DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING EXCEPT THE SONG THAT THE HOODED FIGURE SINGS…
Chapter 4Draco Malfoy fell into a bush clutching his injured arm. He meant to have apprated just outside Malfoy Manor but somehow the wards had been tampered with and he couldn't get within ten miles of his home. It was almost impossible for a non- Malfoy to tamper with the wards put on the Manor. It was because you needed either blood or hair given with the consent of a Malfoy to alter the wards. Draco groaned out aloud, he had given his consent to the deatheaters. Back in the Potters' backyard he had held out his arm willingly for Macnair to take his blood. He didn't know what to do now. He needed some ingredients to alter the wards again and for that he had to go into Diagon Alley. But surely the deatheaters and newly risen dark lord would place spies there. Firstly he needed to take care of his arm.
The increasing loss of blood was making him light headed and he couldn't concentrate. He tried a healing spell he knew but it didn't work. For the life of him he just couldn't remember any healing spells. He decided that it would be best if he went into a muggle town. He wrinkled his nose subconsciously at the thought of having to spend time with muggles. He couldn't go into Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade because people would recognize him and there would be spies. He resigned to his decision and then transfigured his robes and cloak into muggle attire. Still clutching his arm he apprated just outside the nearest muggle town.
He walked into the nearest doctor's clinic and wrinkled his nose yet again. This place smelled like St. Mungos. He saw an old lady sitting in the corner dozing off. There was some muggle contraption on the wall. If Draco remembered correctly from the four years of compulsory muggle studies that he had to take at Hogwarts, it was a Tee-Vee? Yes that would seem right, it was showing some sort of picture of a short man holding a ring talking to what looked like a poor imitation of an elf? Draco couldn't decide if the elf was a woman or a man. It had long straight blonde hair and it sounded like a woman. The small man kept referring to the elf as Legolas. Draco snorted inaudibly, what kind of name was Legolas? Draco looked up when he heard a voice calling him.
"Sir can I help you?" a kindly looking woman was asking from the front desk. Draco walked up to her.
"Err…Yes you can I need to see the doctor about this gash in my arm" he showed her the gash in his arm that he had wrapped a piece of cloth around to try and stop the bleeding.
She gasped and sprinted into the doctor's examining room. The doctor burst out a while later and ushered Draco into the examining room. After giving Draco some painkillers and an anesthetic, the doctor stitched Draco up. It was done with a special kind of thread, which would fade in a few weeks. When Draco was asked to pay, he realized with a shock that he didn't have any muggle money on him and so he transfigured some of the galleons that Annette had given him into muggle money. Too bad they would change back into galleons when Draco left the clinic. It was against the law to transfigure wizarding money into muggle money. It had to be exchanged properly at gringotts. He made a mental note to send the muggle doctor proper muggle money when he got the chance. Draco then spent a couple of days in a muggle inn after changing some money at a small unnoticeable gringotts branch. He needed to rest and energize.
After checking out of his temporary accommodation, Draco decided that he needed to go to Diagon Alley and so he transfigured his muggle clothes back into robes. He pulled his hood above his head and apprated into Diagon Alley. He made his way cautiously into Diagon Alley. He walked down to Florean Fortescue's ice-cream parlor and was about to go in when he saw someone who looked familiar sitting at the back of the parlor. He was sipping a coffee and surveying the crowd that walked past. Draco couldn't remember where he had seen that man. Although he was quite sure that he had met him before at one of the deatheater parties that his father had thrown back when he was alive. Draco didn't want to take the risk so he turned around and walked to Scales 'N' Things apothecary. He needed to get a pound of Dragon's blood and a phoenix feather to alter the wards to get into the manor. "How much for the dragon's blood and the feather?" Draco asked a seedy looking man who sat behind the counter.
"That would be 58 galleons, it's thirty eight for the phoenix feather and twenty galleons for the dragon's blood" he said baring yellow and rotting teeth.
Draco made a face and was about to say that there was no way in hell he was going to pay that much money for two things but he didn't want to draw any attention to himself so he paid the slime ball the amount he wanted. He walked out of Diagon Alley clutching the brown bag, which contained the feather and the blood. Walking past Madam Malkins robes for all occasions, Draco caught a flash of red. He stopped outside the shop and peered through the glass windows inside the shop were two Weasleys and the mudblood Granger. Draco knew Ron Weasley, he smirked upon remembering the hard time he gave Ron at school and he knew the girl Weasley. Geneva? Ginvera? Ginevra? Yes that was her name, Ginevra. She was the one who had healed him when he came in left for dead. He hoped she had gotten the cloak he sent her. He wanted to talk to her but upon seeing her brother and the mudblood there, he thought better of it.
He immediately apprated a distance away from Malfoy Manor and stood before the invisible force field that had been set up around the Manor. He took the phoenix feather and dipped it into the liquid Dragon's blood and wrote the spell to disable the wards.
I am Draco Malfoy the last know heir, I hear by remove the wards and leave the manor bare. I want to get in to the place I call home, where I now live on my own. So leave me in peace and let me be, and let Malfoy manor be free.
Trying to see if his spell would work, he took a few steps forward bracing himself for the worst to happen, but nothing came. He smirked and apprated into the Manor. The place was just as he had left it. The last time he was here, he had foolishly disabled the wards and he had been caught and so now to rectify his mistake he immediately put up new wards around the manor that would be almost impossible to penetrate.
He walked around the house coughing and sneezing at the amount of dust that had collected in the place. He wondered what had happened to the house elves that were meant to be serving him. He wondered if they had been killed that night when the deatheaters had stormed into the manor to take Draco with them.
After a while he went to the room where the house elves were supposed to be staying. To his immense surprise he found the house elves sitting on the floor looking around fearfully. "Pinky? Doner?" he called out. They looked up at him at smiled, getting up and running to him only to hug him around his waist.
"Master is back," Pinky said happily.
"Pinky and Doner thought master was never going to come back," Doner said as tears filled his saucer like brown eyes.
"Well I'm back so there's no need for all this" Draco said coolly and slowly brushing the elves off. "Why is the place so dusty aren't you supposed to be cleaning it and keeping it spotless?"
"But master, the bad man in black said he would kill Doner and Pinky if we even think about touching anything in this place" Pinky said and shuddered.
"Ok now that I am back, holiday's over, I want this place looking spotless, you will start immediately," Draco ordered them. The two house elves got to work immediately and began their work. Draco stalked out of the room, his black robes billowing behind him.
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGH
(A/N: Song playing now is closing time by Semisonic)
Ginny Weasley was standing in the dressing room of Madam Malkins' robes for all occasions. There was a mirror in front of her and she was trying on her maid of honor dress for Hermione and Ron's wedding. Ginny pulled back the curtain of the dressing room and went out to show her brother and future sister-in-law how the dress looked on her. Her brother who had been yawning and complaining to Hermione before suddenly stood up straight when Ginny came out, his jaw hung open. Hermione merely beamed delightedly.
"What?" Ginny asked them "Does it look bad?" She tugged on the dress self-consciously.
"No, no" Hermione assured her. "It looks fantastic, you look so beautiful Gin," she said eyeing Ginny up and down. She then clapped her hands together and told Madam Malkin with delight "I think we'll take these".
"No! You will not take them" came a voice from behind Hermione. It was Ron. He had finally pulled himself together to protest Hermione getting those robes for Ginny.
"What?" Hermione exclaimed "Why on earth not?" She demanded looking at Ron with her hands on her hips.
Ron turned red and stumbled over his words "Well because in that dress Gin will attract a lot of attention and well…" he broke off unsure of what to say next.
Hermione stood glaring at her fiancée, her eyes flashing. "Well what?" she asked Ron who gulped uneasily.
"Well because Hermione dearest, in that dress a lot of boys will be looking at her and the only boy who should be looking at her is Harry, and he would like her even if she was ugly. We can't encourage her and make Harry's life harder. At least if she wore a uglier dress, only Harry would look at her."
Hermione looked positively livid. "I don't care," she told him "It's my wedding and I'm having that dress for the maid of honor, and Ginny's my maid of honor".
"But Hermione"-
"Don't you but Hermione me" She warned "one more word out of you and you're sleeping on the couch when we're married".
That shut Ron up. He didn't so much as let out a squeak after Hermione told him that. Ron looked resigned and Hermione winked at Ginny. Ginny was excited; it was probably the nicest dress that Ginny had ever worn in her life and probably the most expensive too. It was a simple boob tube dress, which was a deep emerald green and it was figure hugging all the way to her hips and then flared out. The best part of the dress was that it was embroidered with gold thread and it contrasted well with her ruby hair.
Although she couldn't help but ask herself, would Harry like the dress? Would he want to ravish her if he saw her in the dress? She couldn't figure it out. She couldn't figure him out. She knew she still loved him but really after all these years of waiting, she should move on. But she knew she couldn't do it. She loved him too much. She just hoped that if he never came for her, she would have enough love left over to give to someone else.
Ginny, Ron and Hermione trooped over to Harry's office and went upstairs to meet him. Harry's secretary, who was wearing robes of pink, was putting on make up and reading witch weekly. Upon seeing them she went into Harry's office to inform him of their arrival.
Ginny looked around at Harry's office, it was slightly messy but it looked cozy. There were pictures of his parents and many of his friends and the Weasleys. He smiled at them and Ron and him got into a conversation about quidditch and placed bets on which team would win. Harry also updated Ron on what was happening at work since Ron had taken leave till after his wedding.
"So there really is going to be a new guy coming to work?" Ron asked Harry with interest.
"Yeah" Harry replied "And he's going to look into healing investigations, so he's working with us and as well as St. Mungos. He got double qualifications in both healing and he's done his auror training as well".
"Wow" Ron remarked. "This guy must really be good then huh?"
Harry nodded "Yeah he's coming in a couple of hours so how bout we all go to the café across the road and get something to eat then I can be back in time to receive him?"
"Sounds like a good idea Harry" Hermione said smiling.
"Yeah mate" Ron remarked "besides I'm starving".
Ginny saw Hermione roll her eyes and giggled. Ron was always hungry and he always wanted something to eat. He was just lucky that he was born with such a high metabolic rate.
Ron and Hermione walked ahead, bickering about something or other while Harry and Ginny lagged behind.
"A penny for your thoughts?" Harry asked gently grinning at her.
"I'm just thinking about how different life will be when they get married," Ginny answered gesturing at the bickering pair.
Harry smiled knowingly at her "I know what you mean, very soon it'll just be me and you".
"Hmmm" Ginny mused and walked on. Would it really be just her and Harry? How long was she supposed to wait for Harry? She had waited for him for years.
Hermione and Ron left after having a bite to eat and left Ginny and Harry alone together. Ginny having nothing else to do, decided to follow Harry back to his office. She sat inside his office for a while, waiting for the new guy to show up. After about half an hour of talking to Harry while waiting, there was a knock on the door. Harry leaped up to open the door and Ginny found herself staring at an incredibly handsome black haired blue-eyed man. He looked oddly familiar but somehow Ginny couldn't remember where she had seen him before.
"Rod Demlit" the man introduced himself while holding out his hand to shake Harry's.
"Harry Potter" Harry replied back shaking Demlit's hand.
"Of course, of course" Demlit said knowledgeably. Then upon noticing Ginny he smiled at her and pushed past Harry to introduce himself to her.
"Ginny Weasley" she said and she too shook hands with him.
After a couple of minutes Ginny said she had to leave so she bid goodbye to the two men. "Bye" she called out to Rod (as he had insisted her call him that) and Harry.
The two men responded simultaneously with "byes" and Rod added, "it was great to meet you".
Back at her apartment, Ginny sat down with a mug of hot chocolate and the book she was reading. She didn't know why but she kept thinking about the new guy at Harry's office, Rod Demlit. She couldn't remember where she had seen him but she knew she had seen him before. There was something about Rod that intrigued her; he sort of had a mysterious element about him.
A short while later a head appeared in her fireplace, it was Harry. "Hey Gin, he greeted and from behind him came a loud bark. "Snuffles says Hi too," he said grinning.
"What's up Harry?" she asked sitting up straight and leaning towards the fire.
"Oh nothing" he answered absent-mindedly. "Just wanted to know if you wanted to come with me, was going to take Snuffles for a walk". Snuffles responded to this with a series of high-pitched barks.
Ginny laughed and nodded "Let me just get my cloak on and I'll come and join you". Harry nodded.
"We'll meet you at your flat" he said and his head disappeared from the flames. Ginny had disappeared into her room for a couple of minutes only to grab the cloak that Draco had given her. The tank top and track pants that she had been wearing weren't enough to keep her warm in the cool night air. The doorbell rang and she rushed to open it. Harry stood at the door in a simple t-shirt and jeans. Snuffles jumped on her and started licking her face. She nuzzled her face in the golden brown fur and laughed. "Shall we?" Harry asked. She nodded and then they went down together.
(A/N: Song playing is you by Switchfoot)
"So why did you decide to go for a walk at this time?" she asked Harry a while later when they were walking around the park near her flat.
"Seemed like a nice night besides it's only eight thirty" he said gently. "Just thought of asking you thought you might want to come. She wrapped her cloak around her tighter as a gust of wind pierced her face. Harry didn't so much as shiver. Then again he'd always been tougher than her, or anyone else for that matter. They walked in that comfortable silence that they so often shared. Both caught up in their own thoughts.
Ginny was supposed to wake up early the next morning because she had work and there was a major staff meeting on, but she didn't care. Nothing mattered to her, other than being in this very moment walking quietly with Harry. Also seeing Snuffles' little form bounding along sniffing everything in sight and occasionally lifting his hind leg up to shower an unsuspecting flower, was quite entertaining.
"What are you thinking about?" Harry probed gently, tearing her away from her thoughts.
"Nothing much" she responded staring at Snuffles who was now trying to chase an insect that was fluttering just above his head.
Harry let out a short laugh "I know that face of yours too well Ginny, there is something bothering you".
"I'm not worried at all Harry, I'm just thinking about us," she said a little woefully. Harry looked up at her sharply, his lengthening hair falling into his eyes.
"What about us?" he asked.
"Well we say that we're just friends and I thought we established that a long time ago and then all of a sudden, we spend every free moment together. Where are we going Harry?" she looked up, her chocolate brown eyes questioning.
"We're going to the park," he answered a little bluntly.
"That's not what I meant," she said
"Look" he began tiredly pushing his glasses higher up the bridge of his nose "I don't know what's happening between us, I just need more time that's all".
"You're always saying that, when will you have had enough time?" she bit out.
"I don't know ok? I really don't know!"
"You can never give me a definite answer Harry. I'm just so tired of waiting for you". There was a sort of heaviness and sorrow in her voice and Harry felt his heart contract.
"Look Gin, I don't know when I'll be ready, or if I will ever be ready but I don't want you to put your life on hold for me. Just because my life is the way it is, doesn't mean yours has to be as well. So go out and date other people and just forget the idea of us".
"We can at least be friends, can't we Harry?" she asked, her voice small. They had stopped walking and were now looking directly looking into each other's eyes. She reached out her hands and brushed aside the locks of dark hair that had fallen into his eyes. She gasped when she gazed into his eyes. They were cold and empty and filled with so much misery, she had never noticed this before and she found herself wondering if she had noticed it but refused to believe what she saw. Harry turned away from her.
"Yeah of course we can Gin, you know I'll always be there for you".
She smiled sadly and sat on a bench. Her gaze dropped to the cloak that Malfoy had given her. The dragon was sleeping peacefully, that was all it seemed to be doing. Stupid Dragon, she mused glaring at it. After a few minutes she got up and walked ahead, Harry was still lagging behind, kicking pebbles moodily. She looked around for Snuffles and found that he had stopped moving about and his ears had pricked up and he was sniffing the air suspiciously. Harry had caught up to Ginny and was looking at Snuffles in alarm.
The puppy crouched forward and let out a low growl. "What is it boy?" Harry asked urgently. Ginny looked a little nervous. Snuffles didn't do anything but he kept growling. They heard a cry from a little distance and feet were shuffling closer towards them. Harry and Ginny had their wands drawn and prepared themselves for an attack.
Slowly a couple of hooded figures came into view and Ginny gasped in surprise. Harry's eyes were narrowed and he braced himself. "Ginny, get back" he ordered her.
She looked at him in disbelief "no way Harry, I can fight too, you've seen me fight during the war".
The deatheaters slowly came into view dragging a dark woman with them. Her long black hair hung limp around her face. From the look in her eyes, it was clear to Harry and Ginny that she had been tortured. She made a noise that was muffled by the cloth gagging her.
Catching sight of the two people before them, two of the deatheaters sent curses flying at them. Harry deflected them effortlessly and Ginny shot back a hex that just missed one of the deatheaters. Realizing that they had two skilled fighters in front of them, one of the deatheaters said something inaudible to the others and one of the deatheaters apprated with the woman. There were still about four deatheaters left and they immediately began firing hexes and curses at the pair before them. However, Harry and Ginny were used to this sort of thing and Harry didn't even break a sweat while deflecting the curses. He even managed a well-aimed curse at one of the deatheaters and they fell stupefied.
Ginny was so busy firing curses that she didn't notice a jinx come at her and it hit her cloak. But just as it hit her cloak it repelled and flew back at her attackers. She was so surprised that she didn't see other jinxes coming at her but her cloak repelled them all the same. Harry seemed to have noticed this too because he said
"Wow that's some cloak Malfoy gave you" he paused long enough to say and then resumed fighting. When the deatheaters realized that the battle couldn't be won, they disappeared save for one who lay on the floor with a mad bat flapping on his face. Harry laughed when he got closer "Ginny your bat bogey hex is incredible".
"Thanks, it's always the same bat who comes, so I've named him Bernie" she replied and stalked towards her victim. Harry looked at her incredulously. "Who are you and why are you here" she asked but got no reply because the mad bat was still stuck to the deatheater's face. She waved her wand and Bernie the bat disappeared from sight. The deatheater was now bound thanks to Harry and lay motionless on the floor. Ginny pulled back the hood and was shocked to find Vincent Crabbe underneath. He looked totally flustered and absolutely furious.
"I'm not saying anything to you" he spat.
"Yeah we know" Harry replied and promptly silenced him with his wand. "Ok Gin, I have to ask you a favor, I need to take this felon to the Ministry so could you keep Snuffles with you for the night?"
"Sure Harry" she replied and laughed as Snuffled strode over to Crabbe, lifted up his hind leg and promptly peed on him.
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
Harry made sure that Ginny and Snuffles had safely apprated back home, then he took out a portable portkey from his pocket, grabbed Crabbe and it wasn't long before he felt the familiar tug behind his navel.
When he got to his office, he found Rod Demilt seated at his desk looking over some files.
"Rod?" Harry asked in disbelief "what are you doing here, isn't it your first day at work?"
"Yeah" Rod answered "but I wanted to get a head start before everything comes piling on". His eyes swept over Harry and then they widened when he spotted Crabbe. "Isn't he a deatheater?" Rod asked. Harry nodded as Rod got up to follow Harry into the interrogation room. Rod stood in the corner of the room while Harry interrogated Crabbe.
Crabbe seemed determined not to say anything, his beady eyes shifting from Harry to Rod. Rod's blue eyes remained cold and empty. Harry sighed and raked his hands through his already disheveled black hair. It was going to be a long night.
"Watch him," he said to Rod "I need to send off an owl". He left the room and went to his office and quickly scribbled down a letter and sent it off. He went back into the interrogation room and saw Rod in the same place as he was when Harry left and Crabbe was still in his chair but he seemed to be trembling. Out of what Harry didn't know, could it be fear? Nah it couldn't be.
Harry motioned for Rod to come out with him and they left Crabbe inside the room. Rod had in his hands Crabbe's wand and was twirling it with his fingers. Harry felt like he'd watched Rod do that before but that was silly, he'd only met Rod today. Rod and Harry sat down opposite the room at a desk and wiled away the time, chatting about things.
"So what's happening with the Ministry Ball next week?" Rod asked Harry. "What's that all about?"
"It's mainly for the aurors and their families and it's usually quite a big affair. It's meant to be a formal thing with formal attire and things like that" Harry replied.
"I see, so can we bring dates?"
"Yeah we can actually and we can bring our families too".
"So who are you bringing Harry? Not that pretty red head that was in your office today?"
Harry chuckled "Nah. Ginny and I are purely friends but she'll be coming anyway because 3 of her brother work for our department. Ron works with us, you'll meet him soon he's on leave at the moment. Bill is a curse breaker at Gringotts but helps us out once in a while and Charlie works with dragons in Romania but he helps out with our relations between the Romanian aurors and us because he can speak the language. Her other brothers are not so keen on auror business".
Rod looked quite taken aback "you mean she has more than three brothers?"
"Oh yeah" Harry said, "She's got three more brothers. So in total she's got six brothers, but boy she can sure give them a run for her money".
"I see, so you harbor anything for this Ginny then?" Rod asked looking mildly interested. For some reason Harry's mind strongly advised him not to give too much personal information away and he listened.
"Gin and I are friends, we get along fabulously and we're very close, what about you? Do you have anyone special?" Harry asked trying to change the subject.
Rod laughed, he had apparently cottoned on to what Harry was trying to do. "Well that's one way to change a subject but no I don't have someone who I was attached to at one time, it turned out she loved someone else".
Harry merely nodded; he was about to say something more when the elevator door opened and Seamus Finnegan walked towards them with a few other aurors. Harry stood up and welcomed Seamus with a manly hug and then introduced Rod to Seamus. Seamus shook his hand and then motioned to talk to Harry privately.
"So what's this about the Crabbe bloke?" Seamus asked in his soft Irish accent.
"Well I was out walking my dog when we happened to come across a group of deatheaters". Seamus nodded his head thoughtfully. "They also had a prisoner with them, she had dark skin and bright blue eyes" Harry added.
Seamus looked up sharply at Harry "are you sure she had dark skin and blue eyes?"
"Err…yes I've very sure Seamus, why?"
Seamus looked quite troubled and he began to pace up and down "well then I think our department is in trouble "I don't know if you know the Zabini family but Blaise Zabini was killed a while ago by the deatheaters for not doing their bidding and their mother, Tyra Zabini was tortured till she became terminally ill and now she's a comatose. The captive that the deatheaters were guarding is Annette Zabini Blaise's sister".
"But Seamus, what does she have to do with anything?" Harry questioned
"Annette Zabini, like her brother refused to have anything to do with Voldermort and his supporters and after her brother was killed and mother was terminally ill, the deatheaters threatened to turn off her mother's life support and kill her if Annette didn't cooperate with them".
"What's so special about her?"
"Annette was one of the smartest witches at Drumstrang where she graduated from and she is known to have an incredible amount of magical talent and would be a valuable asset to the dark side. Fortunately for us she was quite rebellious and she helped us spy on the deatheaters. We were in touch with her and we found out that Draco Malfoy was taken captive by the deatheaters and she helped to free him and we lost contact with her for a few days now and we don't know what happened to her, but if you are correct, then she must have been found out by the deaetheaters and they have her captive".
"But why not just kill her and be done with it?"
"Because Harry, She's incredibly smart and they know when they have a valuable asset on their hands and they're not going to let her go".
Harry nodded thoughtfully and then led Seamus into the room where they kept Crabbe and Seamus and the aurors led him away. As Crabbe was being led out though the whole time he kept glancing at Rod and then Harry in a petrified manner. Harry thought this as incredibly strange but he didn't voice his opinion.
After a while, Harry felt incredibly exhausted and he decided that he wanted to go to Ginny's to see how she was doing and then he'd take Snuffles home.
"Hey Rod I'm going to turn in" he said as he reached Rod's desk.
"Alright then Harry goodnight and see you tomorrow morning"
Harry apprated to just outside Ginny's apartment and he was about to ring the doorbell when Ginny opened the door for him. She smiled tiredly as she saw him "I put a sensory charm on the door so that I'd hear if you came in, I forgot to tell you that I've modified my wards in my house so anyone who is family can apprated in and out without getting splinched. So that includes you, my family and anyone married into my family, Neville and Luna". Harry smiled at her even though she looked utterly exhausted she still managed to look beautiful.
"Where's Snuffles?" he asked a little louder than he'd intended. "Shhh" she shushed and pointed to a rug by the fire where a little golden brown ball of fluff was curled up fast asleep. It looked like the little guy had had a long day.
"Why don't you leave him here, that way he won't be disturbed and you can take him back in the morning".
"Yeah that sounds good, but if you don't mind Ginny could I stay for a while? I'm not that willing to go back just yet".
"Sure" She replied and made them both cups of tea.
Harry felt himself walking through a place he didn't know. There was a lot of undergrowth and it was eerie. His feet seemed to be leading him through an underground tunnel of some sort. The tunnel came to an opening and he found himself in climbing up a ladder and he emerged through a trapdoor. He was in a house, it was really dusty and white cloth covered the furniture that looked like it hadn't been used in a long time. There was no one around, so he walked through the house. He had the feeling like he'd been here before but he couldn't remember when. It was quite frustrating because this was caused by some of his auror escapades.
Curses and hexes had been thrown at him through the countless number of times that he had been out on a job, and this had caused some memory loss, only the older stuff. It was bound to wear off soon; the medi witch said that it would take a good couple of months. Harry heard muffled noised coming from somewhere down the hall and carefully made his way there. He had his wand drawn as though anticipating something. He reached the door and carefully opened it; inside the door there was a white hooded figure kneeling on the floor. It was silent but sorrow seemed to be emanating from it.
"Who are you?" Harry asked the figure.
"I am no one" it replied in a gentle voice.
"What are you doing here?"
"I have come to mourn all that is good"
"What? What does that mean?"
"It means that soon, the good will perish and it will be a time full of darkness and misery, hell on earth".
"What? What are you talking about, it's not making any sense"
"I have come to warn you Harry Potter, now is the time to say the things you want to say. Be cautious of all around you and hold your family dear. He who is not to be named has risen from the ashes of the past. All are in danger. He is after the one thing that protects you Harry Potter, be warned".
"Why can't you tell me more? What is he after? How is he back"?
"That I cannot tell you, you must ask the King of the Dragons. He who protects them will help you. His family bears the insignia of the Dragons".
"What's going to happen?"
"If he who is not to be named succeeds this world will be in peril. He lurks close by, you must leave, Follow your heart Harry Potter".
"But I"-
"Go now Potter, or there is no hope for mankind"
From the shadows a dark hooded figure emerged "Harry Potter" it hissed "you're mine".
"You must go, I will help you," the white hooded figure said urgently. All of a sudden the white hooded figure thrust a ball of white light toward the dark hooded figure and a flash of blinding white filled the room, another ball of white was thrust at Harry and he felt himself falling"
Harry woke with a stabbing pain in his forehead. It only took him seconds to realize that his scar was hurting. It had been the first time since the end of the battle that his scar was hurting and he knew the world was in trouble.
He looked around and realized to his surprise that he was not in his room, or even in his house. He looked around and came to the conclusion that he had fallen asleep on Ginny's couch. Ginny had fallen asleep on the couch too and her head was tilted towards him, leaning on his chest. His arm was around her, drawing her in. He tried to move but his neck felt stiff and his body felt sore. Well that's what you get for sleeping on the couch. He glanced at the watch he wore on his left wrist and his eyes nearly popped out, he was meant to be in work in at least an hour, it was already seven.
He gently woke Ginny who looked completely confused. "Wha- Harry? What time is it?"
"It's seven Gin, what time do you have to be at work?" he asked. She let out a string of expletives. Harry looked at her amused.
"I have to be at work in half an hour and if I'm not Jenkins is going to kill me!!" she wailed. She made a beeline for the bathroom and not long after Harry heard the sound of the tap running. He smiled to himself and then noticed Snuffles seated down looking at Harry expectantly.
"So you like Ginny?" Harry asked the golden brown puppy. It gave a bark of approval and Harry picked him up and mussed his fur.
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Ginny had just finished her shower and she had had a couple of minutes to waste before she had to apprated to work. She stood in her dressing gown and surveyed her wardrobe. She wanted to wear something nice today because today was the day that she would begin her new life. What I mean by new life is that she will no longer be hung up on Harry. She would actually make an effort and possibly date new guys if she liked them. She picked out a pair of black skinny leg jeans and a nice off shoulder bluish green top. She dried her hair and then applied a light coat of make up, also adding the necklace that Harry had given her. She smiled at her reflection in her mirror, thoroughly satisfied.
She walked out into her kitchen and saw Harry already dressed and ready (he had apprated back and then showered and changed and come back, leaving Snuffles at home), seated at her table. He was eating toast and drinking a cup of coffee. When he saw her outfit his eyes widened and he choked on his coffee. She eyed him strangely.
"Harry are you alright?" She asked
"Yeah I'm fine" he choked out. Then after a while added, "are you going to work in that?" he asked her.
"Hmmm? This? Oh yeah I am, why? Do you think it's not nice enough?" she asked looking down at her outfit.
"No! I mean no, it's nice but don't you have to put on healer robes or something?" he asked casually.
"Yeah I just have to get my healers cloak and put it on top, the dress code isn't so strict with the actual healers. I usually wear my full healers robes just to keep my assistant company but today I wanted to try something different". He looked somewhat relieved.
After breakfast, she and Harry apprated to their workplaces. She entered St. Mungos with her healers cloak in her hands. She got quite a few stares and smiled to herself. Operation get-over-boy-who-lived was now underway. She reached her office and sat herself down, looking at some of her patients' files. She was about to go and do her daily rounds when she heard Healer Jenkins's voice call her name.
"Weasley I want you to meet the new healer. We're lucky to have him, considering the shortage of healers at the moment".
Ginny looked at Jenkins and he stepped back to reveal "Rod Demlit?" Rod smiled at her and gave her a wave.
"Hi Ginny, sorry but it looks like you're stuck with me" he said smiling.
"What are you doing here I thought you worked with Harry?" she asked looking a little puzzled.
"Well I work with Harry and I also work here now, I've got double qualifications with healing and I've done my auror training as well" he said a little mildly.
"Wow" Ginny exclaimed looking quite taken aback. "So you work with me and Harry, lucky you," she joked.
"Oh I'm definitely lucky to be working with you," he said smiling at her.
She laughed blushing slightly "come on let me show you our patients".
She led the way out of the room and he followed, twirling his wand with his fingers.
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Annette Zabini sat with her hands and legs tied to a chair. She felt exhausted and drained. The light that hung above her was exceptionally bright it made her eyes water. She let her head hang down, her hair which hadn't been washed for days hung limply at the side of her face. Yesterday when the deatheaters were on their way to portkey to their new headquarters, they had come across a man and woman and a fight had broken out and they had apprated her out to another location to take the portkey out. Then when she got to the new headquarters she had been interrogated and beaten.
Even on her dark skin, the bruises were visible. She felt her body ache all over and she just wanted to go home and crawl up in her bed. But of course she knew that was as possible as Draco Malfoy coming to save her. She found her thoughts drifting to Draco. She wondered if he had gotten out all right. She didn't know why she felt concerned for the blonde haired Casanova but she did. Their families had after all been good friends and her brother and Draco had been as close as friends could have gotten in Slytherin. She just thought it was natural that she should help Draco, besides it's wasn't in her nature not to help someone. Well her helping Draco was what landed her in this mess wasn't it but it was all worth it. She felt her consciousness slip away and her world tumbled into darkness.
She was sitting on her gigantic four-poster bed. One of her hands caressing the sheets and the other clutching a teddy bear. Henry, that's what she'd called him, Henry the bear. She had him when she was young only about five years or so; her mother had bought her Henry for Christmas. She had slept with it that night and was never parted from it since. Till she was about eighteen. But now, sitting on her bed in her room, she felt familiar memories come pouring back.
She heard a shuffling of feet and turned around. A white hooded figure was standing there. Annette didn't' scream, the figure didn't seem to want to harm her. The figure sat down beside her on the bed and spoke softly "your heart will always be good". Annette looked at the figure feeling comforted. She couldn't see the figure's face but she basked in its presence anyway. The comforting silence that washed over her. Annette laid her head down on the figure's lap and closed her eyes and she felt a gentle hand stroke her head. A feeling of peace unlike any other engulfed Annette and she hummed a tune her mother used to sing to her as a child.
"Sing to me" she said to the figure her blue eyes innocent and bright. "Please" she added in for politeness.
"What do you want me to sing?" the figure asked in a gentle soothing voice.
"Anything" Annette replied simply "I just want to hear you sing".
The figure smiled beneath her hood and continued to stroke Annette's hair. Although Annette was about twenty years old, she felt like a child.
"Is there any particular song that you want me to sing?" the hooded figure asked Annette.
"No" the young woman replied dreamily "just sing me the usual".
The white hooded figure nodded her head and began to sing:
Somewhere in this life we will find,
Peace, peace of mind.
When the moon shines, in it's finest glory,
I'll disappear.
I'll disappear from your sight,
I'll disappear…
Somewhere you will never ever find me,
I'll disappear.
Only time will tell us where we'll end,
You, you and I.
You must leave this wretched life behind,
You'll disappear
You'll disappear from my sight,
You'll disappear.
Somewhere no one will ever find you,
You'll disappear…
We'll disappear from this world,
We'll disappear…
Together forever till the end of this life
We'll disappear…
Annette felt her eyes close and she clutched Henry the bear tightly in her arms and disappeared into a world of slumber.
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Draco Malfoy sat up in his elaborate, gigantic four-poster bed and felt his heart contract. Something was wrong. But what was it? He had had some weird dream about some white hooded figure and she had told him that someone close to him was in grave danger. He didn't know what she had meant but he didn't have anyone close to him. He only shared close experiences with one person and she had helped him escape.
He began to suddenly make connections. Someone close to him was in great danger. Figuring it was probably Annette he wondered how she could be in danger. Then he made the connection, the deatheaters had found her out. They knew she had helped him. He suddenly got the mental picture of Annette tied to a chair her hair hung limply and her head had lolled to the side. She wasn't moving. Her normally vibrant dark skin was pale and she looked almost dead.
Oh no, he thought. Oh please Merlin no. Dead? It couldn't be! He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. He had to get to her; she had saved his life only to end up with her life in danger. But Malfoys didn't save anyone. Malfoys didn't care about anyone other then themselves. Oh sod it, he thought. Sod the sodding Malfoys. He needed to help Annette.
"Hang on Annette" he whispered into the air "I'm coming to get you".
A/N: yay!! That's the end of chapter four!!! I'm sooo pleased!! Well if anyone wants to be my beta please let me know and PLEAS PLEASE REVIEW!! I BEG YOU!! I PLEAD WITH YOU!! REVIEW!!!