A/N: And, it's done! Just kidding; there will be an epilogue to tie up any remaining loose ends. But the body of the story is finished and I hope I've answered most of the questions I've gotten. If I missed something big, well then, that's what the epilogue is for. Please read and review!
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It didn't take long for the answer.
Harry hadn't been able to predict what the resurrection would look like - Remus and Sirius had looked younger than when Harry had known them - and he'd been prepared for anything from Tom Riddle from the diary to something close to the flayed baby he'd seen in Kings Cross Station. That last would have been problematic on its own, of course. But the Voldemort standing in front of him looked closer to the figure that had emerged from the cauldron in the graveyard, snakelike and rather more presentthan Harry had expected. He wasn't quite solid but not nearly as ethereal as a ghost; Harry couldn't remember if this what what his parents had looked like when he'd called them back. He hadn't given as much attention to their physical characteristics as their faces and words; he'd assumed he would be joining them soon anyway.
Disconcertingly, Voldemort held a wand. He tilted his head at Harry, much as he had the first time they'd met in this clearing. But instead of curious, his expression was derisive.
"Stupid boy."
The words sent a chill through Harry. Not only for the obvious reason, that it was a voice he'd never expected to hear again in person, but because he suddenly wondered if he'd walked himself and Ginny right into a trap. What if this had been the plan all along and none of them had seen it? He couldn't even stop to think about it because it was too late; Voldemort was here and had to be fought. Harry had to "play the hero" by saving Ginny's life as the book had directed him to. It had been quite explicit in word and illustration. There was no way Harry would allow Ginny to be put directly in danger and so he'd fight Voldemort again himself and save Ginny that way.
It was a plan born of desperation. Even though he'd been partly expecting what Chapter Twelve would say, Harry hadn't been completely prepared to see the words on the page commanding him to try to snatch Ginny back at the last moment from the "jaws of death". It had actually used those words and Harry had almost vomited. Worst was that casual comment that he needed to try to save her. It was as if now that he was nearly at the end, the book didn't expect Harry to be able to finish. And so he'd hatched a plan that shouldered the burden of both dying and saving onto himself instead.
Nothing in the books on dark magic Harry had read could tell him what would happen when an enemy was resurrected. Now he was about to find out. He could sense Ginny standing behind him but didn't dare look. Voldemort hadn't moved, other than to spin his wand in his hand, and for a brief and hopeful minute Harry thought that maybe he was tied to that exact spot. But his parents had walked with him and after a moment, Voldemort did too, stepping slowly to Harry's right and forcing Harry to move sideways as well. Ginny didn't move with him and Voldemort's snakelike eyes opened in surprise to see her.
"Well . . . this is unexpected." Voldemort spoke silkily and didn't seem at all perturbed at having two foes. Indeed, Harry sensed something akin to pleasure. It had been years, of course, since he'd been able to share Voldemort's emotions, but now with the man standing before him, echoes of the past connection returned.
Voldemort cocked his head again. "Or perhaps, not unexpected," he said. "You haven't changed at all, have you? Still think that love is the most important thing." Voldemort was still on the move, walking back and forth in front of Harry and Ginny. He held his wand loosely and Harry wondered if maybe he didn't have enough strength or substance to use it. But then he suddenly pointed it at the ground, shooting a few yellow sparks at a patch of grass. They burned for a second and then fizzled into smoke. Voldemort made a sound of satisfaction.
"It's funny you think that, about love." Harry couldn't let himself show fear. He told himself that this wasn't all of Voldemort standing before him, not really. He'd even wondered to Ginny if Voldemort would be strong enough to fight and confessed he didn't have another plan if this one didn't work.
Now that the man was returned Harry already could see that that particular worry was for naught. This wasn't Voldemort at full strength - truly, if Harry had thought that's what resurrection would do he never would have dared it. But neither was he impotent, and for that Harry felt an odd spark of gratefulness that he'd at least have the chance to make this work. He twirled his own wand.
"Like I said, it's funny." Harry continued to mirror Voldemort's steps around the clearing. "Because love was enough to destroy you before, and it will be enough again." He took a risk and showed some of his hand. "But you knew that, didn't you? Before you planned to return. We know you're behind all this." He stopped his pacing right in front of Ginny, screening her from the scene ahead. She touched his back.
Voldemort looked at him curiously. "I'm here because you brought me back and for no other reason." He gave a cold chuckle. "How ironic, that the one who nearly destroyed me once couldn't let me stay that way. You're a fool, Harry Potter. You may think that love will save you, but really, it's a weakness that will be your downfall. You didn't have to bring me back you know; it's something you chose to do. And if I'm not mistaken, it's a choice you'll soon regret."
"I'll destroy you again," said Harry fiercely. "You aren't as strong this time." He'd reread the story of the three brothers, remembered that the brother who'd brought back his love had been ultimately disappointed because the witch couldn't be fully part of this world. That would be Voldemort too, he'd told Ginny. It wouldn't be like before. But if Voldemort was telling the truth, and somehow Harry knew he was, then using the Resurrection Stone hadn't walked him into anyone else's trap. It was one of Harry's own making and he wasn't sure that realization was a good thing. He hid his frown.
"Ah, but I'm stronger than you think." Voldemort stopped pacing too and pointed his wand at Harry. "You never really understood the true and total power of that stone, did you? If you had, you never would have dared bring me back."
Harry raised his own wand but did not attack. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Ginny on her guard too. Voldemort kept speaking.
"Why would you ever bring back an enemy if not to fight him? What would be the purpose in returning me to life - granted, not yet a full life, but a life nonetheless - if I'm not to have enough power to make it worth your effort?"
Ginny made a small sound. "Harry, is that true?" she whispered.
Harry couldn't dare take his focus off the figure in front of him to answer her. "You are no stronger or weaker than I've made you," he said coldly. He wanted to shout but forced himself to modulate his tone. "I may have brought you here, it's true, but only to see you finished again."
Harry had his shield up before Voldemort had finished saying his first spell. The shining silver ropes exploded against it, and against the one Ginny had raised as well. Harry risked a glance at her. "This is my fight," he said. "It has to be." Ginny looked to say something in protest but then Voldemort struck again, this time at a branch well over their heads. Harry dove at Ginny, rolling them both out of the way as it crashed to the ground. Voldemort laughed, a high-pitched sound.
"Keep putting the wench first, Potter, and you'll both go down together." He looked around the cleaning again, moving his wand faster than Harry would have thought possible. Suddenly, a half dozen trees were on fire. Harry whirled around to face the closest one and Ginny touched his arm.
"I've got the fire managed," she said urgently. "You fight him." Without waiting for an answer, she threw up a shield around herself and turned to begin battling the flames.
Harry had to let her, because it seemed like Voldemort's opening parry had been just a way to warm up, and soon Harry found himself using every ounce of strength and knowledge to fight.
Voldemort hadn't lied; he was more powerful than Harry had expected. His moves were quick and his voice sure. Again and again, his spells and Harry's hit each other - for a moment, Harry was was trapped in a net made of tiny points of painful light, but he burst out of it and captured Voldemort in a freezing charm, his body twisted oddly in the air. A burst of red light grazed the side of Harry's face as he dove out of the way and he couldn't hold back his yelp of pain.
"I'm fine," he called immediately, hoping Ginny could hear him and didn't try to come to his aid. She had things well in hand with the fires; the brightness at the edge of Harry's vision was fading. He tried to move the fight away from her, both to protect her from an errant spell as much as to keep Voldemort's focus solely on himself.
His own next spell found its mark too, slashing across Voldmort's arm. Harry couldn't tell if the man flinched, and he repaired the injury almost lazily, but the coldness of his gaze intensified.
"You may have learned since the last time I faced you, but you haven't learned enough," he said. "Your mistake in calling me back is going to be a fatal one." The snakelike eyes glanced across the clearing. "The only question is who it will be fatal for first." He raised his wand but this time didn't point it at Harry.
"No!" Harry didn't even realize he'd screamed. He shot a spell at the jet of green light and it exploded seconds before hitting Ginny. Voldemort howled with rage.
"You will not be able to save her every time," he snarled. He wand flew, and out of the shadows crawled all manner of beast that roamed the Forest. They were dead - animal Inferi brought back with Voldemort's spell. A spider, larger than a Quaffle, approached Ginny.
Harry saw her freeze. Ginny wasn't as terrified of spiders as Ron but she couldn't seem to move. An owl, ghostly and pale, with talons outstretched, flew towards her. Harry didn't stop to see what the owl planned to attack. He threw himself across the cleaning and blasted both Inferi out of the way with a single spell, grabbing Ginny's hand. He wanted to tell her to flee, to Apparate away or run back to Hogwarts, anything to get her out of there. But he couldn't; telling Ginny to leave would not be enough to save her life, Harry knew. Harry blasted a creeping bloodsucking bugbear before pulling Ginny closer to him. She was trembling, but for the brief moment Harry allowed his eyes to catch hers, they were determined.
"Have you learned how to beat me yet?" Voldemort's eyes glittered with malice. "You can't protect her at the same time; I'll beat you both." He shot another spell. It took both Harry and Ginny's shields to deflect it. Harry pushed her behind him again, but this time she didn't go easily.
"You aren't beating us!" she screamed. "We're going to beat you!"
Harry wished it was true. He'd thought it would be quicker, that Voldemort would want to kill him again and wouldn't waste time. Harry had never used the Avada Kedavra before but he was prepared to do so tonight, as soon as he had to in order to save Ginny's life.
But instead, as he and Voldemort fought, the fatal blow didn't come. Harry was beginning to tire but his foe appeared as strong as ever. Harry suspected Voldemort 's power might even be growing, and that he'd been right in taunting Harry for not truly understanding the Stone.
"You won't beat me," Voldemort sneered, directing his words to Ginny. "He'll let me kill him before I touch you."
"You're right of course," said Harry. He was speaking as much out of a need for rest as to attempt any sort of intimidation. "But you should know that; it's what I did last time, of course. My love for Ginny isn't going to change; it's what keeps me going, day after day. You didn't understand that when you were alive and it's obvious you didn't learn anything when you were dead." There was a movement out of the corner of Harry's eye but he forced himself to ignore it. Voldemort had started to pace again and Harry matched him, now on his guard for the curse he was certain was coming.
And then Voldemort shot a spell that looked again like it was made of fire, but not at Harry, or even at Ginny, who'd come to stand with him again. The smoky light - FiendFyre Harry feared - went off into the Forest, where Harry had seen something move. Before he could even begin to think about how to fight it, an icy blast returned from the blackness, swallowing Voldemort's spell. Harry had only seen something like that one time before, and it was with little surprise and a glimmer of hope that Harry realized the Resurrection Stone had called back another.
Dumbledore strode into the clearing looking as vital and unblemished as he'd been when Harry had seen him at Kings Cross Station. He shot another spell at Voldemort with an enviable casualness, freezing the man much more effectively than Harry had and striding up to him and Ginny.
"Take this," he said quickly. He held out the Elder Wand. "You'll need it if you hope to beat him."
"So he can be beaten?" There were a million questions Harry wanted to ask his old mentor, but he understood that the man had returned for only a single purpose. "He's stronger than I expected."
Dumbledore nodded. "He's right about that; the Stone treats enemies differently than it does those we love." He gave Harry a piercing stare. "I would have thought you would have gotten my wand before coming here."
Harry shrugged, and met Dumbledore's eye. "I refused to break into your grave," he said simply. He looked at Voldemort's frozen figure, now beginning to break out of Dumbledore's bonds. "It's what he would have done."
"Even now, you surprise me Harry," said Dumbledore, and there was a hint of pride in his tone. "Your fight is not over, but now it will be more fair. He looked at Ginny and smiled. "Take care of Miss Weasley, first and foremost. She is your past, present, and future." His eyes twinkled.
For a moment, Harry was caught up in the feel of Ginny next to him. "So it is love then?" He asked thickly.
"It always has been," Dumbledore nodded. "But remember, Voldemort is not fully alive, so killing him is not simply a matter of saying the right killing curse. Remember why you brought him here."
Harry wasn't surprised that he didn't understand exactly what the former Headmaster was saying, and he knew that asking him to explain more would be fruitless. Instead, he changed tacks while keeping his eye carefully on Voldemort. He seemed to be nearly free of Dumbledore's spell now, but hadn't moved, watching the trio in front of him carefully.
"Who did this?" he asked. "You must know."
Dumbledore didn't answer. "I can't fight for you Harry, I hope you understand that." He held his hands wide, as if to demonstrate that he no longer had a wand. "Riddle is right though, he won't be killed by ordinary means." The man held Harry's gaze. "He is still dead, so destroying him again will require something . . . other."
"And you can't tell me what that other thing is," Harry said.
Dumbledore smiled. "You know I cannot," he agreed.
"But he - Riddle - he can still kill me, right? He needs to be able to kill me."
"Harry won't let him though. It only needs to be a possibility." Ginny spoke quickly and fiercely, directly her words to Dumbledore, but Harry knew they were really meant for him.
Dumbledore smiled again, but sadly. "I cannot tell you how it will work out; Harry's choices are his own and beyond anything I can plan or predict anymore. But I can say that there is a chance for many things to happen and if I know Harry, he will endeavor to make sure they are the right things."
That wasn't exactly comforting to hear, and yet, it wasn't any more than Harry would have expected Dumbledore to say. As much as he wanted to take these seconds that Voldemore seemed content to wait and watch to comfort Ginny, to kiss her even, Harry knew these were likely the last moments he'd have to ask for help.
"And you sir?" he said. "Will you be here?" A Dumbledore without a wand was likely still more powerful than most people Harry knew." The man nodded.
"For as long as I can be," he promised. He looked beyond Harry. "Even if you win here, you won't you know," he said to Voldemort. "You understand that Tom, don't you?"
"I understand many things," replied Voldemort. "How arrogant of you to return, and let yourself be made powerless." He took a step forward and then things happened very quickly. The first spell was directed at Dumbledore's, a blast of blackness that looked like it could have engulfed the whole world. Harry wouldn't have known how to fight it even if he'd had the time and he watched in horror as Ginny cried out and threw herself at Dumbledore to pull him down. The spell flew over Ginny's head and missed her by inches, and Harry heard her cry out in surprise as her attempt to grab the old headmaster failed and she rolled across the ground, her arms empty. The blackness hit him and began climbing up his legs, absorbing Dumbledore's body wherever it touched. He remained as calm as ever.
"An unnecessary act of loyalty Miss Weasley, and yet one that might soon prove advantageous," Dumbledore said cryptically. He looked at Harry. "Remember your intent," he said. The blackness was approaching his chest. "Why he is here and why he will go is up to you. And . . . when it ends, destroy the Wand."
It was the last thing Dumbledore could say; fortunately, Harry found that he finally understood. Even as the man disappeared beneath the choking smoke Harry was pulling the Resurrection Stone out of his robes and pointing at it with the Elder Wand. It spun in the air as easily as it had turned in Harry's, his thoughts of destruction and then his spell passing through the stone and into Voldemort's chest beyond.
He watched in satisfaction as the man grunted with surprise and fell in on himself, winking out existence as easily as he'd returned. But Harry had been a moment too late. Voldemort's own final curse had not been the Avada Kedavra, a spell as quick and easy as falling asleep. Harry fell to his knees as he was overcome by the pain of a dozen searing whips of silver light tearing through his robes and then his skin. He cried out as he fell, looking to where Ginny was getting up from the ground. She was at his side in an instant.
"Don't you dare go, Potter," she said fiercely. She pulled away his torn clothing and Harry saw her face blanch.
He could barely speak. "Use . . . use the Elder Wand," he managed. There was a blackness at the corner of his mind and it promised relief from the pain that he was unable to escape. He tried not to give into the urge to travel to it but it was getting more difficult to remember why he had to stay. Ginny's face swam back into focus. There were tears on her cheeks and Harry thought he should try to wipe them away, but he wasn't able to move. The blackness and its promise of release crept closer.
Ginny was saying words; Harry could see her lips moving but couldn't hear them anymore. He recognized the devastation on her face though, and thought that maybe he'd been the one to put it there. It didn't matter to him; with a final moment of clarity he know Voldemort was gone and Ginny was safe. The beautiful song of death was in his ears and the knowledge that he'd succeeded was all Harry needed before he let himself fall into it. The pain was finally easing and he turned towards the softness and comfort. A pressure on his cheek might have been from Ginny's hand.
"Love you," he slurred, wanting nothing more than to let the warmth and silence take over. But he owed her this first. "Always."
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Ginny was still holding the Elder Wand. It may have been what Harry needed to vanquish Voldemort but it had felt nearly useless in her own hand as she'd tried desperately to staunch blood that was flowing from more wounds than she could count. By the time she'd gotten to him Harry's face had already been so pale it was nearly translucent and his command to her to use his wand was breathed more than spoken. His eyes had been open and staring but couldn't seem to focus on her or anything else. She knew it was no use but Ginny kept trying anyway, saying the spells to stop blood flow and bind flesh over and over even as Harry's chest rose and fell more and more slowly and his eyes fluttered once to her and then closed. There was a heavy pressure against Ginny's side, pushing at her to move and she gave into it, shifting up to Harry's head to cup his cheek, the only comfort she could offer. She heard him say he loved her before his lips went slack, a terrible bubbling of his final breaths drowned out by her own mourning.
The weight at Ginny's side didn't leave. It was warm and comforting and she let herself fall against it as she cried. She blindly found Harry's hand and squeezed, trying not to think about how cold it felt in hers. Instead she focused on the way that the silence that covered her and Harry was peaceful and private and she silently thanked whatever magic of the Forest had granted them these final moments together. She even peered blindly into the darkness to where Dumbledore had first emerged, hoping against hope that the man had somehow survived Voldemort's spell and would appear again to help. But the cleaning remained disconcertingly empty and Ginny knew with certainty that Dumbledore too had died again, leaving behind only the phoenix song the offered a small measure of comfort.
Harry's hand jerked in hers. Ginny kept her eyes tightly closed, knowing it was nothing more than a reflex. The pressure against her disappeared for a moment and then it was back, but on Ginny's left side this time. Harry's hand jerked again and the phoenix song grew louder in Ginny's head.
"You can open your eyes now."
Harry's voice was rough but his touch on her cheek was gentle as a whisper. Ginny leaned into it and the warmth spread out across the side of her face.
"Am I dead too then?" she asked shakily. She didn't dare look yet.
"Neither of us are dead. Thanks mostly to you." She felt Harry shift on the ground next to her. "You were brilliant again, Fawkes," he said.
Ginny opened her eyes. Harry was still lying prone on the ground, the enormous phoenix leaning over him, a few final tears dripping onto a wound on his neck. His clothing was covered in blood, but everywhere Ginny could see, the flesh beneath it was whole. Most importantly, Harry's face was pale but no longer ghostly and his eyes were bright and seeing when they found hers. He licked his lips. "I love you," he said. He squeezed her hand.
"And I love you," she said, her voice shakier than she wanted it to be. She took a deep, shuddering breath and looked at the bird. "How did you . . .?" she began.
Harry gingerly shook his head. "Not me," he said. "You called him here."
"I didn't," Ginny disagreed. "I wouldn't even know how."
"Exactly," said Harry. He struggled to sit up. Ginny slipped her arm behind his back and helped him lean against her. Fawkes made a soft sound, the phoenix song echoing quietly around them. "You showed incredible loyalty to Dumbledore, trying to save his life."
"He didn't need me though," said Ginny. She watched as Fawkes slowly circled Harry. She got the impression that the phoenix was checking for any places he might have missed healing.
"Didn't matter," said Harry. "That made it even more powerful." He swallowed. "Voldemort is gone too." He looked across the clearing where the dark wizard had last stood.
"You saved my life," said Ginny. "He had turned to me you know, as soon as he hit you. I wouldn't have even been able to begin to stop him."
"I didn't know," said Harry. "I don't remember much after I destroyed the Stone." He grimaced. "I never should have brought him back. He was right, I really had no idea what I was doing."
"I let you do it," said Ginny. "So if you're going to be mad at yourself, be mad at me too." She felt suddenly giddy, the complete reversal of emotions over the last few minutes making her dizzy. "And then we can tell each other that 'all's well that ends well' and not believe it together."
Harry chuckled, and Ginny could hear in his voice that he matched her relief. "It's a deal," he said. He flexed his hands as if testing they worked again and sighed with relief. "Phoenix tears are amazing," he said. "I'm not even sore."
Fawkes seemed to understand. He hopped a few steps away from Harry and Ginny and cocked his head at both of them. The bird's gaze was so intelligent that for a moment Ginny thought she might have been looking at Dumbledore again. He gave a nod and a final squawk before disappearing in a flash of light. One perfect tail feather floated down and Harry reached up and caught it.
"I should give this to Ollivander," he said. "Phoenix feathers are the hardest wand core to find," he said. He stored it carefully in the moleskin pouch where he'd carried the Resurrection Stone.
Ginny watched him. "It's gone now for good, right?" she asked. "The Stone?"
Harry nodded. "And the Elder Wand will soon follow; it's not even safe in Dumbledore's tomb," he said. "I was only ever meant to have the Cloak." He took Ginny's hand and got slowly to his feet, looking around at the burned out stumps of the trees that had ringed the clearing. Several were still smoldering and Harry watched them thoughtfully.
"The wards I set to keep anyone out of this part of the Forest wouldn't have prevented them from seeing the smoke," he said. "Someone could have gotten close." He peered through the dead trees.
Harry sounded exhausted, and even though Ginny knew he wasn't in physical pain anymore it was going to take a lot of mental and emotional effort on his part to speak to the Aurors about what had happened here. Even now, she could tell that he was thinking about it, walking up to the spots where Dumbledore and Voldemort had stood and shooting spells at the ground.
"Containment," he said by way of explanation. "The magic here would have had to interact with the curse in the book." He took it out of his robes and expanded it back to its regular size. Ginny stared.
"You had it with you?" she asked.
Harry nodded, nonplussed. "For every task," he said. "If it was changing based on what I did I wanted to keep it close by." He flipped it open. "You and I both still have our magic, so I assume we satisfied whatever the curse wanted us to do for Chapter Twelve, but that doesn't mean we're done." He looked down at the pages and frowned. "Can you bring some light?"
Ginny hadn't even realized how dark it was now. After all she'd just seen, being in the Forbidden Forest in the night wasn't even bothersome. She was with Harry, and he had the Elder Wand, not to mention his own. They were safe as babies.
"Lumos," she said, holding up her wand so that they could both see the book. She frowned. "Is that the right page?"
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Harry shared Ginny's confusion. He flipped back and then forward. "It is," he muttered. "This is the page right after Chapter Eleven." He closed the entire book and then opened it again to Chapter Twelve but just as before, the pages were completely blank. Gone was the illustration of the wizard that had kept him awake worrying - of the wizard throwing himself in front of a spell and then lying dead on the ground while the witch cowered off to one side. Unlike the previous chapters though, the moving picture did not repeat itself. Instead the wizard had died a different way each time, always while the witch watched in horror. Once it had been a Kraken attack and another time a banshee had led the wizard off the page in a trance. The spells had been green and gold and black, and once the wizard had died by Fiendfyre.
The text had been straightforward though, instructing in verse that Harry was to try to save his witch's life in dramatic fashion - Use your head or you'll both be dead, There will be strife when you save her life - had been some of the lines.
Neither Harry nor the Aurors and curse breakers had been able to make sense of the disparities in the chapter, which was one of the main factors contributing to Harry's decision to resurrect Voldemort. Harry hadn't even had time to process the fact that it seemed to have actually worked and now, looking at the blank pages before him, he had the sinking feeling that it hadn't. He looked at Ginny. She looked as tired as he felt, her face smudged with dirt and soot and a long scratch across her cheek. He touched it.
"Can I heal this?" he asked. He gave her an apologetic look. "We need to get back to the Ministry." Harry had to say the words to prevent himself from suggesting that they both run off somewhere instead. The Muggle resort they'd joked about visiting when the contest was over flashed into his mind and Harry shook his head. If he let his thoughts go any further down that path he was likely to take Ginny along as he followed them.
"It's okay," she said. Ginny took his hand and for a moment all Harry could think was that it felt like days since he'd touched her. "Let's go."
They began walking back the way they'd entered the Forest, Harry taking down the wards along the pathway. When they got to the final set, just inside the gates of the castle grounds, he paused. "All hell might break loose when we get to the Ministry," he warned her. He held up the book. "I don't like this, these blank pages."
"I don't either," said Ginny. She took a deep breath. "Let's just go get it over with."
Harry took down the final set of wards and together, he and Ginny walked towards the gates so they could Apparate back to London. They hadn't gone even a half dozen steps when suddenly the pathway in front of them was flooded with light and noise. Dozens of figures swarmed towards them but before Harry could even try to figure out if they were friend or foe the closest called out.
"It's Gawain Robards, Harry. I'm here with the Aurors."
"And Bill and the curse breakers," added Ginny's brother, stepping up to stand next to the head Auror. Both of them had their wands out, pointed not exactly at Harry and Ginny, but towards the way they had just come. Their eyes were wary and Harry froze in place.
"We're here too." Ron and George and Hermione emerged from the gloom, looking nearly as serious.
Robards spoke. "Is there anyone else in the Forest?" he asked tersely. "it's only Tuesday."
Harry knew what his boss meant. "Too many people had heard it was to be Thursday," he said. "This way I could keep it a surprise." He tried not to sound defensive. "We were just heading back to London; how did you know to be here?"
Robards shook his head impatiently. "Is there anyone else coming?" he asked.
Harry flushed; he should know to give the most important information first. "Voldemort is gone," he said. "This time for good." Around him, he saw everyone's stance relax.
"And you're both okay?" Bill didn't look quite as calm as the rest. He walked up to his sister and peered in her eyes. "You aren't hurt?" he asked. He looked back into the Forest. "I know you said Voldemort is gone but what about all the other dangers?'
Harry shook his head. "We haven't seen a banshee or Fiendfyre or any deadly beasts," he assured Bill. "But that doesn't mean they aren't coming." He held up the book. "The pages in Chapter Twelve are completely blank," he said. "And we don't know what it means."
"It means you won, damn it! You shouldn't have been able to but you did!" The voice the yelled out was unfamiliar and angry. No one else seemed terribly concerned at the outburst; indeed, Robards looked rather annoyed.
"That's Dringich Vane, and he hasn't stopped yelling since we arrested him here, trying to break through your wards. Wouldn't tell us a damn thing except that he was waiting for you get the wand and the feather. Do you have any idea what that means?"
Harry exchanged a glance with Ginny. It seemed that whatever next danger he'd feared wasn't going to come to pass, and if that was true, he'd rather this conversation wait until the morning after she'd been able to rest. She squeezed his hand. "Let's get it all over with," she said. She stepped closer. "And then you can ward Grimmauld Place as well as you did the Forest."
Harry nodded. "If you're sure," he said. "Aurors ask a lot of questions."
Ginny grinned. "I'll be sure to let them know when we've told them enough," she said.
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It took nearly three hours to unravel everything, and Harry was not the only one who more than once expressed incredulity at the lengths to which the Vanes and Zabinis had gone to effectuate their scheme. Harry insisted that Fawn and Archer be called in, and that the Aurors promised them exclusivity for the article that they'd be able to write afterwards. They arrived at the Ministry looking healthy and happy and holding hands, slipping into the conference room as Robards was giving his overview.
"I told you I suspected that a bid for power and money was behind everything, but I'd never have guessed it was really about small time pettiness and ego driving everything." Robards shook his head and looked across the conference table at one of the healers who'd just walked in. "The Edgecomb girl's okay?" he asked.
The healer nodded. "It wasn't a permanent spell, just a repeating Confundus," she said. "That seems to be Mr. Vane's specialty, curses that are difficult to end. She doesn't even recall being told to send Mr. Potter the different book edition, or most of the correspondence he sent her."
Robards nodded in satisfaction. "Lidia will be glad to hear that her assistant wasn't trying to sabotage her at least," he said.
"Marietta will be disappointed not to get any more free skincare products though," said Tulip. "Or to be part of that magazine article."
"Not as disappointed as Ariadne Zabini is going to be," laughed Lisa Turpin. "I doubt she's going to have access to all her youth potions in Azkeban." She shook her head. "Why the fuck is it that important to look so young anyway?"
"Ego, like Gawain said," answered Lee Jordan. "Just like with Vane"
"So he really thought he could take over for Ollivander?" This was the part Harry was still having trouble comprehending. "His family has been making wands for over a thousand years."
"Like I said, it was ego," said Robards. "Petty criminals with just enough talent to be dangerous. It was the perfect scheme." He looked at Fawn and Archer.
"At least, they thought it was the perfect scheme. Ariadne Zabini provided the funding and Dringich Vane the knowledge to create a cursed edition of the book Harry would use for the contest. They Confunded Marietta to send it and then just sat back and watched what happened." He looked around the room.
"Ron Weasley realized that the book was behaving the same way as a number of puzzle books Vane had once sold his shop."
"My shop," said George with a grin. He nodded at his younger brother. "But yes, it was brilliant of Ron to realize that they were the same; books you could not stop reading until you finished the puzzle inside."
"Only this time, the puzzle was each chapter's challenge to Harry to try to charm Ginny in a different way," said Ron. "And each way got more and more dangerous."
"We knew that part," said Fawn. "But what I don't understand is why they did it? What were they hoping to gain?"
"Two powerful magical items," said Harry flatly. He'd discussed it with Robards and since the Elder Wand was destroyed they agreed its existence could finally be confirmed. Vane thought that if he had them both he could create a new wand more powerful than any seen before. He had no way to get them, so he used me instead." He tried not not to let his disgust show. "Rumors have followed me for years about my supposed control over the so-called Wand of Destiny, and the fact that I alone had the power to call upon Dumbledore's phoenix." He grinned at Ginny. "The rumors were wrong though; Ginny called Fawkes and saved my life."
"Right after you saved mine," she pointed out. She gave him a quick private smile that made Harry more eager than ever to get the interview over with.
"And that's the fascinating part, and what broke the curse." Bill spoke with equal parts fascination and annoyance for having missed the way to beat the curse. "It was designed trap Harry and Ginny forever," he explained. "Vane figured that at some point Harry would think to get the Elder Wand and summon Fawkes to try to escape the loop the final chapter had created. He was never supposed to be able to stop trying to save Ginny's life. Vane planned to take the items from Harry and then leave him stuck in the curse while he created a new wand that would allow him to take over as the premier wand maker in Britain."
"A wand powerful enough to cast the spell to keep Mrs. Zabini looking young forever," added Tulip. She shook her head. "But Harry didn't just save Ginny's life; she saved his too." She looked around in satisfaction. "The curse didn't now how to handle that and it fell apart."
"That's really sick," said Fawn. Her voice wavered. "I . . . we . . . we almost lost our magic, and over what, the desire to be beautiful and rich?" Archer took her hand.
"Why did they include us in the curse?" he asked. "It's not like we could have gotten them the wand or the feather."
"No, but having the two of you involved guaranteed that Harry wouldn't decide to sacrifice himself for me too early," Ginny said.
"And Ginny, me," Harry added. He looked at her. "Admit it; you would have given up your magic too."
Ginny didn't try to deny it. "But neither of us would allow Fawn and Archer to get hurt," she said. "So having them part of the curse kept Harry in the game."
"That's really, really sick," said Fawn again.
Harry smiled at her. "I'm sorry I didn't warn you more at the start of the contest; I tend to attract the sick and crazy a lot," he said.
Fawn took a deep breath and Harry could almost see some of the innocence she and Archer had maintained throughout the hell of the contest falling away. "It's okay," she said finally. "I think I'm glad I got to be a part of it all." She smirked. "Or at least I will if you and Ginny take us to that Muggle restaurant again."
Everyone laughed. "It's a deal," said Harry. He was about to suggest that they finish the debrief later - preferably in two or three days - when George leaned in.
"What about Blaise and Romilda, did they know?" he asked.
"As far as we can tell from speaking to them, they were aware of their parents' . . . desires, but not the means they had gone to in order to secure them. Blaise was trying to figure out how to get Harry to tell him where the Elder Wand was, but he didn't know that Romilda's father had cursed Harry's book."
"And Romilda knew her father wanted to make a new wand, but not much more," said Lee. He smirked. "Seemed that no one trusted her to keep her mouth shut."
Harry felt a strange thrum of relief that his former classmates hadn't been completely involved in almost getting him and Ginny killed. It didn't mean he liked them any more, but it was a relief nonetheless. He squeezed Ginny's hand, signaling he was ready to leave.
"I bet he couldn't have made a wand like that anyway." George interrupted Harry's attempt to depart and Harry had the sudden suspicion he'd done it on purpose. "He couldn't even make the trick wands he tried to sell us work; there's no way he could have created something with any power."
Bill leaned forward too, looking suddenly interested. "I wonder what additional charms he planned put on the core," he said. "Phoenix feathers are rare but not unheard of; there has to be something else to add additional power." He looked at Tulip. "What do you think?"
"Oh, Hell no," Ginny muttered under her breath. "Do not let Bill get started discussing charms and curses on wands; we'll never get out of here."
"We're leaving now," Harry muttered. Without waiting for Tulip to answer, he jumped to his feet. "Can the rest of this wait until tomorrow?" he asked Robards bluntly. "I know there's more to discuss, but Ginny and I defeated Voldemort today and I think we deserve something of a break."
There were chuckles of understanding all around and Harry couldn't have cared wether everyone assumed they were planning to take a nap or eat a meal or have sex. The truth was all three, but Harry wasn't sure it would be in that order. Ginny stood up too.
"Bill, Ron, George," she said sweetly. "If I see even even a hint of any of you until I contact you first I'm not responsible for which of your body parts I decide to abuse."
Ginny's brothers obviously knew her well; they all nodded contritely while Harry made plans to talk to Robards the following afternoon - by Floo and as late as possible. He didn't even bother taking Ginny to the lobby of the Ministry but instead brought her to the secure Apparation point inside the Auror offices that was usually reserved for transporting suspects. After thinking for a moment and wrapping his arms around Ginny he brought them directly into the bathroom. "I'd like to shower first, if that's okay," he said. The exhaustion he'd kept at bay through the adrenaline-fueled recent hours was beginning to take over and he wasn't sure how much of his to-do list he'd have the energy to complete.
"Mmmhmm," Ginny agreed, her head lolled against his chest. "Then I want to sleep with you." She looked up at him. "Really sleep first, if that's okay. And then . . . sleep with you. Plus food."
Harry chuckled. "Sounds perfect," he said.