CHAPTER 1

Ginny Weasley laid in her bed, eyes wide open. When she was sure everyone in her form were fast asleep, she opened her trunk to retrieve her invisibility cloak. Of course, it wasn't anything like the flawless cloak Harry had, but a simple cloak she had enchanted with a Disillusionment Charm. That was the only time she had managed to make that spell perfectly. Ginny pulled out her wand and tapped her trunk with it, murmuring, "reducto". The trunk shrunk to the size of her palm and she picked it up and put it in her pocket.

Flinging the cloak over herself, Ginny made sure she was completely covered before opening the dorm door. As she turned the knob quietly, she looked over her shoulder one last time at the friends who had stuck with her for almost seven years. It pained her greatly to leave, but she had made up her mind and would not go back. She had sworn to help Harry save the world, had sworn to avenge the deaths of Sirius, Dumbledore, Mad-Eye Moody and all those who had died at Voldemort's hand. She was determined to do it, and nothing could stop her.

Ginny paused at the statue of the humpbacked witch. Even though Fred and George had not revealed to her their secret passageway to Hogsmeade, she had lived with her brothers enough to learn their tricks, and that includes spying. She tapped the statue and whispered "dissendium", and slipped into the dark narrow tunnel. "Lumos," she said softly, and the tip of her wand flared.

Draco Malfoy laid in his bed, staring at the ceiling. It was way past midnight, but he could not fall asleep; he was wide awake. The moon shone coldly and brightly through the window.

In his mind, he couldn't help replaying the day's events. How the Snatchers brought Potter and Weasley and Granger to Malfoy Manor. How Dobby rescued them. How the Dark Lord tortured them for summoning him, only to find out Potter had escaped through his fingers again. That was the worst part, the torturing. He wanted to fight back, unlike his butt-kissing aunt and parents. Cowards, all of them. But then perhaps he was a coward too. Why else did he not escape with Potter? He was as much as a prisoner as they were. At least they could escape. He could not. Not now, not ever. Even if he did, no one would take him in. Not after all what he had done.

Draco got up. Seeing as it was nearly impossible to sink into the tempting oblivion of sleep, he decided to take a trip down memory lane - anything to stop himself thinking about that. He walked over to his own Pensieve and without a second thought, without thinking which memory he wanted to indulge himself in, he closed his eyes and plunged his face in.

He did not open his eyes until he heard his own voice pleading, "Please, please, please work... please... this time..." And he saw himself in the Room of Requirement in his sixth year. Real-Draco's face crumpled when Memory-Draco whooped as he opened the door of the Vanishing Cabinet and the bird flew out. He knew what would happen next. He would go into the Cabinet and contact the Death Eaters in Borgin and Burkes, and that night they would storm Hogwarts. Snape would kill Dumbledore. They would escape. Then his life as a coward, as it is now, would begin.

He wished he had not fixed the Vanishing Cabinet. He wished he had left it as it was and pretended it was an impossible task. He wished he had asked Dumbledore for help. Perhaps, then, Dumbledore might still be alive, and he didn't have to live this pathetic life.

Draco sighed as the memory ended, and he got out of the Pensieve. He stood there, looking sadly at the small bowl, his silvery thoughts swirling gently. It was full of regrets, memories he wished he could change but couldn't. There was barely a pleasant memory in it. He sighed again and got in bed, and stared at the ceiling until he fell asleep.

The trapdoor in the Honeydukes cellar creaked open slowly. Ginny Weasley crawled out of it and shut it gently, and tiptoed out of the cellar into the darkened shop. Pulling out her wand, she said "Alohomora" under her breath and the front door opened an inch, just enough for her to slip through. Once out, she turned around and said "Colloportus", and the door sealed itself once again with a squishy sound.

Ginny walked to the center of the street, preparing herself to Apparate, when suddenly the sound of alarm bells ringing filled the night air. Ginny jumped, gripping her wand tightly with one hand and holding her cloak with the other.

Three Death Eaters burst out of the Three Broomsticks and looked around.

One of them said loudly, "Got you now, Potter!"

Another yelled, "Accio Cloak!" Ginny's cloak flew from her grasp and landed on the Death Eaters' feet. She took one look at them and ran, her red hair flying behind her.

"Eh? That's not Potter!"

"Of course it's not, this one's a girl!"

"With red hair like that - must be a Weasley!"

"There're so many of them, which one is that?"

"Oh I don't know Rowle, let me see, who'd have hair as long as that? HEY! Come back you! PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!"

Ginny got hit and fell down. The Death Eaters strolled over to her leisurely.

"Dolohov, do my eyes deceive me? Can this be Potter's girlfriend?"

"Eh, I dunno, do you have the book?"

"I've got it, Dolohov!"

"Give me that, you can't even read!" Travers grabbed the book and flipped it through quickly. "Ah! The Weasleys... you must be Ginny Weasley," he sneered.

"This is as near the jackpot as we'd ever get, boys. We haven't got Potter but we've got Potter's girlfriend..."

"What do we do now Travers?"

"To Malfoy Manor!"