School was out and Ginny was at home for the holidays. She had wanted to stay at Hogwarts, but her mother insisted that she come home.
Ginny was currently sitting on her bed, staring outside. It was a cloudy day and Harry, Ron and the twins, Fred and George, were playing Quidditch. She smiled. Harry saw her through the window and waved. Ginny waved back and then lay down and closed her eyes. She let her mind clear and soon she fell asleep.
Ginny woke to screaming. She sat up abruptly in her bed and looked towards the door. She heard her mother screaming and the sounds of rebounding spells. She grabbed her wand just as the door was burst open. A Death Eater stood in the door frame, with a dark cloak and an eye-mask on. His face twisted into a sneer and he advanced on her. Ginny tried to shuffle back but hit the wall.
The Death Eater raised his wand and pointed it to Ginny's leg. "Diffindo."
Ginny screamed as the spell cut through her leg. She heard him repeat the spell numerous times. Each one hit within a second of the previous one. Her pain grew each time. There was a loud thud just outside the door. The Death Eater was distracted.
Ginny pointed her wand at her legs. "Episkey."
The cuts closed up and faded away. The Death Eater turned around, with his wand pointed directly at her. Ginny shrank away. He held out his hand and Ginny hesitated, not sure what he wanted. He growled and gestured at her wand. Ginny reluctantly handed over her wand. He grabbed it with two hands and snapped it in half. Ginny cried out in shock and the Death Eater slapped her across the face.
"Not a sound!" he enunciated, his voice low and threatening.
Ginny nodded, not wanting to get hit again.
"Get up!"
She complied, hastily getting to her feet. He roughly grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the room and down the stairs. Ginny saw her family, Hermione and Harry bound together in the living room. There were three more Death Eaters in the room, watching them. Her family and friends looked up when she was thrust into the room. Looks of identical shock crossed their faces.
"Ginny!" Harry cried.
"Run!" Ron yelled.
"Get out of here!" Molly sobbed.
"Silencio!" A Death Eater hissed.
Their cries and shouts fell silent as they lost the ability to speak. Tears ran down Ginny's face as she saw their pain.
"CRUCIO!"
The curse hit Ginny and she fell to the floor in agony. It felt as if her blood had turned to fire and was burning her alive. Screams ripped through her throat and echoed around the small room. Ginny writhed on the floor, wishing for death to come. Suddenly, the curse was lifted. She looked up at her mother and saw pure agony in her eyes. Ginny was terrified. What was going to happen to her? Would they kill her? All of that flew from her mind when she heard her captor repeat a horrible word.
"CRUCIO!"
He cried that word again and again and Ginny was almost at her breaking point. She was a very strong-hearted and determined girl normally, but everybody had their limits. She screamed for them to kill her but they didn't seem to notice it. Her nerves had become numb from the torture she had endured. She lay on the floor, barely moving. She was even struggling to draw a breath. Is this what dying felt like? Was death coming for her? If death did come, she would be happy. It would end this pain and suffering.
Ginny was dragged to her feet. She struggled to open her eyes. Her family stared back at her, their faces pinched in pain. Why did they look pained? They didn't know pain. Being subject to the Cruciatus Curse countless times – now that was pain!
Ginny looked at her first love. Harry looked shocked and angry, his eyes troubled and deep. Ginny memorised his face before everything went dark…