs of regret from the other day. But, of course he didn’t. He enjoyed pain.
“I have your next task planned, Malfoy.”
Alecto Carrow cackled evilly from the back of the room. A few other Death Eaters snickered. This task obviously was not going to be enjoyable.
“I have decided that since you failed to complete your last task, you need another one that is twice as hard.”
Oh, that was just fantastic.
“This time, you will need to find the Weasley girl, and bring her to me.”
That would be easy.
“But…”
Oh no. There was a ‘but’?
“She needs to be dead.”
No…
“Seeing as you failed to kill her last time, I feel that it is only necessary for you to make up for it this time. You will have one week’s time. If you fail me, you will not get off quite as easily as you did last time.”
He had gotten off easily last time?
“You are dismissed. Bella, take him outside.”
Bellatrix walked forwards, grabbed Malfoy by the arm, and dragged him up the stairs, and out of the headquarters. She disapparated with a loud POP! After the sensation of being squeezed had passed, Malfoy found himself in the familiar field. Feeling sick, he looked towards Bellatrix for some advice.
“Do not fail the Dark Lord this time.”
“I don’t plan on it.”
“You do know what the consequences will be if you don’t kill the girl, do you?”
“I’ll die, won’t I?”
“Not necessarily. If the Dark Lord is feeling merciful, he will torture you a few times, and lock you up in a dungeon for one or two weeks. If you beg enough, he will do that to you.”
“What if he doesn’t feel merciful at all?”
Bellatrix shook her head sadly.
“Use your imagination.”
She walked a couple of yards away, and disappeared once again, leaving Draco alone in that familiar field.
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The morning Draco received his task Ron had woken up very early. This was very unusual of him. Usually he needed both Hermione and Harry to shake him awake, but today was different. He didn’t know why, but it just felt like it. He walked down the stairs, and entered the kitchen. It was strange not having his mother there making breakfast. Maybe he should go and wake her up so she could make him some breakfast. He was hungry. But, no. That would be rude.
Haha. Him not wanting to be rude. Hermione would have found that hilarious.
Ron took out his wand, and pointed it at a frying pan. The pan hovered in the air until he moved it onto the stove. He put his wand into his back pocket, and searched for something to fry. Bread? No… Corned beef? Definitely not… Maybe some eggs? That could work…
Not knowing how to crack an egg, Ron smashed it on the counter, and poured shell and all into the pan. Feeling proud of himself, he turned on the fire, and watched as the egg began to pop. Bubbles formed, one bursting and landing in his eye. He tried not to scream, but he did anyways.
“AAAAAAHHH!!! MY EYE!!! MY BLOODY EYE!!!”
Someone ran down the stairs, reacting to his yells.
“What happened, Ron?”
Clutching his eye, Ron used his good eye to look at Hermione, who was standing there looking annoyed.
“I tried making breakfast.”
Hermione made a small smile.
“That’s all? How did you hurt your eye, then?”
“The egg exploded in my face.”
This time Hermione couldn’t conceal a grin.
“What were you doing up this early making breakfast?”
“I dunno.” He looked at the pan. “Want an egg?”
Still smiling, Hermione gave a bright, “Okay.”
Letting go of his eye, which was bloodshot from the piece of egg stuck in it, he got his wand out from his pocket, and summoned a spatula and plate. Not being that accomplished at summoning cooking materials, the spatula smacked him in the head. Hermione had laughed out loud at that. Feeling embarrassed, Ron had lifted the charm, and almost broke the plate still hovering next to him. Thankfully, Hermione’s quick reflexes caused her to save the plate.
Ron used the spatula to lift the egg off the pan, and set it on the plate. He then set the plate in front of Hermione who was now sitting at the table.
“Here you go. Enjoy.”
Noticing the pieces of shell sticking out from the egg, Hermione used a fork to cut out the shell-free pieces. She stuck some in her mouth. It was horrible.
Not wanting to be rude, she pretended to enjoy it. She swallowed painfully.
“Mm…” she sad. “That was… Er… Delicious!”
“You hated it.”
“No I didn’t!”
“Yes you did. Don’t worry, though. I’m not offended.”
“Well, maybe you do need a bit more practice… Thanks for trying.”
“You’re welcome.”
Hermione smiled.
“What are you smiling at?”
“Nothing. Come here, I want to thank you.”
Ron stepped forwards.
“Ok. Thank me.”
Hermione stood up from her seat, and stood up on tiptoe. She kissed Ron on the cheek. She sat back down. Ron grinned.
“What kind of thank you was that?”
“You didn’t like it?” Hermione asked mockingly.
“I liked it very much.”
“Well, that’s good.”
She stood up again, and this time, kissed him on the mouth. Surprised, Ron kissed her back, and it got deeper, Hermione wrapping her arms around his neck. Neither noticed the two figures walking into the kitchen.
“Get a room, will you?” Harry and Ginny were staring at Ron and Hermione, laughing. The two let go of each other, both blushing.
“H-Harry… We-we were just… Er…” Ron was stuttering.
“Snogging?” Ginny asked them, still laughing.
“Um… Pretty much?”
“About time.” Harry walked to the table, and sat down where Hermione had been sitting minutes before. “Hmm… One of you made an egg? Can I have it?” Without waiting for an answer, he took a piece of egg that Hermione had dubbed non-edible, and shoved it in his mouth. He gagged.
“Oo ‘ade ‘is?” He said, his mouth still full of shelled egg. He searched for a garbage can, found one, and spit into it. “Who the hell made that horrible egg? It’s like they didn’t take the shell out!” Ron turned even redder.
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•••••••
After a good fifteen minutes laughing at Ron’s egg, Mrs. Weasley came downstairs. Harry, Hermione, and Ginny applauded.
“Our beloved chef has arrived!” They shouted at the same time, and then started bursting out laughing. Mrs. Weasley didn’t know whether to laugh or not.
“Well, it sure is nice to be appreciated! Who wants an egg?”
Harry and Hermione looked horrified at the thought. Ron and Ginny laughed at them.
“No egg then? How about some porridge?”
“That’ll work!”
Mrs. Weasley then searched for a pot. The only thing to cook on that she could find was the frying pan covered in bits of shelled egg.
“Who tried to cook?”
“RON!” Ginny choked out.
“Ron? You tried to cook? How did it turn out?”
“Um… Differently then I expected it to.” He glanced over at Hermione. She smiled at him.
“Well, that was unusual of you to try. Why don’t you help me make breakfast?”
Hermione, Ginny and Harry all cried out at the same time, “NO!”
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Um... I know that last part was a bit unneccesary, but I felt I needed to get off topic for a while. I got tired of my writing. I hope you people aren't too mad at me. Please review!
Chapter 12
Ginny had woken up a few minutes after Ron and Hermione came back. She stayed in bed while she listened to Ron’s footsteps come up the stairs. Only Ron’s. Hermione was still down there. After a couple of minutes of waiting for Ron’s rumbling snores to come, she quietly tiptoed downstairs, where she found Hermione sitting at the table. Reading a book.
“Hermione?”
Hermione’s head snapped up from her book, and focused on Ginny.
“Why are you down here so late, Ginny?”
“I could ask you the same thing.”
Smiling slightly, Hermione patted the seat besides her. Ginny came over and sat down.
“What are you reading?” she asked as she looked over Hermione’s shoulder.
“25 ways to amuse your friends.”
Ginny laughed.
“What’s so funny?”
Trying to wipe the smile of her face, Ginny choked out through he laughter,
“That’s not really your kind of book, is it?”
Hermione smiled a bit.
“What do you mean? Who says I can’t have a bit of a sense of humor?”
“Harry and Ron.”
They both laughed, but made sure they were quiet enough not to wake up the other members sleeping in the household.
“Ginny?”
“Yeah?”
“There’s something bothering you.”
Ginny tried to act surprised.
“There is not!”
Hermione sunk into her chair. She sighed.
“Ginny, I’ve known you for five years. Something’s up.”
Ginny sat there, wondering if it was best to tell Hermione. Harry might find out she had talked to her and yell at one of them some more.
“Well…”
“Is it about Harry?”
“Um… Yes.”
Hermione looked at her book, still listening.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’ll tell you if you don’t stare at your book the whole time.”
Hermione closed the book, keeping a finger inside to mark the page.
“So?”
Ginny stood up, and paced back and forth while telling her thoughts. She stared at the floor.
“Well, I’ve been wanting information about what Harry, you, and Ron are doing instead of going to Hogwarts. I keep on interrogating you guys for information, acting real immature, and just not a very good person. I’ve invaded your personal information, and didn’t really care what would happen to your plans if I did. Also, when you and Harry first got here, Harry was acting immature about things, but now I am.”
“I assume that’s an apology?”
“Pretty much.”
Hermione smiled.
“It’s accepted.”
Feeling better, Ginny crept back upstairs to her room. Before entering her room, she called softly to Hermione, who was coming up the stairs as well,
“Thanks.”
Hermione shrugged.
“You’re welcome.” Both entered their rooms, and fell asleep.
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•••••••
“Draco! Draco! Get up!”
“Mmrh…”
“GET UP!”
Malfoy jolted awake, and looked around. He was lying in a bed he did not recognize. It was certainly not a bed he would have chosen to sleep in. He looked for the person who had rudely awoken him. He stared coldly at the person besides him.
“Why did you have to go and wake me up? I was having a perfectly good dream, and you went and interrupted it!” Realizing how childish that sounded, Draco looked in the opposite direction. His aunt Bellatrix, who had been standing besides him, looked annoyed.
“The Dark Lord wishes to see you. He thinks your next task should be given to you. After all, it’s been three days!”
“Three days?” How could he have been asleep for three days? “Um… Why have I been asleep for that long?”
“The Cruciatus curse was more powerful than expected. It drained your energy, and you have been having energy replenishing potions every few hours. It’s been very annoying having to attend to you every few hours, you know. Now, get up. The Dark Lord is requesting to see you.”
Not sure what to expect, Malfoy cautiously tailed Bellatrix, stepping carefully as if expecting to step into a trap. He walked down the stone stairs, and entered the familiar chamber. His eyes focused on the spot he had been tortured. One of his shoes was lying there, forgotten from the last time he had been there.
“Good luck,” Bellatrix whispered in his ear before joining the Death Eaters at the other end of the chamber.
“Malfoy,” a drawling voice said. “I see you are awake.”
Malfoy turned to the hooded figure in front of all of the Death Eaters. It was unmistakably the Dark Lord. He showed no signs of regret from the other day. But, of course he didn’t. He enjoyed pain.
“I have your next task planned, Malfoy.”
Alecto Carrow cackled evilly from the back of the room. A few other Death Eaters snickered. This task obviously was not going to be enjoyable.
“I have decided that since you failed to complete your last task, you need another one that is twice as hard.”
Oh, that was just fantastic.
“This time, you will need to find the Weasley girl, and bring her to me.”
That would be easy.
“But…”
Oh no. There was a ‘but’?
“She needs to be dead.”
No…
“Seeing as you failed to kill her last time, I feel that it is only necessary for you to make up for it this time. You will have one week’s time. If you fail me, you will not get off quite as easily as you did last time.”
He had gotten off easily last time?
“You are dismissed. Bella, take him outside.”
Bellatrix walked forwards, grabbed Malfoy by the arm, and dragged him up the stairs, and out of the headquarters. She disapparated with a loud POP! After the sensation of being squeezed had passed, Malfoy found himself in the familiar field. Feeling sick, he looked towards Bellatrix for some advice.
“Do not fail the Dark Lord this time.”
“I don’t plan on it.”
“You do know what the consequences will be if you don’t kill the girl, do you?”
“I’ll die, won’t I?”
“Not necessarily. If the Dark Lord is feeling merciful, he will torture you a few times, and lock you up in a dungeon for one or two weeks. If you beg enough, he will do that to you.”
“What if he doesn’t feel merciful at all?”
Bellatrix shook her head sadly.
“Use your imagination.”
She walked a couple of yards away, and disappeared once again, leaving Draco alone in that familiar field.
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•••••••
The morning Draco received his task Ron had woken up very early. This was very unusual of him. Usually he needed both Hermione and Harry to shake him awake, but today was different. He didn’t know why, but it just felt like it. He walked down the stairs, and entered the kitchen. It was strange not having his mother there making breakfast. Maybe he should go and wake her up so she could make him some breakfast. He was hungry. But, no. That would be rude.
Haha. Him not wanting to be rude. Hermione would have found that hilarious.
Ron took out his wand, and pointed it at a frying pan. The pan hovered in the air until he moved it onto the stove. He put his wand into his back pocket, and searched for something to fry. Bread? No… Corned beef? Definitely not… Maybe some eggs? That could work…
Not knowing how to crack an egg, Ron smashed it on the counter, and poured shell and all into the pan. Feeling proud of himself, he turned on the fire, and watched as the egg began to pop. Bubbles formed, one bursting and landing in his eye. He tried not to scream, but he did anyways.
“AAAAAAHHH!!! MY EYE!!! MY BLOODY EYE!!!”
Someone ran down the stairs, reacting to his yells.
“What happened, Ron?”
Clutching his eye, Ron used his good eye to look at Hermione, who was standing there looking annoyed.
“I tried making breakfast.”
Hermione made a small smile.
“That’s all? How did you hurt your eye, then?”
“The egg exploded in my face.”
This time Hermione couldn’t conceal a grin.
“What were you doing up this early making breakfast?”
“I dunno.” He looked at the pan. “Want an egg?”
Still smiling, Hermione gave a bright, “Okay.”
Letting go of his eye, which was bloodshot from the piece of egg stuck in it, he got his wand out from his pocket, and summoned a spatula and plate. Not being that accomplished at summoning cooking materials, the spatula smacked him in the head. Hermione had laughed out loud at that. Feeling embarrassed, Ron had lifted the charm, and almost broke the plate still hovering next to him. Thankfully, Hermione’s quick reflexes caused her to save the plate.
Ron used the spatula to lift the egg off the pan, and set it on the plate. He then set the plate in front of Hermione who was now sitting at the table.
“Here you go. Enjoy.”
Noticing the pieces of shell sticking out from the egg, Hermione used a fork to cut out the shell-free pieces. She stuck some in her mouth. It was horrible.
Not wanting to be rude, she pretended to enjoy it. She swallowed painfully.
“Mm…” she sad. “That was… Er… Delicious!”
“You hated it.”
“No I didn’t!”
“Yes you did. Don’t worry, though. I’m not offended.”
“Well, maybe you do need a bit more practice… Thanks for trying.”
“You’re welcome.”
Hermione smiled.
“What are you smiling at?”
“Nothing. Come here, I want to thank you.”
Ron stepped forwards.
“Ok. Thank me.”
Hermione stood up from her seat, and stood up on tiptoe. She kissed Ron on the cheek. She sat back down. Ron grinned.
“What kind of thank you was that?”
“You didn’t like it?” Hermione asked mockingly.
“I liked it very much.”
“Well, that’s good.”
She stood up again, and this time, kissed him on the mouth. Surprised, Ron kissed her back, and it got deeper, Hermione wrapping her arms around his neck. Neither noticed the two figures walking into the kitchen.
“Get a room, will you?” Harry and Ginny were staring at Ron and Hermione, laughing. The two let go of each other, both blushing.
“H-Harry… We-we were just… Er…” Ron was stuttering.
“Snogging?” Ginny asked them, still laughing.
“Um… Pretty much?”
“About time.” Harry walked to the table, and sat down where Hermione had been sitting minutes before. “Hmm… One of you made an egg? Can I have it?” Without waiting for an answer, he took a piece of egg that Hermione had dubbed non-edible, and shoved it in his mouth. He gagged.
“Oo ‘ade ‘is?” He said, his mouth still full of shelled egg. He searched for a garbage can, found one, and spit into it. “Who the hell made that horrible egg? It’s like they didn’t take the shell out!” Ron turned even redder.
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•••••••
After a good fifteen minutes laughing at Ron’s egg, Mrs. Weasley came downstairs. Harry, Hermione, and Ginny applauded.
“Our beloved chef has arrived!” They shouted at the same time, and then started bursting out laughing. Mrs. Weasley didn’t know whether to laugh or not.
“Well, it sure is nice to be appreciated! Who wants an egg?”
Harry and Hermione looked horrified at the thought. Ron and Ginny laughed at them.
“No egg then? How about some porridge?”
“That’ll work!”
Mrs. Weasley then searched for a pot. The only thing to cook on that she could find was the frying pan covered in bits of shelled egg.
“Who tried to cook?”
“RON!” Ginny choked out.
“Ron? You tried to cook? How did it turn out?”
“Um… Differently then I expected it to.” He glanced over at Hermione. She smiled at him.
“Well, that was unusual of you to try. Why don’t you help me make breakfast?”
Hermione, Ginny and Harry all cried out at the same time, “NO!”
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Um... I know that last part was a bit unneccesary, but I felt I needed to get off topic for a while. I got tired of my writing. I hope you people aren't too mad at me. Please review!
Chapter 13
After breakfast, where Hermione and Harry had explained why they were all laughing, everyone went back to their rooms. All but one person…
“Um… Harry?”
“What do you want, Ginny?”
Ginny walked through the door, and stood in the center of the room, looking at Harry lying on the bed.
“Well, I’ve come to ask you-“
“I’m not telling you what I’m doing.”
“That’s not what I was going to ask!”
“Oh.”
Harry was surprised that she didn’t want any information. He had prepared some things to say that morning for that very conflict.
“I WANTED to ask you if you wanted to come for a walk with me, but if you don’t want to-“ Before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted.
“I’ll come. I’m assuming that means you’re going to talk to me about things other than my doings during the school year?” Harry raised an eyebrow.
“Pretty much.”
“Okay, then.” He gave her a small smile.
Ginny smiled back.
“Meet me at the front of the house at one.”
Without another word, she walked out of the room.
Will she really leave me alone? Harry thought. That was a question he would only get answered at one…
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“You ready?”
Harry had met Ginny at the front of the Burrow. She wasn’t going to tell him where she was going to take him. It was a surprise.
“I guess.”
They started walking. For the first few minutes, both were quiet. Harry was first to talk.
“You know, when you came into my room I figured you were going to press me for more information.”
“I don’t blame you. I’ve been kind of obsessed with knowing what you were doing, and I’m sorry.”
Harry looked at Ginny.
“You are?”
“Yeah. I have a heart! I can be sorry.”
“How did you learn to keep on going for more?”
“You learn things like that when you have six brothers. When I was little, whenever I had a secret someone told me, Fred would come to me, and ask me what it was. I wouldn’t tell him at first, but he kept on asking me, and eventually I told him. It was pretty easy to pick up.”
The small conversation ended. Neither person knew what to talk about, so they just stayed silent for the next fifteen minutes. Harry’s feet were getting tired.
“Are we almost there?” he asked like a small child.
“Almost. Be patient.” They waited a minute longer. “There,” Ginny said, pointing to a field up ahead. “That’s where I was taking you.”
“A field?”
“Not just ANY field. It’s where I relax. I figured you could learn to relax too, maybe let down your guard a bit?”
“If I DO let down my guard, you aren’t going to try getting information again, are you?”
“I wouldn’t be that mean.”
They reached the gate of the field, and Ginny pulled it open. She grabbed Harry’s arm, and dragged him to the center.
“Lie down.”
“What?”
“Lie down. We’re going to look at the clouds.”
Harry got on his back, and Ginny followed suit.
“Now, focus all your energy on the sky.”
Harry looked over at Ginny.
“You sound like a yoga teacher.”
“Yoga?”
“Never mind.”
“Hmm… As I was saying, focus all of your energy on the sky. Breathe deeply. Now, look at the clouds, and look for a picture of something. Something that makes you think.”
Thinking this was ridiculous, Harry pretended.
“You’re not doing it!” Ginny hit him on the shoulder. “Do it!”
Harry looked at a cloud. What did it look like? Did it make him think? This was utterly and completely ridiculous. Wait… It was changing. It looked kind of like a dog. SIRIUS! That cloud made him think. He nudged Ginny’s arm.
“That one,” he pointed at the cloud, “looks like Sirius.”
She looked at him, both still on the ground.
“Good job, Harry.”
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After an hour of pointing out clouds, laughing, and discussing their thoughts about what they saw, the two teenagers fell asleep. Neither noticed the POP behind them.
“Look who it is. Potty and the blood-traitor Weasley. I have to say, you two make quite the pair.” Seeing that the insult didn’t cause Harry to jump up, the being stepped forwards. “Oh. How sweet,” he said sarcastically. “You both are asleep. Maybe a nice wake up would help?” He kicked Harry in the head, making a loud THUD.
Harry woke up, and sprung to his feet. He grabbed his wand out of his pocket.
“Malfoy!”
Harry’s shout woke Ginny, who just like Harry, jumped up and grabbed her wand.
“Yes. It’s me, Malfoy. Surprised? Now, I will be taking HER.” He pointed at Ginny with his wand. “Stupefy!”
Harry stepped in front of Ginny, and shielded the curse. Draco smirked.
“Very well then, Potter. I guess I’ll have to take you down first. INCARCEROUS!”
Ropes bound around Harry, and he fell to the ground, struggling against his binds.
“Cru-“
Malfoy didn’t finish the curse, for Ginny had stepped forwards, and punched him in the face. Malfoy didn’t notice her taking his wand, and storing it inside her sleeve. Blood dripped down his now crooked nose. He wiped his nose with his Death Eaters’ robes. He pointed his wand at Ginny, who was now attempting to drag Harry towards the gate.
“CUB BACK WEADLEY! STUBEFY!”
He realized he didn’t have a wand. He couldn’t apparate without it. There was only one thing left to do. Chase after her. He started to run towards Ginny, who was now about halfway to the gate. He was gaining. He reached out, and grabbed the back of her shirt. It pulled her back, keeping her from leaving. She kicked him in the shins.
“Let go of me, Malfoy!” Ginny grabbed her wand and pointed it at his face. He wasn’t letting go. “Okay then,” she said shakily. “You will let go of me, or you will find yourself being attacked by giant winged bogeys.”
Malfoy had an urge to let go of her, but remembering his task, he held on.
“Like you would actually do that to me, Weasley.”
“I would.”
“Prove it,” he sneered.
A flash of light came from her wand, and Malfoy let go. But, where were the flying bogeys? Wait, Weasley was getting away! He started running after her. He wiped his nose, which was still dripping, smearing blood over his face. Some got in his eye, causing him to be momentarily blinded.
“Come back Weasley!”
She was too far away. He would never get her now.
Bellatrix Lestrange appeared with a loud POP!
“Stupefy!” she cried out, and with spectacular aim, the curse hit Ginny in the head. She crumpled.
“Come, Draco.”
Bellatrix ran forwards, Malfoy tailing behind. She reached the spot where Harry struggled in binds, and Ginny lay unconscious on the ground. With a loud, ‘Stupefy!’ Harry lay as still as Ginny. Bellatrix grabbed hold of Ginny’s sleeve, and pulled out Malfoy’s wand.
“Your wand?”
“She took it from me.”
“That explains too much.”
Both grabbed hold of a captive, and apparated to the headquarters
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“Mm… Harry?” Sleepily, Ginny put an arm out in front of her, reaching for something to grab on to. Her eyes half-closed, she noticed the figure beside her. She tried to touch it, but something stopped her from reaching it. A barrier she couldn’t make out blocked her hand. She tried again. Still no.
She opened her eyes completely. She was… She was… In a cage! She reached out. Metal bars kept her in. She looked to her right. There was Harry, still unconscious. The two cages touched, so she poked her fingers through the gap. Poke. Poke. Poke.
“WAKE UP, HARRY!” She hit the side of the cage with her shoe, making a loud rattle. Harry shot up.
“Where’s Malfoy?” he asked. I want to hit him.”
“He’s not here. We’re in cages.” She knocked on the metal bars. “See? Cage.”
Harry looked around the small space he rested in.
“I feel like someone’s pet. Someone’s pet that’s done something wrong, so my master has locked me up in a cage to learn better behavior. But, I haven’t done anything wrong, have I?”
Ginny shook her head no. Harry searched for an opening.
“How’d they get us in here? There’s no way in or out.”
“Magic. They probably melted the opening together or something.”
“I guess…”
For a few minutes neither said anything. They just thought about their situation. How were they going to get out? How were they going to survive this?
“Er… Harry?”
“Yeah?”
“Um… Have you noticed that Malfoy’s been after me? I mean, his dad took me at first, and then he took me from him, and threw me in some hole, and did some spell that made me suffocate in it. Then when you found me, I went to St. Mungo’s. I came home, and now look where we are now. Don’t you think he would just give up trying to get me?”
“Hmm… Maybe he has a thing for you,” Harry joked.
“Be serious! Why is he doing this?”
“I dunno. Maybe he’s doing a Death Eater mission.”
“That could be it. But why would he be sent to get me?”
Harry thought about that. Why Ginny? Why wasn’t Malfoy sent to get to him? Not that he, Harry was more important, but why was he going after Ginny? To use her against him? Or maybe… Or maybe Malfoy had told Voldemort about him and Ginny, and Voldemort was trying to tear them apart! But, he wasn’t going to tell Ginny that.
“Harry?”
“Hmm?”
“If Malfoy kills me-“
“Malfoy is NOT going to kill you.”
“How do you know that?” Ginny said fiercely. “Do you really think he would try to capture me all these times and NOT try to kill me? So, if I die, I just want to let you know that I’ll really miss you.” Her voice cracked. She was crying now. “I don’t want to die! The night Dumbledore died we had your lucky potion, but what do I have now? What do we have to save ourselves? Nothing! That’s what!” She buried her face in her knees. “We don’t have our wands, we’re stuck in magical cages, and Voldemort is probably in the same building as we are right now! How can you say I’m not going to be killed?”
“Ginny… You’re not going to die.”
“Yes I am.” Her voice came out muffled from her face being against her knees. Feeling really bad, Harry fit his hand through the bars of the cage the best he could. He managed to get it far enough to touch her shoulder.
“I’ll make sure nothing bad happens.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. I just will. I promise.”
Ginny looked up from her knees.
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
She sighed. “Okay.” She leaned against the side of her cage and wiped her eyes. She stuck one hand through the bars, and Harry took it. She squeezed his hand. “I trust you.”
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So Harry and Ginny are stuck in cages at the Death Eater headquarters. Will Ginny die?
Also, I would like to tell you people I will be gone from Sunday to the twenty eighth, so don't expect any posting until I come home from L.A. I'm so sad I'm going to be gone. I'm going to have to miss my best friend's birthday party, and I won't be able to write my fanfiction. Please give me reviews to make the rest of my week worthwile.
After breakfast, where Hermione and Harry had explained why they were all laughing, everyone went back to their rooms. All but one person…
“Um… Harry?”
“What do you want, Ginny?”
Ginny walked through the door, and stood in the center of the room, looking at Harry lying on the bed.
“Well, I’ve come to ask you-“
“I’m not telling you what I’m doing.”
“That’s not what I was going to ask!”
“Oh.”
Harry was surprised that she didn’t want any information. He had prepared some things to say that morning for that very conflict.
“I WANTED to ask you if you wanted to come for a walk with me, but if you don’t want to-“ Before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted.
“I’ll come. I’m assuming that means you’re going to talk to me about things other than my doings during the school year?” Harry raised an eyebrow.
“Pretty much.”
“Okay, then.” He gave her a small smile.
Ginny smiled back.
“Meet me at the front of the house at one.”
Without another word, she walked out of the room.
Will she really leave me alone? Harry thought. That was a question he would only get answered at one…
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“You ready?”
Harry had met Ginny at the front of the Burrow. She wasn’t going to tell him where she was going to take him. It was a surprise.
“I guess.”
They started walking. For the first few minutes, both were quiet. Harry was first to talk.
“You know, when you came into my room I figured you were going to press me for more information.”
“I don’t blame you. I’ve been kind of obsessed with knowing what you were doing, and I’m sorry.”
Harry looked at Ginny.
“You are?”
“Yeah. I have a heart! I can be sorry.”
“How did you learn to keep on going for more?”
“You learn things like that when you have six brothers. When I was little, whenever I had a secret someone told me, Fred would come to me, and ask me what it was. I wouldn’t tell him at first, but he kept on asking me, and eventually I told him. It was pretty easy to pick up.”
The small conversation ended. Neither person knew what to talk about, so they just stayed silent for the next fifteen minutes. Harry’s feet were getting tired.
“Are we almost there?” he asked like a small child.
“Almost. Be patient.” They waited a minute longer. “There,” Ginny said, pointing to a field up ahead. “That’s where I was taking you.”
“A field?”
“Not just ANY field. It’s where I relax. I figured you could learn to relax too, maybe let down your guard a bit?”
“If I DO let down my guard, you aren’t going to try getting information again, are you?”
“I wouldn’t be that mean.”
They reached the gate of the field, and Ginny pulled it open. She grabbed Harry’s arm, and dragged him to the center.
“Lie down.”
“What?”
“Lie down. We’re going to look at the clouds.”
Harry got on his back, and Ginny followed suit.
“Now, focus all your energy on the sky.”
Harry looked over at Ginny.
“You sound like a yoga teacher.”
“Yoga?”
“Never mind.”
“Hmm… As I was saying, focus all of your energy on the sky. Breathe deeply. Now, look at the clouds, and look for a picture of something. Something that makes you think.”
Thinking this was ridiculous, Harry pretended.
“You’re not doing it!” Ginny hit him on the shoulder. “Do it!”
Harry looked at a cloud. What did it look like? Did it make him think? This was utterly and completely ridiculous. Wait… It was changing. It looked kind of like a dog. SIRIUS! That cloud made him think. He nudged Ginny’s arm.
“That one,” he pointed at the cloud, “looks like Sirius.”
She looked at him, both still on the ground.
“Good job, Harry.”
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After an hour of pointing out clouds, laughing, and discussing their thoughts about what they saw, the two teenagers fell asleep. Neither noticed the POP behind them.
“Look who it is. Potty and the blood-traitor Weasley. I have to say, you two make quite the pair.” Seeing that the insult didn’t cause Harry to jump up, the being stepped forwards. “Oh. How sweet,” he said sarcastically. “You both are asleep. Maybe a nice wake up would help?” He kicked Harry in the head, making a loud THUD.
Harry woke up, and sprung to his feet. He grabbed his wand out of his pocket.
“Malfoy!”
Harry’s shout woke Ginny, who just like Harry, jumped up and grabbed her wand.
“Yes. It’s me, Malfoy. Surprised? Now, I will be taking HER.” He pointed at Ginny with his wand. “Stupefy!”
Harry stepped in front of Ginny, and shielded the curse. Draco smirked.
“Very well then, Potter. I guess I’ll have to take you down first. INCARCEROUS!”
Ropes bound around Harry, and he fell to the ground, struggling against his binds.
“Cru-“
Malfoy didn’t finish the curse, for Ginny had stepped forwards, and punched him in the face. Malfoy didn’t notice her taking his wand, and storing it inside her sleeve. Blood dripped down his now crooked nose. He wiped his nose with his Death Eaters’ robes. He pointed his wand at Ginny, who was now attempting to drag Harry towards the gate.
“CUB BACK WEADLEY! STUBEFY!”
He realized he didn’t have a wand. He couldn’t apparate without it. There was only one thing left to do. Chase after her. He started to run towards Ginny, who was now about halfway to the gate. He was gaining. He reached out, and grabbed the back of her shirt. It pulled her back, keeping her from leaving. She kicked him in the shins.
“Let go of me, Malfoy!” Ginny grabbed her wand and pointed it at his face. He wasn’t letting go. “Okay then,” she said shakily. “You will let go of me, or you will find yourself being attacked by giant winged bogeys.”
Malfoy had an urge to let go of her, but remembering his task, he held on.
“Like you would actually do that to me, Weasley.”
“I would.”
“Prove it,” he sneered.
A flash of light came from her wand, and Malfoy let go. But, where were the flying bogeys? Wait, Weasley was getting away! He started running after her. He wiped his nose, which was still dripping, smearing blood over his face. Some got in his eye, causing him to be momentarily blinded.
“Come back Weasley!”
She was too far away. He would never get her now.
Bellatrix Lestrange appeared with a loud POP!
“Stupefy!” she cried out, and with spectacular aim, the curse hit Ginny in the head. She crumpled.
“Come, Draco.”
Bellatrix ran forwards, Malfoy tailing behind. She reached the spot where Harry struggled in binds, and Ginny lay unconscious on the ground. With a loud, ‘Stupefy!’ Harry lay as still as Ginny. Bellatrix grabbed hold of Ginny’s sleeve, and pulled out Malfoy’s wand.
“Your wand?”
“She took it from me.”
“That explains too much.”
Both grabbed hold of a captive, and apparated to the headquarters
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“Mm… Harry?” Sleepily, Ginny put an arm out in front of her, reaching for something to grab on to. Her eyes half-closed, she noticed the figure beside her. She tried to touch it, but something stopped her from reaching it. A barrier she couldn’t make out blocked her hand. She tried again. Still no.
She opened her eyes completely. She was… She was… In a cage! She reached out. Metal bars kept her in. She looked to her right. There was Harry, still unconscious. The two cages touched, so she poked her fingers through the gap. Poke. Poke. Poke.
“WAKE UP, HARRY!” She hit the side of the cage with her shoe, making a loud rattle. Harry shot up.
“Where’s Malfoy?” he asked. I want to hit him.”
“He’s not here. We’re in cages.” She knocked on the metal bars. “See? Cage.”
Harry looked around the small space he rested in.
“I feel like someone’s pet. Someone’s pet that’s done something wrong, so my master has locked me up in a cage to learn better behavior. But, I haven’t done anything wrong, have I?”
Ginny shook her head no. Harry searched for an opening.
“How’d they get us in here? There’s no way in or out.”
“Magic. They probably melted the opening together or something.”
“I guess…”
For a few minutes neither said anything. They just thought about their situation. How were they going to get out? How were they going to survive this?
“Er… Harry?”
“Yeah?”
“Um… Have you noticed that Malfoy’s been after me? I mean, his dad took me at first, and then he took me from him, and threw me in some hole, and did some spell that made me suffocate in it. Then when you found me, I went to St. Mungo’s. I came home, and now look where we are now. Don’t you think he would just give up trying to get me?”
“Hmm… Maybe he has a thing for you,” Harry joked.
“Be serious! Why is he doing this?”
“I dunno. Maybe he’s doing a Death Eater mission.”
“That could be it. But why would he be sent to get me?”
Harry thought about that. Why Ginny? Why wasn’t Malfoy sent to get to him? Not that he, Harry was more important, but why was he going after Ginny? To use her against him? Or maybe… Or maybe Malfoy had told Voldemort about him and Ginny, and Voldemort was trying to tear them apart! But, he wasn’t going to tell Ginny that.
“Harry?”
“Hmm?”
“If Malfoy kills me-“
“Malfoy is NOT going to kill you.”
“How do you know that?” Ginny said fiercely. “Do you really think he would try to capture me all these times and NOT try to kill me? So, if I die, I just want to let you know that I’ll really miss you.” Her voice cracked. She was crying now. “I don’t want to die! The night Dumbledore died we had your lucky potion, but what do I have now? What do we have to save ourselves? Nothing! That’s what!” She buried her face in her knees. “We don’t have our wands, we’re stuck in magical cages, and Voldemort is probably in the same building as we are right now! How can you say I’m not going to be killed?”
“Ginny… You’re not going to die.”
“Yes I am.” Her voice came out muffled from her face being against her knees. Feeling really bad, Harry fit his hand through the bars of the cage the best he could. He managed to get it far enough to touch her shoulder.
“I’ll make sure nothing bad happens.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. I just will. I promise.”
Ginny looked up from her knees.
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
She sighed. “Okay.” She leaned against the side of her cage and wiped her eyes. She stuck one hand through the bars, and Harry took it. She squeezed his hand. “I trust you.”
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So Harry and Ginny are stuck in cages at the Death Eater headquarters. Will Ginny die?
Also, I would like to tell you people I will be gone from Sunday to the twenty eighth, so don't expect any posting until I come home from L.A. I'm so sad I'm going to be gone. I'm going to have to miss my best friend's birthday party, and I won't be able to write my fanfiction. Please give me reviews to make the rest of my week worthwile.
Guess what people? I have managed to create another chapter before I go to L.A. Hope you're happy about that? Ok, before I start, I would just like to say thanks to the people who have been giving me the most reviews, I appreciate it alot. And people who are reading this who have NOT given me a review, please give me your opinion using the link in my signature. THANKS!
Chapter 14
Everyone at the Burrow was worried when Harry and Ginny didn’t come back that night. Or the next morning. Hermione and Mrs. Weasley made it a habit to look out the window every half hour. Around noon, Hermione couldn’t take it anymore.
“Ron!” She walked up the stairs to his room. She banged on his door repeatedly, the ‘Ronald Weasley’ sign rattling. “Ron, open the door!” She tried opening the door, and when the door was unlocked from the inside, she fell inside.
“You knocked?” Ron asked sarcastically. Hermione picked herself up from the ground, dusting herself off.
“I’m worried about Ginny and Harry.”
“Isn’t everyone?”
“Yes, but I think we should go look for them ourselves, instead of waiting for them to come back.”
Ron nodded his head. “Okay… But where are we going to look? And do you really think my mum is going to let us out of the house?”
“I was thinking we should start at that field we went to the other day. Ginny probably knew about it.”
“That’s a good idea, but HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE?” Ron made sure Hermione heard those last few words as clearly as possible.
Hermione looked mischievous.
“I have an idea.” She was grinning.
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“Whatever you do, do not drop me! I mean it! If you drop me, I will hunt you down, and force you to eat poison! And why can’t we just apparate? It would save so much time!”
“I’m not going to drop you. There was more of a chance of you dropping me, so when you get me down from here you can catch me. And we’re not apparating because someone would hear the noise we would make from disappearing, and I can’t remember what the field looks like! So stop whining and deal with it!”
“Oh yes! That makes me feel LOADS better!”
Maybe levitating themselves out of a window wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but hey! No one was going to suspect anything until they knew they were gone. Well, just as long as Hermione didn’t drop Ron. The Weasley’s might of suspected something if they heard a yell of pain and a loud thud outside the house.
“Okay! You’re down! Now get me down from here!” Hermione shouted from Ron’s bedroom window. With a flick of his wrist, Hermione floated out the window, and slowly drifted towards the ground.
“I’m going to back up a bit so you don’t ram into me!” shouted Ron from the ground. “I’ll walk backwards so I can make sure you don’t start to fall…” He started backing up, and didn’t notice the gnome standing behind him…
“Ron! Watch out for the…”
Too late. Ron tripped, dropped his wand, and Hermione came falling down, landing in a bush.
“Ow,” was all she said.
“I’m sorry!” Ron picked himself up and rushed over to Hermione. He tried to help her up, but she pushed him away.
“I’m fine!” she said forcefully. “Let’s get out of here. Just be glad I didn’t land on the ground.”
Not knowing how to respond, Ron followed Hermione over a fence, and walked, wondering how in the world they were going to find Harry and Ginny.
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Meanwhile, Harry and Ginny were unfolding themselves from uncomfortable positions from sitting in their cages for too long. Both were sore, tired, and afraid of what would happen to them.
“Did you hear Malfoy check on us last night?” Harry asked.
“No. What happened?”
“He was muttering to himself. Saying how he was supposed to kill you, but didn’t know how. He seemed pretty afraid. I think he’s going to starve us. Well, probably just you. I’m going to be turned over to Voldemort pretty soon. He’s going to want to be the one to kill me.” Harry said this in an unnaturally calm voice, trying to hide his fear.
“Did you think of a way out?”
“No.”
“SO WE”RE GOING TO DIE HERE?” Ginny said hysterically. “After you said I wasn’t going to die? If you can’t get us out of here, were done! We’ll never see Ron or Hermione again, and I’ll never see the rest of my family, and you’ll lose to Voldemort! How did I trust you?” She said all of this in a high-pitched voice. Realizing how crazy she sounded, she hit herself hard in the head. “I’m going to go nuts in here.”
Meanwhile, Harry was once again searching for a way out.
“I’m going to go crazy, and you’re going to watch.”
In one spot of the floor the stones were a different color than the rest…
“If I had just stunned Malfoy, or punched him again, we might not have been in this mess.”
Was it a way out?
“Why didn’t I punch him? Why didn’t I just sock him in the face again?”
Harry fingered the edges of the stones.
“I shouldn’t have brought you to the field. If I had just stayed home and apologized… Um… Harry? What are you doing?”
Harry was pulling up the stones. They were lifting slowly, but they were coming up. His fingers were slipping, but Ha! He pulled the stone out of the ground, and moved it in a corner of his cage. A hole! A big hole was in his cage! A way out!
“Oh my gosh… You found a way out! This is great! We’re going to live!”
“Not yet.” This was the first time Harry had spoken in a while. “I need to find out where this leads. It could end up leading into a shredder, or the floor could get weak, so I would fall into a room or something. I’m going to check things out.”
What if a Death Eater comes by when you’re gone? What am I going to do then?”
Harry took a moment of silence to think, then said, “Move into the corner of your cage.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Move into the corner.”
Looking confused, Ginny followed orders. Harry picked up the stone he had pulled up.
“I don’t think,” he said, “that these cages are completely invincible. Death Eaters,” he said while slamming the rock against the bars between his and Ginny’s cages, “are probably not smart enough to make the cage Imperturbable, so these bars will probably bend,” he slammed the stone against the bars, which were becoming crooked, “when I hit it.” With one last slam, the bar bent back, leaving a space. Harry cracked the stone in half, and gave one part to Ginny. “Try to use it as a saw. Cut at the tops and bottom. Once it breaks climb through the gap.” He took his half, and began sawing away at her bars as well.
After a good half hour of sawing, one bar broke off.
“One down, three more to go,” Harry sighed.
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Hermione and Ron stood in the center of the field. Ron just stood there, not wanting to interfere with Hermione’s investigation. Hermione was looking at every inch of the field. How could there be more for her to look at?
“Ron? Come here.”
Ron came over and looked down at the section of grass Hermione was looking at.
“There’s blood here.” Hermione’s voice was shaking.
Ron looked closely at the grass, and saw that there were indeed some spots of blood. Not a lot of blood, but there was still blood. Which meant something bad had happened. Something that might have done with Harry and Ginny.
“Well, that doesn’t mean it’s Harry or Ginny’s blood, does it?”
“No… but it does mean that someone was here.”
“What are we going to do about it?”
“Warn the Order,” said Hermione. “They would be able to identify the person whose blood this is.”
“What if it’s not anyone’s we know?” Ron didn’t want to get his hopes too high. If it weren’t Ginny or Harry’s blood, they would have to start searching all over again. And they would search. And he and Hermione would search for so long that by the time they found anything, Harry and Ginny would be dead. He shuddered. Bad images of his sister and friend’s dead bodies came to mind. He knocked his hand against his head as hard as he could, trying to get the picture out.
“Ron?”
Ron was still hitting himself.
“Ron? Stop hitting yourself!” Hermione grabbed his arm so he wouldn’t be able to hit himself again.
“Sorry… So we’re getting the Order?”
“Yes. Come on.” Hermione jogged over to the gate. Ron was still standing in the field. “Are you coming or not?”
Ron thought about this. It should have been a simple decision. He should have been able to say, “I’m coming with you!” right away. He should’ve been able to decide that risking his life for his best mate and sister was the right thing to do. But, was risking his life really worth it? Did he really want to go and die?
Just tell the Order and sit back to watch the show, a small voice in his head was telling him. You don’t have to do anything to hurt yourself. The Order and Hermione will take care of everything.
But Harry and Ginny are in danger!
You have your own life to take care of. Harry and Ginny wouldn’t want you to risk your life to save them. They can always escape. It isn’t like you’re leaving them to die. The voice was drowning out Ron’s thoughts.
I need to rescue them!
Don’t go.
I’m going to go!
Ron! Ron! Listen to me! Don’t go! The voice was powerful. It wasn’t going to give up. It fogged his mind, making things unclear.
Stop! He thought. Stop it!
“Ron? Aren’t you coming?” Hermione asked him again.
The voice still fogging his thoughts, Ron said the only thing he could:
“No. I’m not risking my life for this.”
Hermione sadly shook her head.
“I expected better from you Ron.” She started to walk away, leaving Ron in the center of the field.
“I’m sorry,” Ron whispered. “I just can’t.”
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Hermione reached the Burrow alone. She didn’t understand how Ron could say that he wasn’t going to come with her to find Harry and Ginny. Why would he do that? Didn’t he want to make sure his sister and Harry were safe?
Her thoughts being the only thing Hermione was focusing on, she smashed into Bill on the way upstairs.
“Sorry Bill!”
“It’s alright. You didn’t mean to. Oh, and by the way… did you happen to see Ginny or Harry when you were out?”
Hermione was surprised he knew she had left.
“How did you know I was gone?”
“You left the window open. Ron never leaves the window open.”
“Oh… No. I didn’t see anyone.” She shook her head sadly. “Only Ron.”
Bill frowned.
“You shouldn’t have left. If my mum had found out she would have called the Order and reported you two missing. Be glad I didn’t tell anybody.” He shook his head. “Try to cover up your tracks better next time.” He walked past her, but stopped halfway down the steps. “If you left with Ron, where is he?”
“He’ll be back soon. He stayed when I left.” She frowned. “I don’t really know why he didn’t follow me…”
Bill went on to continue down the steps. Hermione watched him as he almost reached the bottom. Almost, because she finally remembered what she wanted to tell the Order. Bill was in the Order! How could she forget that?
“Bill! I need to tell you something important!”
“Like what?” He stopped, one foot on the last step, the other on the next floor.
“Well, Ron and I went to this field that we had been to before, because I thought Ginny might have taken Harry there to relax. I started searching, and I found some blood. I thought that maybe the Order would be able to figure out who the blood belongs to?”
“You found blood in a field? Are you sure it didn’t belong to an animal? Either way, I guess I could get some people to look at it… That okay?”
Hermione nodded.
“Good. I’ll see you around, Hermione.” Bill finally made it completely down the steps, and left Hermione standing at the top of the stairs. Instead of going to her room, she sat down on the top step.
Why didn’t Ron come with me back to the Burrow? Didn’t he want to get Harry and Ginny back? Didn’t he want to find them? What was wrong with him? How could he do this? How could she have this many questions? Why was she asking herself why she was asking herself so many questions? She leaned against the wall. She wondered how she had gotten herself involved in all of this. Had she just ignored Ron that day six years ago and not had to cry to herself in that bathroom, she might have never become friends with either him or Harry. She wouldn’t of had to research Basilisks, or attempt to fight of Dementors and be attacked by the Whomping Willow, or try to escape from Death Eaters at the world cup, or get involved in all of the Order’s problems, or join Harry in the search for Horcruxes. Maybe becoming Harry’s friend hadn’t been her wisest choice.
But, she shouldn’t be thinking about all of this right now. Ginny and Harry needed her help, whether the Order and Ron helped her or not.
She had to, or she just wouldn’t live with herself.
Where was Ron?
She needed a book.
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what did you think? Like it? Didn't like it? Think I should give up trying and go live in a hole? Tell me by giving me a review!
Chapter 14
Everyone at the Burrow was worried when Harry and Ginny didn’t come back that night. Or the next morning. Hermione and Mrs. Weasley made it a habit to look out the window every half hour. Around noon, Hermione couldn’t take it anymore.
“Ron!” She walked up the stairs to his room. She banged on his door repeatedly, the ‘Ronald Weasley’ sign rattling. “Ron, open the door!” She tried opening the door, and when the door was unlocked from the inside, she fell inside.
“You knocked?” Ron asked sarcastically. Hermione picked herself up from the ground, dusting herself off.
“I’m worried about Ginny and Harry.”
“Isn’t everyone?”
“Yes, but I think we should go look for them ourselves, instead of waiting for them to come back.”
Ron nodded his head. “Okay… But where are we going to look? And do you really think my mum is going to let us out of the house?”
“I was thinking we should start at that field we went to the other day. Ginny probably knew about it.”
“That’s a good idea, but HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE?” Ron made sure Hermione heard those last few words as clearly as possible.
Hermione looked mischievous.
“I have an idea.” She was grinning.
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“Whatever you do, do not drop me! I mean it! If you drop me, I will hunt you down, and force you to eat poison! And why can’t we just apparate? It would save so much time!”
“I’m not going to drop you. There was more of a chance of you dropping me, so when you get me down from here you can catch me. And we’re not apparating because someone would hear the noise we would make from disappearing, and I can’t remember what the field looks like! So stop whining and deal with it!”
“Oh yes! That makes me feel LOADS better!”
Maybe levitating themselves out of a window wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but hey! No one was going to suspect anything until they knew they were gone. Well, just as long as Hermione didn’t drop Ron. The Weasley’s might of suspected something if they heard a yell of pain and a loud thud outside the house.
“Okay! You’re down! Now get me down from here!” Hermione shouted from Ron’s bedroom window. With a flick of his wrist, Hermione floated out the window, and slowly drifted towards the ground.
“I’m going to back up a bit so you don’t ram into me!” shouted Ron from the ground. “I’ll walk backwards so I can make sure you don’t start to fall…” He started backing up, and didn’t notice the gnome standing behind him…
“Ron! Watch out for the…”
Too late. Ron tripped, dropped his wand, and Hermione came falling down, landing in a bush.
“Ow,” was all she said.
“I’m sorry!” Ron picked himself up and rushed over to Hermione. He tried to help her up, but she pushed him away.
“I’m fine!” she said forcefully. “Let’s get out of here. Just be glad I didn’t land on the ground.”
Not knowing how to respond, Ron followed Hermione over a fence, and walked, wondering how in the world they were going to find Harry and Ginny.
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Meanwhile, Harry and Ginny were unfolding themselves from uncomfortable positions from sitting in their cages for too long. Both were sore, tired, and afraid of what would happen to them.
“Did you hear Malfoy check on us last night?” Harry asked.
“No. What happened?”
“He was muttering to himself. Saying how he was supposed to kill you, but didn’t know how. He seemed pretty afraid. I think he’s going to starve us. Well, probably just you. I’m going to be turned over to Voldemort pretty soon. He’s going to want to be the one to kill me.” Harry said this in an unnaturally calm voice, trying to hide his fear.
“Did you think of a way out?”
“No.”
“SO WE”RE GOING TO DIE HERE?” Ginny said hysterically. “After you said I wasn’t going to die? If you can’t get us out of here, were done! We’ll never see Ron or Hermione again, and I’ll never see the rest of my family, and you’ll lose to Voldemort! How did I trust you?” She said all of this in a high-pitched voice. Realizing how crazy she sounded, she hit herself hard in the head. “I’m going to go nuts in here.”
Meanwhile, Harry was once again searching for a way out.
“I’m going to go crazy, and you’re going to watch.”
In one spot of the floor the stones were a different color than the rest…
“If I had just stunned Malfoy, or punched him again, we might not have been in this mess.”
Was it a way out?
“Why didn’t I punch him? Why didn’t I just sock him in the face again?”
Harry fingered the edges of the stones.
“I shouldn’t have brought you to the field. If I had just stayed home and apologized… Um… Harry? What are you doing?”
Harry was pulling up the stones. They were lifting slowly, but they were coming up. His fingers were slipping, but Ha! He pulled the stone out of the ground, and moved it in a corner of his cage. A hole! A big hole was in his cage! A way out!
“Oh my gosh… You found a way out! This is great! We’re going to live!”
“Not yet.” This was the first time Harry had spoken in a while. “I need to find out where this leads. It could end up leading into a shredder, or the floor could get weak, so I would fall into a room or something. I’m going to check things out.”
What if a Death Eater comes by when you’re gone? What am I going to do then?”
Harry took a moment of silence to think, then said, “Move into the corner of your cage.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Move into the corner.”
Looking confused, Ginny followed orders. Harry picked up the stone he had pulled up.
“I don’t think,” he said, “that these cages are completely invincible. Death Eaters,” he said while slamming the rock against the bars between his and Ginny’s cages, “are probably not smart enough to make the cage Imperturbable, so these bars will probably bend,” he slammed the stone against the bars, which were becoming crooked, “when I hit it.” With one last slam, the bar bent back, leaving a space. Harry cracked the stone in half, and gave one part to Ginny. “Try to use it as a saw. Cut at the tops and bottom. Once it breaks climb through the gap.” He took his half, and began sawing away at her bars as well.
After a good half hour of sawing, one bar broke off.
“One down, three more to go,” Harry sighed.
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Hermione and Ron stood in the center of the field. Ron just stood there, not wanting to interfere with Hermione’s investigation. Hermione was looking at every inch of the field. How could there be more for her to look at?
“Ron? Come here.”
Ron came over and looked down at the section of grass Hermione was looking at.
“There’s blood here.” Hermione’s voice was shaking.
Ron looked closely at the grass, and saw that there were indeed some spots of blood. Not a lot of blood, but there was still blood. Which meant something bad had happened. Something that might have done with Harry and Ginny.
“Well, that doesn’t mean it’s Harry or Ginny’s blood, does it?”
“No… but it does mean that someone was here.”
“What are we going to do about it?”
“Warn the Order,” said Hermione. “They would be able to identify the person whose blood this is.”
“What if it’s not anyone’s we know?” Ron didn’t want to get his hopes too high. If it weren’t Ginny or Harry’s blood, they would have to start searching all over again. And they would search. And he and Hermione would search for so long that by the time they found anything, Harry and Ginny would be dead. He shuddered. Bad images of his sister and friend’s dead bodies came to mind. He knocked his hand against his head as hard as he could, trying to get the picture out.
“Ron?”
Ron was still hitting himself.
“Ron? Stop hitting yourself!” Hermione grabbed his arm so he wouldn’t be able to hit himself again.
“Sorry… So we’re getting the Order?”
“Yes. Come on.” Hermione jogged over to the gate. Ron was still standing in the field. “Are you coming or not?”
Ron thought about this. It should have been a simple decision. He should have been able to say, “I’m coming with you!” right away. He should’ve been able to decide that risking his life for his best mate and sister was the right thing to do. But, was risking his life really worth it? Did he really want to go and die?
Just tell the Order and sit back to watch the show, a small voice in his head was telling him. You don’t have to do anything to hurt yourself. The Order and Hermione will take care of everything.
But Harry and Ginny are in danger!
You have your own life to take care of. Harry and Ginny wouldn’t want you to risk your life to save them. They can always escape. It isn’t like you’re leaving them to die. The voice was drowning out Ron’s thoughts.
I need to rescue them!
Don’t go.
I’m going to go!
Ron! Ron! Listen to me! Don’t go! The voice was powerful. It wasn’t going to give up. It fogged his mind, making things unclear.
Stop! He thought. Stop it!
“Ron? Aren’t you coming?” Hermione asked him again.
The voice still fogging his thoughts, Ron said the only thing he could:
“No. I’m not risking my life for this.”
Hermione sadly shook her head.
“I expected better from you Ron.” She started to walk away, leaving Ron in the center of the field.
“I’m sorry,” Ron whispered. “I just can’t.”
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Hermione reached the Burrow alone. She didn’t understand how Ron could say that he wasn’t going to come with her to find Harry and Ginny. Why would he do that? Didn’t he want to make sure his sister and Harry were safe?
Her thoughts being the only thing Hermione was focusing on, she smashed into Bill on the way upstairs.
“Sorry Bill!”
“It’s alright. You didn’t mean to. Oh, and by the way… did you happen to see Ginny or Harry when you were out?”
Hermione was surprised he knew she had left.
“How did you know I was gone?”
“You left the window open. Ron never leaves the window open.”
“Oh… No. I didn’t see anyone.” She shook her head sadly. “Only Ron.”
Bill frowned.
“You shouldn’t have left. If my mum had found out she would have called the Order and reported you two missing. Be glad I didn’t tell anybody.” He shook his head. “Try to cover up your tracks better next time.” He walked past her, but stopped halfway down the steps. “If you left with Ron, where is he?”
“He’ll be back soon. He stayed when I left.” She frowned. “I don’t really know why he didn’t follow me…”
Bill went on to continue down the steps. Hermione watched him as he almost reached the bottom. Almost, because she finally remembered what she wanted to tell the Order. Bill was in the Order! How could she forget that?
“Bill! I need to tell you something important!”
“Like what?” He stopped, one foot on the last step, the other on the next floor.
“Well, Ron and I went to this field that we had been to before, because I thought Ginny might have taken Harry there to relax. I started searching, and I found some blood. I thought that maybe the Order would be able to figure out who the blood belongs to?”
“You found blood in a field? Are you sure it didn’t belong to an animal? Either way, I guess I could get some people to look at it… That okay?”
Hermione nodded.
“Good. I’ll see you around, Hermione.” Bill finally made it completely down the steps, and left Hermione standing at the top of the stairs. Instead of going to her room, she sat down on the top step.
Why didn’t Ron come with me back to the Burrow? Didn’t he want to get Harry and Ginny back? Didn’t he want to find them? What was wrong with him? How could he do this? How could she have this many questions? Why was she asking herself why she was asking herself so many questions? She leaned against the wall. She wondered how she had gotten herself involved in all of this. Had she just ignored Ron that day six years ago and not had to cry to herself in that bathroom, she might have never become friends with either him or Harry. She wouldn’t of had to research Basilisks, or attempt to fight of Dementors and be attacked by the Whomping Willow, or try to escape from Death Eaters at the world cup, or get involved in all of the Order’s problems, or join Harry in the search for Horcruxes. Maybe becoming Harry’s friend hadn’t been her wisest choice.
But, she shouldn’t be thinking about all of this right now. Ginny and Harry needed her help, whether the Order and Ron helped her or not.
She had to, or she just wouldn’t live with herself.
Where was Ron?
She needed a book.
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what did you think? Like it? Didn't like it? Think I should give up trying and go live in a hole? Tell me by giving me a review!
OMG!!! I have managed to get home tonight (as a birthday present from my mom) and now have my fan fiction back!! This chapter may seem a bit rushed, but that's because I'm rusty after about a week of no writing. Here goes! (Oh, and please give a review for Bunky_101's fic, because she's getting really sad since no one has reviewed...)
Chapter 15
In the field, Ron had decided to lie down on his back instead of follow Hermione. That way, when he headed back home he wouldn’t have to hear her nagging at him to help her.
He looked up at the sky, feeling drowsy. He slowly closed his eyes, letting his tiredness take over his actions. He was soon dozing off.
A loud thump from behind woke him up. Looking around, Ron saw Malfoy scrambling to get up from the ground.
“Malfoy!” he yelled, as he jumped up. He reached for his wand. His hand moved towards his back pocket, but all he felt was the fabric of his pants. No bump from the wand. He was disarmed.
I must’ve dropped it when I tripped over the gnome! He thought. What am I going to do now?
“Don’t run away Weasley, or I’ll kill you!” Malfoy shouted from the fence. “Don’t even think about it!”
“I wasn’t going to move until you gave me the idea!”
“Oh…”
Malfoy was distracted there for a moment. He looked down at the ground, and wondered what to do next. Was he supposed to hex Ron? With this small space of time, Ron decided that without a wand, there was only one thing left to do.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!!!!” He yelled as he sprinted towards Malfoy, arms outstretched, hoping to scare him.
“Incarcerous!” Malfoy stepped towards Ron, who was struggling against the ropes. “That was way too easy. And for the record, weasel king, that was my blood you found there…” He kicked him in the head, knocking him out cold. “Pathetic.”
POP!
Bellatrix Lestrange appeared besides Malfoy.
“I see that you have caught yet another Weasley.”
“Obviously. What are you doing here? This was MY job.”
“The Dark Lord wishes that you do not fail at yet another mission, and has asked me to watch over you for the time being. If this was not something the Dark Lord had asked me to do, I would not be here.”
“I don’t need anyone to watch over me!”
“Are you sure?” Bellatrix sneered. Draco looked down at his feet. “I didn’t think so. Now, give me Weasley.” She held a hand out.
“I got him! I’m not going to let you get my glory!”
Bellatrix stared at him. Malfoy realized how childish that had sounded. He grabbed Ron’s arm and handed it to Bellatrix. She took the arm in her left hand, and Draco’s robes by the right. She disappeared once again.
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When Bellatrix and Malfoy appeared in the headquarters, Bellatrix dropped both things she had been holding on to as fast as she could.
“Take the blood-traitor to the dungeon with Potter and his filthy sister. Conjure a cage and melt the lock. He shouldn’t be smart enough to break out.”
Malfoy resentfully made Ron hover in the air, and led him down a flight of stairs. He made sure to bump the hovering body into as many walls as he could. When he reached a door. He kicked it open with his foot.
He didn’t notice Harry and Ginny sawing away at their cages, with only one bar separating them. With a wave of his wand, a cage appeared. Ron fell into it with a loud bang, and the top closed. With a flick of his wrist, the lock started to melt, and soon the cage had no way out.
“That’s done.” Malfoy kicked the cage further inside the room then slammed the door behind him, muttering, “Why did I have to do this stupid task? Why couldn’t my father do it? Why me…”
The footsteps faded away, and Ginny looked up from her sawing.
“Ron? Ron, is that you? Harry! Ron’s here!”
Harry looked up as well.
“Oh no…”
“God… RON!!! WAKE UP!!! OPEN YOUR EYES!!! GET UP!!!”
“Be quiet! Someone might hear you!”
“I don’t care! RON!!! GET UP RIGHT NOW!!! Please don’t be dead… PLEASE WAKE UP!!!” Ginny screamed.
“Shut up, Ginny! Someone’s going to hear you, then they’ll find out that we’re sawing the cages!”
“My brother could be dying right there, and all you can say is ‘Shut up’?”
“There’s nothing else I can do!”
“Yes there is! Yell with me!”
“No!”
“Yes!”
“No!”
“Will you two just shut up? You interrupted my beauty sleep.” A mumbling voice came from Ron’s side of the room. In fact, it was Ron!
“Ron!” Ginny and Harry shouted in unison.
“That’s my name, isn’t it? Anyways, how the heck did I get here?” Ron scratched his head. “My head hurts.”
Ginny and Harry looked at each other in relief. He was okay!
“We’re in the Death Eater headquarters,” explained Ginny, “and we think that they’re going to starve us in here.”
“Wait… Why?”
Ginny continued, “We think that Malfoy has been ordered to kill me, so he has been after me for a while. He captured Harry as well, so he’s probably going to be turned over to Voldemort any day now.” Ron cringed at You-know-who’s name. “So, instead of murdering me with the unforgivable curse, he’s going to starve me. Odds are, you’re probably going to be starved too.”
Ron swayed inside his cage. “I’m going to die here. I’m never going to see the Burrow again, or my mum, or my brothers, or Hermione, or Hogwarts, and the last thing I’m ever going to see is Malfoy’s smirk. I’m going to die… Going to die… Die… Die…”
“Ron?” Ginny asked nervously. “Were you hit in the head today?”
“Die… Going… To… Starve…”
“Er… Ron? Are you okay?”
Ron froze. He gave a strange smile. “Am I okay? Am I okay? Well… I’M NOT OKAY AT ALL! I’M GOING TO STARVE!! HOW IS THAT FOR OKAY??”
Harry banged on his cage, making Ron stop. “We’re not going to die! I found a strange tunnel in my cage, so Ginny and I have been sawing at our bars with rocks! Here,” he said as he slid a piece of stone across the floor to Ron. Ron picked it up gingerly.
“I’m supposed to use this as a saw?”
“Yeah…”
“And if I don’t get out, Malfoy’s going to starve me?”
“Umm… Yeah.”
“And a few yards away there are Death Eaters?”
“Yeah?”
Ron fainted.
“That was,” Ginny said, “not the toughest thing Ron could have done right now.”
Harry shrugged, and both he and Ginny returned to their sawing of the bars.
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It was now morning, and Hermione had woken up early. Ron hadn’t returned that night. Best guess was, he wasn’t going to come back any time soon. She had woken up early to go back outside to search for him; to help him, to get him back. She had planned on it, but the other people of the Burrow had decided differently.
“You are not going out there!” a tearful Mrs. Weasley had insisted. “First Harry and Ginny go missing, and now Ron! I’m not going to let you go too! You’re the only one left!”
“That’s exactly why I need to go!” Hermione had replied. “I have the best shot of finding them! I can’t just stay here and have the Order do everything! I need to get them myself!” (Hermione couldn’t believe that she was talking to Mrs. Weasley like this.)
“You’re not leaving this house!”
“I’ll get out of here eventually!”
“No you-…”
Bill had barged into the room.
“Oh, sorry. Am I interrupting something?”
“No, Bill,” sighed Mrs. Weasley. “Hermione and I were just discussing whether she should go outside today or not.”
“Oh, well, anyways… I went to that field you told me about, Hermione, and we identified who the blood belongs to!”
“Really?”
“Yes. It turns out that it isn’t Harry’s or Ginny’s.”
Hermione frowned. She took a deep breath and said, “Is it someone’s that we know?”
“Yes! It turns out that it belonged to Draco Malfoy!”
Hermione’s jaw dropped. It was Malfoy’s? As in, Death Eater Draco Malfoy? The boy she had hated since the first year, and had recently pushed Ginny into a vacuum of a pit? This couldn’t be…
“Um, Hermione?” Bill asked. “You know, we can use the blood as a sort of tracking device. With a spell we can track down the person if we have the sample of blood with us. We can easily find him this way.”
Yes! She was going to find Ron, Harry and Ginny!
“But there’s one problem.”
Oh…
“Like what?”
“Only a person within a year’s difference in age of the person whose sample of DNA you have can track the person. If you want, you can perform the spell, and the Order could follow you.”
Yes! She was going outside! Mrs. Weasley cut in the conversation.
“No! As long as Hermione is in my care, she is not accompanying the Order to the Death Eaters!”
“Mum, Hermione has faced worse.”
“I know, but-…”
“She’s coming.”
“I don’t want her to-…”
“Come on, Hermione.” Bill gestured for Hermione to follow him, and they both left the room, and met the Order outside. Tonks walked up to Hermione. She handed her a piece of paper.
“This is the spell you will be performing, here is the DNA sample,” she said as she handed a spotted red clump of grass, “and you will meet us back here in half an hour. You should get some stuff you think will help you.”
Hermione nodded her head, and then headed back inside the house.
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Ok, there it was. Please tell me if I should go live in a hole or not. Oh, and I have thought of a new idea for a fan fic, so I'm going to spend a little while on that. But, don't worry. It' won't be too long.
Chapter 15
In the field, Ron had decided to lie down on his back instead of follow Hermione. That way, when he headed back home he wouldn’t have to hear her nagging at him to help her.
He looked up at the sky, feeling drowsy. He slowly closed his eyes, letting his tiredness take over his actions. He was soon dozing off.
A loud thump from behind woke him up. Looking around, Ron saw Malfoy scrambling to get up from the ground.
“Malfoy!” he yelled, as he jumped up. He reached for his wand. His hand moved towards his back pocket, but all he felt was the fabric of his pants. No bump from the wand. He was disarmed.
I must’ve dropped it when I tripped over the gnome! He thought. What am I going to do now?
“Don’t run away Weasley, or I’ll kill you!” Malfoy shouted from the fence. “Don’t even think about it!”
“I wasn’t going to move until you gave me the idea!”
“Oh…”
Malfoy was distracted there for a moment. He looked down at the ground, and wondered what to do next. Was he supposed to hex Ron? With this small space of time, Ron decided that without a wand, there was only one thing left to do.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!!!!” He yelled as he sprinted towards Malfoy, arms outstretched, hoping to scare him.
“Incarcerous!” Malfoy stepped towards Ron, who was struggling against the ropes. “That was way too easy. And for the record, weasel king, that was my blood you found there…” He kicked him in the head, knocking him out cold. “Pathetic.”
POP!
Bellatrix Lestrange appeared besides Malfoy.
“I see that you have caught yet another Weasley.”
“Obviously. What are you doing here? This was MY job.”
“The Dark Lord wishes that you do not fail at yet another mission, and has asked me to watch over you for the time being. If this was not something the Dark Lord had asked me to do, I would not be here.”
“I don’t need anyone to watch over me!”
“Are you sure?” Bellatrix sneered. Draco looked down at his feet. “I didn’t think so. Now, give me Weasley.” She held a hand out.
“I got him! I’m not going to let you get my glory!”
Bellatrix stared at him. Malfoy realized how childish that had sounded. He grabbed Ron’s arm and handed it to Bellatrix. She took the arm in her left hand, and Draco’s robes by the right. She disappeared once again.
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When Bellatrix and Malfoy appeared in the headquarters, Bellatrix dropped both things she had been holding on to as fast as she could.
“Take the blood-traitor to the dungeon with Potter and his filthy sister. Conjure a cage and melt the lock. He shouldn’t be smart enough to break out.”
Malfoy resentfully made Ron hover in the air, and led him down a flight of stairs. He made sure to bump the hovering body into as many walls as he could. When he reached a door. He kicked it open with his foot.
He didn’t notice Harry and Ginny sawing away at their cages, with only one bar separating them. With a wave of his wand, a cage appeared. Ron fell into it with a loud bang, and the top closed. With a flick of his wrist, the lock started to melt, and soon the cage had no way out.
“That’s done.” Malfoy kicked the cage further inside the room then slammed the door behind him, muttering, “Why did I have to do this stupid task? Why couldn’t my father do it? Why me…”
The footsteps faded away, and Ginny looked up from her sawing.
“Ron? Ron, is that you? Harry! Ron’s here!”
Harry looked up as well.
“Oh no…”
“God… RON!!! WAKE UP!!! OPEN YOUR EYES!!! GET UP!!!”
“Be quiet! Someone might hear you!”
“I don’t care! RON!!! GET UP RIGHT NOW!!! Please don’t be dead… PLEASE WAKE UP!!!” Ginny screamed.
“Shut up, Ginny! Someone’s going to hear you, then they’ll find out that we’re sawing the cages!”
“My brother could be dying right there, and all you can say is ‘Shut up’?”
“There’s nothing else I can do!”
“Yes there is! Yell with me!”
“No!”
“Yes!”
“No!”
“Will you two just shut up? You interrupted my beauty sleep.” A mumbling voice came from Ron’s side of the room. In fact, it was Ron!
“Ron!” Ginny and Harry shouted in unison.
“That’s my name, isn’t it? Anyways, how the heck did I get here?” Ron scratched his head. “My head hurts.”
Ginny and Harry looked at each other in relief. He was okay!
“We’re in the Death Eater headquarters,” explained Ginny, “and we think that they’re going to starve us in here.”
“Wait… Why?”
Ginny continued, “We think that Malfoy has been ordered to kill me, so he has been after me for a while. He captured Harry as well, so he’s probably going to be turned over to Voldemort any day now.” Ron cringed at You-know-who’s name. “So, instead of murdering me with the unforgivable curse, he’s going to starve me. Odds are, you’re probably going to be starved too.”
Ron swayed inside his cage. “I’m going to die here. I’m never going to see the Burrow again, or my mum, or my brothers, or Hermione, or Hogwarts, and the last thing I’m ever going to see is Malfoy’s smirk. I’m going to die… Going to die… Die… Die…”
“Ron?” Ginny asked nervously. “Were you hit in the head today?”
“Die… Going… To… Starve…”
“Er… Ron? Are you okay?”
Ron froze. He gave a strange smile. “Am I okay? Am I okay? Well… I’M NOT OKAY AT ALL! I’M GOING TO STARVE!! HOW IS THAT FOR OKAY??”
Harry banged on his cage, making Ron stop. “We’re not going to die! I found a strange tunnel in my cage, so Ginny and I have been sawing at our bars with rocks! Here,” he said as he slid a piece of stone across the floor to Ron. Ron picked it up gingerly.
“I’m supposed to use this as a saw?”
“Yeah…”
“And if I don’t get out, Malfoy’s going to starve me?”
“Umm… Yeah.”
“And a few yards away there are Death Eaters?”
“Yeah?”
Ron fainted.
“That was,” Ginny said, “not the toughest thing Ron could have done right now.”
Harry shrugged, and both he and Ginny returned to their sawing of the bars.
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It was now morning, and Hermione had woken up early. Ron hadn’t returned that night. Best guess was, he wasn’t going to come back any time soon. She had woken up early to go back outside to search for him; to help him, to get him back. She had planned on it, but the other people of the Burrow had decided differently.
“You are not going out there!” a tearful Mrs. Weasley had insisted. “First Harry and Ginny go missing, and now Ron! I’m not going to let you go too! You’re the only one left!”
“That’s exactly why I need to go!” Hermione had replied. “I have the best shot of finding them! I can’t just stay here and have the Order do everything! I need to get them myself!” (Hermione couldn’t believe that she was talking to Mrs. Weasley like this.)
“You’re not leaving this house!”
“I’ll get out of here eventually!”
“No you-…”
Bill had barged into the room.
“Oh, sorry. Am I interrupting something?”
“No, Bill,” sighed Mrs. Weasley. “Hermione and I were just discussing whether she should go outside today or not.”
“Oh, well, anyways… I went to that field you told me about, Hermione, and we identified who the blood belongs to!”
“Really?”
“Yes. It turns out that it isn’t Harry’s or Ginny’s.”
Hermione frowned. She took a deep breath and said, “Is it someone’s that we know?”
“Yes! It turns out that it belonged to Draco Malfoy!”
Hermione’s jaw dropped. It was Malfoy’s? As in, Death Eater Draco Malfoy? The boy she had hated since the first year, and had recently pushed Ginny into a vacuum of a pit? This couldn’t be…
“Um, Hermione?” Bill asked. “You know, we can use the blood as a sort of tracking device. With a spell we can track down the person if we have the sample of blood with us. We can easily find him this way.”
Yes! She was going to find Ron, Harry and Ginny!
“But there’s one problem.”
Oh…
“Like what?”
“Only a person within a year’s difference in age of the person whose sample of DNA you have can track the person. If you want, you can perform the spell, and the Order could follow you.”
Yes! She was going outside! Mrs. Weasley cut in the conversation.
“No! As long as Hermione is in my care, she is not accompanying the Order to the Death Eaters!”
“Mum, Hermione has faced worse.”
“I know, but-…”
“She’s coming.”
“I don’t want her to-…”
“Come on, Hermione.” Bill gestured for Hermione to follow him, and they both left the room, and met the Order outside. Tonks walked up to Hermione. She handed her a piece of paper.
“This is the spell you will be performing, here is the DNA sample,” she said as she handed a spotted red clump of grass, “and you will meet us back here in half an hour. You should get some stuff you think will help you.”
Hermione nodded her head, and then headed back inside the house.
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Ok, there it was. Please tell me if I should go live in a hole or not. Oh, and I have thought of a new idea for a fan fic, so I'm going to spend a little while on that. But, don't worry. It' won't be too long.
Woohoo! A new chapter. Here you go!
Chapter 16
Thankfully, Ron had woken up fifteen minutes after he had fainted.
“I did not faint!” he kept on saying to Ginny, who was giving him a hard time about it.
Harry and Ginny finished sawing the bars that separated their cages that night and Ginny had cut a few extras to give Ron a space to get into their cages, which just left Ron to saw his own bars. While he did that, Ginny and Harry had a small conversation about their escape plans.
“Maybe we should all go through at the same time,” said Ginny. “That way we know what happens to each other.”
“Yeah, but if something’s wrong, we don’t want all three of us getting hurt.”
“Better hurt together than separated.”
“I’m going to go first, and you and Ron are going to follow me when I come back.”
“And if you don’t come back?”
“I dunno…”
“Exactly. If you want, you could go in front of me, so if you fall through a hole, we can get you out.”
“I guess that could work.”
“So it’s settled?”
“Yeah… Ron? Are you okay if we follow Harry through the tunnel, and if he falls we could help him?”
Ron looked up from his sawing. “What?” He was completely oblivious to the whole conversation. “What were you talking about?”
Ginny sighed. “He said, is it okay with you if we let him lead us through the tunnel, and if he falls we could help him. That okay?”
“I guess… But how would we help him if he fell through a ceiling? We don’t have wands.
Harry smacked his hand against his forehead. “You’re right! We need to find out wands… Ron and I won’t be able to apparate without them, we won’t be able to defend ourselves, and the Death Eaters will be able to find us very easily.”
“Well,” Ginny put in, “maybe the tunnel will lead us to the room with our wands in it.”
“Maybe…” Harry’s voice trailed off, and soon there was complete silence except for the sound of Ron’s sawing, and an occasional, “OW!” from hitting himself with the rock.
“Are you done sawing yet, Ron?” asked Ginny.
“Almost…” Ron was on his last bar. He had to cut the top of the bar, and he would be free. “You know, I don’t see how the Death Eaters could be so oblivious to our escape.”
“I know, it’s weird, isn’t it?” said Harry. “It’s like they don’t even know we’re here.”
“Well…” Ginny started. “I think Malfoy was told to kill me, and then turn me over to Voldemort. Maybe he thinks that if anyone knows I’m still alive he’ll get in trouble.”
“Maybe…”
“Hey!” shouted Ron. “I’m free!” He climbed out of his cage. He stretched his arms and legs. “It was really cramped in there…” Harry and Ginny climbed out of their cages to meet Ron.
“You know,” said Ginny, “it feels really weird to be standing up after so long.”
“Yeah,” said Harry. “But, it still feels really nice.”
“Well, are we going into the tunnel?” asked Ron.
Ginny nodded her head and said, “Let’s go.
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“All right there, Hermione?” asked Tonks from a few yards away. They and several other Order members were on brooms, everyone following Hermione, who unfortunately was not that comfortable on a broom.
“I… I don’t really like this,” she answered shakily. “I’m not that great on a broomstick…”
“You’ll get used to it,” said Bill from behind her. “Just keep focus on your wand, and make sure you hold on to the broom handle at all times.”
“Okay…” Hermione looked at her wand, which was now pointing downwards. “I think we have to go down now.”
Bill looked over at her wand. “I think you’re right. EVERYBODY DOWN!!”
The group dived down. Hermione felt herself slowly slipping off her broom, but she held on tight. The wind stung her cheeks, and her eyes were beginning to water. The ground came into view. The Order started to pull up their brooms, but Hermione was going too fast… She couldn’t stop her broom…
CRASH!
Hermione’s broom handle sank into the grass. She fell off the seat, and landed on her back, staring up at the Order members still on their brooms. Kingsley, Bill and Tonks flew down to help her.
“Are you alright, Hermione?” asked Kingsley.
“You could have hurt yourself. Lucky the handles sunk into grass,” added Tonks.
“I’m fine,” said an embarrassed Hermione. “Let’s just go.” She picked up her wand, which pointed to a black blob in the distance. “I’ll just walk. You guys can follow me.” She walked forwards, hoping this was the place she had been looking for. That it was the place she could finally find her friends. It had been three days since she had last seen Harry and Ginny…
For the next half hour Hermione walked while the Order followed, and the blob in the distance became clearer, and it could finally be identified as a mansion.
“I think we found it!” she called out. She ran forwards, trying to get close enough to see if there was anything suspicious. She came up to it, and looked around.
It was not the happiest place on earth. The building was painted black, the places where there should have been grass were dry and covered in weeds, there were storm clouds above, and pieces of destroyed furniture rested here and there.
“How are we going to get inside?” asked Hermione.
“Well,” started Bill, “we thought that we could disillusion you, and you could get in. We would all follow you to make sure nothing happens…”
“You want me to… You want ME to… To sneak into the building, find Harry, Ginny and Ron, and get out of there safely?”
“Pretty much. Don’t worry. Nothing’s going to happen to you.”
Tonks walked up to Hermione, and waved her wand over her head. The feeling of having an egg cracked over her head came over Hermione, and when she looked down at herself, she could only make out her outline.
“Wish me luck,” she said as she pried open the building’s creaking door. With a last look at the Order, she headed inside, hoping that somewhere in this place, she would find her friends.
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“This is so gross, you guys! Why couldn’t this tunnel have come with an extra outfit?” Ginny complained.
“Be quiet,” said Harry. “Someone might hear us through the walls.”
“I know, but this is still really disgusting.”
“You know, Mate,” said Ron, “she does have a point. My knees are sinking into the ground from all of this crawling.”
Harry, Ginny and Ron had entered the tunnel, which was about as big as the passage to the Shrieking Shack. Ron was too tall too walk, which left him crawling. Harry and Ginny had to lean forwards to avoid hitting their heads.
“And it’s really dark! Why couldn’t someone have found this place and bothered to put in some lamps?”
“Er… Ginny? We’re in a tunnel that leads to who knows where, not a hallway in Hogwarts.”
“I know… Hey! I see a light!” Ginny pointed to a beam of white light shining from below. Harry bent down and started digging at it with his fingers.
“What are you doing, Harry? You’re going to make this place cave in!”
Harry was splattering dirt on his face, Ginny and Ron. The dirt was getting under his fingernails, but it didn’t matter. The beam of light was getting bigger.
“Mate,” said Ron, “you’ve found a way out!” He moved dirt alongside Harry, and soon a metal grate was clear.
“Wait, I can hear something!” whispered Ginny. She got down on her knees and put an ear to the grate. “I think the Death Eaters are talking!”
Harry and Ron put their ears to the grate as well, and listened to the conversation below.
“When do you think the Dark Lord will kill the Malfoy boy?”
“He doesn’t have the guts… I’d say in about a week.”
“What do you think the Dark Lord will have him do next? That is, if he kills Weasley.”
“Probably kill some muggles.”
“I don’t think he expects Malfoy to complete this task.”
“Why did he want Malfoy to kill that Weasley girl?”
“He said it would be easy to break Potter that way.”
“If Malfoy does this task, I can’t wait to see her dead body, all broken and frail…”
“Me to…”
Ginny moved away from the grate, horrified. She was trembling. Harry watched her.
“I’m out of here,” she whispered as she started to move away from Harry and Ron, but Harry grabbed her ankle.
“You are not going anywhere!” he said. “You are going to stay here, and we will wait until they’re gone! It’s okay…”
Down below, the Death Eaters stopped talking.
“Hey, did you guys hear something?” one of them said. The Death Eater below walked right below the grate where the three were standing. Harry tried not to gasp in pain as Ginny clutched his arm, digging her nails into his skin.
“Nope. Guess I imagined it.”
Ginny let go of Harry, and let out a sigh of relief.
“Wait! There it was again! Something’s up there!”
“Probably just a rat.”
“No, really!” The footsteps returned once again. Harry, Ginny and Ron moved off of the grate. “Confringo!”
The grate and surrounding ceiling exploded, leaving the three visible for the room of the Death Eaters to see. For a few moments there was a silence from shock, broken by a Death Eater’s call of, “It’s Potter and the Weasleys!”
Ginny screamed and started to run further into the passage, Harry soon followed, but Ron sat there frozen.
“Come on, Ron!” Ginny shouted. “Move!”
Harry went back for him and pulled on his arm, but Ron wouldn’t budge.
“Help me!” he shouted at Ginny. Ginny moved over and started to tug as well.
“Move, Ron! They’re going to kill us if they don’t!”
Spells were now narrowly missing them. One came very close to hitting Harry.
“Let’s get out of here!” he yelled.
“Crucio!” a Death Eater shouted from below, and the spell hit Ron in the face. Ron fell through the hole, and landed on the floor below.
“Ron!” both Harry and Ginny shouted.
“Crucio!”
Harry yelled and he fell, landing on top of Ron.
Ginny moved away from the hole, not knowing what to do. If she didn’t get down there to help Harry and Ron, they would be killed. If she went to help them, all three of them would be killed. But, which decision to make…
She moved back to the hole and jumped, landing in the center of the group of Death Eaters. She got up as quickly as she could, pulling Harry and Ron up with her, but they moaned and fell back down.
“Ginny Weasley…” a woman’s voice from her left said. “So brave coming back down for your brother and friend.” Bellatrix Lestrange stepped forwards from the group. “I’m surprised. If I were you, I would have saved myself… My friends wouldn’t have wanted me to sacrifice myself, would they? But you had to save them, didn’t you? You and your pathetic Gryffindor spirit… You’re going to die in a few moments. And your friends won’t even be able to help you,” she pointed her wand at Ron while another pointed at Harry, “Because you’re going to watch them die first. That’s what you get for escaping. You could have had a nice death, starving, but you chose to escape, so your death will be long. And painful. I’m sure the Dark Lord won’t mind if we finish off Potter before he does…”
Ginny shook, and looked for a way out of this. No. Death Eaters were completely surrounding her, and Ron and Harry were moaning in pain on the ground. She had no wand, she was sore from being in small, cramped places for so long, and ten Death Eaters had their wands pointed at her. If she even attempted to move, she would be killed.
“Fine,” she said shakily. “You win.”
“Such a stupid girl…” Bellatrix said. “Staying brave as if she’s going to escape. Well, there’s no way that anyone’s going to find you. You should be glad I’ve let you live this long.”
“No way out?” Ginny asked as she glanced at the door.
“Yes. There’s no way out. You’re going to die now, Ginny Weasley.”
She smiled and said, “No I’m not.”
Hermione, Tonks, Bill and several other Order members burst in at that moment, wands raised.
Ginny looked back at Bellatrix. “I see my rescue party has come.”
The Order ran forwards, and a new battle had begun.
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So I gave you a big cliff hanger. Are you mad at me? Please give me advice or criticism by giving me feedback. The link's in my signature. REVIEW! And Happy NEW YEAR!!!!!
Chapter 16
Thankfully, Ron had woken up fifteen minutes after he had fainted.
“I did not faint!” he kept on saying to Ginny, who was giving him a hard time about it.
Harry and Ginny finished sawing the bars that separated their cages that night and Ginny had cut a few extras to give Ron a space to get into their cages, which just left Ron to saw his own bars. While he did that, Ginny and Harry had a small conversation about their escape plans.
“Maybe we should all go through at the same time,” said Ginny. “That way we know what happens to each other.”
“Yeah, but if something’s wrong, we don’t want all three of us getting hurt.”
“Better hurt together than separated.”
“I’m going to go first, and you and Ron are going to follow me when I come back.”
“And if you don’t come back?”
“I dunno…”
“Exactly. If you want, you could go in front of me, so if you fall through a hole, we can get you out.”
“I guess that could work.”
“So it’s settled?”
“Yeah… Ron? Are you okay if we follow Harry through the tunnel, and if he falls we could help him?”
Ron looked up from his sawing. “What?” He was completely oblivious to the whole conversation. “What were you talking about?”
Ginny sighed. “He said, is it okay with you if we let him lead us through the tunnel, and if he falls we could help him. That okay?”
“I guess… But how would we help him if he fell through a ceiling? We don’t have wands.
Harry smacked his hand against his forehead. “You’re right! We need to find out wands… Ron and I won’t be able to apparate without them, we won’t be able to defend ourselves, and the Death Eaters will be able to find us very easily.”
“Well,” Ginny put in, “maybe the tunnel will lead us to the room with our wands in it.”
“Maybe…” Harry’s voice trailed off, and soon there was complete silence except for the sound of Ron’s sawing, and an occasional, “OW!” from hitting himself with the rock.
“Are you done sawing yet, Ron?” asked Ginny.
“Almost…” Ron was on his last bar. He had to cut the top of the bar, and he would be free. “You know, I don’t see how the Death Eaters could be so oblivious to our escape.”
“I know, it’s weird, isn’t it?” said Harry. “It’s like they don’t even know we’re here.”
“Well…” Ginny started. “I think Malfoy was told to kill me, and then turn me over to Voldemort. Maybe he thinks that if anyone knows I’m still alive he’ll get in trouble.”
“Maybe…”
“Hey!” shouted Ron. “I’m free!” He climbed out of his cage. He stretched his arms and legs. “It was really cramped in there…” Harry and Ginny climbed out of their cages to meet Ron.
“You know,” said Ginny, “it feels really weird to be standing up after so long.”
“Yeah,” said Harry. “But, it still feels really nice.”
“Well, are we going into the tunnel?” asked Ron.
Ginny nodded her head and said, “Let’s go.
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“All right there, Hermione?” asked Tonks from a few yards away. They and several other Order members were on brooms, everyone following Hermione, who unfortunately was not that comfortable on a broom.
“I… I don’t really like this,” she answered shakily. “I’m not that great on a broomstick…”
“You’ll get used to it,” said Bill from behind her. “Just keep focus on your wand, and make sure you hold on to the broom handle at all times.”
“Okay…” Hermione looked at her wand, which was now pointing downwards. “I think we have to go down now.”
Bill looked over at her wand. “I think you’re right. EVERYBODY DOWN!!”
The group dived down. Hermione felt herself slowly slipping off her broom, but she held on tight. The wind stung her cheeks, and her eyes were beginning to water. The ground came into view. The Order started to pull up their brooms, but Hermione was going too fast… She couldn’t stop her broom…
CRASH!
Hermione’s broom handle sank into the grass. She fell off the seat, and landed on her back, staring up at the Order members still on their brooms. Kingsley, Bill and Tonks flew down to help her.
“Are you alright, Hermione?” asked Kingsley.
“You could have hurt yourself. Lucky the handles sunk into grass,” added Tonks.
“I’m fine,” said an embarrassed Hermione. “Let’s just go.” She picked up her wand, which pointed to a black blob in the distance. “I’ll just walk. You guys can follow me.” She walked forwards, hoping this was the place she had been looking for. That it was the place she could finally find her friends. It had been three days since she had last seen Harry and Ginny…
For the next half hour Hermione walked while the Order followed, and the blob in the distance became clearer, and it could finally be identified as a mansion.
“I think we found it!” she called out. She ran forwards, trying to get close enough to see if there was anything suspicious. She came up to it, and looked around.
It was not the happiest place on earth. The building was painted black, the places where there should have been grass were dry and covered in weeds, there were storm clouds above, and pieces of destroyed furniture rested here and there.
“How are we going to get inside?” asked Hermione.
“Well,” started Bill, “we thought that we could disillusion you, and you could get in. We would all follow you to make sure nothing happens…”
“You want me to… You want ME to… To sneak into the building, find Harry, Ginny and Ron, and get out of there safely?”
“Pretty much. Don’t worry. Nothing’s going to happen to you.”
Tonks walked up to Hermione, and waved her wand over her head. The feeling of having an egg cracked over her head came over Hermione, and when she looked down at herself, she could only make out her outline.
“Wish me luck,” she said as she pried open the building’s creaking door. With a last look at the Order, she headed inside, hoping that somewhere in this place, she would find her friends.
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“This is so gross, you guys! Why couldn’t this tunnel have come with an extra outfit?” Ginny complained.
“Be quiet,” said Harry. “Someone might hear us through the walls.”
“I know, but this is still really disgusting.”
“You know, Mate,” said Ron, “she does have a point. My knees are sinking into the ground from all of this crawling.”
Harry, Ginny and Ron had entered the tunnel, which was about as big as the passage to the Shrieking Shack. Ron was too tall too walk, which left him crawling. Harry and Ginny had to lean forwards to avoid hitting their heads.
“And it’s really dark! Why couldn’t someone have found this place and bothered to put in some lamps?”
“Er… Ginny? We’re in a tunnel that leads to who knows where, not a hallway in Hogwarts.”
“I know… Hey! I see a light!” Ginny pointed to a beam of white light shining from below. Harry bent down and started digging at it with his fingers.
“What are you doing, Harry? You’re going to make this place cave in!”
Harry was splattering dirt on his face, Ginny and Ron. The dirt was getting under his fingernails, but it didn’t matter. The beam of light was getting bigger.
“Mate,” said Ron, “you’ve found a way out!” He moved dirt alongside Harry, and soon a metal grate was clear.
“Wait, I can hear something!” whispered Ginny. She got down on her knees and put an ear to the grate. “I think the Death Eaters are talking!”
Harry and Ron put their ears to the grate as well, and listened to the conversation below.
“When do you think the Dark Lord will kill the Malfoy boy?”
“He doesn’t have the guts… I’d say in about a week.”
“What do you think the Dark Lord will have him do next? That is, if he kills Weasley.”
“Probably kill some muggles.”
“I don’t think he expects Malfoy to complete this task.”
“Why did he want Malfoy to kill that Weasley girl?”
“He said it would be easy to break Potter that way.”
“If Malfoy does this task, I can’t wait to see her dead body, all broken and frail…”
“Me to…”
Ginny moved away from the grate, horrified. She was trembling. Harry watched her.
“I’m out of here,” she whispered as she started to move away from Harry and Ron, but Harry grabbed her ankle.
“You are not going anywhere!” he said. “You are going to stay here, and we will wait until they’re gone! It’s okay…”
Down below, the Death Eaters stopped talking.
“Hey, did you guys hear something?” one of them said. The Death Eater below walked right below the grate where the three were standing. Harry tried not to gasp in pain as Ginny clutched his arm, digging her nails into his skin.
“Nope. Guess I imagined it.”
Ginny let go of Harry, and let out a sigh of relief.
“Wait! There it was again! Something’s up there!”
“Probably just a rat.”
“No, really!” The footsteps returned once again. Harry, Ginny and Ron moved off of the grate. “Confringo!”
The grate and surrounding ceiling exploded, leaving the three visible for the room of the Death Eaters to see. For a few moments there was a silence from shock, broken by a Death Eater’s call of, “It’s Potter and the Weasleys!”
Ginny screamed and started to run further into the passage, Harry soon followed, but Ron sat there frozen.
“Come on, Ron!” Ginny shouted. “Move!”
Harry went back for him and pulled on his arm, but Ron wouldn’t budge.
“Help me!” he shouted at Ginny. Ginny moved over and started to tug as well.
“Move, Ron! They’re going to kill us if they don’t!”
Spells were now narrowly missing them. One came very close to hitting Harry.
“Let’s get out of here!” he yelled.
“Crucio!” a Death Eater shouted from below, and the spell hit Ron in the face. Ron fell through the hole, and landed on the floor below.
“Ron!” both Harry and Ginny shouted.
“Crucio!”
Harry yelled and he fell, landing on top of Ron.
Ginny moved away from the hole, not knowing what to do. If she didn’t get down there to help Harry and Ron, they would be killed. If she went to help them, all three of them would be killed. But, which decision to make…
She moved back to the hole and jumped, landing in the center of the group of Death Eaters. She got up as quickly as she could, pulling Harry and Ron up with her, but they moaned and fell back down.
“Ginny Weasley…” a woman’s voice from her left said. “So brave coming back down for your brother and friend.” Bellatrix Lestrange stepped forwards from the group. “I’m surprised. If I were you, I would have saved myself… My friends wouldn’t have wanted me to sacrifice myself, would they? But you had to save them, didn’t you? You and your pathetic Gryffindor spirit… You’re going to die in a few moments. And your friends won’t even be able to help you,” she pointed her wand at Ron while another pointed at Harry, “Because you’re going to watch them die first. That’s what you get for escaping. You could have had a nice death, starving, but you chose to escape, so your death will be long. And painful. I’m sure the Dark Lord won’t mind if we finish off Potter before he does…”
Ginny shook, and looked for a way out of this. No. Death Eaters were completely surrounding her, and Ron and Harry were moaning in pain on the ground. She had no wand, she was sore from being in small, cramped places for so long, and ten Death Eaters had their wands pointed at her. If she even attempted to move, she would be killed.
“Fine,” she said shakily. “You win.”
“Such a stupid girl…” Bellatrix said. “Staying brave as if she’s going to escape. Well, there’s no way that anyone’s going to find you. You should be glad I’ve let you live this long.”
“No way out?” Ginny asked as she glanced at the door.
“Yes. There’s no way out. You’re going to die now, Ginny Weasley.”
She smiled and said, “No I’m not.”
Hermione, Tonks, Bill and several other Order members burst in at that moment, wands raised.
Ginny looked back at Bellatrix. “I see my rescue party has come.”
The Order ran forwards, and a new battle had begun.
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So I gave you a big cliff hanger. Are you mad at me? Please give me advice or criticism by giving me feedback. The link's in my signature. REVIEW! And Happy NEW YEAR!!!!!
Here's a new chapter! It's my big battle scene (which may not be that big) and I hope you like it.
Chapter 17
Kingsley and Hermione immediately ran over to Ron, Harry and Ginny.
“We have your wands!” Hermione told them as she gave Ginny a hug. “They were in the room next door.”
“Thanks…” Harry said weakly as he took his wand from Kingsley. Ginny and Ron followed suit.
Kingsley nodded his head at the four teens and said, “Hopefully I’ll see you soon,” before running off to fight.
“I’m so glad you guys are okay!” Hermione shouted over the noise that had started.
“I can’t believe you just saved me from dying!” Ron shouted back. “They were about to kill the three of us!”
“Yeah!” agreed Ginny. “Lestrange was all, ‘You’re going to die now, Ginny Weasley’. A few seconds later you would have just seen our dead bodies!”
Hermione was feeling sick with the thought.
“Well, let’s get away from here before a spell hits us!”
The four split up, Hermione turning around to find Bellatrix Lestrange. She was fuming.
“You were brave to come here, mudblood.”
Hermione nodded nervously as she raised her wand. “Yes. I was. STUPEFY!”
The spell missed, hitting another Death Eater in the back. She ducked, dodging a shot of green light. Hermione began to run, knowing she wouldn’t last long against Bellatrix. After she got a distance of three yards, she fell, a leg binding curse having hit her. She rolled over onto her back, staring up at Amycus Carrow. He was giving off a wheezy laugh. He pointed his wand at her, a flash of blue light coming out.
Hermione felt a sting at the side of her face and felt something wet and sticky. Blood… She got her wand back in her hand.
“PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!!”
Surprised, Carrow fell to the ground frozen. Hermione took care to kick his wand away as her leg binding curse was lifted. She ran over to help Ron, who was fighting Rookwood.
“Hermione!” he shouted. “Help me!”
“What do you think I’m doing?” she asked. “Stupefy!” Rookwood flicked his wand, the curse hitting Amycus, who was just getting up.
“Right… Stupefy!” Ron’s curse missed, and instead of hitting Rookwood, it narrowly missed Tonks’ head. “SORRY!” he yelled. Rookwood was raising his wand…
“Ron! Pay attention!” Hermione shouted.
“Oh. Sor- AARGH!” Rookwood’s curse hit him in the head, and he keeled over. Looking up, he had the same expression he had worn that night in the Ministry of Magic.
“Look,” he said cheerfully. “You’re head is bleeding. That’s weird, Hermione…”
“Ron?” she asked. “Ron? Are you okay?”
“Why is it bleeding? You look strange…” He looked around. “People are fighting. That’s funny…”
“Ron, get up!” Hermione pleaded. She tugged at his shirt. “Get up!” She brought him to his feet, trying to get him to balance. He fell back down. “Ron…” She started to drag him over to the corner of the room.
“Hermione, no… This is weird… Stop! I don’t like this… OW!”
Someone had just kicked Ron in the head. His head was rolling around on his neck. His eyes were half closed. Hermione had to put him somewhere…
She brought him to the corner of the room nearest to the door.
“Stay there,” she commanded him. He didn’t answer. Hoping that he would be getting up soon, Hermione left him there.
She looked to the center of the room where Harry was battling a big, blonde Death Eater. He didn’t notice Bellatrix raising her wand at him.
“HARRY! HARRY, DUCK! BELLATRIX IS BEHIND YOU!”
Harry didn’t hear her calls. There was only one thing left to do…
Hermione ran forwards, and pushed Harry into the crowd. Bellatrix couldn’t see him anymore, and neither could the Death Eater. She ran to meet him, running along the wall so no one could see her.
“Harry!” she shouted. She dodged a spell. “Harry! Are you alright?”
Harry was clutching his rib, and he had a bruise forming on his forehead. “What did you push me for?”
“Bellatrix was going to curse you from behind.”
“Oh,” he panted. “Thanks, Hermione. What happened to your head?”
Hermione shook her head. “Maybe I’ll tell you later… I’ll see you soon.” She left Harry alone in the center of the group casting spells at each other. He looked at Bellatrix who was moving towards Ron. He didn’t look right… She was going to hurt him!
“LESTRANGE!”
Bellatrix turned around to face Harry.
“Looks like itty, bitty, Potter wants to play!” She walked up to Harry. “Potter wants revenge on me for what I did to his dear godfather, doesn’t he?” She gave him a wicked grin now. “He’s gone now, Potter. And he’s not coming back.”
“IMPEDIMIENTA!”
Bellatrix blocked the curse. “You’ll have to try better than that, Potter. Crucio!”
Harry dodged, and the spell hit the wall behind him. He looked at the ceiling above Bellatrix. He wouldn’t be able to hit her. If the ceiling collapsed on her head…
“CONFRINGO!”
The ceiling broke off, landing a foot away from his target. The hole revealed a large pipe. It didn’t look too stable.
A rumbling came from above, and practically everyone stopped fighting to look for the source. Harry looked at the pipe. Water was trickling from the connectors… Oh no…
BANG!
The pipe fell apart, and water started to gush from the hole in the ceiling into the room below. The place was going to flood.
“Expelliarmus!” Bellatrix shouted, and Harry’s wand went flying.
Bellatrix started to move away, but stopped, aiming her wand at Ginny, who was standing by the wall at the other side of the room. A red jet of light shot from her wand, hitting the wall directly over her head, and the wall collapsed, Ginny trapped underneath. Harry was the only one who had noticed.
The Death Eaters all pointed their wands at the Order members.
“If any one of you tries to escape before us,” said Bellatrix, “you will be killed. Purebloods first.”
Knowing that it was best, the Order and Ron, Harry and Ginny watched as the Death Eaters moved out, the water splashing out into the halls. A minute later every Death Eater had left the building, and probably warned Voldemort not to come.
“EVERYONE OUT!” Tonks yelled, and the Order waded through the water to get to the door, disappearing. Only Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione remained.
“Let’s go!” Ron shouted, and he and Hermione made their way out. Harry remembered Ginny still under the wall. He swam over to the collapsed side of the room in the now-waist-deep water. Harry then realized he didn’t have a wand.
“Are you there?” he yelled.
“Water’s getting in here…” a muffled voice came from underneath.
Another pipe burst, and more water came gushing down. The pressure of the water closed the door, trapping the two inside.
“I need to find my wand!” Harry shouted, and he started to search. His clothes were weighing him down, and the water was getting up to his chest.
“Hurry!” Ginny yelled from underneath the wall. “I’m up to my neck here!”
“I can’t find my wand!” Harry had to swim to get around. “It should be around here somewhere!”
“There’s too much water…” Gurgling noises were all that could be heard of Ginny now…
Harry’s wand floating by the piece of ceiling he had collapsed.
“I found it!” He was struggling to keep his head above the water. “I’m going to get you!”
Harry dove underwater, and went back to the collapsed wall. He wished he knew that spell that Dumbledore had used during the Triwizard Tournament, the one that had let the four people stay underwater unharmed… He tried to cast a spell at the rubble, but all that came out was a stream of bubbles, and a lot of water came back in. Nonverbal spells… That’s what he had to do. But he was terrible at them…
He had to do it.
There wasn’t going to be a way out if he didn’t.
He would be stuck in here.
And drown.
Focus, he thought, and he aimed his wand at wall. Just say the spell in your head…
Confringo, he thought.
Nothing happened.
CONFRINGO!
Nothing. He was going to drown. In this room that had almost completely filled up with water. This was his entire fault. If he hadn’t opened the ceiling up, or damaged the water pipe…
He was getting lightheaded now. This wasn’t so bad…
Wait. He had to get out of here. With the last energy he had, he pointed his wand at the rubble.
Confringo…
The water dulled the effects, so all that happened was the pieces of the wall floating away. There was Ginny, her eyes closed. Harry grabbed her, and headed towards the door.
Alohamora, he thought, and the door creaked open a bit. Before it could close again, Harry got through, and the water spilled out, flooding the hallways. He could breathe again…
Panting, he carried Ginny down the hall, turning corners he thought would lead him to the entrance. He was in luck… He came to a door, ankle deep in water. Pushing the door open, he walked outside, staring at the Order.
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I don't know if I'm going to end this soon or not... My other fic is going a bit better, and I have made this one pretty long. Tell me whether you think I should keep on going for another page, or that I should wrap it up in the next few chapters. I hope that you don't takek the pressure of this too hard... Review! The link's in my sig.
Chapter 17
Kingsley and Hermione immediately ran over to Ron, Harry and Ginny.
“We have your wands!” Hermione told them as she gave Ginny a hug. “They were in the room next door.”
“Thanks…” Harry said weakly as he took his wand from Kingsley. Ginny and Ron followed suit.
Kingsley nodded his head at the four teens and said, “Hopefully I’ll see you soon,” before running off to fight.
“I’m so glad you guys are okay!” Hermione shouted over the noise that had started.
“I can’t believe you just saved me from dying!” Ron shouted back. “They were about to kill the three of us!”
“Yeah!” agreed Ginny. “Lestrange was all, ‘You’re going to die now, Ginny Weasley’. A few seconds later you would have just seen our dead bodies!”
Hermione was feeling sick with the thought.
“Well, let’s get away from here before a spell hits us!”
The four split up, Hermione turning around to find Bellatrix Lestrange. She was fuming.
“You were brave to come here, mudblood.”
Hermione nodded nervously as she raised her wand. “Yes. I was. STUPEFY!”
The spell missed, hitting another Death Eater in the back. She ducked, dodging a shot of green light. Hermione began to run, knowing she wouldn’t last long against Bellatrix. After she got a distance of three yards, she fell, a leg binding curse having hit her. She rolled over onto her back, staring up at Amycus Carrow. He was giving off a wheezy laugh. He pointed his wand at her, a flash of blue light coming out.
Hermione felt a sting at the side of her face and felt something wet and sticky. Blood… She got her wand back in her hand.
“PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!!”
Surprised, Carrow fell to the ground frozen. Hermione took care to kick his wand away as her leg binding curse was lifted. She ran over to help Ron, who was fighting Rookwood.
“Hermione!” he shouted. “Help me!”
“What do you think I’m doing?” she asked. “Stupefy!” Rookwood flicked his wand, the curse hitting Amycus, who was just getting up.
“Right… Stupefy!” Ron’s curse missed, and instead of hitting Rookwood, it narrowly missed Tonks’ head. “SORRY!” he yelled. Rookwood was raising his wand…
“Ron! Pay attention!” Hermione shouted.
“Oh. Sor- AARGH!” Rookwood’s curse hit him in the head, and he keeled over. Looking up, he had the same expression he had worn that night in the Ministry of Magic.
“Look,” he said cheerfully. “You’re head is bleeding. That’s weird, Hermione…”
“Ron?” she asked. “Ron? Are you okay?”
“Why is it bleeding? You look strange…” He looked around. “People are fighting. That’s funny…”
“Ron, get up!” Hermione pleaded. She tugged at his shirt. “Get up!” She brought him to his feet, trying to get him to balance. He fell back down. “Ron…” She started to drag him over to the corner of the room.
“Hermione, no… This is weird… Stop! I don’t like this… OW!”
Someone had just kicked Ron in the head. His head was rolling around on his neck. His eyes were half closed. Hermione had to put him somewhere…
She brought him to the corner of the room nearest to the door.
“Stay there,” she commanded him. He didn’t answer. Hoping that he would be getting up soon, Hermione left him there.
She looked to the center of the room where Harry was battling a big, blonde Death Eater. He didn’t notice Bellatrix raising her wand at him.
“HARRY! HARRY, DUCK! BELLATRIX IS BEHIND YOU!”
Harry didn’t hear her calls. There was only one thing left to do…
Hermione ran forwards, and pushed Harry into the crowd. Bellatrix couldn’t see him anymore, and neither could the Death Eater. She ran to meet him, running along the wall so no one could see her.
“Harry!” she shouted. She dodged a spell. “Harry! Are you alright?”
Harry was clutching his rib, and he had a bruise forming on his forehead. “What did you push me for?”
“Bellatrix was going to curse you from behind.”
“Oh,” he panted. “Thanks, Hermione. What happened to your head?”
Hermione shook her head. “Maybe I’ll tell you later… I’ll see you soon.” She left Harry alone in the center of the group casting spells at each other. He looked at Bellatrix who was moving towards Ron. He didn’t look right… She was going to hurt him!
“LESTRANGE!”
Bellatrix turned around to face Harry.
“Looks like itty, bitty, Potter wants to play!” She walked up to Harry. “Potter wants revenge on me for what I did to his dear godfather, doesn’t he?” She gave him a wicked grin now. “He’s gone now, Potter. And he’s not coming back.”
“IMPEDIMIENTA!”
Bellatrix blocked the curse. “You’ll have to try better than that, Potter. Crucio!”
Harry dodged, and the spell hit the wall behind him. He looked at the ceiling above Bellatrix. He wouldn’t be able to hit her. If the ceiling collapsed on her head…
“CONFRINGO!”
The ceiling broke off, landing a foot away from his target. The hole revealed a large pipe. It didn’t look too stable.
A rumbling came from above, and practically everyone stopped fighting to look for the source. Harry looked at the pipe. Water was trickling from the connectors… Oh no…
BANG!
The pipe fell apart, and water started to gush from the hole in the ceiling into the room below. The place was going to flood.
“Expelliarmus!” Bellatrix shouted, and Harry’s wand went flying.
Bellatrix started to move away, but stopped, aiming her wand at Ginny, who was standing by the wall at the other side of the room. A red jet of light shot from her wand, hitting the wall directly over her head, and the wall collapsed, Ginny trapped underneath. Harry was the only one who had noticed.
The Death Eaters all pointed their wands at the Order members.
“If any one of you tries to escape before us,” said Bellatrix, “you will be killed. Purebloods first.”
Knowing that it was best, the Order and Ron, Harry and Ginny watched as the Death Eaters moved out, the water splashing out into the halls. A minute later every Death Eater had left the building, and probably warned Voldemort not to come.
“EVERYONE OUT!” Tonks yelled, and the Order waded through the water to get to the door, disappearing. Only Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione remained.
“Let’s go!” Ron shouted, and he and Hermione made their way out. Harry remembered Ginny still under the wall. He swam over to the collapsed side of the room in the now-waist-deep water. Harry then realized he didn’t have a wand.
“Are you there?” he yelled.
“Water’s getting in here…” a muffled voice came from underneath.
Another pipe burst, and more water came gushing down. The pressure of the water closed the door, trapping the two inside.
“I need to find my wand!” Harry shouted, and he started to search. His clothes were weighing him down, and the water was getting up to his chest.
“Hurry!” Ginny yelled from underneath the wall. “I’m up to my neck here!”
“I can’t find my wand!” Harry had to swim to get around. “It should be around here somewhere!”
“There’s too much water…” Gurgling noises were all that could be heard of Ginny now…
Harry’s wand floating by the piece of ceiling he had collapsed.
“I found it!” He was struggling to keep his head above the water. “I’m going to get you!”
Harry dove underwater, and went back to the collapsed wall. He wished he knew that spell that Dumbledore had used during the Triwizard Tournament, the one that had let the four people stay underwater unharmed… He tried to cast a spell at the rubble, but all that came out was a stream of bubbles, and a lot of water came back in. Nonverbal spells… That’s what he had to do. But he was terrible at them…
He had to do it.
There wasn’t going to be a way out if he didn’t.
He would be stuck in here.
And drown.
Focus, he thought, and he aimed his wand at wall. Just say the spell in your head…
Confringo, he thought.
Nothing happened.
CONFRINGO!
Nothing. He was going to drown. In this room that had almost completely filled up with water. This was his entire fault. If he hadn’t opened the ceiling up, or damaged the water pipe…
He was getting lightheaded now. This wasn’t so bad…
Wait. He had to get out of here. With the last energy he had, he pointed his wand at the rubble.
Confringo…
The water dulled the effects, so all that happened was the pieces of the wall floating away. There was Ginny, her eyes closed. Harry grabbed her, and headed towards the door.
Alohamora, he thought, and the door creaked open a bit. Before it could close again, Harry got through, and the water spilled out, flooding the hallways. He could breathe again…
Panting, he carried Ginny down the hall, turning corners he thought would lead him to the entrance. He was in luck… He came to a door, ankle deep in water. Pushing the door open, he walked outside, staring at the Order.
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I don't know if I'm going to end this soon or not... My other fic is going a bit better, and I have made this one pretty long. Tell me whether you think I should keep on going for another page, or that I should wrap it up in the next few chapters. I hope that you don't takek the pressure of this too hard... Review! The link's in my sig.
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Chapter 18
Everyone was silent, marveling at Harry holding an unconscious Ginny. He set her down on the dirt.
“IS SOMEONE GOING TO HELP ME OR NOT?” Harry yelled. “GINNY’S UNCONSCIOUS HERE, AND ALL YOU’RE DOING IS STARING! DO SOMETHING!”
Bill got up and ran over. His forehead was dripping blood, and he was panting.
“I’ll do the spell,” he said. “Simple spell…” He pointed his wand at Ginny. “Wasserkommen…”
A shot of purple light hit her in the chest, and Ginny turned over on to her stomach. A lot of water spilled out of her mouth…
“Thanks for making sure I got out, you guys,” she mumbled sarcastically. “I really appreciate it…”
“That’s it?” Harry asked.
“That’s it,” replied Bill. “Let’s go…”
He turned away and stumbled to a torn sofa that was lying nearby. He collapsed, leaning against it. Hermione got up and ran over to hug Harry.
“I’m sorry, Harry,” she whispered. “We should have helped you. What happened?” She let go, staring at him. Ginny was still on the ground.
“What happened was…” Ginny said quietly from below, “…was that Bellatrix made a wall collapse, and no one but Harry noticed.”
Ron had come over now, a bump rising on his forehead. He was staring at Harry as well. “I thought… But now… You both… Wow…”
“Wow was exactly what I was thinking,” Harry murmured.
“Well,” said Ginny, “no one noticed but him, so I was stuck there with water up to my head. But, he got me out of there…”
Hermione couldn’t take it any longer. She pulled Ginny to her feet and hugged her. “I’m so sorry!” she said hysterically. “If I had known I would have helped!” She let go, crying. “How could I have not seen you? You could have been out so much earlier!”
“Stop crying, Hermione,” Ginny said, giving her a small smile, swaying slightly. “It’s not like I’m dead.”
“You’re right,” she sniffed, wiping her eyes with her soaking-wet robes. “I’m over -overreacting.”
Ron finally spoke, saying, “Come on. Let’s go.” Not wanting to talk anymore, he took Hermione by the arm and led her over to a broken armchair and sat her down, leaving Harry and Ginny alone. Harry looked everywhere but at Ginny, feeling a bit awkward. Ginny laughed weakly at him.
“Well,” she said. “You’re the hero again, aren’t you?”
Harry shrugged. “Not really…”
Ginny smiled. “Don’t deny it. You’ve saved me way too many times this summer.”
“Not really…”
“You found me when I was stuck in that hole –“
“But,” Harry argued, “Hermione helped me with that! If she hadn’t found that spell –“
“You got us out of those cages –“
“But we didn’t get out safely, did we?”
“You got me out from under the wall –“
“I –“ Harry started to say. He had started to that he wasn’t a hero at all, and that he was merely lucky, but Ginny had run forward and given him a hug.
“Thank you,” she whispered into his ear. “And don’t deny being the hero, because then you’ll be lying.” She let go, and ran off to help Hermione, who was fixing the bump on Ron’s head.
Harry just stood there, not knowing what to do. With no cuts to be healed, and not skilled enough to heal anyone’s wounds, he just looked around.
Tonks was resting against a tree, her arm slowly being bandaged by Kingsley. Bill was asleep, his head resting on an old sofa cushion, obviously exhausted. Most Order members were sprawled across the ground, too tired to sit up. Bruises and scrapes showed on their skin. Fighting inside a room with limited space, smashing against walls and furniture, and bumping into enemies was not a wise thing to do. Everyone’s clothes were soaking wet, especially Harry and Ginny’s, which had gone completely underwater.
How could the Death Eaters have gone like that? Harry thought. Just abandoning their headquarters, just moving to another location. Cowards, he thought. They could have easily collapsed the walls and kept on fighting, opened the door so the water could rush outside. What was a stupid pipe to them? It wasn’t going to kill them… And why was he thinking this? What was wrong with him? Someone could have died if that battle hadn’t stopped. Why was he so mad at the Death Eaters for leaving? Did he want everyone to die? No… He wanted to kill Bellatrix. And he wasn’t going to rest until she took her last breath. That was his problem. He was going to go find her, and –
“Harry!” Hermione had finished fixing Ron’s head and had run up to him. “Harry, go sit down. You look exhausted.” Without waiting for him to say anything, she pulled him over to a broken armchair. “Sit.” She left, but where, Harry didn’t know. He was tired…
It would be really nice to sleep.
Right then.
At that very moment.
He closed his eyes, stretching his legs out, falling asleep comfortably for the first time in so many days…
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“Harry? Harry? You have to get up now. Kingsley wants to talk to us.”
“Wa…?”
“Kingsley wants to talk to us. That’s you, me, Ron, Ginny and the rest of the Order.”
“I don’ wan’ to…”
“You have to get up.”
“No…”
“GET UP!”
Hermione, who was the person begging for Harry to get up, pushed him off of the bed he was lying in. He fell on the floor with a thud. That woke him up…
“What was that for?” he asked angrily. He looked around. “And how did I get in this room?”
“Side along Apparation,” Hermione replied. “Bill grabbed your shirt while you were asleep and got you here. You’ve been sleeping for the past few hours.”
Harry pulled himself to his feet, grabbing his glasses from the bedside table. He noticed that they were cracked on the lens. Great. Just what he wanted today… Broken glasses, aching body, throbbing head and a set of dirty clothes were just what he needed to make his day extra special… Right.
“Come on,” Hermione said, pulling on his arm. “He’s waiting.”
Harry reluctantly followed her out of the room, through the hall, and out the door. Moody, Ron, Ginny and the Order were standing in front of him. Bill was giving him a welcoming smile. Once Harry had moved himself over to Ron’s left, Kingsley began to talk.
“I would like to say,” he started, “how happy I am that Harry, Ginny and Ron are back here safely.” He nodded in the teens’ direction. “And a thank you to Hermione. Without her, we would not have found them in the first place.
“Unfortunately, the Death Eaters escaped from their headquarters, but a few members of the Order who had stayed behind managed to track some down. Currently, Rookwood and Dolohov are on their way to Azkaban. But,” he continued, “We have another problem. If the Death Eaters have already notified Lord Voldemort of our discovery of their headquarters, two things may happen. One, he will just relocate and keep on plotting to find Harry, or two; he will try and find a piece of DNA in the old headquarters. If he finds a sample, he will attempt to find someone the same age as the one who the DNA belongs to. If it belongs to one of these three,” he nodded towards Ron, Hermione and Harry, “he will use young Mr. Malfoy. If it belongs to her,” he pointed at Ginny,” he will eventually find someone. As for the rest of you, he will attempt to use his Death Eaters.
“Hopefully, he will just relocate, and won’t bother with finding us at the moment. But, if he chooses to find us, it would be best if we stay under the best protection possible. The Burrow is no longer that safe for those who are staying here. I find it necessary that they stay at Grimmauld Place until the month is over, and they return to Hogwarts.” He stopped talking, looking for any reactions. There were none. Everyone stood there, silently agreeing to follow that suggestion.
“I see that there are no objections to this,” Kingsley said. “Now, I need to go deal with some important matters with the Muggle Prime Minister.” He gave everyone a wave, and trotted away, stopping a several meters away. He turned on the spot, disapparating, leaving everyone standing there. They were all silent.
“Well, now that that’s settled, Hermione, Ginny, Ron, Harry, go pack your things.” Mrs. Weasley had broken the silence. “We’ll go to Grimmauld Place in two days’ time.” She ushered the teens inside, leading them upstairs.
Once at the top, Mrs. Weasley went back outside, leaving the four at the top of the steps.
“Wow,” Ginny said. “He really must want to find us.”
“Yeah,” Ron agreed. “I wonder –“
“C’mon,” Hermione interrupted. “Let’s go pack.” She left, going to her room. Ginny shrugged, and then followed her.
Ron turned to Harry. “Voldemort’s a bit loony, don’t you think?”
“Yeah… C’mon.” Harry left, going to his room. Ron was the only one left, standing alone at the top of the stairs. He looked up at the next flight that would lead to his room.
“Why do I have to have a room on a different floor than everyone else?” he asked himself before trudging up the stairs, hoping he would be coming back home soon.
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Wow... It's been two whole weeks... I finally updated! I hope you liked it, and review! The link's in my siggy.
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Chapter 18
Everyone was silent, marveling at Harry holding an unconscious Ginny. He set her down on the dirt.
“IS SOMEONE GOING TO HELP ME OR NOT?” Harry yelled. “GINNY’S UNCONSCIOUS HERE, AND ALL YOU’RE DOING IS STARING! DO SOMETHING!”
Bill got up and ran over. His forehead was dripping blood, and he was panting.
“I’ll do the spell,” he said. “Simple spell…” He pointed his wand at Ginny. “Wasserkommen…”
A shot of purple light hit her in the chest, and Ginny turned over on to her stomach. A lot of water spilled out of her mouth…
“Thanks for making sure I got out, you guys,” she mumbled sarcastically. “I really appreciate it…”
“That’s it?” Harry asked.
“That’s it,” replied Bill. “Let’s go…”
He turned away and stumbled to a torn sofa that was lying nearby. He collapsed, leaning against it. Hermione got up and ran over to hug Harry.
“I’m sorry, Harry,” she whispered. “We should have helped you. What happened?” She let go, staring at him. Ginny was still on the ground.
“What happened was…” Ginny said quietly from below, “…was that Bellatrix made a wall collapse, and no one but Harry noticed.”
Ron had come over now, a bump rising on his forehead. He was staring at Harry as well. “I thought… But now… You both… Wow…”
“Wow was exactly what I was thinking,” Harry murmured.
“Well,” said Ginny, “no one noticed but him, so I was stuck there with water up to my head. But, he got me out of there…”
Hermione couldn’t take it any longer. She pulled Ginny to her feet and hugged her. “I’m so sorry!” she said hysterically. “If I had known I would have helped!” She let go, crying. “How could I have not seen you? You could have been out so much earlier!”
“Stop crying, Hermione,” Ginny said, giving her a small smile, swaying slightly. “It’s not like I’m dead.”
“You’re right,” she sniffed, wiping her eyes with her soaking-wet robes. “I’m over -overreacting.”
Ron finally spoke, saying, “Come on. Let’s go.” Not wanting to talk anymore, he took Hermione by the arm and led her over to a broken armchair and sat her down, leaving Harry and Ginny alone. Harry looked everywhere but at Ginny, feeling a bit awkward. Ginny laughed weakly at him.
“Well,” she said. “You’re the hero again, aren’t you?”
Harry shrugged. “Not really…”
Ginny smiled. “Don’t deny it. You’ve saved me way too many times this summer.”
“Not really…”
“You found me when I was stuck in that hole –“
“But,” Harry argued, “Hermione helped me with that! If she hadn’t found that spell –“
“You got us out of those cages –“
“But we didn’t get out safely, did we?”
“You got me out from under the wall –“
“I –“ Harry started to say. He had started to that he wasn’t a hero at all, and that he was merely lucky, but Ginny had run forward and given him a hug.
“Thank you,” she whispered into his ear. “And don’t deny being the hero, because then you’ll be lying.” She let go, and ran off to help Hermione, who was fixing the bump on Ron’s head.
Harry just stood there, not knowing what to do. With no cuts to be healed, and not skilled enough to heal anyone’s wounds, he just looked around.
Tonks was resting against a tree, her arm slowly being bandaged by Kingsley. Bill was asleep, his head resting on an old sofa cushion, obviously exhausted. Most Order members were sprawled across the ground, too tired to sit up. Bruises and scrapes showed on their skin. Fighting inside a room with limited space, smashing against walls and furniture, and bumping into enemies was not a wise thing to do. Everyone’s clothes were soaking wet, especially Harry and Ginny’s, which had gone completely underwater.
How could the Death Eaters have gone like that? Harry thought. Just abandoning their headquarters, just moving to another location. Cowards, he thought. They could have easily collapsed the walls and kept on fighting, opened the door so the water could rush outside. What was a stupid pipe to them? It wasn’t going to kill them… And why was he thinking this? What was wrong with him? Someone could have died if that battle hadn’t stopped. Why was he so mad at the Death Eaters for leaving? Did he want everyone to die? No… He wanted to kill Bellatrix. And he wasn’t going to rest until she took her last breath. That was his problem. He was going to go find her, and –
“Harry!” Hermione had finished fixing Ron’s head and had run up to him. “Harry, go sit down. You look exhausted.” Without waiting for him to say anything, she pulled him over to a broken armchair. “Sit.” She left, but where, Harry didn’t know. He was tired…
It would be really nice to sleep.
Right then.
At that very moment.
He closed his eyes, stretching his legs out, falling asleep comfortably for the first time in so many days…
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“Harry? Harry? You have to get up now. Kingsley wants to talk to us.”
“Wa…?”
“Kingsley wants to talk to us. That’s you, me, Ron, Ginny and the rest of the Order.”
“I don’ wan’ to…”
“You have to get up.”
“No…”
“GET UP!”
Hermione, who was the person begging for Harry to get up, pushed him off of the bed he was lying in. He fell on the floor with a thud. That woke him up…
“What was that for?” he asked angrily. He looked around. “And how did I get in this room?”
“Side along Apparation,” Hermione replied. “Bill grabbed your shirt while you were asleep and got you here. You’ve been sleeping for the past few hours.”
Harry pulled himself to his feet, grabbing his glasses from the bedside table. He noticed that they were cracked on the lens. Great. Just what he wanted today… Broken glasses, aching body, throbbing head and a set of dirty clothes were just what he needed to make his day extra special… Right.
“Come on,” Hermione said, pulling on his arm. “He’s waiting.”
Harry reluctantly followed her out of the room, through the hall, and out the door. Moody, Ron, Ginny and the Order were standing in front of him. Bill was giving him a welcoming smile. Once Harry had moved himself over to Ron’s left, Kingsley began to talk.
“I would like to say,” he started, “how happy I am that Harry, Ginny and Ron are back here safely.” He nodded in the teens’ direction. “And a thank you to Hermione. Without her, we would not have found them in the first place.
“Unfortunately, the Death Eaters escaped from their headquarters, but a few members of the Order who had stayed behind managed to track some down. Currently, Rookwood and Dolohov are on their way to Azkaban. But,” he continued, “We have another problem. If the Death Eaters have already notified Lord Voldemort of our discovery of their headquarters, two things may happen. One, he will just relocate and keep on plotting to find Harry, or two; he will try and find a piece of DNA in the old headquarters. If he finds a sample, he will attempt to find someone the same age as the one who the DNA belongs to. If it belongs to one of these three,” he nodded towards Ron, Hermione and Harry, “he will use young Mr. Malfoy. If it belongs to her,” he pointed at Ginny,” he will eventually find someone. As for the rest of you, he will attempt to use his Death Eaters.
“Hopefully, he will just relocate, and won’t bother with finding us at the moment. But, if he chooses to find us, it would be best if we stay under the best protection possible. The Burrow is no longer that safe for those who are staying here. I find it necessary that they stay at Grimmauld Place until the month is over, and they return to Hogwarts.” He stopped talking, looking for any reactions. There were none. Everyone stood there, silently agreeing to follow that suggestion.
“I see that there are no objections to this,” Kingsley said. “Now, I need to go deal with some important matters with the Muggle Prime Minister.” He gave everyone a wave, and trotted away, stopping a several meters away. He turned on the spot, disapparating, leaving everyone standing there. They were all silent.
“Well, now that that’s settled, Hermione, Ginny, Ron, Harry, go pack your things.” Mrs. Weasley had broken the silence. “We’ll go to Grimmauld Place in two days’ time.” She ushered the teens inside, leading them upstairs.
Once at the top, Mrs. Weasley went back outside, leaving the four at the top of the steps.
“Wow,” Ginny said. “He really must want to find us.”
“Yeah,” Ron agreed. “I wonder –“
“C’mon,” Hermione interrupted. “Let’s go pack.” She left, going to her room. Ginny shrugged, and then followed her.
Ron turned to Harry. “Voldemort’s a bit loony, don’t you think?”
“Yeah… C’mon.” Harry left, going to his room. Ron was the only one left, standing alone at the top of the stairs. He looked up at the next flight that would lead to his room.
“Why do I have to have a room on a different floor than everyone else?” he asked himself before trudging up the stairs, hoping he would be coming back home soon.
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Wow... It's been two whole weeks... I finally updated! I hope you liked it, and review! The link's in my siggy.
Wow. I left you all hanging a month ago when I last updated. I'm truly sorry about that. I've gotten very lazy, and tired of writing. But, I hope this chapter makes up for everything. There are new things to keep your interest... Enjoy! And review once you finish!
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Chapter 19
Draco Malfoy shook as he kneeled at the Dark Lord’s feet, begging for forgiveness.
“I am so sorry, my lord… Please… Have mercy… I will do better the next time… Please…”
The hooded man laughed, cold and harshly.
“Draco, you do not deserve another chance. You are pathetic, and useless. You do not deserve to live much longer.”
“Please, my lord… Please!”
“It would be so much easier if I just killed you. No more pain, suffering, losses, failure. You could die right now, and you would feel so much better. Is that what you want me to do? To have mercy, and just kill you? If so, let’s make this quick. I am very busy, Draco.”
“No, my Lord! Don’t kill me, Master! Give me another chance.”
“Why should I? You have already failed me several times. First you fail to murder that weak, old man, then you fail to kill the girl the first time, and then you fail the next time. Why should I give you another chance? You’ll just fall at my feet and start begging once more. You can’t even perform a simple spell to put the girl out of her misery. Instead, you chose to starve her. You weren’t even causing her any pain. You gave her a longer life. You could have given her lifeless body to me much earlier, with one simple curse. Or, you could have tortured her. Sure, it wouldn’t have killed her, but she would have suffered! No, you had to give her time to prepare to die. And, I hear that Potter was there as well? You didn’t even bother to tell the Dark Lord of this! Pathetic… And the girl’s brother, as well? What is wrong with you, Malfoy? Can’t you do something as simple as killing someone correctly?”
“Please, my lord! Please!”
“Please, what? Please kill you? I’ll do that gladly, young Malfoy. Gladly. Would you like to have your parents watch your final moments?”
“No! Please, no!”
“No, you won’t have your parents watch? Oh, but I think it would give them a fine lesson on what can happen to someone who fails their master. Actually, I think everyone should watch, don’t you all think?”
A few hoots of laughter and a lot of muttering passed through the chamber, a majority of the group glad to watch the murder of Draco Malfoy. Most had been very annoyed with the Dark Lord’s mercy up until this point. Others had been amused with the boy, and were glad that he was finally out of the way, and they would now be able to have him be gone while they went on their missions. Even though some had come to accept the boy, they all anticipated the moment they could watch him die, and have the Dark Lord perform another painful way for a failure to go.
“But, Draco. The Dark Lord is giving, luckily for you. I will kill you, but I will give you a day to prepare, saying goodbye to your loved ones, and such.”
“Thank… Thank… Thank you, my Lord,” Malfoy said weakly, letting go of the hems of Voldemort’s robes.
“Now, leave my presence! Everyone leave, and give your master time to himself.”
Hushed murmurs of excitement went out the door a long with the Death Eaters. The last to leave was Draco Malfoy, who was silently crying, his hood shadowing his tears.
There was only one solution to this problem.
He remembered the night Dumbledore had died. He had said that he would be able to take him in, and he could give him protection. Was it a lie? Or was it a true statement? There was only one way to find out, no matter how horrible it was.
He was going to try to contact the Order of the Phoenix.
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The day Draco Malfoy was sentenced to death was exactly three days after Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny had arrived at Grimmauld Place. Exactly three days after they walked through the front doors, staring at the familiar walls and heads of former house elves. Three days after they were put ‘some place safe.’
Mrs. Weasley had put them all to work, having them re-clean the whole house, dust and even more pests having gathered into the small, dark corners and stuffed themselves in drawers. Another infestation of Doxies had gathered in the shabby, hole filled curtains, and Ron had gotten a big surprise when he put his hand in a cupboard to find some food.
Hermione and Ginny had both scolded Ron for his action, saying that he should have known better than to stuff his hand into a random cabinet.
It was almost like it was two years ago, the four having to clean while the Order discussed Voldemort’s plans. The only difference was that Sirius was not there. Everyone could see how horrible Harry felt as he walked through the doors, staring at the home of his deceased godfather, the home that now belonged to him.
After the first night, a thought had come to Harry. Didn’t the Order say that Grimmauld Place was no longer a safe headquarters? He had confronted Kingsley, and asked him about that, and Kingsley replied that they had learned that the protection around the house was still up.
But, that was two days ago, and the four teens residing in the house were still bored. They still had the end of the month until Ginny left to go to school, and Harry, Hermione and Ron left to go search for Horcruxes.
“When d’you think we can leave this place?” Ginny asked the trio, her hands behind her head as she stared up at the ceiling.
“I dunno,” Ron replied, shrugging. “Maybe two weeks. But, we only have another three and a half weeks until you leave for Hogwarts and we go looking…” He stopped, not wanting to bring the subject of Voldemort up. Everyone was sick of the subject at the moment. Headquarters, hiding, the Order, trying to keep the trio and Ginny safe was also on the list of unmentionables. No one wanted to discuss these things any longer, annoyance, frustration and sadness the emotions that came along with them. Staying stuffed in the house of dark wizards didn’t exactly make their time there a piece of sunshine, either.
Ginny pounded the floor with her fists, moaning in frustration. “I want to get out of here!!! Why can’t the Death Eaters just leave us alone? Why can’t the world be a happy place? Voldemort’s taking over the Ministry? Muggleborns not allowed into Hogwarts? Harry’s wanted for “investigation,” and a reward will be given to whoever turns him in? What is wrong with the world?”
“That’s why we’re not going back to Hogwarts,” Hermione mumbled. “We need to fix the world, and put it the way it’s supposed to be. We could have had longer until this time, but when Dumbledore died, we had to this.” She let out a large sigh, before leaning back against the bed.
“What if you don’t fix it?” Ginny asked quietly. “What if you can’t do it, and we’re stuck like this for the rest of our lives? I used to think that nothing bad was going to happen, like when Voldemort came back three years ago. But now, everything’s changed. I don’t know if we can ever get over this. Voldemort’s not going down easily.”
“Don’t talk like that!” Harry said loudly. He sat up. “Voldemort will be gone, and we’re all going to be okay. People are going to die, and I’m certain of that, but I’m also certain that I will get rid of Voldemort, even if it’s the last thing I do!”
Everyone was quiet after that, all thinking privately in his or her minds about what Harry had just said. Ron was the first to stop thinking about it, and was first to leave the room, not wanting to discuss this any longer. Hermione had followed him out a few minutes later, leaving Harry and Ginny alone.
“You believe me, right?” Harry asked her quietly. “You know, that I’m going to get rid of Voldemort?”
Ginny was silent. Truthfully, she didn’t know if she could believe him or not. His job wasn’t going to be easy. Everyone knew that. But, if anyone could bring someone as powerful as Voldemort down, Harry could. But, was he really powerful enough?
“Right?” Harry said, looking over at Ginny. His eyes narrowed. “You don’t think I can do this.”
Ginny sat up, and brought her knees to her chest. She rocked back and forth for a few seconds. “I don’t know what to think,” she murmured.
Harry got up, and walked next to Ginny. He sat down next to her, staring over at the wall.
“Try to think that everything’s going to be better,” he said. “Try to think that this will all be over soon, and that all of the Dementors will be gone, and the world will be a better place. Try to think that everyone will be safe, and no more families will have to be separated. Try to think that everyone can be together again, and we can keep on going. Try to think that.”
Ginny rested her head on Harry’s shoulder. “It’s hard to think that. You know,” she gave a small laugh, trying to sound happier than she was, “most people think of me as kind of strong, right? They see that, but none of them really see that I’m such a pessimist, always doubting that we can keep on living safely.”
“You’re not a pessimist,” Harry told her, taking her hand and squeezing it. “You’re just afraid.”
“No, I’m a pessimist.”
“Don’t say that.” Harry kissed the top of Ginny’s head. It wasn’t on her mouth, but she still liked it, it giving her a slight feeling of hope. Well, she thought, I might as well enjoy the happy moments in life.
So the two sat there, in silence, both wondering about the future, and what was going to happen to them.
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Draco had managed to persuade the Death Eaters to let him out for his last day. “Have a last bit of fresh air,” he had told them. “I want to enjoy it for the last time.” They had laughed, but they let him go, but first telling him sternly that if he didn’t return, he would have more troubles than those concerning the Dark Lord’s wishes.
Draco had heard about Grimmauld Place from Yaxley and Rookwood. They said that they couldn’t see it, but they knew it was there. It was Number 12 Grimmauld Place, they said. If you’re lucky, someone will come out of it, and you can figure out who’s in the Order of the Phoenix, they said. According to them, everyone inside can see you, but you can’t see them due to enchantments around the building.
So there Draco stood, staring between numbers 11 and 13 Grimmauld Place, waiting for something to happen. Anything.
An hour later. Nothing.
Another hour later. Nothing.
By the time the third hour had passed, Draco lost hope. No one was going to come out. He was going to die tomorrow. He was going to die, going down in shame and regret. The Death Eaters would have the satisfaction of knowing that he was a goner from the start. He began to turn around. He started to walk away. Goodbye life… Goodbye… He wished he could give Potter one last insult… Just one.
A hand grabbed his shoulder roughly, and he felt himself being dragged backwards. He began to yell, but thought better of it. He knew who this could be.
A door was opened behind him, and Draco was thrown down onto the ground, skidding across the floor. He groaned in pain. Looking up, he saw a man who was missing a chunk of his nose, and had a magical blue eye that spun around in its socket. He remembered who this man was. Alastor Moody: ex-auror.
Moody pointed his wand at Draco, prepared to kill. “I don’t know why you’re here, boy,” he said, “but I know it isn’t good. Tell me what you were sent here for.” He kicked Draco in the back. “TELL ME!”
“No one sent me!” Draco groaned.
“Then why are you here, boy?” Moody gave him another kick. “Trying to take Potter? Or Miss Weasley, perhaps? You’ve messed with her quite enough, haven’t you? TELL ME WHY YOU ARE HERE!”
“I need help!”
Moody stopped yelling, and didn’t kick Draco this time. Instead, he took out his wand. “Imperio,” he muttered.
Draco knew that Moody was only using the Imperius curse on him as a last resort. If he had been just a teenager, not a Death Eater, this would not have been done. But, he was a Death Eater. He wasn’t trusted.
“Why are you here?” Moody asked him, knowing Draco would only speak the truth.
“I need help,” he muttered, almost robotically. “I’m going to be killed. I need protection.”
Moody lifted the curse. He stared. He stared at the boy who was lying on the ground. He stared, knowing that this was the truth, and that he had to help him, even though some people were not going to agree. As dangerous as this boy was, he had been forced into the Dark Lord’s service. Everyone knew that. He had to help him, even though some people would not agree.
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So, there it was. I sort of liked this chapter. I think it has been my favorite so far. Plus, it's the only one that I've actually let my dad even glance at... Strange. Well, please leave me a review. Advice, constructive criticism, praise, it's all welcome. The link is in my signature. Do not hesitate to click!!!!!
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Chapter 19
Draco Malfoy shook as he kneeled at the Dark Lord’s feet, begging for forgiveness.
“I am so sorry, my lord… Please… Have mercy… I will do better the next time… Please…”
The hooded man laughed, cold and harshly.
“Draco, you do not deserve another chance. You are pathetic, and useless. You do not deserve to live much longer.”
“Please, my lord… Please!”
“It would be so much easier if I just killed you. No more pain, suffering, losses, failure. You could die right now, and you would feel so much better. Is that what you want me to do? To have mercy, and just kill you? If so, let’s make this quick. I am very busy, Draco.”
“No, my Lord! Don’t kill me, Master! Give me another chance.”
“Why should I? You have already failed me several times. First you fail to murder that weak, old man, then you fail to kill the girl the first time, and then you fail the next time. Why should I give you another chance? You’ll just fall at my feet and start begging once more. You can’t even perform a simple spell to put the girl out of her misery. Instead, you chose to starve her. You weren’t even causing her any pain. You gave her a longer life. You could have given her lifeless body to me much earlier, with one simple curse. Or, you could have tortured her. Sure, it wouldn’t have killed her, but she would have suffered! No, you had to give her time to prepare to die. And, I hear that Potter was there as well? You didn’t even bother to tell the Dark Lord of this! Pathetic… And the girl’s brother, as well? What is wrong with you, Malfoy? Can’t you do something as simple as killing someone correctly?”
“Please, my lord! Please!”
“Please, what? Please kill you? I’ll do that gladly, young Malfoy. Gladly. Would you like to have your parents watch your final moments?”
“No! Please, no!”
“No, you won’t have your parents watch? Oh, but I think it would give them a fine lesson on what can happen to someone who fails their master. Actually, I think everyone should watch, don’t you all think?”
A few hoots of laughter and a lot of muttering passed through the chamber, a majority of the group glad to watch the murder of Draco Malfoy. Most had been very annoyed with the Dark Lord’s mercy up until this point. Others had been amused with the boy, and were glad that he was finally out of the way, and they would now be able to have him be gone while they went on their missions. Even though some had come to accept the boy, they all anticipated the moment they could watch him die, and have the Dark Lord perform another painful way for a failure to go.
“But, Draco. The Dark Lord is giving, luckily for you. I will kill you, but I will give you a day to prepare, saying goodbye to your loved ones, and such.”
“Thank… Thank… Thank you, my Lord,” Malfoy said weakly, letting go of the hems of Voldemort’s robes.
“Now, leave my presence! Everyone leave, and give your master time to himself.”
Hushed murmurs of excitement went out the door a long with the Death Eaters. The last to leave was Draco Malfoy, who was silently crying, his hood shadowing his tears.
There was only one solution to this problem.
He remembered the night Dumbledore had died. He had said that he would be able to take him in, and he could give him protection. Was it a lie? Or was it a true statement? There was only one way to find out, no matter how horrible it was.
He was going to try to contact the Order of the Phoenix.
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The day Draco Malfoy was sentenced to death was exactly three days after Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny had arrived at Grimmauld Place. Exactly three days after they walked through the front doors, staring at the familiar walls and heads of former house elves. Three days after they were put ‘some place safe.’
Mrs. Weasley had put them all to work, having them re-clean the whole house, dust and even more pests having gathered into the small, dark corners and stuffed themselves in drawers. Another infestation of Doxies had gathered in the shabby, hole filled curtains, and Ron had gotten a big surprise when he put his hand in a cupboard to find some food.
Hermione and Ginny had both scolded Ron for his action, saying that he should have known better than to stuff his hand into a random cabinet.
It was almost like it was two years ago, the four having to clean while the Order discussed Voldemort’s plans. The only difference was that Sirius was not there. Everyone could see how horrible Harry felt as he walked through the doors, staring at the home of his deceased godfather, the home that now belonged to him.
After the first night, a thought had come to Harry. Didn’t the Order say that Grimmauld Place was no longer a safe headquarters? He had confronted Kingsley, and asked him about that, and Kingsley replied that they had learned that the protection around the house was still up.
But, that was two days ago, and the four teens residing in the house were still bored. They still had the end of the month until Ginny left to go to school, and Harry, Hermione and Ron left to go search for Horcruxes.
“When d’you think we can leave this place?” Ginny asked the trio, her hands behind her head as she stared up at the ceiling.
“I dunno,” Ron replied, shrugging. “Maybe two weeks. But, we only have another three and a half weeks until you leave for Hogwarts and we go looking…” He stopped, not wanting to bring the subject of Voldemort up. Everyone was sick of the subject at the moment. Headquarters, hiding, the Order, trying to keep the trio and Ginny safe was also on the list of unmentionables. No one wanted to discuss these things any longer, annoyance, frustration and sadness the emotions that came along with them. Staying stuffed in the house of dark wizards didn’t exactly make their time there a piece of sunshine, either.
Ginny pounded the floor with her fists, moaning in frustration. “I want to get out of here!!! Why can’t the Death Eaters just leave us alone? Why can’t the world be a happy place? Voldemort’s taking over the Ministry? Muggleborns not allowed into Hogwarts? Harry’s wanted for “investigation,” and a reward will be given to whoever turns him in? What is wrong with the world?”
“That’s why we’re not going back to Hogwarts,” Hermione mumbled. “We need to fix the world, and put it the way it’s supposed to be. We could have had longer until this time, but when Dumbledore died, we had to this.” She let out a large sigh, before leaning back against the bed.
“What if you don’t fix it?” Ginny asked quietly. “What if you can’t do it, and we’re stuck like this for the rest of our lives? I used to think that nothing bad was going to happen, like when Voldemort came back three years ago. But now, everything’s changed. I don’t know if we can ever get over this. Voldemort’s not going down easily.”
“Don’t talk like that!” Harry said loudly. He sat up. “Voldemort will be gone, and we’re all going to be okay. People are going to die, and I’m certain of that, but I’m also certain that I will get rid of Voldemort, even if it’s the last thing I do!”
Everyone was quiet after that, all thinking privately in his or her minds about what Harry had just said. Ron was the first to stop thinking about it, and was first to leave the room, not wanting to discuss this any longer. Hermione had followed him out a few minutes later, leaving Harry and Ginny alone.
“You believe me, right?” Harry asked her quietly. “You know, that I’m going to get rid of Voldemort?”
Ginny was silent. Truthfully, she didn’t know if she could believe him or not. His job wasn’t going to be easy. Everyone knew that. But, if anyone could bring someone as powerful as Voldemort down, Harry could. But, was he really powerful enough?
“Right?” Harry said, looking over at Ginny. His eyes narrowed. “You don’t think I can do this.”
Ginny sat up, and brought her knees to her chest. She rocked back and forth for a few seconds. “I don’t know what to think,” she murmured.
Harry got up, and walked next to Ginny. He sat down next to her, staring over at the wall.
“Try to think that everything’s going to be better,” he said. “Try to think that this will all be over soon, and that all of the Dementors will be gone, and the world will be a better place. Try to think that everyone will be safe, and no more families will have to be separated. Try to think that everyone can be together again, and we can keep on going. Try to think that.”
Ginny rested her head on Harry’s shoulder. “It’s hard to think that. You know,” she gave a small laugh, trying to sound happier than she was, “most people think of me as kind of strong, right? They see that, but none of them really see that I’m such a pessimist, always doubting that we can keep on living safely.”
“You’re not a pessimist,” Harry told her, taking her hand and squeezing it. “You’re just afraid.”
“No, I’m a pessimist.”
“Don’t say that.” Harry kissed the top of Ginny’s head. It wasn’t on her mouth, but she still liked it, it giving her a slight feeling of hope. Well, she thought, I might as well enjoy the happy moments in life.
So the two sat there, in silence, both wondering about the future, and what was going to happen to them.
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Draco had managed to persuade the Death Eaters to let him out for his last day. “Have a last bit of fresh air,” he had told them. “I want to enjoy it for the last time.” They had laughed, but they let him go, but first telling him sternly that if he didn’t return, he would have more troubles than those concerning the Dark Lord’s wishes.
Draco had heard about Grimmauld Place from Yaxley and Rookwood. They said that they couldn’t see it, but they knew it was there. It was Number 12 Grimmauld Place, they said. If you’re lucky, someone will come out of it, and you can figure out who’s in the Order of the Phoenix, they said. According to them, everyone inside can see you, but you can’t see them due to enchantments around the building.
So there Draco stood, staring between numbers 11 and 13 Grimmauld Place, waiting for something to happen. Anything.
An hour later. Nothing.
Another hour later. Nothing.
By the time the third hour had passed, Draco lost hope. No one was going to come out. He was going to die tomorrow. He was going to die, going down in shame and regret. The Death Eaters would have the satisfaction of knowing that he was a goner from the start. He began to turn around. He started to walk away. Goodbye life… Goodbye… He wished he could give Potter one last insult… Just one.
A hand grabbed his shoulder roughly, and he felt himself being dragged backwards. He began to yell, but thought better of it. He knew who this could be.
A door was opened behind him, and Draco was thrown down onto the ground, skidding across the floor. He groaned in pain. Looking up, he saw a man who was missing a chunk of his nose, and had a magical blue eye that spun around in its socket. He remembered who this man was. Alastor Moody: ex-auror.
Moody pointed his wand at Draco, prepared to kill. “I don’t know why you’re here, boy,” he said, “but I know it isn’t good. Tell me what you were sent here for.” He kicked Draco in the back. “TELL ME!”
“No one sent me!” Draco groaned.
“Then why are you here, boy?” Moody gave him another kick. “Trying to take Potter? Or Miss Weasley, perhaps? You’ve messed with her quite enough, haven’t you? TELL ME WHY YOU ARE HERE!”
“I need help!”
Moody stopped yelling, and didn’t kick Draco this time. Instead, he took out his wand. “Imperio,” he muttered.
Draco knew that Moody was only using the Imperius curse on him as a last resort. If he had been just a teenager, not a Death Eater, this would not have been done. But, he was a Death Eater. He wasn’t trusted.
“Why are you here?” Moody asked him, knowing Draco would only speak the truth.
“I need help,” he muttered, almost robotically. “I’m going to be killed. I need protection.”
Moody lifted the curse. He stared. He stared at the boy who was lying on the ground. He stared, knowing that this was the truth, and that he had to help him, even though some people were not going to agree. As dangerous as this boy was, he had been forced into the Dark Lord’s service. Everyone knew that. He had to help him, even though some people would not agree.
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So, there it was. I sort of liked this chapter. I think it has been my favorite so far. Plus, it's the only one that I've actually let my dad even glance at... Strange. Well, please leave me a review. Advice, constructive criticism, praise, it's all welcome. The link is in my signature. Do not hesitate to click!!!!!
Chapter 20
“NO! HE’S NOT GOING TO STAY HERE! WE ARE NOT GOING TO HELP HIM! HOW CAN WE, WITH ALL OF THE TROUBLE HE’S COST US? HAVE YOU NOT NOTICED THAT HE’S BEEN TRYING TO KILL GINNY, AND CAPTURED RON AND ME AS WELL? DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT HE’S BEEN TRYING TO DO TO US? HE’S A DEATH EATER! WE CAN’T LET HIM STAY AT HEADQUARTERS!!!”
“Harry, I understand that you’re upset, but he really needs our help. No child needs to be killed for something they did not want to participate in.”
“HE’S NOT A CHILD! HE’S A DEATH EATER!”
Everyone sitting at the table looked down at the tablecloth, trying desperately not to tell Kingsley and Harry that they needed to stop yelling. Mostly, they were all trying to refrain from telling Harry to just shut it.
“Harry,” Kingsley said quietly, “I understand if you do not like this situation, I really do, but you need to forget all of the reasons you dislike this Malfoy boy. Do you really think he wanted to be a Death Eater?”
Harry wanted to scream ‘YES!’ at the top of his lungs. He wanted to, but he knew it would be a lie. Malfoy becoming a Death Eater was just a punishment on his parents. He was going to be killed anyways. But, hadn’t he brandished the Mark like a crown? He had acted so proud to be a Death Eater. Did he really not like being one?
“No,” he finally sighed. “I guess not.”
“Well,” Kingsley said, “if that is all, I really need to be going. I need to be at the Ministry soon.” With that as his parting words, he got up from his chair, and walked out of the room. Harry heard the faint sound of a door being closed from the front, signaling that Kingsley was gone.
Everyone was quiet. Harry looked down at the tablecloth, imitating the others.
“Where’s Malfoy?” he mumbled. “I haven’t seen him.”
“He’s at my parents’ house,” said Tonks, who was at the other end of the table. “I managed to convince them to let him stay with them for a few days until we decided what to do with him.”
“Oh…”
Harry finally looked up. Both sides of the table were still staring down. On his left, Ron and Hermione were just silent, whereas Fred and George were taking turns to slowly pull down the cloth, probably trying to pull it completely off the table without the adults noticing as a joke.
Across the table, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Charlie, Fleur and Tonks were murmuring to each other, most likely about when Malfoy was coming to Headquarters.
“Where’s Ginny?” he asked, trying to break the silence.
“In her room,” Hermione sighed. “She didn’t want a part in this.” She sighed again, and then stopped.
A minute passed. Harry couldn’t take the silence any longer. He stood up. “I’m going to bed, alright? Anyone joining me?”
No one stood up. “Fine. I’ll go by myself.”
Harry went outside the room, stomping up the stairs.
Malfoy can’t live here! He can’t! That isn’t right. How can the Order do this? He’s dangerous. He tried to kill Ginny! The Order can’t forgive him for that.
But, I need to keep calm. If I hurt him, I’m in trouble. He’ll try to get me back. He’ll probably try to bribe Voldemort by telling him the address.
I’ll get through this. As long as he doesn’t leave Headquarters, we’re safe. As long as he doesn’t figure out that I’m going to try and kill Voldemort, we’re safe.
I hope.
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She didn’t know why she was doing this, but it felt nice. It was strange, but it was peaceful, and no one knew where she was. It was like that strange muggle book her dad had brought home to study muggle literature… The boy would lie underneath his bed, and pretend that he was somewhere else, instead of the horribly depressing world he was really in.
There Ginny was, underneath her bed, listening to the conversation the people in the dining room were having, the voices able to be heard through the ceiling.
“Fine. I’ll go by myself.”
Harry’s voice was barely heard. Ginny wondered how it was possible that someone who had been shouting minutes before could be so quiet now.
Ginny heard Harry’s footsteps come up the steps. They got louder as they got to her door. After the loudest step was heard, the pounding noises stopped. Instead, the noise was replaced by the creaking of her doorknob, slowly being turned.
“Ginny?”
Harry had entered her room. He didn’t know that she was under her bead. Should she tell him? No, he could figure it out.
“Ginny? Are you here? You weren’t at the table with the rest of us, so I just wanted to let you know that- wait. Are you hiding? You aren’t anywhere else, so you must be in here… Are you…under the bed?”
Ginny listened as Harry knelt down, and moved across the floor to the bed. He put himself flat against the floor, the position allowing him to see Ginny lying there.
“Hello,” Harry said quietly.
“Hi.”
“Enjoying it down there?”
“Yes.”
“Are you thinking about something?”
“Not really.”
“Are you lying to me?”
“Yes.”
“Then, what are you thinking about?”
“Things.”
“What kind of things?”
Ginny slid out from underneath the bed halfway, her feet still underneath while her head stuck out.
“Malfoy coming here.”
Harry was surprised. He didn’t know that she had heard the conversation.
“You heard me?”
“Yeah.”
“How do you feel about that?”
“I dunno.”
“Bad?”
“I dunno.”
“Good?”
“Definitely not.”
Ginny got out completely from under the bed. She stood up. Harry followed her example. They both just stood there. Ginny wished that Harry would just say something. Something to keep them busy.
Ginny decided that standing there was useless. She sat down on her bed.
“Since I don’t know how I feel about this,” she said slowly, “why don’t YOU tell me how you feel about this.” She patted the space on the bed next to her. Harry sat down.
“Well,” he started, “I dunno what I feel. I guess I’m mad… He’s done a lot to us this summer. He’s thrown you into a vacuum hole, kicked me in the head, thrown us into three foot wide cages, trapped us in the Death Eater headquarters, and is now acting completely pathetic to save himself. And, I’m nervous… because he could do all of these things again. He could hurt me. Or Ron or Hermione. Or, he could hurt you again.”
Ginny sighed. “That’s sweet,” she said quietly. “You care about people so much, don’t you? … Don’t answer that question.” She covered Harry’s mouth before he could say anything. She gave a small laugh.
Harry removed Ginny’s hand from his mouth. “So,” he said, “I guess you feel fine about this.”
“No. I don’t know HOW to feel about this,” she corrected.
Harry got up. “Well, I guess I’ll be going now. Ron and Hermione will probably be coming up by now. They think I’ve gone to bed.”
He pulled open the door. Right before he left, Ginny stopped him.
“Harry?” she called out to him.
“What?” he stopped.
“Thanks,” Ginny said, offering a smile. “It was nice of you to come. Come back tomorrow?”
“Okay.” Harry closed the door behind him.
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“HOW CAN YOU HAVE LET THIS HAPPEN? THAT BOY NEEDS TO BE FOUND! ONCE YOU FIND HIM, DON’T BOTHER BRINGING HIM TO ME! JUST KILL HIM! KILL HIM! NO MERCY! NO ONE LIVES WHEN I WANT THEM DEAD! HOW COULD YOU HAVE LET THE BOY FOOL YOU INTO LETTING HIM OUTSDIDE? HE OBVIOUSLY WASN’T GOING TO COME BACK! Now, leave me before someone is hurt! GO!”
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Wow... I've written twenty chapters. This is eighty-eight pages on microsoft word. Please give me a review! Two reviews was good for the last chapter, but three would be better! Please click the "Do You?" link in the feedback part of my siggy! Please have a heart! PLEASE!
“NO! HE’S NOT GOING TO STAY HERE! WE ARE NOT GOING TO HELP HIM! HOW CAN WE, WITH ALL OF THE TROUBLE HE’S COST US? HAVE YOU NOT NOTICED THAT HE’S BEEN TRYING TO KILL GINNY, AND CAPTURED RON AND ME AS WELL? DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT HE’S BEEN TRYING TO DO TO US? HE’S A DEATH EATER! WE CAN’T LET HIM STAY AT HEADQUARTERS!!!”
“Harry, I understand that you’re upset, but he really needs our help. No child needs to be killed for something they did not want to participate in.”
“HE’S NOT A CHILD! HE’S A DEATH EATER!”
Everyone sitting at the table looked down at the tablecloth, trying desperately not to tell Kingsley and Harry that they needed to stop yelling. Mostly, they were all trying to refrain from telling Harry to just shut it.
“Harry,” Kingsley said quietly, “I understand if you do not like this situation, I really do, but you need to forget all of the reasons you dislike this Malfoy boy. Do you really think he wanted to be a Death Eater?”
Harry wanted to scream ‘YES!’ at the top of his lungs. He wanted to, but he knew it would be a lie. Malfoy becoming a Death Eater was just a punishment on his parents. He was going to be killed anyways. But, hadn’t he brandished the Mark like a crown? He had acted so proud to be a Death Eater. Did he really not like being one?
“No,” he finally sighed. “I guess not.”
“Well,” Kingsley said, “if that is all, I really need to be going. I need to be at the Ministry soon.” With that as his parting words, he got up from his chair, and walked out of the room. Harry heard the faint sound of a door being closed from the front, signaling that Kingsley was gone.
Everyone was quiet. Harry looked down at the tablecloth, imitating the others.
“Where’s Malfoy?” he mumbled. “I haven’t seen him.”
“He’s at my parents’ house,” said Tonks, who was at the other end of the table. “I managed to convince them to let him stay with them for a few days until we decided what to do with him.”
“Oh…”
Harry finally looked up. Both sides of the table were still staring down. On his left, Ron and Hermione were just silent, whereas Fred and George were taking turns to slowly pull down the cloth, probably trying to pull it completely off the table without the adults noticing as a joke.
Across the table, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Charlie, Fleur and Tonks were murmuring to each other, most likely about when Malfoy was coming to Headquarters.
“Where’s Ginny?” he asked, trying to break the silence.
“In her room,” Hermione sighed. “She didn’t want a part in this.” She sighed again, and then stopped.
A minute passed. Harry couldn’t take the silence any longer. He stood up. “I’m going to bed, alright? Anyone joining me?”
No one stood up. “Fine. I’ll go by myself.”
Harry went outside the room, stomping up the stairs.
Malfoy can’t live here! He can’t! That isn’t right. How can the Order do this? He’s dangerous. He tried to kill Ginny! The Order can’t forgive him for that.
But, I need to keep calm. If I hurt him, I’m in trouble. He’ll try to get me back. He’ll probably try to bribe Voldemort by telling him the address.
I’ll get through this. As long as he doesn’t leave Headquarters, we’re safe. As long as he doesn’t figure out that I’m going to try and kill Voldemort, we’re safe.
I hope.
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She didn’t know why she was doing this, but it felt nice. It was strange, but it was peaceful, and no one knew where she was. It was like that strange muggle book her dad had brought home to study muggle literature… The boy would lie underneath his bed, and pretend that he was somewhere else, instead of the horribly depressing world he was really in.
There Ginny was, underneath her bed, listening to the conversation the people in the dining room were having, the voices able to be heard through the ceiling.
“Fine. I’ll go by myself.”
Harry’s voice was barely heard. Ginny wondered how it was possible that someone who had been shouting minutes before could be so quiet now.
Ginny heard Harry’s footsteps come up the steps. They got louder as they got to her door. After the loudest step was heard, the pounding noises stopped. Instead, the noise was replaced by the creaking of her doorknob, slowly being turned.
“Ginny?”
Harry had entered her room. He didn’t know that she was under her bead. Should she tell him? No, he could figure it out.
“Ginny? Are you here? You weren’t at the table with the rest of us, so I just wanted to let you know that- wait. Are you hiding? You aren’t anywhere else, so you must be in here… Are you…under the bed?”
Ginny listened as Harry knelt down, and moved across the floor to the bed. He put himself flat against the floor, the position allowing him to see Ginny lying there.
“Hello,” Harry said quietly.
“Hi.”
“Enjoying it down there?”
“Yes.”
“Are you thinking about something?”
“Not really.”
“Are you lying to me?”
“Yes.”
“Then, what are you thinking about?”
“Things.”
“What kind of things?”
Ginny slid out from underneath the bed halfway, her feet still underneath while her head stuck out.
“Malfoy coming here.”
Harry was surprised. He didn’t know that she had heard the conversation.
“You heard me?”
“Yeah.”
“How do you feel about that?”
“I dunno.”
“Bad?”
“I dunno.”
“Good?”
“Definitely not.”
Ginny got out completely from under the bed. She stood up. Harry followed her example. They both just stood there. Ginny wished that Harry would just say something. Something to keep them busy.
Ginny decided that standing there was useless. She sat down on her bed.
“Since I don’t know how I feel about this,” she said slowly, “why don’t YOU tell me how you feel about this.” She patted the space on the bed next to her. Harry sat down.
“Well,” he started, “I dunno what I feel. I guess I’m mad… He’s done a lot to us this summer. He’s thrown you into a vacuum hole, kicked me in the head, thrown us into three foot wide cages, trapped us in the Death Eater headquarters, and is now acting completely pathetic to save himself. And, I’m nervous… because he could do all of these things again. He could hurt me. Or Ron or Hermione. Or, he could hurt you again.”
Ginny sighed. “That’s sweet,” she said quietly. “You care about people so much, don’t you? … Don’t answer that question.” She covered Harry’s mouth before he could say anything. She gave a small laugh.
Harry removed Ginny’s hand from his mouth. “So,” he said, “I guess you feel fine about this.”
“No. I don’t know HOW to feel about this,” she corrected.
Harry got up. “Well, I guess I’ll be going now. Ron and Hermione will probably be coming up by now. They think I’ve gone to bed.”
He pulled open the door. Right before he left, Ginny stopped him.
“Harry?” she called out to him.
“What?” he stopped.
“Thanks,” Ginny said, offering a smile. “It was nice of you to come. Come back tomorrow?”
“Okay.” Harry closed the door behind him.
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“HOW CAN YOU HAVE LET THIS HAPPEN? THAT BOY NEEDS TO BE FOUND! ONCE YOU FIND HIM, DON’T BOTHER BRINGING HIM TO ME! JUST KILL HIM! KILL HIM! NO MERCY! NO ONE LIVES WHEN I WANT THEM DEAD! HOW COULD YOU HAVE LET THE BOY FOOL YOU INTO LETTING HIM OUTSDIDE? HE OBVIOUSLY WASN’T GOING TO COME BACK! Now, leave me before someone is hurt! GO!”
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Wow... I've written twenty chapters. This is eighty-eight pages on microsoft word. Please give me a review! Two reviews was good for the last chapter, but three would be better! Please click the "Do You?" link in the feedback part of my siggy! Please have a heart! PLEASE!
Well, I guess I got my three reviews after all. It was just too bad that I was having a hard time figuring out how to write this chapter. I am soooo sorry! I didn't mean to leave you all hanging for a month! *sniff* I wouldn't blame you if you were mad at me. But people, this does NOT mean that you can stop reviewing! Because that would just be mean! Okay, I like this chapter that I've written, and I hope you guys like it too. But please understand how much Harry is against Malfoy coming to Headquarters, okay?
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Chapter 21
“If you even try to run back to that lord of yours, we’ll kill you, Boy. You understand?”
Draco nodded, and felt Moody’s grip on his collar loosen. Yes! He could breathe again.
“I’m not running.”
“I know you’re not,” the ex-Auror said as he dragged Draco up the steps, still holding on to the back of his shirt. “Because if you were, we would kill you in a second. You understand that? You’re lucky we haven’t already turned you in.”
“And I appreciate that,” Draco said sarcastically, trying to insult the man a little bit. He may have done something so soft to live, but he wasn’t going to let every ounce of meanness in him leave. “Why do you think I would come to you if I was just going to run away?”
Moody did not answer, and merely pushed Draco through the doorway of Number 12 Grimmauld Place, just to be greeted by an empty hallway.
Draco took a good look around. The walls were lined with the heads of house elves, all of them looking a bit similar. The paint was peeling slightly, and dust lined the corners of the walls. The carpet was thin and worn, the chandelier looked like it had been dusted in a hurry, and portrait after portrait glared down at him, spider-webs draped across them. This place was a dump compared to his manor. Wow, if his father were here, he would –
Wait, he thought to himself. Stop thinking about the manor. Stop thinking about Father. You left. You’re staying here right now.
“Stay right here,” Moody commanded, right before walking down the hall and stepping behind a door, disappearing.
“Great,” Draco whispered to himself. “Just wonderful.”
Draco waited nervously for the next minute, shuffling his feet. He looked anywhere, and at anything except door behind which Moody had disappeared. He had learned to never seem too anxious about anything. But then, that was last year, and this was a new time.
After what seemed like forever, Moody returned. “Come with me,” he growled. He grabbed his arm and pulled, dragging him down the hall.
Moody flung open the door, and once again pushed Draco through. Draco tried hard not to turn around and yell. Luckily for him, he succeeded. He then turned his attention to what greeted him inside of the room.
A long wooden table ran the length of the room; with as many chairs possible crammed each side. Each seat was filled, the person inside of each staring at him.
The first person he noticed was Harry, who was sitting at the edge of the table farthest from him. He was obviously trying to conceal a look of loathing, but he wasn’t doing very well. Draco noticed a crack along the lens of his glasses, probably from the battle at the Death Eater Headquarters. Harry did not look the least bit glad to see him. He was probably wishing that he had crawled under a rock and died.
On his right was Ron, who was looking at the tablecloth instead of at him. Draco couldn’t see his face completely, but what he could see was an exact match to Harry’s expression.
Next to him was Hermione. He couldn’t see her face. She was hidden behind one of the Weasley twins. Fred or George. Draco couldn’t tell which one it was.
There were a lot of Weasleys there, Draco realized. Well, it seemed like a lot. There were the twins, Ron, and the two he recognized from a Daily Prophet article a few ago. Where exactly was their sister? She wasn’t in the room. Why wasn’t she there?
There were several people that Draco recognized from the Ministry of Magic that he only knew by sight. His father had taken him to the Ministry several times when he was younger, enough for him to remember some of the faces in the room. If they recognized him from all of those years ago, he couldn’t tell. They were all emotionless.
In fact, the only one who didn’t look completely bored or angry with him was a woman up front with bubble-gum-pink hair. She wasn’t paying attention to him, and was instead focusing on the man next to her. It was Remus Lupin, the werewolf teacher who had taught Defense Against the Dark Arts four years before.
Moody waved his wand, and a chair appeared right behind Draco. “Sit,” said Moody. He took Draco’s shoulders, and pushed him down painfully in to the hard-backed chair. The ex-Auror walked away, and sat down in a chair at the back of the room. He crossed his arms.
The room was filled with an awkward silence. Everyone stared at Draco, while he stared down at the floor. He wished they would just stop staring at him. Didn’t they know how horrible it was making him feel?
“So,” said a voice. Draco didn’t know who said it, since he was still staring at his shoes. “We are all here to discuss an important matter. As you can all see, Draco Malfoy has joined us today. He arrived here a few days ago, and told Alastor Moody that he was going to be killed.”
“More like forced,” Draco muttered to himself.
The voice stopped, obviously having heard Draco’s comment. A few people started to whisper.
“Is he going to be like that if we let him stay?”
“I say we let him go, see how he toughs it out without our help.”
“What did he mean, he was forced? He was going to say it eventually.”
“Well!” the voice interrupted the others. “Anyways, Alastor chose to let the boy live, even though it is certain he is a Death Eater. He kept him for a while at his house while I discussed with him what we would do with the boy.”
Draco’s eyebrows furrowed. Staying at Moody’s house hadn’t been the greatest experience. He had been locked up in that trunk for that time, given food every ten hours.
“I have organized this meeting to find out if anyone has any objections to keeping Draco Malfoy safe here at Headquarters. I had originally decided on letting him stay here without any objections, but after some very… ah… opinionated people expressed their feelings on the situation, I thought we should all come together to decide. So, are there any objections to letting Mr. Malfoy stay?”
“I think we should –“ an angry voice started to say, right before being interrupted by Kingsley.
“I know what you want to do with Mr. Malfoy, Harry. I don’t think that’s a suitable thing to do. I know you’re angry with him, but there is no need to punish him for deeds of the past.”
Draco looked up, and saw Harry’s face staring at him in hatred. In all of the years they had attended Hogwarts with each other, Draco had never seen Harry look at him like that. They had gotten on each other’s nerves, but the expressions that came out of those situations looked like nothing to Harry’s face right now. A lot had changed in the past year. Becoming a Death Eater had affected this a lot. Maybe he would have been staring at him with pity instead of hatred if he hadn’t tried to kill the Weasley girl… He really liked her, didn’t he?
“Why not?” Harry fumed. “He tried to turn Ginny, Ron and me in to Voldemort! You think he should be forgiven for that? He tried to kill Ginny twice! She’s upstairs right now, listening in on us through the wood, instead of sitting down here because she doesn’t want to see him! This is like…letting a murderer into Headquarters! What if he tries to kill one of us? What if he tries to… to…?”
“What if he tries to summon You-Know-Who here?” Ron finished for him. “He could be forgiven easily if he brings You-Know-Who to the Order of the Phoenix! And where would that leave us? Dead! That’s what would happen!”
Draco couldn’t take this any longer. He had to defend himself in some way!
“Just because I was a Death Eater doesn’t mean –“
“Are a Death Eater,” Harry interrupted. Kingsley looked at him sternly, and he fell silent.
Draco started again. “Just because I was a Death Eater doesn’t mean that I’m going to try and kill all of you! I didn’t exactly come here to think of a way to bring down the Order of the Phoenix! Why can’t you understand that I’m going to be killed if the Dark Lord finds me?”
It seemed that no one had an answer to this, and the awkward silence fell over them all once more. Hermione, who sounded like she wished she could just leave, and let the others decide what to do with Draco, finally broke it.
“I think,” she said while closing her eyes. She stopped in mid-sentence. She opened her eyes, and bit her lip. She started again. “I think that we should let Ginny give us her opinion. She’s been affected by him the most, and I don’t think it would be right if we let him stay here if she doesn’t like it.”
A few murmurs of agreement ran through the room. This encouraged Hermione to keep on going.
“Maybe someone should go upstairs and ask Ginny what she thinks. Or maybe someone can convince her to come down, and tell us what she thinks.”
There was no discussion as to who would be the one to go upstairs. Everyone, including Draco, stared at Harry. Feeling the gaze of everyone on him, Harry turned red.
“Okay then,” he muttered. He got up from his chair, and headed out of the room. Everyone listened, as the sounds of his footsteps grew fainter and fainter. Once they could not be heard any longer, Draco felt everyone stare at him again.
Draco hated how they kept on looking. He finally burst, “Why do you all keep on looking at me?”
Everyone looked away. He did have a point.
Suddenly, everyone looked up at the ceiling. Muffled voices could barely be heard. Draco was the closest to where the noise came from, so he had the best idea of what was going on. He managed to make sense of the voices.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Think about it!”
“What’s there to think about? He tried to kill us!”
“I know! But is it really his fault? I mean, why do you think he was going to be killed? Because he almost killed us?”
“Still! He almost killed us! Does that mean anything to you?”
“Yes… But I think he was just trying to stay alive!”
The muffled voices stopped for a few moments. Draco looked around. Everyone else showed no signs of being able to hear the voices clearly.
The voices returned, this time much softer. Draco had to strain to be able to hear them.
“I just want to make sure we’re all safe.”
“We are safe. I don’t think he’s much of a threat.”
Draco felt the heat rise to his face. He wasn’t much of a threat? How rude!
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Are you coming downstairs?”
“No. I don’t think I want to.”
“Alright.”
Draco closed his eyes. He sighed. If he was correct, he knew what was coming.”
Harry’s footsteps returned, this time makings less of a harsh sound on the floor. He pulled open the door, which he had closed on his way out, and stepped into the room.
“She says that he can stay,” he muttered. He returned to his seat at the edge of the table. He looked at Draco. But this time, the look of loathing did not come. Instead, he stayed expressionless.
A man at the head of the table stood up. Draco recognized him as Kingsley Shacklebolt, who worked at the ministry.
“Well, then,” said Kingsley. “I believe we should take a vote. All of those in favor of keeping Mr. Malfoy safe, here at Headquarters?”
After a few seconds of murmurs between the group, and then all hands went up, including Harry’s.
Draco breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t going to die. At least, not now.
In a few minutes, everyone but Harry had left the room, leaving Draco alone in his chair. Harry passed him on his way to the door. With a nod, he left.
Maybe things wouldn’t be so horrible after all.
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Well, I hope that chapter was well waited for. Review! The link is next to the DO YOU part in my signature! Just click on feedback!
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Chapter 21
“If you even try to run back to that lord of yours, we’ll kill you, Boy. You understand?”
Draco nodded, and felt Moody’s grip on his collar loosen. Yes! He could breathe again.
“I’m not running.”
“I know you’re not,” the ex-Auror said as he dragged Draco up the steps, still holding on to the back of his shirt. “Because if you were, we would kill you in a second. You understand that? You’re lucky we haven’t already turned you in.”
“And I appreciate that,” Draco said sarcastically, trying to insult the man a little bit. He may have done something so soft to live, but he wasn’t going to let every ounce of meanness in him leave. “Why do you think I would come to you if I was just going to run away?”
Moody did not answer, and merely pushed Draco through the doorway of Number 12 Grimmauld Place, just to be greeted by an empty hallway.
Draco took a good look around. The walls were lined with the heads of house elves, all of them looking a bit similar. The paint was peeling slightly, and dust lined the corners of the walls. The carpet was thin and worn, the chandelier looked like it had been dusted in a hurry, and portrait after portrait glared down at him, spider-webs draped across them. This place was a dump compared to his manor. Wow, if his father were here, he would –
Wait, he thought to himself. Stop thinking about the manor. Stop thinking about Father. You left. You’re staying here right now.
“Stay right here,” Moody commanded, right before walking down the hall and stepping behind a door, disappearing.
“Great,” Draco whispered to himself. “Just wonderful.”
Draco waited nervously for the next minute, shuffling his feet. He looked anywhere, and at anything except door behind which Moody had disappeared. He had learned to never seem too anxious about anything. But then, that was last year, and this was a new time.
After what seemed like forever, Moody returned. “Come with me,” he growled. He grabbed his arm and pulled, dragging him down the hall.
Moody flung open the door, and once again pushed Draco through. Draco tried hard not to turn around and yell. Luckily for him, he succeeded. He then turned his attention to what greeted him inside of the room.
A long wooden table ran the length of the room; with as many chairs possible crammed each side. Each seat was filled, the person inside of each staring at him.
The first person he noticed was Harry, who was sitting at the edge of the table farthest from him. He was obviously trying to conceal a look of loathing, but he wasn’t doing very well. Draco noticed a crack along the lens of his glasses, probably from the battle at the Death Eater Headquarters. Harry did not look the least bit glad to see him. He was probably wishing that he had crawled under a rock and died.
On his right was Ron, who was looking at the tablecloth instead of at him. Draco couldn’t see his face completely, but what he could see was an exact match to Harry’s expression.
Next to him was Hermione. He couldn’t see her face. She was hidden behind one of the Weasley twins. Fred or George. Draco couldn’t tell which one it was.
There were a lot of Weasleys there, Draco realized. Well, it seemed like a lot. There were the twins, Ron, and the two he recognized from a Daily Prophet article a few ago. Where exactly was their sister? She wasn’t in the room. Why wasn’t she there?
There were several people that Draco recognized from the Ministry of Magic that he only knew by sight. His father had taken him to the Ministry several times when he was younger, enough for him to remember some of the faces in the room. If they recognized him from all of those years ago, he couldn’t tell. They were all emotionless.
In fact, the only one who didn’t look completely bored or angry with him was a woman up front with bubble-gum-pink hair. She wasn’t paying attention to him, and was instead focusing on the man next to her. It was Remus Lupin, the werewolf teacher who had taught Defense Against the Dark Arts four years before.
Moody waved his wand, and a chair appeared right behind Draco. “Sit,” said Moody. He took Draco’s shoulders, and pushed him down painfully in to the hard-backed chair. The ex-Auror walked away, and sat down in a chair at the back of the room. He crossed his arms.
The room was filled with an awkward silence. Everyone stared at Draco, while he stared down at the floor. He wished they would just stop staring at him. Didn’t they know how horrible it was making him feel?
“So,” said a voice. Draco didn’t know who said it, since he was still staring at his shoes. “We are all here to discuss an important matter. As you can all see, Draco Malfoy has joined us today. He arrived here a few days ago, and told Alastor Moody that he was going to be killed.”
“More like forced,” Draco muttered to himself.
The voice stopped, obviously having heard Draco’s comment. A few people started to whisper.
“Is he going to be like that if we let him stay?”
“I say we let him go, see how he toughs it out without our help.”
“What did he mean, he was forced? He was going to say it eventually.”
“Well!” the voice interrupted the others. “Anyways, Alastor chose to let the boy live, even though it is certain he is a Death Eater. He kept him for a while at his house while I discussed with him what we would do with the boy.”
Draco’s eyebrows furrowed. Staying at Moody’s house hadn’t been the greatest experience. He had been locked up in that trunk for that time, given food every ten hours.
“I have organized this meeting to find out if anyone has any objections to keeping Draco Malfoy safe here at Headquarters. I had originally decided on letting him stay here without any objections, but after some very… ah… opinionated people expressed their feelings on the situation, I thought we should all come together to decide. So, are there any objections to letting Mr. Malfoy stay?”
“I think we should –“ an angry voice started to say, right before being interrupted by Kingsley.
“I know what you want to do with Mr. Malfoy, Harry. I don’t think that’s a suitable thing to do. I know you’re angry with him, but there is no need to punish him for deeds of the past.”
Draco looked up, and saw Harry’s face staring at him in hatred. In all of the years they had attended Hogwarts with each other, Draco had never seen Harry look at him like that. They had gotten on each other’s nerves, but the expressions that came out of those situations looked like nothing to Harry’s face right now. A lot had changed in the past year. Becoming a Death Eater had affected this a lot. Maybe he would have been staring at him with pity instead of hatred if he hadn’t tried to kill the Weasley girl… He really liked her, didn’t he?
“Why not?” Harry fumed. “He tried to turn Ginny, Ron and me in to Voldemort! You think he should be forgiven for that? He tried to kill Ginny twice! She’s upstairs right now, listening in on us through the wood, instead of sitting down here because she doesn’t want to see him! This is like…letting a murderer into Headquarters! What if he tries to kill one of us? What if he tries to… to…?”
“What if he tries to summon You-Know-Who here?” Ron finished for him. “He could be forgiven easily if he brings You-Know-Who to the Order of the Phoenix! And where would that leave us? Dead! That’s what would happen!”
Draco couldn’t take this any longer. He had to defend himself in some way!
“Just because I was a Death Eater doesn’t mean –“
“Are a Death Eater,” Harry interrupted. Kingsley looked at him sternly, and he fell silent.
Draco started again. “Just because I was a Death Eater doesn’t mean that I’m going to try and kill all of you! I didn’t exactly come here to think of a way to bring down the Order of the Phoenix! Why can’t you understand that I’m going to be killed if the Dark Lord finds me?”
It seemed that no one had an answer to this, and the awkward silence fell over them all once more. Hermione, who sounded like she wished she could just leave, and let the others decide what to do with Draco, finally broke it.
“I think,” she said while closing her eyes. She stopped in mid-sentence. She opened her eyes, and bit her lip. She started again. “I think that we should let Ginny give us her opinion. She’s been affected by him the most, and I don’t think it would be right if we let him stay here if she doesn’t like it.”
A few murmurs of agreement ran through the room. This encouraged Hermione to keep on going.
“Maybe someone should go upstairs and ask Ginny what she thinks. Or maybe someone can convince her to come down, and tell us what she thinks.”
There was no discussion as to who would be the one to go upstairs. Everyone, including Draco, stared at Harry. Feeling the gaze of everyone on him, Harry turned red.
“Okay then,” he muttered. He got up from his chair, and headed out of the room. Everyone listened, as the sounds of his footsteps grew fainter and fainter. Once they could not be heard any longer, Draco felt everyone stare at him again.
Draco hated how they kept on looking. He finally burst, “Why do you all keep on looking at me?”
Everyone looked away. He did have a point.
Suddenly, everyone looked up at the ceiling. Muffled voices could barely be heard. Draco was the closest to where the noise came from, so he had the best idea of what was going on. He managed to make sense of the voices.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Think about it!”
“What’s there to think about? He tried to kill us!”
“I know! But is it really his fault? I mean, why do you think he was going to be killed? Because he almost killed us?”
“Still! He almost killed us! Does that mean anything to you?”
“Yes… But I think he was just trying to stay alive!”
The muffled voices stopped for a few moments. Draco looked around. Everyone else showed no signs of being able to hear the voices clearly.
The voices returned, this time much softer. Draco had to strain to be able to hear them.
“I just want to make sure we’re all safe.”
“We are safe. I don’t think he’s much of a threat.”
Draco felt the heat rise to his face. He wasn’t much of a threat? How rude!
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Are you coming downstairs?”
“No. I don’t think I want to.”
“Alright.”
Draco closed his eyes. He sighed. If he was correct, he knew what was coming.”
Harry’s footsteps returned, this time makings less of a harsh sound on the floor. He pulled open the door, which he had closed on his way out, and stepped into the room.
“She says that he can stay,” he muttered. He returned to his seat at the edge of the table. He looked at Draco. But this time, the look of loathing did not come. Instead, he stayed expressionless.
A man at the head of the table stood up. Draco recognized him as Kingsley Shacklebolt, who worked at the ministry.
“Well, then,” said Kingsley. “I believe we should take a vote. All of those in favor of keeping Mr. Malfoy safe, here at Headquarters?”
After a few seconds of murmurs between the group, and then all hands went up, including Harry’s.
Draco breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t going to die. At least, not now.
In a few minutes, everyone but Harry had left the room, leaving Draco alone in his chair. Harry passed him on his way to the door. With a nod, he left.
Maybe things wouldn’t be so horrible after all.
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Well, I hope that chapter was well waited for. Review! The link is next to the DO YOU part in my signature! Just click on feedback!
haha... ginny's gonna have a bit of a change of heart over the issue of malfoy here... i thought I did a good job. It's definitely interesting... Enjoy! All of those people who have reviewed in the past, please give me a review! And those who haven't bothered as well!
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Chapter 22
A week after the Order decided to let Draco stay at Headquarters, things had not been running as smoothly as they should have been.
Harry and Ron still ignored Draco when they saw him. They still couldn’t accept that he hadn’t wanted to be a Death Eater. Hermione would stop when she saw him, then close her eyes and bite her lip. What was she even thinking about?
Kingsley had ordered Fred and George to follow him. He just wanted to know if Draco was doing anything suspicious. It was possible that he just wanted to annoy the boy as well, since Fred and George spent most of their time doing pranks on him. In seven days, they had managed to give him a black eye with a telescope, knocked him into a wall by obscuring his vision with Peruvian Darkness Powder, set several mad Pygmy Puffs on him, and when he tried to punch them for doing all of that, they sent him flying backwards after hiding an invisible shield they held up.
Ginny had not come out of her room at all, though Draco was starting to think that it wasn’t because of him. The only people she allowed inside her room were Harry, Ron and Hermione. But she definitely wasn’t scared of him. If she were, she would have darted back into her room that time he saw her standing in her doorway. She wouldn’t have stared at him as he walked by. She wouldn’t have laughed when Fred and George made him fall flat on his face a second later. She wasn’t scared. But why was she staying in her room all of the time?
That seventh day, Draco decided that he would find out why she was in there. He walked up to her door, and knocked. He didn’t wait for a voice to ask who was there. His hand grasped the doorknob and turned.
It didn’t open.
He tried to turn it again.
Nope.
“The door isn’t going to open for you,” he heard a voice call out from behind the door. “It only opens up for certain people. It just so happens that you’re not one of them.”
Draco stepped back from the door in defeat. Now what? He couldn’t open the door!
He started to turn away when he heard a slight creaking noise. The door opened, revealing a redheaded girl on the inside.
“What do you want, Malfoy?” she asked him. “Do you want to try and kill me? Because if you do, the spell that Fred and George set up will probably decapitate you if you even lift your wand.”
“I wasn’t going to lift my wand!”
“That’s good. I don’t think the Order would like it if I brought down your head separated from your neck.”
Draco had an urge to touch his head to make sure that a spell wasn’t starting to make it fall off. But he was too proud to do that.
“I’m not going to die if I enter your room, am I?”
“No… But why are you going to come into my room?”
“Because… Because…” It was then that Draco realized that he didn’t have a real reason to bother her. Well, he did, but he wasn’t really up to attempting to apologize for trying to kill her. It wasn’t such a great plan to barge inside her room and claim that she was staying in there for no reason.
Ginny sighed. “Let me guess. You have been watching me carefully all this week, wondering if I was ever going to come out of my room and tell you how much I hate you. Now you’re pretty sure that I’m not scared of you, and you want to know why I’ve been in here all this time. Am I on the right track?”
Draco felt the heat rise to his face. “Yes.”
Ginny leaned against the doorway and crossed her arms over her chest. “If this had anything to do with you, I would probably tell you. But it turns out that you have nothing to do with the matter any longer. So, with that information, you can go now. I don’t have anything else to tell you.” She motioned for him to leave.
Draco smirked. “I don’t plan on leaving just yet.”
Ginny raised an eyebrow. “Really,” she murmured. It wasn’t a question. “And why is that?”
“You said that I have nothing to do with this any longer. I would have left if you had just said that I had nothing to do with it, but apparently I was at some point.” He smiled in smug satisfaction. So he did have something to do with it!
“Look, Malfoy,” Ginny hissed. “There is no force on this planet that will convince me to let you take one step closer to me and this room. There is no force on this planet that will convince me to clue you in on what Harry, Ron, Hermione and I are doing in here. Now, unless you want to have a load of bat bogeys for a face, I suggest that you leave me alone.”
“I think you’ve forgotten something,” Draco laughed. “As a once Death Eater, I now have the ability to perform magic that you wouldn’t even dream of using. So if you even think that you can cast a spell on me –“
“Uh – uh,” Ginny shook her head, smiling slightly. She pointed to the doorway above her. “Fred and George’s spell. Sure, you can lift your wand and everything, but if you do…” She clutched at her throat for a moment. “…Say goodbye to your head.” She laughed before backing into the room and slamming the door in Draco’s face.
Draco stood in front of the door. That had been a complete failure. The only piece of new information he had was that the reason she was still in there used to have something to do with him.
The door opened again. Ginny was biting her lip. She grabbed Draco by the front of the robes and pulled him into the room. She slammed the door behind him.
“For the record,” she whispered, “I forgive you for trying to kill me. I know that somehow you’re not such a bad person. Someday you’re going to thank me for deciding to let you stay here.” She released the front of his shirt, opened the door and shoved him out.
Draco stared the other way as he heard the bang of the door behind him. That was strange, he thought to himself. At least she hadn’t screamed at him so the whole house could hear. He would be thinking about this for a while…
And so he walked down the hall, still asking himself what had just happened.
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Harry, Ron, Hermione sat in Ginny’s room, all seated around the fake locket Harry had received that fateful day Dumbledore had taken him to the cave.
Ginny was lying on her back on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. “I think Malfoy knows that I’m not afraid of him anymore.”
“Really?” Ron murmured. “This was why you called us here so early? Because Malfoy thinks we’re up to something?” At two in the morning he was very drowsy, and was leaning against Hermione. “How d’you know?”
Ginny sighed. “He tried to get into the room. He was planning on asking me why I was staying in here. He threatened to curse me, but I made up some thing about how Fred and George had set up spells that would chop his head off.”
Harry laughed and leaned against her bed. “And he believed that?”
Ginny smiled. “Turns out I’m a better actress than I thought I was.”
“It seems you are… Do you think you could convince him to go jump off a cliff and you’ll catch him at the bottom, but you’ll really let him just slam into the ground?”
Ginny cuffed Harry on the back of the head. “No!” she said. “He’s not such a bad person, you know. He just needs to figure that out.”
“Doubt he will,” Harry muttered to himself. He braced himself for another one of Ginny’s blows. He waited, but her hand never touched him.
“Hermione?” Ginny muttered, her voice assuming a different tone. “What day is this?”
“Uh…” Hermione thought for a few seconds. “The fourteenth.”
“Okay… Of what month?”
Hermione squeezed her eyes shut. With all that had happened, she couldn’t remember. “I dunno.”
“How can you remember it’s the fourteenth, but don’t know what month this is? That’s crazy!”
“I’ve lost track of things. Have any idea, Ron?”
Ron woke up from his doze. “What?” he said sleepily. “Wha’ did you say?”
Hermione rolled her eyes. “What month is this?”
“Uh… September.” Ron fell back asleep.
Ginny’s eyebrows furrowed. “I’m supposed to be at Hogwarts,” she murmured. “I didn’t get my letter.”
Harry pushed himself away from her bed and turned around. “Why didn’t you get the letter?” he asked her. “Why wouldn’t McGonagall send you one?”
Hermione put her fingers to her temples and shook her head. “I don’t think McGonagall is the headmistress, Harry.”
“Who’s in charge, then?”
Hermione looked really reluctant to tell Harry. She began to twiddle her thumbs. “Have you read the papers, Harry?” she asked cautiously.
“No,” Harry replied. He was confused. Very confused. “What’s so important about them?”
“Well,” Hermione said as she twisted a piece of hair in her fingers, “you’re not going to like this very much. I mean… I don’t know how you’re going to take this…”
“Tell me, Hermione!” Harry yelled.
“Snape’s headmaster,” Hermione said. She squeezed her eyes shut. She didn’t want to see Harry’s reaction.
Harry’s eyes widened. His hands clenched into fists. “Snape?” he managed to say. “They left Snape in charge? How could they do this?” He jumped to his feet. “He’s going to do horrible things to everyone! He’s a Death Eater! How could McGonagall let this happen? Why isn’t she headmistress?”
“Harry!” Hermione stopped him. “McGonagall couldn’t be headmistress even if she wanted to. Maybe you should read this…” She lifted up the edge of the rug and pulled out an old edition of the Daily Prophet.
Harry tried not to laugh. He looked over at Ginny. “You and Hermione kept a newspaper under there?” Ginny’s face reddened.
“We were going to use that later!” she defended herself. “We were going to use that for this moment, actually!” She snatched the paper from Hermione’s hand and smacked him on the head with it before handing it to him. “Read the headline,” she mumbled.
“'Pius Thicknesse made Minister',” Harry read. “Okay, then. Why is this so important?”
Hermione gasped. “Kingsley didn’t tell you?” she breathed. “Thicknesse is under the Imperius Curse! Guess who’s controlling him?”
“Voldemort,” Harry said under his breath. Ron woke up from his nap.
“Why do you have to say his name?” Ron complained. “How many times have I told you not to say it?”
“Don’t be such a baby!” Hermione said. She smacked him on the head. “Everyone here but you is fine with saying it! Deal with it!”
After that there was just silence. They had gone way off their original topic.
“So…” Hermione felt she needed to say something. “Ginny. Going to do anything about Malfoy’s suspicions?”
Ginny shook her head. “Not yet. Maybe I’ll get Fred and George to make that spell that will chop his head off if he raises his wand.”
Harry tried to laugh, but it was a horrible attempt. “Um,” he said as he glanced at his watch, “we should go to bed. People are going to think something’s up.
Harry, Ron and Hermione filed out the door and went to their rooms, leaving Ginny on her bed. She heard them shut the door.
She lay still for a few moments. A thought was troubling her.
Who am I kidding? She thought. Malfoy’s not a nice person.
But he saved you from his father, a voice in the back of her head told her.
Yeah, she responded to it. And then he took me to a vacuum and stuck me in to die.
He didn’t immediately kill you when he finally captured you.
He wanted to starve me! He was scared to kill someone.
He hasn’t tried to kill you yet.
The Order is watching him.
There was a knock on the door.
“What did you forget, Harry?” Ginny yelled at it. “You can get it later!”
There was another knock.
Ginny threw herself off the bed and walked over to the door. She threw it open. “What do you – Malfoy?”
Draco Malfoy stood in the doorway. “So there isn’t really a spell after all,” he said quietly. “I guess I can raise my wand, then.” He pulled his wand out of his robes and fiddled around with it. He looked up at the doorframe. “Looks like I haven’t lost my head yet,” he murmured. He looked back at Ginny. “Did you decide whether I was a good or bad person yet?” He smirked.
“How did you know that?” Ginny hissed.
“Legilimency,” he sneered. "First thing a Malfoy learns when he becomes a Death Eater. You’re mind isn’t all that hard to read when you don’t know I’m doing it.”
“You are such a jerk,” Ginny spat at him. There goes the thought of him being a nice person. How could she have believed in goodness somewhere in him? “Listening in on people’s thoughts. Listening in on conversations. That was none of your business. I have half a mind to smack you right now. I let you into this place and this is how you repay me. In fact, remember the part of that conversation where I said I would go and ask Fred and George to set up that spell? Seemed like a joke, didn’t it? Think again, Malfoy. They can think of sweets that turn people into birds! I’d like to see what kind of spells they could make! I can’t believe I said I forgave you! I was so wrong about you possibly being a good person!” Ginny began to swing the door shut, but Malfoy stuck his foot in the doorway.
“I’m not quite done,” he muttered. “I didn’t come here at two in the morning to listen to you telling me what a jerk I am. I’m here…to say…I’m sorry. It’s a little late for that, but since you already forgave me, I might as well do what was supposed to come first.”
Ginny had been attempting to squeeze Malfoy’s foot in the doorway. He pulled his foot out like it was nothing, and the door slammed shut. The last thing Ginny saw of Malfoy that day was his face contorted in pain from having to apologize. She listened to his footsteps fade away through the door.
“That was interesting,” she murmured, before going to bed.
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So did you like it? Hate it? Didn't know what to think of it? Feedback is welcome! It really is! Please! Pretty Please?
Link is in my signature.
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Chapter 22
A week after the Order decided to let Draco stay at Headquarters, things had not been running as smoothly as they should have been.
Harry and Ron still ignored Draco when they saw him. They still couldn’t accept that he hadn’t wanted to be a Death Eater. Hermione would stop when she saw him, then close her eyes and bite her lip. What was she even thinking about?
Kingsley had ordered Fred and George to follow him. He just wanted to know if Draco was doing anything suspicious. It was possible that he just wanted to annoy the boy as well, since Fred and George spent most of their time doing pranks on him. In seven days, they had managed to give him a black eye with a telescope, knocked him into a wall by obscuring his vision with Peruvian Darkness Powder, set several mad Pygmy Puffs on him, and when he tried to punch them for doing all of that, they sent him flying backwards after hiding an invisible shield they held up.
Ginny had not come out of her room at all, though Draco was starting to think that it wasn’t because of him. The only people she allowed inside her room were Harry, Ron and Hermione. But she definitely wasn’t scared of him. If she were, she would have darted back into her room that time he saw her standing in her doorway. She wouldn’t have stared at him as he walked by. She wouldn’t have laughed when Fred and George made him fall flat on his face a second later. She wasn’t scared. But why was she staying in her room all of the time?
That seventh day, Draco decided that he would find out why she was in there. He walked up to her door, and knocked. He didn’t wait for a voice to ask who was there. His hand grasped the doorknob and turned.
It didn’t open.
He tried to turn it again.
Nope.
“The door isn’t going to open for you,” he heard a voice call out from behind the door. “It only opens up for certain people. It just so happens that you’re not one of them.”
Draco stepped back from the door in defeat. Now what? He couldn’t open the door!
He started to turn away when he heard a slight creaking noise. The door opened, revealing a redheaded girl on the inside.
“What do you want, Malfoy?” she asked him. “Do you want to try and kill me? Because if you do, the spell that Fred and George set up will probably decapitate you if you even lift your wand.”
“I wasn’t going to lift my wand!”
“That’s good. I don’t think the Order would like it if I brought down your head separated from your neck.”
Draco had an urge to touch his head to make sure that a spell wasn’t starting to make it fall off. But he was too proud to do that.
“I’m not going to die if I enter your room, am I?”
“No… But why are you going to come into my room?”
“Because… Because…” It was then that Draco realized that he didn’t have a real reason to bother her. Well, he did, but he wasn’t really up to attempting to apologize for trying to kill her. It wasn’t such a great plan to barge inside her room and claim that she was staying in there for no reason.
Ginny sighed. “Let me guess. You have been watching me carefully all this week, wondering if I was ever going to come out of my room and tell you how much I hate you. Now you’re pretty sure that I’m not scared of you, and you want to know why I’ve been in here all this time. Am I on the right track?”
Draco felt the heat rise to his face. “Yes.”
Ginny leaned against the doorway and crossed her arms over her chest. “If this had anything to do with you, I would probably tell you. But it turns out that you have nothing to do with the matter any longer. So, with that information, you can go now. I don’t have anything else to tell you.” She motioned for him to leave.
Draco smirked. “I don’t plan on leaving just yet.”
Ginny raised an eyebrow. “Really,” she murmured. It wasn’t a question. “And why is that?”
“You said that I have nothing to do with this any longer. I would have left if you had just said that I had nothing to do with it, but apparently I was at some point.” He smiled in smug satisfaction. So he did have something to do with it!
“Look, Malfoy,” Ginny hissed. “There is no force on this planet that will convince me to let you take one step closer to me and this room. There is no force on this planet that will convince me to clue you in on what Harry, Ron, Hermione and I are doing in here. Now, unless you want to have a load of bat bogeys for a face, I suggest that you leave me alone.”
“I think you’ve forgotten something,” Draco laughed. “As a once Death Eater, I now have the ability to perform magic that you wouldn’t even dream of using. So if you even think that you can cast a spell on me –“
“Uh – uh,” Ginny shook her head, smiling slightly. She pointed to the doorway above her. “Fred and George’s spell. Sure, you can lift your wand and everything, but if you do…” She clutched at her throat for a moment. “…Say goodbye to your head.” She laughed before backing into the room and slamming the door in Draco’s face.
Draco stood in front of the door. That had been a complete failure. The only piece of new information he had was that the reason she was still in there used to have something to do with him.
The door opened again. Ginny was biting her lip. She grabbed Draco by the front of the robes and pulled him into the room. She slammed the door behind him.
“For the record,” she whispered, “I forgive you for trying to kill me. I know that somehow you’re not such a bad person. Someday you’re going to thank me for deciding to let you stay here.” She released the front of his shirt, opened the door and shoved him out.
Draco stared the other way as he heard the bang of the door behind him. That was strange, he thought to himself. At least she hadn’t screamed at him so the whole house could hear. He would be thinking about this for a while…
And so he walked down the hall, still asking himself what had just happened.
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Harry, Ron, Hermione sat in Ginny’s room, all seated around the fake locket Harry had received that fateful day Dumbledore had taken him to the cave.
Ginny was lying on her back on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. “I think Malfoy knows that I’m not afraid of him anymore.”
“Really?” Ron murmured. “This was why you called us here so early? Because Malfoy thinks we’re up to something?” At two in the morning he was very drowsy, and was leaning against Hermione. “How d’you know?”
Ginny sighed. “He tried to get into the room. He was planning on asking me why I was staying in here. He threatened to curse me, but I made up some thing about how Fred and George had set up spells that would chop his head off.”
Harry laughed and leaned against her bed. “And he believed that?”
Ginny smiled. “Turns out I’m a better actress than I thought I was.”
“It seems you are… Do you think you could convince him to go jump off a cliff and you’ll catch him at the bottom, but you’ll really let him just slam into the ground?”
Ginny cuffed Harry on the back of the head. “No!” she said. “He’s not such a bad person, you know. He just needs to figure that out.”
“Doubt he will,” Harry muttered to himself. He braced himself for another one of Ginny’s blows. He waited, but her hand never touched him.
“Hermione?” Ginny muttered, her voice assuming a different tone. “What day is this?”
“Uh…” Hermione thought for a few seconds. “The fourteenth.”
“Okay… Of what month?”
Hermione squeezed her eyes shut. With all that had happened, she couldn’t remember. “I dunno.”
“How can you remember it’s the fourteenth, but don’t know what month this is? That’s crazy!”
“I’ve lost track of things. Have any idea, Ron?”
Ron woke up from his doze. “What?” he said sleepily. “Wha’ did you say?”
Hermione rolled her eyes. “What month is this?”
“Uh… September.” Ron fell back asleep.
Ginny’s eyebrows furrowed. “I’m supposed to be at Hogwarts,” she murmured. “I didn’t get my letter.”
Harry pushed himself away from her bed and turned around. “Why didn’t you get the letter?” he asked her. “Why wouldn’t McGonagall send you one?”
Hermione put her fingers to her temples and shook her head. “I don’t think McGonagall is the headmistress, Harry.”
“Who’s in charge, then?”
Hermione looked really reluctant to tell Harry. She began to twiddle her thumbs. “Have you read the papers, Harry?” she asked cautiously.
“No,” Harry replied. He was confused. Very confused. “What’s so important about them?”
“Well,” Hermione said as she twisted a piece of hair in her fingers, “you’re not going to like this very much. I mean… I don’t know how you’re going to take this…”
“Tell me, Hermione!” Harry yelled.
“Snape’s headmaster,” Hermione said. She squeezed her eyes shut. She didn’t want to see Harry’s reaction.
Harry’s eyes widened. His hands clenched into fists. “Snape?” he managed to say. “They left Snape in charge? How could they do this?” He jumped to his feet. “He’s going to do horrible things to everyone! He’s a Death Eater! How could McGonagall let this happen? Why isn’t she headmistress?”
“Harry!” Hermione stopped him. “McGonagall couldn’t be headmistress even if she wanted to. Maybe you should read this…” She lifted up the edge of the rug and pulled out an old edition of the Daily Prophet.
Harry tried not to laugh. He looked over at Ginny. “You and Hermione kept a newspaper under there?” Ginny’s face reddened.
“We were going to use that later!” she defended herself. “We were going to use that for this moment, actually!” She snatched the paper from Hermione’s hand and smacked him on the head with it before handing it to him. “Read the headline,” she mumbled.
“'Pius Thicknesse made Minister',” Harry read. “Okay, then. Why is this so important?”
Hermione gasped. “Kingsley didn’t tell you?” she breathed. “Thicknesse is under the Imperius Curse! Guess who’s controlling him?”
“Voldemort,” Harry said under his breath. Ron woke up from his nap.
“Why do you have to say his name?” Ron complained. “How many times have I told you not to say it?”
“Don’t be such a baby!” Hermione said. She smacked him on the head. “Everyone here but you is fine with saying it! Deal with it!”
After that there was just silence. They had gone way off their original topic.
“So…” Hermione felt she needed to say something. “Ginny. Going to do anything about Malfoy’s suspicions?”
Ginny shook her head. “Not yet. Maybe I’ll get Fred and George to make that spell that will chop his head off if he raises his wand.”
Harry tried to laugh, but it was a horrible attempt. “Um,” he said as he glanced at his watch, “we should go to bed. People are going to think something’s up.
Harry, Ron and Hermione filed out the door and went to their rooms, leaving Ginny on her bed. She heard them shut the door.
She lay still for a few moments. A thought was troubling her.
Who am I kidding? She thought. Malfoy’s not a nice person.
But he saved you from his father, a voice in the back of her head told her.
Yeah, she responded to it. And then he took me to a vacuum and stuck me in to die.
He didn’t immediately kill you when he finally captured you.
He wanted to starve me! He was scared to kill someone.
He hasn’t tried to kill you yet.
The Order is watching him.
There was a knock on the door.
“What did you forget, Harry?” Ginny yelled at it. “You can get it later!”
There was another knock.
Ginny threw herself off the bed and walked over to the door. She threw it open. “What do you – Malfoy?”
Draco Malfoy stood in the doorway. “So there isn’t really a spell after all,” he said quietly. “I guess I can raise my wand, then.” He pulled his wand out of his robes and fiddled around with it. He looked up at the doorframe. “Looks like I haven’t lost my head yet,” he murmured. He looked back at Ginny. “Did you decide whether I was a good or bad person yet?” He smirked.
“How did you know that?” Ginny hissed.
“Legilimency,” he sneered. "First thing a Malfoy learns when he becomes a Death Eater. You’re mind isn’t all that hard to read when you don’t know I’m doing it.”
“You are such a jerk,” Ginny spat at him. There goes the thought of him being a nice person. How could she have believed in goodness somewhere in him? “Listening in on people’s thoughts. Listening in on conversations. That was none of your business. I have half a mind to smack you right now. I let you into this place and this is how you repay me. In fact, remember the part of that conversation where I said I would go and ask Fred and George to set up that spell? Seemed like a joke, didn’t it? Think again, Malfoy. They can think of sweets that turn people into birds! I’d like to see what kind of spells they could make! I can’t believe I said I forgave you! I was so wrong about you possibly being a good person!” Ginny began to swing the door shut, but Malfoy stuck his foot in the doorway.
“I’m not quite done,” he muttered. “I didn’t come here at two in the morning to listen to you telling me what a jerk I am. I’m here…to say…I’m sorry. It’s a little late for that, but since you already forgave me, I might as well do what was supposed to come first.”
Ginny had been attempting to squeeze Malfoy’s foot in the doorway. He pulled his foot out like it was nothing, and the door slammed shut. The last thing Ginny saw of Malfoy that day was his face contorted in pain from having to apologize. She listened to his footsteps fade away through the door.
“That was interesting,” she murmured, before going to bed.
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•••••••
So did you like it? Hate it? Didn't know what to think of it? Feedback is welcome! It really is! Please! Pretty Please?
Link is in my signature.
I was really sick, so I thought I wasn't going to get a chapter up today, but turns out I had a miracle recovery! Who knew that headaches, weird heat changes, runny noses and extreme thirst could go away in two days? Not me... Well, here is my latest chapter. I did it all today. Or should I say, yesterday... It's midnight right now... Oh well.
Here it is!
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Chapter 23
September 14. Ginny wrote the date down on a piece of parchment. She didn’t want to forget the date. She didn’t want to miss anything important. She didn’t want to forget that a Malfoy had actually apologized for something. That wasn’t something that you heard every day. It was something that you usually didn’t hear in your whole entire lifetime. Ginny thought the day should be recorded. It was like a special event. But instead of having pictures, she had a date. That was enough.
If she had a choice, she would have slept in until noon. But she didn’t have a choice. Her mother had felt that she, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Malfoy needed to do something together to pass the time and to possibly give them a chance to talk things out. That something just happened to be more cleaning in the House of Black.
Ginny had wanted to laugh when her mother had hinted that. It would take more than just a few hours of cleaning to get Harry and Malfoy to come to a truce. They would probably kill each other first.
When she passed Malfoy on her way down the stairs that morning, he showed no signs of thinking about what he had done in the early hours of the morning. Ginny hadn’t realty expected him to either. He wouldn’t want anyone to know that he had done something so… unlike him.
She wasn’t sure if she planned on telling Harry, Ron and Hermione about his apology. She wasn’t sure what their reactions would be. Harry would probably say that Malfoy was pulling an act, and he would stab them right in the back when they least suspected it. Ginny was sure that would be what he would say.
Ron would be silent, like he usually was. Ginny wasn’t sure what he thought about during those meetings they had in her room. Was he waiting for the right moment to say a great idea? Or was he just letting everyone else do all of the thinking? She didn’t know. From what she had learned from living with Ron her whole life, she couldn’t say much on the subject. Maybe he talked more when she wasn’t there.
Hermione would side with Ginny. That she was sure of. Hermione would think through the matter logically, not by instinct like Harry would. If Harry made one of his outbursts against Malfoy, Hermione would say something like, “Maybe Malfoy is a better person than we assume he is, Harry. Think about it.”
Yeah. That sounded like something Hermione would say.
Ginny walked into the kitchen. She saw the others seated at the table. There was an empty seat next to Hermione. She looked farther down the table. There was a seat separating Ron and Malfoy. Ginny stared at that seat.
Now that Malfoy was a sort-of-kind-of nice person, did that mean she could sit next to him?
Malfoy looked up from his breakfast. His eyes answered her question immediately.
Just because I did something nice one time doesn’t mean I’m letting you sit in that chair, his eyes said, burning into her. You are going to act as if that conversation we had this morning never happened.
A strand of Malfoy’s blonde hair fell in front of his face right before he bent back over his toast.
Ginny sat in the chair next to Hermione.
Mrs. Weasley came rushing into the kitchen. She looked over at Ginny. “Glad to see that you’ve finally come down here, Ginny,” she said quickly, before setting several spray bottles down on the counter. “You’ll be using these,” she said.
Ron grabbed the spray bottle. “Yeah… What exactly are we going to be doing with these?”
“Doxy infestation in one of the rooms. We must have missed it when we cleaned up the last time.” Mrs. Weasley set some masks and a small bottle down beside the spray bottles. “You’ll be needing these as well.” She pointed to the bottle, saying, “Antidote.”
Ginny looked over at Malfoy. She could see that he was trying not to show everyone how horrified he was that he – a Malfoy – actually had to clean. Ginny had half a mind to take a picture of what was to come and show it to everyone at Hogwarts. That was, if she actually got to go back…
She stared down at her toast, which she still hadn’t touched. “I’m not that hungry,” she said to Hermione. “I think I’ll just wait for you guys to finish.” She pushed her plate away from herself, and leaned forwards, with her chin resting on her hands. Ginny looked at the others.
Ron was paying attention to nothing but his food. It was a bit disgusting. He just shoveled everything into his mouth as if he hadn’t eaten in days.
Hermione and Harry were just staring at their food, as if they were questioning whether it was safe to eat or not.
Malfoy… Ginny had to shake her head in disgust when she saw him. He looked at his food as if it were poison. He poked at it with his fork, grimacing.
“It’s just food,” she snapped at him.
Malfoy looked up at her. “I don’t see you eating it,” he said coldly.
Ginny’s eyes furrowed. She snatched her plate and dragged it in front of her. She speared an egg with her fork, and then shoved it into her mouth. She pointed to her mouth and went, “Hmph,” before swallowing.
Malfoy started picking at his food again.
“Stop picking at your food!” she yelled at him. “I ate it! Now it’s your turn!”
Malfoy looked up. The corners of his lips curled up in a cruel smile. “I only said that you weren’t eating it. I never said that you had to stuff the stuff into your mouth. Nothing you do will make me decide to do the same thing.” He pushed the plate away, got up, and went into the room they were planning on cleaning.
Ron finished his food. He and Harry looked at each other before looking over at Ginny. Both of them looked the same: confused. It looked like they weren’t sure whether they wanted to know what was bothering her or not.
“Just go,” Ginny said, waving her hand in the direction of the room. “Just go kill the Doxies.”
Ron shrugged, and got up. He moved a few paces away from the table. He stopped, and turned around. He ran towards Ginny, stopping a foot away. Ron pointed to her plate. “Um…” he said. “Can I… Well… Can I have that?”
Ginny sighed. “Take it,” she muttered.
Ron grinned and grabbed the plate. He followed Harry out of the kitchen.
Once they were gone, Hermione turned in her chair to face Ginny. “Okay,” she said. “What’s up with you? Just a few days ago you didn’t want to talk to Malfoy. Now all you do is yell at him. What did he do?” She crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow.
Ginny shook her head. “Nothing,” she murmured. “Nothing.”
Hermione uncrossed her arms and reached over. She grabbed Ginny by the shoulders and shook her back and forth, making sure not to do it so hard as to knock her out of her chair. “Come on, Ginny,” she said. “I know you. He had to do something. Something that made you mad. It doesn’t have to be important. Just tell me!”
Ginny removed Hermione’s hands from her shoulders. “That’s the thing,” she muttered. “He did nothing. He softens up for one minute, actually being nice. He apologizes for trying to kill me. I even thought that he had made a breakthrough. But I guess not. We wake up this morning, and he’s back to his stupid, horrible self…”
Hermione thought for a few moments.
“Maybe he thinks that we’ll tell everyone that he was being nice to a Weasley. Maybe he’s scared that his father will hate him for apologizing to you. Maybe he’s just scared.”
“Well he’s an idiot!” Ginny said loudly, jumping out of her chair. “If he was really all brave and proud, he wouldn’t care that he was nice to me!
Hermione stared at Ginny. Her head was cocked to the side, making it look like she could see the world better at an angle.
“Why do you care about this so much?” she finally asked. “Why do you care about what Malfoy does? You didn’t act like it bothered you before. Something’s different.”
Ginny stared back at Hermione. “I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t know.”
They were frozen in that moment for a few seconds, Hermione in her chair and Ginny standing up. Both were silent, listening only to the sounds of their breathing.
Ginny suddenly turned around and slowly walked to the door. She tried the best she could to stay silent. She grabbed the doorknob and turned it quickly. She pushed hard, throwing the door forwards.
The door had only gone a few inches before it stopped, making a horrible thud when it hit two skulls.
The two standing behind the door fell forwards, groaning in pain.
“You listened!” she screamed. “How could you do that?”
Ron moaned. “We didn’t hear anything. Malfoy was making too much of a racket trying to keep one of those Doxies away from him.”
Ginny kicked him. “You still tried to listen!” She turned towards Harry. “And you did too!”
“You were taking too long in there!” he said quickly. “We wanted to know what was keeping you from coming in here!”
Ginny kicked him. She looked into the room and stared at Malfoy. He looked a bit scared, as if he had just seen someone rise from the dead. His hair hung around his face. He didn’t look like the mean Malfoy any more. More like the nicer one. “You were trying to kill a Doxie?” She looked around. “Did you kill it?”
Malfoy pointed to the side of the couch. “Fell over there,” he said, with disgust in his voice.
“When did it fall?”
“A minute before you slammed the door into those idiots’ heads.”
Ginny looked down at Harry and Ron. “That was a minute of no racket. What did you hear?”
Harry picked himself up from the ground. He rubbed his head, where Ginny could see a bump starting to form. “’You didn’t act like it bothered you before. Something’s different.’” He stopped. That’s it. You got really quiet after that.” He stepped forwards. “I swear. That’s all we heard.”
Ginny nodded. “Fine. I’ll let this go. But if I ever catch you listening to my conversations again without my permission, I’m going to get Fred and George, and you will wake up the next day in a box, floating somewhere in the ocean.” She paused. “I’m going to go get my spray.”
She walked out, and returned a few seconds later with her bottle and a mask. “I’m going to kill some of those Doxies. Who’s going to do it with me?”
Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged looks before going to get their bottles. They came back quickly, Hermione walking over to stand by Ginny.
“Let’s get this over with,” she muttered. “I not really in the mood for angry Doxies.”
And all of the teenagers surrounded the curtains, spray bottles in hand.
Mrs. Weasley came rushing in, a mask and a spray bottle in her hands. “I’m not going to be helping you,” she said. “Almost all of you have done this before. I trust you not to get yourselves hurt.” She looked at Harry and Ron. “I trust you not to let certain other people get hurt.” She returned her focus to everyone in the group. “I’m going to pull open the curtains. They’ll start flying out, so make sure that you spray them before they can come too close. I’m pulling the curtain on three.” She grabbed the curtain. “One.”
Ginny squeezed her eyes shut for a moment.
“Two.”
Hermione clutched her bottle even tighter.
“Three.”
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Here it is!
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Chapter 23
September 14. Ginny wrote the date down on a piece of parchment. She didn’t want to forget the date. She didn’t want to miss anything important. She didn’t want to forget that a Malfoy had actually apologized for something. That wasn’t something that you heard every day. It was something that you usually didn’t hear in your whole entire lifetime. Ginny thought the day should be recorded. It was like a special event. But instead of having pictures, she had a date. That was enough.
If she had a choice, she would have slept in until noon. But she didn’t have a choice. Her mother had felt that she, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Malfoy needed to do something together to pass the time and to possibly give them a chance to talk things out. That something just happened to be more cleaning in the House of Black.
Ginny had wanted to laugh when her mother had hinted that. It would take more than just a few hours of cleaning to get Harry and Malfoy to come to a truce. They would probably kill each other first.
When she passed Malfoy on her way down the stairs that morning, he showed no signs of thinking about what he had done in the early hours of the morning. Ginny hadn’t realty expected him to either. He wouldn’t want anyone to know that he had done something so… unlike him.
She wasn’t sure if she planned on telling Harry, Ron and Hermione about his apology. She wasn’t sure what their reactions would be. Harry would probably say that Malfoy was pulling an act, and he would stab them right in the back when they least suspected it. Ginny was sure that would be what he would say.
Ron would be silent, like he usually was. Ginny wasn’t sure what he thought about during those meetings they had in her room. Was he waiting for the right moment to say a great idea? Or was he just letting everyone else do all of the thinking? She didn’t know. From what she had learned from living with Ron her whole life, she couldn’t say much on the subject. Maybe he talked more when she wasn’t there.
Hermione would side with Ginny. That she was sure of. Hermione would think through the matter logically, not by instinct like Harry would. If Harry made one of his outbursts against Malfoy, Hermione would say something like, “Maybe Malfoy is a better person than we assume he is, Harry. Think about it.”
Yeah. That sounded like something Hermione would say.
Ginny walked into the kitchen. She saw the others seated at the table. There was an empty seat next to Hermione. She looked farther down the table. There was a seat separating Ron and Malfoy. Ginny stared at that seat.
Now that Malfoy was a sort-of-kind-of nice person, did that mean she could sit next to him?
Malfoy looked up from his breakfast. His eyes answered her question immediately.
Just because I did something nice one time doesn’t mean I’m letting you sit in that chair, his eyes said, burning into her. You are going to act as if that conversation we had this morning never happened.
A strand of Malfoy’s blonde hair fell in front of his face right before he bent back over his toast.
Ginny sat in the chair next to Hermione.
Mrs. Weasley came rushing into the kitchen. She looked over at Ginny. “Glad to see that you’ve finally come down here, Ginny,” she said quickly, before setting several spray bottles down on the counter. “You’ll be using these,” she said.
Ron grabbed the spray bottle. “Yeah… What exactly are we going to be doing with these?”
“Doxy infestation in one of the rooms. We must have missed it when we cleaned up the last time.” Mrs. Weasley set some masks and a small bottle down beside the spray bottles. “You’ll be needing these as well.” She pointed to the bottle, saying, “Antidote.”
Ginny looked over at Malfoy. She could see that he was trying not to show everyone how horrified he was that he – a Malfoy – actually had to clean. Ginny had half a mind to take a picture of what was to come and show it to everyone at Hogwarts. That was, if she actually got to go back…
She stared down at her toast, which she still hadn’t touched. “I’m not that hungry,” she said to Hermione. “I think I’ll just wait for you guys to finish.” She pushed her plate away from herself, and leaned forwards, with her chin resting on her hands. Ginny looked at the others.
Ron was paying attention to nothing but his food. It was a bit disgusting. He just shoveled everything into his mouth as if he hadn’t eaten in days.
Hermione and Harry were just staring at their food, as if they were questioning whether it was safe to eat or not.
Malfoy… Ginny had to shake her head in disgust when she saw him. He looked at his food as if it were poison. He poked at it with his fork, grimacing.
“It’s just food,” she snapped at him.
Malfoy looked up at her. “I don’t see you eating it,” he said coldly.
Ginny’s eyes furrowed. She snatched her plate and dragged it in front of her. She speared an egg with her fork, and then shoved it into her mouth. She pointed to her mouth and went, “Hmph,” before swallowing.
Malfoy started picking at his food again.
“Stop picking at your food!” she yelled at him. “I ate it! Now it’s your turn!”
Malfoy looked up. The corners of his lips curled up in a cruel smile. “I only said that you weren’t eating it. I never said that you had to stuff the stuff into your mouth. Nothing you do will make me decide to do the same thing.” He pushed the plate away, got up, and went into the room they were planning on cleaning.
Ron finished his food. He and Harry looked at each other before looking over at Ginny. Both of them looked the same: confused. It looked like they weren’t sure whether they wanted to know what was bothering her or not.
“Just go,” Ginny said, waving her hand in the direction of the room. “Just go kill the Doxies.”
Ron shrugged, and got up. He moved a few paces away from the table. He stopped, and turned around. He ran towards Ginny, stopping a foot away. Ron pointed to her plate. “Um…” he said. “Can I… Well… Can I have that?”
Ginny sighed. “Take it,” she muttered.
Ron grinned and grabbed the plate. He followed Harry out of the kitchen.
Once they were gone, Hermione turned in her chair to face Ginny. “Okay,” she said. “What’s up with you? Just a few days ago you didn’t want to talk to Malfoy. Now all you do is yell at him. What did he do?” She crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow.
Ginny shook her head. “Nothing,” she murmured. “Nothing.”
Hermione uncrossed her arms and reached over. She grabbed Ginny by the shoulders and shook her back and forth, making sure not to do it so hard as to knock her out of her chair. “Come on, Ginny,” she said. “I know you. He had to do something. Something that made you mad. It doesn’t have to be important. Just tell me!”
Ginny removed Hermione’s hands from her shoulders. “That’s the thing,” she muttered. “He did nothing. He softens up for one minute, actually being nice. He apologizes for trying to kill me. I even thought that he had made a breakthrough. But I guess not. We wake up this morning, and he’s back to his stupid, horrible self…”
Hermione thought for a few moments.
“Maybe he thinks that we’ll tell everyone that he was being nice to a Weasley. Maybe he’s scared that his father will hate him for apologizing to you. Maybe he’s just scared.”
“Well he’s an idiot!” Ginny said loudly, jumping out of her chair. “If he was really all brave and proud, he wouldn’t care that he was nice to me!
Hermione stared at Ginny. Her head was cocked to the side, making it look like she could see the world better at an angle.
“Why do you care about this so much?” she finally asked. “Why do you care about what Malfoy does? You didn’t act like it bothered you before. Something’s different.”
Ginny stared back at Hermione. “I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t know.”
They were frozen in that moment for a few seconds, Hermione in her chair and Ginny standing up. Both were silent, listening only to the sounds of their breathing.
Ginny suddenly turned around and slowly walked to the door. She tried the best she could to stay silent. She grabbed the doorknob and turned it quickly. She pushed hard, throwing the door forwards.
The door had only gone a few inches before it stopped, making a horrible thud when it hit two skulls.
The two standing behind the door fell forwards, groaning in pain.
“You listened!” she screamed. “How could you do that?”
Ron moaned. “We didn’t hear anything. Malfoy was making too much of a racket trying to keep one of those Doxies away from him.”
Ginny kicked him. “You still tried to listen!” She turned towards Harry. “And you did too!”
“You were taking too long in there!” he said quickly. “We wanted to know what was keeping you from coming in here!”
Ginny kicked him. She looked into the room and stared at Malfoy. He looked a bit scared, as if he had just seen someone rise from the dead. His hair hung around his face. He didn’t look like the mean Malfoy any more. More like the nicer one. “You were trying to kill a Doxie?” She looked around. “Did you kill it?”
Malfoy pointed to the side of the couch. “Fell over there,” he said, with disgust in his voice.
“When did it fall?”
“A minute before you slammed the door into those idiots’ heads.”
Ginny looked down at Harry and Ron. “That was a minute of no racket. What did you hear?”
Harry picked himself up from the ground. He rubbed his head, where Ginny could see a bump starting to form. “’You didn’t act like it bothered you before. Something’s different.’” He stopped. That’s it. You got really quiet after that.” He stepped forwards. “I swear. That’s all we heard.”
Ginny nodded. “Fine. I’ll let this go. But if I ever catch you listening to my conversations again without my permission, I’m going to get Fred and George, and you will wake up the next day in a box, floating somewhere in the ocean.” She paused. “I’m going to go get my spray.”
She walked out, and returned a few seconds later with her bottle and a mask. “I’m going to kill some of those Doxies. Who’s going to do it with me?”
Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged looks before going to get their bottles. They came back quickly, Hermione walking over to stand by Ginny.
“Let’s get this over with,” she muttered. “I not really in the mood for angry Doxies.”
And all of the teenagers surrounded the curtains, spray bottles in hand.
Mrs. Weasley came rushing in, a mask and a spray bottle in her hands. “I’m not going to be helping you,” she said. “Almost all of you have done this before. I trust you not to get yourselves hurt.” She looked at Harry and Ron. “I trust you not to let certain other people get hurt.” She returned her focus to everyone in the group. “I’m going to pull open the curtains. They’ll start flying out, so make sure that you spray them before they can come too close. I’m pulling the curtain on three.” She grabbed the curtain. “One.”
Ginny squeezed her eyes shut for a moment.
“Two.”
Hermione clutched her bottle even tighter.
“Three.”
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Hm... This in not really my favorite chapter, and there isn't much progress, and it isn't that long, but I sort of needed a filler while I think of something big. So... Yeah. Okay. Here's the chapter. Go read it now.
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Chapter 24
Ginny stifled as scream as a Doxie flew right into her face. She quickly sprayed it, and it fell to the floor, motionless. Careful not to step on it, Ginny moved closer to Hermione, who was engaged in a battle of her own.
“Help me!” Hermione exclaimed at Ginny, who immediately began to spray a few of the Doxies who had chosen to attack her friend.
“How could so many have gotten here?” Ginny asked quickly, dodging a Doxie who had attempted to bite her. “I thought we cleaned them out last time we were here!”
“Fred and George kept a few, remember?” Hermione replied quickly. “They could have forgotten to get rid of some, and they could have gone and started up a whole new infestation.”
“I’ll have to remind myself to kill them later,” Ginny muttered to herself. She glanced over at where Malfoy had been standing. Ginny frowned. He wasn’t fighting off Doxies. Instead, he was hiding behind a chair, clutching his spray bottles in his hands. Every once in a while a Doxie would fly by, and he would quickly spray it, then take a step back from the tiny body on the ground.
Ginny ducked as a Doxie flew at her head. Realizing that it hadn’t hit its target, it tried to hit her again, and Ginny ran behind a chair.
“What’s wrong with these things?” she yelled. “It’s like they want us to kill them!”
“It’s not like they’ve had much to do since we last met them,” replied Harry. He smacked a Doxie away with his free hand, and it smashed into the window. “This is probably like a game for them.”
“I hate this game!” Ron exclaimed. “Remind me never to play it again!” He yelped and sprayed two of the Doxies at once.
Ginny looked back over at Malfoy. He was still hiding behind the chair, though he was no longer spraying the Doxies. He was crouched down behind the piece of furniture, his spray bottle mostly full, smiling at his success in staying away from the pests.
“Help us out here, Malfoy!” Ginny yelled. “We’ll send them all over to you’re hiding place if you don’t!”
Malfoy looked up at her, his eyebrows furrowed. He looked like he was ready to respond with a smart remark, but thought better of it. He stood up and slowly walked over to a spot a yard from where Ginny stood.
“I’ll stand here,” he said. He stared at Ginny, daring her to respond. “I’m in the danger zone. I can wait for the Doxies fly at me.”
Ginny sighed. “Fine.” She returned to Hermione’s side, spraying the Doxies once more.
Malfoy stood in place in surprise. He had expected Ginny to run over and hit him, or cast a spell at him. He had been wrong. Her response had been almost… nice.
Nice was bad. She wasn’t supposed to be nice to him.
He felt like doing something. He didn’t know what exactly. Could he go over and make her be cruel to him? He could if he was mean to her first. That way she would forget that he had done something nice to her…
Nice and Cruel. He was starting to hate those two things.
Malfoy was thrown out of his thoughts when a giant Doxie flew his way. He began to spray the air around him wildly, not getting its target. The Doxie flew in every direction, trying to avoid the repellant.
“Malfoy!” Ginny screamed at him. “You’re supposed to hit the Doxie! You’re wasting all of the repellant!”
She had stopped paying attention to the small battle raging around her, and was focused on Malfoy instead. Ginny did not notice as a Doxie flew forwards, making a noise that sounded almost like laughter. It landed on her arm, and before she could swat it away, it bit her.
That Doxie had been one of the last. Harry and Hermione finished off the others at that same moment, Ron gave his a final squirt, and they stared at Ginny in shock.
“It bit me,” Ginny said.
Malfoy looked over at her, looking a bit nauseous. “Th-the cut’s turning– it’s turning green.”
Ginny stared down at her arm. There were two puncture marks right above her elbow, and they were oozing something that looked like green pus. “Ew…” she muttered. She felt a bit dizzy.
Ginny looked up at Hermione, trying to keep focus on her face. The room was starting to spin. “Get the antidote,” she said quietly, before falling down in a faint.
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“Ginny? Are you okay? Um… Ginny? Can you stand up?”
Ginny’s eyes fluttered open, and she stared up at Harry, Ron and Hermione. “That wasn’t fun,” she muttered. Hermione looked down at her, a piteous expression plastered across her face. She opened her mouth to say something, but was stopped when Mrs. Weasley bustled in.
“You alright, Ginny? Let’s get you up, dear.” She took Ginny’s arm and lifted her off of the ground. She began to lead her out of the room, pushing her from behind. Ginny tried to turn around, but could only turn her head.
Help me! She mouthed to Hermione. Hermione nodded, and Ginny turned back around in relief. Her mother took her to the stairs.
“Go on to bed, now,” Mrs. Weasley told her. She stood at the bottom of the stairs, with Ginny on the first step, acting as a shield from the rest of the house. “You should get some rest. Antidote can make you a bit drowsy.
“But I’m not –“
Mrs. Weasley looked at her daughter sternly, and Ginny thought better of finishing her sentence. She walked up the stairs, thinking of a way to get back down the stairs without her mother finding out.
She reached the top, and looked back down at her mother. “When can I go back down?” she asked anxiously.
Mrs. Weasley sighed. “After you’ve had a rest. Go to your room.”
Ginny frowned. She was about to turn back around when she saw someone’s face peeking out from behind a door. It was Hermione.
Five minutes, she mouthed. Ginny tried not to smile. It would be amusing to see how Hermione would help her escape.
Ginny backed up, and started to walk to her room when something caught her eye. She stopped, and looked back, but there was nothing that she found interesting in view.
Ginny raised an eyebrow, and started to walk again. She reached her door, and quickly shut herself inside the room. If she thought about it, she was sure that she had seen a flash of white.
Like white-blonde hair.
Like the hair of Draco Malfoy, who was having a last glance at her as she went to her room.
Hermione had been right. Something was different, and she wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or not.
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Ginny sat on her bed, waiting. Hermione asked for five minutes. It had been much longer than that, or at least it felt like it. Maybe it had only been ten minutes. She didn’t know. She didn’t have a watch.
“Ginny!” a voice whispered through the door. “I’m here! Get out of there!”
Ginny ran to the door and pulled it open, closing it quietly behind her. Hermione stood in front of her, panting slightly.
“You’re so lucky my plan worked,” she gasped. “I let Harry and Ron attack Malfoy, and your mum got busy trying to keep them from killing each other. I had to run out before anyone noticed I was there.”
“Are they okay?” Ginny asked.
“Yeah,” Hermione said, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. “But if you want to be free for a bit longer, you’re going to have to get outside of the house. Your mum will realize what I did soon.”
“Let’s go!” Ginny said eagerly. “Get me out of here!”
Hermione sighed. “There are spells put up to warn the Order if anyone tries to leave. They were originally for Malfoy, but I think that they don’t want Harry to run off to kill Voldemort either.”
“Then what are we going to do?”
Hermione grinned. “Fred and George have told me a few things.”
Ginny couldn’t help but smile. “Does it have to do with things turning into rubber chickens?”
“Yep.”
Ginny rubbed her hands together. “This ought to be fun.”
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Sorry this isn’t as long as my usual chapters. Summer vacation has been pretty hectic, and this is thee first time I’ve gotten on the computer in a while that had High Speed Internet… And that had my files on it… Well, I’ll try to get another chapter up at some point. I don’t know when, exactly, but it will be at some point this summer.
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Chapter 24
Ginny stifled as scream as a Doxie flew right into her face. She quickly sprayed it, and it fell to the floor, motionless. Careful not to step on it, Ginny moved closer to Hermione, who was engaged in a battle of her own.
“Help me!” Hermione exclaimed at Ginny, who immediately began to spray a few of the Doxies who had chosen to attack her friend.
“How could so many have gotten here?” Ginny asked quickly, dodging a Doxie who had attempted to bite her. “I thought we cleaned them out last time we were here!”
“Fred and George kept a few, remember?” Hermione replied quickly. “They could have forgotten to get rid of some, and they could have gone and started up a whole new infestation.”
“I’ll have to remind myself to kill them later,” Ginny muttered to herself. She glanced over at where Malfoy had been standing. Ginny frowned. He wasn’t fighting off Doxies. Instead, he was hiding behind a chair, clutching his spray bottles in his hands. Every once in a while a Doxie would fly by, and he would quickly spray it, then take a step back from the tiny body on the ground.
Ginny ducked as a Doxie flew at her head. Realizing that it hadn’t hit its target, it tried to hit her again, and Ginny ran behind a chair.
“What’s wrong with these things?” she yelled. “It’s like they want us to kill them!”
“It’s not like they’ve had much to do since we last met them,” replied Harry. He smacked a Doxie away with his free hand, and it smashed into the window. “This is probably like a game for them.”
“I hate this game!” Ron exclaimed. “Remind me never to play it again!” He yelped and sprayed two of the Doxies at once.
Ginny looked back over at Malfoy. He was still hiding behind the chair, though he was no longer spraying the Doxies. He was crouched down behind the piece of furniture, his spray bottle mostly full, smiling at his success in staying away from the pests.
“Help us out here, Malfoy!” Ginny yelled. “We’ll send them all over to you’re hiding place if you don’t!”
Malfoy looked up at her, his eyebrows furrowed. He looked like he was ready to respond with a smart remark, but thought better of it. He stood up and slowly walked over to a spot a yard from where Ginny stood.
“I’ll stand here,” he said. He stared at Ginny, daring her to respond. “I’m in the danger zone. I can wait for the Doxies fly at me.”
Ginny sighed. “Fine.” She returned to Hermione’s side, spraying the Doxies once more.
Malfoy stood in place in surprise. He had expected Ginny to run over and hit him, or cast a spell at him. He had been wrong. Her response had been almost… nice.
Nice was bad. She wasn’t supposed to be nice to him.
He felt like doing something. He didn’t know what exactly. Could he go over and make her be cruel to him? He could if he was mean to her first. That way she would forget that he had done something nice to her…
Nice and Cruel. He was starting to hate those two things.
Malfoy was thrown out of his thoughts when a giant Doxie flew his way. He began to spray the air around him wildly, not getting its target. The Doxie flew in every direction, trying to avoid the repellant.
“Malfoy!” Ginny screamed at him. “You’re supposed to hit the Doxie! You’re wasting all of the repellant!”
She had stopped paying attention to the small battle raging around her, and was focused on Malfoy instead. Ginny did not notice as a Doxie flew forwards, making a noise that sounded almost like laughter. It landed on her arm, and before she could swat it away, it bit her.
That Doxie had been one of the last. Harry and Hermione finished off the others at that same moment, Ron gave his a final squirt, and they stared at Ginny in shock.
“It bit me,” Ginny said.
Malfoy looked over at her, looking a bit nauseous. “Th-the cut’s turning– it’s turning green.”
Ginny stared down at her arm. There were two puncture marks right above her elbow, and they were oozing something that looked like green pus. “Ew…” she muttered. She felt a bit dizzy.
Ginny looked up at Hermione, trying to keep focus on her face. The room was starting to spin. “Get the antidote,” she said quietly, before falling down in a faint.
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“Ginny? Are you okay? Um… Ginny? Can you stand up?”
Ginny’s eyes fluttered open, and she stared up at Harry, Ron and Hermione. “That wasn’t fun,” she muttered. Hermione looked down at her, a piteous expression plastered across her face. She opened her mouth to say something, but was stopped when Mrs. Weasley bustled in.
“You alright, Ginny? Let’s get you up, dear.” She took Ginny’s arm and lifted her off of the ground. She began to lead her out of the room, pushing her from behind. Ginny tried to turn around, but could only turn her head.
Help me! She mouthed to Hermione. Hermione nodded, and Ginny turned back around in relief. Her mother took her to the stairs.
“Go on to bed, now,” Mrs. Weasley told her. She stood at the bottom of the stairs, with Ginny on the first step, acting as a shield from the rest of the house. “You should get some rest. Antidote can make you a bit drowsy.
“But I’m not –“
Mrs. Weasley looked at her daughter sternly, and Ginny thought better of finishing her sentence. She walked up the stairs, thinking of a way to get back down the stairs without her mother finding out.
She reached the top, and looked back down at her mother. “When can I go back down?” she asked anxiously.
Mrs. Weasley sighed. “After you’ve had a rest. Go to your room.”
Ginny frowned. She was about to turn back around when she saw someone’s face peeking out from behind a door. It was Hermione.
Five minutes, she mouthed. Ginny tried not to smile. It would be amusing to see how Hermione would help her escape.
Ginny backed up, and started to walk to her room when something caught her eye. She stopped, and looked back, but there was nothing that she found interesting in view.
Ginny raised an eyebrow, and started to walk again. She reached her door, and quickly shut herself inside the room. If she thought about it, she was sure that she had seen a flash of white.
Like white-blonde hair.
Like the hair of Draco Malfoy, who was having a last glance at her as she went to her room.
Hermione had been right. Something was different, and she wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or not.
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Ginny sat on her bed, waiting. Hermione asked for five minutes. It had been much longer than that, or at least it felt like it. Maybe it had only been ten minutes. She didn’t know. She didn’t have a watch.
“Ginny!” a voice whispered through the door. “I’m here! Get out of there!”
Ginny ran to the door and pulled it open, closing it quietly behind her. Hermione stood in front of her, panting slightly.
“You’re so lucky my plan worked,” she gasped. “I let Harry and Ron attack Malfoy, and your mum got busy trying to keep them from killing each other. I had to run out before anyone noticed I was there.”
“Are they okay?” Ginny asked.
“Yeah,” Hermione said, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. “But if you want to be free for a bit longer, you’re going to have to get outside of the house. Your mum will realize what I did soon.”
“Let’s go!” Ginny said eagerly. “Get me out of here!”
Hermione sighed. “There are spells put up to warn the Order if anyone tries to leave. They were originally for Malfoy, but I think that they don’t want Harry to run off to kill Voldemort either.”
“Then what are we going to do?”
Hermione grinned. “Fred and George have told me a few things.”
Ginny couldn’t help but smile. “Does it have to do with things turning into rubber chickens?”
“Yep.”
Ginny rubbed her hands together. “This ought to be fun.”
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Sorry this isn’t as long as my usual chapters. Summer vacation has been pretty hectic, and this is thee first time I’ve gotten on the computer in a while that had High Speed Internet… And that had my files on it… Well, I’ll try to get another chapter up at some point. I don’t know when, exactly, but it will be at some point this summer.
Okay, then. I have been working on this chapter for a while, now. I make some progress, though I don't know how I'm supposed to come up with a few more chapters... I should be wrapping this thing up in the next few chapters. I've gone on long enough, I think... So, here's the next chapter.
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Chapter 25
Ginny and Hermione stood next to the door, hiding in the shadows.
“The Order set up a spell that stuns anyone in the room once the doorknob is touched. I think the members know a spell that will let them get through without being stunned or removing the spell, but I don’t know how they accomplished that. Our best chance is to throw one of Fred and George’s fake wands at the door, and it will turn into one of the chickens. The chicken will substitute as one of us, and the stunning spells will all be aimed towards that instead of us. The spell will probably be removed after that, because the Order will think that Harry or Malfoy was stunned, and they won’t have time to reset it. We’ll have about twenty seconds before the Order shows up.”
“How do you know all of this?” Ginny asked.
“Fred and George thought that I might want to know how to get out if I ever want to take a walk, or go shopping at their store.”
“Do you have the wand with you?”
“Yeah.” Hermione brought the fake wand out of pocket. “I’m going to use a hovering charm to take it over to the doorknob while we hide in the other room.”
“Okay,” Ginny said slowly, “but what happens when we want to get back inside Headquarters?”
Hermione squinted her eyes and thought for a few seconds. “I don’t think its protected from the outside,” she finally muttered. “I mean, they can’t put much more protection on it then it already has. We should be fine.”
“But what about the Order? They’re going to be pretty mad when they find out that we left. We’re going to be punished. We’ll probably never be allowed to leave this place ever, ever again.”
“Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong,” Hermione said quietly, but smiling. “Fred and George gave me one of their fake wands for a reason.”
“And what is that reason?” Ginny asked, surprised that the plan had been more planned out than she thought.
“They have been caught testing this way out before, whenever they visit,” Hermione replied. “They had been using the fake wands, so now the Order associates all fake wands used to escape with Fred and George. The Order won’t suspect us. They’ll just go talk to Fred and George and warn them not to do it again.”
“Wow,” Ginny murmured.
“I know,” Hermione said, nodding. “Fred and George are really good about taking the blame for these sort of things.”
“No, that’s not why I said wow,” Ginny said. “I said it because this is so unlike you to help them in one of their schemes. It’s very unlike you.”
Hermione smiled. “Why, thank you,” she said in mock flattery. Her smile faded and she grimaced instead. “But I need to do something while I wait for Harry to say that it’s time to go. For the record,” she said, looking at Ginny sadly, “that might not be too far off. He’s getting really frustrated being cooped up here with Malfoy.”
Ginny looked away from Hermione to escape her gaze. She focused her eyes on the door instead. Her excitement for the plan to break out of the Headquarters had just been extinguished.
“How soon do you think you’re going to go?” she asked quietly.
“A week. Maybe two.”
“That isn’t much time.”
“No. It isn’t.”
“What am I going to do once you, Harry and Ron are gone? I can’t stay here with Malfoy.” Ginny looked back over at Hermione. “I’m serious,” she said forcefully. “I. Can’t. Stay. Here. With. Him.” She fell silent and bit her lip.
Hermione tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and sighed. “I still don’t understand why you care about every small thing he does, all of a sudden. I mean, I know he apologized, and pretended that it never happened, but why is that such a big deal?”
Ginny shook her head. “I still don’t know the answer to that.”
“I mean,” Hermione continued, “it’s like you have a strange addiction to everything that involves him.” She fell silent when Ginny stared at her darkly.
They were quiet for a while. Ginny stared unblinking at Hermione, who looked back nervously. The only noise that could be heard was the thuds coming from several rooms away. The thuds seemed to snap the two girls back to reality.
“I’m going to forget that you said that,” Ginny said coldly. “Now, are we going to get out of here or not? My mum’s going to stop Harry, Ron and Malfoy from fighting eventually.”
Hermione quickly nodded and pointed her wand at one of Fred and George’s creations. The fake wand rose into the air, and hovered over to the door.
“Okay,” Hermione muttered. “Brace yourself. You’ll know when you have to start running. You’re going to get a head start, so you’re going to have a better chance of making it out of here than I am. But then, I’ve had a bit of experience in running for my life… I’ll meet you…” She furrowed her eyebrows. “You can just run in one direction when we get out. I’ll follow you. This way we can just turn around and go back the right way.”
Ginny nodded.
Hermione focused back on the wand, and she carefully made it touch the doorknob. She dropped her wand and covered her ears as a shrill beeping noise started to sound through the house.
“Make it stop!” Ginny screamed.
“The Order probably added things to surprise Fred and George the next time they tested the door!” Hermione yelled back.
A jet of blue light flew out of the corner of the room and began to bounce around the walls before hitting the fake wand, which had already turned into a rubber chicken.
“Run!” Hermione yelled, and Ginny got up and sprinted towards the door. She grasped the doorknob and wrenched the door open, and began to run away from the building. Seconds later Hermione followed her out, looking content with herself.
The two remained at the same pace for a long time, not certain as to where they were going. Ginny had urges every ten seconds to look back and make sure that Hermione was behind her, but she tried not to, knowing that her friend would be there. She had to keep her mind away from that by thinking about how much her feet were starting to hurt.
After a long while, the two passed a park. Ginny shrugged and climbed over the gate, ignoring the sign that warned that any person who trespassed that month would have to pay an expensive fine. Hermione followed, though a bit reluctantly, and followed Ginny to the center of a grass field.
They collapsed on to the grass.
Side by side, they lay on their backs, staring up at the sky. Ginny wished that she could make out something in the clouds, but the clouds were only light wisps that day—barely noticeable.
“Hermione?” she finally asked.
“Yeah?”
“Do you ever wonder if people like Malfoy are somehow good people on the inside?”
“Sometimes. Why?”
“Well… I was thinking that maybe, if Malfoy was a good person, we could get him to tell us about… you know, Death Eater things?”
“Okay,” said Hermione, nodding. “So, this has nothing to do about you sort of liking him?”
Ginny’s eyes widened and she looked over at Hermione quickly before saying, “I don’t like him. I don’t. Not a bit.” She shook her head. “I don’t see how you could have come to that conclusion.”
Hermione shut her eyes and sighed. “Don’t lie to me, Ginny. You’re confused. You want Malfoy to be a better person desperately so you can finally relax and stop all the fighting, or at least the fighting in the Headquarters. You wanted keep Harry from focusing all of his time on trying to protect you from Malfoy, so you figured that the best way to fix that problem was by making Malfoy a softer sort of person. You let him stay here, you forgave him, all of that stuff, and it actually worked. He apologized, and you started to like the person that you hoped he would come to be. And now that has left you hopelessly confused.”
“How do you know these sort of things?” Ginny asked in wonder.
“Books,” Hermione replied. “Real life situations.” She gave Ginny a half-hearted laugh. “Muggle television.”
“Then, Hermione, ‘O Wise One, tell me what I must do to get rid of all of the confusion in my head.”
Hermione put her hands behind her head and crossed her ankles. “I think you need to figure out whether you like Malfoy for who he really is, or what you wish he could be, and find out whether he likes you at all.”
“How am I supposed to know that?” Ginny asked. “You’re the one who hangs out with two guys all of the time. I’m pretty sure that you’re my best shot at an answer.”
“Fine,” Hermione mumbled. She exhaled slowly before answering. “I think he’s just as confused as you are. He’s probably scared of what he’s starting to become, so he doesn’t know whether to hate you or thank you for doing this to him. You have to talk to him.”
Ginny turned over on to her stomach and moaned. “But I don’t want to talk to him!”
“Okay,” Hermione said. “Then there’s you solution. You don’t want to talk to him, so you must not like—”
“But if that was my solution,” Ginny cut in, “why am I still confused?”
“If you’re still confused,” Hermione snapped, “you should go talk to Malfoy.”
“But I don’t want to—”
“GINNY!” Hermione yelled. Ginny immediately stopped talking and inched away from her friend, putting more distance between them on the ground.
“Sorry,” Hermione apologized. “I just needed you to shut up.” She let out a long sigh. “Ginny?” she asked, turning over on to her side.
“Yeah?” Ginny mumbled back.
“Lets go back. We’ve had enough escape time. Talk to Malfoy when everyone’s asleep.”
“Okay.”
“Glad you’re finally agreeing.”
The two stood up, and began to jog back to the gate.
Hermione reached it first, and had climbed about a foot off the ground when she looked down at Ginny sadly.
“You know the what the worst part of this escaping thing is?” she asked. Ginny shook her head.
Hermione sighed and bounced up and down on the gate a few times. “We can’t even apparate back, because someone will notice if we suddenly appear in front of the Headquarters in broad daylight.”
Ginny tried not to laugh. “What do you think would happen if we did go back using Apparation?” She began to climb up the gate, and swung her leg over the top, going down the other side. Hermione quickly followed.
They jumped down and landed on the pavement. “We’d probably have to use memory charms on every person walking on the street,” said Hermione.
The conversation ended, and they began to run back the way they had come, hoping that their plan of blaming Fred and George had worked.
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Luckily, Fred and George had been right when they said that the Order would just blame them for setting off the alarms.
Ginny and Hermione were able to get back into the building without any trouble, and no one noticed when Ginny snuck back upstairs to her room. Hermione said that she was just walking around as an excuse for when Mrs. Weasley asked where she was.
Harry and Ron had been ordered to stay away from Malfoy, or risk punishment. They had been so happy to attack Malfoy that they had given him a black eye, and many bruises. He was to stay down on the ground floor with Mrs. Weasley, who was tending to his wounds.
No one spoke much in the next few hours. Ginny stayed in her room, waiting for everyone to fall asleep so she could go talk to Malfoy, also because of her mother’s orders. Harry and Ron still were not allowed out of their room, and Malfoy was afraid to come out of his, leaving Hermione to retreat into her room out of boredom.
The sky darkened, and soon Mrs. Weasley visited every single bedroom, telling everyone to turn off the lights and go to sleep. Of course, no one ever listened to her when she said this, but everyone would smile and nod, pretending that they would actually do as she said.
One in the morning came, and even the teenagers had to fall asleep. Ginny got up from her bed, and grabbed her wand, muttering, “Lumos,” under her breath. She crept out of her room, and quietly closed the door behind her.
The light from her wand was surprisingly bright in the dark hall, and she hoped that no one would come to see where the source of the light was coming from. Ginny walked down the hall, coming closer and closer to Malfoy’s room.
She stopped at the door, rocking back and forth on her heels. Nervously, she stretched out her arm and knocked lightly on the door.
Ginny could hear gentle thuds from inside the room before the door was wrenched open, with Malfoy standing there, looking annoyed.
“What do you want?” he whispered harshly.
“I need to talk to you,” Ginny whispered back.
“At one-thirty?”
“Yes. At one-thirty.”
“Fine. Come in.”
He stepped aside, and Ginny quickly walked past him, and stood in the center of the room. She noticed that the room was unnaturally empty.
“No decorations?” she asked meekly.
Malfoy squinted his eyes at her and shook his head. “It’s not like I had any trunks with me when I came here,” he muttered.
Ginny sighed. “Look. I didn’t come here to discuss why your room looks like no one has been living in it… I…” she felt the heat rise to her face. “I was talking to Hermione today and… She made me realize that… That I sort of…” Her voice faltered. She brushed her hair behind her ears and tried to collect herself.
“She made me realize that I…sort of…kind of…like you?” She shook her head and bit her lip. “Um…” She looked back up. “And I needed to know if you sort of… you know… like me?” She blushed, feeling stupider than she thought she would have felt.
Malfoy stood there, looking a bit surprised, but his expression of shock faded after a few seconds. He put a hand through his hair and walked back and forth for a while before stopping in front of Ginny.
“I think I can fix your problem,” he said quietly.
“Problem,” Ginny said angrily. “Who said I have a problem?”
Malfoy sighed. “Your problem is that you don’t know who you like more—me or Potter. I can fix that for you.”
Ginny got a bit excited. “You can fix—I mean, you can help me?” she asked anxiously.
Malfoy nodded. “Yes. I can.”
Ginny looked around. “So how are you going to—?”
Malfoy had bent over and kissed her, and for a second Ginny was confused, and she was angry that Malfoy would dare to kiss her. But then it hit her, and she kissed him back, and she did for several more seconds, when a coughing noise from the front of the room caught her attention.
The two broke apart, and Ginny looked over at Harry, who stood angrily in the doorway.
“I came to see where the light had been coming from,” he said coldly, “and I think I know why. I thought you were better than this.” He whipped around and walked off. He looked like he was ready to start stomping off, making a big racket, but instead he was careful not to make much noise.
Ginny looked over at Malfoy nervously.
Malfoy looked back at her, though looking a bit less unhappy. “Feel anything?” he asked quickly.
Ginny shook her head. “No. No sparks. Nothing.”
Malfoy nodded in understanding. “Then, go. Explain to Potter. He’s the one you want.” He stuck out his hand for Ginny to shake.
Ginny shook his hand quickly and ran out, desperate to get to Harry before he did anything he would regret.
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Chapter 25
Ginny and Hermione stood next to the door, hiding in the shadows.
“The Order set up a spell that stuns anyone in the room once the doorknob is touched. I think the members know a spell that will let them get through without being stunned or removing the spell, but I don’t know how they accomplished that. Our best chance is to throw one of Fred and George’s fake wands at the door, and it will turn into one of the chickens. The chicken will substitute as one of us, and the stunning spells will all be aimed towards that instead of us. The spell will probably be removed after that, because the Order will think that Harry or Malfoy was stunned, and they won’t have time to reset it. We’ll have about twenty seconds before the Order shows up.”
“How do you know all of this?” Ginny asked.
“Fred and George thought that I might want to know how to get out if I ever want to take a walk, or go shopping at their store.”
“Do you have the wand with you?”
“Yeah.” Hermione brought the fake wand out of pocket. “I’m going to use a hovering charm to take it over to the doorknob while we hide in the other room.”
“Okay,” Ginny said slowly, “but what happens when we want to get back inside Headquarters?”
Hermione squinted her eyes and thought for a few seconds. “I don’t think its protected from the outside,” she finally muttered. “I mean, they can’t put much more protection on it then it already has. We should be fine.”
“But what about the Order? They’re going to be pretty mad when they find out that we left. We’re going to be punished. We’ll probably never be allowed to leave this place ever, ever again.”
“Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong,” Hermione said quietly, but smiling. “Fred and George gave me one of their fake wands for a reason.”
“And what is that reason?” Ginny asked, surprised that the plan had been more planned out than she thought.
“They have been caught testing this way out before, whenever they visit,” Hermione replied. “They had been using the fake wands, so now the Order associates all fake wands used to escape with Fred and George. The Order won’t suspect us. They’ll just go talk to Fred and George and warn them not to do it again.”
“Wow,” Ginny murmured.
“I know,” Hermione said, nodding. “Fred and George are really good about taking the blame for these sort of things.”
“No, that’s not why I said wow,” Ginny said. “I said it because this is so unlike you to help them in one of their schemes. It’s very unlike you.”
Hermione smiled. “Why, thank you,” she said in mock flattery. Her smile faded and she grimaced instead. “But I need to do something while I wait for Harry to say that it’s time to go. For the record,” she said, looking at Ginny sadly, “that might not be too far off. He’s getting really frustrated being cooped up here with Malfoy.”
Ginny looked away from Hermione to escape her gaze. She focused her eyes on the door instead. Her excitement for the plan to break out of the Headquarters had just been extinguished.
“How soon do you think you’re going to go?” she asked quietly.
“A week. Maybe two.”
“That isn’t much time.”
“No. It isn’t.”
“What am I going to do once you, Harry and Ron are gone? I can’t stay here with Malfoy.” Ginny looked back over at Hermione. “I’m serious,” she said forcefully. “I. Can’t. Stay. Here. With. Him.” She fell silent and bit her lip.
Hermione tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and sighed. “I still don’t understand why you care about every small thing he does, all of a sudden. I mean, I know he apologized, and pretended that it never happened, but why is that such a big deal?”
Ginny shook her head. “I still don’t know the answer to that.”
“I mean,” Hermione continued, “it’s like you have a strange addiction to everything that involves him.” She fell silent when Ginny stared at her darkly.
They were quiet for a while. Ginny stared unblinking at Hermione, who looked back nervously. The only noise that could be heard was the thuds coming from several rooms away. The thuds seemed to snap the two girls back to reality.
“I’m going to forget that you said that,” Ginny said coldly. “Now, are we going to get out of here or not? My mum’s going to stop Harry, Ron and Malfoy from fighting eventually.”
Hermione quickly nodded and pointed her wand at one of Fred and George’s creations. The fake wand rose into the air, and hovered over to the door.
“Okay,” Hermione muttered. “Brace yourself. You’ll know when you have to start running. You’re going to get a head start, so you’re going to have a better chance of making it out of here than I am. But then, I’ve had a bit of experience in running for my life… I’ll meet you…” She furrowed her eyebrows. “You can just run in one direction when we get out. I’ll follow you. This way we can just turn around and go back the right way.”
Ginny nodded.
Hermione focused back on the wand, and she carefully made it touch the doorknob. She dropped her wand and covered her ears as a shrill beeping noise started to sound through the house.
“Make it stop!” Ginny screamed.
“The Order probably added things to surprise Fred and George the next time they tested the door!” Hermione yelled back.
A jet of blue light flew out of the corner of the room and began to bounce around the walls before hitting the fake wand, which had already turned into a rubber chicken.
“Run!” Hermione yelled, and Ginny got up and sprinted towards the door. She grasped the doorknob and wrenched the door open, and began to run away from the building. Seconds later Hermione followed her out, looking content with herself.
The two remained at the same pace for a long time, not certain as to where they were going. Ginny had urges every ten seconds to look back and make sure that Hermione was behind her, but she tried not to, knowing that her friend would be there. She had to keep her mind away from that by thinking about how much her feet were starting to hurt.
After a long while, the two passed a park. Ginny shrugged and climbed over the gate, ignoring the sign that warned that any person who trespassed that month would have to pay an expensive fine. Hermione followed, though a bit reluctantly, and followed Ginny to the center of a grass field.
They collapsed on to the grass.
Side by side, they lay on their backs, staring up at the sky. Ginny wished that she could make out something in the clouds, but the clouds were only light wisps that day—barely noticeable.
“Hermione?” she finally asked.
“Yeah?”
“Do you ever wonder if people like Malfoy are somehow good people on the inside?”
“Sometimes. Why?”
“Well… I was thinking that maybe, if Malfoy was a good person, we could get him to tell us about… you know, Death Eater things?”
“Okay,” said Hermione, nodding. “So, this has nothing to do about you sort of liking him?”
Ginny’s eyes widened and she looked over at Hermione quickly before saying, “I don’t like him. I don’t. Not a bit.” She shook her head. “I don’t see how you could have come to that conclusion.”
Hermione shut her eyes and sighed. “Don’t lie to me, Ginny. You’re confused. You want Malfoy to be a better person desperately so you can finally relax and stop all the fighting, or at least the fighting in the Headquarters. You wanted keep Harry from focusing all of his time on trying to protect you from Malfoy, so you figured that the best way to fix that problem was by making Malfoy a softer sort of person. You let him stay here, you forgave him, all of that stuff, and it actually worked. He apologized, and you started to like the person that you hoped he would come to be. And now that has left you hopelessly confused.”
“How do you know these sort of things?” Ginny asked in wonder.
“Books,” Hermione replied. “Real life situations.” She gave Ginny a half-hearted laugh. “Muggle television.”
“Then, Hermione, ‘O Wise One, tell me what I must do to get rid of all of the confusion in my head.”
Hermione put her hands behind her head and crossed her ankles. “I think you need to figure out whether you like Malfoy for who he really is, or what you wish he could be, and find out whether he likes you at all.”
“How am I supposed to know that?” Ginny asked. “You’re the one who hangs out with two guys all of the time. I’m pretty sure that you’re my best shot at an answer.”
“Fine,” Hermione mumbled. She exhaled slowly before answering. “I think he’s just as confused as you are. He’s probably scared of what he’s starting to become, so he doesn’t know whether to hate you or thank you for doing this to him. You have to talk to him.”
Ginny turned over on to her stomach and moaned. “But I don’t want to talk to him!”
“Okay,” Hermione said. “Then there’s you solution. You don’t want to talk to him, so you must not like—”
“But if that was my solution,” Ginny cut in, “why am I still confused?”
“If you’re still confused,” Hermione snapped, “you should go talk to Malfoy.”
“But I don’t want to—”
“GINNY!” Hermione yelled. Ginny immediately stopped talking and inched away from her friend, putting more distance between them on the ground.
“Sorry,” Hermione apologized. “I just needed you to shut up.” She let out a long sigh. “Ginny?” she asked, turning over on to her side.
“Yeah?” Ginny mumbled back.
“Lets go back. We’ve had enough escape time. Talk to Malfoy when everyone’s asleep.”
“Okay.”
“Glad you’re finally agreeing.”
The two stood up, and began to jog back to the gate.
Hermione reached it first, and had climbed about a foot off the ground when she looked down at Ginny sadly.
“You know the what the worst part of this escaping thing is?” she asked. Ginny shook her head.
Hermione sighed and bounced up and down on the gate a few times. “We can’t even apparate back, because someone will notice if we suddenly appear in front of the Headquarters in broad daylight.”
Ginny tried not to laugh. “What do you think would happen if we did go back using Apparation?” She began to climb up the gate, and swung her leg over the top, going down the other side. Hermione quickly followed.
They jumped down and landed on the pavement. “We’d probably have to use memory charms on every person walking on the street,” said Hermione.
The conversation ended, and they began to run back the way they had come, hoping that their plan of blaming Fred and George had worked.
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Luckily, Fred and George had been right when they said that the Order would just blame them for setting off the alarms.
Ginny and Hermione were able to get back into the building without any trouble, and no one noticed when Ginny snuck back upstairs to her room. Hermione said that she was just walking around as an excuse for when Mrs. Weasley asked where she was.
Harry and Ron had been ordered to stay away from Malfoy, or risk punishment. They had been so happy to attack Malfoy that they had given him a black eye, and many bruises. He was to stay down on the ground floor with Mrs. Weasley, who was tending to his wounds.
No one spoke much in the next few hours. Ginny stayed in her room, waiting for everyone to fall asleep so she could go talk to Malfoy, also because of her mother’s orders. Harry and Ron still were not allowed out of their room, and Malfoy was afraid to come out of his, leaving Hermione to retreat into her room out of boredom.
The sky darkened, and soon Mrs. Weasley visited every single bedroom, telling everyone to turn off the lights and go to sleep. Of course, no one ever listened to her when she said this, but everyone would smile and nod, pretending that they would actually do as she said.
One in the morning came, and even the teenagers had to fall asleep. Ginny got up from her bed, and grabbed her wand, muttering, “Lumos,” under her breath. She crept out of her room, and quietly closed the door behind her.
The light from her wand was surprisingly bright in the dark hall, and she hoped that no one would come to see where the source of the light was coming from. Ginny walked down the hall, coming closer and closer to Malfoy’s room.
She stopped at the door, rocking back and forth on her heels. Nervously, she stretched out her arm and knocked lightly on the door.
Ginny could hear gentle thuds from inside the room before the door was wrenched open, with Malfoy standing there, looking annoyed.
“What do you want?” he whispered harshly.
“I need to talk to you,” Ginny whispered back.
“At one-thirty?”
“Yes. At one-thirty.”
“Fine. Come in.”
He stepped aside, and Ginny quickly walked past him, and stood in the center of the room. She noticed that the room was unnaturally empty.
“No decorations?” she asked meekly.
Malfoy squinted his eyes at her and shook his head. “It’s not like I had any trunks with me when I came here,” he muttered.
Ginny sighed. “Look. I didn’t come here to discuss why your room looks like no one has been living in it… I…” she felt the heat rise to her face. “I was talking to Hermione today and… She made me realize that… That I sort of…” Her voice faltered. She brushed her hair behind her ears and tried to collect herself.
“She made me realize that I…sort of…kind of…like you?” She shook her head and bit her lip. “Um…” She looked back up. “And I needed to know if you sort of… you know… like me?” She blushed, feeling stupider than she thought she would have felt.
Malfoy stood there, looking a bit surprised, but his expression of shock faded after a few seconds. He put a hand through his hair and walked back and forth for a while before stopping in front of Ginny.
“I think I can fix your problem,” he said quietly.
“Problem,” Ginny said angrily. “Who said I have a problem?”
Malfoy sighed. “Your problem is that you don’t know who you like more—me or Potter. I can fix that for you.”
Ginny got a bit excited. “You can fix—I mean, you can help me?” she asked anxiously.
Malfoy nodded. “Yes. I can.”
Ginny looked around. “So how are you going to—?”
Malfoy had bent over and kissed her, and for a second Ginny was confused, and she was angry that Malfoy would dare to kiss her. But then it hit her, and she kissed him back, and she did for several more seconds, when a coughing noise from the front of the room caught her attention.
The two broke apart, and Ginny looked over at Harry, who stood angrily in the doorway.
“I came to see where the light had been coming from,” he said coldly, “and I think I know why. I thought you were better than this.” He whipped around and walked off. He looked like he was ready to start stomping off, making a big racket, but instead he was careful not to make much noise.
Ginny looked over at Malfoy nervously.
Malfoy looked back at her, though looking a bit less unhappy. “Feel anything?” he asked quickly.
Ginny shook her head. “No. No sparks. Nothing.”
Malfoy nodded in understanding. “Then, go. Explain to Potter. He’s the one you want.” He stuck out his hand for Ginny to shake.
Ginny shook his hand quickly and ran out, desperate to get to Harry before he did anything he would regret.
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Um... My apology is at the end of the chapter, so I guess you'll just have to read until you get there... The chapter's not super long, since I've sort of gotten out of practice, but my next chapter will be the last, and that one'll be much better.
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Chapter 26
Harry was furious. She kissed him… How could she do that? Didn’t she know what that meant to him? Didn’t she know how stupid that was?
… Didn’t she know that was what he had been afraid of? Malfoy had attracted a lot of girls. Didn’t she realize that she was just falling into a trap? Malfoy would hurt her. He would hurt her badly. He was a Death Eater! He was a Slytherin. He was a Malfoy.
In Harry’s opinion, someone couldn’t get any worse than that.
He returned to his room, trying to find his wand. He couldn’t remember where he had left it. Harry started tossing things around the room, looking. Ron, who had been sleeping soundly when he left, was still snoring loudly.
Typical.
Harry fell to the floor and looked under the bed. There was a shadow. It was his wand. He grabbed it and stood up.
Ginny was standing in the room. He couldn’t see her face in the dark, but he could tell that she was trying to stop him.
“Don’t hurt him,” she pleaded. “It wasn’t his idea!” She stopped, and her shoulders sagged. “Wait,” she muttered. “It was his idea…”
“Move over, Ginny,” Harry commanded.
She stood her ground. “No,” she hissed.
“Move.”
“No.”
“Move, or I’ll make you.”
Ginny laughed. “Yeah. As if you could actually do that.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest, and put all of her weight on one foot.
Harry held up his wand threateningly. “If you don’t move,” he said quietly, “I will blast you down that hall.”
Ginny opened her mouth to speak, but it just hung there, saying nothing. For once, she seemed to be lost for words.
Harry started to move forwards, but Ginny blocked the doorway.
“No,” she said firmly.
Ron stirred behind them, and slowly lifted himself up in a sitting position. “Harry? Mate? What’re you doing?” He scratched his head and blinked a few times.
“Ron,” Harry sighed, turning to look at him. He twitched. “Go back to sleep. This is a dream.”
Too groggy to get what was happening, Ron nodded, and fell back asleep. He started to snore once more, and his hand fell over the side of the bed. Harry made sure that he was completely out of it before turning back to Ginny.
“Move,” he said for what felt like the millionth time.
“Don’t make assumptions, Harry,” Ginny said quietly. “You don’t know what really happened.”
Harry shook his head. “No. I have to disagree with that. I’m pretty sure that I understand.” His eyes flashed angrily, and Ginny took a step back nervously. “You were snogging Malfoy. That’s all I need to know. You see, Ginny,” he lifted his wand, “I don’t happen to forgive or pity Malfoy for all of the things he’s done. I don’t pity him for becoming a Death Eater. I don’t really care that Voldemort wanted to kill him. He could have just taken Dumbledore’s offer that night up on the tower. He could have been safe, so I really don’t understand why he’s suddenly afraid now. I don’t forgive him for getting all of those Death Eaters inside of Hogwarts the night Dumbledore died… And I don’t like the fact that trying to take you away as well…” He held the wand steady. “Honestly, I'm going to curse him so much that I don’t even care if the Order locks me up in here for the rest of my life.”
“Harry—” Ginny tried to speak, but Harry interrupted her.
“Don’t say anything.” Harry stared at Ginny angrily. “So if you don’t mind, I’m going to go and hex Malfoy until he’s writhing on the floor in pain… Because I have had it.”
Ginny shook her head. “You are so wrong about this, Harry.” She tried not to laugh, and put on the most serious expression she could manage. “I was confused, okay? I know what my problem was, now. I don’t like Malfoy. He was helping me.”
“Helping you do what?”
“Figure out why I was so confused.”
“And why were you confused?”
“Because…” Ginny’s voice trailed off. She sighed. “Ask Hermione. She’s better at explaining the whole situation than I am.” She pointed her wand at Harry, showing him that she was capable of defending herself. “I won’t let you attack Malfoy. He’s not the bad person. I am.”
Harry shook his head. “You're not a bad person.”
“Yes I am,” Ginny snapped. “If I wasn’t, this whole summer would have been so much easier! I haven’t been like myself at all. I forgot that you broke up with me to protect me,” she rolled her eyes, “even though that was probably not the best choice. I was selfish enough to forget that you need to leave and go save both the muggles and the wizarding world. I’ve delayed you from leaving by getting myself almost killed too many times, I’ve tried to manipulate you into telling me things that aren’t really my business, and I almost thought that I fancied Malfoy more than I already fancy you.”
Harry’s eyes were popping out of his head. “You fancied Malfoy?”
“No!” Ginny said, almost shouting. She clasped a hand over her mouth, realizing that she could have woken someone. “No,” she whispered, putting her hand back to her side.
“Then why did you kiss him?”
“To see if I really did fancy him!”
“And…” Harry said hesitantly, starting to calm down, “…you don’t?”
Ginny smiled in relief. “No. I don’t.”
Harry shuffled his feet. It was unnecessary to hex Malfoy at that point. “I guess I won’t be needing my wand, then,” He mumbled, tossing it on to his bed. He watched as Ginny lowered her wand, and put it back in to her pocket.
“Thank you for listening,” Ginny said softly. She stepped forwards and kissed him on the cheek, surprising him. She left the room, leaving Harry alone.
Harry stepped back a few steps, and threw himself down on his bed. He sighed loudly, drumming his fingers on the headboard of the bed.
Ron suddenly woke up, looking around confusedly. “What just happened?” he asked.
“Nothing,” Harry said quietly. He looked over at his friend. “I’ve decided something.”
“What’s that?”
“We’re leaving tomorrow.”
Ron looked taken aback. “Tomorrow? Mate, we haven’t even started packing.”
“Hermione’s probably gotten something ready.”
“Probably does… Tomorrow, then?”
“Tomorrow,” Harry confirmed.
“But, what about Ginny? You going to tell her?”
“No. I don’t think so.”
“Oh,” Ron mumbled. “Well, g‘night.”
“Night.”
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It was quiet at the table the next morning.
Malfoy was staying upstairs in his room, trying to avoid everyone. When Mrs. Weasley suggested that someone go up and bring him down for breakfast, no one responded, and continued to eat.
Watching her mother go, Ginny sighed. She turned back to the others, studying their faces. Something was going on. None of them looked at her, unlike when they wanted to let her know something. A secret, perhaps?
“So,” she said slowly, “what’s wrong with the lot of you?”
Ron looked up stupidly, acting oblivious. “What?” he asked. “Who said that?”
“You’re an idiot, Ron,” Ginny muttered before looking at Hermione. “Anything you want to say?”
Hermione shook her head, continuing to eat. Ginny could see that she was lying. It was in her eyes. On the inside, she was dying to tell.
“Harry?” It was her last resort. She had promised herself that she wouldn’t bother Harry until he left, but she had to know what was going on.
“There’s nothing going on, Ginny.” He shrugged innocently and returned to his eggs.
“All of you are so—“ Ginny stopped herself. She couldn’t say anything that would ruin the peace that she had been trying to restore. Her knowledge of her friends’ business wasn’t nearly as important as it was to let them no that she respected their privacy. “Okay, then,” she said quietly. I trust you all to tell me if you’re doing something important.”
Hermione looked at her strangely. “That’s a very…er…different thing for you to say, Ginny.” She quickly shut her mouth when Harry and Ron glared at her. Looking back at Ginny, she uttered, “In a good way, though. Different in a good way.”
Ginny couldn’t help herself. “You three are horrible at keeping secrets,”
Harry, Ron and Hermione stared at her.
“You know what?” Ginny asked, standing up. “Forget I said anything, alright? So…I’ll just be going, now.” She began to walk away towards the stairs. Looking over her shoulder, she called, “Enjoy what’s left of you’re breakfast!” After that, she disappeared,
Ginny paced in her bedroom, mentally hitting herself on the forehead. Why couldn’t she control herself for once? She missed the times when she hadn’t cared at all what her friends and brother did in their spare time. But after going through all of the life or death situations she could handle, she was getting sick of not knowing what was going to happen next.
Hermione barged through the door. “What’s wrong with you?” she said. “It’s like you’re not even yourself. ‘Enjoy what’s left of your breakfast?’ If I wasn’t suspicious of you before, I would have been suspicious after you said that!”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t lie to me. You were trying to figure out why we wouldn’t say anything to you.”
“I’m sorry, okay? It’s not my fault you’re such a bad liar!”
“I’m only listening to what Harry told me to do! I can’t break his trust again, like I did when I told you about Horcruxes.”
“I’m not asking you to tell me anything!” Ginny groaned and turned away from Hermione. “Why d’you think I stopped saying anything and left before I could ask any more questions? I don’t want to get into any more of your business! No more asking about secrets or plans!” She put her face in her hands. “I am trying really hard not to bother you, Ron and Harry about your plans against Voldemort. So, if you’ve decided to leave, just go. I can’t sit around and watch you guys prepare anymore.”
Hermione looked at Ginny sympathetically. “Ginny, I—“
“Go!” Ginny yelled at her. “You, Harry and Ron might forgive me for all of the stupid things I’ve done, but I haven’t forgiven myself. If you keep on staying here, the list of things will just get longer, and I’ll do anything to stop that from happening. If it means my brother and two best friends have to leave right now, I’m fine with that. Just go!”
Hermione looked at her sadly, and walked back towards the door. With one last glance at Ginny, she said, “I really shouldn’t be saying this, but we’re going to leave tonight when everyone’s asleep. You should at least say goodbye while you can.”
“Fine. Goodbye.”
Hermione shook her head. “That’s not what I meant.” She left, closing the door softly behind her.
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Sorry for the super long wait, my very, very, very nice readers who are reading this even though I’ve been neglecting this fic for two months. Or three. Two and a half months, then. Did you know that in the seventh grade, they like giving you so much homework tha you have no free time to write, even on the weekends? It’s horrible. After rescuing my fic from the deleted fanfic subfoum, I’ve decided that I need to find time to write at least one of my fics on the weekends. I’m really sorry, and hope you forgive me. I won’t be surprised if you don’t…
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Chapter 26
Harry was furious. She kissed him… How could she do that? Didn’t she know what that meant to him? Didn’t she know how stupid that was?
… Didn’t she know that was what he had been afraid of? Malfoy had attracted a lot of girls. Didn’t she realize that she was just falling into a trap? Malfoy would hurt her. He would hurt her badly. He was a Death Eater! He was a Slytherin. He was a Malfoy.
In Harry’s opinion, someone couldn’t get any worse than that.
He returned to his room, trying to find his wand. He couldn’t remember where he had left it. Harry started tossing things around the room, looking. Ron, who had been sleeping soundly when he left, was still snoring loudly.
Typical.
Harry fell to the floor and looked under the bed. There was a shadow. It was his wand. He grabbed it and stood up.
Ginny was standing in the room. He couldn’t see her face in the dark, but he could tell that she was trying to stop him.
“Don’t hurt him,” she pleaded. “It wasn’t his idea!” She stopped, and her shoulders sagged. “Wait,” she muttered. “It was his idea…”
“Move over, Ginny,” Harry commanded.
She stood her ground. “No,” she hissed.
“Move.”
“No.”
“Move, or I’ll make you.”
Ginny laughed. “Yeah. As if you could actually do that.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest, and put all of her weight on one foot.
Harry held up his wand threateningly. “If you don’t move,” he said quietly, “I will blast you down that hall.”
Ginny opened her mouth to speak, but it just hung there, saying nothing. For once, she seemed to be lost for words.
Harry started to move forwards, but Ginny blocked the doorway.
“No,” she said firmly.
Ron stirred behind them, and slowly lifted himself up in a sitting position. “Harry? Mate? What’re you doing?” He scratched his head and blinked a few times.
“Ron,” Harry sighed, turning to look at him. He twitched. “Go back to sleep. This is a dream.”
Too groggy to get what was happening, Ron nodded, and fell back asleep. He started to snore once more, and his hand fell over the side of the bed. Harry made sure that he was completely out of it before turning back to Ginny.
“Move,” he said for what felt like the millionth time.
“Don’t make assumptions, Harry,” Ginny said quietly. “You don’t know what really happened.”
Harry shook his head. “No. I have to disagree with that. I’m pretty sure that I understand.” His eyes flashed angrily, and Ginny took a step back nervously. “You were snogging Malfoy. That’s all I need to know. You see, Ginny,” he lifted his wand, “I don’t happen to forgive or pity Malfoy for all of the things he’s done. I don’t pity him for becoming a Death Eater. I don’t really care that Voldemort wanted to kill him. He could have just taken Dumbledore’s offer that night up on the tower. He could have been safe, so I really don’t understand why he’s suddenly afraid now. I don’t forgive him for getting all of those Death Eaters inside of Hogwarts the night Dumbledore died… And I don’t like the fact that trying to take you away as well…” He held the wand steady. “Honestly, I'm going to curse him so much that I don’t even care if the Order locks me up in here for the rest of my life.”
“Harry—” Ginny tried to speak, but Harry interrupted her.
“Don’t say anything.” Harry stared at Ginny angrily. “So if you don’t mind, I’m going to go and hex Malfoy until he’s writhing on the floor in pain… Because I have had it.”
Ginny shook her head. “You are so wrong about this, Harry.” She tried not to laugh, and put on the most serious expression she could manage. “I was confused, okay? I know what my problem was, now. I don’t like Malfoy. He was helping me.”
“Helping you do what?”
“Figure out why I was so confused.”
“And why were you confused?”
“Because…” Ginny’s voice trailed off. She sighed. “Ask Hermione. She’s better at explaining the whole situation than I am.” She pointed her wand at Harry, showing him that she was capable of defending herself. “I won’t let you attack Malfoy. He’s not the bad person. I am.”
Harry shook his head. “You're not a bad person.”
“Yes I am,” Ginny snapped. “If I wasn’t, this whole summer would have been so much easier! I haven’t been like myself at all. I forgot that you broke up with me to protect me,” she rolled her eyes, “even though that was probably not the best choice. I was selfish enough to forget that you need to leave and go save both the muggles and the wizarding world. I’ve delayed you from leaving by getting myself almost killed too many times, I’ve tried to manipulate you into telling me things that aren’t really my business, and I almost thought that I fancied Malfoy more than I already fancy you.”
Harry’s eyes were popping out of his head. “You fancied Malfoy?”
“No!” Ginny said, almost shouting. She clasped a hand over her mouth, realizing that she could have woken someone. “No,” she whispered, putting her hand back to her side.
“Then why did you kiss him?”
“To see if I really did fancy him!”
“And…” Harry said hesitantly, starting to calm down, “…you don’t?”
Ginny smiled in relief. “No. I don’t.”
Harry shuffled his feet. It was unnecessary to hex Malfoy at that point. “I guess I won’t be needing my wand, then,” He mumbled, tossing it on to his bed. He watched as Ginny lowered her wand, and put it back in to her pocket.
“Thank you for listening,” Ginny said softly. She stepped forwards and kissed him on the cheek, surprising him. She left the room, leaving Harry alone.
Harry stepped back a few steps, and threw himself down on his bed. He sighed loudly, drumming his fingers on the headboard of the bed.
Ron suddenly woke up, looking around confusedly. “What just happened?” he asked.
“Nothing,” Harry said quietly. He looked over at his friend. “I’ve decided something.”
“What’s that?”
“We’re leaving tomorrow.”
Ron looked taken aback. “Tomorrow? Mate, we haven’t even started packing.”
“Hermione’s probably gotten something ready.”
“Probably does… Tomorrow, then?”
“Tomorrow,” Harry confirmed.
“But, what about Ginny? You going to tell her?”
“No. I don’t think so.”
“Oh,” Ron mumbled. “Well, g‘night.”
“Night.”
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It was quiet at the table the next morning.
Malfoy was staying upstairs in his room, trying to avoid everyone. When Mrs. Weasley suggested that someone go up and bring him down for breakfast, no one responded, and continued to eat.
Watching her mother go, Ginny sighed. She turned back to the others, studying their faces. Something was going on. None of them looked at her, unlike when they wanted to let her know something. A secret, perhaps?
“So,” she said slowly, “what’s wrong with the lot of you?”
Ron looked up stupidly, acting oblivious. “What?” he asked. “Who said that?”
“You’re an idiot, Ron,” Ginny muttered before looking at Hermione. “Anything you want to say?”
Hermione shook her head, continuing to eat. Ginny could see that she was lying. It was in her eyes. On the inside, she was dying to tell.
“Harry?” It was her last resort. She had promised herself that she wouldn’t bother Harry until he left, but she had to know what was going on.
“There’s nothing going on, Ginny.” He shrugged innocently and returned to his eggs.
“All of you are so—“ Ginny stopped herself. She couldn’t say anything that would ruin the peace that she had been trying to restore. Her knowledge of her friends’ business wasn’t nearly as important as it was to let them no that she respected their privacy. “Okay, then,” she said quietly. I trust you all to tell me if you’re doing something important.”
Hermione looked at her strangely. “That’s a very…er…different thing for you to say, Ginny.” She quickly shut her mouth when Harry and Ron glared at her. Looking back at Ginny, she uttered, “In a good way, though. Different in a good way.”
Ginny couldn’t help herself. “You three are horrible at keeping secrets,”
Harry, Ron and Hermione stared at her.
“You know what?” Ginny asked, standing up. “Forget I said anything, alright? So…I’ll just be going, now.” She began to walk away towards the stairs. Looking over her shoulder, she called, “Enjoy what’s left of you’re breakfast!” After that, she disappeared,
Ginny paced in her bedroom, mentally hitting herself on the forehead. Why couldn’t she control herself for once? She missed the times when she hadn’t cared at all what her friends and brother did in their spare time. But after going through all of the life or death situations she could handle, she was getting sick of not knowing what was going to happen next.
Hermione barged through the door. “What’s wrong with you?” she said. “It’s like you’re not even yourself. ‘Enjoy what’s left of your breakfast?’ If I wasn’t suspicious of you before, I would have been suspicious after you said that!”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t lie to me. You were trying to figure out why we wouldn’t say anything to you.”
“I’m sorry, okay? It’s not my fault you’re such a bad liar!”
“I’m only listening to what Harry told me to do! I can’t break his trust again, like I did when I told you about Horcruxes.”
“I’m not asking you to tell me anything!” Ginny groaned and turned away from Hermione. “Why d’you think I stopped saying anything and left before I could ask any more questions? I don’t want to get into any more of your business! No more asking about secrets or plans!” She put her face in her hands. “I am trying really hard not to bother you, Ron and Harry about your plans against Voldemort. So, if you’ve decided to leave, just go. I can’t sit around and watch you guys prepare anymore.”
Hermione looked at Ginny sympathetically. “Ginny, I—“
“Go!” Ginny yelled at her. “You, Harry and Ron might forgive me for all of the stupid things I’ve done, but I haven’t forgiven myself. If you keep on staying here, the list of things will just get longer, and I’ll do anything to stop that from happening. If it means my brother and two best friends have to leave right now, I’m fine with that. Just go!”
Hermione looked at her sadly, and walked back towards the door. With one last glance at Ginny, she said, “I really shouldn’t be saying this, but we’re going to leave tonight when everyone’s asleep. You should at least say goodbye while you can.”
“Fine. Goodbye.”
Hermione shook her head. “That’s not what I meant.” She left, closing the door softly behind her.
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Sorry for the super long wait, my very, very, very nice readers who are reading this even though I’ve been neglecting this fic for two months. Or three. Two and a half months, then. Did you know that in the seventh grade, they like giving you so much homework tha you have no free time to write, even on the weekends? It’s horrible. After rescuing my fic from the deleted fanfic subfoum, I’ve decided that I need to find time to write at least one of my fics on the weekends. I’m really sorry, and hope you forgive me. I won’t be surprised if you don’t…
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Okay… This is my last chapter of this fanfiction, so it’s not going to be one of my longest. If you haven’t noticed (you probably have) I haven’t updated this in a while. That’s because I’ve been rereading and editing and all that other stuff that really takes a long time. Before you read the chapter, I just want to say thanks to all of the people who read this fic and even more thanks to the people who bothered to review. I’ll get down to specifics at the end of the chapter.
Enjoy!
Chapter 27
It was dark. The coldness surrounded Harry Potter, and he shivered, but otherwise ignored it. He had no time to think about small things like heat. He needed to act fast, and get off the front step of Number 12 Grimmauld Place at any moment.
Hermione was bent over next to him, going through his rucksack. Being the person she was, she had insisted on making sure Harry had gotten everything he needed inside of the bag. She hadn’t found anything missing yet, but Harry knew that she would tell him he forgot something sooner or later.
Ron stood on his other side, failing to notice that his elbow was in Harry’s ribs as he struggled not to fall off the step, and into plain view for night-wandering muggles to see. As it was a bit before one in the morning, he was half-awake, struggling to keep his eyes open. Harry refrained from annoying him by telling him to move.
The plan for getting out of the house had been simpler than he had expected. The alarms still went off whenever one of them touched the doorknob, so they had gotten Hermione to ask Fred and George for ways to get past the door. The twins were living in their shop in Diagon Alley that they had opened with Harry’s Triwizard Tournament money, so it had been pure luck when they stopped by for a visit the day before. When Hermione reported back to Harry and Ron, she said, “Since Fred and George aren’t staying here anymore, the alarm turn off a few hours after everyone goes to bed. It goes back on as soon as Mrs. Weasley, or someone with authority wakes up in the house. We should be able to get out reasonably well.”
The plan had worked, and it had left them standing on the front step of the narrow building. The whole way out, Harry had felt someone watching them, but he brushed it off as paranoia. The fear of being caught had just gotten to his head.
“Hermione,” Harry whispered. “Hurry up, will you? At this rate, everyone’ll be awake by the time we leave.”
“Better to be seen than not have everything and die,” she snapped, and then returned to rummaging through the rucksack. “Besides, we both know that no one wakes up in there for one or two hours. We’re completely safe.”
Ron glanced over at her, suddenly done with his moments in silence. “He’s right, you know,” he said. “My mum has some sort of radar in her head. She could wake up and know we’re not in bed. She used to do that with Fred and George all the time.”
Hermione ignored him, and stood up. She handed Harry his rucksack. “You’ve got everything,” she said quietly. “I’m done. It’s time to go.” She took her own bag, which was much smaller than Harry expected it to be, and slung it over her shoulder. “Just grab on to my arm and we’ll go.” She looked at Ron. “Grab Harry’s arm,” she commanded.”
Harry hesitated, his hands clenching at his sides. A strange feeling of confusion came over him, and he wasn’t able to figure out why. He felt like he had forgotten something, and immediately turned towards Hermione. “Are you sure you didn’t forget to check for something in my rucksack?” he asked.
Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. “I’m sure.”
“Absolutely sure I have everything?”
Hermione crossed her arms. “What’s wrong, Harry?” she asked. “Is there something that you need to tell us?”
Harry looked down at the ground, not knowing what to do. He knew that the strange feeling would not go away if he just apparated away to their destination, but he didn’t know what he was supposed to do to get rid of it. He became angry with himself for not knowing how to fix his problem.
Ron, seeming to understand what Harry needed to do more than Harry did himself, shook his head. “No way you’re getting back in there,” he muttered. “We worked to hard to get out here just for you to blow it by setting off the alarm when you try to get back out here from in there.”
“I don’t even know if I want to go in there!” Harry exclaimed. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
Hermione gazed up at the building, a look of understanding crossing her face. “I wish I could tell you that you need to get over it and leave with us,” she looked at Harry, “I don’t think I can say that. I think you need to get back in there.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I just wish you could have done this while we were still inside.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Think hard.”
“Seriously, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Really think. You’ll figure it out.” Hermione uncrossed her arms. “You should go inside and move quickly before they put the alarm back on.”
Harry turned to face the door, still unsure of what he was doing. But he couldn’t help but trust Hermione. She was good with feelings, for reasons he didn’t understand. He cautiously put his hand on the doorknob, and turned it, walking back into the building.
It was dark, but Harry did not light his wand to guide his way. He simply let his legs lead him, not thinking about where he was going. The only thing he paid attention was to the amount of noise he made as he wandered through the house, which seemed to be quiet enough.
He could have sworn that someone was watching him. The feeling was not paranoia, he decided. It had to do with what he was doing, walking in a direction unknown. The invisible eyes no longer made him nervous, and he simply went on his way, somehow navigating through the dark halls. He found it strange that he could act so calm when he should have been taking out his wand, asking who it was that was watching him.
Harry eventually found him at a door. He recognized the door all too well, and he scolded himself for not realizing what he was doing sooner. It was obvious. Harry stood there, silent, just staring at the wood. Ginny. He had forgotten Ginny. Wait, no. He hadn’t forgotten her. He could never forget her. He forgot to say goodbye.
He hated himself for needing such a small things. He hated himself for having to ruin that night’s escape just because he needed to say goodbye to some girl he liked.
That seemed wrong, describing Ginny as the girl he liked. It didn’t seem to fit, in a way. He leaned against the door, hearing the wood creak under his weight. What was the right way to describe her? Like… Like… Did he like Ginny?
No. That was wrong. Completely wrong. She was the girl he—
The door opened, and Harry stumbled forwards, into the room. He straightened himself out, and then scanned his eyes through the dark. The light from the window allowed him to see well enough to see Ginny, looking at him with a confused expression.
“Hey,” he said quietly.
She closed the door.
“You’re supposed to be leaving,” Ginny said. Her voice was not bitter. It was not emotional. She just sounded understanding, and tired. It reminded Harry of that day months ago, when he had taken her aside at Dumbledore’s funeral.
“It’s for some stupid, noble reason, isn’t it?” she had asked. She had not cried. She had only looked at him. He had thought that she was completely fine with him deciding not to see her anymore. Apparently, it had hurt her more than he had expected. Maybe he should have done things differently. Maybe he could have prevented the whole twisted summer from occurring.
He stood there, in Ginny Weasley’s bedroom, remembering, wondering. He almost did not want to say anything, didn’t want to leave, just wanted to stand there forever, only breathing. Ginny, on the other hand, seemed to have other ideas.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” she said softly, stepping towards Harry. “You’re supposed to be leaving with Ron and Hermione. You’re supposed to go off to be noble and brave. Why aren’t you in some foreign place, working for the good of the wizarding world, Harry? You’re only wasting time being here.” She clenched her hands into fists. "I told myself that I wouldn't bother you until you left, but it seems that you feel it necessary to bother me." A moment passed, and her hands relaxed.
“I needed to say goodbye,” Harry managed to say, stepping towards Ginny. “I would have thought Hermione told you we were leaving, and you would try to stop me.” The words came in a rush, and Harry suddenly knew what he was supposed to say. “I guess I was wrong,” he said. “You didn’t stop me. You didn’t even try to come with us.”
Ginny took another step towards him, leaving them only a foot away, room for one more step. “I thought I’d give you a break. I’ve done enough protesting this summer to last about ten years. You didn’t need to hear any more.” She shrugged. “For the record, Hermione did tell me. But you shouldn’t hold that against her. She had both of our best interests in mind.” She sighed. “She’s been a real help, that Hermione, in giving me some clue on what you guys were doing. It might not have been helpful for you at the time, with me whining to you and all, but I think it’s good that I know everything now.”
“You think?”
“Yeah. Now I know as much about what people are doing to stop Voldemort as everyone else does. It wasn’t much fun being the only one who didn’t have a clue about what could be done to stop Voldemort. I don’t think you have to worry about me asking for any information anymore.”
Harry took the last step forwards, leaving them an inch apart. He was just able to see Ginny’s face, the light from the window shining over to where she stood. She had a twisted smile on her face, like she had at Dumbledore’s funeral. Harry looked at her, remembering. He wished that he could see her more clearly, but he knew it was not wise to turn on the lights. Instead, he just stood there, looking at what he could see of Ginny.
“You should go now,” Ginny said softly, looking down at the ground. “Before they decide to leave without you.”
“Not yet,” Harry said. He opened his arms. Ginny gave him a sad smile, then put her arms around him. Harry put his chin on her head, and closed his arms around her. They stood like that, not saying anything for a few seconds. Harry closed his eyes, soaking in the moment. He could have stayed like that for hours, just standing there with Ginny. Standing seemed to have a nice quality to it lately.
“I’m sorry that things had to work out the way they did,” he whispered.
“Sorry I acted horribly.”
“We were all acting strange. It wasn’t just you. It wasn’t your fault.”
“Maybe. I’m sorry you had to keep on saving me.”
“I probably enjoyed it more than you did. According to certain people, I seem to like acting like the hero.”
“Did I say that?”
“No. Ron and Hermione did.”
“Oh.”
Ginny sighed, and held Harry a bit tighter. “Do you think,” she murmured, “that when you get back, we can just forget everything that happened? The Death Eaters and Malfoy? Everything that messed us up?”
“If I get back, sure. But wouldn’t you just want to forget everything now? You don’t know how long I’ll be gone. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone.”
“If I forget everything now, I won’t have a last memory of you to think about when you’re gone. I’ll be able to have a new memory when you get back. That makes sense, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah,” Harry said into her hair. “It does.”
They stood for a few more seconds, silent once more. The silence was good. If either had said something, it would have ruined the moment. The silence spoke more than words.
“Time to go, now,” Harry said.
“Yeah,” Ginny said, releasing him. She looked up at Harry, her expression back to being that twisted smile. Stepping back a few steps, she gestured to the door. “You’ll be lucky if you get out of here. Like I said, you shouldn’t have come.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “As much as I enjoyed it, you shouldn’t have come.”
Harry walked to the wood door, turning his back on Ginny. He gripped the doorknob, and began to turn, but stopped. He thought he had heard a sharp intake of breath. As much as he wanted to turn back around, he kept on going, opening the door. He began to exit the room when he felt himself tugged back in, and looking towards Ginny.
“What?” he asked.
“You didn’t really say goodbye,” she said softly, then kissed him.
Harry kissed her back, one hand in her hair and the other on her back. Several long moments passed, and he forgot that he was supposed to be outside, trying to leave. He simply focused on Ginny, the sweet smell he had almost forgotten she had, and the taste of her lips.
They broke apart, smiling sadly at each other. “Bye,” he whispered.
“I’ll see you soon,” Ginny replied.
Harry nodded. “Of course you will,” he said. He began turning away, but he felt Ginny grab him by the arm.
“Wait, she said, breathless. “One last thing.”
“What is it?”
Ginny bit her lip, looking at him for a second. She seemed unsure of what she was about to say, but she opened her mouth and spoke. “Do you love me?” she asked. “Just a yes or no question.”
Harry inhaled deeply, staring at her. He remembered his thoughts from right before he had entered the room. He remembered the unfinished sentence. Did he love her?
“Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, I do.”
She grinned at him. “That’s all,” she said. “Now you can go.” She pushed his arm. Ginny watched him turn, going back the same way he had come.
Soon he was nothing more than a dark shape in a dark house, making its way to the door. The door opened, then closed. The click was quiet, but loud enough for Ginny to know he was gone.
Outside, Harry nodded at Hermione. He grabbed her arm, and Ron grabbed his. She turned on the spot, and they disappeared. They were off to save the world, as Ginny would have put it if she had been watching.
Back in Number 12 Grimmauld Place, Ginny smiled to herself. Just minutes ago, she would have been frowning. Days before, she would have been crying. But things had been different then. She would have expected Harry, Ron and Hermione to go off and never return again those days ago.
But now, she was fine. Moderately worried, but fine. She knew they would be back.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
•••••••
Yeah. That was it. I expected my ending to be like this, which is pretty good considering I’ve always been terrible at ending things. I just want to thank all of those viewers who got my view count up to this surprisingly high number. (Well it’s surprising to me. Maybe not for the rest of you, though.) I was going to abandon this fic, but I changed my mind when I saw that even though not a lot of you reviewed, a lot of you looked at this. Extra thanks to:
steppy40 for managing to review for almost every chapter, even though I was too lazy to review yours. I’ll be forever grateful for that…
hp lover<3 for being my first reviewer ever. You stopped reviewing at some point along the way, but I’m still glad you bothered to review at all.
ronluver7 for being my second reviewer. You reviewed a lot too, so I don’t mind so much that you stopped. Thanks for reading!
Nymphadora Lupin for reviewing for the first pages. Of course, you started out with a different username, but that doesn’t matter. Thanks for the good feedback.
And then there’s all the rest of you who reviewed:
Harry+Ginny=love:)
Ginny&Harryforever
james_aus
Bunky_101: Hm… maybe I shouldn’t thank you. You’re my sister, and all you did was put down a bunch of smiley faces and tell me to help you think of a fanfiction idea. Oh well…
Potterfan7
darktime93
Professor Nutbutter
cattygrint
Of course, I can't forget the rest of you who actually read. I wish I could thank you guys better, but I don't have any usernames. Sorry! But I'm still grateful all the same.
That's it! Bye you guys! Have fun with your lives! With your fics! With everything.
•••••••
Okay… This is my last chapter of this fanfiction, so it’s not going to be one of my longest. If you haven’t noticed (you probably have) I haven’t updated this in a while. That’s because I’ve been rereading and editing and all that other stuff that really takes a long time. Before you read the chapter, I just want to say thanks to all of the people who read this fic and even more thanks to the people who bothered to review. I’ll get down to specifics at the end of the chapter.
Enjoy!
Chapter 27
It was dark. The coldness surrounded Harry Potter, and he shivered, but otherwise ignored it. He had no time to think about small things like heat. He needed to act fast, and get off the front step of Number 12 Grimmauld Place at any moment.
Hermione was bent over next to him, going through his rucksack. Being the person she was, she had insisted on making sure Harry had gotten everything he needed inside of the bag. She hadn’t found anything missing yet, but Harry knew that she would tell him he forgot something sooner or later.
Ron stood on his other side, failing to notice that his elbow was in Harry’s ribs as he struggled not to fall off the step, and into plain view for night-wandering muggles to see. As it was a bit before one in the morning, he was half-awake, struggling to keep his eyes open. Harry refrained from annoying him by telling him to move.
The plan for getting out of the house had been simpler than he had expected. The alarms still went off whenever one of them touched the doorknob, so they had gotten Hermione to ask Fred and George for ways to get past the door. The twins were living in their shop in Diagon Alley that they had opened with Harry’s Triwizard Tournament money, so it had been pure luck when they stopped by for a visit the day before. When Hermione reported back to Harry and Ron, she said, “Since Fred and George aren’t staying here anymore, the alarm turn off a few hours after everyone goes to bed. It goes back on as soon as Mrs. Weasley, or someone with authority wakes up in the house. We should be able to get out reasonably well.”
The plan had worked, and it had left them standing on the front step of the narrow building. The whole way out, Harry had felt someone watching them, but he brushed it off as paranoia. The fear of being caught had just gotten to his head.
“Hermione,” Harry whispered. “Hurry up, will you? At this rate, everyone’ll be awake by the time we leave.”
“Better to be seen than not have everything and die,” she snapped, and then returned to rummaging through the rucksack. “Besides, we both know that no one wakes up in there for one or two hours. We’re completely safe.”
Ron glanced over at her, suddenly done with his moments in silence. “He’s right, you know,” he said. “My mum has some sort of radar in her head. She could wake up and know we’re not in bed. She used to do that with Fred and George all the time.”
Hermione ignored him, and stood up. She handed Harry his rucksack. “You’ve got everything,” she said quietly. “I’m done. It’s time to go.” She took her own bag, which was much smaller than Harry expected it to be, and slung it over her shoulder. “Just grab on to my arm and we’ll go.” She looked at Ron. “Grab Harry’s arm,” she commanded.”
Harry hesitated, his hands clenching at his sides. A strange feeling of confusion came over him, and he wasn’t able to figure out why. He felt like he had forgotten something, and immediately turned towards Hermione. “Are you sure you didn’t forget to check for something in my rucksack?” he asked.
Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. “I’m sure.”
“Absolutely sure I have everything?”
Hermione crossed her arms. “What’s wrong, Harry?” she asked. “Is there something that you need to tell us?”
Harry looked down at the ground, not knowing what to do. He knew that the strange feeling would not go away if he just apparated away to their destination, but he didn’t know what he was supposed to do to get rid of it. He became angry with himself for not knowing how to fix his problem.
Ron, seeming to understand what Harry needed to do more than Harry did himself, shook his head. “No way you’re getting back in there,” he muttered. “We worked to hard to get out here just for you to blow it by setting off the alarm when you try to get back out here from in there.”
“I don’t even know if I want to go in there!” Harry exclaimed. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
Hermione gazed up at the building, a look of understanding crossing her face. “I wish I could tell you that you need to get over it and leave with us,” she looked at Harry, “I don’t think I can say that. I think you need to get back in there.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I just wish you could have done this while we were still inside.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Think hard.”
“Seriously, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Really think. You’ll figure it out.” Hermione uncrossed her arms. “You should go inside and move quickly before they put the alarm back on.”
Harry turned to face the door, still unsure of what he was doing. But he couldn’t help but trust Hermione. She was good with feelings, for reasons he didn’t understand. He cautiously put his hand on the doorknob, and turned it, walking back into the building.
It was dark, but Harry did not light his wand to guide his way. He simply let his legs lead him, not thinking about where he was going. The only thing he paid attention was to the amount of noise he made as he wandered through the house, which seemed to be quiet enough.
He could have sworn that someone was watching him. The feeling was not paranoia, he decided. It had to do with what he was doing, walking in a direction unknown. The invisible eyes no longer made him nervous, and he simply went on his way, somehow navigating through the dark halls. He found it strange that he could act so calm when he should have been taking out his wand, asking who it was that was watching him.
Harry eventually found him at a door. He recognized the door all too well, and he scolded himself for not realizing what he was doing sooner. It was obvious. Harry stood there, silent, just staring at the wood. Ginny. He had forgotten Ginny. Wait, no. He hadn’t forgotten her. He could never forget her. He forgot to say goodbye.
He hated himself for needing such a small things. He hated himself for having to ruin that night’s escape just because he needed to say goodbye to some girl he liked.
That seemed wrong, describing Ginny as the girl he liked. It didn’t seem to fit, in a way. He leaned against the door, hearing the wood creak under his weight. What was the right way to describe her? Like… Like… Did he like Ginny?
No. That was wrong. Completely wrong. She was the girl he—
The door opened, and Harry stumbled forwards, into the room. He straightened himself out, and then scanned his eyes through the dark. The light from the window allowed him to see well enough to see Ginny, looking at him with a confused expression.
“Hey,” he said quietly.
She closed the door.
“You’re supposed to be leaving,” Ginny said. Her voice was not bitter. It was not emotional. She just sounded understanding, and tired. It reminded Harry of that day months ago, when he had taken her aside at Dumbledore’s funeral.
“It’s for some stupid, noble reason, isn’t it?” she had asked. She had not cried. She had only looked at him. He had thought that she was completely fine with him deciding not to see her anymore. Apparently, it had hurt her more than he had expected. Maybe he should have done things differently. Maybe he could have prevented the whole twisted summer from occurring.
He stood there, in Ginny Weasley’s bedroom, remembering, wondering. He almost did not want to say anything, didn’t want to leave, just wanted to stand there forever, only breathing. Ginny, on the other hand, seemed to have other ideas.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” she said softly, stepping towards Harry. “You’re supposed to be leaving with Ron and Hermione. You’re supposed to go off to be noble and brave. Why aren’t you in some foreign place, working for the good of the wizarding world, Harry? You’re only wasting time being here.” She clenched her hands into fists. "I told myself that I wouldn't bother you until you left, but it seems that you feel it necessary to bother me." A moment passed, and her hands relaxed.
“I needed to say goodbye,” Harry managed to say, stepping towards Ginny. “I would have thought Hermione told you we were leaving, and you would try to stop me.” The words came in a rush, and Harry suddenly knew what he was supposed to say. “I guess I was wrong,” he said. “You didn’t stop me. You didn’t even try to come with us.”
Ginny took another step towards him, leaving them only a foot away, room for one more step. “I thought I’d give you a break. I’ve done enough protesting this summer to last about ten years. You didn’t need to hear any more.” She shrugged. “For the record, Hermione did tell me. But you shouldn’t hold that against her. She had both of our best interests in mind.” She sighed. “She’s been a real help, that Hermione, in giving me some clue on what you guys were doing. It might not have been helpful for you at the time, with me whining to you and all, but I think it’s good that I know everything now.”
“You think?”
“Yeah. Now I know as much about what people are doing to stop Voldemort as everyone else does. It wasn’t much fun being the only one who didn’t have a clue about what could be done to stop Voldemort. I don’t think you have to worry about me asking for any information anymore.”
Harry took the last step forwards, leaving them an inch apart. He was just able to see Ginny’s face, the light from the window shining over to where she stood. She had a twisted smile on her face, like she had at Dumbledore’s funeral. Harry looked at her, remembering. He wished that he could see her more clearly, but he knew it was not wise to turn on the lights. Instead, he just stood there, looking at what he could see of Ginny.
“You should go now,” Ginny said softly, looking down at the ground. “Before they decide to leave without you.”
“Not yet,” Harry said. He opened his arms. Ginny gave him a sad smile, then put her arms around him. Harry put his chin on her head, and closed his arms around her. They stood like that, not saying anything for a few seconds. Harry closed his eyes, soaking in the moment. He could have stayed like that for hours, just standing there with Ginny. Standing seemed to have a nice quality to it lately.
“I’m sorry that things had to work out the way they did,” he whispered.
“Sorry I acted horribly.”
“We were all acting strange. It wasn’t just you. It wasn’t your fault.”
“Maybe. I’m sorry you had to keep on saving me.”
“I probably enjoyed it more than you did. According to certain people, I seem to like acting like the hero.”
“Did I say that?”
“No. Ron and Hermione did.”
“Oh.”
Ginny sighed, and held Harry a bit tighter. “Do you think,” she murmured, “that when you get back, we can just forget everything that happened? The Death Eaters and Malfoy? Everything that messed us up?”
“If I get back, sure. But wouldn’t you just want to forget everything now? You don’t know how long I’ll be gone. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone.”
“If I forget everything now, I won’t have a last memory of you to think about when you’re gone. I’ll be able to have a new memory when you get back. That makes sense, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah,” Harry said into her hair. “It does.”
They stood for a few more seconds, silent once more. The silence was good. If either had said something, it would have ruined the moment. The silence spoke more than words.
“Time to go, now,” Harry said.
“Yeah,” Ginny said, releasing him. She looked up at Harry, her expression back to being that twisted smile. Stepping back a few steps, she gestured to the door. “You’ll be lucky if you get out of here. Like I said, you shouldn’t have come.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “As much as I enjoyed it, you shouldn’t have come.”
Harry walked to the wood door, turning his back on Ginny. He gripped the doorknob, and began to turn, but stopped. He thought he had heard a sharp intake of breath. As much as he wanted to turn back around, he kept on going, opening the door. He began to exit the room when he felt himself tugged back in, and looking towards Ginny.
“What?” he asked.
“You didn’t really say goodbye,” she said softly, then kissed him.
Harry kissed her back, one hand in her hair and the other on her back. Several long moments passed, and he forgot that he was supposed to be outside, trying to leave. He simply focused on Ginny, the sweet smell he had almost forgotten she had, and the taste of her lips.
They broke apart, smiling sadly at each other. “Bye,” he whispered.
“I’ll see you soon,” Ginny replied.
Harry nodded. “Of course you will,” he said. He began turning away, but he felt Ginny grab him by the arm.
“Wait, she said, breathless. “One last thing.”
“What is it?”
Ginny bit her lip, looking at him for a second. She seemed unsure of what she was about to say, but she opened her mouth and spoke. “Do you love me?” she asked. “Just a yes or no question.”
Harry inhaled deeply, staring at her. He remembered his thoughts from right before he had entered the room. He remembered the unfinished sentence. Did he love her?
“Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, I do.”
She grinned at him. “That’s all,” she said. “Now you can go.” She pushed his arm. Ginny watched him turn, going back the same way he had come.
Soon he was nothing more than a dark shape in a dark house, making its way to the door. The door opened, then closed. The click was quiet, but loud enough for Ginny to know he was gone.
Outside, Harry nodded at Hermione. He grabbed her arm, and Ron grabbed his. She turned on the spot, and they disappeared. They were off to save the world, as Ginny would have put it if she had been watching.
Back in Number 12 Grimmauld Place, Ginny smiled to herself. Just minutes ago, she would have been frowning. Days before, she would have been crying. But things had been different then. She would have expected Harry, Ron and Hermione to go off and never return again those days ago.
But now, she was fine. Moderately worried, but fine. She knew they would be back.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
•••••••
Yeah. That was it. I expected my ending to be like this, which is pretty good considering I’ve always been terrible at ending things. I just want to thank all of those viewers who got my view count up to this surprisingly high number. (Well it’s surprising to me. Maybe not for the rest of you, though.) I was going to abandon this fic, but I changed my mind when I saw that even though not a lot of you reviewed, a lot of you looked at this. Extra thanks to:
steppy40 for managing to review for almost every chapter, even though I was too lazy to review yours. I’ll be forever grateful for that…
hp lover<3 for being my first reviewer ever. You stopped reviewing at some point along the way, but I’m still glad you bothered to review at all.
ronluver7 for being my second reviewer. You reviewed a lot too, so I don’t mind so much that you stopped. Thanks for reading!
Nymphadora Lupin for reviewing for the first pages. Of course, you started out with a different username, but that doesn’t matter. Thanks for the good feedback.
And then there’s all the rest of you who reviewed:
Harry+Ginny=love:)
Ginny&Harryforever
james_aus
Bunky_101: Hm… maybe I shouldn’t thank you. You’re my sister, and all you did was put down a bunch of smiley faces and tell me to help you think of a fanfiction idea. Oh well…
Potterfan7
darktime93
Professor Nutbutter
cattygrint
Of course, I can't forget the rest of you who actually read. I wish I could thank you guys better, but I don't have any usernames. Sorry! But I'm still grateful all the same.
That's it! Bye you guys! Have fun with your lives! With your fics! With everything.
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