Shell Cottage


"You kissed my father?" asked Draco, simultaneously outraged and disgusted.

"I didn't have many other options," said Ginny. "And it worked didn't it?"

"But my father?" cried Draco.

"I'd rather it be him than Bellatrix," mumbled Ginny.

They had just landed on a sandy beach, courtesy of Dobby. Nearly everyone was bleeding. Blood was slowly trickling down Draco's face from the gash in his head, Ginny's healing shoulder had ripped open when she'd been pinned to the ground by Lucius, Hermione was a mess from Bellatrix's torture, and Harry was simply drenched in blood.

"No!" shouted Harry. "No, no, no, please no!"

The others ran up to Harry from where they had been thrown during their landing. Harry was cradling Dobby, holding his small body in his arms, crying profusely and begging Dobby to live.

Ginny realized that Bellatrix's knife had done the trick. No matter whom it had originally been intended for, it had hit a target and had destroyed one of their ranks. Ginny got close enough to hear Dobby's last words, "Dobby is happy to be with his friend Harry Potter." His giant green tennis ball eyes closed for the last time. Harry clutched his body, tears streaming down his face. Hermione moved behind him, putting an arm around his shoulders and also sobbing. Ron was comforting Hermione. Ginny and Draco stood back, feeling grateful that the elf had saved their lives, but not too torn up about it.

They turned to walk up the hill to Shell Cottage and were greeted by the sight of four figures running towards them, Bill and Fleur, Dean, and Luna.

"We have to bury him," said Harry hoarsely. He had stood up and was carrying Dobby towards the cottage. "We have to give him a proper funeral."

Everyone solemnly followed Harry up the hill, not knowing what to say. Luna placed a hand on his back as if to reassure him that they were all still there. Bill and Fleur looked on the procession with sad eyes.

Bill raised his wand to carve a grave for Dobby.

"No!" shouted Harry. "It has to be proper. I want to dig it."

Bill nodded his understanding and brought a shovel to Harry from a small shed on the side of the house.

Everyone watched silently as Harry dug, pausing occasionally to wipe sweat off his face. Dean and Ron got shovels for themselves when they realized that Harry was intent on digging the grave by hand. No one interacted with anyone else except when Fleur disappeared and reemerged from the house with an armful of clean rags and a bucket of soapy water for those who were injured.

Ginny silently cleaned the wound on Draco's face. Sand had gotten into the flesh and removing it was more easily said than done. Draco didn't stop gritting his teeth until Ginny had tied a new bandage around his head. He then repaid her favor by cleaning her shoulder and designing her another new sling. By that point Ron, Dean, and Harry had finished digging and Harry was lowering Dobby's body into the grave. He looked lost. Hermione walked up with a pair of socks and a hat that she had just conjured. She helped Harry dress Dobby.

Luna courageously walked up to the top of the grave. "Dobby," she began, "you were a gentle soul and you saved my life and the lives of all my friends. We will never forget what you have done for us." She grabbed a handful on sand and threw it over the body.

One by one, everybody watching picked up another handful of sand and cast it into the grave with their thanks. Finally, Bill picked up one of the shovels and began to fill the grave. Harry carved a gravestone with the epithet "Here Lies Dobby, A Free Elf."

Fleur ushered them all inside, preparing fresh lemonades and making sandwiches for anyone who wanted one. "It's a surprise to have you here, Ginny," she said when the two of them were alone in the kitchen. "After everything we've heard, I didn't think you'd ever be back with us."

"You've only heard one side of the story," said Ginny, slicing tomatoes for the sandwiches. "I'll explain everything when we're all in the same room." She paused. "How's Mum?"

"Distressed," said Fleur. "She thinks one of her children is a Death Eater, one runs around with Harry and no one ever knows where he is or if he's alive, Percy is still working for the Ministry, and Fred and George are full members of the Order. She worries."

"Oh, Mum," sighed Ginny, grabbing a plate of sandwiches and bringing them into the dining room where everyone was sitting in silence. She took a seat next to Draco. Fleur brought in the lemonade.

"So tell us Ginny," started Bill, "we normally wouldn't want Draco Malfoy to be sitting in our home. And Ron believes that you are a Death Eater. Care to explain?"

Ginny took a sip of her lemonade and decided on the whole truth. "It's sort of a long story," she said.

"We've got time," said Bill.

"Yeah," said Ron. "Explain to us why you've got the bloody Dark Mark and why it's suddenly okay for you to torture anyone you're told to."

Ginny took a deep breath. She started at the very beginning, with her mission for the Order: Turn Draco Spy. She moved on to learning that Draco had a mission of his own, to bring her to You-Know-Who to be used as bait for Harry Potter. She unapologetically told them why she had been so mean to Harry, that it was for his own good so that she couldn't be used against him, and how that she soon realized that Draco didn't want to be a part of the Death Eaters. She talked about how she had contacted Lupin and how she and Draco had decided that they were going to become spies for the Order. She said that the first time they had been called to Malfoy Manor she had freaked out but managed to ask You-Know-Who for the Dark Mark so that he would trust her. She quietly told them of how she was forced to torture Ron in order to prove her loyalty to the Death Eaters and how she, Draco, and Snape worked together to fake the death of Professor McGonagall. She mentioned that Lupin knew about all of her plans but that she had asked him not to tell to save her family from the pain that it would cause. She apologized for not being able to obtain as much information as she had hoped from You-Know-Who, and then she told them how it all went wrong and how she and Draco had ended up as prisoners.

Ginny took a deep breath and finished her lemonade. She had talked for over an hour. "I was trying to help the Order," she added lamely.

"May I see the Dark Mark?" asked Bill.

Ginny looked sideways at Draco, ashamed of the form that was tattooed to her forearm. "I guess," she said, and asked Draco to pull up her sleeve, as her injured arm was strapped into place by the sling.

The others crowded around the table to see Ginny's arm. "Can he hurt you through that?" asked Fleur.

Ginny nodded.

"You and Draco should stay here, where I can monitor your conditions, until we are reasonably assured that You-Know-Who will not use pain as a way to flush you out of hiding," said Fleur. "Bill and I will take good care of you."

"What?" said Ginny. "No! What about the horcruxes? I got this mark so that I could help the Order, and if I can't help by being in You-Know-Who's presence, then I am going to be out on the front lines, looking for a way to destroy him. I will not stay holed up where I can't do anything to help!"

"We've still got four horcruxes left to find," said Harry.

"How'd you find out how many he has?" asked Ginny.

"I went searching through Dumbledore's memories."

"Do you know what they are?" asked Draco.

"Are you serious?" shouted Ron. "They cannot be trusted. I don't care that she just told us some sob story about how she failed her mission. She has a Dark Mark! She works for You-Know-Who!"

"I don't think that's true, Harry," said a newcomer to the room.

"Lupin!" said Ginny. "It's so good to see you." She stood up to give him a one-armed hug.

"I have multiple reasons to believe that Ginny is not a Death Eater, Ron," said Lupin. "She and Draco are truly trying to help us."

Ron sputtered angrily. "But she tortured me."

"You know what You-Know-Who is like, Ron. You've heard the stories from what happened before. Trust her. Spies work in both directions, not just his."

Ron didn't say anything.

"On a lighter note," began Lupin, "Tonks and I are going to have a baby!" There was a burst of noise as everyone simultaneously stood up to offer Lupin his or her congratulations. "Harry," said Lupin when the noise died down, "I'd be honored if you would be the godfather."

"I'd love to!" said Harry, smiling for the first time since Ginny had seen him.

Lupin beamed. "Now as for making plans," he said, turning suddenly serious.

"We need to find four more horcruxes. One of them is in Bellatrix's safe at Gringotts, I'm sure of it. Another is Nagini, You-Know-Who's snake. Of the other two, one of them is somehow connected to Ravenclaw. The last I'm not sure of."

"I can get into Bellatrix's safe," said Draco.

Griphook looked affronted. "No one can get into any safe that is not their own. Gringotts is the safest place in the world," he said smugly.

"That's why you're going to help us," said Draco.

"I've got one of Bellatrix's hairs," said Hermione, "from when she was torturing me. And I managed to get her wand."

"Perfect," said Harry. "Ginny will take Polyjuice Potion and Draco will escort her to Gringotts. Griphook, you'll help them get through the security measures."

"I want the sword."

"Excuse me?" said Harry.

"I want the sword of Gryffindor in return for my help."

Harry exchanged a significant look with both Ron and Hermione. "Fine," he said. "You'll get the sword after we get the horcrux."

"What exactly are we looking for, Harry?" asked Ginny.

"An item of Hufflepuff's. I think it'll be a cup of some sort. Silver."

"I know the one," said Draco. "It used to be displayed over our fireplace."

"Good. The rest of us will go to Hogwarts. You two," Harry said, pointing at Ginny and Draco, "will meet us there. We'll reconvene at Hogwarts to discuss what will happen next. Got it?"

"Tomorrow?" asked Ginny.

"Yes. Tomorrow, let's say ten o'clock in the Room of Requirement."

"Okay."

The group stood up as one. Fleur left the dining room to find pillows and blankets for everyone to sleep on. Lupin said his goodbyes and left the cottage, wanting to return home to care for his pregnant wife. Harry pulled Ginny away from the group.

"What is it, Harry?"

"You can't let Griphook get the sword," he whispered. "Bat-bogey him if you have to."

Ginny giggled. "Why?"

"It's the only thing we have that will destroy the horcruxes."

"Okay. I'll do my best. Do you want us to destroy the cup as soon as we find it?"

"Better not. I want to make sure it's the right thing first."

Ginny frowned. "We'll just bring it to you then." She paused. "I'll get the sword from you in the morning." She left Harry standing in the doorway and went to find Draco and her bed.


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