There was a rush for the fireplace. Dumbledore and Bill disappeared into the fire first with rapid flashes of green. Harry, however, slipped in before anyone could stop him, saying, "Knockturn Alley" just as the others had done. He heard Mrs. Weasley call his name from behind as the flames swept him into the Floo Network. He knew if he didn't, he would have been sent to bed again. At least this way he could do something, he might be able to help Ginny, too.
Harry landed in a fireplace of an old, run-down shop filled with disturbing magical objects and bottles. With a shudder, Harry raced out of the open door, hearing some shouts coming from that direction. Pulling his wand out of his robe, Harry entered the alley, looking left and then right. To the left there was only the darkness that fell over most everything in the alley. To the right, Harry saw Dumbledore, Arthur, and Bill stopped in their tracks. Beyond them, floating aimlessly, was a giant bubble containing an unconscious Ginny Weasley.
She appeared to be asleep, but her face was not peaceful. It appeared strained as though she was deep in a nightmare and was unable to wake. Ginny made no sound, however. It was as though she were frozen in time in the bubble, and someone had evidently set it loose in the alley. Harry looked around, but could see no one else.
"We didn't want to touch it," Arthur said. "I've never seen a spell quite like it."
Dumbledore was looking up at it, carefully. He stood muttering to himself, his wand out, but he made no obvious move.
"When we found her, she was all the way at the other end of the alley," Bill said. "She's floated here since I ran to get you, Headmaster."
The headmaster gave no sign that he heard them, his eyes were fixed intently on the bubble, and it appeared as though he was deep in thought.
Harry's mind began to whir, running back over hundreds of books he had read in the Hogwarts library. There were many spells that involved bubbles, but most were for protection and did not move on their own. This one seemed to be hurting Ginny, in some way, and it felt…it felt off somehow. Harry couldn't quite describe what it was, but there was some dark purpose to this bubble.
"Harry?" Arthur asked, evidently noticing him standing behind Dumbledore and staring. "What are you doing here?"
"I thought I could help," Harry said, glancing over at Arthur before his eyes returned to the bubble.
"Dumbledore is here," Arthur said. "He will find a way to free Ginny. You should go back. Molly will be worried."
Dumbledore walked slowly around the bubble, his face dark and a deep frown upon his face. Harry could see him slightly magnified as he went on the far side, as though it were full of water. If Ginny were suspended in a magical liquid, that could be the reason she was not conscious or moving. The magical essence kept her alive, but it prevented her from escaping or giving any sign.
"Harry?" Arthur asked.
"Sorry, Mr. Weasley," Harry said. "There's just something familiar about this…"
"Familiar?" the man asked. "Have you seen something like this before?"
"N-not exactly," Harry said. "The idea of it, it just sounds like something I've read about, somewhere. I don't know what it could be, though."
The girl shuddered, body shaking suddenly before going still. The three of them jumped, and Dumbledore looked around sharply. His eyes pierced into the deepest corners of the alley, searching. When they fell upon Harry, he spoke.
"Ah, Harry," Dumbledore said. "I thought you might appear."
"Hello, again, professor," Harry said.
"Any ideas, Harry?" the Headmaster asked.
"I think I've read about something like this," Harry said. "I just cannot remember where."
"More importantly," Dumbledore said, "what do you think this bubble is meant to do?"
"Stop her?" Bill asked. "But why?"
"Imprison her?" Harry offered.
"No," the elder said. "Both are valid guesses, but I fear something more sinister in all of this. It is no coincidence that she would come here on her own and then finds herself like this."
"More sinister than bewitching my little girl to leave home in the middle of the night?" Arthur asked hotly.
"And attacking Hermione?" Bill asked.
"I'm afraid so," Dumbledore whispered, but his voice carried through the silence.
Harry looked back over to Ginny, watching her face, that pained face. "Is it…" he asked, noting that the orb was very gradually growing now. "Is it growing?"
"Yes," Dumbledore said. "I'm afraid it is feeding off of her energy."
"To what end?" Arthur asked. "What is it for?"
"I don't know," Dumbledore said, his finger tips nearly touching the bubble but staying carefully away. "But if this continues, it will kill her."
"Then, we should get her out of there now," Harry said, moving quickly to stand beside Dumbledore.
"Yes," Dumbledore said, holding a hand up to stop Harry. "But we must be careful."
"Why would someone do this to Ginny?" Arthur demanded, glaring at the bubble. "She's harmless. Just a kid…"
"Whoever is behind the attacks at the school may be trying to silence her," Bill said. "If he thinks we're about to find him out…"
Dumbledore looked as though he was going to speak, but he shook his head and waved his wand in alternately large and small circles from the same spot.
"It makes no sense, though," Harry said. "This is too big. If it was just to silence her, there are much easier ways to do it."
"It may be a trap," Bill said. "Anyone who tries to free her risks being caught in the bubble, as well."
"I believe you are right," Dumbledore said. "Ah ha! Yes. It is crude, more than I expected, but I imagine it was done hurriedly."
"So, you can get through it?" Arthur asked.
"Not yet, Arthur," Dumbledore said. "Anyone who touches or casts a spell upon this bubble will instantly join Miss Weasley within. I have carefully scanned the outside, but can find no obvious flaws.
"And it will expand with every new person it takes in?" Harry asked.
"Yes," Dumbledore said. "As it absorbs more magical power, it will increase in size, endangering more people."
"So, no spells," Harry said. "And no physical contact…. A potion?"
"I can think of several that might separate the contents from the shell," Dumbledore said, "but, all are too complex. We do not have much time. I estimate that Ginny only has a few minutes, at the rate of magic absorption."
"I have an idea," Harry said.
The other three looked at him.
"A switching spell," Harry said. "We don't cast any magic on the bubble, but on Ginny. If we can swap her for something else, perhaps something with no magical essence, then it will have no more fuel and will shrink."
"By casting the spell," Dumbledore said, "you would still be drawn into the bubble. I believe any spell passing through it would be affected."
"If only we could Apparate in and out," Bill said. "But it would have you when you appeared inside."
"In my switching spell idea," Harry said, thoughtful, "would it succeed in removing Ginny?"
"It should," Dumbledore said. "The caster would still be caught, however, and that is not an option."
"But what if you entered with something to help you escape?" Harry said. "I like Bill's idea for Apparation, except you would be incapacitated. However, what if your consciousness was irrelevant?"
"What do you mean, Harry?" Arthur asked.
"Enter with a Portkey," Harry said. "Make it one that is designated to move you after a certain time."
"Elegant," Dumbledore said, looking down at Harry proudly. "I think that just might work."
"But dangerous," Arthur said. "If it doesn't work, we could have two people stuck in there."
"We don't have much time," Harry said. "We could test the Portkey first, though. That will prove that end of it. If it comes back out, then we only have to worry about the switching spell working."
"Yes, there is no time," Bill said, squinting at the bubble. "Step away from the bubble. I will give it a try."
He grabbed a stone from the street, muttering "Portus" before lobbing the stone into the edge of the bubble, joining the other three a few steps further back.
The bubble drew it inwards, pulling it close to Ginny while not touching. Nothing happened for a moment. Then, suddenly the bubble tripled in size and began to glow strangely, throbbing between a set of colours in rapid succession. Harry frowned. How had it not worked? Was the field too strong?
With a titanic pop sound, everything was ablaze with light. Harry had to shield his eyes, and wait once it was done for his eyes to normalise. Bright spots appeared over everything, preventing him from seeing properly. After a moment, these faded, and Harry realised another issue. There was no light on the street at all, none whatsoever. Lighting his wand, Harry played the light over the street, raking the cobblestones to find his companions and the bubble.
Dumbledore lit his wand almost immediately after Harry, and called over to him. "Harry, are you alright?"
"Yes," Harry said, "where are the others?"
"I'm here," Bill said, lighting his wand to Harry's right. "Blasted thing was blinding."
"Let me try for some more light," the Headmaster said, sending up a ball of light to sit in the air above the street. It increased slowly in intensity, sending the shadows away and revealing what the darkness had hidden.
Arthur lay on the ground between Dumbledore and Harry, not moving. A little further away, a giant puddle of goo filled a crater that Harry had been very sure was not in the street before. Lying at the edge, Ginny was free of the bubble, but also unmoving.
"Dad!" Bill cried, rushing to his dad's side.
Harry hesitated, but Dumbledore rushed to the girl, clearing the goop from her face and arms with quick waves of his wand. Harry stepped quickly over to Arthur, turning him face up. He could see a large bruise forming on the side of the man's head, blood flowing in a trickle from a point at the middle of it.
"It looks like Mr. Weasley was hit in the head," Harry called over to the Headmaster.
"He's breathing, but unconscious," Bill said.
"Hmm," Dumbledore said, walking over with Ginny hovering before him. "Look on the ground about him. Can you see anything?"
Harry scanned around, looking for anything unusual. Stepping over the man, he nearly tripped on something hard and slick beneath his foot. Reaching down, Harry realised it was a stone.
"I think it's the stone you put in the bubble," Harry said, pocketing the rock. "It must have hit him in the head."
"I did this…" Bill said, looking horrified.
"We need to get these two to Madam Pomfrey," Dumbledore said. "There will be time for figuring it all out later. I need you strong, Bill, to help me get them back."
'But I-" Bill began. Seeing the firm look in his old Headmaster's face, Bill nodded, growing quiet.
"What about the bubble?" Harry asked, looking around.
"It is gone," Dumbledore said.
"But why?"
"I am not sure," the older man said. "When these two are safe, I will return to investigate properly. This is mysterious, indeed."
"How are we going to get them both to the Burrow?" Harry asked.
"Harry," Dumbledore said. "Help me stand up Arthur. We will Side-Along Apparate him. Bill, can you assist your sister in the same?"
"Yes, professor," Bill said.
They quickly got organised and Apparated back to the Burrow. Harry felt Mr. Weasley's weight on his shoulder as they landed on the grounds. Harry's legs went out from under him and Arthur toppled out of Dumbledore's grip. Before he hit the ground, however, Dumbledore raised him softly into the air with his wand, and they joined Bill on the way to the house.
Molly rushed out, crying, "Arthur! Ginny!" and Madam Pomfrey had some difficulty getting around her to attend to the patients. After the pair were set down on the living room couches, Dumbledore departed, and Harry presumed he was off to identify the substance.
Madam Pomfrey worked quietly, refusing to answer questions until she was done. Molly hovered at her elbow, her eyes red and teary as she looked at the two. Harry saw that Bill was beside himself, standing in the corner and walking nervously. The rest of the family was gathered in close. As such, there was no room for Harry and Hermione's family. The four of them sat at the kitchen table, looking over at the gathered group, waiting like everyone else for some sign.
"Harry?" Hermione asked in a whisper beside him.
"Yeah?" he said, looking at her.
"You-" she began, her face full of concern. "What happened?"
Harry glanced at her parents, both of whom were quietly talking. "Someone put Ginny in a magical bubble. We put in a portkey to see if it could escape the bubble, but instead the bubble burst. I think Mr. Weasley was hit by the Portkey and we found Ginny on the ground."
"A Portkey?" she asked, looking confused.
"The bubble would suck you into it if you cast a spell on it," Harry said, "I had the idea that you could switch Ginny out for something else while holding a Portkey, it could transport you out safely. We wanted to test that the Portkey would work at all, though. I really don't understand why it reacted that way."
"Sounds like a protection measure," Hermione said. "Maybe the creator set wards against using Portkeys."
"Why would it explode then?" Harry asked. "The captive was released."
"Maybe they didn't really want her in there," Hermione said. "Maybe they had another purpose?"
"Hitting Mr. Weasley in the head?" Harry asked.
"I don't know," she said, looking dejected. "Things have been happening too fast."
"Well," Harry said. "It definitely supports the possession theory."
"Yeah," Hermione said. "I would never have thought, no matter how upset, that Ginny would attack me."
Harry nodded. "It must have been that…" Standing, he hurried to the entry to the living room. "Madam Pomfrey?" he asked, his voice nearly a shout.
"Please wait," she said. "I am nearly finished."
"Harry, whatever is the matter?" Molly asked. "You're as white as a ghost."
"And not Nearly Headless Nick," George said. "More like the Bloodless Baron, sad twin of the Bloody Baron."
"Hush you," Molly scolded.
"Does she have the diary?" Harry asked.
"I didn't see one when she came in," Molly answered.
"Her clothes have only the small pocket that had her wand," Bill said from across the room.
"Did you see anything in the bubble?" Harry asked.
"I don't remember seeing a book," Bill said. "Did you?"
"No," Harry said, stepping back from the doorway. "He must have taken it."
"Who?" Hermione asked from behind.
"Whoever did this to Ginny," Harry said. "If he wanted to get rid of Ginny and all evidence, he would have to take the diary, too."
"Does that mean the attacks are over?" Ron asked from the living room.
"I don't-" Harry began, but was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Dumbledore through the kitchen entry. "Dumbledore," Harry uttered.
"How are the patients, Poppy?" Dumbledore asked.
"Better than expected," she replied, standing up. "Arthur had a nasty bump, but he should be alright with a little rest. Molly, please see that he does not do anything too active for the next few days."
"And Ginny?" Molly asked. "What about my dear?"
"She will be fine, as well," Madam Pomfrey said. "She's asleep, seemed exhausted. I suggest a lot of fluids when she wakes, and a hearty meal. She needs to drink a draught of Pepper-up. I hope you have some about, no?"
"I think we have some," Molly said. "Bill, can you run and-?"
"What h-happened?" came a soft voice.
Everyone turned to see Ginny sitting up, her face pale and stricken. Her eyes froze on her unconscious father before roving back over the whole group. "What happened to dad?" she asked.
"He had a bump on the head, dear," Madam Pomfrey said, "but no worse for the wear."
"We're not at the school," Ginny said, looking between the Healer and Headmaster. "I - ohhhh!" Ginny cupped her hand to her head, wincing. "I don't remember-…"
"Please, rest, dear," Madam Pomfrey said. "All will be explained in time. Molly, can you bring some water and that pepper-up?"
"Y-yes," Molly said, jumping up to help Bill. "I'll be right back, dear. I'm so glad you're alright."
Everyone parted for Molly who took charge of the situation, soon sending off the other siblings to sleep. Harry slipped around her quickly, needing to ask something before he was shunted off, as well.
"Professor," he asked, looking up at Dumbledore in the kitchen, "what did you find?"
"Nothing," the Headmaster said, looking worn. "All of the residue was gone, even the crater. Someone cleaned up when we left."
"Did you see the book?" Harry asked. "The diary?"
"I did not," Dumbledore said, "and that concerns me greatly."
"Why?" Bill asked, coming up from behind Harry. "Without someone for the one responsible to control, won't the school be safer? We can warn the students not to accept books, even diaries, without faculty inspecting them for hidden magic."
"I fear it will make the one responsible more desperate," Dumbledore said, his voice dark and thoughtful. "This may become more dangerous than ever."
