Author: Domino
Email: zahfat@yahoo.com
Summary: Harry
is kidnapped by Death Eaters, and when no hope, a surprising rescue happens. H/G. Set before HBP and DH. AU
A/N: I wrote this
story a long time ago, and decided to recently post it, hoping to get
inspiration to finish it. After OotP came out I tried
to adjust the story to take out Sirius but it got really complicated. It’s a
bit mixed up timeline was, but I hope you enjoy the story.
Disclaimer: Not mine…
The
teachers all looked
harried, and many were
missing from the
head table, during various
meals, including Dumbledore, out searching, looking for
any sign of
him. Classes
were often interrupted
as teachers left
on emergencies. For once
this didn’t invite
freedom to do
as they wished, and
uncharacteristically the students
all behaved and
continued working without
incident. Their schoolwork, amazingly the
one thing that
remained familiar in
this new atmosphere
at the school.
It had
happened on a
chance trip to Hogsmeade.
Dumbledore had given
permission for the
trip, and so under
heavy supervision, and strict
instructions that all
students remain in
groups of 3
or more, the students
left the castle
for the first
time in the
two months since
school had begun.
Things
had been tense, obviously since
the death of
Cedric Diggory the
year before, but at Hogswart, somehow
school had remained
the same. It was
the safest place
to be in
light of the
resurrection of Voldemort. Despite all that, no
one had worried
unduly, not even Harry.
Hermione and
Ron blamed themselves. They had
been aware that
Harry had woken
up that morning
with a headache
as his scar
had continued to
ache almost continuously
over breakfast. All three
of them had
ignored it, determined to
enjoy the day. At
they did, at least
until a stop
at the Three
Broomsticks, for butterbeer was invaded
by Death-Eaters, leaving the
place destroyed, Harry’s friends
stunned, 3 Auror’s on
protection duty dead,
various 4th, 5th,
6th and 7th years
injured in the
attack and worst
of all, the Boy-who-lived
missing.
The
news was devastating
to the wizarding world, for
whom Harry had
been a hope, a
beacon, a hero who
defeated the Dark
Lord. For the teachers, it
was a more
than worry, it was
guilt that they
failed to protect
him, something they had
sworn to do. It
was the shock, as
the news of the kidnap
made the Daily
Prophet, that had the
Ministry finally admitting
to the return
of He-who-must-not-be-named.
Since the event Aurors had swarmed
the area, searching for
any and all
clues would help
them find him.
All the Weasleys had
arrived en masse, as
well as Sirius
and Professor’s Lupin, and Moody. The
Order of Phoenix, headed up
by Dumbledore, who for
the first time
looked as old
as he obviously
was, met and practically
moved into Hogwarts. And
despite all this, 3
days had passed
with no word, no
clue to his
whereabouts, and to the
relief of all
no proof of
his death.
Ron and Hermione
had withdrawn totally
into each, never more
than a feet
apart, too worried and
scared to let
the other out of
their sight. They gripped
each other’s hands
more often than
not, the touch of
each other all
that kept them
going. Fred and George
were silent, their faces
solemn, the twinkle and
mischief they usually
exhibited missing. On the
first day, the shock
kept them silent, on
the second their
attempts to cheer
up the halls
of Hogswart met
brave resolute laughter, but
on the third, the
silence had returned.
The
only person who
remained somewhat cheerful, hopeful and
optimistic surprisingly, was Ginny
Weasley, when they saw her, that
is. Her behavior
stunned all, and worried
those that knew
her. Her reaction to
Harry’s disappearance, her belief
that he was
fine had them
believing she was
in denial. All of
them except Professor
Dumbledore who took heart in
her behavior and
insisted the rest
leave her alone. No
one dared to
question his judgement, and so
Ginny was left
to deal in
private. She barricaded herself
in her room, and
didn’t leave to
their knowledge, with all
her meals brought
in by Dobby
or Winky.
For the rest, Bill
and Charlie, surrounded their
siblings while Percy
was left to
deal with press. Mrs. Weasley
practically moved into
the Hospital Wing, helping
heal the injured, and
spending the rest
of the time
trying to comfort
her children. Mr. Weasley, fronted for
the Ministry. Dumbledore,
having reached the
end of his
patience with Fudge
refused to deal
with him, or any
of his people. In
desperation Fudge named
Weasley representative of
the Ministry, leaving everyone
relieved.
Today, at
supper it marked
80 hours that
Harry had been
missing. Eighty
hours since the
attack. It was a
countdown and they
all knew it. The
Aurors
and the Order had
reached the end
of their resources. They didn’t
quite know what
else to do.
For the first
time, almost everyone was
in the hall, as
all the injured
were back in
the dorms. Despite this
good news, the usual
clatter of people
eating were hushed
as everyone waited
for information, any information. It was
at this point, that
it happened. Out of
the dark, came the
slight sound of
wings flapping. A sound
that usually wouldn’t
be heard was
suddenly loud.
Almost as one, the
entire hall looked
towards the sound, and
mouths dropped open
in shock as
through the open
doors at the
end, a huge white
unicorn flew into
the room. The unicorn
seemed as surprised
as they were, pausing
mid-air flapping wildly, before it
moved towards the
end of the
room and landing
gracefully. No one dared
move, as not to
frighten the notoriously
shy animals.
That was when
they saw it. First
it was just
a head, then two as the
invisibility cloak slipped
of. Two bodies slipped
gently to the
ground as the
unicorn bent forward, releasing her
passengers. They fell lightly, the
girl holding the
unconscious boy tightly
in her arms, both
of them grasping
their wands securely.
For a second, the
scene was blocked
by the beautiful
magical creature standing
guard, but then the
animal, in burst of
speed took off, flying, circling the
ceiling leaving its
charges open to
view. A red-haired girl, and
a boy with
messy black hair – no
one could mistake.
Ron and Hermione
reached them first. Harry was
unconscious and Ginny
barely awake. The two
friends knelt down
besides the prone
friends.
In the silence
of the shocked
hall, the words though
lightly whispered were
loud and echoed
through the room.
“I
brought him home, Ron. I brought him
back.”
“Ginny?” his voice
was desperate, shocked. Her eyes were
already closing in
exhaustion.
“So tired. It hurts,” came the
soft reply.
“It’s okay,
Gin,” Ron told her
gently, not knowing what
else to say. All the
Weasleys
stood anxiously around.
“Going to
close my eyes
now. You’ll
take care of
him for me?” With
obvious effort Ginny
forced her eyes open
to stare intently
at Ron and
Hermione, demanding a promise
from them.
“Of
course we will, Ginny. You can
go to sleep. Everything will
be okay,” Hermione said
to the girl, smoothing one
hand over Ginny’s
hair, while the other
held Harry’s hand. Ron
gave her a
look of panic, but
Ginny didn’t notice. Her
breathing evened out, and
a soft ‘Okay!” was
heard before the
exhausted girl let
herself fall into
a deep slumber.
Madame Pomfrey, at
this point caught
their attention as
she pushed her
way through students, clamoring to
see if they
were alright, a bunch
of red-heads surrounding
the immediate area, and
the worried figures
of a bulky Hagrid, Sirius, Lupin, and Dumbledore. She knelt
down on the
other side of
Harry and Ginny, and
took their pulses.
“They’re alive,” she announced. And despite
Ginny talking earlier, the
effect was a
massive sigh of
relief. Harry
moaned suddenly, the sound
welcome in the
Hall. It was proof
of his presence.
What happened next, however, was a
surprise. His eyes opened, and
with seemingly no
recovery time, so fast
his movements barely
registered, Harry pushed away
those surrounding him, his
wand hand raised
in defense, and in
the same motion, he
grabbed a limp
Ginny with his
other hand and
backed up, holding her
tightly against his
chest, until he had
his back against
the wall.
His
expression was what
caught them. It held
fear, determination and no
sign of recognition.
“Stay away,”
he cried, desperately, “I won't
let you hurt
her,” Harry held the
wand tightly, staring at
the room defiantly. They stared
back in shock.
“Harry,” Ron called
softly, reaching out with
his hand towards
them. The boy jumped
nervously, pointing his wand at
the red-head.
“Don’t come
any closer,” Harry warned. Ron ignored the
warning, and continued moving. It was
a mistake. Suddenly, there was
a burst of
light, and Ron flew
backwards landing hard.
“Ron!” Hermione cried,
and raced to
his side. Ron groaned, and unsteadily
stood up.
“What the
hell was that?” Sirius said. No one
commented on his
language, or his presence. He
had transformed at the sight
of the unicorn, and
the room was
too distracted to
notice initially, and later
a sea of
red-heads blocked his
face from the
general student public.`
“He
put up a
shield,” Dumbledore said in
amazement to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Sirius, Lupin,
Madame Pomfrey and
Professor MacGonogall,
all of
whom were standing
a safe distance
away.
“He
doesn’t recognize any
of us, does he?” Fred stated, rather than
questioned. He
sounded dumb-founded.
“He knows who
Ginny is,” Sirius said, slowly moving
forward, as to not
alarm Harry.
“God, what
that poor boy
must have gone
through,” Molly cried softly, her
heart aching for
the fear on
his face.
“We’re not
going to hurt
you Harry. Or Ginny,” Sirius told
the cowering boy. Harry shook
his head in
denial.
“Stay back,” Harry shouted. He looked
down at the
girl in his
arms, “Ginny, wake up!” He shook her
lightly, but desperately. The red head
didn’t move, “Wake up, Ginny. Please wake
up.” The desperation in
his voice had
tears springing to
eyes of many
in the room.
Ginny moaned,
and turned, burying her
face in Harry’s
chest, “I’m awake,” she mumbled, the
words muffled by
his torn robes.
“Ginny, come one. We have
to go. Ginny!”
Harry cast frantic
looks at the
people that surrounded
them, behind the shield
that shimmered, a bright
green in the
dusky light.
“Harry,” the word
was drawn out, exhaustion easily
audible in her
voice.
“That’s it, Gin. Open your
eyes,” the gentle words
were in sharp
contrast to the
wand waving threateningly
at his worried
friends, or the shield
preventing them from
getting any closer. Ginny opened
her eyes slowly.
“We
have to go
now, Ginny. Before he comes
back,” Harry said,
struggling to his
feet, pulling her with
him. They both wavered
dangerously, before leaning against
the wall.
Charlie and
Bill held Percy
and the twins
back from reaching out
to catch them.
They all watched
as Ginny turned, and
saw the circle
of people around
them. They saw her
take in the
fear in Harry’s
eyes, and watched the
realization dawn in
hers, as she understood
what happened.
“Its
okay, Harry. We’re
safe here,” her hand touched
his cheek in
a caress meant
to calm.
“Safe?” he said the
word, as if he
had trouble comprehending
its meaning.
“Safe, Harry. Try to
remember. Look,” Ginny
turned his face
with her hand, directly to
her brothers.
Harry glanced at
them and then
back at Ginny. He
touched a strand
of her hair, almost
in wonder, “You have six
brothers,” he said.
“That’s it, Harry. You’re remembering. They love
us. Nothing bad will
happen now,” Ginny said
in relief.
Sirius
opened his mouth
to speak, but Dumbledore
laid a restraining
arm on his
shoulder, “Let her handle
it,” he said softly.
“They love
you, they won't hurt
you,” Harry was speaking
to Ginny. He stared
intently at the Weasleys, trying
to gauge their
intentions.
“No, Harry. They love
us. Me and you. Us,” she
repeated, forcing him despite
the little strength
she held, to look
at her.
“They love
us,” he asked, not daring
to believe it.
“Yes, Harry. We’re safe here. You believe me, right?”
“Safe. Okay, Ginny,” his affirmation was
all she needed. The
little that was
keeping her standing
ran out, and
she went limp
in his arms.
“Ginny!” Harry yelled, panicking. “Help!” he screamed, the
combined weight of the two
of them too
much for his
battle weakened body. The two
of them began
to collapse.
Sirius ran forward, as
did Ron and
Hermione, barely catching the
two. The shield had
vanished.
“Its okay, Harry. Everything will
be fine,” Sirius told
the shaking boy
in his arms.
Professor MacGonogall
waved her wand, and
a second later
had conjured up
two stretchers for the both
of them. She moved
up, the stretchers levitating
behind her.
Ron picked up
his sister, and started
to move towards
one of them. He didn’t
get far. Harry refused
to let go
of Ginny’s hand, and
shook his head
almost violently when
Ron tried to
move. It was Mrs. Weasley who understood
what he was
trying to say. In
a quick movement, she
waved her wand, and
there in front
instead of two
stretchers there lay
one.
“Don’t worry, Harry. You can
stay together,” she said
gently to the
boy, touching him slightly
on the face. She bit
back tears when
he flinched at
her touch.
Harry let Ron
walk this time, staying
close, letting Sirius and
Hermione support him, and
climbed on the
stretcher. When he was
seated, he reached out, and
took Ginny from
Ron’s arms, and tucked
her next to
him, laying her head
on his chest, and
wrapping his arms
around her tightly,
before he leaned
back and tiredly
closed his eyes.
“You won't
let him get
us,” he asked Sirius
seriously.
“No, Harry. We won't. You’re safe here,” Sirius
said to him, repeating Ginny’s
words.
“Okay. I’m going to
sleep now. You must
fix Ginny,” Harry said.
“We will,” Mrs. Weasley answered, “We’ll fix
both of you.”
But there was
no answer, as the
Boy-who-lived and the
girl who saved
him were both
unconscious.
They
didn’t see the
students ushered quickly
out the hall, to
their common rooms. Or
the stretcher floating
silently through the
now empty Hall, to
the Hospital wing, followed by
all that loved
them.
They
weren’t awake for
Madame Pomfrey’s healing
charms, or the Headmaster’s
tests on Harry’s
memory. And they
certainly missed the
vigil performed by
their families, who all
refused to leave
the Hospital Wing, despite
orders to the
contrary. They didn’t see
Sirius pace a
hole into the
floor, or Hermione cry
in Ron’s arms. They
didn’t hear Molly Weasley's soft singing
to her daughter, and
her son by
heart. They even missed
the unicorn that
shocked the school, flying into
the Hospital Wing, and
resting silently near the bed, its
wings stretching out to cover
the two curled
up in the
bed.
The two slept, unconscious to
the anxious worrying
of their panicked
family. They were aware
of nothing, not the
constant stream of
students to the room,
demanding to know
how they were, or
the Minister of
Magic being thrown out
by Hermione when
he dared tried
to enter the
sanctity of Hospital, bringing the
first sounds of
laughter to the
room, as Ron screamed
with it, before swinging
Hermione around in
sheer pride. The indignant
yells by the
totally flustered minister
at his treatment
by a mere
schoolgirl had the
whole room, bursting into
more laughter, and even
Professor MacGonogall who
alternated between running
the school and
sitting with the
others, was seen to
crack a smile.
Cornelius
Fudge, however didn’t get
where he was, without
some stubbornness and
persistence. He didn’t give
up that easily, and
instead the Minister
took a new
approach and banged
loudly on the
door, demanding entrance,
“Percy Weasley you
work for me. Open this
door immediately. I am the
Minister of Magic. I order
you to open
the door.”
The laughter in
the room faded. Percy
stood up, and Hermione
held Ron back, waiting
to see what
would happen. Percy walked
to the door, opened
it slightly and
spoke, “I’m sorry, Minister,
but as
Harry and Ginny’s
family, we have a right to
deny entrance to
anyone we see
that would disturb there
recovery process,” he said
in slow, distinct tones, pompous as
ever. Bill and Charlie swallowed
grins as they
watched the minister
standing at the
doorway, looking rather dumbfounded
at Percy’s behavior. It
was so unlike
him, yet at the
same time, so very
much Percy.
“Percy Weasley, you let
me through this
instance, or...” Fudge
spluttered, looking
rather furious.
“I’m afraid
I can't do that
sir,” Percy interrupted.
“Only Percy
can insult someone, and
still sound as
pompous as ever,” Fred
said in an
undertone to George.
“You’re fired. You know
that. You can consider
yourself fired as
of this moment,” the minister
said, finally. Someone
was going to
pay for this
disrespect.
Arthur Weasley,
Dumbledore, Bill and Charlie
immediately moved forward, but
Percy held out a
hand, warning them back. He
looked the minister
in eye, and said firmly, with
complete authority, “You can't
fire me,” and when
Fudge opened his
mouth to protest, Percy added, “I
quit!” and then to
the total shock
of the entire
room, he shut the
door right in
the Minister’s face, and
without saying another
word walked up
to the bed
that Harry and Ginny
lay, sat down, and took
her hand.
“I’m proud
of you, Percy,” Arthur Weasley
said.
“That was
amazing,” George added excitedly.
“Man, did
you have tell
him,” Fred put in, giving
his brother, for the
first time ever
a look of
admiration.
“I
can't believe you
quit,” Hermione said, worried.
Molly Weasley went
up to Percy
and hugged him, showing
her support. Percy sported a
small smile, that seemed
curiously satisfied.
“So, Mr. Weasley, looks like
you might be in
need of
a job, may I
be the first
to offer you one?” Dumbledore said, his eyes
twinkling brightly.
“Thank you, Professor, but I
am sure, that eventually
the Minister will
reconsider. I
am,” Percy said, with complete
confidence, “very good at
my job.”
“He’ll be an
idiot not to
want you back,” Ron
said, looking at his
brother, like he was
seeing someone totally
new. He held out
his hand.
Percy smiled,
amazingly proud at
his family’s support. He reached with
his own hand
and shook Ron’s. The two
exchanged looks of
new understanding.
An owl flew
through the window
at that moment, interrupting anything
else that may
have been said. It
flew to Hermione, and
waited patiently as
she untied the
square box that
it held. On the
top, lay a letter, addressed in
large writing to
Hermione. In
Ginny’s handwriting.
Almost all there
recognized it, and rushed
to her side
to see what
it was
Hermione
opened it up
curiously, unfolding the letter
slowly, much to the impatience of
the room. She scanned
the rather long
letter, her expression changing
with each word, as
they waited.
“’Mione!” Ron’s called,
willing her to
speak.
She looked up, “It’s
from Ginny,” she said.
“We know
that already,” Ron replied, a
touch irritated.
“Don’t snap
at me, Ron Weasley,” Hermione said, glaring
at him for a second.
Bill put up
his hand, preventing an argument
that was sure
to break out, “Hermione!” he said. She nodded.
And began
to read the
letter out loud.
“Dear Hermione.
You’re
probably wondering why
I am writing
this letter to
you. If you received
it, it means that
I am not
back yet to
prevent it being
sent. I addressed it
to you, because as
you know, my brothers
are tad protective
over me, and may
overreact, at the very
least. I hope, with little
expectation, that you will
be able to
at least calm
Ron down, when you
break the news
to him. It will
be better coming
from you.
As for the
news, as you are
now aware, I am missing,
and probably for some
time. I am sorry
I left without
warning, but I couldn’t
take a risk
that they would
stop me. I know
they wouldn’t really
believe me, and with
Harry’s life I
am not prepared
to take any
chances. Its been three
days, already, and today I
am going to
find him and
bring him back. He
isn’t doing so
good right now, and
barely holding on. I
have to think
that if this
letter arrives that
I did succeed
in at least
finding him, even if
the rescue operation
was a failure. That’s what
this is for.
Included
with this letter
is an invention
I created for
Fred and George’s
birthday. It took me
a while to
perfect it, but as
sometimes happens, I might
not make it
to give it
them. Instead I decided
to use it. It
will help you
find me, and Harry, and
tell you what
has happened from
this morning when
I left to
now.
Open
the box, and take
out the crystal
ball. It isn’t any
crystal, but more like
a viewing device, similar to
your telee sets – is
that how you
say it. Remember last
summer, when you took
me shopping, and we
saw those recording
devices in the
store – those that work
with electricity. This is like
that, a magical recording
device. It works over
pretty long distances, although I
haven’t had enough
time to test
it properly. There are a list
of commands at
the bottom, telling you
how to rewind, play, and move
the device. Use your
wand and point
it at the
crystal ball.
The
crystal is linked
to a much
smaller set of
three crystals the
size of a
chocolate frog. It allows you
to view whatever
these crystals record. I added
a tracing spell, to
the smaller crystals. When you’re
ready, perform the spell, and
it will allow
you to find
the smaller crystals, which I am carrying
with me, or will
be with Harry. Come and get us. Go
to Dumbledore with
it, he probably already
knows I am
up to something, you know
how he is.
I
sincerely hope this
letter never reaches
you, Hermione. Please tell Ron, Fred, George, Percy, Charlie, Bill
and my
mum and dad
that I love
them, and I am
sorry, if I don’t
make it back. Tell Sirius
and Professor Lupin, and Dumbledore
to be strong. Harry is, but hurry. He doesn’t have
much more time. Please
let them know, I
didn’t take any undue risks, and
tried to be as careful
as I could. .
Love,
Ginny
Ps – Harry isn’t
too far, I think
he may be
in the Forbidden
Forest. I know you’re
wondering how I know
that, but while it may be
hard to believe, I
have always known, where
he is. I can
sort of feel
his presence, at the
back of my
mind. Some things
I guess you
have to take
on faith. It took
me a while
trace him to
the Forest, its not
an exact science, unfortunately, so its
a little hard
to narrow the
field down. So that’s
where I am
going. The
Forbidden
Pps – I took Harry’s
Invisible Cloak. And that’s it, the
end.”
Hermione
stopped reading. She looked
worried at Ron, before
they all turned to
watch their sister
lying sleeping in
Harry’s arms.
“I guess that
explains the unicorn,” Charlie said, looking
at the beautiful
creature standing guard
over Ginny, “Trust Ginny
to make friends
with one.” Everyone stared
at Charlie in
shock.
“Out of
the entire letter, that’s what
you notice,” Fred said
incredulously.
Charlie blushed. It wasn’t
his fault he
loved magical creatures.
“Open the box,” George
said, reaching for it, “Lets
see how this
gadget thingie works, and
if it recorded
anything.” George carefully unpacked
the crystal ball, setting
it down in
front of them
all on a
table, Dumbledore conjured up.
“At least she
took precautions,” Percy put
in as Ron
and Hermione went
over the recording
devices instructions.
“Okay, there’s a
password,” Hermione said,
and whispered the
word. The
crystal blinked twice. Ron
held his wand
out, and pointed it
at the crystal, “Ressuwintio!”
he yelled. Nothing happened. They all
looked questionly at
the pair.
“Its
rewinding the day’s
recording,” Hermione explained. She nodded at
Ron, who pointed his
wand again.
“Palyssio!” he shouted. The crystal
lit up again, and
then the all
watched as the
trees appeared inside
the crystal. The image
was 3d, and moved
from different angles
as Ron moved
his wand.
Everyone
leaned forward to see
better, but it
was Molly Weasley
who came up
with a solution, “Engorgio,”
she said, and the
crystal grew in
size, allowing them all
to see much
better.
The scene was
quiet. Ginny was obviously
in the Forbidden
Forest, and definitely not
on the ground, judging by
the picture. Every couple
of seconds a
pair of white
wings swung into
view, as Magik’s wings
flapped. Ron used his
wand and moved
the scene forward
a few hours, almost
missing Ginny landing. The
yells from the
room had him
jumping, and Hermione took
over the controls, rewinding slightly.
The scene began
in black, which they
realized was Ginny
holding the recording
devices in her
hand, before placing it
into position. The picture became
clearer after that. The
crystals recording weren’t
in motion anymore
and the recording
was more in
detail, as all three
crystals were projecting
images. From the first
crystal which Ginny had
placed high up
in a tree, they
saw her climb
off the unicorn, and
walk carefully towards
another tree, and hide
the crystal among
its branches, giving them a greater
view of the
surrounding area.
All the people
in the room
gasped, when Ginny’s form
moved away from
the crystal and
they noticed what
she hid from
view. There in the
clearing was a
meeting of Death-Eaters, at least
30 standing in
position, where in front
in a cage, swung
from two trees
at the edge, curled
up in a
ball was Harry. Sounds
were emitting from
the crystal, and the Weasleys, at least,
recognized the sounds
Ginny made when
she was trying
not to cry.
The other crystal
gave them the
view of Ginny
straightening up, as she
collected her strength. She
whispered quietly into the
last crystal which
she still held
in her hand, the
words echoing in the hospital
room.
“I
found him. And I
am going to get him
out,” they saw her
look around, motioning to Magik, at which the
unicorn disappeared from
sight behind some
trees.
“It
looks really bad,” they
heard her voice
catch, and, “But he’s alive.” And
somehow they could
see, that saying those
words aloud were
enough for her.
“I need to
be quiet now,” Ginny
whispered again, “Hermione’s movie
called it radio
silence. Until I get a chance
to get him
out. I think he
knows I am
here though. He sat
up, and look right
at me. He’ll hold
on.”
Those were the
last words Ginny
spoke out loud. Or the
last movements she
made. All their attention, and obviously
hers as well
were drawn to
the meeting, which was
beginning.
From the corner
of the crystal, the
image of a
figure was depicted
walking towards the
front, where Harry’s cage
hung. The figure grew
larger and larger, and
many of the
room blocked their
eyes from the
horrific sight of the
evil wizard they
all feared. Yet despite this, none
could block the
images out for
long.
The
meeting ran, in between
taunts at Harry, and
painful curses thrown his
way. It was obvious
the Death-Eaters were
planning an imminent
attack, somewhere in a Muggle area,
judging by the
plans. Dumbledore left the
room for a
few minutes, to talk
to the Order, and
when he returned, there were
two men with
him, which the rest
had seen searching
Hogsmeade
for Harry. The two
men sat and
took notes, of the
meeting, of the numbers
of followers, of their
identities.
With each curse
aimed at Harry, Molly
Weasley cried out, and
Hermione dug her
hands into Ron’s
arms. The rest of
their faces hardened, seeing first
hand what Harry
went through, on just
one of the
days. Yet
somehow Harry held
on. They saw him
look directly at
Ginny more than
once, and felt her
willing him to
hold on.
It took hours. After
the meeting, they saw Voldemort hold a
side meeting with
a few of
his advisors, out of hearing
from Harry, but the
crystals were made
well and picked
up every sound. He
discussed in smug
tones, the memory wipes
he was making
on Harry, and the
progress he was
making. Only then did
the arrogance leave
his voice as
the wizard grew
angry at the
memories Harry was
somehow holding on to.
“He
doesn’t remember Dumbledore
or those precious
friends of his, or
his parents. But he’s
holding on to
some memory. Something.
We need
to get rid
of it,” a nameless
voice of some
Death-Eater reported.
Then the worst
part began. The torture. Not random
curses. But
focused torture. They saw
Harry screaming in pain, and
Voldemort
yelling that no
one loved him, that
he was alone, that
he would never
be rescued. They watched Harry
spit in Voldemort’s face, and
his anger. They observed
Voldemort
demand that Harry
give in, and join in, and
Harry laugh. Over the
screaming they saw
Ginny mouthing over and
over for Harry
to hold on, and
watched as silent
tears ran down
her face. And they
were impressed at
her strength. At the
fact that she
held onto her
anger, and waited.
Hermione
wanted to forward
the images, but something
made her watch
each scene, each horrific
cry, and like the
others, like Ginny, she felt
the rage build. She
watched, and waited,
grateful that she
knew at least
that Harry was
safe now. Still, despite the knowledge, it
was hard. She heard
Sirius crack the
chair in anger
as he watched
Harry being tortured, and
saw a tear run down
Ron’s face, as the
helplessness they all
faced, in those minutes
of watching what
had already happened, dawned on
them all.
After what seemed
like forever, and Harry
was lying barely
conscious on the
floor, it stopped. And within
seconds, all the Death-eaters, except for
two, had apparated away, including Voldemort,
leaving the almost
lifeless boy and
his guards.
The room held
their breath as
Ginny finally moved. The
images were almost
totally silent now, as
the tiny slip
of a girl
went into action. Throwing a
stone, the sound loud
in the hushed silence of
the now quiet
forest, she waited until
the first guard
moved to check
out the noise. As
the man drew
nearer, there was a
distinct intake of breath from
those that were
acquainted with Peter
Pettigrew, as his face
could be made
clearly in the
beams of sun
shining through the
trees. His face didn’t
stand for long, as
in a quick
move, muttering a Silencing
Spell, from above, Ginny threw
a rock down, hitting
him directly on the head. His
cry of pain, as
he went down, much
to the satisfaction
of many in the
room, was swallowed by
the spell.
Agilely jumping down, Ginny
moved forward, and yelled, “Stupefy,” taking the
second guard down. He was
trained, however, and moved,
the spell catching
him only slightly. Then the
fight began.
Cursed
flew back and
forth, while Ginny ducked
and dived moving
closer and closer
to Harry’s cage. She
was hit twice
by the Cruciatus curse, and
somehow through the
pain, they watched as she
managed to disarm
the Death-Eater, and put
him into a Full
Body-bind. And when she
could hardly move, from
pain, she yelled, “Alohomora,” and
unlocked Harry, dragging him
out, unconscious.
For a minute
the girl didn’t
move, and they all
wondered if she
herself had lost
consciousness, but Ginny was
made of stronger
stuff than that. She sat
up holding her
wand, and shouted, “Accio, Harry’s
wand,” The wand in
question flew through
the air, from on
top a nearby
rock, into her hands. Ginny pocketed it, and
then whistled.
Through the trees, the
unicorn appeared, pausing in
front of Ginny, and
Harry. Ginny
stood unsteadily, and whispering
reassurances to the
jumpy unicorn, levitated Harry. She
tried to climb
the unicorn, but her
energy just wouldn’t
hold her upright
long enough. Ginny levitated
herself, slipped on Magik’s back, and
then dragged the
floating boy on
as well, before covering
them both with
the Invisibility Cloak. Their
forms disappeared from
sight, except for a
slight blue shape
denoting what the
crystal could record
of someone shrouded
in Invisibility.
Through
the crystal they
saw, the blue shape
that was Ginny
slump forward as
she lost the
battle to stay awake, and
then they watched
as her unicorn
took off, flying carefully, as
if aware of
her vulnerable passengers. The crystal
followed the unicorn’s
flight until the
beautiful creature,
disappeared in the
above sunset. And
all that was
left was the
clearing, and empty cage, and
two unconscious figures.
Molly
Weasley turned her
head, and started to
cry into her
husband’s shoulder. Hermione stood
up, held herself upright, and
turned to Ron, but
he was busy. Without
a word to
the others, who were
still sitting shell-shocked, he used
his wand to
forward, knowing Ginny’s
invention was still
recording. He watched intently, as
did his brothers
who figured out
what he was
doing.
Through
scenes of still, through it
all, until movement, as Peter
Pettigrew woke up, rather
groggily, and got to
his feet. They saw
the man that
had betrayed so many, look
around in panic
at the empty
cage, and the Death-Eater still
locked in a
body bind, and like
the coward he was he apparated away,
leaving his fellow
comrade. No one returned
after that. Wherever
he was Wormtail had
already informed his
master of Harry’s
escape.
The group watched
as the Aurors suddenly
showed up, and they
recognized the men
that Dumbledore had
watch the scenes
of the meeting. Obviously they
had used Ginny’s
tracing spell to
return to the
clearing. It
didn’t take long, there
was no further
evidence. The
men took the
fallen Death-Eater into
custody, keeping him stunned. And that
was it. The end
of the recording. Up to
present time. The Aurors collected
the crystals, and the
scene went black.
“I hate
him,” Ron spat out
finally, “I hate him
for what he
did to Harry.”
Hermione
walked up to
him, and stood in
front of her
best friend, and suddenly
Ron just broke. He
wrapped his arms
around her, and they
could hear his
muffled cries. And hers.
Sirius had moved
back to Harry’s
bedside, and was sitting quietly
holding Harry’s hand. He
leaned over Ginny, and
kissed her softly
on the forehead, “Thank you,” he
said, emotionally.
The room was
silent after that. The waiting continued. The rage
built. And
tears were shed. For Harry and for
Ginny.
******
George and Fred
sat, playing with the
crystal ball, and the
mini-crystals the Aurors had
returned.
“I can't believe she
made this,” Fred said, reading
the instructions, again.
“I can't believe
she flies unicorns,” Charlie said, and
ignored the exasperated
looks the rest
sent him, “Do you
know how hard
it is to
tame a unicorn. Impossible.
They stay away
from people,” he continued, despite everyone’s
less than perfect
interest in the
subject. He sent another
amazed look at Magik still standing
guard over Ginny.
“I can't
believe she fought
a Death-eater and
won,” Bill said.
“I’m
beginning to think
we really don’t
know our sister
at all,” Ron added, much
calmer now. He and
Hermione sat next
to each other, holding hands.
“You’re telling me,” George
said, “I thought it was just
a crush.”
“And that she
was over it,” Fred
finished his twin’s
thought as they
were known for
doing.
“Obviously
we all missed
something,” Percy said, staring at
the sleeping girl, wrapped
tightly in Harry’s
arms.
“How did
she find him?” Hermione asked
them all, “I mean I
get that she
said that she
felt him, but…” she trailed
off.
“Makes little
sense to me too. I mean
they barely talk
to each other,” Ron
commented, agreeing.
“Exactly. How can
they have such
a strong bond?” Hermione had
a study voice
on, the one that
they heard whenever
something strange happened
and she had
to get to
the bottom of it.
“It worked both
ways too,” Fred said, “Harry
remembered her, when he
forgot all of
us.”
“And
we all saw
that recording. Ginny was well
hidden. How did Harry
know she was
there?” Charlie
questioned. Enough
time had passed
that they could
discuss the images
that were imprinted
in their minds
now, without wanting to
destroy something or
wanting to cry.
“Lily
could feel James,” Sirius voice
said, carrying from the
other end of
the room where
all the adults
were sitting, eavesdropping unashamedly.
“She could?” Hermione asked, in excitement.
“Yes,” Remus answered, “It was
a joke for
all of us. The
Marauders would hide, and
within minutes Lily
would find us, no
matter where we
hid. It didn’t matter
whether we used
James’s Invisibility Cloak
or not.”
“I had forgotten
that until Ginny
did the same
thing with Harry,” Sirius told
them, “Although on a much greater
scale.”
“Could Harry’s father
feel her as
well?” George
asked, surprising
them all with
his insightful question.
“He never
said,” Sirius answered, “But I
always suspected he
could.”
“They both
always knew when the
other walked into
a room. Always,” Remus added.
“Do
you think it
works the same
for Harry and Ginny?” Ron asked, “They’ve never
mentioned this ability, and
Harry tells us
almost everything.”
“I don’t think
he knew,” Professor Dumbledore
spoke, finally, “It may be
a rare ability
but it is
one that most
of us possess, when
it comes to
those we love, even
Muggles. But
to have it
developed, or use it
like Ginny did, is
just plain amazing,” he said.
“I imagine its
something, for Ginny at
least that was
always there, unnoticed in
the back of her mind, and
the same for
Harry. These
circumstances
probably brought out
the feelings, highlighting them,” Molly
Weasley said.
“You’re
probably right, Molly,”
Minerva told the
woman, “Harry may have
noticed what was
always there, because You-know-who
took away everything
else he knew.”
“Its
probably why Harry
remembered Ginny,” Remus said, thinking
out loud, “He tried
to remove all
Harry’s memories so
that Harry would
join him, but he
couldn’t remove Harry’s
awareness of Ginny, because it
wasn’t a conscious
memory.”
The others all
nodded in agreement
at this theory, including Dumbledore.
“The
awareness kept Ginny
alive in Harry’s memories, and
through some bond
they share, made him
hold on,” Arthur added.
“I
don’t even care
how or why. I just
know I am grateful
that its there. That they
both got out
alive,” Molly said. Again there was
agreement from the
room.
“I guess
we can always
ask Ginny when
she wakes up,” Bill
commented.
“Yes, we can. Exactly how
much longer is
that going to
take?” Ron asked, standing up
and walking over
to look at
Harry and Ginny.
“Shouldn’t they
be awake already? Its been
6 hours,” Hermione asked, anxiously.
“We must be
patient,” Dumbledore chided softly, “What
their bodies went
through requires time
to heal. We must
wait.”
*******
“Wingardium Leviosa!”
Arthur Weasley called, and
placed the last
of his floating
sons on a
bed.
Across the Hospital
Wing, taking up almost
all the beds, were
the Weasleys.
The only ones
still awake were
Sirius, Arthur and Dumbledore. It had
been them who
quietly and efficiently
moved all the
rather exhausted friends
and family into
beds.
It had been
a difficult few
days. No one had
rested much and
the tiredness had
finally caught up
with them all. First,
Ron and Hermione, who
hadn’t slept at all in
three days, collapsed. Molly had fallen
asleep next. Then the
twins, and slowly and
surely the rest
had succumbed to
the beckoning call
of sleep.
For the first
time ever, more in light of
Professor Dumbledore’s presence, Madame Pomfrey had
let them all
stay in the Hospital
Wing and wait. And
because Molly Weasley
was there, she also
took a much
needed break, since the
incident.
“Maybe you too
should get some
sleep as well,” Dumbledore said
kindly to the
Arthur and Sirius. They
both looked exhausted, Sirius more
than ever, despite the
happiness in his
eyes.
“Only if
you will as
well,” Sirius replied. And Arthur nodded.
“Deal,” Dumbledore replied. He turned, and left
as well.
And the room was
silent.
******
“Wakey, wakey,
Ginny,” Fred and George
said in a
sing-song tone, standing over
the bed.
“Fred, George Weasley, what do
you think you are
doing?” Molly Weasley’s
voice boomed from behind
them. The twins jumped
guiltily.
“Nothing, mum,” the reply
from George was
automatic. His
mother’s skeptical expression
was as well.
“Madame Pomfrey came by
and said Ginny
should be waking
up now,” Fred explained.
“We were just
trying to help
her along,” George added, giving
his mother his
puppy dog look. It didn’t
always work, but today
it did. Mrs. Weasley’s expression
softened, and she smiled
gently at her
sons, knowing that they were
just worried about
Ginny.
“Is
she awake yet?” Ron’s anxious voice
asked, interrupting. As usual
he and Hermione
were together. They had
barely been apart
the entire time
since Harry’s disappearance.
“No,” George sounded disappointed, “I wish
she’d get up. I wish
he’d get up. I’m tired
of waiting,” he said
petulantly.
Molly
Weasley went up
to her son
and pulled him
into a hug. Usually
the twins tried
to escape their
mother’s hugs, but this
time George held
his mother tightly
back. Molly
reached an arm, around
and pulled Fred
into the hug.
“She’ll be up
soon,” Arthur said,
reassuringly to his
family, who were back
to the Hospital
Wing.
It had taken
some doing to
get them all
to leave, and take
a meal in
the Great Hall, but
eventually they had
all left. And now
they were back.
“We must be
patient,” Sirius repeated,
it was
much for himself
as for the
children waiting.
A slight moan
had them all
shutting up. Immediately everyone
surrounded the bed, and
stared intently at
the sleeping forms. There was
silence.
“Did
you hear that?” Hermione asked
in a hushed
whisper. There
were nods from the
rest.
Ginny moaned softly
again, turning in her
sleep, into Harry.
“I
think she’s waking
up,” Percy said, in a
rather jubilant whisper.
Slowly Ginny’s eyes
opened, blinked once and then closed
again.
“Ginny?” Molly called
to her only
daughter.
“Mmm,” Ginny replied, still clearly
half asleep.
“Ginny, honey open
your eyes,” Arthur said, willing
her to look at
them. They all needed
to see that
she was alright.
“Five more
minutes, Dad,” Ginny mumbled,
causing quiet laughter
to break out. She
pushed her head
further into Harry’s
chest, blocking out the
room. It was a
typical Ginny move, they
all knew she
hated waking up.
“Harry makes
a nice pillow, huh
Ginny,” Bill’s teasing voice
commented. She
obviously heard that, because
Ginny froze.
Then her eyes
opened wide, giving her
a view of
Harry’s chest. They all
watched rather amused
as her eyes
slowly traveled up, to
his face, calm in
sleep.
“Oh,” Ginny said, softly. And she
stared wide-eyed at
Harry. They saw the
realization reach her
eyes, and with it, the
embarrassment fade, as Ginny
reached out with
trembling hands to touch
his face. A tear
slipped silently down
her face as
she stared at
Harry, while the her
family stared at
her.
Ginny let go, and
tried to sit
up. A rather difficult
feat, as Harry had
his arm wrapped
tightly around her
waist, holding her to him. Gently
Ginny tried to move
Harry’s hand, and when
that didn’t work, she
sat back and
leaned against the
pillows. Finally she looked
up, directly into the
faces of all
she loved.
“Hi!” she said
simply.
They
grinned at her, and
Ron reached down
and pulled her
into a sort
of halfway rather
heartfelt hug.
“Hi!” the twins
replied, two identical smiles
lighting up their
face.
“So…” Ginny said, blushing, and giving
Harry a quick
glance.
“So,” repeated Bill, Charlie and
Percy together.
“I’m
starving,” Ginny said,
smiling suddenly at
her family. Everyone burst
out laughing. Relieved laughs.
“You
should be,” Molly told
her daughter, “You’ve been
sleeping for 18
hours.”
“18
hours!” Ginny
sounded shocked.
“Don’t
scare us like
that again,” Percy scolded
his sister, half serious, half
joking.
“I
won't,” Ginny promised.
“How
about we get
you some food,” Arthur
said. He turned to
look at his
sons.
“We’ll go,” Bill said, eagerly, pointing to
Percy.
“We’ll get
your favorites, Ginny,”
Percy told her. And the
two boys left.
“We’ll get you
something to wear,” Hermione announced, smiling happily
at Ginny, before leaving, dragging a
reluctant Ron out
with her.
“And you can
get out of
bed, and maybe take
a walk,” Sirius suggested.
Ginny smiled at
all of them, in
thanks. Then she laughed, “I
would like a
shower,” she said, and tried
to move again, “I’m
kind of stuck,” she
said, waving her arm
vaguely at Harry’s
hold on her.
“Doesn’t
look like he
plans to let
you go anytime
soon,” Fred teased, and Ginny
blushed. She looked away
from the twins
who were both
grinning at her, and
caught sight of the
unicorn, standing in the
corner of the
room, now that Ginny
was surrounded.
“Magik!’ Ginny cried,
distracted immediately. The unicorn staring,
moved forward, towards her. She paused when
she got closer
to the bed, waiting
nervously at the
group of people
surrounding her friend.
The twins, having learnt
more than they needed
to know about
unicorns from Charlie, moved to
the side, leaving space
for the unicorn
to approach.
Magik ran forward, and
bent her head, nuzzling Ginny, in
relief. Ginny
smiled and hugged
the white animal
happily.
“Has
she been here
the entire time,” Ginny
asked.
“Wouldn’t leave,” Remus told
the girl, “Stood guard
the whole time.”
“She
did?” Ginny
sounded surprised,
“But she
doesn’t like people.”
“We know,”
George said, “Charlie made
sure he mentioned
that, like oh, at least
a hundred times.” The others
smiled at George’s
irritation. And Charlie playfully
hit George on the shoulder.
“Have you eaten, Magik,”
Ginny spoke softly
to the creature, in a
tone they very
rarely heard from
her, a soft soothing
tone. Her voice immediately
calmed the animal
down.
“Charlie
left some apples
a safe distance
away,” Sirius reassured the
girl.
“Good,” Ginny
replied, and hugging the
animal to her
again, they heard her
say softly to
the animal, “I’m okay, Magik.
Everything’s fine now, you
can go home
now,” and the unicorn
nodded its head, almost
as if it
understood her.
“Does she
have to go?” Charlie whined. Even though
the unicorn wouldn’t let
him near, he did
enjoy having it
in the room.
“Charlie,” Ginny admonished, “You know, unicorns are
wild animals. You can't
keep them.”
“I know,”
Charlie replied, and looked
sadly as the
unicorn gave Ginny
one last nuzzle, and
seeing that her
friend was fine, trotted
over to the
window before disappearing
out. Immediately the room
felt emptier, they had
all gotten rather
used to the unicorn’s
presence.
“Why don’t I
help you out
of that bed,” Molly
Weasley said, cheerfully, bringing Ginny’s
attention to her.
“Okay.”
Sirius
leaned over Harry, and
gently moved Harry’s
hand, away from Ginny, releasing her, and
Ginny swung her
legs over the
bed, before jumping lightly
down. Her legs immediately
collapsed under her.
“Oh,” Ginny
said, and tears trickled
out her eyes, as
she shut them
in pain. Next to
her, the twins and
Charlie had already
ran forward and
caught her before
she fell.
“Oh, Ginny,” Molly fussed.
“It
hurts, mum.”
“I
know, baby,” Molly said,
“It will
get better though. It does, I promise.” She
reached out with
her hand, and lifted
Ginny’s face to look
at her.
“Okay,” Ginny whispered bravely.
“Come along
now, we’ll get you cleaned up. Maybe
a bath would
be better than
a shower,” Molly said, leading
the way to
the bathroom leading
of the Hospital
Wing.
The twins supporting
her on either side, took
her into the
bathroom, and then stood
waiting nervously for
further instructions. They weren’t used
seeing their sister
weak. And
didn’t deal with
it well.
Hermione
pushed past them, and
Charlie standing in
the doorway worriedly, and then
ordered them out, leaving
her and Molly
to make sure
Ginny was alright.
The boys waited
outside anxiously, and rather
relieved. Ron paced and
Percy played with
the food they
brought up, setting up in
various decorative designs, until Charlie
dragged him away
from it.
They were all
distracted when Harry
began to scream. A blood-curling scream, that
scared the hell
out of them. Bill
dropped the vase
of flowers he
was moving to Ginny’s
bedside. Ron and Sirius
were the first to
reach Harry, who was
now tossing and
turning, his arms failing
wildly.
Ron
grabbed the one
and Sirius grabbed
the other, while the
twins and Remus tried
to stop his
legs, but Harry was
in the midst
of a nightmare. Seemingly with
little effort, still asleep
he threw them
off. The
screams continued,
and they
all heard the
word “No!” yelled over
and over again.
Suddenly a streak
of white raced
passed them, almost tripping
over Sirius who
was getting up
from the floor
where he had
fallen, after Harry threw
him. A towel-clad Ginny
pushed past Ron, and
to their horror, reached out
to Harry. They all
watched, expecting her to
be thrown across
the room, but it
never happened. The second her
small hand touched
Harry, he calmed down. His hands
and legs stopped, and
the screams slowly
died down.
“Shhh, its okay, Harry. You’re safe. Its all
going to be
fine,” Ginny repeated over
and over, holding Harry
to her, seemingly unaware
of her less-than
dressed state. And when
he was calm
again, sleeping normally,
she released him
softly, laying his head back
on the pillow, and then got
up, “I’ll be back
soon, Harry. Don’t
worry!” she told the
unconscious boy.
Hermione
rushed to her side, as
did Molly and
the two, quietly and
efficiently helped Ginny
back into the
bathroom, leaving the room
silent. Again.
“Woah,” Ron breathed out.
“I…” Sirius began, “That was…” he
trailed off again.
Fred gave an
arm to George
who was sitting
on the floor, where
Harry had kicked
him, looking stunned. George just
stared at Fred’s
arm, making no move
to take it. Charlie, impatiently reached down
and pulled him
up.
“What are
we going to
do?” Ron asked, and he
sounded in that
second to Arthur, at
least, like a little
boy.
“We’ll…we’ll…I
don’t know, I don’t
know what to
do,” Sirius said, looking totally
helpless.
“I
hate this,” Ron finally
exploded, “It isn’t right. We’re teenagers. My sister
is supposed to be sneaking
out to kiss boys, not
risking her life
to saving him. She’s
supposed to be
worrying about Potions
and laughing in
Divination, not learning how
to defeat Death-Eaters. And Harry – God
he’s supposed to
be stressing about
exams and who
to ask to
the Yule Ball, not
fighting to even
remember that he’s
ever been to one.
It’s not supposed
to be like
this,” Ron finished sadly.
“Ron…” Mr. Weasley
began, and then paused, not
sure what to
say to his son.
“Don’t Ron me,” Ron
shouted at him, “I
watch my sister
get cursed almost
to death. My best
friend is lying
in a hospital bed, after
being tortured to an inch
of his life. My girlfriend spends
more time crying
than laughing. Everything isn’t
alright. Its
never going to be.
Look at him,” he
pointed at Harry, now
sleeping calmly. “Look at him. You tell
me how this
is going to
get better.” Ron stopped
suddenly, and leaning against
the wall he
dropped to the
floor, leaving a thunderstruck audience.
Finally Sirius moved. He stood
in front of
Ron, and dragged him
up. “It will get
better,” he insisted. “It will. You want
to know what
I see, what I saw.
I saw
a girl who
in so much
pain, she was only
just conscious, disarm and
take out a
Death-eater. And even though
she didn’t have
enough energy to
even climb her
unicorn, she managed to
drag the boy
she loved out
a cage so
he could be
free. I saw a
boy who could
barely stand, after all
that he went
through, build a shield
to protect the
only thing he
thought he had
left. I saw a boy,
even unconscious and
unaware, while screaming and
fighting in total
fear, be gentle when
she touched him
because it was
her. I saw a boy,
who has
no memory of
anything but fear, and
anger, manage to find
it somewhere in
him to hold
on to hope. That’s how
I know it
will okay. Because he’s
strong. And
she’s strong. And they don’t
give up. Ever.
And more that
that, Ron. Because
they have you. You and
Hermione. And
the twins. And all of
us that love
them. We’re all going
to be okay. And it
is going to
get better.” Sirius stopped speaking, and
took a deep
breathe.
“You’re finished?” Ron joked, rather weakly. Sirius nodded, tiredly.
“Okay then. I’m sorry
I…” Ron started.
“Don’t be. You’ve been
strong for everyone. For Hermione. For your
mum. You’re
allowed to get
mad,” Sirius told him.
“You’re right
about what you
said. They are strong. He’ll get
better and so
will she. Thank you.”
“No, thank you. I needed
to hear it
said as well. Merlin, I was
so scared, when he
started to scream,” Sirius said, looking
at Harry again.
“Miss me?” a
mischievous voice interrupted. It came
from the door, and
there leaning wearily
against the wall
stood Ginny. She smiled
at them all.
And in an
unspoken agreement, everyone hid
the worry, and the
fear.
Ron walked over
to his sister, “Need
a ride, Ginny?” he said
lightly.
“Gonna give
me one?” she said, and for a little
while, they both pretended
there was nothing
wrong.
“Depends?” Ron replied, and he
shot a grin
at Hermione, who was
watching the proceedings
with amusement, “What will
you give me?”
Ginny leaned over, and
kissed his cheek
lightly, “How’s that?” she asked.
“I’m
sold,” Ron laughed,
banishing the shadows
from his eyes. He
bent his lanky
frame slightly and
in a quick
move picked his sister
up. Ginny swung her
arms around his
neck, smiling happily at
her older brother.
“You’re
cheap labor,” Charlie commented, as
Ron walked easily
to the bed, “I’d
demand at least
two kisses.”
“Yeah, but
I happen to
know that I’ll
get another kiss
after I tuck
her in,” Ron defended. He
placed Ginny on
the bed, and tucked
the blankets around
her tightly.
“Hey, I
still have to
eat,” Ginny complained when
her hands were
buried.
“Oops,” Ron said. He was
pushed out the
way then, as Percy
and Bill brought the
food to her, eager
to do something.
“Look, Ginny. I
made the smiley
faces you like,” Percy
said, even though it had
been
years since Ginny
had had faces
in her food.
Ginny laughed, “I suppose
you want payment
too,” she teased. And Percy blushed,
as Ginny
leaned forward and
kissed his cheek.
“Hey I carried
the food too,” Bill
complained, getting into the
act. And so Ginny
kissed him as
well.
The rest weren’t
about to be
left out. The twins
shoved their way to the
front, and demanded their
payment as well. And
Charlie insisted since
he fed Magik, it was
only fair that
he got one
as well.
*******
Ginny was asleep
again. After eating some
food, and watching all
her brothers clown
around, each more ridiculous
then the next
to get her
to laugh, the tiredness
caught up with
her. She closed her
eyes, and within seconds
was deep in
slumber.
She was still
sitting up, in the
bed Ron had
returned her too, next
to Harry. It was
Hermione who pushed
her gently down, and
then placed her
head back on
Harry’s chest. No one protested,
not after the
nightmare they had
all witnessed. Ron even
managed a smile, as
Harry still asleep, automatically curled
his arm around
Ginny, and the twins
laughed as Ginny
again buried her
face into Harry
as they both
tried to get
more comfortable.
“They are
kind of cute,” Remus remarked.
“He’s
lucky he’s sick,” Ron
joked, “Trust me, its
the last time
we’ll let him
willingly sleep with
Ginny.”
********
TBC