The Ties That Bind
Chapter 1: A Crisis of Trust
Romilda Vane slipped into the unused classroom and started to set her plan into action.
She had sent the messages to Harry and Ginny to bring them here at just the right moments. Stealing a piece of Ginny's special parchment was the ultimate and sure to make her plan worked. Soon she'd have Ginny out of the way and Harry would be hers. She cast the charm that transformed her and she assumed Ginny's form. Smiling to herself, she prepared for Harry's arrival.
Harry was arriving at the entrance to the Great Hall planning on meeting Ginny for lunch. A first year Gryffindor came up to him and in a halting voice said "Excuse me, I was told to give you this," as she handed him a small roll of parchment. Harry recognized it as the special parchment he had given Ginny for her birthday.
Unrolling it he read:
Harry,
Please met me in room 215 for an extra special surprise.
Ginny
A huge smile crept onto his face as he spun around and headed back up the stairs.
XX
Ginny was just leaving the common room in a rush, she was supposed to meet Harry for lunch and she was running a little late. Sarah Millington, one of her roommates was coming toward the portrait hole, she was clutching a roll of parchment in her hand. "Hey Ginny, I'm supposed to give this to you," as she handed over the parchment. "See you."
Ginny thought she seemed to be acting a bit odd, but brushed it off, she and Sarah had never really been that chummy, Sarah spent too much time with Romilda for Ginny's liking.
Opening the scroll she read:
Ginny,
There is something you really need to see in room 215, I'm sorry you had to find out this way but it's for the best.
A Friend.
Ginny shook her head in wonder, what the hell was this all about? Tempted to ignore it as she really wanted to get to lunch with Harry but as the room was almost directly on the way down to the Great Hall she figured it wouldn't hurt to peak in and see what was going on.
XX
Harry rushed up the hall and hurried to room 215, turning the door knob he entered the room with a huge smile on his face. Looking around he noticed a person standing in the shadows toward the back of the room. "Gin?" he said haltingly.
Romilda slipped out of her robes so she was standing in nothing but her bra and knickers. Just in time as she heard the door opening and she saw Harry coming into the room. "Harry!" she whispered in a low throaty moan in what she hoped was a good approximation of Ginny.
Harry took a couple of steps toward the figure in the corner but pulled up short. Something did not feel right, the person looked somewhat like Ginny but it was hard to tell with her being in the shadows, but it didn't feel like Ginny. The connection he felt with Ginny told him it wasn't Ginny. He extended his arms toward the person in the corner to keep her away just as the person launched herself at him, wrapping herself around him and rubbing herself up against him in a very suggestive manner.
Ginny rounded the corner and stepped into the room, she turned and saw Harry with someone else, in a most compromising position. Harry seemed to be in the throes of passion with someone who was virtually naked. Tears filled Ginny's eyes, her mind spun, she couldn't believe that what she was seeing, Harry in someone else's arms. Rage filled her, "How could you!" she screamed. "I hate you! I never want to see you again!"
She yanked off her Promise ring and flung it at Harry.
Ginny spun around and stumbled out of the room, ducking her head she hurried back to the Gryffindor common room. She brushed past Hermione and stumbled up to her dorm room. Throwing herself on her bed and wailed into her pillow "Harry, how could you?"
XX
Harry turned in shock and pain. Seeing Ginny at the door, the look on her face, the pain, confusion, the look of soul searing betrayal, tore Harry apart. The ring struck Harry in the chest with a shower of sparks and flame. Hearing her words was like a spear through Harry's heart. "Ginny!" he yelled. "It's not what it looks like." Harry tried to go after her but he felt someone grab his arm.
Romilda smirked, reached out and grabbed Harry's arm. "You don't need her," she cooed.
Harry spun at her, with a look of pure hate, his eyes glowing with emerald flames dancing in his irises, he screamed "GET AWAY FROM ME YOU BITCH!"
A wave of unrestrained magic enveloped Harry. Romilda's hand and arm burned where she touched his arm. As a brilliant fire of pure white enveloped Harry, "Ginny!" he screamed in pain and rage. The light reached it's zenith, Harry disappeared in an explosion of light and sound.
Romilda was flung back into the corner by the force of the blast. She feebly gathered her cloak around her one handed, the hand and arm she had grabbed Harry with refused to work.
XX
Minerva McGonagall felt the wards of Hogwarts bend and twist in protest as a huge wave of magic pushed through them. As Headmistress she was in tuned to the wards that protected the school, she knew immediately something was very wrong. Peeves came screeching around the corner, "Headmistress, something has happened in room 215! I was coming past and a huge blast of light and magic came from within."
Ginny was laying on her bed sobbing softly when she heard, Ginny! She sat up in shock, she could have sworn it sounded like Harry, but he was nowhere in sight. He couldn't be here in her room. He was down in that room with someone else.
Hermione watched Ginny rush past her, something was very wrong,. Hermione spun back into the room and followed Ginny towards the dorms.
XX
Professor McGonagall stormed into room 215, wand at the ready. The scene of destruction that met her gaze was totally unexpected. Desks were smashed to pieces, all the windows were blown out, the blackboard was crazed with cracks. In the far corner, struggling to get to her feet was Romilda Vane. "Miss Vane, what happened here?"
As the Professor stepped forward, a glint on the floor caught her eye. A ruby and diamond ring was laying there. Stooping to pick it up, she was pretty sure she knew whose it was. Laying nearby was a piece of parchment. She saw it was a note to Harry.
As Romilda struggling to her feet, here manner of attire was evident. "Miss Vane! Explain yourself!"
Looking around at the devastation Romilda started to understand the enormity of her actions. "I- I, um I really screwed up big time, I lured Harry here and I arranged for Ginny to catch us in a compromising situation. When she came in she screamed at Harry, threw her ring at him and ran off. Then something happen to Harry. A light enveloped him, he screamed and then he disappeared."
"You mean he left?" McGonagall asked perplexed.
"No Professor, I mean one moment he was standing there and then in a giant flash of light and flame, he was gone!" was Romilda's reply.
"Do you know anything about this note?"
"Yes mam, it's the note I used to lure Harry here."
McGonagall noticed Romilda struggling to keep her cloak on. As Romilda limped forward and stumbled, she reached awkwardly across her body to steady herself.
"What's wrong with your arm?"
"It's the one I grabbed Harry with and something happened to it when the light started to envelope him. I can't feel a thing and I can't use it at all," Romilda said mournfully.
McGonagall ushered Romilda out into the hall. "You need to get to the hospital wing and then you need to explain to Miss Weasley what you have done!"
"Yes Professor," Romilda replied forlornly.
Professor McGonagall turned to the nearest portrait "Spread the word to all the other portraits, the ghosts and Peeves to search the castle for Mr. Potter. I'll be in Gryffindor House before I return to my office."
XX
Hermione came into the dorm and saw Ginny bolt up in her bed. "Harry?" she asked questionably.
"No, it's me Ginny," replied Hermione.
"Oh, I could have sworn …, never mind." Ginny said mournfully.
"What's wrong Ginny?"
"It's... It's Harry! I caught him with some other girl in a classroom and she was, well almost naked!" Ginny blurted out. "He was supposed to be meeting me for lunch and I got this note that said I should stop into room 215 right away. Since it was on the way down to the Great Hall, I went in."
"Who gave you the note?" inquired Hermione.
"Sarah Millington, Romilda's friend."
"And that doesn't tell you anything? Didn't you say you were meeting Harry for lunch. Has he ever stood you up?" asked Hermione incredulously.
Ginny stared down at the floor her mind racing. She knew Hermione was right, Harry had never stood her up. Harry would never do something like that. He was noble to a fault. "Oh Shit, I can't believe I bought that," Ginny moaned forlornly. "I've really done it Hermione, I've screwed it up so bad."
"How bad Ginny?"
"I threw his ring at him," Ginny wailed as she threw herself back face down on the bed and started to cry hysterically. "He'll never forgive me!" she sobbed.
"Ginny, we need to find him now to straighten this out, you can't wait, no matter how much you feel you can't, you've got to do this immediately."
Hermione reached out and took Ginny the hand, pulling her to her feet. As they stared for the door Professor McGonagall burst through the door.
"Miss Weasley, I need to talk to you urgently. Do you know where Harry is or where he may have gone," the Professor asked pointedly?
Ginny threw a panicked glance at Hermione. "No Professor, but I need to see him right away."
"Does this have anything that has to do with events that transpired in room 215?"
"Yes Professor," Ginny answered dejectedly.
"Ginny," Professor McGonagall said softly "What you witnessed there was orchestrated by Miss Vane. Harry was just as much a victim as you were."
Ginny hung her head and sobbed "Hermione just helped me figure that out."
The Professor handed Ginny her ring saying "I think you will be wanting this back."
Ginny took it with a shaking hand, as she slipped it back on her finger, she sobbed "I hope he still wants me to wear it."
"I'm sure he will once everything is explained to him," Hermione said softly.
Ginny cried "Oh Harry, what have I done?"
Ginny, she heard softly.
Ginny spun her head around looking wildly about the room. "Harry?" she said questionably.
Professor McGonagall and Hermione looked at Ginny puzzled. The Professor grabbed Ginny's shoulder and looked into her eyes. "What is it Ginny?"
"I could have sworn I heard Harry call my name?"
"Miss Granger, did you hear anything?"
"No Professor," was Hermione's succinct reply.
Just then Nearly Headless Nick floated through the door. "Harry is nowhere in the castle Headmistress. It's been searched top to bottom, the grounds too."
"Thank you Nick, Please inform everyone to keep an eye for him, but I believe he has left Hogwarts." Minerva turned once again to Ginny " Do you have any idea where he may have gone? I feel we need to find him soon. What Miss Vane described has me very worried."
Ginny. Ginny heard once again, but it sounded much weaker. Ginny paled, she knew Harry was somehow calling out to her. Ginny turned to the Professor, "There is one place that I can think of but I can't believe he could be there. You can't Apparate from Hogwarts, right?"
"While that may be true normally, Miss Vane said that Harry disappeared in a flash of brilliant light that I believe was a bit of uncontrolled magic. In his state almost anything was possible. I felt the wards protest against a massive burst of magical energy."
Her panic rising Ginny closed her eyes for a moment. Somehow she knew where Harry had gone. Looking McGonagall in the eyes and said "We need to get to the Burrow right away!"
Ginny and the Professor hurried from the room. Heading for the Headmistress' office. The fireplace there being the only one hooked up to the floo network. Hermione watched them go, concerned for her friends.
XX
Molly was sitting enjoying a cup of tea having just finished her lunch when the fireplace burst in green flames, Ginny stumbled out, jumped up and tore through the house toward the door totally ignoring her mother. "Ginny!" exclaimed Molly as she jumped out of her seat. Just then the fireplace burst once more and Minerva McGonagall follow Ginny into the house.
Molly turned to the Headmistress "What's going on Minerva?" she ask questionably.
"Harry's missing. There was some kind of incident at school and he disappeared," Minerva replied. "This is the only place that Ginny could think of where he might have gotten to."
Ginny raced across the field behind the Burrow. Heading for the secret glade where she and Harry spent many a quiet afternoon the past summer. The place where he had given Ginny the Promise Ring, the place where he said he loved her and would love her forever.
Molly and Minerva sped out the door, but couldn't see Ginny anywhere. "Do you know where she's going?" Minerva asked anxiously.
"No," Molly replied, "I know Ginny and Harry have a special place that they visited a lot over the summer, but they wouldn't tell anyone because her brothers were always interrupting and teasing them. They would sneak off to spend some time alone, but Ginny did say it was on our property and that it was still protected so I wouldn't worry about them being outside the wards."
XX
Ginny worked her way through the thicket into the glade where she and Harry had spent so many secret hours the past summer. Their special place where he had first declared his undying love for her, the place he had given her the Promise Ring she had so thoughtlessly thrown at him.
As she broke into the glade she saw Harry curled up at the base of their favorite tree. His back was to her and he seemed to be shaking as if he where sobbing quietly.
Ginny slowed, steeling herself she came over and dropped down behind Harry. "Harry," she call softly. She pulled his head up and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Harry, I'm so sorry."
"Ginny?" Harry said softly. "Your here."
"Yes Harry, I'm here. I know now you didn't do anything. It's all my fault. Can you ever forgive me?"
Harry slumped further in Ginny's arms. Softer still he said "Yes Gin, I forgive you, I said I'd love you forever. Never forget that."
Ginny bent her head down to his and as her tears fell onto his temple where she placed a soft kiss she whispered "I'll never forget that again."
"Good," Harry said barely audible. "Gin," he moan out "I hurt," as a spasm wracked his body.
"Harry, what's wrong," Ginny gasped in rising panic.
"I hurt really bad," as a much bigger spasm hit him a again. He looked up into her eyes locking on to them, his eyes widening in shock. Suddenly his eyes snapped shut and he went limp in her arms.
"Harry!" Ginny screamed! "Oh Merlin, Help!" Ginny pulled Harry closer into her arms. Sobbing, close to panicking, she felt his body shuddering, in shallow gasping breaths. His pulse slow and erratic in his neck. She knew Harry was in big trouble. "I've got to get him to St. Mungo's. I've got to get him to St. Mungo's," she kept repeating. She pulled Harry into a tight embrace and whispered in his ear "Don't leave me Harry, please don't leave me."
Closing her eyes and pulling Harry tight into her body, Ginny cried "Oh please don't let him die." Screwing her eyes shut her mind screamed I need to get to St. Mungo's. In a blinding flash of light, Harry and Ginny were gone.