a/n: Sorry abou the long wait, but this is the chapter (well, this one and the next one), so I hope you'll all be pleased. Hopefully I made everything sound okay. I haven't actually read the books recently and I think I only read OotP/HBP and DH once each, so you'll have to forgive errors. Anyways, enjoy!
Chapter Two: Find A Way
Ginny banged her head against the desk she was sitting at. It had been over a year now, and she still hadn't found anything. She had already scoured the Hogwarts Restricted Section last year courtesy of a Head Girl badge. It made sense to follow up with Hermione's library, especially as it now contained the Black Family Library via Harry's will.
Ginny still fumed over the fact that Harry hadn't mentioned her in his will. It didn't' make any sense! Sure he left the Weasley family a vault-full of gold, but she, his girlfriend, didn't merit something special? Aside from a few set amounts of money and a box full of stuff to go to Remus, the majority of Harry's money, property, and possessions were split between Ron and Hermione. Ginny received nothing to remember him by!
She calmed herself down, reminding herself for the millionth time that Harry merely didn't' have time to edit his will after their year together. He had become too busy hunting down Voldemort.
She picked the book up off the desk that she was occupying in Hermione's study and exchanged it for the next one that looked promising. She quickly scanned the Table of Contents, and finding nothing moved on to the index. The index mentioned the topic she was researching and referenced a page that held an all-too brief paragraph.
The mysteries of life and death are some of the most ambiguous known to man. It is thought that these obscurities will never be fully explained, but more is being learned every day. It is rumored that within the Department of Mysteries, there is an entire room referred to as the Death Chamber. Within this room, there is supposedly a veil that acts as a passageway between the realm of the dead and our own reality. It has been said that if one is able to activate this veil, they can bring back lost souls.
Ginny stopped reading mid-paragraph, this was it! This was what she had been looking for. She smiled happily at the information revealed in the text. All she needed to do now was find a way to activate the veil and she would be able to bring Harry back! She eagerly turned her attention back to the book in her hands.
It is believed that the Unspeakable who found the veil transcribed a study of the veil and its properties. This account is alleged to have started with a Malfoy and now remain in their family library. Of course, these rumors have never been confirmed.
She groaned at the latest information given to her. She closed the book and rested her head on her crossed arms. She stayed in that position contemplating the probabilities of sneaking in and out of Malfoy Manor undetected. That was when she heard the front door close. Her head shot back up as she realized Hermione must have come back. She quickly magicked the books back to their places, and quickly gathering up all her notes, she banished them to her room at the Burrow.
She normally managed to get out before Hermione got back, but a glance at the clock showed that Hermione had come back early that day. Ginny spun frantically in a circle, trying to figure out how to get out undetected. She could hear Hermione in the kitchen, by the sounds of it, making a pot of tea.
She wouldn't be able to apparate, as the noise would gain attention and Hermione would probably be able to track her. She couldn't floo either, as the fireplace was downstairs.
There was only one thing to do, she realized. She sucked up her courage and put her best face on before stepping out of the study.
Hermione was preparing a cup of tea when she heard an upstairs door creak. Her hand quickly grasped the wooden handle of her wand, currently resting in her back pocket. Ignoring the now whistling kettle, she slid the wand out and began moving towards the staircase.
Looking up from the foot of the stairs, she could see vague shadows that meant that someone was moving around on the landing. They started walking down the stairs, giving away their position with the tell-tale thumping. As the person neared the stairs' corner, Hermione's grip tightened and a stunner situated itself on the tip of her tongue.
Hermione didn't even look at the person's face, but rather, focused on the torso as it came into view. A stunner had the most impact when it hit the chest. The stunner shot out of her wand and her victim only had time to look surprised before crashing to the ground unconscious.
Hermione cautiously walked up to the person, only to gape at the identity.
"Ginny?"
Once Hermione got over her surprise, she woke Ginny back up and proceeded to help her friend to sit at the kitchen table. Hermione retreated back to the stove to bring out the tea. She poured them both a cup and turned to face her unexpected guest.
"Ginny, what are you doing here?" she asked.
Ginny looked up at Hermione with a bashful smile. "I just wanted to visit. If this is a bad time, I can always come back."
"No, its fine. You're always welcome to visit here. I just…" Hermione trailed off uncertainly. "Well, I suppose I'm just a little surprised. I haven't seen you more than twice since the funeral."
Ginny hid her flinch at the words, "I just had some stuff I had to deal with, that's all."
"Of course, I understand completely."
Ginny looked up at Hermione angrily. "Oh, you think so, do you?"
Hermione looked at her younger friend surprised at the angry accusation. "Well, I suppose we all felt a little differently, but-"
"Never mind," Ginny interrupted. "I just still get angry about the situation sometimes. I didn't mean to lash out on you."
Hermione consented to leaving it at that and instead looked down at her teacup, almost hoping that the tealeaves would explain to her what exactly was wrong with Ginny and why she was visiting now, of all times.
"So," Ginny broke the silence. "I hear you're a healer now. I would've thought you'd go into Auror academy, like you guys were thinking about."
Hermione's face turned sour. "I couldn't. Magic just caused too much pain already. This way, I'm reminding myself of the good it can do, so I don't just give up on it entirely."
Ginny gave her a disjointed smile-- half-disgusted, half-amused-- not understanding. "I suppose," she remarked, uncaringly.
Hermione had extensive experience in trying to explain her opinions, but most pure-bloods didn't seem to understand it at all. She had gotten to the point, that she never really explained more than one or two sentences. "So, what are you up to?"
"I'm just enjoying doing nothing right now. I've been thinking of entering into Auror training soon though. I think I could be good at it." After she brought Harry back, they would enter it together and become the most formidable pair of Aurors ever known.
Hermione smiled at Ginny's confidence and refrained from remarking on Ginny's lack of reaction to her earlier stunner.
"Have you heard from Ron recently?" Ginny asked. "He doesn't seem to come home anymore."
"Actually, I just saw him yesterday." Hermione smiled, remembering their visit. "He and Luna will be visiting the Burrow tomorrow. They have an announcement they want to make."
"Are they finally breaking up?" Ginny asked casually.
Hermione looked at her friend, surprised. "What?"
"I always knew that they wouldn't work out, long term. Honestly I'm surprised they lasted as long as they did, they're just too different." Ginny continued.
Hermione shook her head frantically. "No! Of course they aren't. Luna's pregnant."
This time, it was Ginny's turn to be surprised. "Oh."
Hermione calmed herself back down. "Yeah, she's four months along and just starting to show. Ron was so excited he couldn't even sit still to eat. It was almost frightening.
Ginny quickly regained her good humor. "Ron turning down food? Must be an apocalypse."
"Oh, he didn't turn the food down." Hermione laughed. "Just ran around with his plate. It was so funny, watching him fussing over Luna. It was almost as if Molly had possessed him." The two girls laughed together at the picture of Molly in Ron's body.
A little while later, Ginny set down her empty teacup. "I should probably be getting back. Mum'll be worried." She explained, standing up.
"No problem," Hermione swiftly stood opposite her friend. "It was wonderful to see you again. We've all really missed you… We should do this again sometime, Yeah?"
"Yeah," Ginny agreed. "I'll owl you." She promised falsely. After a polite hug, Ginny made her way to the front door, only to be stopped by Hermione.
"You'll have to go out the back, my neighbors are all muggles."
"Oh, right. I'd forgotten about that." Ginny gave a small laugh.
Hermione waved from the back door as Ginny prepared to apparate. As she closed the door, she missed Ginny's expression twisting into a malicious grin.
The next day, Ginny apparated to the Malfoy Estate. Looking in past the gate, she gazed upon the dark, foreboding mansion. She placed the tip of her wand against the Malfoy Crest adorning the gate and spoke clearly, "Ginerva Weasley here to see Draco Malfoy."
She didn't receive a response immediately and so sat down on a boulder to wait. She wouldn't be leaving until she got her information.
More than a half hour later, she heard the sounds of someone coming towards her. Quickly hopping off the boulder, she looked herself over, knowing that you never appear weak or unkempt before a Malfoy. As the man came into view, she stifled a groan at his utterly infuriating smirk.
"Well, well" he greeted. "If it isn't the Weaslette." As he came within a few feet of the gate, it swung open before him. Leaning against it, he spoke, "Something I can do for you?"
"I need your help." She said honestly, having decided that it would be the best way to deal with him.
"What could you possibly need my help for?" he asked wryly.
Ginny took a deep breath. "I need access to the Malfoy Library; specifically books written about the Veil."
Draco looked down at her in shock, but quickly covered it up, "What veil?"
"Don't play stupid, Malfoy. The first person to find the Veil was a Malfoy and he made a written account of his findings. I need to see it," Ginny responded, making sure to remain calm.
Draco quickly scanned his brain for information on the veil, before it hit him. "Ah, I understand."
When he remained infuriatingly silent after that statement, Ginny burst. "What do you understand?"
Draco smirked at the girl. "You want to bring Potty back."
Ginny took a quick step forward, getting directly in his face. "First of all, his name is Harry." She claimed, poking him in the chest. "Second of all, you just revealed that you do know what I'm talking about." Another poke. "Third of all, whether you help me or not, I will bring Harry back. I just assumed you wouldn't want me to mess up and obliterate the world." She stepped back, breathing heavily.
Draco rubbed at his chest unconsciously. "Well, you do make a good point. It'd be just like a Weasley to try necromancy and end up exploding the planet," he sneered. "But, I suppose if I help bring back Potter, I will officially clear my name…. Alright, come in."
Draco grabbed her hand and pulled her through the numerous wards surrounding the Malfoy Estate.
Ginny wrenched her hand out of his. "What the hell was that for?"
Draco rolled his eyes, "I'm sorry, your Weasleyness, I just figured you would prefer not imploding as a result of going through the wards without a Malfoy."
"Oh," Ginny said, figuring that must have been why her hand was tingling.
Draco led the way to the house and into the library. Leaving Ginny at the Library doorway, he went towards a back bookshelf and pulled out the forth book on the bottom row, causing the shelving unit to disappear entirely.
Ginny, who had followed him despite his warnings to stay at the entrance, looked at him curiously.
"Dad had a love fore the classics," he grinned. "Now, don't enter this room; only those with Malfoy blood can. I mean, I don't care or anything, but you'd die instantly and I'd be left with the mess."
Draco entered and started scanning titles in the new room of books. After about five minutes, he let out a loud "Aha!" and made his way back to the entrance.
"Finally," Ginny muttered from her waiting spot. "How long's it take to find a flipping book?"
Draco walked by her without a word, heading towards one of the tables that rested at the front of the library. He made himself comfortable at the head of a table, while Ginny settled herself on his right, reasoning that she'd need to see the book as well. He raised an eyebrow at her seating and she lifted her chin stubbornly, staring back. Before a staring contest broke out, Draco yelled sharply, "Ziggy!"
A fraction of a second later, a houself was kneeling by his side. "What can Ziggy do for Master?" the squeaky voice asked.
"We need parchment and quills," he commanded sharply.
Ziggy snapped and the requested items appeared on the table before them along with ink and extra nubs.
Draco surveyed the items laid out in front of him with a skeptical expression. "Acceptable."
Taking that as a dismissal, Ziggy disappeared.
For her part, Ginny refrained from comment, instead choosing to reach out for the book resting in front of Draco. Before she touched it, his hand snapped down to cover it.
"You will read through this without touching it. You will take notes, but this book will not leave my sight. Is that understood?"
Ginny opened her mouth to protest his terms but thought better of it and reluctantly nodded, "Fine."
"Brilliant," Draco smiled falsely. Carefully opening the cover, he gave Ginny some background. "This is Alexander Malfoy's journal; the original and it has never been copied. He did his research in early 1531, after finding it while studying the ruins in Africa. He described his first encounter with the Veil here," He pushed the book over and the two bent their heads together to read the first entry.
'I could hear voices–whispers, really–coming from beyond it. I circled the stone archway, but there was nothing behind it making the noises, they came from within the stone itself. The only explanation was that it was a passageway. To where, I don't know. Maybe another dimension. Maybe another planet. I endeavor to find out.'
Six hours later, Draco shut the journal. Piles of parchment lay in front of them, notes scribbled in every available spot. The ritual Ginny had found was extremely complicated and involved the blood of a love one, something belonging to the lost soul, along with a complex arithmetic spell. Ginny thanked Merlin that she had taken Arrhythmic in her final year at Hogwarts. The way it would work was that the blood should be smeared onto the item, to attract the soul's attention; blood calls to blood. The item, something that was cherished in life, would provide a link to the world, and to the lost soul's life. Once the soul came into contact with the object, it would bring them over to the other side of the veil; back to life.
Ginny couldn't stop smiling. She knew that this would work – it had to. She needed Harry back, so she would bring him back.
Ginny walked into the Department of Mysteries with a bag swinging heavily at her side. She stepped into the circular room and held the door open for Draco behind her. As the door shut, she marked it with a flaming X, thanking Hermione for teaching the spell to her after the original Department of Mysteries event. As soon as she finished her spell, the doors spun wildly.
Once the room stopped spinning, Draco let out an eloquent "Huh."
Ginny couldn't prevent a smile at his reaction, "Yeah." She stepped forward to try a new door, only to reveal the time room. Sighing disappointedly, she marked and shut the door.
After a few more tries, Ginny opened the door to be greeted with the Death Chamber. Taking a steadying breath, she entered the room. The door swung shut after Draco entered; the loud noise causing them to jump and the dark shadows of the room became that much more daunting.
Ginny sucked up her courage and went to sit cross-legged before the veil. She slowly unpacked her bag, revealing a jar of sand, a silver dagger, along with Harry's Firebolt, temporarily 'liberated' from Ron's house. She carefully set all the items down beside her before looking up at Draco. "You ready?"
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"
"Maybe," Ginny laughed.
Ginny slowly made her way through the ritual; her voice steady as it rang throughout the chamber. She meticulously made every wand gesture and movement exactly as the instructions laid out before her directed. Nearing the end, she picked up her gagger and quickly sliced the blade across her palm, never faltering in her intoning. She wiped her palm across the Firebolt's handle, her blood filling in the indented logo.
As she finished the last words, she tossed the broom behind the veil, watching it disappear. She stood to the side of the stone archway, watching the fluttering of the black cloth.
A minute passed.
And then another.
When his watch reached the five-minute hand, Draco spoke up, "It's over."
Ginny's eyes didn't move from the passageway.
"Ginny. It's been five minutes. The window has closed." He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, startling her gaze away from the veil.
"No," she whispered brokenly. "It's not possible. This was supposed to work!"
She ran up and started pounding her fists on the stone arch. "This had to work! It was supposed to, dammit! Bring him back to me. Bring him back!" She paused as the fluttering cloth started moving jerkily almost as though it was angry.
She watched the twitching cloth, heart in her throat, knowing that she was finally going to get Harry back. Something moved behind the curtains– she could see it!
The curtain spat out the Firebolt. Just the broom.
Ginny collapsed atop it, bile rising in her throat. She vomited, hacking noisily
Behind her, she felt a soft hand rest on her lower back, another one reaching up to pull her hair out of her face, where it was hanging limply.
"I– I don't–"
"Shh," Draco hushed her. "It's alright. It'll be okay."
"N-no," Ginny sobbed. "It wont. Oh, God, it won't."
"Yes it will," Draco said, still using a gentle, reassuring voice. "It will work out, you'll see."
Ginny looked up at him, face red and blotchy from her tears. "Promise?" she asked, sounding like the little girl she tried to leave behind.
"Yeah." Draco smiled at her softly, "I promise."
Elsewhere, a heart started beating, muscles twitched, rotting flesh became healthy and vivid green eyes opened once more.
Reviews please?
