The Point of No Return

Chapter One

"Fight in your dreams and the outcome is the only way it can ever be. You may lie to yourself when you're awake, say that everything is right and this is the way it has been and will be, but the true victory…or defeat…is won or lost in your dreams. Trust them. Heed them. They're there to be read and understood, and one day, lived out."

-Book of Lies

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Torches hung in every corner lit the dark chamber. The walls were caked with thick stone bricks and the floor was made of a shiny black marble material. It wasn't what you would call a very elegant room, but it was indeed formal. Despite the cultivated style of the room with its silken serpent banisters that hung from the walls and ceiling, the only piece of furniture in it was a silver throne that sat in its center.

Upon the seat sat a ghastly pale man with snakelike red eyes and two incisions for a nose with not an ounce of hair upon his white head. With a look of mere expectation chiseled into the even surface of his face, he drummed his long spider-like fingers against the arm of his chair in a slow rhythm. His other hand gripped carelessly at the wand that was tied to the belt of his black robes, a long fingernail running up and down against the wood. With his posture straight, the man's eyes narrowed evenly at the wooden door in front of him.

With a curl of his lip, the door swung open and in entered two hooded figures. They stopped short to bow, hands and knees facing the white specter before standing up.

"Yes, my Lord?" asked one figure, slowly raising its head to reveal a waxy face and a pair of cold black eyes.

"For many weeks now, Severus, I have been devising a plan to make my future rule over the Wizarding World greater, but I have yet to inform you."

"That is true, my Lord," Snape and said still looking up at his master.

"Since you and Bellatrix are my most trusted servants, I am informing you two first." He explained to them his plot and watched as their eyes widened in fascination.

"I have taken many people close to Harry Potter's heart, but it is not enough," he said after he had finished. "When I have obtained his newest treasure, I will make her mine and get a, ah, prize as well."

"And who are you thinking of as your target, my Lord?" Bellatrix asked as her eyebrow rose inquiringly.

"Oh, I already have someone in mind," he said with a twisted sort of smile.

Ginny woke with a start, nearly falling out of her bed. Sitting straight up, she snatched up all her sheets against her as if they would protect her from the icy nightmare she had just endured. Her eyes scanned her pale blue room in search of any trace of being awake and not in Voldemort's clutches.

Finally deciding she was safe, Ginny relaxed somewhat. Nightmares that were filled with Voldemort's cold red eyes had been coming at her pretty strong lately. Of course, there had been times in the past when she would wake because of Voldemort's leering face, but anyone would get those after witnessing him in person a couple of times. Not to mention he had corrupted her mind only five years ago.

But for the past few weeks, he had filled her night constantly. Ginny didn't think much of it really, but with every dream Voldemort's vibe had changed and that was when Ginny knew that the nightmares weren't normal. That immediately directed her thoughts to Harry. He had already started his journey to find the last Horcruxes accompanied by Ron and Hermione; about a month after school had ended which was only a month ago.

Oh how she missed Harry. She understood why he would break up with her for her safety, but she wanted to journey with him, to be by his side, experiencing all that he did. But these thoughts she did not voice. Ginny had stayed put, peering from behind the living room doorway, as she watched Harry make his way down the hall to the front door. He had stopped midway to glance behind his shoulder to where Ginny stood. She could feel the light tears running down her cheeks as she saw Harry's emotionless face. His eyes held a mistiness she couldn't recognize, and it pained her so much to see him turn away and start to the door again. And then he was gone.

Ginny hung her head as she felt the pain swirl in her head behind sweating eyes. Since he had left, Ginny hadn't gotten any word from him. She knew this didn't mean he didn't love her anymore, but it hurt him to write or talk to her if he couldn't be with her. Just like the way he didn't say goodbye. It hurt too much.

Ginny shook her head and her thoughts traveled back to Voldemort. Ever since her first year, Ginny had noticed a mental connection she had retained from Voldemort. Whenever he was angry, she got snappy. When he was excited, she got bouncy. She didn't like it at all, but she hadn't told anyone about it. Sometimes visions of him came to her in daydreams, but not often.

Tonight was different. She actually saw where Voldemort was and knew he was up to no good.

"Oh, Harry," Ginny moaned and buried her head in her pillow. After a few minutes spent sobbing into her pillow, Ginny decided it was best to go back to sleep; she had a lot of yard work to do tomorrow.

As she laid her head back on the pillow, two loud cracks could be heard from across the room. Ginny instantly turned around and saw two hooded figures standing next to her closet. Noticing their neatly concealed faces, Ginny quickly opened her mouth to scream, but was caught short when one of the figures muttered a silencing charm on the room. But Ginny screamed anyway.

One of the figures moved forward revealing a hooked nose and greasy black hair.

"Snape?" Ginny whispered and clutched the sheets tighter to her.

"Hush now, little Weasley. We wouldn't want to give you to our master all bruised and bloody, now would we?" Snape asked smoothly, scowling down at her.

"Quit the talk, Snape, and just grab her. We haven't got all night," snarled the otherfigure. The voice was indeed that of a woman's and sounded familiar to Ginny but she couldn't pinpoint whose it was.

"My pleasure," Snape responded and lunged forward to grab Ginny. She immediately began to struggle, biting and scratching at him but it was useless. Holding her by the arms with one hand, Snape grabbed Ginny's lamp from her bedside table and collided it with her temple. Everything became cloudy and blackness started closing in around her eyes. The last thing Ginny saw before collapsing back on her bed was Snape's leering face looking down at her before the blackness engulfed her.