Final Chapter of Fourth Year

They landed with a thud on the snow covered ground, both breathing harshly from their exertions in the grave yard.

Harry however, had far too much adrenaline to stay lying on the snow. He immediately sat up, wand ready as he observed his surroundings.

They were at the shrieking shack, or outside of it near the fence that separated it from the trail that led into Hogsmeade. It was deep in the night now and snow flakes fell rapidly as the wind howled around them, whipping Ginny hair around in a fiery halo.

"We need to get back to the castle." He said, standing and with a hand under her arm pulling her to her feet as well.

There would be no relaxing until they were safe within the wards of Hogwarts.

Ginny nodded vigorously, but even as she did so her eyes were straining as she peered into the dark trying to make out a form.

"Harry—Helen, she was here earlier. She was—she was over there. Lying in the snow." Ginny said quietly.

Harry nodded, squaring his jaw slightly as he braced himself and with his wand cast a light out into the dark.

Helen was still lying there in the snow. Her arms and legs splayed out as she lay face down like a broken doll with snow flakes adorning her dark blonde hair that was strewn around her shoulders.

Her hand, even from a distance, could be seen to have a slightly blue pallor.

Ginny made a gasping cry as she rushed over to her. Kneeling beside her, she delicately turned her to where she was facing upward.

Her face was frozen, forever in an awed stare with wide lifeless, once warm brown eyes unseeing but fixated as if still in a trance. Her cheeks slightly blue as well, with no blush brightening her face.

She was completely still, there was no rise in her chest, no breath. Her black coat was still tied tightly around her, sashed at the waist and trailing to her knees. Her fingers barely poked out of the sleeves, it had been Katherine's, her older sister, and it was just slightly too big. She had always said though, that she was sure she would grow into it.

But now she wouldn't.

Ginny was rigid, as she stared, rocked back on her heels, her hands still motionless on the coat's collar she had grabbed to roll Helen over.

Ginny slowly brought her shaking hands to cup her own face as her body began to shudder. Great, harsh sobs like she had never cried before escaped her.

Harry was there with an arm around her shoulders, guiding her to stand again.

"We need to get inside. It's not safe here Ginny," He said softly. He himself having gone pale at the sight of his student lying dead in the snow.

Ginny shook her head, "We need to take her." She muttered, biting her lip as she struggled to reign in her tears and maintain her composure.

Harry looked around, "I don't want to carry a body through town Ginny—we can't afford to be detained. We need to get to Hogwarts." He felt heartless for saying so but knew that it was the truth.

"No." Ginny said defiantly, stepping out of his arm, and crossing her arm over her chest. Tears still trailed down her cheeks but she held her chin high and spoke strongly.

"We have to h-her." Her voice breaking ever so slightly on the pronoun.

Harry knew she was struggling to remain strong, and he knew she would not leave her first friend at Hogwarts lying near the shrieking shack.

The Shrieking Shack

It echoed again in his mind before he realized he had the solution. "Alright," He said softly. Ginny was surprised at his acquiesce but relieved as well.

He stepped forward and pulled the dead girl up, carrying her like a small child.

Helen wasn't a very big girl, always tall but very lanky. However that night her weight seemed to drag him down, and he tried not to shiver, not from the cold but from the haunting of bearing her corpse back to Hogwarts.

Ginny had closed her eyes, and smoothed down her hair as they walked. A few more tears escaping her own eyes as she gripped the still, cold, lax hand in her own.

She was freezing in only her Quidditch robes, but she didn't feel it very much. It was cold, certainly she felt that, she felt the cold deep into her core—but physically on the outside she just felt numb. Detached as if this was just a fantastic nightmare, but she knew she wasn't that creative.

Going through the shrieking shack and the tunnel until they were on the school grounds underneath the womping willow, they continued in silence.

There was little to be said that could be comforting.

Entering the castle, Harry put a disillusionment charm on her body as they entered. On first glance, a student would not see her, and even if they looked hard would only see her shape. He did not want the information of her death being spread carelessly. Her family deserved better than that.

Ginny entered first, and it was so much like her first year again as her mother immediately swept her into her arms. Only it wasn't—because this time they had been too late. This time couldn't be fixed with a dose of mandrake potion. This time had signified the beginning of a war.

"Oh Ginny—Ginny." Her mother repeated, swaying slightly as she gripped her daughter tightly. Ginny however didn't sigh in annoyance, or roll her eyes, she only hugged her Mum just as tightly back. Clinging like she hadn't since she was a small child, closing her eyes and letting her head rest on the older woman's shoulder.

Harry went over to Dumbledore, still carrying the disillusioned Helen. He removed the charm quietly, facing away from the others in the office and explained to Dumbledore.

Ginny watched from her mother's shoulder as Dumbledore aged tremendously in just one glance at the corpse before her called McGonagall over, who with a stricken look, placed another disillusionment charm and levitated the body as she left the room.

Harry looked at Ginny, straight into her eyes as she and Molly continued to hold one another.

Finally parting with her mother, Ginny went over to him and they sat together in one of the larger chairs, his arm around her as she burrowed into his side, her feet tucked under her. She felt much smaller than she had since she was nine years old.

"What happened exactly Harry?" Sirius finally asked. The others there, Ron, Hermione, Arthur, Heather, Severus, and Remus had been quiet as when they had entered. But they all looked expectantly at them now.

Harry searched for the words as Ginny bluntly said, "He's back."

At the confused stares she received she elaborated quietly, "Voldemort—he's back."

The statement was met with stunned silence until Molly spoke, "Ginny! That's absurd! Now you tell us what happened—I mean that's ridiculous. He can't be back. He just can't be—that's—that's just not possible. Arthur—Arthur, tell her, tell her—that it's—that's it's ridi—"

Molly's voice grew more panicked the more she spoke. "Shh, calm down Molly. It'll be alright." Arthur said, putting hand on his wife's arm and guiding her to a chair that she let herself fall into.

"Ginny, from the beginning if you please." Dumbledore said softly.

She looked at Harry who nodded, tightening his arm around her as she took a deep shuddering breath and began to tell her tale.

"Um—I was in my room, the head girl's room in Slytherin," she clarified. "Susan came and got—"

"Susan O'rielly?" Heather questioned from the corner she stood in, leaning against a book case.

"Yeah, that one." Ginny nodded.

"She came to my room and told me that Helen, Helen Gibbs, wanted to talk to me. Helen and I—we, we—" Ginny paused, her voice growing rougher as she swallowed and bit back tears to keep her composure. "—We hadn't been on the best terms lately." She finished sadly.

"But I wanted to make things right with her. So Susan told me—she said that Helen wanted to talk to me, so I went with her. I thought it was just in the castle—I didn't know at first where we were going," Ginny said defensively.

"But then she said Helen was in Hogsmeade—"

"Ginny," Arthur said disappointedly, a sharp tone in his voice.

"I think chastisement can wait this once Arthur," Dumbledore peered over his half moon spectacles at the patriarch from his chair.

Arthur nodded, still standing beside Molly's chair with his hand reaching down for his wife to hold.

"So you went to Hogsmeade Ginny?" Dumbledore prodded.

"Yes, we took the passage behind the one-eyed witch that goes to Honeyduke's and went from there. She told me she was waiting for us at the shrieking shack. But when we got there—" She stopped, taking an uneven painful gasp of air and wiping beneath her eyes to catch any tears.

"When we got there, I didn't see Helen anywhere. And Susan, she starting acting strangely. I was reaching for my wand when she grabbed my arm, and I asked her where Helen was and she said—she said that she wouldn't be joining us." Ginny said quickly, trying to end the tale.

"And I saw Helen lying in the snow but she was—" She finally dissolved into tears for a moment, Harry rubbing her back soothingly before she used her sleeve to dry the tears before she continued in a much stronger albeit still subdued voice. She no longer wavered however, resolute in telling them what happened.

"She was face down. I couldn't get to her though or do anything before Susan had triggered a portkey and we were taken away."

The room was listening with rapt attention, complete silence other than Ginny's voice.

"At the graveyard I tried to get up and run away, Susan had my wand. But I only dodged two of her hexes before she got me wit and incarerous jinx and I fell. She and this man, I don't know who he was but he was short and fat. He had blue eyes—"

"THAT RAT!" Sirius bellowed, shocking the room.

"Black this is not the time for your ranting." Severus sneered.

Sirius however seemed to either not hear him or no longer care, "First Lily and James and this—how could he Remus?" Sirius asked, arms crossed over his chest as he paced.

"Sirius calm down, we need to hear what happened. Peter will face his crimes, but we can't do anything until we know what we're facing. Sit down," Remus said evenly.

Sirius glared and stood instead beside Heather in the corner as he glared, the pain evident in his eyes at the mention of the man who had as good as ended his best friend's life.

Looking back toward the headmaster Ginny sighed before going on, "Peter Pettigrew then?" She looked back toward Remus for conformation.

At his nod she shifted uncomfortably, "Right, well he was there. He and Susan tied me to a headstone, the grave of Voldemort's father." Molly, Ron, Hermione and Arthur both started at the name but Arthur silenced Molly when she was going to tell her daughter not to say it. Ginny had had enough interruptions for the night.

"He had this little bundle. It looked like a baby from a distance, but it was Voldemort. And they tied me up and in front of me was cauldron. They took some of my blood, and bones from the grave, and Peter—he cut off his hand. Then they put him—Voldemort—in the potion and he came out. He came out whole again."

There were many paling faces as everyone grasped the full repercussions of what exactly had happened that night in the graveyard.

"He called his death eaters. And Susan, she never really was Susan. He said she was a Lestrange, and he took away some spells from her. She didn't look fourteen, she looked about twenty something and her hair was black. She didn't look anything like Susan. She never really did I suppose," Ginny said softly.

"Lestrange?" Sirius questioned.

"But the only Lestranges are Bellatrix and Rodulphus, they're both in prison?" Arthur stated.

"I think she's their daughter." Ginny supplied.

"But why did she never come to Hogwarts?" Severus asked.

"Not everyone does," Heather pointed out.

"Ginny," Dumbledore prompted again.

"Right, well he called his death eaters there. I think there were around twelve. And then he said that he had not been dead, but hiding in Albania the whole time. He told them he was angry with them for never coming after him. He said—" She looked toward Harry for permission who nodded.

"He said that reason Harry beat him, when he was a baby, was because his Mum died for him. that her sacrifice protected him. That that protection was somehow tampered with because he used my blood for the potion."

"Albus that's a blood charm I though. How would her blood effect it?" Sirius asked.

"It is, but a soul bond is a powerful thing. It effects all elements of their magic including the protection. Harry's over seventeen anyways now, but that protection still lingers in him, and through the bond also Ginny. Having her blood connects him not only to her but to him as well. The three of them are bound together now, just as before Harry was bound to each of them."

Molly and Arthur looked considerably worse at that news. Ginny however seemed unsurprised, only holding on to Harry a little more tightly.

"Then Harry came, and they dueled," She finished simply.

"Potter dueled the dark lord?" Snape asked snidely.

Sirius glared at him, "The boy is a fully trained auror you twerp—" he began angrily before he was silenced with a harsh look from Dumbledore.

"Where were you?" Ginny asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Remus asked.

"Where were you in the grave yard? We—We could have ended this tonight if you had come. Why did just Harry come? Where were you!" She asked vehemently.

"Ginny—we had no idea where you were. Harry, he used your bond to find you and he didn't tell us where he went. We had no idea where you two were." Sirius said.

"What?" Ginny asked, her anger dissolving into confusion.

"They wanted me to see through your eyes like we do sometimes. But on purpose to find you," Harry began to explain.

"But when I focused on you, I felt this pull. And I didn't know what was happening, but some how it took me—I don't know what to call it, it wasn't apparition, but somehow I ended up in the graveyard when I focused on you." Harry explained.

"He just started glowing and then disappeared." Heather added.

Ginny looked skeptical, "Just by focusing on me?"

"The bond is growing," Dumbledore explained.

"You got past the wards?" Hermione finally spoke from the chair she was resting in, her pregnancy now far along.

"Yeah," Harry answered.

"But—but that's impossible!" She cried.

"Nothing is impossible Mrs. Weasley, just unlikely." Dumbledore said kindly to the brunette. Hermione settled back into her seat muttering something about the library.

"I came and we dueled a while—me and him. It ended though, our wands did something strange. We both shot killing curses at one another and they collided and created a cord connecting our wands. And I—I saw my parents," Harry said.

"You saw Lily and James?" Sirius asked with wide eyes.

"They came out of Voldemort's wand, they were like ghosts almost. And then Ginny somehow had freed herself from her headstone and she summoned the portkey while she ran to me and we arrived back in Hogsmeade."

"How did you get unbound?" Arthur asked his daughter.

"They left my wand lying a few feet away from me, so I summoned it into my hand and severed the ropes." She answered simply.

"You summoned your wand wandlessly?" Ron asked skeptically.

"Well—yes."

"Impressive Ginny," Sirius said, showing a weak smile. He seemed more exhausted than Harry ever remembered him, the new of Voldemort's return clearly taking away so much of his vitality.

"If that's all Headmaster—" Harry began, clearly seeking rest as he and Ginny were both in need of it.

"Yes, of course you and Ginny may leave. Go to the hospital wing, Minevra told Poppy to expect you."

Nodding Harry stood, supporting Ginny as they left the office, arms around one another's waists.

They didn't speak a word to one another, they were both to tired to want to speak, simply going to the infirmary in comforting silence and receiving a quick check over which assured them to be in fine health just tired.

They still however were asked to stay over night.

Curling up on one of the small hospital beds Ginny put both her arms around Harry as he did her, and resting her head on his shoulder she quickly fell asleep. She was too tired to worry about anything much at that moment, and needing to escape before the grief could return about her first friend who she could never now make amends with.

During the early morning, when the sun had not yet risen and the moon was still out in a dark night, Ginny woke.

Harry was still comfortably sleeping, intertwined with her as he unconsciously held her.

She took a moment to study his face, so peaceful in sleep and reassuring after the nightmare she had just had of one of Voldemort's killing curses colliding with him.

Terrified from her dream and too restless to go back to sleep, she rose to get a cup of water.

Standing near the pitcher and quietly sipping the cool liquid, she looked out of the window over the grounds.

Although not full, the moon was bright and it lit the grounds in an almost eerie way.

She could make out a figure, sitting on one of the large rocks near the lake. She paused rigidly, alarmed and worried it was an agent of Voldemort come to kill them.

But then as she looked closer she realized she knew who it was, it was Heather.

Heather sitting with her trunk beside her, staring out into the lake as if in a trance.

Gathering her robe tightly around herself, and borrowing Harry's cloak, Ginny shifted into her shoes and made her way there.

She hardly cared about the patrol hours, deciding most of the Professors were likely distracted tonight. She reached the main door and slipped out, a grip on her wand just in case.

She approached the boulder but Heather never turned, simply sitting and staring.

When she finally was only but an arm' length away she noticed the bottle of fire whiskey clutched in the other girl's hand.

She sad beside her and they both just enjoyed the view for a moment, the moon reflected in the water creating a painting of the sky in front of them.

It was Heather who eventually spoke, "You know this was my last year in my mastery. After this I was going to leave and go traveling for a while—all around the world. Just to get out of England, see something. I'm twenty six and I've barely experienced anything. I just wanted to go be on my own, see something. I guess it sounds stupid—selfish, but now that this damn wars starting again—" She paused to raise the fire whisky to her lips and taste a long sip.

Ginny reached over for the bottle and encountered little resistance, but as she herself took a swig she began to splutter. "That's horri—ble." She coughed, "How'd you drink that?"

Heather gave her a rueful smile, "Practice."

Ginny passed the bottle back to Heather with a grimace, the latter taking another sip.

They sat there in silence for a moment again.

"I really don't want to die Gin." Heather said softly.

Ginny nodded, "Me neither, at least—not until I've lived some. Someday I do, when I'm old though."

"You want to die someday?" Heather asked, eyebrow raised.

"I would never want to live forever, it would be lonely. And you would find yourself eventually in a time you don't understand with people you don't know," Ginny said.

Heather nodded, "I suppose. I don't really want to live forever, I just don't want to die tomorrow. There's just so much I've always wanted to do and now, I'll probably never get the chance. I don't want to watch my friends die, my family die, I don't want to fight. I don't. I just wish we could all just leave! I don't want to be buried and I don't want to have to bury anyone! I don't want to die, and to see all the people—I don't want this! Over a damn lost war!" Heather cried, some bitter tears escaping her.

"Heather—we could win you know—" Ginny started.

Heather laughed bitterly interrupting her, "That's what they thought last time too—and they were slaughtered. They were only saved by a freak accident that left my brother and I orphans. So many people forget, Harry he was only a few months over a year old, but me, I was going to turn four in a few months. I remember the night—" She broke off, her voice cracking some.

"We don't stand a chance if he's anything like last time." She said.

Ginny swallowed, "Voldemorts back Heather. I mean—that's the truth. I don't know—maybe we will all die, but I think I'd rather die here, trying to do something–something good, worthwhile than live a long life knowing I never tried."

Heather shrugged, "I'm not going to run away Ginny. You don't need to convince me. Obviously it crossed my mind—" She said gesturing to the suitcase. "—But I could never leave you like that, any of you."

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and wiping away a few tears, "I'm just—I'm afraid. I'm absolutely terrified, I tried to go to sleep tonight and I had dream—all of your were covered in blood, and in this mass grave and—I woke up screaming. It hasn't even really started yet and—I don't think I can take this. I'm not my Mum even though I look like her, I was never strong like her and I can't fight this for her.

I'm scared. I don't care if it's a cowardly thing to say, that's how I feel. I don't want this." Heather said, hysterical towards the end.

Ginny sighed, "Well if it's a cowardly way to feel then I'm a coward too."

Heather passed the whiskey back to Ginny who this time swallowed with only a small frown.

"They always compare me to her, we do look so much alike. But I think it's only skin deep. I've always hated that you know. Hated being compared to someone so perfect, I felt like I could never live up to her. Everyone always thought that they had another Lily, we do look like damn identical twins just about, but then they would get to know me and the disappointment would set in. But it sounds so terrible, so ungrateful. I'm so angry at my dead mother for being so damn perfect—it really does sounds heartless. I guess maybe it is." Heather said quietly.

"I'm happy you're here," Ginny said, putting a hand on her shoulder and sitting there another moment looking at the lake.

She then rose from her seat and started to make her way back to the castle.

When she was a few steps away she stopped and turned back, "Heather?"

"I'll see you at breakfast Ginny," she said, still facing the lake.

Ginny nodded, taking her leave as she snuck back into the infirmary and settled beside a still asleep Harry.

It was drizzling slightly, not cold enough to snow but cold enough to feel freezing the day they buried Helen.

She had always loved purple orchids, and they were everywhere. Draping over, around and in front of the coffin and surrounding her head stone.

Her parents were quiet, stone like faces numb with loss but her sister Katherine, Ginny's former roommate was bawling, showing more emotion than Ginny had ever seen the other girl have.

Gwen wasn't crying, she was just sitting there quietly, seeming angry. Ginny had told Sylvia and Gwen what had happened, they hadn't believed her at first, but when she kept explaining they began to realize she was serious.

Gwen simply looked mad at the world for what had happened.

Sylvia had a few tears leaking down her cheek, the first loss of her indifferent sarcasm Ginny had ever seen her have.

Ginny herself had already cried her tears. She had wept and wept after returning to the infirmary a few nights ago after speaking to Heather. Harry had even woken from how hard she had cried, they hadn't said anything to each other. No words needed, just the comforting presence of having the other person there.

Sitting beside Harry at the funeral, she laid her head on his shoulder and they watched as the speeches, the songs and tears all came to pass. None of it replacing the girl they were laying in the ground.

A month went by.

Soon it was time for Christmas holidays. They would be much more subdued this year, with the order already preparing for war.

The ministry was refusing to accept the truth, something that frustrated Harry to no end.

Ginny didn't worry too much about it, as she said they were inept anyways so what aid could they really give?

It wasn't long before they were sitting in the burrow, drinking hot chocolate at the table when a floo call came in from a nervous looking Ron.

"Hermione—she's gone into labor!" He practically shouted into the kitchen.

"Oh—oh! Well lets go to St. Mungos, up—up you! Fred come on! Move, move—Arthur—Oh where is Arthur?"

"He's in the shed, I'll go get him Mum," Ginny said, laughing slightly at Molly's antics.

She went back to the shed, always a special place between her father and her, where he had taught her about his latest projects.

Arthur was there, glass slipping of his nose as he inspected a plug.

"Dad, Hermione's having the baby!" Ginny smiled, happy to have something to smile about.

"What Ginny love?" Her Dad asked, still engrossed in the plug.

"DAD!" She shouted, still laughing and smiling.

He looked up a little startled, "Hermione is having the baby!" She said a huge grin still on her face.

"Oh—oh! Well let's go then!" He came and took Ginny's arm as they marched back into the house.

Heather was grabbing the camera and a few blankets for people while they waited, George had some pillows and Harry was just trying not to be run over from all the people hustling about.

"Come on!" Molly was gesturing them into the floo which they were each running into in different pairs.

Finally it was Harry and Ginny's turn, as usual he fell out of it taking Ginny with him and they landed in a laughing heap in St. Mungos.

Soon they were in the waiting area where they sat for next eight hours.

The blankets and pillows had been spread around and everyone except Molly was nodding off when Ron carrying a little bundle wrapped in blue, appeared in the door way.

He cradled the child like a glass that would shatter any moment, so delicately.

"Mum, meet your grandson," he said softly handing the sleeping baby to her.

"Ah, he's so precious," Molly said, smiling.

She held the baby for a few moments, Arthur looking over her shoulder before she passed it back to Ron.

"We're calling him Arthur," Ron said. His Dad had a few tears in the eyes has he clapped him on the back.

"Oh Ronald," Molly said happily.

Ron took they baby again just as gently before going over to Ginny and Harry.

"The godparents need to hold him to," He said.

"Godparents?" Harry asked.

Ron nodded, "Hermione and I both decided, no one better."

Ginny took the baby, a little unsurely but Ron showed her how to hold him.

"I'm going to go check on Hermione, I'll be right back." He said smiling still.

"He looks just like Ron," Harry said looking over at the baby.

"He really does—poor bastard," Heather said.

"Heather!"

"What? I was just joking—Merlin can't you people take joke!"