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Chapter 1 The Deluminator

26 December 1997

Ginny Weasley started from her sleep in her narrow bed at the Burrow. Her breathing was uneven and she could feel small droplets of sweet resting on her brow. She squeezed her eyes shut once more in an attempt to get rid of the unsettling pictures and emotions her mind had conjured up only mere seconds ago. The nightmare had been a particularly nasty one; she had relived a rather dreadful (not to mention painful, due to the frequent use of the Cruciatus Curse at the hands of Amycus Carrow) detention, she as well as Neville and Luna had received for "stirring up the student body".

One glance at her clock that hung above her Holyhead Harpies poster confirmed that it was way to early for her to get up during the holidays. She sighed and slowly sat up in her bed, shifting her feet so that that she was sitting up. It was no use now, she wouldn't be able to fall asleep again if she tried, so she got dressed at a slow pace and went to the bathroom.

Ginny could hear the clattering of crockery and cutlery in the kitchen. She briefly wondered who else would be up this early but quickly decided that it was probably her mother, cleaning up the kitchen after the opulent meal of the evening before. Yesterday had been Christmas day and Ginny thought it was fair to say that this Christmas had been the most depressing, gloomy and sombre one she had ever experienced. Including that one during her forth year at Grimmauld Place after her dad had been bitten by that snake; at least most of her family had been in a good mood (a brooding Harry excluded).

At least most of her family had been there, she thought darkly.

Percy, that traitor, had probably been too busy licking the floor the death-eating Minister of Magic, Pius Thicknesse, walked on, while slandering his "blood traitor family".

Charlie had most likely been too busy taming Norberta (Harry had told her the story of the Norwegian Ridgeback, once upon a time during a carefree stroll around the Black Lake, that now seemed to be light years ago…)

Lastly, she was absolutely certain that Bill was shagging Phlegm at their new cottage near the coast.

And Ron, well Ron was who-knows-where doing who-knows-what with Hermione and Harry and who-knows-who-else.

Harry…

Even though it was probably quite mean and unfair of her to think, she missed Harry Potter more than all her other brothers combined. They were broken up – they wouldn't be if it were up to her – but that didn't stop her from wishing she were by his side. Oh, how much she missed those few weeks they had spent together towards the end of the last school year. It was hard to believe how quickly their perfect bubble of happiness and insouciance had burst. After Dumbledore's death things had gone awry very, very fast.

Neville had restarted the DA and together with the other members they were doing their best to revolt against Snape and the Carrows, but it wasn't enough. She wanted to help Harry with whatever he was doing and fight.

Sadly the only times she saw Harry these days were when she looked at the Undesirable No. 1 posters that had been plastered all over Hogwarts and Hogsmead. (Ginny privately thought that he was very much desirable, but that was another matter entirely)

In the end, with the majority of her brothers gone, Christmas had gone over rather gloomy and not even Fred and George's jokes had been able to lighten the mood. There was something particularly foreboding in the atmosphere nowadays and if she had to put a finger on it she would say that it meant one thing: war is coming.

As she made her way down to the kitchen, she decided that she wanted to see her oldest brother today. Bill, next to the twins, had always been her favourite brother and she missed his company dearly. Phlegm would be there too, but as she grudgingly had to admit, Fleur wasn't that bad.

In the kitchen she, indeed, met her mother who instantly made a fuss and busied herself with making breakfast. Ginny, however, wasn't fooled. One glance at her mother's puffy, red eyes confirmed that she had been crying. Probably over Ron…

She often wondered what her mother would do if she knew the truth about what was currently going on at Hogwarts. She'd probably throw a hysteric fit, and then envelop her in a bone-crushing hug and sob into her shoulder. Ginny could already her mother's shaky voice in her head (The Cruciatus Curse, my little girl! Oh Ginny - ). She didn't even want to know what her mum would do if someone told her that she'd tried to steal Godric Gryffindor's sword from Snape's office (Ginevra Molly Weasley, how could you have been so irresponsibly reckless! I've raised you better than this - ).

No, she thought, visiting Bill was a very good idea. She needed to get away for a few hours and Bill had always been able to calm her down.

"Mum?" she broke the awkward silence that had settled between them. "I would like to visit Bill at Shell Cottage today. Is that alright with you?"

Her mother looked up, gave her a genuine smile. "Yes, of course Ginny dear. Oh, what a wonderful idea! Should I send him a message and tell him that you're coming. Or I could come with you, I haven't seen William since –"

"Mum!" Ginny quickly broke her mother's speech off. "I'll be fine by myself. Don't worry, I'm just going to surprise him and Fleur." She smiled reassuringly at her. Her mother always worried too much.

Half an hour later a dressed and sated Ginny Weasley stepped through the fireplace of Shell Cottage. She quickly brushed the grime and soot off her clothing and called out for her brother. She fervently hoped she wasn't interrupting something; they were still newlyweds, after all.

She didn't have to wait long. A few moments later her brother entered the room, an odd expression on his scarred face. She couldn't quite place it but it mirrored confusion, surprise, joy and – panic?

"Ginny?" He asked, "What are you doing here? I thought you were at the Burrow. Look –I – not that I'm not happy to see you, but maybe you should come back at another time." He looked rather uneasy and tried hard not to meet her eye. What the heck was going on?

"Er – why?"

"Well, it's simply a bad time to visit us right now, because – er – " he broke off his sentence and started fiddling with the hem of his shirt, still not meeting her eyes.

"Bill, did something happen? Can I help?" she was fairly worried by now.

"No!" He exclaimed, looking nervous, "It's just – "

Bill, however, never was able to finish his sentence, because he was interrupted by a throaty, silvery voice that came from upstairs. "Bill? Is zat your brozer? Ron said 'e wanted to go for a walk. I would 'ave zought 'e would be gone longer zan zis."

Ginny's head snapped up to the ceiling.

Ron?!

Had she heard correctly? Was Ron here - was Hermione too - Harry? Her heart missed a beat and she felt completely dumbfolded.

She fixed her gaze back on Bill and furrowed her brow.

"Ron? Is he here, is – " she paused when she caught sight of Bill's guilty expression. What was going on? Were her brother, Hermione and Harry here? Why wasn't Bill saying something, anything?

"Bill," she began slowly, "if Ron, Hermione and Harry are here, you better tell me straight away because I'm going to find out either way." The fact that her brother stood in front of her, unmoving and with a stricken look on his face didn't help to calm her racing thoughts in the slightest. Was she going to see Harry? All at once she felt quite fuzzy-headed.

"Bill? Why aren't you answering me? 'as somezing 'appened?" Came Fleur's voice from upstairs, shaking her out of her haze.

"No, love, everything is fine." Bill called back, "Ginny came to visit us – " he trailed off.

"Nom d'un chien! Pauvre Ronald!"

Ginny didn't know nor did she care what Fleur had said, but she knew for certain that it had involved her brother's name once more. She felt her temper flare up as she was starting to lose her patience.

"William Weasley, if you don't tell me what's going on right this second, I swear I'll – " her angry rant was cut off by the sensation of being tugged towards a chair. Bill sat down across from her, the dining table between them.

"Listen Ginny," he said, "you're right, Ron is here –"

A roller coaster of emotions went through Ginny's insides. They really were here! She couldn't believe it; after five long months she was going to see them again.

"- But it's not the way you think. Ron's here alone – "

Ron was here alone? Her mind quickly went through all the possibilities this could implicate. Had they been forced to split up? Had they somehow been separated? Did something go wrong? Or – she nearly didn't even dare to make this presumption – was Ron the only one still… alive?

" – Anyhow, Ron came here alone after he left Harry and Hermione after a row –"

What?

"What?" she asked sharply.

"Ginny, listen, while I absolutely do not approve of your brothers' actions - you need to know that he is really ashamed of himself – he's been trying to find a way to get back to them for the last weeks –"

Weeks?! Ron had been here for weeks?

" – That's why Fleur and I have been backing him up, you know. He's really sorry and regrets leaving them with whatever they were doing - he doesn't say… that's why Fleur and I didn't go over to the Burrow this Christmas – "

But Ginny wasn't listening anymore; she was racing out of the living room towards the guestroom, where she guessed Ron was residing in. She wanted to kill her brother. Well, maybe she didn't want to kill him but she wanted to scream at him and hurt him, make him see reason.

Her anger was clouding her ability to think straight; her blood was boiling. He had deserted Harry, abandoned him on their quest, when all she wanted was to be was with him. How could he?

The guestroom was empty apart from a few scattered articles of clothing that looked rather worn and battered. He wasn't here – somewhere deep in her mind she recalled something Fleur had said; he was taking a walk? Ron, that bleeding git, had actually the audacity to take a damn walk, while Harry and Hermione where wheresoever, probably risking their lives, battling Death Eaters or face-to-face with Voldemort himself. If they're still alive, she wondered frantically.

No, she thought, it would have been big news if Harry Potter were dead. Surely news like this would be celebrated as the ministries' biggest triumph!

As she slowly sank to her knees, she suddenly caught sight of a reflexion of light in the pocket of – Ron's jeans? She quickly moved towards the garment and noticed a small, silvery, delicate-looking object that had slipped out of the trouser pocket. Carefully, she took it in her hand to get a closer look. Immediately Ginny recognised the device that at a first glance looked like a simple standard silver cigarette lighter.

The Deluminator.

Dumbledore had left it to Ron in his will. Her brother had shown it to her and told her that it could be used to extinguish light sources; rumour had it that Dumbledore had even invented it himself.

"Ginny, -" she was startled by her by her brother's voice and abruptly spun around to see Bill standing in the doorway, Fleur, still in her nighdress, directly behind him.

" – If you want you want to see Ron you can wait with us here. Fleur is making breakfast…" her brother finished.

"Er, thanks Bill…Fleur – but I already had breakfast at home," she explained in a distant voice. She still had trouble wrapping her mind around the whole situation. "I think I'm just going to wait outside for him to arrive – if that's alright with you…"

"Oui, of course. But make sure you stay inside ze wards so zat you don't get lost." Fleur cautioned her in a motherly tone. Ginny couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance towards her sister-in-law's way of treating her like she couldn't take care of her self.

"Don't worry, I won't," she said, smiling reassuringly at them.

The rough see breeze was whirling around Ginny's hair, the droplets of spray raised by the wind were tousling up her thick strands of long, red hair. Over the last few minutes Ginny had been squatting on a large rock close to the cottage, overlooking the furious December-sea. She was freezing pretty badly – she was clad only in her woollen jumper and semi-warm coat – but she couldn't bring herself to care.

She had no idea how she was going to face Ron. On the one hand, she had missed her brother dearly over last few months, even if he sometimes was an overprotective git (she still hadn't forgiven him for barging in her room on Harry's birthday). On the other hand she was simply livid. How dare he walk out on Harry! She was so angry - she was slightly worried that she could seriously injure her brother once she caught sight of him - but that wouldn't do. He regrets it, he is ashamed of his actions, whispered a voice of reason in her head. He is trying to find a way back to them…and maybe, maybe you could even come with him! Harry…

"Ginny…"

Ginny jumped. The voice had been soft, a sigh. But she knew this voice; it was unmistakably Harry, she was sure of it. Ginny was positive that she would be able to identify Harry's voice everywhere.

Promptly she glanced down at her hands where she thought the voice had come from. Her left hand was still clutched tightly around the Deluminator. Feeling curious she thoroughly investigated the object in her palm. It didn't look any different, but still! She hadn't imagined hearing her name, had she? Maybe I'm going mad, she thought panicked. Hearing voices sure wasn't a sign of sanity.

Not knowing what else she could do she clicked it.

The lamps, that had been illuminating the cosy little garden surrounding Shell Cottage, went out. However, the lamps were not what drew Ginny's attention.

A ball of light had appeared near she shore, just outside the wards. It was incredibly bright and seemed to be somehow pulsing. If she had to describe it she would compare it to that bluish light around an activated portkey.

Fascinated, she made her way towards the light. It was drawing her nearer, calling out for her. Her legs seemed to be moving by their own accord, trance-like. As she made her way towards the shore and outside the wards the ball of light began to slowly float towards her.

Once it was hovering right in front of her she reached out with her hand to touch it - but the ball had already made its was to her chest. Before she could even comprehend what was happening it went straight through her, right were her heart was. A tingling sensation went through her body and her chest was feeling pleasantly hot.

All at once Ginny knew what she had to do. The heat was trying to guide her towards her heart. Harry. She could feel him with every fibre of her being, the warmth was enveloping her, leading her. She knew it would take her where she needed to go.

Even though she had never Apparated before, the heat in her chest was directing her. She closed her eyes and hoped, determined, all rational thought erased from her mind. I need to be with Harry, bring me to Harry, please, please…

Blackness engulfed her. Ginny was dimly aware of hearing a loud crack but she was too busy perceiving the unfamiliar sensations that were flooding through her body. She was pressed very hard from all directions; she could not breathe, ropes were tightening around his chest. All in all she thought it was fair to say that it was damn nasty.

As abruptly as it had started, it was over. The first thing she noticed upon opening her streaming eyes was that she was feeling incredibly sick; she felt as though she had just been squeezed into very small box. I just Apparated! Oh Merlin. The second thing she noticed was that she was lying flat on her back and was currently staring into the dark sky.

Gulping a lungful of the frosty winter air, she slowly got back on her feet. Tentatively, she looked around, brushing snow of her coat. By the looks of it, she had ended up in a forest, a very deep forest that was. Everything around her was covered in snow and the air was even colder than at Shell Cottage. It was still very dark outside and the fact that she was deep in the woods didn't improve her sight at all. Where in the name of Merlin was she?

After what felt like only a few seconds but was most likely close to a few minutes she decided that she had to do something. She wouldn't be able Apparate back without help anyways.

Suddenly a bright silver light appeared in the distance, moving through the trees. Whatever the source, it was moving soundlessly, without a rustling of shrubbery. The light seemed to simply drift further afar.

Hesitantly, she began following the silver form, always keeping a distance. It could be a trick, a lure, a trap. She was creeping, trying not to make to make too much noise as the snow crunched beneath her feet. At the same time she was making an effort of orienting herself in the darkness, hoping she didn't collide with a tree. Drawing nearer she recognised the silver light.

It was a Patronus.

She couldn't exactly make out what animal it was but her first intuition was that is was some kind of deer. Her breath caught. Was it possible? Could this be Harry's Patronus? The stag?

She approached the creature further, wanting to see whether she had guessed correctly. At last, the Patronus came to a halt. Not yet wanting to be seen by the caster – in case it was not Harry – she stopped walking as well and quickly hid behind an oak. Now that the creature had stopped moving she was able to identify the animal as a beautiful doe. Regardless, Ginny couldn't stop herself from feeling badly disappointed. It wasn't Harry's stag at all…

Then, just as she thought she had heard a rustling coming from behind an oak in close vicinity to her, she caught sight a lone person approaching the clearing were the doe was standing. The doe seemed to be looking straight at the person. But the brightness emitted by the Patronus wasn't enough; she couldn't see who it was. Briefly, she considered using the Deluminator once more to create a light but it would be foolish. What if it was a Death Eater?

As the person – it was a boy - started running towards the doe it suddenly vanished.

Though the darkness had swallowed her entirely, the image of the doe was still imprinted in her mind. All of sudden the forest seemed to be awfully quite. Fear began to coil in her chest. The Patronus' presence had meant safety, now she felt terribly exposed to the darkness. Was she about to be attacked? Who was the boy? Was he still there, ambushing her?

"Lumos"

A flash of bright white light illuminated the area around her. For a moment she was blinded by the brightness of it. After her eyes had adjusted to the light she was able to see the boy for the first time. Ginny's heart missed a beat, she gasped.

It was Harry.

Her Harry.