Sudden Realisations

The floor was wet and slimy under Harry's feet and as the trio sprinted through the tunnel an eerie dripping noise polluted the silence.

The three lit wands showed the stretch of path leading ahead. The dark cave walls were moist and jagged and Harry's pace quickened as he thought about the possible things Malfoy has done to Ginny.

Finally they came to the large seal where Harry came across many years before. He said "Open" in parseltongue and the seal unlocked. Harry walked into the chamber before him, with Hermione and Ron following behind.

There was Ginny, her wedding gown sodden and dirty. She looked pale and bloodstained but alive. That was something Harry thought. She was stood still staring straight ahead with a placid look on her face. Her blue eyes were shining brightly. Ron stepped forward.

"Ginny are you alright?" he asked worriedly, Ginny nodded as she remained silent.

Hermione glanced around the room, apparently checking for Voldemort then took no time in running to Ginny and they embraced.

"Oh Ginny, I was so worried," she exclaimed as she stroked her red hair. Ginny smiled weakly.

Harry frowned as he looked about the chamber. It hadn't changed greatly, there were several broken statues lying forgotten on the ground, fallen rocks and broken marble also littered the broken floor but there stood the large statue of Salazar Slitherin himself, who's mouth had opened, allowing the huge snake to slide out of in Harry's second year.

Harry shook himself mentally; this was the second time he had come to save Ginny in this place. He remembered the first time he set eyes on her, and when she awoke and looked at him with beautiful dark eyes. With that thought Harry looked at Ginny, her hair limp and wet, she looked at Harry with sad eyes, no strength or confidence. She needed him and he knew that. Harry swallowed against the lump in his throat and blinked furiously, and then he ran towards Ginny and took her in his arms.

Her small frame shook slightly and she looked up at Harry with her cloudy blue eyes. "He's here Harry," she whispered weakly, she buckled and Harry had to lift her up. She began to cry, "He's here," she repeated as she bowed her head. Harry looked down and noticed Ginny's wand lay on the floor.

Something seemed odd about the situation, the fact that no one had been in their way, no one was present in the chamber, Ginny wasn't bound and she didn't have her wand taken away. There was also something nagging at Harry's mind concerning Ginny, there was something different…he just wished he could figure out what.

"Harry we need to go," Hermione said strictly, she sounded like a teacher scolding a school boy for holding up the class. Harry looked at her and nodded then he took Ginny's legs and scooped her up in his arms. Ron picked up her wand from the floor.

"Let's get out of here, we need to get back to the Burrow," Harry murmured to Ginny who nodded as she wiped her tears. Her cloudy eyes contrasted greatly with her red hair and Harry blinked several times. He couldn't remember Ginny's eyes looking so blue. He brushed away his thoughts and turned around. He would think about it later.

So Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione hurried out of the chamber and made their way to the toilet. Once they reached the tunnel the three stopped and Harry put Ginny down.

"Oh great, what do we do now? We can't get up that tunnel!" Ron said as he poked his head into the entrance and huffed. Hermione smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Honestly Ronald, you never use your head do you?" Hermione sighed as she gave Ron an exasperated look. Ron started, took his head out of the tunnel and gave Hermione an unbelieving look.

"You just called me Ronald!" He exclaimed. Hermione looked a little taken aback.

"Did I?" she asked mildly. Ron nodded viciously.

"You have been talking to my mother for far too long!" He said. Hermione blushed.

Harry watched the two with amusement. He could imagine those two forty years down the line as an old married couple, still arguing about the smallest things. Harry looked at Ginny and gave her a thoughtful look.

"How are we going to get out of here?" he asked mainly to himself. Hermione and Ron stopped arguing and looked at him.

"Simply by the Vola charm," Hermione said. Ron and Harry looked at each other puzzled.

"What are you going to do? Conjure a violin?" Ron asked, Hermione gave him a look and Harry tried to stop himself from smiling.

Hermione looked at Ginny to roll her eyes and make a comment about men, but she noticed that Ginny looked puzzled too.

"Don't tell me you don't know the Vola charm?" she asked, Ginny shook her head. Hermione raised her eyebrows suspiciously for a moment and looked closely at Ginny, and then her eyes drew wide for a second before she looked back at Ron and Harry.

"Vola, is the latin word for "to fly" if we perform the vola charm then we will become weightless, and we will float up the tunnel with no difficulties." Hermione said quickly.

"Okay let's do that then," Ron said as he got out his wand. Hermione held out her arm to him.

"I'll perform the charm," she said quickly, Ron looked insulted.

"Why can't I do it?" he asked, Harry looked at Hermione. She suppressed a smile.

"Because if it's done wrong your testicles will disappear," Ron and Harry looked at each other with horror.

Ron swallowed and nodded. "Okay Hermione," he said in an unnaturally high voice, Harry cleared his throat and stood up straight.

Hermione flicked her wand and promptly said "Vola" Harry immediately felt like his insides were replaced with air. He took hold of Ginny and the two of them floated to the tunnel and went inside. Ron and Hermione followed.

It was a weird yet wonderful sensation for Harry as he and Ginny floated up the sticky tunnel which climbed dramatically upwards.

Ron was shuffling below Harry and then gave a sigh of relief.

"Still there, phew, I am so glad you got it right Hermione," his voice echoed, Hermione's laughter followed.

Finally Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione piled out of the hole where the sink was. Hermione flicked her wand again and they stayed on the ground. Harry looked around in shock; the whole bathroom had been destroyed. The sinks were blown to pieces and the floor tiles had been ripped off the ground, even the toilet cubicles had somehow been broken in the blast.

Ron gaped at Hermione who shrugged "I was in a bit of a mood," she said mildly as she flicked her wand restoring the bathroom to its former glory.

Ron slowly turned, in shock to Harry and Ginny and gave a look as if to say "Help. Me." Harry smiled and gave Ron the thumbs up.

"Right, back to the Burrow," Hermione said. Ron nodded and apparated.

Hermione looked worriedly at Ginny, "Will you be alright apparating by yourself?" she asked kindly, Ginny nodded and apparated. Harry made to follow when Hermione ran to him.

"Harry, you have to know," she said quickly. Harry started; she looked both scared and annoyed.

"What is it?" Harry asked feeling unnerved.

Hermione looked at Harry seriously, "Ginny's under the imperius curse." She said. Harry blinked.

"What?" he asked.

"Didn't you see her eyes, they're clouded blue! Remember professor Moody taught us that the only way we can tell that someone is under the imperius curse is by looking at their eyes!"

Harry blinked. Hermione was right.

"How long do you think it's been going on?" Harry asked, it could have been since Voldemort returned or- Harry gulped as he remembered the colour of Ginny's eyes for the past four years- much longer.

Hermione shook her head. "I think she's been under the spell for longer than we think," she said. Harry nodded slowly.

"What do we do?" he asked her desperately, everything suddenly seemed fake. Did she really love him? Had she always been under someone else's control? Has she been telling Voldemort secret information? Who has her under the imperius curse? And where has she just apparated to?

To be continued….

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