Shout out to the one guest reader who guessed who it was that had been spying.
"It's time."
It's time. It's time. It's time.
There was no echo in the kitchen at Grimmauld Place. There may as well have been as every member of the Order that knew about the plan of attack had those two words repeat in their head. Their Protean charmed coins had told them that they were needed at Order Headquarters and one by two they all showed up looking prepared, and slightly nervous.
"Were are the children?" Molly Weasley asked Dumbledore.
"The majority of the school is at the Quidditch Game. Including your children." Dumbledore promised her. He had given exactly one charmed coin to a student, and that was Draco Malfoy. And even that had been because there was simply no way around it.
()()()()
Draco was waiting with sweaty palms outside of the Room of Requirement waiting for the Order.
The owl had come that morning. Burke had confirmed with both himself and Greyback that one more spell and the wardrobe would be ready for transport. Draco had grabbed his black cloak, his wand, and given Astoria one more kiss before possibly walking to his death.
Wasn't this all supposed to be Harry Potter's job? Where was he? Oh, right. He was playing Quidditch with Ginny.
Snape came down the hallway and they stood side by side, waiting for the rest of them. "Are you ready for this?"
"Do I have a choice?" Draco bit back at him. Then he sighed. "You have the potions?"
"Of course."
"Then I guess that means we are both ready for this."
They heard people approaching. For whatever reason, Draco had not considered just how many of the Weasley's would show up but there was a whole flock of them. Five at least. Three boys and two parents. The former DADA Professor, Lupin, was there too, the werewolf. Also a girl he didn't recognize with turquoise hair and a rather nice set of breasts, she was in her early twenties.
"Heyya, Draco." She said as she drew close.
"Do I know you?"
"Nope, but I'm your cousin."
"So are they if you go back far enough." He gestured to the Weasleys.
The girl rolled her eyes. "I'm your first cousin." Her hair turned pink.
Now he knew who she was. "Aunt Andromeda's kid."
"Let us save introductions for later shall we?" Snape drawled. "If you could?" He gestured for Draco to open the door, and he did so and led everyone inside.
Nymphadora Tonks caught the door with her foot after the Weasley's went in. "I'll wait here for the others."
Draco nodded at her. They must have studied Sirius Black's model fairly closely, as neither he, nor Snape, had needed to guide them to the Cabinet. Draco had been told where he was to guide the Death Eaters that came through, he went there first.
Three of the Weasley boys were there laying down Rune Stones. The one that he didn't know was supervising and instructing.
"Done this before?" Draco asked him, trying to hide his nerves under his sarcasm.
The older Weasley didn't bite though. He smirked over his shoulder at him. "Set up? No. Brought down? Once or twenty times."
"Our brother here is a Curse Breaker for Gringotts." One of the twins said.
"Isn't he so dreamy?" The other faked swooning.
"So dreamy." The other concurred.
"How else would he have scored himself a Veela bride?"
"Triwizard champion Veela bride." The other corrected.
"Fleur Delacour is with you?" Draco asked astounded and impressed, completely unable to hide it.
The curse breaker gave him a sideways look. "I believe we are here for more than to gossip. Back at it. Fred, that one is too far in, move it back." Fred moved his Rune Stone back out further. "So, you will be trapped in her with everyone, and will be caught in the cross fire." Draco already knew this. Snape would be caught as well.
"We'll do our best not to knock you out." One of the twins, maybe George, promised him.
The curse breaker turned to him. "You'd better not, or we'll all be fucked." Both the twins looked at him and nodded, appearing more serious than Draco had ever seen them before. "You need to try and get to here when the firing starts." He gestured to a small alcove that would shield him from any hexes from above.
Draco nodded. The curse breaker checked his watch. "It's almost time. You'd better get back to the cabinet." He put a hand on Draco's shoulder. "You can do this."
Draco's eyebrows shot up in surprise at the encouragement he was getting from this man. Normally he would hate to be infantilized like that, but there was something about the way this Weasley said it that was comforting. Must have come naturally after having so many younger siblings.
Draco simply nodded again and turned back to head to the cabinet.
"What did you tell it?" He heard his cousin ask.
"Don't worry Tonks. I just told it to tell him to piss off should he show up." Sirius Black rounded the corner with you. "Ah! Draco Malfoy. Fancy meeting you here! Been put in your place by any feisty gingers lately?" He smiled.
Draco sneered at him. "Ah, Sirius Black. Made any inappropriate passes at other men's women lately?"
"Matter of fact I have. Eh, Tonks? You just tell me when and we can leave ol' Mooney in our dust." He quipped back, smiling roguishly at the woman beside him.
She responded by smacking him on the back of his head. "Stay focused." She turned to Draco. "You need to get in position."
He clenched his jaw in response and carried on his way.
Snape was standing by the cabinet with Kingsley Shacklebot, a reputable Auror Draco had seen in the prophet a few times. "Draco Malfoy I presume." Kingsley held out his hand. Draco took it and nodded. "Good. I know you've heard the plan already, but I want to go over it one more time. We've drilled it into everyone else's head."
"Please." Draco said, telling him to continue. He'd been over it a million and one times with Snape, and ran through it in him mind several times a day, but would not turn down the opportunity to go over it one more time with someone in charge.
"Once the Death Eaters come through the cabinet, yourself and Severus will lead them to the trap. There are going to be two Order members disillusioned above you." Draco looked up at Kingsley's indication and saw Professor Lupin and the Weasley Patriarch hovering above him.
"Once either all of you are in the circle, or the majority are, we will enact the final stone and all will be trapped under. Myself and the rest of the order members here will begin firing right away. We will aim to incapacitate and stun, not kill. Yourself and Severus will have to try to duck out of the way as fast as possible. You will not engage in the fight against the Death Eaters lest they somehow make it out."
He paused to make sure Draco heeded his words. "We will then use Polyjuice Potion on all the primary Death Eaters and go back through the cabinet to Knockturn Alley where Mad-Eye, Dumbledore and a few others will be waiting. Snape must be the first one back through, otherwise they will start throwing hexes and curses right away. Understood?"
Draco indicated he understood. They only had five minutes left before noon. "Once in Knockturn Alley the Order members there will take Polyjuice as well and we will go to Malfoy Manor by Side Apparation. You have the ability to take more than one person?" Again Draco nodded. "Once there we will need to get the lay of the situation. We don't know what exactly we are walking into. There may be more Death Eaters there, he may have hostages or hold you or one of us at wand point. You must act as though you just completed your task. I don't care if he makes you hex your mother, you must behave like you are still a loyal Death Eater. Whatever happens, we will only have a limited time before the Polyjuice wears off, so whatever will happen, will happen in that time frame. We will have a replica of Dumbledore's wand for you to present if asked for proof."
Draco swallowed hard and gripped his wand tight. They all had to kill the snake before they could kill Voldemort.
"Okay. Any questions?" He shook his head. "Just do your best, get them to the trap, we'll do the rest." Kingsley nodded to Snape and headed off in the direction of the trap.
Draco stood in front of the cabinet and looked up at the two on brooms above him. They were looking over towards where the trap was set up. Draco rested back against the vanity to try and compose himself. His hands had started shaking slightly.
"It is time." Snape said.
Draco turned to him and looked up at the fliers again. They gave him the thumbs up and disappeared. The brooms were still visible, but if asked he could say they had always been hovering there. He stepped towards the cabinet and cast the final spell and stepped back.
They waited a full minute before there was a 'Shwoop' noise and the door opened to reveal Amycus Carrow, followed closely by her brother Alecto. Bellatrix, Corban Yaxley, Gibbon, Rowle, and Greyback was the last one through.
"All here?" Snape asked calmly.
Bellatrix spoke for the group. Her hair and eyes were as crazy has he remembered. Her mind seemed to be permanently damaged from generations of inbreeding and Dementors. "All ready. Let's go make Dumbledore cry before my nephew kills him." She turned to Draco and trailed a finger under his chin.
"Let's go." Draco said through clenched teeth, doing his best not to make a face of disgust from her touch and proximity.
"What is this room?" Alecto asked staring around in wonder.
"A labyrinth, so follow closely or get stuck behind." Draco growled at him. He led the way and Snape nodded at each of them as they passed him and he took up the rear.
A right at the end of their aisle, past two openings on the left, one more right and that entire aisle would be encompassed in the trap.
It took a lot of focus to not peer upwards at the stacks to see if he could notice anyone hiding there. None of the Death Eaters had yet noticed the two brooms either. He allowed himself a glance back and saw they were quite interested in looking at the cluttered stacks. He could see Snape turn into the aisle as Draco approached the alcove that had been pointed out for him to take cover under.
Draco flinched when the final Rune was put in place and a wave of light went up in a dome over them. He jerked to the side as he heard a succession of popping sounds and spells being cast.
He'd been told not to engage, but his wand was in his hand and he cast a Protego right away, and seeing as his Aunt had immediately rounded on him with her wand out, it had been a good call.
What ever spell she'd been about to say, it didn't make it past her lips before she fell to the ground as something splattered the side of her head. And just like that, it was all over. Had it even been ten seconds?
Draco stayed crouched in his spot staring lost in thought at the bodies on the ground until the Weasley Mother stood in front of him.
"You can come out now." She gave him a kind, tight smile.
"That was… are we sure they're all out?" It had taken him longer to walk them to the trap than for them to fall to the ground. He had been expecting more of a battle. Had they been so sure that he would just do as asked?
He stepped out of the alcove and Mrs. Weasley patted his hand. A gesture he found odd. The whole Weasley family was just so bent on comforting. Even the twins grinned at him before they continued popping more of the paintballs at the bodies sprawled along the ground.
"Oi! That one was too close to me." Tonks told them off. She was collecting hairs as one of the twins fired of a round at Rowle's face.
"Sorry!" He replied happily and went off to join his brother, who was firing a succession of rounds at Greyback.
"We won't be able to use the Polyjuice on him." Snape pointed to the, now potion covered, werewolf.
"We will have to say he died." Kingsley concurred. "Dumbledore would have thought him to be the biggest threat to the students and took his life before Draco took his. Understood?" He told the group.
"Understood." The twins shouted together putting their free hand to their forehead in salute.
Draco's lip twitched at that. This part may have been easier than he expected, but now he had to face Voldemort again. He was wearing his dragon hide vest again, just in case.
"Alright. Everyone got your hairs?" Tonks asked.
There was a resounding response of 'yes's' and nods. "Alright, lets get back to the cabinet."
There had only been seven Death Eaters there, and one of them was Greyback. So only six of the nine Order members had hairs. Snape and Draco didn't require them, so unless there were more Death Eaters back in Knockturn Alley, some of them would have to stay behind.
The oldest Weasley boy deactivated the trap and the former Professor and Mr. Weasley landed. They both took the hairs from the twins.
"Hey!"
"You'll not be going if you don't have to." Their father told them. "If we're not back after an hour, you two will need to come back here and make sure these people stay under." The twins weren't happy with that, but agreed.
"Let's go." Kingsley told them.
Draco went to follow behind Snape back to the cabinet. He saw another wave of light out of the corner of his eye as the stone must have been moved back into place.
In front of the cabinet Snape summoned cups and divided out the potion in his flask, holding it from one person to the next. They had all donned their impersoned's cloak. Tonk's taking on the likeness of his Aunt, who he would have to stand with at all times.
Once they'd all transformed, save for the twins, Severus went through the cabinet, followed by himself.
Passing through the cabinet hadn't felt like Floo, or Apparation. It was like passing through a cold waterless rush of water. Like cool air blasting you from all sides, and then he found himself standing in the dark and depressing store front of Borgin and Burkes.
Mad Eye nodded at him and promptly grabbed him by the collar and shoved him out of the way. The six Death Eaters followed behind him, and the twins and Professor Lupin.
The floor of the store was littered with Death Eaters as well. At least six more. He saw Dolohov was one of them. He was another higher ranking one. Dumbledore came to stand in front of Draco and presented him with the replica of his wand.
"You've done well so far Draco. Not much longer now and it will all be over. One way or the other." His headmaster told him.
Draco was still having trouble finding words. He took the wand and followed Snape to the exit. Snape paused there and looked back. Draco followed his lead and watched the rest of the Order transform into those on the floor.
Snape opened the door and went to the middle of the alley, he indicated for Draco to stand still at one spot and moved six feet away from him and offered his arm to several of the Death Eaters coming out of the shop.
Draco did the same, now unsure of who was actually who under the potion. He had six people to side apparate. Snape had nine. He closed his eyes tight and pictured exactly where he wanted to arrive on the Manor property.
Determination, Deliberation, Destination. For the love of Merlin, don't let anybody splinch.
He heard Snape crack out of existence in the alley. He followed suit immediately.
He felt the ground under his feet was softer than it had been a moment ago and hands on his arms removed immediately. There was a delighted cackle from his Aunts mouth that was a dead on impersonation.
Draco opened his eyes in surprise at the sudden noise. Tonks was well in character. She was nearly dancing towards the house and Draco hastened to keep up with her. She ruffled a hand through his hair when he did come up beside her.
"You did a wonderful job." He quickly patted his hair back into place and pointed her toward the doors to the ballroom.
She burst through them and ignored the dozen or so other Death Eaters in the room, headed straight for Voldemort. How she knew that was exactly what the real Bellatrix would do must have come from direction from Snape. She was very good at this. She stopped ten feet away from him and fell to her knees in front of him.
"My Lord. It is done. The fool Dumbledore is dead!" She said with glee in her voice. "My nephew completed his task. Not before loosing Greyback." She turned back to Draco and cast a threatening glare.
Voldemort rose from his throne and came forward guiding Bellatrix to stand. She curtsied slightly and moved to stand next to Draco's father. Voldemort studied Draco. He knew he was outwardly showing his terror more than he should, but was fighting to calm himself.
"No need to be nervous young Draco. You did better than I had anticipated. Losing Greyback was no bother. He was just a werewolf after all." Voldemort returned to the front of the room. "I would like to congratulate all of the Death Eaters that were with our youngest recruit here. Tell me Draco. How did it happen?"
Draco took a breath to steady his voice. "We made it to the Headmasters office and surrounded him. He was occupied with trying to take down Greyback, he didn't see me casting the killing curse behind him."
"Ah! Some would call that cowardly. I say you take every opportunity provided to you." Voldemort did indeed look quite pleased with the tale. "And, his wand?"
Bellatrix snatched the wand from Draco and rushed forward to him, presenting it with both hands, and bowing as she retreated back.
Peter Pettigrew popped his head in through the door behind Voldemort, who turned and acknowledged him.
"Yes. Very well done Draco. You have proven your family's loyalty to me today." He retreated back to stand beside his throne once more. "And now you will prove yours, your final test." His amusement turned sinister as Pettigrew led two people into the room.
There was a very low inhale of breath around the room.
()()()()()()()()
Harry and Ron were headed back to the castle with most of the Quidditch team. Hermione had caught up with them and Ron swung his arm around her and gave her a kiss. Ginny had opted to head to the change room to clean up after the game and Harry wished she were there for him to swing his arm over, but he was still riding a high from their win and looking forward to seeing her later, hopefully for some alone time celebration too.
They all laughed and reenacted key points from the game as they made it up to Gryffindor Tower and Ron called dibs on the shower first so Harry fell back on his bed and waited. He sat up and pulled off his jersey and went to pull a clean shirt from his trunk and grabbed the Maurauders Map to see if Ginny was on her way back yet. He followed the path from the entrance back to the tower and didn't see her dot.
But a name jumped out at him on the seventh floor. Remus Lupin was there. Harry heart gave a jump. Remus could have a few reasons to be there, surely. He quickly scanned the area and saw Nymphadora Tonks disappear into the Room or Requirement. Kingsley Shacklebot was coming around the corner too. And Sirius Black. There was only one reason that Sirius would be there.
It was time.
For a brief moment he was furious that no one had thought to let him know.
But then, how would they have?
Ron stepped out of the bathroom in a cloud of steam and Harry stared at him, trying to think through what they should do.
"Alright mate?"
He still couldn't talk for a moment, and just stared. "It's time. It's happening." He pointed to the map.
Ron looked from him to the map and back again. Realization settled in. "Now? Right now? You're sure." He asked coming over to look at the map.
"Tonks, Remus, Kingsley and Sirius all went into the Room. Why else would they do that? It's been mapped." Harry told him trying to think through what his next move should be.
Ron rushed to his trunk and threw his towel on his bed, forgoing modesty at the moment, while he pulled on fresh clothes.
Harry grabbed the map and his wand. Hermione was in her dorm. He grabbed his broom. "Meet us in the common room. And grab my cloak." He told Ron before jumping out the window.
He raced over to Hermione and Ginny's dorm and knocked on the window pane aggressively until Hermione opened it. "Ginny isn't here Harry." She smiled as he landed.
"I know. But it's time. I saw the Order heading into the Room." The words tumbled out of his mouth.
She bristled and colour drained from her face. "You're sure? There could be no other reason?"
"I'm not going to wait around to find out." He headed over to Ginny's trunk and fished around for her vial of Basilisk Venom.
"What are you doing?'
"I'm taking this." He held up the vial. "And going to wait outside of the room with the invisibility cloak in case the worst happens." He shuddered a bit, not delving too deep into what the worst that could happen would be exactly.
Hermione raced to her desk and grabbed her hair tie and wand. "Let's go."
"You're sure you want to?" She gave him a look. She'd been there along side him and Ron since first year. Of course she wouldn't let them go on their own now. Harry left his broom under Ginny's bed and stepped out of the dorm room.
He knew the stairs would turn to a slide right away, so he slid down and landed feet first at the bottom and Hermione fell against him a moment later.
Ron was waiting. "Right. We'll tell that lot that we're running out for butterbeer if anyone asks." Ron said and handed Harry the cloak.
As casually as they could manage they crossed the common room. Harry and Ron received a few pats on the back, but no one stopped them, or questioned where they were going.
On the other side of the portrait hole they ran to the seventh floor.
"Do we go in?" Hermione asked as they stared at the wall.
"One of you Harry?" Barnabus the Barmy asked from his portrait.
"Er, yeah." Harry had never heard this portrait talk before.
"Right. Got a message for you. Say's 'Piss off'." Barnabus nodded.
"Someone told you specifically to tell him to 'Piss off'?" Ron asked.
"Yes. Tall sandy haired mustached fellow."
"That doesn't sound like Remus." Harry said.
"Right. Said that if you said that, to tell you that if, and only if, you had the ginger and the bird." Barnabus nodded to Ron and Hermione. "That Snivellus could probably get you where you needed to go."
The three Gryffindor's looked between each other. Snape would have been in the Room with the rest of them. Shouldn't he?
"Floo!" Harry realized. "His grate is probably hooked up to Malfoy Manor."
They raced to the DADA classroom and into the office.
"Ron. You check the desk. Hermione, you check the shelves for the Floo Powder." Harry went straight to the mantle.
"Okay, so say we actually get there, right? And there are a bunch of Death Eaters on the other side of the grate, wands pointed." Ron ran through potential problems as he searched around the desk pulling open drawers.
"Or Voldemort himself." Hermione agreed, while she continued her search ripping books out of the shelves.
"There is also the chance that it isn't actually hooked up to Malfoy Manor at all." Harry told them.
"Yes, but I think the first person to go through should be wearing the cloak." Ron said.
"Agreed." Harry confirmed. "And it'll be me." He didn't' have to look back over his shoulder to know Ron and Hermione were exchanging a look.
"Found it!" Hermione held up a bag of Floo Powder that had been hidden behind a book.
"Yes!" Ron stood up from behind the desk.
Harry delved his hand into the pouch with out a thought and tossed it in the fire and stepped under the cloak and into the green flames. "Malfoy Manor." He said loudly and clearly.
But nothing happened.
He stepped out and took off the cloak. "He's not hooked up." He stared at the fireplace as the orange flames flickered back. The three of them stared at it disbelief. They'd all been so sure, and their adrenaline tapered from the shock of it not working.
"Potions office!" Ron said.
"But, he isn't there anymore." Hermione pointed out.
"I know, but maybe he didn't disable it. He's had to get there and back some how." Ron explained.
"And Slughorn doesn't use Snape's old office." Harry remembered.
"We don't have any other ideas." Ron stated. "Let's go."
"Hold on." Harry checked the map again. No one was going in or out of the Room. That was a good sign, and the Potions room and attached office were empty. "Okay, let's go."
They took the Floo powder with them and ran down to the dungeons. They rushed through he classroom to the side office and Harry threw another handful of powder in the fireplace and the cloak on, trying this one more time. His lungs were burning from the exercise.
"Malfoy Manor."
This time he was sucked up through the tube and spat out in a lavish entry way. He stepped forward with his wand at the ready. There wasn't any Death Eaters there to greet them, but a House Elf popped up in front of him after a second and looked around confused.
The flames bust to life behind him and the Elf raised a hand as though to snap its fingers.
"Wait." Harry said and pulled his cloak off. "My name is Harry Potter. I was the one that freed Dobby." He told the Elf quietly hoping that would be enough to put the Elf on their side.
The Elf's eyes went wide, it's lips drew thin and he or she hopped from one foot to the next. The flames burst again behind him.
"We're here to finish him off. Please, please don't give us away." Harry pleaded desperately.
The Elf pulled on its ears in uncertainty and it looked like it was nodding.
"Thank you!" Hermione beamed down and hugged the Elf.
"Yes. Thank you. Can you tell me where the snake is? Nagini?"
The Elf's ears twitched. "There is being more arrivals. You's must go now." The Elf pointed up the marble staircase. "Three doors down on the right." The Elf told them and they rushed up the stairs, carefully looking down the hallway before rounding the corner.
It was dead quiet in the hall and as they passed the second door on the left they heard some movements inside it. "Oh. Almost forgot." They heard a smooth and calm voice say, followed by the sound of something hitting something else. They paused listening for a second for footsteps, but heard the sound of something falling down, and kept rushing to the door the Elf told them to go to.
Harry tested the knob carefully and the door pushed inward just as they heard another door open and the three of the rushed into the room, wands drawn.
Ron closed the door gently behind him. They were in a large study. There were book shelves on two walls and a few arm chairs and a chaise long in front of a large fireplace with large windows on either side.
"Where's the snake?" Ron asked.
While the room was large, so was Nagini. They should have been able to see it right away.
"Hungry." Harry heard a hiss above them.
He instinctively grabbed Ron and Hermione by their shirts and yanked them forward before the snake, which had most of it's body held up alongside the door frame, fell down over where they'd been standing.
Harry pulled out the vial from his pocket.
"Wait for the right moment!" Ron told him. "There isn't much left, you cant afford to miss."
The snake slithered towards them and they backed up towards the fireplace.
"Stop." Harry said to it in Parseltongue.
"So hungry." The snake said and continued to stalk them. Harry wasn't its master, it wouldn't listed to him. He looked around for some sort of escape, or a way to subdue the reptile.
Ron knocked over one of the arm chairs in the snakes path and the snake snapped at him. Hermione made a loud squeak. Maybe to call its attention, maybe because she was terrified beyond control. They wound up backed against the mantle and the snake reared up and opened its mouth wide.
Harry didn't think. The thrust himself forward, arm out, and shoved it in the snakes mouth, pouring the venom down the snakes throat and quickly pulling his arm back with-out the vial either.
Nagini reared back farther, and its body thrashed around wildly. The three of them ran around the perimeter of the room to get as far away from the dying snake as possible. The snake seemed to be withering in on itself, getting slowly more and more narrow.
It fell to lay completely on the ground twitching and then its mouth opened and plume of black smoke came out.
"We did it." Ron was the first to say. "That was the last Horcrux! We did it!"
"Celebrate later." Harry said calmly. "We still have Voldemort to deal with."
"And the Order needs to know that we got the snake." Hermione told him.
A blood curdling scream in the distance called all of their attentions.
"Come on." Harry ran to the door. The other two followed him out as they ran down the hall and down the stairs, pausing at the bottom by the fireplace they'd arrived at. "Which way do you think?" he turned to the other two.
Another scream sounded and they ran towards a set of double doors at the back side of the staircase and burst through it.
()()()()()()()
When she opened her eyes it was to find herself in a vaguely familiar room. Her brow furrowed. This room was so lush and elegant. It didn't look like anywhere at Hogwarts. She was laying on a very comfortable queen sized four poster bed.
How did she get into this bed? She was confused. What the hell happened? Ginny looked down at her body. She was still wearing her Quidditch uniform. The last thing she remembered was heading to the change rooms for a quick shower before the was going to join the rest of Gryffindor to celebrate their win.
She tried to move herself to sit up, but couldn't move her hands or feet apart. Panic was starting to set in.
Fruitlessly she struggled against the binding spell. Her wand. Where was her wand? Her arms were bound behind her. She'd always kept her wand tucked against her lower back, but it wasn't there.
Ginny wiggled and used her shoulder to leverage herself into a seated position and swung her legs over the side of the bed.
'Okay. Okay. Panicking isn't going to help.' She thought as her heart raced and her legs felt like she'd just run 5km after downing dark coffee and chocolate. She was shivering, bit it wasn't cold in the room. Trying to get to her feet to make it to the window her knees gave out and she fell to the floor. She let out an inaudible cry of surprise.
She sat back on her heels and tried making a noise with her mouth. Nothing came out. She was bound and gagged and in a somewhat familiar undisclosed location.
She shimmied a bit and tried to rub her chin against her collar bone to see if she still had her necklace. The familiar weight was there, and as her chin caught the chain she felt her pendants move between her breasts. At least there was still that, she let out slow breaths.
It was still daylight out, and the windows were about fifteen feet away. Her options of getting to the window were to somehow wiggle on her knees, or lay down and roll her way there. Rolling would be the best option.
She stretched out on the hardwood floor on her stomach and hefted herself over, wincing as her bony hip put pressure on the surface. She got onto her back and it really hurt having her wrists bound and trapped between the floor and her bum.
She made it to the window after seven full flips and landed on her stomach. She lifted her hips up and putting her weight on her shoulders and chin, tiptoeing her knees under her to straighten herself up.
She looked out the window and saw a vast manicured lawn. There were a few flower bushes and what looked to be the outline of a Quidditch Pitch. She didn't see anyone out there. She looked to the sky to try to figure out what the time might be. It was too overcast to make out the position of the sun.
Her brow furrowed and chin warbled. Damn it! A few tears rolled down her cheek. She felt so powerless. What the hell was she doing there? She must have been kidnapped.
From the state of the room and the grounds, there was only one logical assumption. She was at Malfoy Manor. That was why the room looked slightly familiar. It wasn't the same one she'd been in back before her fourth year, but the furniture and the style was all the same as what she remembered from her brief conscious moments from two years ago.
But why had they kidnapped her?
She sank down with her back against the wall under the window and let herself give in to the terror. It was probably a good thing that she was gagged. Her sobs would have been heard for sure. Her stomach was clenching, there was a steady stream of tears and snot letting gravity dictate the path down her face and she was completely powerless.
She brought her knees up in front of her and wiped away the tears and snot on her trousers and sat back, trying to calm herself down.
'Okay. Think Ginny. Quidditch. Change rooms. Did I make it to the change rooms?' She tried to remember. 'You waved goodbye to Harry and Ron and the rest of the team, then. Opened the door to the change rooms. You went back to the bench an the door slammed shut and then… nothing. Then you woke up in a bed.'
The game had finished around noon.
For a minute, she just focused on her breathing. Inhale. Exhale. She wouldn't be alone in this room forever. She should use this time. For something.
What the fuck could she use this time for? Devise a plan of escape?
This place was undoubtedly full of Death Eaters and Voldemort. And his snake.
Okay, so maybe when someone comes into the room they'd unbind her. So maybe there was something sharp around that she could get her hands on?
She looked around.
There were a few books. Paintings. Ostentatious busts. A vase.
The vase she could break. It was on a circular pedestal table by the other window, five feet away. The crash might call attention to her. It is either do that, or sit here not knowing what's going on.
Fuck it.
She wiggled across the floor on her bum and knocked the table with her feet, knocking that vase over. The thing bounced.
Fucking unbreakable charm! Fuck!
The vase had made a loud thunking noise though. The door to the room opened.
She braced herself, half expecting to be hit with a hex or a curse right away. But nothing came except for a chuckle. She looked over to the door and saw Blaise Zabini.
Blaise Zabini?!
"Hello gorgeous. You look a little surprised to see me." He stepped further into the room and shut the door behind him.
She swallowed hard and scrambled back so she was against the wall again. As though the two feet of added distance would make all the difference.
Blaise looked all around the room. "I must say, I had rather expected you to wreak more havoc than knocking over a vase." He went over to the window she'd first managed to look out of. "Couldn't bust this open with your shoulder? I imagine your idiot brother would do that and fall down forgetting that he was still bound. Looks like you're a little smarter than that."
He looked down at her, and she up at him. "Awe. Have you been crying?" He pulled a sympathetic face and knelt down to observe her closer. She sat stock still and widened her eyes. He had a wand and was bigger and stronger than her. If he tried to hurt her, or force himself on her, she wouldn't be able to stop him.
"Your eyes get quite a lovely chestnut colour to them when you cry." He reached out and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. She flinched at his touch. He laughed. "Oh please. You didn't think I'd try something. Did you?" He looked her over skeptically. "I never actually wanted you. Blood traitors hold no interest for me. And freckles." He made a show of shivering.
Ginny just looked at him, her brow together in confusion. He was a good actor. Had he been a Death Eater spy all year? She relaxed ever so slightly with the knowledge that he wasn't interested in taking advantage of the situation like that. But what did he know that caused him to kidnap her and bring her there? Was he a legitimence? Did he know about the Horcruxes?
They heard a pop outside and both turned to the window. There was another pop Blaise stood up and looked out and smirked. He pointed his wand at her feet and removed the bind on them.
She immediately separated her legs and rolled her ankles in relief. She was still gagged and her hands were still stuck together at the wrists.
"It's show time." He smiled maliciously and hefted her to her feet. "Oh. Almost forgot." He said pleasantly.
With no time for her to react he pulled his arm back and punched her hard in the face. She stumbled and knocked over the table. If he hadn't had a grip on her arm still she would have fallen down. She saw black spots and she couldn't breath for a moment. She heaved gasps as the pain he'd caused registered in her brain. He'd hit her high on the cheek.
He shook out his hand. "Ah, that feels so much better."
She was stunned and regained her balance. He actually looked calmer than he had before. He got off on physical violence? Had he really just hit her to make himself feel better?
"Now come on. Can't keep them waiting" She stumbled as he pulled her towards the door. "You'll have to keep up, or I will put you under the Imperious. Then who knows what I could make you do or say." He grinned at the idea.
She swallowed hard and fought back her tears. A few escaped as she kept up with him down the hallway. He led her down a marble staircase and down another hallway. There was a chubby balding man in Death Eaters robes smiling wickedly at her with crooked teeth as they approached.
"Ah. Ginny."
She narrowed her eyes at him. She didn't know this man, why was he staring at her like he knew her? Now she was creeped out on top of being terrified.
He turned to Blaise. "Wait here." He ducked his head inside the door behind him a moment, then pulled back and waved Blaise to bring her forward.
Ginny was shaking again. Her heart was in her throat and stopped every time her foot touched down carrying her forward.
The room they walked into was a ballroom. She blinked at the brightness of the room as compared to the dark hallway, and her eyes fell on the people in the room.
Lucius Malfoy was the first person she saw. He didn't meet her eye. He was looking at her, but more at her chin. Bellatrix Lestrange was beside him. She looked startled to see Ginny there. As did Snape beside her, the only indication of such being the slight widening of his eyes.
Beside Snape was Draco. She locked eyes with him and bit down hard on the inside of her cheek to try and stop herself from reacting. She saw him tremble slightly and his fingers tighten around his wand.
"Here we are." Said a commentating voice to her left. She looked over and her knees almost gave out on her again.
Voldemort. He was ashen in colour and red eyed with slits for a nose. He looked terrifying. Nothing like the Tom Riddle she remembered.
"Your final test Draco." Voldemort moved over to her and waved Blaise to join the others. Ginny was frozen as he moved closer. It was like his skin was translucent. "Let's see if you can kill your beloved Blood Traitor." His lipless mouth curved into a smile at her before he turned to Draco.
It was two blinks before she actually heard what he'd said, then her jaw dropped open. She was there because they thought Draco loved her? For an incredulous moment she just looked wild eyed back and forth between Draco and Voldemort.
She wasn't there simply because she was a Weasley, or because she was Harry Potter's girlfriend, or because she'd destroyed his Horcruxes. She was there as a final test of loyalty for Draco because they thought he was in love with her? She looked to Snape, then to the senior Malfoy. They were surprised too. They hadn't said anything. She looked over at Blaise. He looked smug.
Something inside her snapped and she started laughing. Crying and laughing. Silently.
That was why he'd hit on her all those months ago. He was double checking. Well, he was correct about who she had been being discrete with at the time.
Ginny fell to her knees in hysterics this time.
Voldemort gave her a puzzled look to the back of her head as she was bent down on the floor, then to Draco that was looking at her like she was insane.
"Did you just call her my beloved?" Draco asked him.
Blaise stood up straight, not able to admit that he might have misjudged. Voldemort looked at him and held up his wand. "I know they were together! He's been keeping her on the side while he's been with Astoria Greengrass. They were in a classroom along together last weekend."
"She wasn't meeting me in that classroom. I had packed up and left that room because she'd started occupying it."
"You can't tell me you two never were together. I've seen you both staring at each other."
"Together? Like, in a relationship?" Draco looked disgusted. "I may have hooked up with her once, but she is not my beloved."
One of the Death Eaters in back of him sucked in a breath.
"Enough." Voldemort waved his wand at Blaise and he crumpled to the ground as a red stunning hex hit him in the chest. He waved his wand at Ginny and her body rose up so she was standing straight. "Any last words?" He asked as he removed the gag.
Was she supposed to say something profound, and eloquent? That wasn't really her style. Ginny just narrowed her eyes at him in anger. "You got really fucking ugly Tom Riddle." His calm face turned livid and he back handed her across the face and cast the Cruciatus curse.
Pain wracked through her body and she screamed out as a million razor blades cut along her skin and insides while the most intense headache made her skull want to rip open to relieve the pressure. She lay at his feet as it stopped.
"How dare you call me that name." He screamed at her.
Her head was turned towards his congregation. She was fighting to keep her eyes open. Draco's mask was slipping, but his wasn't the only one. Dolohov, Bellatrix and her husband, and several other Death Eaters she didn't know were doing a piss poor job of trying not to look terrified for her.
Voldemort grabbed her by her hair and dragged her up to her knees. "How do you know that name?" He demanded.
She spat the blood out of her mouth at him. "Read it in your diary. Before I destroyed it."
"That is not possible!" He cried in outrage and shoved her forward, casting another Crucio on her.
This one didn't last as long as the others. She lay on her stomach with her eyes closed and heard a muffled distant shout before she blacked out.