Feb 1995
"Again" demanded Ginny, her stance fierce.
"Are you sure, Ginny?" sighed Remus Lupin, professor of DADA at Hogwarts.
Ginny held her wand higher and nodded. "Again," she repeated.
"All right, but don't be disappointed if you can't do it. This is a fifth, sixth year spell," he said. He opened the wardrobe and the Boggart walked out.
"Ginny Weasley," sneered diary Tom Riddle.
"Expecto Patronum," called Ginny, and the same misty sparks shot out of her wand.
"You need me," gloated diary Tom, coming closer.
"Ginny..." warned Remus.
Ginny gritted her teeth and shook her head. She imagined flying high in the classroom, where Riddle couldn't get her. Then she'd use a Severing charm and chop his head off. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" she yelled fiercely.
The mist started to take a form. Ginny saw feathers, a head. Diary Tom faltered, and stepped back.
"Riddikulus," said Remus, stepping between Ginny and diary Tom, who instantly disappeared. A silver orb hung in the air, until Remus banished it with his wand.
"My Patronus is some kind of bird," she said breathlessly, taking the chocolate bar he handed her. She sat down, exhausted.
"A large one too, by the looks of it," agreed Remus. "Congratulations."
Ginny grinned. "It felt good," she admitted. She had been trying to produce a Patronus since school had resumed, and it had taken her four long months.
"What memory did you use?" asked Remus.
Ginny shook her head. "Not a memory. A promise. That one day I'll see that bastard die."
Remus chuckled, but stopped when he realised she was serious. "Ginny...I'm worried about you."
Ginny turned so he couldn't see her roll her eyes. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me." She had said the same thing to her brothers and her friends often.
Remus sighed. "Ginny, you're head and shoulders above your class in DADA. In fact, you're better than most of my fourth years, including your brother, Ron. You're doing well in Charms and Transfiguration, and average in Potions. Your Herbology and History of Magic professors tell me you're behind on your assignments for their lessons, and -"
"I begged Mcgonagall to let me drop History of Magic and Herbology. I need to focus on the others, especially DADA," said Ginny.
"You wake early to run around the grounds. Your mother sent a Howler to the headmaster, asking why you're so thin," continued Remus.
Ginny scoffed. "I'm not thin, I'm lean, fit. I run to build up stamina, and it helps when I cast spells," she said. "You'e seen me eat, Professor Lupin."
"But, why, Ginny?" asked Remus. "Why all this, the training?"
"He's coming back, you know. Riddle," said Ginny easily, putting her jumper on and winding the scarf around her neck. "I need to be ready for him."
"The Ministry and Dumbledore will deal with Voldemort," said Remus.
Ginny studied him. "So you believe everything Dumbledore tells you, do you?"
Remus frowned, not liking being put on the spot. "I'm simply saying that fighting Voldemort is something that shouldn't be left to a child. You are only thirteen," he said, before she could retort.
"Thirteen and a half," she said, stubbornly. "What about Harry Potter, then?"
"What about him?" asked Remus. He felt a pang as he thought of Lily and James' son.
"Word is, Tom's looking for him," said Ginny.
"That's just nonsense in the paper," said Remus, gruffly.
"He did try to kill him when he was a baby," reminded Ginny, 'so maybe he wants to try again, but why?"
"Does it matter? No-one knows where Harry Potter is anyway," said Remus.
"Someone has to know," reasoned Ginny. "Someone is helping him. I'm glad. I wish I could help him in some way."
Remus grunted. He thought the same thing, but he wouldn't tell Ginny that. For he was sure Sirius had taken Harry, and he didn't know if that was a good thing or not.
"Goodnight, Professor," said Ginny, although he seemed lost in his own memories. He seemed bitter when she mentioned Harry Potter, and Ginny wondered why.
"Hmm? Oh, goodnight Ginny. It's not long till curfew, so straight to Gryffindor Tower, okay?" he said.
Ginny turned and left his office, heading up the stairs. On the third floor she stopped and knelt down to take some parchment out of her bag.
"I solemnly swear I'm up to no good," she said quietly, although there was no-one around. She'd knicked the map from her brother's dorm one day, and had used it extensively, finding every nook and cranny at Hogwarts.
Ginny saw the familiar markings on the map appear, and saw that the area around the Room of Requirement was free. She kept the map out as she picked up her bag and set out for the seventh floor.
The room let her in, as it had done so on many other nights. Ginny walked in, nodding in satisfaction as she saw the training dummies set up.
She quickly stripped down to her underwear. She placed her clothes and bags near the door, and walked to the centre. She was surrounded by six dummies. She raised her wand and took a deep breath. "Begin," she commanded.
A spell sprang from behind her, and she whipped around to block it, and send it back. Two more spells tried to strike her, and she blocked and moved to avoid them hitting her. "Reducto!" she cried, blasting one dummy to smithereens.
She blocked, evaded and shielded, and when all the dummies were lying in tatters over the floor, she requested more dummies and started all over again.
An hour later, sweating and panting, she called it a night. She was pleased with her efforts, but she wished she had someone she could train with, someone who could really push her, to see how good she really was. Dressing quickly and checking the map, she made her way to Gryffindor Tower.
Giving the password, she hurried in, quietly. She didn't expect anyone to still be up, it was after eleven already. But her brother Ron and his classmate Hermione Granger were sitting in front of the fire. Ron was dozing, but Hermione was reading.
She put the book down as Ginny came closer. "Where have you been?" she demanded, nudging Ron awake.
"Wha'? Oh, hey Gin, everything okay?" he asked, sleepily.
"Fine," she said shortly, seeing his beady little rat watching her. "I'm going to bed."
Crookshanks jumped up on the back of the lounge, purring as Ginny rubbed between its ears.
"You'll lose points for Gryffindor if you're caught out this late at night," reprimanded Hermione.
"Then I won't get caught," said Ginny, moving towards the stairs.
"What about your homework? Colin mentioned you had a History of Magic assignment due," reminded Hermione.
"Binns will probably forget. Or I'll do it at lunchtime," said Ginny.
"What about your Herbology homework? It's your first lesson tomorrow," said Ron, now fully awake.
Ginny sighed, then shrugged. "I really couldn't care less."
"Ginny!" exclaimed Hermione, scandalised.
"I'm going to bed. Goodnight," said Ginny, firmly. She quickly ran upstairs, not noticing Neville Longbottom sitting in the corner of the common room.
She slept well, as she usually did after a decent night of training. She got up early and did her morning run around the grounds, waving to Hagrid as he emerged from the Forbidden Forest.
She ran up the stairs to Gryffindor Tower, looking forward to a nice hot shower. Sweating, she went into the common room to head to her dorm and get her school clothes and toiletries to take to the showers.
"Ginny, h-have you got a minute?" It was Neville.
Ginny stopped and smiled at him. She thought Neville was a nice guy, he just needed to come out of his shell a bit more. "Hey Nev, what's up?" she asked, wiping her sweaty face with her training towel.
"Here," he said, thrusting some parchment at her. She took it and read it, frowning.
"It's my Herbology assignment. It has my name on it but I didn't write it," she said, looking from the paper to him.
"I did. I don't want you to get into trouble, or lose house points," he said, blushing.
Ginny thrust the paper back at him. "Thanks Nev, but I couldn't. It's cheating," she said.
"It's helping," insisted Neville, thrusting it back at her.
"Nev, you're a wiz at Herbology, we all know that. If I were to hand up a paper and get top marks, then Madame Sprout would know something was up. I'm crap at Herbology," she said.
"I dummed it down a bit. Oh, not that you're dumb, no, I didn't meant that. Shit! Oh geez, I'm so sorry, Ginny," he gasped, embarrassed that he had sworn in front of her.
Ginny laughed out loud. "Neville Longbottom, now you're my kind of guy!"
"Ah, like the bad boys do you?" teased Neville.
Ginny nodded, winking. "I like the rule breakers, the ones that take a chance."
"Isn't this a bit like rule breaking?" he asked, holding up the parchment. " Come on, I did a favour for a friend."
Ginny smiled and took it. "I'll look it over, see if it's at least to a standard that I would hand in, if I could be bothered," she said, teasing.
Neville laughed, relieved.
"Feels good to break the rules just a little bit, doesn't it?" she teased.
"Yeah, actually," he said, then blushed again.
Ginny laughed and kissed his cheek impulsively. "You're a good guy, Nev. I'm off for a shower. I'll catch you later...friend."
Neville nodded and watched her walk away. He put his hand to his cheek where she had kissed him and sighed, turning to go down for breakfast. He jumped as he saw Ron Weasley standing right behind him.
"What the bloody hell is going on between you and my sister?" he demanded to know.
'Shit!' thought Neville.
/*/*/*/*
June 1995
"Fuck!" yelled Harry, shaking his head to break the connection. His head pounded.
Sirius sighed. "You'll need to do better than that," he reprimanded.
"I know, I know," said Harry, grabbing a bottle of water and drinking half of it in one go. "I hate Leglimancy."
"You're blocks are getting better, but I'm not a skilled Leglimans. Someone who's good at it will break you in minutes," said Sirius.
"I know, all right?" said Harry sharply.
Sirius sighed and stood. "Let's leave it there for today. Go for a run, get rid of some of that tension," he offered.
Harry nodded. Things had changed in his life so much since Sirius had rescued him from the Dementors. They'd only stayed in England for a short while before Sirius decided to take them to Europe. There Harry had learnt all about his parents and his past. Sirius had also told him all he knew about Voldemort, and why he had come to his house to kill him.
"There was a prophecy about you. I never knew the exact wording. Only your parents knew, and probably Dumbledore," said Sirius.
Albus Dumbledore. Harry wondered if he would ever meet the famous wizard. Sirius didn't fully trust him, and hadn't communicated with him since he'd escaped from Azkaban, despite getting frequent owls from the man. He demanded to know of Harry's whereabouts, and encouraged Sirius to send Harry to Hogwarts, promising to take him under his own wing. Sirius ignored his many owls.
Sirius took it upon himself to train Harry in magic. He wished he knew Remus' whereabouts, so he could school the boy, but when he'd learned Remus was teaching at Hogwarts, he worried that Remus was blinded by Dumbledore and his beliefs. No, for now, best to keep Harry hidden from the wizarding world.
He watched Harry as he left the safe house and went for a jog. The boy had hit puberty and his magical abilities had increased tremendously. Sirius wasn't sure he was strong enough magically to help Harry much more, but he didn't know who to ask for help. Trust was the main issue.
He turned as a letter came through the Floo. Sirius picked it up, sighing as he saw the return address was in Scotland. He expected it to be another letter from Dumbledore, but when he opened it, was happy to see it was from Remus.
' Dear old friend,' it began. Sirius read the letter quickly, then re-read it again slowly, as he began making plans in his head.
" Kreacher!" he yelled.
/*/*/*/*
Harry sighed in relief as he let himself in the door of their home in Austria. He'd pounded the pavement; having a lot of tension to get rid of. His scar was hurting a lot lately, and Harry felt something big was about to happen.
He headed straight to the kitchen and grabbed another bottle of water. " Hey," he said, when Sirius walked in.
" Start packing. We need to leave for England as soon as possible," said Sirius.
" Why, what's going on?" asked Harry, still breathing heavily.
" I just received a letter from Remus," said Sirius.
" Moony, right? The werewolf," asked Harry.
Sirius nodded. " You know he's been teaching at Hogwarts? Well, two nights ago, he confiscated a map off a student who was out of their dorm room after curfew. It was our map, Harry, the Marauders map," he said.
" How did the student get it?" asked Harry.
Sirius shrugged. " Remus didn't say. The thing is, Remus saw his name on the map, Harry!"
" Who's name? Voldemort's?" asked Harry, sitting up in alarm.
" No, Pettigrew. Peter Pettigrew was there, right there, at Hogwarts. Two nights ago! In Gryffindor Tower, no less," cried Sirius.
" Can't Remus alert Dumbledore, or the Ministry?" asked Harry.
" I want to see him, the rat bastard! I want to be there when they arrest him for aiding Voldemort in killing James and Lily. I want him to admit he set me up to take the fall. Don't you see, Harry. I'll be a free man. No more worries about being captured and sent back to Azkaban," cried Sirius, his eyes alight at the thought of finally coming face to face with their betrayer.
" I won't let that happen, Sirius," vowed Harry. " I want to face this Pettigrew, too."
"Then what are we waiting for. Go, get packed. We're heading home, Harry. To England," said Sirius.
/*/*/*/*
They arrived back in England close to midnight, and went straight to bed. Unpacking could wait till tomorrow. Sirius even forbade Kreacher from starting on their personal items.
They rose next morning, and while Kreacher prepared a late breakfast, Sirius owled Remus. They received a reply around lunchtime later that day.
" He's there, on the grounds, right now," said Sirius, excitedly. " Come on, let's go."
" Right now?" asked Harry, warily.
" Remus has left his Floo open for us. He wants us to come through straight away. And Harry...he knows the prophecy. Apparently the Divination professor is the one who made it in the first place. Some witch named Trelawney," said Sirius, reading Remus' note.
" My prophecy?" asked Harry. Sirius nodded, and without another word, the two used the Floo to go and see Remus Lupin.
/*/*/*/*
" See for yourself," said Remus, handing over the map.
" Aren't you worried he'll Apparate away?" asked Harry, as Sirius studied the map.
" You can't Apparate inside Hogwarts, Harry," explained Remus.
" He's near the Whomping Willow!" exclaimed Sirius in alarm. "He may be trying to get out of Hogwarts via the Shrieking Shack. We need to go now!"
Whomping Willow? Shrieking Shack? Harry knew this wasn't the time to ask questions, so he filed them away to ask later.
" Come on, let's go catch a rat," he said grimly.
/*/*/*/*
Ginny was jogging around the grounds when she saw the Whomping Willow start to shake rather viciously. "That's strange," she said to herself. She hurried over to it, surprised to see Scabbers there.
" Gotcha," she said, grasping hard as the rat started to squeal and wriggle. " What is wrong with you. Dumb rat. Fine, I'll take you to Ron and he can give you more of that tonic. I don't think it's working, though." The rat seemed to be losing weight rapidly, and even now, it shivered in her hand.
" Ginny."
She turned to see Professor Lupin behind her, with another man of a similar age to him, and a young man, slightly older than herself. " Professor Lupin," she said.
" May I?" he asked, holding out his hand for the rat.
" I don't know what's wrong with him, he's shivering," said Ginny, frowning. She handed him over. Sirius pulled out his wand and pointed it at Scabbers. " Hey!" she protested. "What are you doing?"
" Go back to the castle, please. Get Dumbledore, tell him Sirius and Remus have Pettigrew near the Whomping Willow," ordered Remus, not taking his eyes off the rat for one minute. "The password is Fizzing Whizzbees."
Ginny looked at the two men, then at the younger man. Something flared inside her. Had she met him before? She felt as if she knew him. He nodded, urging her to go.
" Fine," she said, running off.
Harry watched her go. She was a good runner and he hadn't failed to notice she was pretty, too. There was something more, though...
" Together?" asked Remus. Sirius nodded and took out his wand. " One, two, THREE!"
A blinding blue white spell erupted from both their wands and hit the rat, making it squeal loudly. It spun in mid air, before landing to the ground where, in front of Harry's eyes, and in a matter of seconds, the rat became a man.
" R-Remus...S-Sirius, my old friends. So good to see you again," mumbled Peter.
Sirius swore and raised his wand. " No," yelled Remus. " We need to wait for Dumbledore. We need to have a witness besides Harry, to hear his confession. Dumbledore's testimony will add weight to your plea for being wrongly imprisoned and you'll be found innocent."
Muttering under his breath, Sirius reluctantly lowered his wand after disarming Peter. Meanwhile, Peter's attention was on Harry.
"Harry, my boy. Look at you, the very image of James," he said, eyeing the boy.
Harry glared at him. " Don't you even speak my father's name," he said angrily.
" Dearest Lily. She adored you, you know," said Peter. He dug in his pockets. "Look, I still have a photo of your parents. It was their wedding day. Here, you can have it," he offered.
The only photo Harry had seen of his parents had been Sirius' photo of the Order of the Phoenix. He'd stared at it, trying to imagine what his father's voice sounded like, or what his mother's hugs felt like. So, without even thinking about it, Harry reached out to take it from Peter.
" No," yelled Remus and Sirius, but it was too late. Peter and Harry had gone; the photo had been a Portkey.
Dumbledore appeared, looking around. "Where is he?" he asked
/*/*/*/*
Ginny raced into Dumbledore's office, panting. "Sir, Professor Lupin...Sirius...have Peter...Whomping Willow," she mumbled.
Dumbledore stood immediately, dropping what he'd been holding on his desk. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you sure?"
Ginny nodded, trying to draw breath back into her lungs.
"Thank you, Miss Weasley," he said, before Apparating out of his office.
'Huh! I'll have to tell Hermione about that,' thought Ginny. She was about to turn and leave when something glittery near Dumbledore's desk caught her eye. Cautiously, she approached it, and saw a lovely cloak. She ran her hand over it. It felt strange, like water woven into the material. She picked it up, surprised to find it was so light. Without even thinking about it, she draped it over herself. She had never worn anything that felt like this before. She looked down at herself, and yelped. Her whole lower body was missing.
"An invisibility cloak," she breathed in excitement.
Take it, child.
Ginny looked around. "Who's there?" she asked. She only saw Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, watching her from his perch.
There is no time. Take the cloak. You will have more need of it than Albus.
"I'm not a thief. I don't take what's not mine," said Ginny defensively. She was looking at Fawkes as she spoke, and he cocked his head.
The cloak does not belong to Albus, either. Take it and go, down to the Whomping Willow. Use the cloak when you get there.
"Fine," said Ginny, "but if anyone asks, I'm telling them you told me to." She swore she saw the phoenix wink at her.
She removed the cloak and left Dumbledore's office. Taking a deep breath, she prepared to run down to the grounds. It didn't even occur her to question how she could understand everything Fawkes had said.
/*/*/*/*
Harry landed on the ground hard, and he rolled to stop. He groaned and lay there for a second looking up at the sky. Movement nearby made him turn his head, only to see Pettigrew hurrying away. He returned, levitating a large cauldron. He used his wand to start a fire under it, tossing in potions and chanting.
Harry started to sit up. Damn, he was in a cemetery. He steadied himself as he stood, his leg ached from his fall; he suspected he had broken his ankle. He read the name on the large ugly monument he rested against. 'Tom Riddle."
When he saw Peter approach him, he limped to get away. Pettigrew took out his wand. " Accio, Potter," he sneered, and Harry felt himself being pulled to the tombstone he had just been leaning on. " Incarcerous," said his parent's traitor , binding him to it.
Harry struggled to break free, for the moment forgetting all his training. He just knew he had to stop whatever was in that cauldron and get away from this rat.
He turned to see Peter carrying a bundle of blankets, which he carefully set down. He tossed some more potions into it, and chanted. " Bone of thy father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son." He dropped a large bone into the cauldron.
He turned and faced Harry, his eyes as dark as the black of night. Pettigrew came closer, his wand extended. He sliced it over Harry's cheek, and Harry felt the smell of blood. With glee, Pettigrew took his wand and dipped it into the cauldron. " Blood of thy Enemy, taken. You will resurrect your foe."
Taking a deep breath, Pettigrew completed the chant. "Flesh of the Servant, willingly given," he said, and before Harry's horrified eyes, he cut off his own hand and it fell into the bubbling cauldron. "You will revive your Master."
Grimacing in pain, he picked up the bundle of blankets and threw them all into the cauldron.
Harry wished he could look away but he couldn't. He saw Pettigrew stumble away to care for his hand. The metallic smell of blood was in the air, and the cauldron was bubbling and frothing over.
Then it stopped, and Harry came face to face with the person who killed his parents.
/*/*/*/*
" Crucio," yelled Voldemort, and Harry felt as though a thousand knives were being plunged into his body at once. He cried out in agony, making Voldemort smile in victory.
That smile angered Harry. Had he smiled that hateful smile as he stepped over his father's dead body to make his way upstairs? Had he smiled that cold blooded smile when his mother begged for mercy?
" Crucio," he yelled back, his wand outstretched but pointing at who knew what. It must have hit the target, for his pain stopped immediately.
And that's when he heard it. The song of a phoenix. Something he'd only read about in his books.
It was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard, yet even as he listened to the song, he heard the unspoken words. Hang on. Don't break the connection.
" Well well, the boy is not afraid to use the Forbidden curses," chuckled Voldemort, although slightly shaken. He was still getting used to being back in a body. " Let's play then, shall we. Crucio!"
" Crucio," yelled Harry at the same time.
The spells met in mid air and hovered there, both fighting for dominance. Peter watched the whole thing, uncertain of what to do.
Harry was shaking with the effort of holding the connection. The phoenix song was louder. " I am with you.
' Who are you?' asked Harry, in his mind.
"It is not time for you to know yet, but I am close. We are close.'
'Hurry,' thought Harry, 'you make me stronger.' Indeed, his wand was slowly but clearly dominating Voldemort's spell.
There will be another day to fight Tom. Come back to your destiny. Back to where you left.
" How?" asked Harry, out loud.
Voldemort was doing all he could to maintain control of his wand.
The photo. Reverse the Portkey and it will bring you back. The spell is Prior Incantato. Hurry.
Harry focused on his wand. It was certainly getting an advantage over Voldemort's spell. Harry took a breath and broke the connection. " Accio photo, Prior Incantanto," he yelled, the moment his fingers touched the photo.
" Poottteeerrr," yelled a furious Voldemort, as Harry was taken away.
Sirius gasped as Harry suddenly appeared on the ground, clutching a photograph.
"Harry!" he exclaimed, going quickly to his side. He rolled Harry over, his eyes narrowing at the blood on his cheek. He could feel Harry's body quiver from the exertions of the Cruciatus curse, and trying to hold off Voldemort. " Harry, can you talk?"
"He- he's back. He used my blood, and-and Pettigrew cut off his hand, and I think there was a bone from someone named Riddle," mumbled Harry.
Behind all the men, Ginny gasped at the all too familiar name. Hidden under the Invisibility cloak, she was not heard, although Harry's head turned slightly in her direction.
" He needs medical care. Madame Pomfrey can assist him," said Dumbledore, shaken by Harry's news.
" No, we need to get him home," insisted Sirius, in a tone that indicated it wasn't up for discussion. " I can get medical help to him there." He too, was shaken, but Harry's well being was his immediate concern. He conjured a stretcher and levitated Harry onto it.
"Very well, but we have much to discuss, Sirius. Please let me know how young Harry is doing," said Dumbledore, disappointed but not stupid to get Sirius off side any more than he already was.
" I'm going with them," said Remus.
Ginny wished she could go with them. She wanted to talk to Harry, ask him about HIM. 'He's back?' She was not surprised.
Harry turned his head to face her, looking at her through exhausted eyes. It was if he could see right through the invisibility cloak. He nodded.
Ginny looked at him. His emerald eyes reflected only pain. He was hurt...by HIM.
' I believe you,' she thought.
Harry smiled, despite the pain, but he knew she meant it, sure as he knew he would one day kill Tom Riddle.
" We need to get going. Now, Remus," snapped Sirius.
" Here, Sirius, use the Floo in the Great Hall," said Remus.
He went to follow Sirius, but Dumbledore held him back. " Don't forget your potion, Remus. Tonight is the full moon, remember.
Remus glared at Dumbledore, then caved as the ramifications set in if he missed his Wolfsbane potion. " I'll help get Harry settled, then I'll return for the potion. Please let Severus know," he said.
"Very well," said Dumbledore.
Remus nodded to Dumbledore, as he followed Sirius and Harry through the Floo.
Ginny watched as Dumbledore sighed and left to return to his office. She wondered what he would do when he discovered the cloak was missing.
All afternoon she expected a summons to his office, but it never came. She sat in the Gryffindor common room, her mind replaying all that had happened earlier. Her friends and brothers all asked her if she was okay, but she brushed them off. She was unaware that Neville sat in chair close to hers, keeping a close eye on her.
As she sat in the Great Hall at dinner , she glanced around at all the unsuspecting children. They ate, laughed and gossiped, like always.
Ignorance really was bliss, realised Ginny. As she caught Dumbledore's eyes on her, he nodded as if in agreement. It was then that Ginny realised he wasn't going to say anything about what had happened earlier. No, the students would not be told that HE was back.
It just made Ginny more determined. She would be a part of this fight against HIM. She had just cause, after all.
A life for a life. After all, he had taken her childhood from her, filled her mind with memories, dark ones, filled with every dark disgusting thought HE had ever had. Lust, revenge, hatred, envy, jealousy. Everything Ginny abhorred now filled her mind, interrupted her night sleep.
HE needed to be stopped. If she could help Harry Potter in any way, she would do so.
Even if it meant giving up her own life.
