Chapter 50 Contending

"Ah, finally awake." Riddle-Harry said with an amused smile that bordered on leering. To wake Ginny up, Tom snatched the knife out of her wound, just below her left shoulder blade.

Ginny's body began to slightly spasm. When her trembling and light-headedness abated, she swore at Tom. "Fucking hate you! Why? Why won't you kill me?"

"Crucio."

Fire coursed throughout Ginny's veins as every muscle in her body seemingly locked up. When the curse ended, Ginny was a shaking, crying mess. Please kill me. Just kill me.

"Manners, Ginevra. Start by addressing me as my lord."

Ginny glared up at him, choosing to remain silent. Thankfully, Riddle-Harry didn't require her to address him as such now.

"You appear adamant to remain willful. You cannot hope to challenge me, Ginevra. You have always lost." Tom said, pulling Ginny's wand out of his inner robe pocket and twirling it between his fingers.

It didn't surprise Ginny to see him snap her wand in half. Ginny looked him fully in the eyes and thought, I hate you. Tom laughed, unperturbed by her defiance. Subsequently, he flicked his wand to cut the robe sleeve on Ginny's left arm. Then, he placed his wand tip on Ginny's Dark Mark.

She knew he was summoning his remaining faithful followers, and yes, Ginny wanted to stop him but she was completely bound and she just couldn't. She could feel the snake tattooed on her arm slithering within the mark and creating a searing sensation. Ginny wasn't in the best physical condition at the moment. She'd been food deprived, she'd been thrown into thick stone, she'd been stabbed, and recently Crucio-ed. Ginny knew she couldn't stand much more.

"I have a gift for you," Riddle-Harry said with anticipation, making Ginny feel an overwhelming sense of dread. "Someone that will inspire you to…remember your place."

This time, with a swish of his wand, the Disillusionment Charm ended to reveal a bassinet less than five feet away from her. When he canceled the Silencing Charm on the bassinet, high wails filled the cave. Tears came to Ginny's eyes, flowing down her face as she recognized Connor's cries.

Ginny jerked to move towards him, but Riddle-Harry must have conjured a chain to fit around her left ankle. I didn't even feel it. Since her wand was nowhere near, Ginny tried to use wandless magic. This time, it was surprisingly easy to channel her magic.

Riddle-Harry's smirk slightly faltered, as the chain began to corrode and break down on its metal attachment embedded in the cave wall.

"Crucio." And yet again, all Ginny knew was unbearable agony. After three minutes of experiencing this, Tom finally relented.

He squatted down beside Ginny, seizing her by the throat and proceeding to choke her. His eyes—Harry's eyes—were unlike anything Ginny was used to. Though his eyes were mostly green, the irises were ruby red slits. Even when Harry had been incredibly angry and unforgiving towards Ginny, his eyes had always radiated compassion, safety, and a willingness to allow some chance of redemption. Ginny could see none of that in his eyes now.

It's all Tom.

"Please," Ginny struggled to get out, hearing Connor still crying. "Please, don't hurt my baby."

A wave of despair that Ginny hadn't felt in years filled her body, upon seeing a disgusted curl to Harry's lip and eyes full of heartlessness and yet gloating.

"Family will always be your weakness." Tom drawled, releasing her throat so that Ginny could easily breathe. "Submit and your son will live relatively intact. Challenge me further and I will butcher him in front of you."

Ginny flinched, feeling the need to vomit. She nodded at Riddle-Harry, watching a smile of victory spread across his face. He levitated Connor's traveling bassinet towards them, setting it right beside Ginny. Immediately, Ginny reached into it and picked Connor up into her arms. She surveyed him for injuries, and she was so grateful to see him healthy. Within a minute, Ginny had him calmed and nodding off to sleep.

It had been over a week since she'd held her boy, and though the situation wasn't very ideal, to have him with her felt so indescribably good and yet troubling. To see Tom-Harry watching her with a peculiar glint in his shrewd eyes, however, heightened Ginny's concern for Connor.

"You wonder why I have kept you alive." Riddle said, sounding indifferent to whether she lived or died. "I find that you have value as a hostage, but you will be treated more so as my prisoner. The same can also be said for Potter—that is, until I find a way to create a body of my own. Then, I will dispose of him."

"I thought you were going to stay in Harry."

Riddle-Harry smirked. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? No, your Precious Potter will die—and then you will follow him."

Tom paused, assessing her reaction before continuing. "Potter's the perfect vessel. His wand's magical core is the same as mine and his power, though substantially less than mine, is far powerful than most others. And you, Ginevra—I wonder, what lengths your family would go to for you, your son, and Potter? Somehow, I doubt your family or the Ministry would be all that willing to further jeopardize your safety. I imagine they'd do anything for their little hero." Tom mocked, tapping an index finger on Harry's scar.

Ginny stayed silent and Tom took that as affirmation. He vanished the chain on Ginny's ankle, grabbing her by the elbow and lifting her upward.

"We have an appointment to keep."

"You love hearing yourself talk." Ginny seethed, feeling his grip on her elbow painfully tighten.

"You cannot love your son by how insolently you speak to me." Tom said just before apparating them both to Lestrange Manor's ball room that was packed with Death Eaters and Dark supporters.

Upon their arrival, Tom-Harry leveled a cold glare at her. "Watch your tongue or I'll have them make sport of your child. I won't warn you again, Ginevra."

From that moment onward, Tom had no attention to spare Ginny. He swaggered down the steps towards the crowd gathered below. His supporters were clustered together in somewhat neat rows, whispering and yelling amongst themselves about the presence of Harry Potter in Lestrange Manor. A few had noticed Ginny, particularly Rabastan Lestrange, who had his wand drawn on her.

"Morsmordre." Tom-Harry said. His voice was quiet but it somehow eerily carried throughout the entire ballroom. Everyone quieted, watching the mark rise up onto the high ceiling and begin to emit a strong emerald glow.

Everyone present (except Ginny and Tom) bowed. All of their doubts were erased. Though Harry's physical looks weren't much changed—other than his eyes—his entire body radiated powerful dark magic. The moment the mark began to glow, Ginny's Dark Mark began to sear her left arm. She nearly kneeled.

Thankfully, I have a stronger will than them…for now. When Ginny's eyes locked onto Tom's, she could tell that his thoughts weren't much different than hers by his arrogant smile. Immediately, Ginny looked down at Connor, holding him slightly closer to her chest. I will never bow to him again.

"So few," Tom-Harry began; his voice filled with anger and disappointment. "So few of you left. My lieutenants, I know to be dead. By the way you are standing, I see that my captains have splintered off and formed warring factions amongst yourselves." He said, sounding angrier with each word.

"No loyalty! No attempts to resurrect me. Once again, you all thought me defeated. Perhaps many of you fashioned yourselves as the new Dark Lord." Tom-Harry said coldly, standing above a bowing Rodolphus Lestrange.

"My lord, never." Lestrange hastily said; his brother quickly concurred.

"Foolish to believe that I, Lord Voldemort, could be conquered by a powerless boy and a band of filth. You, my captains, who know to what lengths I went to achieve immortality. Such lack in faith…Crucio Maxima!"

Ginny watched as Tom used the power of the Dark Mark to mercilessly punish his Death Eaters. The supporters watched on in fear, but a few saw this as an opportunity to replace those already in disfavor. Ginny watched the group gathered before her, easily seeing the factions that Tom did. One band led by the Lestrange brothers, one by MacNair, and another by Rosier. Suddenly, the senseless attacks made sense. They were uncoordinated because they weren't united. Their only aim, other than killing as many enemies as they could, was to be thought of as the foremost powerful leader and group.

A war of perception not only against the Light but themselves, too. Ginny cursed herself for not seeing all this sooner. Admittedly, I was distracted but I should've anticipated this. How many lives could've been saved if only I'd really paid attention and looked outside of my own life? I should've talked more to Dumbledore about the Diary. I should've let Severus Legilimize me more. This is my fault. He survived because of me. And now Harry's trapped.

Panic nearly overwhelmed Ginny, and if Connor hadn't been in her arms, she was sure she'd have passed out from her guilt. The many cries from the Cruciatus Curse had awoken Connor, who was wailing once again. Ginny did the best she could to calm him but he could sense that something was really wrong. Perhaps he somehow knew that he wasn't safe.

Ginny risked using a Silencing Charm on Connor, not wanting to attract Tom and his followers' attention. The magic made her feel weaker, but to keep her son as unnoticed as she possibly could, she'd simply just deal with it. Though Ginny felt Tom's gaze on her—he easily sensed her use of wandless magic—Ginny didn't dare to meet his gaze again in front of the others.

When the curse was lifted on his followers, Tom said, "Tomorrow begins a new era, a new approach to this war. I have had much time to determine where my weaknesses once were."

Again, Ginny felt his intimidating gaze on her. She began shaking, knowing exactly what Tom meant.

He learned and observed from me. All these years, he saw me searching out and creating flaws that crippled his cause.

"No more shall we be thwarted by swine and traitors." He breathed dangerously.

The ballroom filled with cheers and Ginny just stood there passively, wondering over and over, what have I done?


Smack.

Ginny's head snapped to the left, feeling her cheek sting and her jaw ache after the blow. She'd also lost her footing and had fallen hard to the ground. It was Rabastan who grabbed a handful of Ginny's hair, pulling her up to stand by it. Once she faced him, Ginny felt a knife being held at her throat.

"Stand still, traitor, or I'll carve your face off." He said, spitting in Ginny's face afterward.

Ginny stopped struggling, allowing Lestrange to snap both magical blocking bracelets onto her wrists. When he was done, he leered at Ginny with a look of pure loathing in his eyes. Ginny narrowed her eyes at Rabastan, jolting forward to head butt the asshole directly in the face.

Beyond the pain, Ginny's anger gave her all the energy she needed to kick his legs out from underneath him. She made sure to keep assaulting him, aiming kicks at the fucker's face and ribs. When he was out, Ginny bent down and snatched up Rabastan's wand. She stared down at his prone form; she desperately wanted to kill him.

Fortunate for him, I vowed to the Ministry that I'd obey their laws.

Suddenly, the door to the en suite opened to reveal Tom-Harry. Ginny hastily slid the wand down the back of her pants. Tom smirked upon seeing Lestrange out cold on the floor. Then, he looked up at Ginny with amused eyes.

"I'm impressed." He drawled before holding out his hand and summoning Rabastan's wand.

"I see he's not entirely incompetent." Tom said, staring at the bracelets on Ginny's wrists. "Good, it would be a waste to kill him."

Tom used Harry's wand to first levitate Rabastan and then to throw him and his wand from the room. Afterwards, he approached Ginny and grabbed her firmly by the chin.

"Did you not tell me that you'd submit barely an hour ago? Now, I find you knocking out my follower. You gave your word; you lied. I, however, shall keep mine."

"I defended myself. He hit me." Ginny said angrily. Inside, she was fuming at how powerless she felt to save Connor and herself. "He didn't have to do it, but he did."

"The same could be said for your actions."

Ginny began to slowly back away from Tom, positioning herself in front of Connor who was lying on the bed asleep. Tom-Harry's eyes flashed dangerously at her. Somehow, her daring to stand protectively in front of her son had set Riddle off.

He clenched his right fist, and suddenly, Ginny felt her throat painfully constricting. Immediately, she was bent over, struggling for air. Then she felt him pulling her out of the room and into another adjoining one. Once they were inside, he cancelled the curse and threw Ginny onto the bed.

"Don't delude yourself into thinking I'll allow you to sacrifice your life for that boy. I made that mistake once. I won't do it again." He seethed, almost shouting down at Ginny as he stood before her.

When Tom turned his back as if to leave the room, Ginny feared that he'd go into the other and murder Connor. She shot up off the bed and rushed to stand in front of Tom-Harry.

"Please don't hurt him. I'll do anything. Please, don't."

For a brief second, the red irises disappeared and Harry's eyes were entirely green.

"Harry," Ginny said, rushing forward to clutch both sides of Harry's face that was scrunched up in pain. His eyes were tightly closed.

"Ginny, run. Take Con—."

Suddenly, Harry's face became blank, and when his eyes opened, the red irises were back.

Ginny tried to step away, but Tom's grasp on both her wrists were snug. Though she tugged as hard as she could, Ginny couldn't escape his hold. His rambunctious, cold laughter filled the room as he began to grab both of Ginny's shoulders and shake her rather forcefully.

"Now this vessel seeks to fight me too." Tom said, more to himself than to Ginny. When his hard eyes met Ginny's, she saw his fear. Tom's grasp on her shoulder began to hurt.

"You and Potter won't prevail."

Keep telling yourself that, Tom. Ginny could see him trying to appear confident, but she knew he had his doubts. Riddle didn't need to use Legilimency in order to know what Ginny was thinking. For a moment, she thought he'd Crucio her again. Instead, he left the room (and then the en suite) without a backward glance.

Ginny hurried back into the room where Connor was sleeping, seeing him still resting in the center of the bed.

Ginny sighed in relief, saying aloud, "Twinky."

Upon seeing the elf apparate into the room, Ginny kneeled to Twinky's level.

"Twinky, I need you to keep Connor safe but I don't think anyplace with my family is safe. Understand?" Ginny said hurriedly, trying to think of everything to tell the elf before it would depart.

Twinky eagerly nodded so Ginny continued, "After Connor's secured, tell my family that Riddle's turned Lestrange Manor into his headquarters but I don't know how long it'll remain that. Let them know that he's unified the Death Eaters and the Dark supporters. Tell them that Harry's still in there, fighting to get control of his own body. I've seen it. And, Twinky, don't return to me unless I summon you. Hurry, go!"

"But you, Mistress?" Twinky asked with wide, child-like eyes.

"I'm not leaving without Harry. Tell them I'm going to find a way to help him. Go, go now!"

Ginny watched Twinky quickly lift Connor into her arms. Ginny kissed the top of his little head, and that was her goodbye to her son.

Ginny didn't know if she'd ever see him again, but she could live with that as long as it meant that there was a decent possibility to stop Tom and his cronies from ruling their world.


"How could you all be so stupid…and selfish?" Kingsley Shacklebolt shouted from inside the Burrow's sitting room, looking at most of the family crossly. "You all weren't equipped to deal with this, and now Voldemort is back in Harry's body. Harry! The one and only person capable of stopping Riddle!"

"I was trying to protect my daughter, Kingsley. I won't apologize for doing that." Arthur said, returning Shacklebolt's glacial gaze with one of his own. "None of us could've known that this would happen. The Ministry wouldn't have anticipated this either."

"We would have ended him—." Kingsley said gruffly.

"You would've killed Ginny, is what you mean." Ron replied heatedly.

"You! You don't talk to me, boy. You're on administrative leave. I have a mind to fire you right this instant." Kingsley fumed, glowering Ron. "Looked me in the eye, you did, and lied straight to my face."

"After I make this right, I'll give you my resignation." Ron said to the Minister.

Kingsley looked at Ron with resentment before sighing and continuing, "The house elf said Ginny told her that Harry's fighting him. Ginny herself saw it, and she stayed to help him regain control. What the Ministry and the Order now needs to do is create contingency plans in the event that Harry is truly gone. Where do we start?"

"Certainly by not allowing him to reclaim allies amongst the Dark creatures. Our primary concern should be the Dementors. He will seek them out first and then the werewolves." Snape said reasonably.

Kingsley nodded. "All right. I'll also heighten security around Azkaban. Surely, he'll try to free those that were captured. I'll have to alert the Muggle Prime Minister as well."

Shacklebolt sighed tiredly. "That man already thinks we're hopelessly incompetent. If the Muggles decide that we're incapable of handling this matter, they will take the reigns…permanently."

"Surely they wouldn't risk their own kind—."

"They think we're all a threat to their existence, Remus. Despite the dialogue between us now, this will not bode well with them." Kingsley said, standing up to leave the Burrow. "Ronald, Arthur—I'm considering drawing up charges against you both for withholding sensitive information pertaining to public safety and security. I suggest you find representation and soon."

The moment Kingsley left the Burrow, Ron picked up a sitting room lamp and hurled it at the door Shacklebolt left out of. Afterward, he collapsed down onto the sofa next to George, running both hands through his hair. His head was face down; that way, he wouldn't have to meet anyone's gaze.

"This isn't your fault, Ron." George said, placing a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder.

"And I know a really good barrister who can help you and Dad. Don't worry about that." Percy said quietly.

"I don't care about charges or getting fired. I'm worried about Harry and Ginny." Ron said, wringing his hands. "I knew no good would come from dealing with Riddle. Why couldn't there have been another way?"

"We did what we had to." said Arthur.

"Did we?" Ron asked, shaking his head. "I'm not sure. I should've asked Hermione. Maybe she could've thought of something. And now You-Know-Who's back…in Harry's body. Harry!"

"Calm down, Ron. Panicking won't solve anything." said Remus, looking at Severus next. "Do you think she can help Harry regain control?"

Snape nodded without hesitation. "I'm positive she can, but Ginevra will need assistance. The Dark Lord will have her somewhere far removed from his plans and followers. She won't have free access to wherever she's being held, and I doubt he'd allow her to gain a wand or utilize her wandless magic. The elf refused to return to Ginevra, choosing to protect Connor instead. Therefore, we need someone who can infiltrate Riddle's group and help her."

"I think I know just the right person." Ron said, leaving the sitting room, probably to contact whoever he thought best for the job.

"Well, we had a breather." Fred said, attempting to make a light joke. "It wasn't much of one but…"

"We're back at war." George finished dismally, staring down at the floor.

And the entire room remained silent.


"How did you remove him? Answer, damn you! Crucio!"

Ginny's body locked up, as she seized while enduring the Cruciatus Curse for the fourth time within half the hour. At this rate, I'll be like the Longbottoms in another thirty minutes. As raspy screams emitted from her sore throat, Ginny thought, At least, that way, he'll never find out who's protecting Connor. Suddenly, Riddle-Harry lifted the curse.

"Tell me this instant or I will end you."

"Go…ahead." Ginny said breathily, watching an incredulous look form in his eyes before being swiftly replaced with fury. "That's if you think Harry would allow it, and even if you can overpower him and finish me, you'd never find my son."

When he put away his wand, Ginny was more than shocked. She was sure he'd actually kill her this time. Ginny wished she could rise and look him in the eyes; that way, maybe she could regain her dignity or somehow show Tom that she'd never stop challenging him.

I don't want to die, but I'll be damn if I let him strip me of who I really am and my loved ones. I won't let you unmake me, not again. She thought, glaring at his back.

"This is more than revenge and keeping me prisoner," Ginny said, beginning to wheeze. "You should killed me for what I did. You said you would if I…continued…to disobey, but you haven't."

Slowly, Tom-Harry turned to face Ginny with a cold, blank look on his face that confirmed her suspicions. Meanwhile, Ginny was finding it increasingly difficult to breathe and remain conscious. Yet, she must know. Knowing could be essential to ending Riddle. It was so unlike him to be this tight-lipped about his brilliant, certainly ruthless, stratagems.

"You claim to know me so well." Tom-Harry said quietly, and for a moment, he didn't sound like the sadistic monster that he truly is.

No, he has the tone as if speaking to an old friend. I believed it back then. He can't possibly think I'll fall for that now.

"I am quite surprised you haven't figured it out, Ginevra."

Ginny frowned up at him, wondering what use he could still have for her. However, struggling to breathe quickly took precedence over Tom. With a wave of his wand, air easily filled Ginny's lungs. Another swishing movement and Ginny was out cold on the bedroom floor.


A week had passed since Ginny had been taken by Tom. After only three days, he'd moved them from Lestrange Manor to Avery's estate outside of Yorkshire. Thankfully, Ginny had seldom seen Tom-Harry since then. Riddle was avoiding Ginny either because he didn't have time to waste on her, or because she could offer him nothing valuable. Perhaps it's both.

Currently, Ginny was sitting on the outdoor patio adjacent to the en suite she was confined to. Tom had warded the entire area well—Ginny couldn't leave. Whenever she touched the invisible walls interning her, Ginny was thrown backwards by several feet. Already, Ginny had wounded herself a handful of times. Avery told Ginny, that if she had to be healed again, then he'd tell Tom that she was testing the wards.

Out of all the Death Eaters she'd ever known, Avery was one of the few who didn't have a savage nature to cause needless pain and carnage. He reminded Ginny of Lucius Malfoy, except he wasn't extremely arrogant and far from being a materialistic man.

Like all Death Eaters, he was very dangerous but in the most quietist of ways. He was silent, reserved, calculating, and ruthless. Avery was patient, and when the opportune moment presented itself, only then would he go in for the kill. For years, Ginny could never understand why the man hadn't risen higher up in the ranks of the Death Eaters—that is, until yesterday when he'd threatened her.

Ginny was intrigued about why he hadn't already told Tom. Such a thing could gain him Riddle's favor, so why keep quiet? Ginny wasn't stupid enough to think the man pitied her. So why did he not tell?

A noise in the room startled Ginny from her thoughts. Upon hearing approaching footsteps, she immediately knew it wasn't Tom. His steps are so light. Then, Ginny saw Avery standing at the entrance of the French doors to the patio that Ginny had wide open.

"Your lunch." He said gruffly, observing her shrewdly before walking over to where she was seated. Then, he loudly dropped the platter of food and cup of water onto the resting table in front of Ginny.

He had to lean down slightly to put the food down, and that gave Ginny all the chance she needed to catch him unawares. When he angled his head slightly to the left to glance warily at her, Ginny smirked before quickly slamming her left fist into his throat. Ginny watched emotionlessly as he toppled over. She hastily stood, picked up the platter of food, and struck him across the back of the head. The blow made his chest completely meet the patio floor. Next, Ginny used her right foot to apply pressure to the back of Avery's neck.

"Move again, Avery. I'll break your neck with a single stomp." Ginny threatened, feeling him go completely still beneath her foot. Ginny leant forward, applying slightly more pressure as she pulled his wand from the inside of his robe pocket. "Stand slowly."

Avery obeyed with his hands raised in surrender. Ginny had his own wand trained on his chest.

"I was wondering when you'd make your move." Avery said with a bored expression that made Ginny frown bemusedly at him. "Word got around about you making a fool out of Rabastan. So…what do you have planned for me?"

"An interrogation." Ginny said, smiling coldly at Avery, watching him slightly incline his head. "I must say, Avery, you're very calm about all this. We both know the damage I can do now that I have your wand."

"I figure, if I play nicely, there won't be any damaging, am I right?" He said smoothly and Ginny shrugged in reply. "I know your limits, Weasley, now that you're an Auror. You can't kill me."

"Why kill what I can butcher and keep perfectly alive?" Ginny said with a cold smile, seeing Avery grimace at her. "If I had to guess why you've been so…nice to me, I'd say it's because you want to double cross your master. Perhaps you fancy playing both sides, until a clear victor emerges. Am I right, or am I right?"

Avery sat rather leisurely on the chair to the left of where she'd been seated.

"I thought you should know there are signs that Potter's fighting for control." Avery said silkily, watching Ginny close for a reaction. Ginny sat with his wand on her lap. "Yesterday, when we attacked Devonshire, the Dark Lord was unable to fire the Killing Curse at a single enemy. He hid that well, but I see things like that."

They attacked Devon. Was it near the Burrow? Instead of asking Avery about the attack, Ginny focused on this news.

"How very astute of you." Ginny said snidely, watching a slight smirk on Avery's face that was more amused than insulted. "And what else makes you think that Harry's growing stronger, hmm?"

For a moment, it looked like Avery was considering withholding this information from Ginny. All it took was for her to simply glance down at his wand.

Avery quickly answered, "He's noticeably softer. The Dark Lord is only easily able to enact cruelty against his followers; the same cannot be said for his enemies."

"So naturally, you perceive his weaknesses and betray him. I can appreciate that." Ginny said honestly, sharing a brief grin with Avery. "And yet what is to stop you from betraying me?"

Avery's grin quickly slid off his face. "In a situation like this, you have every advantage, Weasley. You could simply tell the Dark Lord what I have said. Betraying you doesn't work out all that well for me."

"Unless this is some silly mind game that Tom has sent you to play for him." Ginny said, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at Avery, who looked somewhat unsettled by her accusation. "You both are fools if you think I will fall for it."

"For what, Weasley?"

"This act where you try to worm your way into my good graces. Tom knows my guard is raised around him, so who better can he send to get past my defenses in the only way possible—by using Harry. You're so transparent, Avery." Ginny sighed disappointedly, raising his own wand at his chest.

Avery visibly paled, saying, "Wait and just think about this, Weasley."

Ginny had only told Avery that she believed him to be false in a way to manipulate him, but his reaction was starting to convince her that maybe she'd correctly surmised his reasoning for 'betraying' Tom.

"I've thought long enough." Ginny said; her tone hard. "The only way you'll convince me otherwise is by vowing on your magic that you're serious about allying with me."

"You can't be serious!"

Ginny raised a single red brow at Avery. "I'm not stupid enough to trust your word. Your vow, Avery—or I begin carving from your head to your scrotum, for both wasting my time and for attempting to play me for a fool."

"I'll need something in return."

"Fine. I'll vow that, should we defeat Riddle, I'll do everything I legally can do to stop the Ministry from sentencing you to death."

"I don't want a life sentence either."

Again, Ginny raised the wand slightly higher. "I can't vow that."

"Then vow that you'll try to make them not give me a life sentence. In return, what will I be vowing to?"

"That you'll ally with me and do whatever you reasonably can do—that is, without it getting yourself killed—to bring about this alliance's success." Ginny said, watching Avery carefully consider that vow. "I'll accept nothing less than that, so either take it or leave it."

"Deal—but we have no bonder."

"Hold out your left hand." Ginny ordered, and after he did so (hesitatingly), she cut open the palm of his hand.

"Damn you, Weasley."

"A vow in blood needs no bonder, Avery."

In no time, their vows were exchanged. Before returning his wands, Ginny used a more powerful version of the Banishing Charm on the bracelets inhibiting her wandless magic. Then, she returned Avery's wand to him.

I'll have to glamour an illusion of the bracelets being on my wrists when Tom's around. It would be exhausting but Ginny was determined to manage.

"Anything else I should know before you leave?" Ginny asked, watching Avery halt at the doorway.

"Watch out for Rabastan."

Ginny nodded, rolling her eyes before remembering to tell him, "Oh, Avery, I'll be needing a wand."

The Death Eater left without so much as a backward glance at her. The red-head smiled to herself.

Thanks to this new turn of events, I might be able to stop Tom. For the first time in over a month, Ginny felt hope swell within her heart.

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