Ginny stumbled a few steps forward as if she'd jumped from a moving broom, barely saving herself from falling flat on her face. Heart pounding, she spun around, seeing only a white, featureless space. Looking down at herself, she saw she was in jeans and an old blue jumper with a giant "F" on it and a hole in the left elbow, well-worn trainers on her feet. This isn't what I was wearing … she thought, remembering the off-the-shoulder cocktail dress she'd worn to the gala. I was running up the stairs to get away …

She had only a moment to puzzle out her change of clothing and venue when she heard the sound of approaching footsteps and backed away, looking around fruitlessly for somewhere to hide. "Ah, I'm afraid you won't find anywhere to hide here, my dear," said a voice that sounded like someone had worked hard to add a veneer of sophistication to an accent from the rougher end of London. "I would say it's rather difficult to hide when you're inside your own mind, wouldn't you?"

A man that Ginny would have sworn was Jacob Green leered at her, sweeping the top hat from his head as he gave her a bow. "Forgive me. Cornelius Maxwell," the dead man said, extending his hand to her. She didn't take it and he frowned. "It seems manners have fallen on hard times."

"Where are we?" Ginny asked, feeling for her wand in her back pocket, reassured at the touch of the familiar yew wood. And how can I get out of here and back to Harry? Her last sight of him came to her, his eyes wide with a panic she was not used to seeing as she pelted up the basement stairs.

"We're inside of your mind. I should think that you would be very familiar with this place, given all of the time you've spent here with your dear Tom," he said, a saccharine friendliness oozing from his voice.

At the mention of Tom, Ginny's blood froze in her veins, memories of her time with the diary Horcrux flooding back. Endless hours spent chatting with the shade of Tom Riddle as she poured her tortured eleven-year-old heart out to him. He was such a good listener, offering only helpful suggestions for how she might make herself stand out to Harry, how she might get him to see her as more than his best friend's annoying little sister and how wonderful it would be when they finally shared true love's first kiss. But we didn't talk here … not in this place. She frowned, casting her memory back to a time she'd rather forget forever and the landscape around them shifted.

"Oh, well done, girl!" Cornelius said with obvious surprise and admiration as a green forest glen took shape around them. He was standing on a moss-covered rock next to a swiftly rushing stream and Ginny stood across the clearing from him, next to a fallen tree that had a perfect seat-shaped depression. Golden afternoon sunlight shone through the tree branches.

"That white was getting boring, don't you think?" she said with a forced casualness as she sat down in her old, familiar spot. "Please, don't feel that you need to stand. Tom always said that boulder was very comfortable."

She watched, muscles tensed as the shade settled his portly figure on the boulder. He set his top hat on the rock next to him and leaned his walking stick against it in easy reach. There's a sword in there, she remembered. Cornelius looked around, taking in the rushing water and the dappled sunlight falling between the leaves of the surrounding trees. "This really is very nice. Is it based on somewhere?"

Ginny shrugged, unwilling to tell him that this very place existed only a short distance from the Burrow and was her favorite place to escape her brothers when she was little. He frowned and cocked his head at her. "It seems to be missing a bit of something though." She felt a dull pressure in her head and turned away from him, closing her eyes until the pressure stopped. "I think that's a bit more appropriate, don't you?"

Opening her eyes, she saw that the sunlight had been replaced by cold moonlight, casting the dead man's face in shadow. The fact that he could exert change on a place of her creation in her own mind frightened her badly and she struggled to maintain her cool expression. "Depends on your taste, I suppose."

Cornelius rocked back, letting out a sharp bark of laughter. "You and I are going to get along very well. I've always enjoyed a challenge." The leer was back in full force and Ginny suppressed a shiver.

"And what exactly are we going to be getting along with?" she asked, casually drawing her wand out of her back pocket. She had no idea if she'd actually be able to do anything with it here in this place, but the familiar weight of it felt reassuring in her hand.

"We're going to be sharing this beautiful body of yours for a long time, my dear," Cornelius said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. The way he looked at her made her very glad that she wasn't in the off-the-shoulder black dress, but in the shapeless old jumper and jeans. "Well, I say share, but you're never going to be in control of it again, so really I'll be the one in charge." He sighed, looking around at the peaceful clearing. "I've always wondered what it's like to be a woman. I wonder if Harry will be able to tell the difference?"

The thought of this man being in control of her body, living her life and being with Harry turned her stomach. Can I vomit here? Fighting a rising sense of panic, Ginny simply nodded. "And I'm just to be shoved aside?"

"In so many words."

"Why did you kill Ignatius? Why not take him over?"

Cornelius shook his head. "Ah, Ignatius. He was a … flawed vessel. Too much ambition in that one. Trying to tame him would have been a tiresome chore. Much easier to remove his piece from the game board, as it were."

"And Jacob?" Ginny asked. If I can keep him talking, maybe I can give Harry and the others more time to do something. If time is even passing the same.

"That would have been the work of a moment." Cornelius snapped his fingers with a grin. "He is my descendant and the same blood runs through us both. I would have sent him to his slumber and been free to walk as a man once more."

A chill trickled down her spine and she steeled herself to ask the question that she must. "And me? What makes me so attractive?"

"What do they teach children these days that you do not even know your own worth?" Shaking his head sadly, Cornelius shifted on the moss-covered rock. "You, Ginny Weasley, are a seventh child and the first daughter of your father's line in several generations. As such, you possess a deep well of power and are … more sensitive … to certain energies and magics, as you no doubt discovered when you met Tom." He grinned at her, leaning forward and she subconsciously leaned away from him, even though he was all the way across the clearing from her. "You've already been broken to harness, so to say."

Ginny kept her expression calm, even though she felt as if her very breath had been snatched away. He's dead! Tom is dead and gone, but he can still hurt me! "Well, I don't think you'll find me a very obedient beast of burden," she said, hoping she was projecting abject boredom.

Cornelius only chuckled indulgently and she felt that pressure in her head again. She felt almost like she was drowning, her vision blurring as if she were looking up at the sky through a few feet of water and a surge of panic swept through her, transporting her to how she felt when Tom would take over, using her to open the Chamber of Secrets and release the basilisk to wreak havoc on the school.

Gasping, she pressed on her forehead with the heel of her hand until the awful pressure eased. Across from her, Cornelius smiled in satisfaction. "You're strong, make no doubt about that, but so young. And well-broken. I really wish there were some vestige of Tom left to thank."

"You're a few years too late for that. Harry killed him," Ginny spat, angry at the reminder of the time she'd spent possessed by the spirit housed in the Horcrux diary. She looked at the trees surrounding them and found them to be a bit more sinister, the friendly green trees in her memory replaced by spidery, sick-looking things. Frowning, she concentrated, a flush of pleasure running through her as the light brightened to a late-afternoon glow and the trees flourished green and healthy once more.

Cornelius gave her a respectful nod and she braced herself for that pressure in her head again, but none came. Instead, he appeared to make himself more comfortable on the boulder, taking off his jacket and loosening his cravat. "Looks like we're going to be here for a while, you and I. We should get to know each other better."

"I know everything I need to know about you," Ginny said coldly, keeping her eyes glued to him. She had to keep reminding herself that he wasn't Jacob. Except for the outlandish sideburns and extra weight around the middle, they could almost be twins. Even his voice had a similar timbre for all that the accent was very different.

"Ah, but if we are going to be together, then I must learn more about you." He narrowed his eyes at her. "Tell me, do you hold a grudge against Harry for letting your brother die?"

So, he knows some things, but not everything, Ginny thought with a wave of relief. I still have some secrets from him. Mind racing, the words came out of her mouth almost without conscious thought. "That's one of the few things we fight about, actually." At the hint of discord, Cornelius's expression sharpened, looking like a hound that had caught the scent of a fox. "I mean, Fred was of age and could do whatever he wanted to," she said with a shrug that suggested doubt.

"But if Harry had just done what he was told, your brother would still be here, wouldn't he?" Cornelius said, nodding sympathetically.

"Exactly." She shook her head, keeping a regretful look on her face. "He's never been very good at doing what he's told." Ginny remembered that awful, endless night, hearing the amplified voice of Voldemort, calling for Harry to surrender and her conviction that he should not; that he should resist and continue searching for the diadem. Summoning all of her skill and guile, she embroidered the lie. "Everything would have been fine. His sacrifice still would have protected him." Across from her, Cornelius shook his head sadly. "Instead my brother was forced to exchange his life for Harry's."

"I'm not surprised to hear that. Everyone wants to live and will do whatever they can to continue doing so." Cornelius sat back, adopting the attitude of a wise master instructing a pupil. "There is nothing you can do to make people like Harry work for the greater good."

Ginny kept her face still, nodding along with him. She wanted to shout, to scream in his face. Harry wasn't afraid to die! He went into that forest to die for all of us! There's your greater good! "That's partly why he left the Aurors. He complained constantly about how the department was becoming entirely too restrictive and namby-pamby. Wouldn't really allow him the freedom to handle things the way he felt they ought to have been." Her stomach turned at the look of avarice on the dead man's face as she told the lie. He's eating this up. He's so willing to just believe the worst of everyone. Harry, if this man takes me over, I hope I've told enough lies to lead you to the truth.

"I'll have my work cut out for me then, bringing him to heel," Cornelius said, voice full of sage wisdom. The thought of this awful person inhabiting her body, living with Harry, kissing him … making love with him caused a wave of dizziness to wash over her and she swallowed her rising gorge. Maybe I can vomit here.

"Is that what you did with your wife? Brought her to heel?"

Cornelius rocked backwards, focusing on her once more, thoughts of controlling Harry momentarily banished. "My wife was very young when we married. She had a lot to learn."

"And I'm sure you were an excellent teacher." Ginny took a deep breath. Let's see if I can make him as uncomfortable as I am. "Did you teach her about Horcruxes?" she asked, head cocked casually to one side. "Or did you not tell her what you were torturing and killing her for?" Cornelius scowled and she felt a spurt of triumph. "Did she go to her death, wondering what she had done to make you so angry?"

Clearly the discussion of Esther's death and his part in it agitated him and he picked up his walking stick, tapping the butt of it against the boulder in a staccato rhythm. Ginny plunged forward, hoping to goad him into something she could counter, mindful of the blade housed in the cane. "Did you send her to her grave wondering if burnt toast or an overdone egg that morning sealed her fate?" Scowling, Cornelius narrowed his eyes at her and she felt the pressure in her head again. She took a deep breath against the pain, digging deep to apply Occlumency. After what seemed like an endless moment, the pressure in her head went away and she heard Cornelius grunt.

"I see you know at least one trick, my dear," he ground out, sounding irritated.

But you're still here. I'm still here. That smoke must have something to do with it. The thought of that malevolent smoke actually being inside of her chilled her, but she focused on needling the dead man's pride. "If only Esther had been as lucky," she said, laying the sadness in her voice on thick.

"Pah," Cornelius spat, standing up. Ginny tensed, eyes glued to him, ready to tumble backwards over the log and put it between them. She had yet to see his wand, but didn't doubt that it was close to hand. "I'd been given a death sentence. 'You'll be gone in five years, maybe seven if you're lucky,' the Healer said." He paced back and forth between the stream and the boulder, movements quick and agitated. He looked back at Ginny and she carefully avoided looking him in the eyes. "Tell me, girl. What would you have done? If you'd been told you had only a few years left to live, but you knew that with a simple spell, you would be able to come back, whole and disease-free?"

"I'd hardly call creating one of the worst things known to our kind 'a simple spell'," she said tartly.

"No, I suppose you wouldn't." He stopped by the boulder again, resting one foot easily on it. "You've spent your adult life saving people. Saving their lives, soothing their hurts, curing their boils. How does it make you feel?"

Surprised by his question, Ginny answered honestly. "It makes me feel good."

"And what if you can't save someone? What if despite your best efforts, all of your training and knowledge, they still die?"

"Every Healer or doctor runs into cases that they can't resolve. Not every case has an optimal outcome."

"Optimal outcome," he sneered. "Such a pretty phrase for 'I'm very sorry Glenda, but your poppa has died.'" He stopped his pacing and faced her. "I still had things I very much wanted to do. Why shouldn't I take advantage of the things my magic affords me?"

"But that wasn't the only thing you took advantage of." Ginny tightened her grip on her wand, not sure how he would react to her words. "Did Esther know what she was dying for? Did you get her consent to take her life so that you may preserve yours?" Across the clearing, Cornelius growled and she felt that curious pressure again and she focused on her Occlumency, driving him out. "Did poor Esther know that she would be leaving her daughter so soon?"

"You know nothing!" he shouted, the calm urbane facade gone.

"I think I know quite a lot. I've been present at many deathbeds. I've seen men break down crying, desperately trying to bargain for even another minute. I've seen women holding on to their loved ones as they slip away." She leaned forward. "I've seen children more prepared to die than you."

His cry of rage shook her and his wand finally appeared, a jet of red light coming straight at her. Before she could raise a Shield, she felt a chill shoot through her chest and she realized the spell had passed right through her. Looking at Cornelius, she saw he was equally surprised. "Foolish girl! You know nothing about facing death! You don't know how I struggled with such a terrible decision!" he shouted, face red and contorted.

Heart in her throat, Ginny forced herself to remain calm. So we can cast, but his spell didn't affect me, she thought as he continued to rant and rave. That means I probably can't cast against him. How am I going to get out of here? Do I keep goading him? She let him go on until he finally wound down, breathing hard.

I've got to get him to make a move. "But you still made the decision to kill your wife. To commit murder so you could split your soul. And then you plotted with your partner to kill your daughter to resurrect you. Such a loving father and husband." Ginny put as much scorn as she could muster into her voice.

"Richard." Cornelius spat on the ground. "Weak. I should have seen it."

"I disagree. I think he was strong. Strong enough to defy you." Another burst of red shot through her and she saw it leave a scorch mark on a tree next to her and she frowned as he spun away from her in frustration. "Magic has no effect here; why do you keep casting?"

The dead man turned back to face her, smiling a terrible smile when she met his eyes. The pressure in her head was almost like a spike driving into her brain, making her cry out in pain and surprise as he scattered her concentration. He continued his assault and she became aware of the light in the clearing growing darker than the twilight it had been. Once more the trees became spindly and thin and she heard the sounds of things scrabbling around in the darkness.

The changes in what was her place enraged her and she took a deep breath, gathering her focus, willing the glen to go back to how she'd originally envisioned it. Ignoring the cold torment in her head, she used her fury to turn the pain back on Cornelius, feeling a grim satisfaction at his grunt. Gradually, she became aware of the light in the clearing moving back toward sunlight and the spike in her head lessened, finally disappearing entirely.

Clearly frustrated by his failure to cow her into submission, Cornelius spun around and as he did, a magnificent stag bounded through the clearing, making Ginny's heart soar. Harry! I wonder ….? Touching her wand to her hummingbird tattoo, she focused on Summoning him with the utmost urgency.

"That's one trick that won't help you, girl," Cornelius said with a cruel smile. "He can't reach you here. It's just you and I, I'm afraid."

And I'm afraid this place isn't big enough for the two of us, Ginny thought, disappointed that Harry didn't suddenly materialize next to her. "I guess we'd better get comfortable with each other then."

Cornelius stared at her, his condescending expression morphing into one of hatred. Faster than Ginny would have thought possible, Cornelius sprinted toward her, knocking her off of her perch on the fallen log. He was on top of her, using his greater mass to keep her on her back. "Insolent, stupid girl!" he raged as they wrestled in the dirt.

Her first instinct was to hex him, but the instant she had the thought, she knew it wouldn't work. Twisting her body as he struggled to fasten his hands around her neck, she frantically thought back to the lessons Harry and Ron had drilled into her when she first went to live in London.

In her memory, she stood in the back garden of the Burrow, the summer sun sending sparks from her brother's hair. "Spread your legs and bend your knees," Ron said, demonstrating the deceptively relaxed-looking stance. Harry mimicked him and she watched as they viciously tried to bring each other down, Ron crowing in triumph as he pushed Harry's face into the long grass.

But he's already got me down, she thought, pushing with all of her might against his shoulders trying to shove him off of her. Another lesson sprang to mind, this time it was Harry on top of her, his weight holding her down, the smell of crushed grass rising all around them. "I don't want to hurt you," she protested, looking up at him, still not used to seeing him without his glasses.

"Don't worry, Gin. I don't want you to be in the habit of holding back, yeah? It's just a few scratches," he said, sounding confident in his own abilities.

Propelled by the memory, Ginny let go of Cornelius's shoulders, spreading her fingers out into claws and raking them down the sides of his face with her sharp nails. "You bitch!" he howled as bright red marks appeared down his cheeks. Encouraged by his distraction, she did it again, harder this time and he roared again, throwing himself off of her. She used the opportunity to heave herself to her feet and run as fast as she could, leaping over the small stream in a single bound. For a crazy moment, she thought she could smell the same crushed grass she had at the Burrow all those years ago.

She had no idea how large this forest in her mind was, but she was determined to put as much distance between her and the vengeful spirit. Darting around the trunk of a large tree she remembered climbing when she was little, she heard Cornelius crashing around behind her. Useless wand clutched in her hand, she desperately tried to quiet her breathing, listening as the sounds came steadily closer. Maybe I can poke him in the eye with it!

"You can't hide from me, girl! I've got your scent now! I'll find you soon enough!" he shouted, sounding utterly deranged.

Clutching her wand tightly, she risked a glance around the trunk of the tree, catching a flash of his white shirt in the underbrush. Ducking back behind the tree, Ginny held her breath, trying to will herself invisible. How am I going to get myself out of this? She chanced another look and caught sight of his livid face. Long scratches ran down his cheeks and she saw wisps of smoke rising from the wounds she'd made.

He continued stalking, moving quieter now and Ginny cursed herself for not thinking to climb the tree before he'd gotten so close. "Ginevra, you are far too old to be playing hide-and-seek. Step out and we can continue our conversation like civilized people," he said, back in condescending elder mode. "I apologize if I frightened you. Sometimes my temper gets the better of me." He shook his head ruefully, eyes continuing to dart around the trees, seeking her out. He swiped his hand over one of the scratches on his face, irritated at the smoke that continued to rise.

Ginny felt her heart begin to slow as she watched him. That smoke … I wonder what would happen if I cut him? I wish I had the Sword of Gryffindor here. But … he left his walking stick back at the clearing. Excitement washed through her at the thought of running this awful man through with his own sword. Justice! she thought fiercely.

Lost in thoughts of running to the clearing and snatching up Cornelius Maxwell's sword, Ginny was startled at the sound of a branch snapping very close by and smothered a gasp, chancing another look around her tree. He was very close to her, almost within arm's reach, looking a bit the worse for wear. His fine white shirt was smeared with dirt and the collar had become undone. The stitching on the shoulder had started unraveling, making him look more like a hobo than a wealthy, powerful wizard.

It's now or never! Ginny took several deep breaths, Harry's voice echoing, "Be smart, be safe, be fast," in her head. Before she could second guess herself, she darted out from behind the safety of her former climbing tree, running full-tilt for the clearing.

"Aha! I knew you'd come out!" Cornelius shouted behind her, spurring her on faster as he crashed around behind her. She saw the stream come into view ahead and gathered herself to jump, clearing it neatly. Eyes searching, she saw the walking stick where he'd left it, leaning against the moss-covered boulder and she ran to it, snatching it up and continuing on through the clearing to the other side.

"You think to duel me, do you? You don't even know the first thing to do with that!" Cornelius called mockingly, still sounding too close for comfort. "I doubt Harry ever taught you anything about how to use a sword!"

I know where the pointy end goes, you bastard! Ginny thought as she raced to another tree she remembered. It was not as good for climbing, but some disease long ago had hollowed it out and there was a little hiding place at the base. I'll tuck myself in there and give him a surprise he won't soon forget! Spying her objective, she threw herself down, rolling into the hole in the trunk of the tree. Slowing her breathing, she drew the sword out of the walking stick, surprised at how heavy it was for such a thin piece of metal.

"Now, now. You really shouldn't have taken that. You don't have the faintest idea what to do with it and you'll only end up hurting yourself," Cornelius said chidingly, sounding like he was talking to a little girl. "We were having such a nice conversation and I felt like I was really getting to know you." His voice had a pout in it, putting her in mind of Jacob when he was in one of his persuasive moods.

She shut out his cajoling voice, focusing on the racket he was making as he moved through the underbrush, betraying his city-raised nature. He continued to talk, trying to get her to betray her location, slowly coming closer and closer. Shifting around in the cramped hiding place, Ginny gripped the sword in both hands, trying to get the point of it oriented away from her so she could jab it into Cornelius.

Muscles screaming for action, Ginny forced herself to lie still. I'm only going to get one chance at this. Got to make it count. He was coming closer and she swallowed, trying to get her heart back into her chest where it belonged. "Now this looks like an interesting tree," Cornelius said, sounding like he was right next to her. She gripped the sword tighter, readying herself to stab another person for the first time ever. Well, a person-shaped thing, anyway.

"Boo!" Cornelius shouted, looking directly into her little hole, gleeful triumph on his face. Caught completely by surprise, she stabbed forward awkwardly, aiming for his grinning face. He dodged easily to the side and then grabbed her wrist, hauling her out as she squawked in protest. "I told you that you wouldn't be able to do anything with that!" He twisted her wrist viciously, causing her to drop the sword from nerveless fingers. He kicked it aside, pulling her to her feet. "When will you learn to listen to your elders, you ridiculous girl?"

Their eyes met and again the pressure came, his teeth bared in a rictus grin as he stared at her. She desperately tried to set up an Occlumency block, but she was so tired and so very scared that it was worse than useless. She felt as if she were drowning once more, gasping for breath as the light around her dimmed. No! This is just like Tom all over again! she despaired, Cornelius's hate-filled faced dominating her vision.

Once more, she felt like a stupid little girl, lying helplessly on the floor of the Chamber of Secrets while a twelve-year-old Harry fought a terrifying monster. Harry, who even as a mere boy was willing to sacrifice himself for those he believed in. What is he doing right now? As she bowed under the dead man's assault, she tried to reach out for even the merest feeling from Harry, feeling like she was flinging herself out into a fathomless void.

He's so strong! She became aware of her friendly little forest becoming something different all together, the trees twisting into unnatural shapes, the stink of rot filling the air. I can't … I … The pressure was increasing, making her feel like she was being driven further and further underwater until she abruptly felt a jarring sensation, almost like she'd finally reached the bottom of whatever this was.

Cornelius seemed to sense it too and he scowled, appearing like he was concentrating harder. She thought of Harry again, hoping to summon a memory of him one last time, something pleasant to hold onto while her consciousness was compressed and trampled into submission by Cornelius Maxwell. Once more, the smell of fresh green grass came to her as she remembered flying Seeker drills with Harry, preparing for the last Quidditch game of the season in her fifth year.

"I'm a Chaser, Harry, not a Seeker!" she'd protested when he told her that she would be taking his place.

"You're the best one for it," he'd insisted, drawing on his innate stubbornness. "No one is a better flyer than you and you're the smallest one."

"Then let me score so many points it won't matter if Cho catches the Snitch!"

Harry merely kicked off from the ground, shooting high up into the sky, leaving her no choice but to follow. They hovered in place, looking at each other as he fished the Snitch out of his pocket. "You've got this," he said, sounding supremely confident in her abilities as he activated the Snitch, releasing it into the afternoon sunlight.

He believed in me, believed I could win the game and the House Cup and I did. Another memory, this one of her telling him about her ambition to leave England and everything she knew and loved to attend Muggle medical school in California. In her memory, he sat there and listened to her, nodding and smiling even though she knew now that he was dying inside. Encouraging her to chase her dream because he believed that she would be successful.

Everything. He's always believed in me. I need to believe in myself! A zinging sensation went through her, feeling as if she'd touched a live wire and she felt her heart speed up. She focused on Cornelius and felt a jolt of anger at how he'd perverted her childhood forest glen. This is my place! You don't belong here! she thought, digging deep into the well of belief inside of her.

"He can't help you here, girl!" he ground out, his voice sounding far away as Ginny began to fight back.

You're so wrong, she thought fiercely. First, we need to set this place to rights. Like a ripple around a rock dropped into a small pool, the sinister darkness generated by Cornelius's tainted power dissolved, replaced by burgeoning green and gold, the smell of rot and death fading away as a fresh, cool wind blew past them.

Snarling, Cornelius leaned forward and she felt the power of his mind batter at her, trying to break her down and rather than try and meet it head on, she mentally stepped aside from it, letting it wash by. A vision of using her flexibility and smaller size to worm her way out of Harry's grasp when wrestling with him made her smile and she saw Cornelius's face flood red.

"You will submit to me!" he roared, taking another step toward her.

Ginny stood her ground, turning her attention to him rather than their surroundings. "No, I don't believe I will," she murmured, gathering her will. Their eyes met and in an instant, she knew everything about him. Knew about his impoverished youth in a rough-and-tumble part of London, how even going to Hogwarts and being sorted into Slytherin hadn't been the balm he'd hoped for as he had more of a knack for making enemies rather than true friends.

As a young man, Cornelius had been ambition personified and he worked his way up from a lowly law clerk to junior partner in an up-and-coming wizarding firm, only to be caught with another partner's wife, fleeing London for New York one step ahead of a Killing Curse. Unable to endear himself to potential law clients, he struck out west, finally finding his calling in cheating hardworking miners of all stripes, mercilessly separating them from their gold.

She knew the instant he saw Esther at a grand gala during her debut season that he finally lost his heart to someone else, but even that wouldn't be enough to save her from his overwhelming ambition. Killing his wife was indeed a sacrifice for him and she felt a brief flash of pain from him as he remembered his wife writhing in pain on their marriage bed before he killed her to split his soul in two, for no one loved Cornelius Maxwell more than Cornelius himself.

"No!" he shouted, sounding desperate for the first time, advancing a few more steps towards her, looking like he was fighting against a gale-force wind. "Get out!" Ginny felt herself slammed mentally back and her concentration was momentarily rattled. Shaking her head, she stepped backwards, away from the oncoming madman.

"It's you who should get out! You don't belong here," she shouted, focusing all of her will and energy on the shade. As she did, she saw his outline start to blur and more wisps of smoke, thicker now, came out of the scratches she'd made on his face. He raised his hands, looking at them in horror and she saw that more smoke was coming from the tips. Triumph flashed through her. Yes! I can push him out of here!

Clutching his head in pain, Cornelius groaned in rage and agony. Opening bloodshot eyes, he looked at her with such an expression of hatred that Ginny felt it almost like a physical blow. "You are mine!" he shouted, making a desperate charge at her. He crashed into her, knocking her off her feet and into the dirt, trying to pin her down.

Thrashing underneath him, Ginny kicked her legs and pounded her fists anywhere she could. His meaty hands were around her throat, cutting off her air and she started to panic. The eyes! Harry said go for the eyes! Pulse pounding in her head, she clutched the sides of his face, driving her thumbs into his vulnerable eyes as hard as she could.

Cornelius screeched and hurled himself off of her, hands clapped over his eyes, more smoke rising between his fingers. Choking, Ginny scrambled away from him in an awkward crab walk, desperately trying to regain her breath and put as much distance between them as she could. As she scuttled along the ground, her hand closed on something vaguely familiar and she looked down to see the ruby-encrusted hilt of the Sword of Gryffindor.

A brief surge of relief was replaced by despair at the memory of how easily Cornelius had disarmed her before, but she grabbed it anyway. Harry said he only scratched the ghost in the Pensieve. Maybe I can get him to scratch himself? If it even works the same way in here. She set aside the mind-boggling thought of how the sword could even be present here. Did I imagine it? God, I hope I imagined the Basilisk venom, too!

"You're mine now, girl!" Cornelius's shout brought her out of her reverie of examining the sword. He pelted toward her, hands outstretched, clearly intending to pounce and choke her into submission once more. Forcing herself to lie still and look helpless, Ginny watched as time slowed down, Cornelius looking like he was moving through molasses as he launched himself at her. She waited until she was certain he was past the point of no return and raised the sword, bracing the pommel against her sternum.

Fully committed to his action, the shade of Cornelius Maxwell was unable to arrest his forward motion, fully impaling himself on the sword. His eyes wide in horror, he stared at her, seemingly transfixed, a burbling, gasping sound coming from his mouth along with a torrent of black smoke.

Ginny gathered her legs underneath him, pushing him off and scuttled away, letting go of the sword, gasping for breath as she stared at the body, the silver blade sticking out of its back. As she watched, the body started to implode on itself, dissolving into a black, greasy smoke. "Oh God," she whispered, lurching to her feet, desperate to get away from the spreading miasma.

Reaching the denser forest, she saw that the place she'd built was starting to degrade back into the featureless white space that it was when she'd first arrived and she tried to overcome her panic and build it up again, watching over her shoulder as that dense blackness continued to advance. Her efforts were fruitless and as the last tree disappeared, the smoke overtook her, choking her and sending her to her knees. Harry, I'm sorry …

One. Two. Three. Harry counted his heartbeats as he dropped the Sword of Gryffindor with a clang and sprinted up the stairs, catching Ginny in his arms as she fell. The impact of her stiff body against his threw him backwards and he grunted as his shoulder hit a step and then he was floating, buoyed by someone's levitation and gently settled down on the stone floor of the basement.

Panic rising, Harry looked down at her still face. Her eyes were closed and she looked like she was sleeping, but there was a telltale line of worry between her brows. "Gin! Ginevra!" he said urgently, stroking her cheek, hoping for some sort of response from her. He became aware of Archimedes crouched next to him, anxiously looking down at her.

"Is she breathing?" he asked, placing his hand on her chest. Harry fought the urge to slap it away as he realized that she either wasn't breathing or doing it so shallowly he couldn't tell the difference.

"I don't know. Ginny!" Terror rose up in him and he felt sick as he gently laid her down on the stone, loath to let go of her, but she needed to be flat on her back if he was to intervene. She looked so small and Harry felt a sweep of vertigo as he was transported back to the Chamber of Secrets. He raised his wand, fixing the proper spell in his mind, when she suddenly took a deep breath, her chest rising higher than he'd ever seen. A wave of relief washed over him as she paused, seeming to hold the breath before starting a long, slow exhale.

The relief turned to despair when he saw the stream of smoke coming from her nose and mouth. Archimedes grabbed for his arm to pull him away, but he angrily shook him off, taking Ginny up in his arms once more. As she continued to breathe out smoke, Harry realized it was ashy gray and dissipating, much as the portion of the black cloud that had been cut off from the main body by the renewed Bounding Circle had. His heart beat in wild excitement and he held her closer, murmuring words of encouragement. Dimly, he heard Sutton gasp in amazement behind him.

After an eternity, Ginny took another breath, slowly blinking her eyes open. "Harry," she whispered in a raspy voice, "you believed in me."

"Gin, love," Harry said, holding her tightly to him as if he were afraid she would disappear like the smoke she'd just exhaled. When she didn't respond, he looked down at her and saw her eyes were closed once more, her breathing slow and regular. Bending to kiss her, he realized she was ice cold. "Gin?" he asked, shaking her, trying to get her to rouse again. "Gin!" he shouted in her ear, hoping the shock of it would wake her. "Shit. Shit. Shit."

"What?" Archimedes asked in dismay.

"She's ice cold and I can't wake her up. I don't know what's wrong. I've never … I've got to get her out of here."

"Give her to me. I can —"

"No!" Holding her against his chest, Harry stood and turned to face Archimedes. "I think you've done enough, yeah?"

"Harry," he began with a pleading expression.

"We're done here, all right?" At his words, Archimedes rocked back as if Harry had physically struck him. "Take care of him." He nodded to Jacob still lying on the stone where Ginny had checked him and turned his back on the two Aurors, taking the stairs out of the basement two at a time, practically running right into Evelyn in the doorway.

"Harry!"

"Downstairs," he said shortly, brushing past her on his way out of the damned house. Reassured by Ginny's regular breaths, he jogged off the property until he was certain he was well away from the anti-Apparation wards. Taking a moment to center his thoughts, he focused on his destination, holding Ginny closer as he Apparated the both of them to the only help he could think of.

"Potter? What—" Matthew stood in his doorway in rumpled pajamas, hallway lights glinting off his artfully mussed hair as he answered Harry's frantic pounding of his door.

"She's hurt. I don't know what to do. Please help me."