7 – Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures.
End of May, 1998
The old Astronomy Tower had been the chosen meeting point for the group.
It was symbolic and ideal: After Dumbledore's death, the place was no longer frequented, nor had it been rebuilt; the walls and structure still held the marks of the battle that caused a twist in the wizarding world. Marks of death and destruction.
Everyone in the small group was hooded, as if the simple act of hiding their faces was enough to make their internal emotions easier to control. When Ginny climbed the last flight of stairs that led to the Tower, following Harry's footsteps, all the volunteers were already there. As Harry murmured greetings to everyone, Ginny noticed a taller, angrier, figure approaching her.
"Where did you spend the night?" Ron practically hissed. "Percy and I were looking for you last night and your bed was empty. If we didn't have to save the bloody world the next day, I'd have sought mom out. She would have found you quickly."
"I bet this simple visit at dawn meant nothing." Ginny retorted in a sarcastic tone, as quietly as she could. "Ah yes, if we don't consider that you gits had intended to use any dirty trick to make me stay in the castle."
It had crossed her mind more than once that one of the brothers (or all of them, together) would try to do something to stop her from going.
"Er, well ..." Ron faltered and Ginny was sure the tip of his ears had gone red with embarrassment under his hood. "It doesn't matter now. Anyway, we're going to have a serious talk when we come back to the castle."
She already had a naughty answer on the tip of her tongue when she realised that Ron had such a blind faith in their victory – and in Harry - that he had used the same tone he would use when saying 'let's talk after we come back from shopping at Diagon Alley '. She inevitably felt a wave of optimism and tenderness towards her brother.
Without resisting the impulse, she did something that completely defused Ron's jealousy: she stood up on her tiptoe, wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a light kiss on the cheek, whispering in his ear. "I love you so much, Ron. Never forget this."
She released him after a few seconds and Ron stood there, as if Voldemort himself had come in person to say he loved him, instead of his younger sister.
Ginny was unable to observe Ron's reaction any longer because in the next moment Harry raised his voice so that everyone could hear him out. He went over the plan that had become more or less a mantra in her head:
"Voldemort is being guarded by four Death Eaters tonight: Mulciber, Rowle, Rockwood and Selwyn, with six more of them making the rounds to ensure we're kept unable to leave Hogwarts with our wounded people," He paused and Ginny once again felt an uneasiness about the reliability of his information, which no one, except Harry himself, knew where it had come from. "When forty minutes have passed after we leave, Charlie's going to begin the removal of the injured people and also of those who want to leave the castle. It's on him to tell the Order and the others about what we're going to do and what Ron, Hermione and I have been doing for the past year."
"You can count on me." Charlie said and Ginny noticed her brother nodding under his hood.
"About the rest of us, the most important thing is that our action catches them off guard, to the point of avoiding those on guard from calling other Death Eaters. Any attempt of them in this direction must be absolutely prevented. I'm quite sure if we get to Voldemort, he's not going to lower himself and ask for help, even though he's weaker."
"Arrogant wanker." Ron muttered angrily.
"That is why we're going to split into groups, to deal with Death Eaters separately. Ron, Hermione, Neville and me will try to get to Voldemort, without dwelling too much on the other Death Eaters. This is your job." Harry pointed to the rest of the group. "George and Angelina, Dean and Lee, Percy and Ginny." To her ears, it seemed he had said her name against his will, but she could not care less. "Remember, we have a list with the Death Eaters' names, we only finish our mission once we've dealt with all of them."
After he finished, silence washed over everyone; nothing was heard but the sound of the wind hitting the rubble of the Astronomy Tower. Ginny was already beginning to feel suffocated by the silence when Hermione spoke up, in a gentle tone that Ginny hardly saw her friend use.
"Harry, you know just a Disarming Charm won't be enough anymore, don't you?"
"I know." Harry said through clenched teeth and then repeated it in a slightly lower tone, more to himself than to others. "I know."
"So, everyone is ready?" Charlie took charge of the situation. Once everyone nodded their consent, he conjured up five brooms, which appeared in line in front of him. "I think it's better if you travel in pairs as well; it'll get less attention. I'm going to count down the time from the moment you all take off." Then he addressed his four siblings, gathered in a corner of the Tower. "If anything happens to any of you, I swear I'm going to make snacks for Dragons with the tosser responsible for hurting you. So be careful: I'd hate if my Dragons had an indigestion." Saying that, he hugged each one of them, taking a little longer with George. "I hope seeing you in a few hours."
Without another word, each pair mounted on its broom.
In an act of rare admission of inability to perform any task, Percy offered Ginny the broom's command.
"The purpose of the plan is, at least, to make it to the Forbidden Forest alive." He said fixing his glasses that insisted on sliding down his long nose when she eyed him quizzically. "This is probably not going to happen if I fly the broom."
She smiled at her brother and mounted on the broom. Percy followed suit, holding tight to her waist. With a silent signal from Harry, everyone took off towards the eastern part of the Hogwarts' grounds.
And it was wonderful to feel the wind against her face; she was invaded by a crazy urge to pirouette and refrained a smile when she imagined the frown Percy would make if she did that. She shook her head and decided it was more prudent to get serious and focus on the mission. Using her peripheral vision, she noticed that the brooms had taken distance from each other, as they had previously agreed.
After a few minutes of flight, they were already entering the vicinity of the Forest; Dean and Lee went down first, quickly losing altitude and dodging branches. Ginny silently wished her ex-boyfriend and friend good luck. In the sequence, George and Angelina started to land; she had her head and arms very close to George's body, her eyes closed as if she were saying a prayer.
Now Ginny knew it was her turn, but she could not resist the urge to move closer to Harry's broom, positioning her broom so that it was side by side with him and Neville. She simply stared into those green eyes in an intimate way of saying goodbye. A look which kept a world of promises that started with the phrase 'When we get back…'.
She smiled at Harry and waved to Neville. He felt Percy press her waist as if saying 'what the bloody hell are you waiting?' And then they dove into the darkness of the Forbidden Forest.
They landed as quietly as possible and with a flick of his wand, Percy made the broom disappear.
As Percy took the lead in a protective way, they walked for a few meters. They knew that, just like them, the Death Eaters patrolled in pairs, sometimes the perimeter of the castle to make sure the giants continued to block the exit to Hogsmeade, and sometimes around the Forbidden Forest, to ensure the safety of their master.
Ginny could feel her robe dragging behind her over the wet forest grass, in a muffled noise. She was tense from head to toe, startling at the sound of everything, from the wind hitting the trees to the little owls that chirped unexpectedly. She followed Percy's footsteps, as if stepping on the footprints left by him in the soft grass could ease the already small disturbance they generated in the forest.
It was difficult to walk away from the trails, but if they did it differently, they would end up being easy targets. Ginny wished the Centaurs were there, however, according to Harry's mysterious source of information, after their decision to join Harry's side at the Battle of Hogwarts, Voldemort had no mercy and the Centaurs were also unable to return to their colony in the Forest, otherwise they would die horribly.
Her musings were interrupted when Percy came to a sudden stop in front of her, causing her to bump into his back. He turned and made a sign of silence, placing his index finger over his lips. There were two people, near the trail, approaching them on the right.
"I told you, Nott. We should go into the castle and get over with it, once and for all." Said a voice becoming clearer and clearer, much to Ginny's discomfort. From the tone of the voice, she suspected they would be very close now.
"It's not like we're overflowing with strength, Crabbe. And everyone knows you just want to come into the castle to seek revenge for your son." Ginny felt an incredible tone of malice overlap in the voice of whom was supposedly Nott. "Besides, from what Goyle's son told us, it was something he brought it on himself. He wasn't worthy of being a Death Eater, failing to control a curse like that-"
Ginny would never know if her brother's reaction was due to the Death Eater's arrogance about their own abilities or to the profound lack of respect for the death of someone's son, since Fred's death was so recent.
The point was that Crabbe's father could not even answer his colleague's insults, because Percy jumped faster than Ginny supposed he could and, in a flick of his wand, he had stunned one Death Eater.
She ran towards Percy, trying to hide her silhouette behind the numerous trees and positioned herself close to where her brother was.
Percy was already dueling with a large Death Eater, his arms out of proportion to his body.
Crabbe's dad, Ginny thought searching for an opening to attack. The Death Eater attacked with surprising voracity given his size and Percy had some difficulty in countering his spells.
Ginny had her wand up, trying to aim at the Death Eater, but both Percy and him moved too fast to be safe throwing any hexes.
A hex passed very close to him and, after protecting himself behind a tree, Percy screamed. "Ginny, go!" He quickly came out from hiding behind the tree to cast a spell and then used the trunk as a shield once again. "We have to disable as many Death Eaters as possible! I'll see you as soon as I'm done with this one." She hesitated a little longer, aimed her wand at the Death Eater one more time, but her brother shouted again. "For Merlin's sake, go!"
Persuaded, Ginny ran in search of new targets. Percy was right, they should try to shoot down as many Death Eater as possible before their attack was boasted. She slowed her steps as soon as the adrenaline allowed her to reason properly; she would be an easier mark if she kept making more noise than a Howler.
She walked for a few more minutes, hoping that Percy could follow her trail. The Forbidden Forest was extremely dense; the trees' branches hit her face and she was sure her cheeks would be painfully cut the next day.
If there were the next day, she thought bitterly.
She spotted a small clearing that could serve as a meeting place for Percy and her; also, it possibly was a good spot to set traps for Death Eaters. After some time of observation, Ginny thought she could approach the place if she was very cautious.
She was still protected by the shadows of the trees when she peered into the small place where the moonlight shone most strongly.
It looked abandoned.
Ginny took a deep breath preparing to expose her position when she felt the tip of a wand against the back of her neck.
Fuck!
"Get down and put your wand on the ground, where I can see it."
The familiarity of the voice registered by her subconscious was drowned out by her growing fear. She did as she was told; any reaction other than that would mean her death sentence, she was sure of it.
"Now get up and walk slowly."
She headed towards the spot open in the forest, feeling relief when she realised the wand aimed at her was farther from her neck. She guessed this small comfort was due to the fact that the Death Eater had bent down to pick up the wand she had left on the ground.
Ginny stepped into the small clearing, wondering if this was the place where she would die. She decided then she would face whatever was going to happen head-on.
She turned around bravely, with conviction they would never see her falter before she succumbed. Once her eyes met the ones of the black-clad figure in front of her, her stomach contracted instantly.
Draco Malfoy was standing a few feet in front of her, pointing his own wand at Ginny's head and holding hers in his other hand, sporting a mocking smirk on his face.
Unconsciously, she lowered the hood that covered her head; with the movement, her long red hair fell like a waterfall down her back.
"You…" Malfoy murmured just as the unpleasant smile disappeared from his mouth. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Ginny was impassive, not sure how to react. Malfoy had, in a way, protected her at the Battle of Hogwarts and now they were there, clearly on opposite sides. She noticed he had lowered his wand slightly and all the conflicting feelings she had felt at Hogwarts about him struck her like lightning.
"Malfoy, listen..." She started talking, wringing her hands, all the confidence from previous minutes draining out of her body.
How to say coherently that her group needed to neutralize all Death Eaters there, kill Voldemort and destroy Malfoy's side of the war, but he could come with her if he wanted to? Ah, all this without sounding like a complete lunatic.
You're not batting on a full wicket, Ginny. She thought to herself.
If someone asked the reason for her behavior, Ginny would have a thousand rehearsed explanations, such as 'he could've killed Dumbledore, but he haven't', 'he could've let me unconscious and exposed at Hogwarts, but he haven't' and 'everyone deserves a second chance'.
But all of this reasoning did not fully represent the truth; she simply wanted to help him, get that maddening sadness out of his eyes...
Nobody deserved to go through all of that and neither did he. He was just a teenager thrown in the middle of it all, as victimized as Ron, Harry and her.
Taking a deep breath, she took the courage to talk again. "This is going to come to an end today, regardless of what you and I do now. Voldemort is weak and debilitated... You can just turn your back to him and seek Order's help, try to protect yourself." It was all she had managed to say.
Malfoy remained silent for an instant, before answering coldly. "And do you suppose your flawless friends would accept me?" The question was masked by a mocking tone, but Ginny just knew that behind his words a spark of hope had shone.
"They will, even if I have to force each one of them-"
She did not have time to organise her thoughts to finish the sentence that had come out as a revelation even to herself.
Malfoy got tensed one more time. He was staring somewhere over her shoulder and when she turned her neck to look, she noticed her brother approaching them.
Ginny assumed Draco was out of Percy's sight, since once he stood a few feet from Ginny, her brother started talking naturally, still panting and adjusting his glasses.
"Merlin's beard! That troglodyte gave me more trouble than I thought he would! But now the two gits are tied up and totally out of touch." He said with a pompous smile.
When Percy realised his sister had not returned his gesture and was still tense, he froze in place.
It was the only thing he had time to do: out of the corner of her eye, she saw Draco Malfoy raising his wand towards Percy and it all happened at the same time:
Ginny shouted a resounding "No!" fearing the possibility of losing another brother, Draco Malfoy cast a non-verbal spell and Percy fell limp on the floor.
A second passed before she had the courage to have any reaction. Her mind was registering all information frantically.
Red light, not a green one. Red light, not a green one.
Malfoy had chosen to stun her brother, not to kill him.
Ginny suddenly felt her eyes water in relief; she wanted to run to Percy and check if everything was okay with him but her feet were stuck to the ground.
For a moment, Malfoy hesitated briefly but then put the mask of indifference back on his face that Ginny, strangely aware of the idea, was getting used to paying attention to.
She was so absorbed in his confusing persona that she did not notice the presence of another one, a little taller and more sinister, approaching the pair with resolute strides.
Lucius Malfoy had also found his son.
"Now, now, Draco! I leave you alone just for a minute and see what you find out. What are they doing here?"
"I don't know." Draco answered simply and Lucius nodded absently. "I was patrolling the area and I came across them."
"Isn't she the Weasley girl who caused me some minor problems at the Ministry?" Lucius approached her slowly and Ginny's first impulse was to run away, but she remembered Percy, lying on the ground next to her. When Lucius eyed Percy unconscious body, he smirked and Ginny realised she would not have left her brother for the life of her.
Lucius stood by her side and lifted a rebellious lock of ginger hair, which had fallen on her forehead. He did not carry a wand as far as she could tell, but he was an imposing figure nonetheless, much taller than she was. "Do you know what that adventure of yours meant to me and my family?"
Ginny did not hesitate. "Probably the same thing your actions meant for me and my family."
Here, girl — take your book — it's the best your father can give you.
Ginny tried to be in control of the situation, but remembering the day this man gave her Tom Riddle's Diary always had destabilized her on some level.
Looking for some hope, Ginny glanced at the younger Malfoy, but the boy remained unmoved, standing in the same place, like a bloody statue. When he noticed Ginny's gaze on him, he showed a glimpse of what might be doubt. But it was short lived: soon the indifferent expression returned to his face. Then Ginny turned her eyes to Lucius Malfoy one more time; even if she could not have help from Draco, at least she would not show her fear, no matter what.
"Perhaps it's true." Lucius's cynical smile was terrifying. "Given this bad blood between our families, maybe we could settle some old scores. Like yours, my wand was taken away from me. So, I propose a fair combat between the two of us, girl: we shall rely only on our hands and on our most primitive instincts. I assume that you, as a vile Muggle-lover, will appreciate my offer."
For the first time, Draco sounded concerned. "Father, I don't think it's the wisest course- "
"Be quiet, Draco." Lucius interrupted his only son icily. "I'm tired of those meddlesome fools always getting in our way."
"So am I." Draco insisted. "But she's just a girl."
Lucius made a condescending sound. "Draco, one of the many things your mother has taught me is that we must never underestimate a woman."
"I don't." Draco replied firmly. "I just don't think she'll cause us any problem. You don't have to - you don't have to kill her."
"Kill her? What kind of barbarian do you think I am, Draco?" Lucius asked without taking his eyes off Ginny. "I'm not an idiot to kill the girl when I can take her to the Dark Lord and regain some of our prestige, son. But that does not mean I do not earnestly wish to wipe every Weasley off the face of the earth. Or hurt them as much as they hurt us."
"Think, Father."
"Very well, Draco. You do have a point." Lucius conceded sighing sadly. "I taught you well; it's not wise allow our petty sentiments overpower our mind. Our family is the most important thing."
"Yes." Draco agreed seeming relieved.
"Shall we go, Miss Weasley?" Lucius held her tightly by the arm.
"Never!" Ginny had remained silent during that weird conversation, but only because she had been surprised enough by Draco's defense. But not in a million of years would she behave sweetly while being taken to Voldemort.
Then taking Lucius by surprise and changing strategy, she had squirmed to bite his arm in an attempt to break free.
"You filthy little beast!" Lucius howled but did not let go of her.
Ginny felt her arms being crush terribly by relentless hands: he was shaking her like a rag doll. She screamed for help and tried to kick him, but he dodged her kick with relative dexterity.
She clenched her teeth when he pulled one hand away from her, knowing it would not be a relief in any way. Her guess proved true when she felt a strong slap on the right side of her face. The movement made her fall to the ground abruptly, feeling the metallic taste of blood in her mouth. She looked up, trying to put some challenge in her eyes, even if it meant nothing to Lucius Malfoy.
Rubbing the spot where she had bitten, Lucius seemed amused by her attempt to be brave. He laughed patronizingly and got her off the ground, pulling her by the arm as if she weighed almost nothing. He held her by the throat, placing both thumbs at the level of her tonsils and applying an almost unbearable pressure, squeezing her neck.
"You don't have to be conscious to be taken to the Dark Lord!"
"Father, it's quite enough!" Draco was saying but Ginny could not discern his words anymore.
She was running out of breath now and her world was slowly getting darker and darker; as if seeing the scene from afar, she noticed the wind swinging the leaves of the trees, the big moon in the sky and the face in front of her, so pale, so distorted by anger, so evil.
Already on the threshold between consciousness and unconsciousness, Ginny decided she did not want that to be the last image she would see. She then glanced at the younger Malfoy, who was looking at the scene with visible apprehension, not knowing what to do.
In the state of those whose actions are permeated by the lack of logical reasoning, she almost calmed down when she noticed he was hesitating before the scene. Would he interrupt? It was her last thought with a minimum of coherence, until the world started to plunge into a dense fog and…
"Avada Kedavra!"
Similar to a black hole that sucked everything around it, Ginny's lungs absorbed as much air as it could, causing her a terrible pain. She found herself on her knees on the ground, trying to breath, and her eyes quickly registered the scene before her.
Neville Longbottom had his wand aimed at the point where Lucius Malfoy had been moments before, carrying an expression that mixed awe, determination and fear on his face.
Draco, completely in shock, looked from the Gryffindor boy to his father's body, lying dead on the ground next to Percy's unconscious form, and then to Neville again, seeming not to believe in what he was seeing. When he finally opened his mouth to speak, there were no more signs of the snobbish and indifferent young man; there was only pure hatred.
"You daft bastard! What have you done?!" He was already raising his wand towards Neville. Ginny tried to scream, but the extreme pain in her throat prevented her from making any louder sounds than hoarse murmurs.
The two young men began to duel and Ginny knew that Neville would not last long against Malfoy, whose skills seemed enhanced by his hatred. Her friend dodged the spells with some difficulty and Draco moved forward and forward, as if he wanted nothing more than to cast the final – and probably mortal- hex with his wand stuck in Neville's throat. "You bloody arse!"
Each spell was permeated with a different offense from Malfoy. He never shouted and that icy fury was more frightening than any outburst.
With some difficulty, Ginny stood up with the intention of interfering in any way possible, but stopped short when she noticed Malfoy had tears in his eyes. In that moment she realised Draco Malfoy was doomed, lost forever to the Order, to her side of the story. And that was an inexplicably painful and bitter epiphany.
The irony was not lost on her: Draco Malfoy, a Death Eater, had chosen not to kill Percy, while Neville, a member of the Order of the Phoenix, had made the opposite choice regarding Lucius Malfoy.
I can't stand here thinking about what has already happened, it's no good crying over spilt potion, she thought, desperation already taking over her. Neville's not going to resist much longer -
Like a balm to cure her inertia, Harry had appeared been behind Draco Malfoy's back, looking out of breath and tired. He raised his wand and very quietly, as if he felt a profound sorrow, said the spell that stunned the young blond man.
Neville, seeing his opponent fall unconscious on the ground, stopped and dropped his wand abruptly, disgusted. It seemed that the simple act of holding the object was inappropriate and unworthy for him.
"I- I- H- he was going to kill her." He said to no one in particular, eyeing his open hands in front of him. When he spoke again, he addressed Ginny. "We heard your scream and I ran like a shot, without really thinking through or waiting for Harry. We ended up getting lost and when I got here… I should've never done that." He concluded, shaking his head sadly.
Ginny walked to him; her legs still wobbly. She hugged her friend, noticing he was shaking as well. "Thank you, Nev. You were very brave and I'm always going to remember that you've saved me." Her voice was hoarse and barely audible.
"We don't do that, Gin. We don't kill, we're not murderers." He choked out staring at the ground. "It's so wrong."
She searched Harry with her eyes for support for Neville, but found the perplexed young man looking at Lucius Malfoy's body, as though he could not believe what his eyes were seeing.
"They weren't supposed to be here. They weren't on the list." Harry murmured while he ran his hands nervously through his black hair. "Fuck! The Malfoys weren't supposed to be here!"
Ginny felt like slapping him. What mattered least now was the bloody list of Death Eaters that would or would not be in the Forbidden Forest that night.
"Harry, I suspect that now we have more important issues to deal with than a problem with Death Eaters' attendance." She said through clenched teeth at the pain of talking.
"You don't understand. They really weren't supposed to be here!" He repeated devastated.
"It doesn't matter anymore!" She shouted, finally losing the temper she had been holding back and she could have sworn she felt her throat tear at the effort. "Whining isn't going to help us! For Merlin's sake, the man is already dead!" She put her hand on her throat as if the gesture could make it stop hurting.
After Ginny's outburst, Harry seemed to regain a little of his sense and tried control the situation. He looked at Percy, lying on the ground. "Is he...?"
"No. Draco just stunned him." She replied, but her gaze was kindly fixed on the unconscious younger Malfoy.
She could not suppress an overwhelming sense of gratitude that invaded her again. Harry just look at her, in a somewhat confused way.
"Where are Ron and Hermione? Shouldn't they be with you?" She asked before Harry could inquire anything about the events prior to his arrival or about her unexpected kindness towards Malfoy.
Ginny did not want to discuss that now. Or never, to be honest.
"We're going to meet them soon enough. We had planned to land in different areas so as not to get attention and meet using Hermione's Enchanted Coin." He then addressed Neville, who still looked as though he might cry but seemed slightly better. "Are you ready to go, Nev? If you want, you can come back and-"
"No, Harry." Neville had recouped his energy and was already much more controlled, even if he was still shaking a little bit. He took one last look at Lucius Malfoy's body before talking again. "We knew it could happen."
Harry nodded understandingly at his friend and then walked over to Ginny. He removed her hand from around her neck and examined the two purple spots left by Lucius' squeezing. A flash of anger passed through his green eyes. "You'll be fine?"
"Yes." She said firmly, her lips pressed together in a determined expression.
Harry gave her a chaste kiss on her forehead and they did not need to exchange any more words after that. It was only when her two friends left the clearing that Ginny whispered a soft 'Good luck'.
Afterwards, she went to where Draco Malfoy was fallen, took back her wand, conjured ropes and tied him up, all the time feeling her heart heavy like never before.
"Malfoy-" She hesitated, not knowing what to say to him, but needing to say something nonetheless. "I hope one day you can find some peace. Please, forgive us."
Turning her back to the son's unconscious body, she walked towards the father's lifeless body. She took off the long cloak she was wearing in order to cover what was left of Lucius Malfoy. She did not really understand why she did it, but in the end, she did it anyway.
She shrugged, thinking that maybe she just did not want Draco to wake up and come face to face with his father's corpse exposed so cruelly.
Even though his father was a cruel person to me, she thought filled with bitterness.
Then she went over to Percy and woke her older brother with a spell. As soon as he opened his eyes, confused, she held out her hand to him.
"Come on, Percy. We have a hell of a work to do."
N/A: Please, let me know your thoughts about the chapter! I don't know if I'm doing it right, haha