Chapter 2 - The Lady of Hogwarts

The Wards of Hogwarts were built by ancient magic. When Albus Dumbledore died, they passed into the hands of Minerva McGonagall, and after her death, to those of Charlie Weasley, and finally, they came to Ginny Weasley. The young witch, barely nineteen years of age, couldn't have been more surprised by it. The other remaining Defenders had believed it would pass into the more than capable hands of Filius Flitwick or the brave Neville Longbottom.

But Hogwarts is sentient, so it is said. It has a mind of its own, to know what is best for itself and the children that seek shelter within her domain.

Ginny was disturbed. This had never happened before. The rupture in the wards was a terrible development. If more were to occur, if they weren't able to intercept the trespassers in time again, then they might as well give up the struggle. But what was bothering her most was that the rupture wasn't from the outside. Nor was it from the inside. It was as if Hogwarts herself opened up to the Death Eater.

They had checked the secret passages using the Marauder's Map. Ginny shuddered, pushing aside the memories and dark thoughts that came associated with the previous owner of the map. No, they had checked, and the wards extended all over them. There was simply no other alternative.

Hogwarts had welcomed Marcus Flint.

It could have been because of Gabrielle, Ginny decided. Marcus Flint's loyalties were not to be questioned. He was as loyal a Death Eater as any. It was good fortune that Ginny had sensed the rupture in time and had been able to catch the trespasser before any damage could be inflicted.

But something about the whole incident bothered her tremendously. Why would Flint dare such a thing alone? Especially, when that madwoman Bellatrix Lestrange was so nearby. It simply didn't add up. Ginny wondered if there was indeed something in Gabrielle's heartfelt protests that Flint didn't mean any harm.

Ginny shuddered. That could explain why the wards opened up. Perhaps Flint didn't mean any harm. But she steeled herself. He was a Death Eater. Flint had killed many. From the experience of Gabrielle, he hadn't hurt her, true, but could the same be said of others?

She was worried. Their numbers were running thin, and most of them were young children, whom she couldn't conscientiously allow to fight. She was beginning to wonder if it was time to consider the amnesty proposal of the Monarch.

Her jaws clenched in disgust. "Never!" she breathed out. The memory of Harry Potter, lying in his dark cell, a raving mind in a broken body, and yet confessing his love for her, was enough to hold her back. She would fight to her very last breath.

But then she faltered. Could she fight to the last breath of all the young children whose lives were so literally in her hands?

Flitwick wanted her to consider the amnesty proposal. She didn't blame him for that. The Monarch's conditions were simple, and in return there would be no bloodshed. However, it would mean that Voldemort's conquest over Britain would be complete. He would be the paramount power. With Hogwarts in his clutches, Voldemort would be unstoppable. With his hidden horcruxes, he would be indestructible.

No, Ginny couldn't doom the world to an everlasting reign of darkness. Hogwarts had to remain stubbornly true to the light. Even if it led to its destruction.

What would Harry Potter do?

That was her talisman, her guide in moments of doubt and confusion. And the answer, as always, was the same. He would fight on. So would she. Ginny Weasley, the Lady of Hogwarts, would fight on.

A house elf came to her presence.

"The prisoner is awake, Mistress Ginny."

"Thanks, Winky," said Ginny politely and got up. She walked to a mirror and gazed at herself.

"She has changed. The years haven't been kind to her. Her face no longer holds the innocence and softness it once did. It is filled with a toughness that only battle can bring. It holds a hardness I have seen only once before - in Albus Dumbledore."

Harry Potter's raving words fell in her ears, as it always did every time she looked into the mirror. He was so correct. She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again. Her hair was cut to shoulder length and fell freely. If she were true to herself, she looked better like that, without very long hair. But thoughts of beauty and elegance were far from her mind. Nowadays, she took special care in dressing herself only to intimidate her enemies.

So would she do now. She pulled her hair back, making a small bun, but letting strands of dark red fall around her ears. Pulling out her comfortable cardigan, she stripped out of her casual robes. She sighed on seeing the scars that disfigured her body. Not that it mattered, she decided, as none would see it except for her. She wore a pale white robe, that would counter the deep shade of her hair. In her neck was a simple silver chain, with a pendant of a phoenix with wings outstretched.

She picked herself up, her jaws set, and looked at the mirror. Truth be told, she intimidated herself at times. Where was the naïve little girl who hid behind her father to escape the wrath of her mother? Where was the little girl who foolishly trusted dark artifacts? Where was the young girl who fell in love with the noblest man of their times?

War and Voldemort. Ginny knew exactly what had happened to her. She had buried too many family members, too many friends, often alone. She had shed too many tears and had none left. None, except for one raven haired boy, who, despite losing his sanity to betrayal and terror, still managed to confess his love for her.

Ginny walked out of her chambers. She was met with Filius Flitwick on the way.

"Do you think it is wise to have Miss Delacour present when we interrogate the prisoner?" asked Flitwick curiously. He was a wise and experienced man. But he was a Ravenclaw, and the role of an advisor was what he was best suited to, and he knew it well. Therefore, he had little trouble in swallowing any pride that might have protested against the wards of Hogwarts choosing this young witch before him.

"Her account does not tally with what we have assumed of Flint's intentions," said Ginny plainly. "And Madam Pomfrey has failed to find any spells on her, other than the binding and silencing ones. I want to know why Hogwarts allowed Marcus Flint to enter the wards. It is a security breach we need to address, Filius."

"Of course, Ginny." Flitwick walked silently for a few moments. "Neville has sent word. He has established contact with Remus Lupin's werewolf pack, and is trying to convince them to join us."

Ginny nodded.

"He also enquired about your wellbeing."

Ginny tried hard not to sigh in frustration. "His continuous attempts at winning me are beginning to tire me, Filius. We do not have time for such frivolous things."

Filius Flitwick sighed. "It is sad to hear a maiden in the spring of her beauty call love and matters of the heart as frivolous."

"What choice do I have?" Ginny asked sadly. "So much depends on me now."

"Perhaps -"

"No, Filius!" Ginny said forcefully. "I will not hand over Hogwarts to the Monarch!"

Flitwick sighed again. "I understand and appreciate your reasons, indeed I support them. But a time will come, my child, when we are faced with the unpleasant and undeniable reality that we have lost. When Hogwarts finally falls, the question we will face is - how many of its inhabitants' lives may be saved."

"When Hogwarts finally falls, it will be because Ginny Weasley is no longer able to hold its wards," Ginny gritted her teeth in frustration. She opened the door that led to the room in the dungeons where their prisoner was held.

"When I woke up, my first thought was - potions classroom? How fitting," the prisoner said, when his captors entered. "After all -" he froze when he saw the Lady of Hogwarts.

Ginny stared at the Death Eater coldly. She was slightly surprised by the look in his eyes - happiness, desire and affection, but she put it down to a trick to lower her defences. Ginny looked at him coldly. "What are your intentions, Death Eater? Why have you come to Hogwarts?" To her surprise, the man grimaced slightly, as if taken aback by her tone, or words.

"The rumors do not do any justice to reality," Flint whispered. "The Lady of Hogwarts is an avatar of beauty, majesty and power. Perhaps, the purpose of my visit was solely to set my eyes on you."

Ginny's temper flared. "How dare you!" The Death Eater was clearly up to some tricks. She raised her wand. "I will not hesitate in using any means necessary to get answers from you!"

"So, this is what the much acclaimed Order of the Phoenix has fallen to," the Death Eater had the audacity to sound disappointed. "What would Dumbledore say to his successors torturing their prisoners?"

"You have the galls to say that!" Ginny hissed. "How many of my friends and family members have you and that foul beast you call master tortured into a fate much worse than death? Remember Hermione Granger?" She took a deep breath. "No, Marcus Flint. I will not torture you. But I will cast a spell that will prevent you from lying to me." Ginny smiled evilly. "And another spell that will force you to answer any question I ask."

"Why not simply use Veritaserum?" asked Flint.

Ginny's eyes darkened. There was an almost haunted aura to them. "The truth potion is fallible. I do not trust it. Even these spells perhaps can be beaten. But still…" She turned to Flitwick. "Filius, will you cast the spells?"

She walked to the door and led Gabrielle Delacour inside.

"Please, Ginny," Gabrielle pleaded again. "I don't know why but Flint honestly wasn't helping the Monarch. I know what I saw. He avoided Bellatrix Lestrange and -"

"Gabrielle," Ginny said sharply. "We're interrogating a prisoner. You know better than to ramble on during such moments."

"Curtailing free speech as well," Flint muttered. "Not much different from simply casting a silencio like the Monarch does, is it?"

Ginny turned sharply at Flint. She couldn't explain why, but there was something extremely infuriating about the man. Something that made him very amused by her reactions. She took a step closer and sat down on the chair directly facing him. Their bodies were only a few feet apart.

Flint took a deep breath. "So close," he whispered painfully. "Yet, so far." He struggled against his binds, as if trying to reach for the woman before him, but after a few unsuccessful attempts, gave up.

"So, Death Eater, what is your name?" Flitwick posed a test question.

"The Death Eater before you is Marcus Flint," Flint said.

Flitwick nodded. "It's working. That was a truthful response."

Ginny nodded. "How did you manage to bypass the wards of Hogwarts?" She was observing Flint's reactions. There seemed to be no hesitation in his response.

"I faced a barrier - the wards, perhaps - and asked Hogwarts to let me in," he said calmly.

Ginny froze. It couldn't have been that simple. She turned to Flitwick, who seemed equally stunned.

"There's no lie!" Flitwick squeaked.

Ginny took a deep breath. "Why have you come?"

Marcus Flint grinned insolently. "To ensure the safe return of Gabrielle Delacour and to set my eyes on the beauty of Ginevra Weasley."

Ginny raised her hand, ready to slap the insolent man, but froze. There was no deceit in his eyes. He was simply gazing at her - almost hungrily - but not one merely of lust. There was a yearning in his eyes that disturbed Ginny. She lowered her hand slowly.

"Why have you returned Gabrielle Delacour? Why didn't you do what you usually do to your prisoners?"

The man looked at her sadly. "I returned her because she is an innocent child. As for your second question, you know nothing about me, so don't ask such stupid questions."

Ginny was shocked. The prisoner was rebuking her. Not only that, there was something in his voice that actually made her feel thoroughly chastised. She shook herself.

"I'll ask again. What do you want with Hogwarts?" The prisoner's eyes closed. When it opened, Ginny was shocked by the intensity in them. Flint was holding her gaze with such force that Ginny began to feel herself losing within. She shook herself again. "What do you want with Hogwarts?"

"Only one thing," his voice was eerily cold and quiet, and Ginny didn't need any spells to know he was being absolutely truthful, "To secure Hogwarts from its foes."

Ginny turned to Flitwick in disbelief. The old man gazed at her, he himself was disturbed. She slowly stood up. "Do you mean any harm to those in Hogwarts?"

"Not to those who mean me none," said Flint. "Not to the truly innocent, like Gabrielle. Not to you. Never to you."

Ginny was startled by the tenderness with which Flint said 'you' and turned away. She saw Gabrielle smirking at her triumphantly. She stifled her irritation at the girl taking the Death Eater's side. Instantly, she whirled around.

"Are you loyal to the Monarch?"

"No." Flint spat viciously. "I have never been loyal to that bastard. I will see him punished for his crimes, if it's the last thing I do."

Ginny stared at the man's resolve for a long time. She was confused. Marcus Flint was a well known Death Eater. He had fought for Voldemort several times. He had bled. He had killed. But here he was, confessing his hatred for the man. Before she could answer, Flint continued speaking. His anger was stirred up.

"Look, I came to Hogwarts because I can no longer carry on alone," he said. "Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it. Those were the words of Dumbledore that made me decide to come here. Obviously, I was mistaken."

Ginny lowered her gaze, unsure why the man's disappointment seemed to hurt her. "One last question," she said hesitatingly. She turned to Flitwick. "This question is of utmost important." To Flint, she asked, "If you are allowed free and unrestricted movement, will you in any way hurt Hogwarts, the wards, the inhabitants or me?"

Flint looked mildly surprised by the question.

"Ginny, no!" Flitwick protested.

"He's correct, Filius," Ginny averted her gaze to the floor. "Hogwarts is a place of sanctuary where anyone, no matter who they are or what they have done, can come, and if they truly mean no harm and are repentant for any crimes they might have done, they will not be denied." She was whispering by the end. "If we cannot hold on to that, if we cannot provide refuge to those who seek it from the foes of Hogwarts, then we might as well surrender to the Monarch."

For a moment, there was silence. Then Ginny turned to Flint. "So, tell me, Flint, without playing with words or twisting my questions. Give me a reason to untie these binds off you."

Flint remained still for a long time. Just when Ginny was about to give up, Flint spoke, "I solemnly swear on my life and magic to do whatever it takes to secure Hogwarts from Death Eaters and the Monarch." Ginny's eyes widened when a white light glowered around the man she had assumed to be a Death Eater spy. But he wasn't done. "I solemnly swear on my life and magic to do whatever it takes to keep Ginevra Molly Weasley safe from all her foes."

Ginny gasped, and drew away from the man, as yet another magical oath settled in him. She stared at him for several seconds in disbelief and confusion. The intensity of his gaze surprised and intrigued her. But just before she could say anything, another insolent grin broke out on his face.

"I did say the purpose of my visit was to see you, my lady."