Author's Note:

This story was originally entitled "Island of Hope" but eventually, I concentrated more on the Harry/Ginny romance that later on I decided to change it to "Waiting for Love" but the plot is still the same. Dedicated tothe loyal readers of "Till Death Do Us Part".

Disclaimer: I don't own anything!


Waiting for Love

Summary:

Ginny Weasley was brought up in a muggle world until her 18th birthday. It was to conform with the will of the old Howard Weasley, Arthur's great grandfather that the first Weasley girl to be born in the family will inherit the island in Asia which he explored and developed in 1885 in memory of his wife Ginevra Weasley. The island was a gift from the Royal Queen Victoria as leader of The Great Explorers in the east. The first Weasley girl descendant should also be named Ginevra Weasley. When the rich Weasley family were executed in 1896 for crime of witchcraft, the newly born Samuel Weasley was miraculously smuggled out of town under the care of Adam Herring, Howard Weasley's loyal staff. HHThe young Ginny Weasley, unaware of her historical roots, thought she was living on the charity of the Herring family giving her a home when her father Arthur, Samuel's grandchild left her to live in a world nobody knows where. Without her knowledge, the Island of Hope will be legally transferred to her on her 18th birthday. Before she came of age, administration of the treasure island will be controlled by Howard's best friend Leroy Malfoy and his descendants earning thirty percent of the island's income until the Weasley heiress will be born and turn eighteen on which 100 percent ownership will be transferred to her. But unknown to everybody, the island was not only rich in resources. It was a gateway to a lost continent (Lemuria) and a civilization of advanced people with mystic powers and a third eye. Along the way, Ginny uncovered truths of her past with series of unexplained events and accidents. Somebody surely wanted her dead. Rediscovering her roots and her family in the world of wizards, she met again her long time crush Harry Potter whom she secretly admired and watched everyday along Privet Drive. After six years, it was her time to take sweet revenge from Harry for the rejection she suffered from him. Will Harry at last notice her? For Ginny, things were not that easy. Nor it was easy to forget the hurt she nursed after all these years from Harry. Take the adventures of Ginny, Harry, and a group of teenagers whom they called The Guardians of Knowledge as they discovered the islands' secrets, why the evil forces wanted them to perish, where the Dark Lord got his strong magical powers, and why the good must prevail over evil.


PROLOGUE:

The dream disturbed my sleep on the eve of my eighteenth birthday. It was not the first time I had that dream. It had come to me periodically over my eighteen years of existence. There is something vaguely alarming about these recurring dreams because it seems certain that they have a significance which one has to discover.

When I awoke from it, I would be trembling with terror and I could never be entirely sure why. It was not exactly the dream itself, but the impression it brought of impending doom.

I would be in a room. I knew that room very well by now, for it was always the same each time I dreamed. It was an ordinary kind of room. There was a brick fireplace, on either side of which were chimney seats, a red carpet and heavy red curtains. Over the fireplace was a picture of a storm at sea. There were a few chairs and a gate-legged table. Voices came and went in the dream. Or would have a feeling that something was hidden from me; and suddenly there would come this overpowering sense of doom from which I would awake in horror.

That was all. Sometimes, the dream would not come for a year and I would forget about it; then it would return. As time passed, I would notice a little more in the room, for instance the thick cords which held back the red curtains, the rocking chair in one corner; and with these fresh details, it seemed to me that the feeling of fear crept nearer.

After I had awakened and was lying in my bed, I would ask myself what it could mean. Why should that room have become part of my life? Why should it be the same room each time? Why should I experience that creeping fear? My imagination had conjured up the room, but why should I have dreamt of it over the years? I had talked to no one of this. The whole matters seemed so foolish in the daytime, for dreams, which are so vivid to the dreamer are almost always boring when retold. But somewhere deep in my thoughts was the conviction that this dream meant something, that a strange and as yet incomprehensible force was warning me of impending danger, and that perhaps someday I should discover that.

I am Ginny Weasley and this is my story.


PART I – THE LONDON SCENE

Chapter 1 – The Execution

HOWARD WEASLEY, August 1896

Somewhere, something went wrong. I was pacing the floor back and forth as my mind reviewed all events that happened in the last few months. Think…think…think. Who could be the traitor in the community and why up to this time, the ministry can't track him down? He could have strong, magical powers beyond imagination. He could have discovered the secret of the island so maybe that was why my family has to face execution. But who? At the other cell were my two sons also destined to suffer the same fate as I did. It was inevitable. I, the powerful Howard Weasley, leader of the Great Explorers that helped United Kingdom gain more power in the east, a member of the Royal Military Court, now I face execution barely from the hands of the people to whom I brought glory. The Royal Palace has to know the truth. It was unfair. I was not the evil one. We were not evil. We didn't practice witchcraft. We are great wizards honourable, respectable and powerful. We have powers but we never used magic to harm anybody. It went against the witch's oath to use his powers for personal gain or wrong doing. My ancestors were the great ones; they fought for the glory of the land. We came, we fought, and we conquered.

"HowardHoward!" It was almost like a whisper. So soft it was delivered with utmost diligence. My best friend Leroy Malfoy. He was communicating to me through my mind. We seldom use telepathy for we have to be very careful. Today, we will be executed in the town plaza for crime of witchcraft. My family and I were blamed for all the misfortunes of the town people, for all the catastrophes that were happening. Tornadoes, hurricanes, bridges falling, malaria, crops infested by locusts. What did I have to do with all these? A traitor reported to the governor that we were a family of witches and he was told we were practicing witchcraft to befall misfortune on others.

"Leroy. Has everything been done? Have you secured the documents?" I felt a little uneasy as I confirmed his presence.

"Yes, Howard. I brought them. They are safely secured. My only problem is how to bring them to you with all the tight security. Your house is heavily guarded. I need to apparate and use magic to be able to get to your safe and get hold of the documents. Even that was very difficult. Any false movement will alert the guards."

"A priest is coming in a few minutes Leroy. After the confession, I will request that I need to talk to you for my last wish. Just secure the papers andplease be very careful." My heart was beating faster than usual knowing my death row was about to take place.

"How is the community taking this? One of us is a traitor." I interrupted Leroy.

"There is chaos inside the ministry right now Howard. With your execution, the good knights are losing their hope. Sir Adam Scott also agreed to hunt down the traitor but as of now, we have to stay as slow as possible.The evil forces are gaining their strength."

"Let not my execution discourage you my friend, or the whole ministry. This is a dark age for us. We are small in numbers but we have in our blood the courage and the greatness of those who came before us. There is more than life beyond death." I said as I comforted my best friend who stood behind me after all these years.

I was still communicating to Leroy when the door of the iron cell opened. "NowLeroynow." I said as I stood up and met the priest. I tugged along the heavy chain that bound me. I knew somebody casted a spell on these chains because however I tried to free myself from it, it will not give way. The traitor I thought. I was right. He had powers beyond imagination. He must just be somewhere around here, a wolf camouflaging himself in sheep's clothing. The prayer of penitence with the church took around twenty minutes and when he asked me "Do you have any last wish my child?"

"My friend Leroy Father, I need to talk to my friend." After a serious look on my face, he turned his back and whispered something to the guard.

It took exactly twenty five minutes before Leroy appeared on the door of the iron cell. He just fastened his gaze towards me his eyes saying it all. After looking left and right and then moving his head back to the guard, he opened his coat and came out pieces of paper. He gave me the pen and hurriedly signed the papers.

"My child Leroy," I whispered to him communicating again through his mind. My baby, Samuel Weasley, who was barely one month old. I will never live to see my baby. He was the only one who escaped the tragedy. It was a good thing he was born and raise in the country in the care of a loyal staff as if I knew of the execution that will follow. All the town people thought Ginevra died together with the baby when he was born. I felt there was no need to explain to them that the baby in Ginevra's womb miraculously gasped for air and survived even after the doctor had declared him dead. And who cares for these town people? Gossipers, rumour mongrels. Everybody was envious of the good life I was leading notwithstanding the fact that the Queen granted me territorial bounds in Asia as a reward for my service to the country. Only a few knew about the reward so as not to arouse suspicion and envy from the other members of the royal court.

Leroy just gave me an encouraging look as his eyes assured me "He is safe."


SURREY, ENGLAND

Ginny Weasley – April 1993

I felt a hand on my shoulder as my whole world begun to tremble. "Wake up Ginny. Wake up!" I slowly opened my eyes to see Esmeralda shaking me hard.

"What Esmeralda? It's weekend today. I need to sleep more."

I looked over at the digital clock on my nightstand and saw what time it was. I didn't have to be up for school so I curled up again in bed. Then I felt something banged my head. A pillow.

"Ouch! Esmeralda." And I quickly threw back the pillow to her. I was about to give her my famous smack and grandest kick when the voice of Madame Herring vibrated throughout the whole house.

"I told you Mom is already frantic downstairs. She asked me to come and barge to your room or she will come here by herself. You know, she doesn't want the neighbours to hear her boiling temper again. She wants to talk to you."

"What about? Has she not grown tired of her litany of rules?" I slowly stood up and listened to the rickety creak of the old iron bed as it bore my weight. The noise of this old bed always annoyed me. I admired the shiny oak bed of Esmeralda in her room and whenever her mom, Mrs. Lorelei Herring was out of the house, I will sprawl in her bed and feel the warm soft cushion on my back and feel all comfortable and at peace. I slowly stepped barefoot on the floor and studied myself in the mirror. My teacher in charge always told me I was unusually tall for my 12 year old age. Aside from the fact that all boys' eyes were on me whenever Esmeralda and I passed by. "You had grown so beautiful my girl," I heard a voice whisper in my imagination. I moved my head to look at Esmeralda to see if there's somebody with us in the room. No one. Weird. Many times, I hear voices in my head most of the time a woman's voice, caressing me, comforting me, telling me to be careful in my step or I will tip over. Strange. When one time I told Esmeralda about this, she just told me it was my guardian angel warning me, protecting me of impending danger. Well…maybe.

"Hey, Ginny! What's this? A new story?" Esmeralda was leafing through my notes of stories which she found near my bedside table.

"Get off my notes Esmeralda." I warned her. She might leap through the pages and read aloud again the imaginary guy I had been daydreaming all these days. Sort of a knight in shining armour you know. I had no crushes in school but I had an imaginary guy I created in my imagination. His hair was black in contrast to my red one. His eyes emerald green and when they stared at me, I would melt like ice. Then I heard the voice of Madame Herring screaming on top of her voice calling out my name again. "Come on," Esmeralda said as we hurriedly went out of the room and into her mother's study.

She was sitting there on her office table. Mrs. Herring, always the prim and proper lady. She was always up early because according to her, waking up late in the morning was a sign of laziness. She was a plump woman, her hair always done up with hairspray and a scarf covering her neck. It made her look a little bit formal. Ever since that Sunday morning when Madame Narcissa Malfoy visited our house wearing the grandest scarf looking so sleek and elegant, Madame Herring had worn scarf ever since. She had always looked up to the Malfoys especially to Madame Malfoy. "She is the epitome of beauty and elegance," she had said. That was why, whenever the Malfoys invited us to dinner in their grand manor, Mrs. Herring will always make sure she was properly dressed as if meeting the royal queen. She was always proud that with the elite social status of the Malfoys, they had been too friendly with the Herrings and most especially to me. In fact, Mrs. Malfoy sometimes calls me "Ginny dear."

"Sit down Ginny." Mrs. Herring said as she straightened up in her chair and slowly fiddled her fingers on her scarf as she put it in proper place. She looked at me seriously as I sat down, her cat like eyes piercing through my bones as they watched me sternly in between furrowed brows. I followed quietly as if on a death sentence. "What did I do this time?" I thought.

She sat back on the chair as she spoke to me.

"You are now twelve years old going thirteen Ginny. A few years from now, you will be on your own working and earning a living. I have taken care of you for the past twelve years and I think a few more years I will rid myself of my responsibility towards you. As early as now, I need to remind you that you are not a member of the Herring family and in between your school you can now earn a living, sort of a part time job to partially support yourself. We do not know where you came from or why your father just left you with us. Your grandfather Samuel Weasley grew up in the Herring household so maybe this was the reason why my father in law in his death bed instructed us to take care of you. It was he said as a loyalty and gratitude to your great grandfather Howard Weasley. You know what happened to them don't you?"

I nodded my head and said softly "Yes madame," as I recalled the pain of her indignation as she told me the story of my roots one day and how I came to the Herring household. I've got bad blood in my veins she reiterated, a not so favourable connection. That was why, whenever Esmeralda and I were in trouble, she will put all the blame in me saying the bad blood and misfortunes run in my veins.

"I have talked to the Carters this morning and Mrs. Carter is kind enough to employ you as an apprentice in her convenience store on the corner of Privet Drive just outside the suburb. You are to assist her in her records after you arrived from school."

She looked at me as she sensed the soft "Aww!" that I uttered in between my breath. "Do we understand each other, Ginevra?"

Oh, why does she keep on calling me in my full name? Ginny is cute and I prefer to be called that way.

I found her stare boring hole in my bones so as to keep things simple I just said "Yes, madame."

In the corner of my eyes, I saw Esmeralda giggling as she sat near the door and on her side, I saw my notebook of stories making their way on her lap, her right hand slowly leafing through the pages.

I suddenly turned to her and gave her the most dangerous killer look I knew though I kept silent. Then suddenly, my notes fell on the floor and made their way at my feet. Esmeralda stared in amazement. I slowly picked it up then stuck my tongue out at the bewildered Esmeralda then faced Madame Herring and gave her my sweetest smile.


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