Chapter 4 – Tricks and Truth

"You must leave now."

The voice, I could almost feel it. Who was it?

"Harry. Look for a way out. I can't help you. You don't have much time"

Why was I here? I can't remember. A way out, I remember there was supposed to be a path? I looked everywhere and saw a line of stars overhead. That must be the path. To what? The stars were dim. Several paths were all leading to the same place. They looked like spokes in a wheel.

"Hurry Harry."

A different voice. Who? There was a circle of light up there. I followed the path made by the stars. The stars were still pointing to a point in the sky. They lead to a circle of light in the sky.

"Follow the snitch Harry. Catch the snitch. It's the key."

Another voice, who?

"There is no time. Follow the snitch. Catch it. Get off the ground. Follow the snitch."

My broom, where is my broom? I started looking around. Where is it? Here, the broom was right here. I shot off for the snitch. It was moving, dodging. Every time I reached for it I missed. The light was fading fast. I saw the snitch again and flashed forward. As I reached for it, it dodged again. I was ready for it and caught it. It exploded in my hand and it was dark. I flew around in the darkness then nothing. As the darkness came over me I cried. I had failed. Ginny was alone. I had failed her. She was going to be lost forever, alone.

"Harry, wake up Harry."

Who?

"Hay mate, open your eyes."

Who?

My lips, someone was kissing me.

Who?

Without looking I rolled away.

"I failed. She's alone. She's gone."

"The report of my demise is greatly exaggerated. I was never in danger Harry. It was a trap for you."

"What?"

I opened my eyes and reached for my glasses.

"Your glasses are gone Harry. Someone put part of a trap spell on them, tried to get you and Ginny."

"Mom was furious when she found out mate. I hope the Aurors catch whoever it was before she does."

The voices sound different.

"Ginny, are you ok?"

"I was and am fine. When the spell went off I was blown out of the way."

"We thought you were dead but Ginny said she knew you were alive."

Is that Hermione? She sounds different.

"You have been out of it for four days."

Is that Ron?

"Can you tell us what was going on?"

Ginny? The voice was not right.

"It took Hermione and Ron two days to set up the spell for your recovery."

"Mom tried to keep Ginny out of it but Ron and I sided with Ginny."

"It was our only choice mate."

"Where is Ginny?"

"I am here."

She lifted my hand. I held on, tried to hug her.

"I thought I lost you."

"Stop that and no snoggin."

"Ron!"

"Oh alright but she's still too young."

Someone moved over to where Ron was and I think was practicing mouth to mouth resuscitation as the next sentence got muffled.

"Where am I?"

"Your home mate, mom refused to let anybody take you away."

"You should have seen Mrs. Weasley when the Aurors showed up. She invoked some house spell and stopped them from getting in. She said they had already failed once and they weren't getting a second chance."

Ginny giggled. "They tried to intimidate mom and failed so badly that they were embarrassed. She did finally let them guard the grounds."

In breezed Mrs. Weasley. "Ok, everybody out, let Harry rest."

"I need my glasses. I can't see without them."

"We are working on getting you a new pair. Your originals meet with and unfortunate accident. Arthur..."

"Uh… What kind of accident?"

"I am not sure what happened. When Arthur took them for examination at the ministry they vanished. They literally disappeared right in front of his eyes. They are tracking down what happen. Arthur assures me that all procedures were followed and they shouldn't have been able to vanish."

"How long before I have a new pair?"

"As soon as you regain your strength we will take you down to get a new set made. Rest now and we will talk again."

I fell asleep. When I woke up someone was holding my hand.

"Mom, Harry's awake."

"How long have I been asleep Ginny?"

"Half the day."

"Does Ron know about last week?"

"Yes. He said it was fine with him."

Her answer was wrong somehow. I let my magic loose to see what I could feel. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were the only others in the burrow. How was I able to do this? I couldn't extend my magic outside. Feel the burrow. I felt the tension rise in the burrow. Everything felt wrong.

Mrs. Weasley ran up the stairs. "Someone has penetrated the threshold spell. I felt them."

"Mrs. Weasley, it was me. I felt the need to know who was here."

"How did you do that?"

"I learned it while I was saving Ginny."

"Harry. You were the one Ginny saved. She was never touched by the spell."

I was trying to make sense of what she said. Something sounded wrong. I know I was saving Ginny from a shadow spell.

"Harry. Do it again so I can tell you from others."

"I don't know how I did it. I will try."

Nothing happened. "I can't seem to do it again."

"Ok. I will wait till later and we can try again."

Mrs. Weasley sounded disappointed. Her voice was missing something. I looked around but everything was fuzzy. Dam – no glasses. I sat and listened. Voices, I was hearing voices. Who? Time, how much time? Hermione and Ron said they did not know how long they could last. I saw a tendril of light on the floor. It's a trap, a dream to catch me. That was why everything felt wrong. The dark is trying to stop me with a dream. As soon as I figured it out, the room dissolved and I found myself looking around in the dark. Where is Ginny? I let myself feel for her. I am going to have to be more careful. The dark spell must be using some portion of Ginny's memory to generate traps.

What is fighting so hard? Where is it? Follow your instincts. I drifted for a moment then went directly against the pressure. There, there she is. She is using a ritual to guard herself. I see shapes advance toward her. As I get closer I see them touch her circle and vanish. She flinches as they vanish. I am finally close enough. Her eyes look haunted. No, something is wrong. She doesn't seem like she's alive. It's another trap. It's not her. I let the pressure push me away. I think I have figured out what is happening. The darkness gets stronger as you use more light magic. Shadows, it has to be shadows.

There – her eyes. She is looking for something.

"Look at me. Listen to me. Hear me."

Her eyes looked in my direction.

"Use shadows, don't use light. It makes the shadow stronger. Move to the shadows."

"Who are you?"

"It's Harry – move to the shadows."

"How do I know it's you?"

"Ron is going to kill me if he catches us. He refuses to look at you as a grown woman. He still sees only his little sister."

"Why will he want to kill his best friend?"

"Our snogging got carried away last week. I found my hands under your blouse. If he finds out he is going to throw me out the window. Quickly, move to the shadows. The spell is powered by absorbing light. Go dark – starve it."

"Harry, you have to go before I go dark. Go back."

"I can't. I've lost the path."

"If I go dark, you will be lost."

"I would trade all of my tomorrows for you to live."

"Come to me Harry. Come through my mind to my soul. Come to my eyes."

I could drown in those eyes and die happy.

"Hurry Harry. It's coming back and it's stronger"

"I am moving as fast as I can."

"Hurry!"

"Cast your shadow."

"Harry!"

"Now!"

A feeling enfolded me, joined with me as the darkness advanced to where I was. I could see nothing but her eyes. As she closed her eyes I could still feel Ginny hug me to herself.

"It's dark Ginny."

"I have you Harry. You're safe for now."

"How did you cast a shadow to hide in?"

"I didn't cast anything."

"What?"

"You can't cast a shadow. The only way to go dark is to not cast at all. You have to withdraw into your soul and not cast at all. You have to believe that you will out last the shadow."

"Where are we?"

"Together."

"Where?"

"Two souls joined as one, Harry."

I don't know how long we were together. It felt right, warm and wonderful.

"The shadow is gone. You need to go back now."

"I am tired."

"You have to go back now Harry. You saved me and now you have to go back."

I looked down and there is a faint tendril of light. It's almost gone. Ron and Hermione must be fading. I start following the tendril of light. I am very tired. It seems like days before I step into a dim circle of light. I have to climb a ladder to get out. I must have fallen when I entered. I can't see the top of the ladder. I start to climb and see Hermione coming down.

"No, go back up. Don't come down."

She looks down and frowns. "Harry, you have to hurry. Don't pause, don't stop. Keep going. Come on, Ginny is waiting. Climb Harry, climb faster."

As I topped the ladder I step onto a platform. Now where? The platform is dissolving. It's a race and I'm tired.

"Don't stop Harry."

"Come back mate, hurry"

"I am coming. Help pull me out."

I felt something grab me and tug.

Author note:

To Stephanie O for pointing out the confusion in the chapter, thank you. Part of the confusion is Harry's confusion of what is happening. I hope the changes will make it easier to follow and understand.