Previously posted under SuperPickles a few years ago. The first few chapters are joint between me and her.
Ginny Weasley looked up from her book. Sighing, she marked her place carefully. Sometimes she wished life here at Grimmauld Place was a little less... interesting.
She looked at Ron expectantly. Ron stared back at her.
"Well?" Ginny said, waiting for him to tell her something about what was currently happening in the dark kitchen.
"Well, what?" Ron asked, looking annoyingly smug. Curse Mum for letting him into the meetings, Ginny thought. Why couldn't she let me in too? I mean, I'm only one year younger.
"Ron if you came to be a pompous pain in the arse, then congratulations, it's working; but if you don't tell me something interesting soon, I'm going to go back to my book," she said curtly.
"Oh no, not your book! Please anything but that!" Ron feigned horror, his hand on his forehead.
Ginny chucked the pillow next to her at Ron's head. He ducked and it missed him - barely. Straightening up again he said, "Actually, I'm here on Dumbledore's orders: he wanted me to fetch you. You're to hear something along with the rest of us. Something about horcruxes, I think."
Ginny sighed again, not more horcrux talk! Ever since Harry had gone off looking for the damn things it seemed like that was all the members of the Order talked about. She turned and looked out the window behind her. Raindrops ran down the glass panes; it had been raining like this the day Harry had left. The last few minutes with him had been hard. There had been a sense of duty about him. A strange hardness, as if he was trying to distance himself from her.
"It'll be easy, Ginny." That's what he'd told her. "You won't even know I've been gone. I'll find the horcruxes, destroy them, and come back. Just like that. Don't worry, it won't take very long." And that had reassured her. How easy it had seemed eleven months ago, when he left. What he'd said had kindled a spark of hope even though it hurt terribly to watch through her tears as he vanished into the rain.
That hope had still been there five months ago, until Dumbledore had reported that none of the suspected horcruxes could be found. But day by day, hope was growing smaller as the messages stayed the same: none found.
She got up and followed Ron down the hallway to the kitchen. As they neared the door, she could hear quiet snatches of conversation from within.
"- but who'd be stupid enough to do a thing like that-"
"- I was told twenty galleons for a beaut like that-"
"- This? Bit by a Cornish Pixie, nasty little buggers-"
"- Minister's not the real power anymore though is he-"
But as they entered the candle-lit room the murmur of voices died down to barely a whisper. Ron moved back to where he'd been sitting before he'd been forced to fetch his sister. Ginny however, stood awkwardly in the doorway for a brief moment before Mrs. Weasley patted the seat next to her. A very grateful Ginny made her way to the chair quickly. Then Dumbledore spoke,
"Before you arrived, Ginny, we decided that it would be in the best interests of everyone to help Harry-" Duh, Ginny thought, it's taken you about eleven months to long to come to that conclusion "- therefore we have also decided to consult the person with the most extensive knowledge of horcruxes possible."
"You're not seriously considering asking You-Know-Who about his own horcruxes, are you?" Ginny asked, confused.
The twins and her father laughed. Ron muttered under his breath, "Yes, Gin, we're completely mental," earning himself a kick from his mother.
Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled merrily, "No, Miss Weasley, I didn't think he'd be too keen on disclosing that sort of valuable information. The person I'm referring to is Salazar Slytherin, the author of the earliest record of horcruxes. It is my personal opinion that he discovered them, if 'discovered' is the appropriate word to use in a situation like this."
The occupants of the room greeted Dumbledore's latest comments with a stunned silence. Finally Ginny raised her voice tentatively, "But, sir, isn't- isn't Salazar Slytherin dead? How are we going to talk to someone who's dead?"
"Ah, an excellent point, my dear girl!" the Headmaster turned to face her, "Yes, it is impossible to talk to someone who's been dead for over five hundred years. Which is why we need him to be alive."
"But, sir," Hermione said, "you can't bring someone back from the d-" a look of comprehension dawned on her face, "You're not going to send someone-?"
Dumbledore nodded, "Correct as usual, Miss Granger."
"Sir, you know the law! We're not allowed to- you know..."
"I am aware of what laws would be broken, Miss Granger, " Dumbledore replied gravely, "but in a case like this where, if we're not careful, we could be facing the destruction of the wizarding world. We must be prepared to break a few laws."
Hermione nodded slowly, her face pale in the candle light. Suddenly Ron broke in,
"Would you mind enlightening some of us slower folk?"
"He means time travel, Ron," Hermione explained, her eyes wide. "Time travel. We'd be breaking a few hundred laws but... I suppose we have no choice..."
"I'll do it," Ginny said quietly. She felt twenty pairs of eyes staring at her. "I'll go. Think about it: you'd need someone young: he wouldn't suspect a student. That narrows it down to me, Hermione, or Ron. And didn't the Sorting Hat always say that Slytherin only taught pure-bloods? That means Hermione can't go. Ron's old enough to fight, and I'm the closest in age. I want to do something to help: I'll go."
She felt a hand squeeze her shoulder and then heard her father whisper, "That's my brave girl."