A/N: only three more to go!!! Major spoiler in this one, anyone who figures it out gets a special sneak peak at Chapter One of Witch of Destiny, anyone who reviews get an early release of the Story Summary. You have reduced me to bribery. Enjoy and don't go too hard on me. More angst and fluff, as I bounce between Emo and Hopeless Romantic. (I'm Bipolar, and we make the best writers)
It took four hours for Nott's screams to get through to Harry, and when they finally did so, they hit him hard. He felt pity for Nott, but no remorse or guilt, as he had when Bella, Malfoy, and Snape had died in cold blood at his hands. He wasn't sorry about their deaths, they fully deserved them, but why had he had to kill them? He was a seventeen year old boy at school with a beautiful girlfriend, his number one concern should be her, then Quidditch, then Ron and Hermione, and then maybe schoolwork, but instead the weight of the world was square on his shoulders, and his alone. He knew his friends would try to help him, but he didn't want them scared by this, he was already destroying his own soul, he didn't need them ruining their's as well. He made it out the door and into the hall before the tears came to his eyes and sobs racked his chest. He staggered off towards the infirmary, and the redheaded witch he loved.
Ginny was laying awake in the infirmary, going to sleep without Harry was hard enough for her, under they circumstances, she needed him with her. Hermione had told her earlier just what had been going on for the last few weeks, and she was torn between elation that he cared for her so much, and being furious that he had given Voldemort a free reign for two weeks while he searched for her. He very nearly got the entire Order killed, it wasn't that she wasn't grateful, she just wished Harry hadn't put the entire world at risk to save her. If anything had happened to him, she didn't want to think about that. It Harry died, she wouldn't last much more then a week, and neither would the rest of the world, they all needed him, but her most of all, even without the war, she needed him to live and be happy. She had spent the first ten years of her life hero-worshiping and dreaming about him, then she had actually met him, and had a huge crush on him for five years, then she got him for far too short a time. She had very nearly lost him over the summer, it taken her six months to get him back, and she wouldn't risk losing him again, she would be Mrs. Potter, no matter what it took.
Ginny waited for hours, for the man she loved to come to bed with her. He finally showed up, looking worse then she felt. She decided it was going to be a very long morning, all thoughts of sleep lost, she wrapped her arms around him.
Over the next five days few people saw Harry, he was either locked in the dungeons with Nott, or locked in the infirmary with Ginny. On the evening of the sixth day, Ginny decided it was time to get some things out in the open, she knew Harry well enough to know that something was bothering him. She had an idea about what it was, but she wanted to be sure.
"Harry, you cant keep this up, something is obviously bothering you, and you need to talk about it. Tell me what's wrong, I shared my pain with you, share yours with me."
Harry thought for a moment, then decided that Ginny especially needed to know, it concerned her greatly, "Ginny I doubt that you can understand most of this, but I'm going to tell you anyway, and I trust you not to tell anyone."
Ginny responded without hesitation, she would die to protect Harry, though that would probably kill him slowly and painfully, and that included his secrets. "Not a soul Harry."
Harry took several deep breaths, then launched into a story that he had rehearsed several times, but hoped never to tell.
"From the earliest I can remember the Dursley's treated me like someone they were forced to put up with, I never ate well at all, never got anything new, I've been wearing Dudley's old clothed all my life. I've been forced to do every household chore you can imaging, and some you probably cant., since the age of four. I spent ten years living in a small cupboard under the stairs, sometimes locked in for days at a time, I never got a room until my school letters starting showing up. Every bad thing that ever happened around me was my fault, no matter if it could be or not, some of it was accidental magic, but not much. I was never physically abused, but I think I might have preferred that. Mental abuse is ten times worse by far, imagine living all of your life knowing that no one loves you, and that no one ever will."
Harry's voice failed him, and he choked back the sobs of anguish that threatened to burst forth. But he had to go on, she had a right to know, and he needed her to know this, needed her to understand exactly what he was asking, what he needed.
"I've never had a family. For eleven years I never even had friends. The people I love are the most important things in my life, and that puts you at the very top Ginny, The reason you could never understand this completely is that you've always had a big family to love you, and even if something happened, you would still have sixteen years of memories with them. I never had anything. Now I've seen just how great a loving family can be, I want my own. Don't get me wrong, I do think of myself as kind of part of part of your family, but I need my own, so I'm going to have to start one. Its not something that I can do alone, when this is all over…"
Harry's voice failed him a second time, but Ginny understood the unasked question. It was a lot to consider, not that she needed to, but she wanted to be absolutely sure.
"Harry, I would like nothing more then to raise a family with you. Its all I want out of life, four or five kids, and a long time to be with you. I promise you when this is over, you will never be without family again, beside, your eyes would be terrific with my hair."
Harry tried to laugh at the attempted humor, but the relief and love at Ginny's words flooded his emotions and all he could do was cry into her shoulder, a mix of joy at her promise, and fear of losing her. Ginny soon joined him in his tears, the sorrow of his life not unforgotten, and the tears of joy lessened. She was torn between sadness at the cruelty of Harry's life, and elation at knowledge that Harry wanted her to be his wife, and have his children. She had always dreamt of being swept off her feet by a knight in shining armor, Harry, and he had lived up to and surpassed her dreams. If they could just keep each other alive, she would give him everything he ever dreamed of, he had already given her everything she wanted, well except for the ring.
Harry knew that he could not live without Ginny, the last two weeks had proven that beyond a doubt. She hadn't even been dead, and it had nearly killed him, though no one knew just how close it had been. Torrents of sorrow and grief came welling up to the surface, he had never really cried for his parents, or for Sirius, but somehow everything just seemed to come up and reawaken inside him. Everyone he had loved had been taken from him, but he promised himself that his mother would be the only redhead on that list, ever. Without Ginny, he wouldn't even try to live, there would be no reason to.
"Ginny, I want to finish it, the Heart Bond, lets complete it." Harry barely managed to get the words out around his sobs, but come they did.
"Are you sure you can do it? I want to, but your not exactly at your best at the moment."
Harry didn't answer, he just placed the tip of his want over Ginny's heart, while she did the same to him. There was no verbal incantation, no mere spell could handle the amount of power this took. Harry concentrated on his feelings for Ginny, on their first kiss, the first time they had spent the night together, the night he had told her he would marry her, all of these feelings willed forth the power to bond them together. As his passion grew, he could feel more and more of Ginny, her thoughts and feeling melded with his own, as their souls became one. The final pulse of magical energy that finally bonded them together rivaled that of when Harry had brought her back from the dead. It left Harry to exhausted to even say the three words he was thinking before he fell asleep, but Ginny still heard his voice in his head, telling her he loved her.
Ginny stayed awake for a while longer, exploring Harry's thoughts and emotions. She was scared by what she found, there was so much pain and sorrow in him, and so much fear, fear mostly for her. Pain and sorrow at the losses of his life. But there was also love, and need, again mostly for her, the exact lever of Harry's devotion had been unknown to her until now. Harry would literally die without her, all of his will to live was centered on her, and the future he held for him. Had anyone else been in the infirmary at the time, they would have seen the look of shock and amazement on Ginny's face as she curled up to Harry, and fell asleep.
A Heart Bond really was a remarkable thing. Both Harry and Ginny shared the same dream that night. And for the first time in a long time, there were no nightmares for either of them.
Ginny found herself walking down a long dirt road, there were great trees on either side, but it didn't seem to be a forest. It was a very long lane, but she felt compelled to reach the end, there was something there that she wanted very badly. After a surprisingly pleasant walk, the trees gave way to a large grassy field, the amount of sunlight revealed it to be around mid-day, and a very nice summer noon. At the center of the field was a large house, not quite a mansion, it was too modest for that, but large and comfortable looking, she began walking around to the back of the house, she somehow knew that she was completely safe here, and she thought she could hear voices from that direction.
As she rounded the corner, she was half shocked, half comforted by what she saw. Harry was there, he looked older, a little taller, but it could be no other then her Harry. But his apparent age was now what shocked her, it was the six young children all around him, listening intently while he explained about safe broomstick riding. The truly fantastic part, however, was the unmistakable, trademark Potter hair on the boys, and the emerald green eyes four of them had. Ginny then noticed that the three girls all had long manes of fire red hair, her hair, and two of them had her own chocolate brown eyes. These were her children! And Harry was their father, it was not an unfamiliar dream to her, but certainly the most vivid she had had, and it now seemed a hundred times more likely then it ever had before.
It was then that the kids, her kids, noticed her and abandoned the broom lessons for the moment, they ran toward her with loud cry's of "Mommy!" that warmed Ginny's heart even more then Harry could. She instinctively knelt down to hug her children, she noticed Harry beaming at her, apparently he was dreaming too, and was aware that this was dream, and knowing him he was loving every moment of it. Ginny stood up with the two youngest of her children in her arms, and kissed Harry. She would make this reality no matter what it took, there was no way she could know that Harry was thinking the same thing as he enjoyed the same dream.
Harry and Ginny returned to everyday life shortly after completing the bond, or as close as could be said under the unique circumstances. Everyone noticed the secret smiles they constantly shared, and how Ginny seemed to positively glowing nearly all the time. If anything Harry seemed even more devoted to her then before, and rarely let her out of her sight, everyone was greatly surprised when Ginny did not complain about his over protectiveness. How could they know that she understood exactly why he did it, and loved him the more for it. He was so vulnerable when it came to her, she could look after herself, but Harry wouldn't trust anyone, not even her, with her safety, besides they got to spend a lot more time together.
Three days later Harry and Ginny were curled up on the sofa in the rooms that had once been Harry's, though the sign now read "The future Potter's" and wouldn't come off. They were just enjoying being together, when Ginny noticed something around where Harry's pocket would be, if he were wearing clothes that had pockets. She wiggled around a few times, much to Harry's enjoyment, but she could still feel it.
"Harry what it that? There's something small and round poking me." Harry hesitated for a minute before answering, making Ginny instantly suspicious, it was exactly the pause Fred and George made when questioned about a prank.
"Well it's a golden snitch." Harry figured he could tell her the truth, just not all of it. He wasn't ready for anyone, especially Ginny, to know that just yet.
"And why are you carrying it around charmed to you body?"
"So I don't lose it." The smart response only made Ginny more curious and more determined.
"And why this particular snitch?" She had a feeling why though.
"It's the snitch you caught last year, when I was in detention."
"Harry I know your not carrying that around just as a reminder of that night, we both know you have much better things to remember it by, so why are you so concerned with not losing that particular snitch?"
Harry deftly avoided the question by kissing Ginny very passionately. It wasn't as intense as that night at Grimauld Place, but it was a good runner up, and distracted Ginny from the mysterious snitch for the rest of the night.
They only had a few hours of peace however, as just after midnight the castles intruder wards began falling, alerting the staff to an attack on the castle. Harry rushed downstairs to the entrance hall where he joined Minerva and Hagrid, both were looking out toward the grounds in fear. Harry could see why, there was a host of black-clad, masked figures, too many to count, standing in a huge semi-circle in front of the school. Their seemingly endless ranks were dotted with a few giants and dragons, they had already breached the grounds and were moving toward the castle. Harry had always known he would have to fight a full scale battle, but he had nothing like the resources to fight this many Death Eaters at once. There was only one sure way that Harry knew he could win, and he was not going to that unless he had no other hope.
"Well I guess tonight's the night." Harry was strangely calm considering what he was up against. He looked almost peaceful for a moment, then the power started to flow into him, not as much as previous occasions, but certainly more then any of them had ever scene elsewhere.
"Harry you aren't thinking of going out there are you?" Minerva sounded down right terrified. "We must abandon the castle and fight another day, the students-"
"Yes get the students out, I'll hold them off. How long do you need?"
"Harry it would take hours to evacuate Hogwarts."
"How about twenty minutes? It's the best I can do at the moment." Their eyes met, and Minerva knew there was no way to talk her former pupil out of this.
"Be careful Harry, none of us wants to be the one to have to tell Ginny your dead."
"I don't plan on dying, but maybe Poppy should be waiting for me just in case?"
"Right, I'll see to it right away, good luck."
Harry didn't even look back as he strode out the doors and towards the center of the black mass attacking his home. He was outnumbered by something a thousand to one, probably more, but he only needed to buy some time. Staying away from the giants and dragons would be the real challenge, the Death Eaters he could handle on his own.
"Well well well, you finally showed up. I was wondering when Voldemort would get the courage to after me. Is he suddenly brave? Or getting dumber?"
Harry was taunting them, trying to draw this out for as long as possible, he needed to buy the others time, but the Death Eaters had other idea's as over thirty varied curses flew toward him. Harry took three steps to the right and cast a powerful shield charm, blocking all but one of the curses, which he easily dodged. Another volley followed the first, this one in the hundreds, but with the same results, then the Death Eaters tried attacking him randomly all at once. This complicated things a little, but Harry was miles ahead of these Death Eaters. He was getting tired, he could this up for a while longer, where it not for the dragons. They had closed in the range and where engaging him as well. It was taking nearly all of his concentration to avoid them, and as a result he was hit with several curses, not badly, but they drew blood and slowed him further. Another cutting curse hit Harry across the back as he dodged a burst of flame, he fell hard to his side, sure he was finished. He could barely move, his wand arm was pinned down, the Death Eaters where closing in around him, when help arrived. Harry had never been so glad to see a Weasley male in his life as Charlie led around fifty dragon riders into the fray. This gave Harry the clear advantage, as Voldemort only had seven dragons. Twenty of Charlie's riders broke off to engage the Death Eater Riders, the rest started reeking pure havoc among the Death Eaters on the ground.
Harry blasted a curse at yet another Death Eater, there seemed to be no end to them, and check his watch. Eleven minutes down. Minerva had said she needed at least twenty, longer if possible. Harry figured he could give her a total of forty minutes or so with the reinforcements. Three more curses, and several physical blows later, Harry began to calculate whether or not he could push to forty minutes, he didn't want to wear himself out too soon, but he was more concerned with the hundreds of students inside the castle then he was with himself. Harry fired two stunners and a Banishing Hex, taking out the three Death Eaters who had been firing curses at Charlie Weasley. That was when things took a turn for the worse. At first Harry thought the Death Eaters were retreating, they had certainly stopped fighting. They were backing up, but in the wrong direction, too late Harry realized that they were forming a semi-circle around him, and clearing a path between him and Lord Voldemort. Harry didn't even hear the spell being cast, and never had a hope of dodging it, Quidditch reflexes aside.