A New Reason
Ron was upstairs in the dormitory, dithering over what to pack. Harry had simply chucked everything in his trunk, locked it and raced back downstairs. Ron was giving slightly more thought to it, but what do you pack for a quest you may never come back from? Eventually he copied Harry, chucking all his possessions in and slamming the lid shut.
Hermione was downstairs, looking extremely worried. Both her and Harry's trunks were lying innocently side by side. Ron deposited his next to them and Hermione quickly performed a feather-light charm. Harry was sitting on the sofa by Ginny's unconscious form, returned earlier by a perplexed Madam Pomfrey. She had yet to wake up, though she was no longer pale and her breathing was stronger and less erratic.
"Now I have a new reason to come back from this quest alive and victorious," Harry whispered. Ron and Hermione both knew it was a private moment that they shouldn't watch but they couldn't tear their eyes away. They watched as Harry smoothed a dark red curl back from Ginny's freckled, motionless face, leaned down and kissed her.
Suddenly Ginny's eyes flew open. Both Ron and Hermione pulled out their wands but she was Ginny, not some ancient evil talking with Ginny's mouth. Her arms wound slowly around Harry's neck and she was kissing him back. She smiled as their lips parted and fell into a deep sleep. Harry kissed her forehead. "I love you," he murmured.
"Midnight," Hermione said, looking at the clock. "We should go."
"Right," Harry said, seizing his trunk and throwing the Invisibility cloak over them. Silently the crept down the corridors, ducking into empty classrooms and behind statues when people passed. They finally reached the Entrance Hall. Inch by inch, they eased three huge iron bolts open, wincing every time one creaked. They pushed the door open just enough to squeeze out and closed it again. It clanged behind them.
"Shoot!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Run!" Ron whispered. And so they ran, desperately trying to keep hold of the trunks, stop the cloak from flying off and stick together. Suddenly, two huge hands seized them.
"In 'ere!" Hagrid whispered urgently, yanking them inside his hut. The cloak slid slowly off. Ron and Hermione collapsed on the sofa in relief. Harry remained standing. Hagrid shut the door, bolted it, locked all the windows and drew the curtains. He took a great breath and turned to the trio.
"WHAT THE RUDDY HELL DO YEH THINK YOU'RE DOING?" he roared, sending Fang whimpering under the bed.
"We're sneaking out to go to Antarctica and kill an ancient evil that's possessing Ginny and will kill her if we don't finish it in time," Harry explained quickly and quietly.
"Antarctica?" Hagrid said, his fury pulled up short. "Helluva long way, Harry."
"We've got no choice," Ron said. "According to stories, if we don't kill that thing in the next forty-eight hours, I lose my sister."
"Yeh'll never get that far in two days, much less get there, kill this thing and get back," Hagrid said. "Don' s'pose yeh wan' a Portkey?" He held up a rusty bicycle bell. "Dumbledore guessed yeh would do this."
"Great!" Hermione exclaimed. She seized the trunks and placed a finger against the bell. Harry and Ron copied her.
"Good luck," Hagrid said. "Three, two, one." There was a familiar jerk behind Harry's navel and they were flying through the air in a whirl of colour and sound. Harry soon noticed that this journey was taking a lot longer than previous journeys. He supposed it was because they were travelling a lot further.
Harry finally noticed a dramatic drop in the temperature. It was beyond freezing. Within ten seconds Harry had goosebumps up and down his arms and his teeth were chattering. Suddenly they slammed into the ground with such force that all three of them crumpled and the bell flew several feet before crashing into a pile of snow.
"Here," Hermione said through chattering teeth, handing Harry several jumpers and a pair of tinted goggles. When Harry looked sceptical, Hermione smiled at him. "Snow blindness would set us back at least a day," she said, tying her hair back and putting on the goggles. "Hypothermia even longer." Harry put on the jumpers and goggles.
"Harry Potter," whispered the voice of the ancient evil. The trio jumped and looked round but Ginny was nowhere to be seen. The voice swirled around them, rode the wind, crawled into heir minds. Harry could see why all rational creatures feared the dark. Hermione gave a shiver.
"Evil," she said, winding her scarf tighter around her neck. "It is evil that lives here."