Chapter 3 – To Meet a Shadow
I sat there wanting to be seen. I needed her to come back to me. I needed to have her back. The longer I waited the worse she got.
"Listen to me. Hear me. Come back to me."
Nobody moved. If we couldn't reach her soon, she would die and I would loose her.
Hermione looked at Ron. "We can't wait any longer. The spell is killing her from the inside. Only one way this will work, she must want to come back."
I looked a Hermione. "I won't lose her. I'd go with her before I let her be alone. If I do this and fail, we will not be alone ever again."
"Harry, nobody has ever come back from entering another's mind when the dark spell was active. The dark spell used on her was meant to torture the family, the loved ones. It was meant to trap anybody that tried to enter and save the other."
"I have to try. I can't lose her now."
Hermione looked over at Ron. He nodded and she sighed. "Harry, Ron and I have an idea that may give you a path back but we do not know if we can keep it up very long."
"What idea?"
Ron coughed. "When you cast the spell to enter Ginny's mind, to link to her soul, to help her, Hermione and I could encircle you, sort of join you but outside the main spell. It's a modification of the spell you will be using."
Hermione looked at Ron. "I came up with the modification and Ron agreed that we should try it. It will allow us to back out if…"
"If I fail."
"Yes, but we think this will prevent failure if we are in time. When you start, the idea is to give you an anchor here. We think it could work."
"How long can you hold the anchor?"
"We don't know Harry. It takes one to hold the anchor here and to feed it. The other has to enter with you and cast a line to you to follow back."
"If you loose the path mate, we don't know if you can find it or if it can find you again."
We spent the rest of the day studying the spell, well spells. Mrs. Weasley didn't want to risk losing us as well but Mr. Weasley had sided with us. We found our only hope of saving Ginny in an old tome. It described a spell that allowed one soul to join with another's soul. Hermione worked out how to cast it between two people. I could see the worry on their faces but we were determined. Finally we were ready.
"Whatever happens, thanks – pull out if you get weak. Don't risk yourselves."
I turned and started casting. "Through the mind to your soul I commit myself to you. Your pain is my pain. Your love is my love. Our souls together as one. Suo ut unus."
Hermione and Ron started casting the modified spell as I was casting mine. "Through the mind to your soul we commit ourselves. Your pain is my pain. Your love is my love. A line we cast to your soul. Suo ut unus."
I was falling. Then pain. The pain knocked me down and pinned me there. I could barely think. Why am I here? Ginny, I'm here for Ginny. I remember someone ambushed Ginny just before we were going to meet. Hermione had spent two days in research and found a hint in an old spell from a dusty tome in the Weasley library. The notes by it said that it had never succeeded. Ron argued with her. She couldn't do the spell. He didn't want to take the chance of losing her. He said he loved her. Her eyes had filled with tears and she kissed him. I told them both that I would cast the spell and they needed to stay together.
It had taken another day to learn the spell and set it up. Now I was here. I stood and willed the pain away. It was dark except where I was standing. Ginny's mind – soul was dark. Had I waited too long? Had the pain pinned me down till she passed? The area around me darkened.
"No, she is still here but where?"
Talking to myself wasn't going to help. She is strong willed. How do I look? If the spell worked we should be tied together. I needed to follow my feelings. I stepped from the circle and a tendril of light followed me. In the distance I saw a glimmer. I ran to it. As I got closer I could see the dark was trying to eat it, put out the light. Something was holding it off. A shield, I saw a shield like the one I used for occlumency. There was total chaos on the other side. I tried to enter but it stopped me. I pushed harder. It didn't give. Nothing was getting through.
This is where she is. I have to get in to help. How? Force would break the shield and the dark would devour her before I could act. The barrier was strong. It refused to give into the dark. How do I get in?
"Ginny, it's me, Harry. Let me in."
She didn't hear me. If I couldn't get in then I must strengthen the shield. I needed to give her more time. I put my hands on the shield. I poured my strength, my hope my love into the touch. I felt something coming and decided not to turn around. There isn't much time. When I looked down the light tendril wasn't there. For a moment I panicked. I had to strengthen the shield. I concentrated, committed my very soul to the shield. From behind me a voice spoke.
"I get another. I will get stronger. I will devour the light"
"I will not surrender."
A second voice. I have heard it before. I can't think. Where? Who? I can't stop to ponder. I have to strengthen the shield. The darkness was engulfing me. My sight was fading. If I pass my love will live. She must not die. I couldn't see, couldn't feel. Suddenly the presence was retreating. It moved away screaming. I woke up in a circle of light surrounded by darkness. I was tired.
Author note:
My thanks to Stephanie O for pointing out the need to add a bit more description to the spells that are used by Harry, Hermione and Ron.
