Chapter 13
Ginny collapsed to her knees on the ground, exhausted and shattered. 'They had Harry.' The words seemed to run through her mind on a loop. The threats that Bellatrix had made forced themselves back into her mind and Ginny nearly broke into sobs at the thought of what Harry was going to go through if she didn't find him.
But the auror department had dedicated nearly half of their staff to finding Bellatrix and the other death eaters and hadn't even come close. Nobody knew where they operated out of, and nobody had managed to catch a death eater alive since the final battle.
Reaching her arms out to steady herself, her hand landed on something smooth and symmetrical. Ginny lit her wand, searching the area. It was Harry's wand. Ginny stared at it. No. She refused to accept that this would be the end of their story. Ginny would not leave Harry to die alone, not while she could still fight.
Ginny took a deep, steadying breath and pocketed Harry's wand. The fear and despair that had overwhelmed her became background noise to her unholy anger. She rose to her feet and began pacing the clearing, pausing only to aim a kick at Marzoc, who was still unconscious, who was bleeding from her nose and ears. Ginny couldn't bring herself to care.
Ginny continued her pacing, thinking furiously. A large, wriggling lump suddenly appeared in her path and Ginny had a flash of sudden insight.
Ginny reached down and grasped Pettigrew by the small amount of hair he had left. Ginny ripped some of the rope from around his mouth and Pettigrew took a deep shuddering breath. He opened his mouth to scream and Ginny slapped him hard before he could get it out.
"Don't bother. They've abandoned you here, Pettigrew." Said Ginny dangerously.
Pettigrew swallowed heavily, staring at her in terror. "They've taken Harry. Why?" Ginny asked simply. Pettigrew shook his head, sweat running down his face. Ginny dropped down, lowering herself to Pettigrew's level. "They are going to take Harry, torture him and kill him. If you do not answer me, you will suffer that same fate. Now talk before I start removing body parts." Ginny said with the type of calmness that precedes violence. Ginny slowly began tracing her wand across Pettigrew's face
"I- I don't know. They never told me wha-what they were going to do." Pettigrew stammered out, following the wand that was now circling his nose. The terror in his voice and face convinced Ginny that he was telling the truth. Ginny dropped the wand away and leaned in close. "Fine. Then tell me where they took him."
"I-I-I can't. They'll kill me!" Pettigrew squeaked. "And you think I won't? Besides, you me Pettigrew. I saved your life."
Pettigrew shook and stammered refusing to answer. Ginny shrugged and stood. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this, but Marzoc is a traitor, I'm sure she knows something." Ginny raised her wand, ready to stun Pettigrew, who mistaking her intention, yelled out. "Please! Okay! I'll tell you, I'll tell you." Ginny lowered her wand. "No, Pettigrew, you are going to show me."
Ginny and Pettigrew appeared deep in the forest. Ginny reached down and roughly undid the bindings that kept Pettigrew's feet together. "Start walking" Ginny growled out. Pettigrew, a binding over his mouth, nodded and began walking. The sun had just started coming up through the trees and the dim light gave the forest an eerie feeling, as if it were welcoming them, but for what purpose was unclear.
Pettigrew suddenly stopped walking and Ginny prodded him in the back with her wand, urging him forward. Angry mumbles made it through his gag, and Ginny reached forward towards him. "If you yell, I swear, you will regret it." Pettigrew nodded and Ginny lowered the gag. He coughed wetly, before gesturing towards a tree.
"That branch. You have to tap it with your wand. It'll open up a passage that leads to the cave where they're hiding. I've done what you asked, please, just let me go." Pettigrew whined. Ginny only grunted in response. She had just extended her wand towards the tree when Pettigrew let out a terrified sound and moved suddenly. A bright green spell flew from the shadows. Pettigrew threw himself, whether attempting to save Ginny or trying to evade the spell, Ginny wasn't sure. Whatever his intentions, his movement landed him right in the spell's path, dropping him unmoving to the ground.
Ginny immediately began casting stunning spells in the direction of her unseen opponent. All of them were deflected. A large, imposing figure moved, and stepped into the clearing where Ginny stood. Though he was unshaven and his hair had grown long, Ginny still recognized him from the wanted posters in the auror office. "Travers." Ginny snarled. Travers performed a mocking bow, smiling evilly.
"You know my name. How delightful. Perhaps I'll learn yours as well, after this is done. Not that I want to kill you. No no no. Much to pretty for that. Yes, much better to keep you alive, wandless. You look like a spirited one. I like that in a girl. Fighters are always more fun to break in." Travers eyes roamed over Ginny, and Ginny knew exactly what would happen to her if Travers managed to get her wand.
Without warning, Ginny began throwing spells at Travers, who immediately conjured a shield that seemed to deflect everything she could cast at it. Travers began to circle, cautiously throwing spells from around the shield and Ginny was forced to move back. Travers kept pushing forward, no doubt hoping to close the distance and use his physical size and strength to overwhelm Ginny. Travers quickly stepped around the shield and cast several spells at once, most of which Ginny dodged easily. One, however, had been aimed at her feet, and she was thrown backwards when the blasting spell hit the ground in front of her. Ginny rolled, knowing that Travers would be rushing her. She could feel his footsteps thudding on the ground.
Ginny scrambled for her wand, knocked out of her hand in the explosion. She stood quickly and saw Travers running across the clearing, shield in front of him. Forcing herself to think, Ginny raised her wand, sending blasting spells back at him, forcing him to alter his path and slow down. But it didn't stop him. Travers was only feet away when Ginny raised her wand and in a panic shouted "ACCIO BRANCH!" The branch, as think around as her calf, broke off the tree and zoomed towards her. Ginny dove, placing herself directly in front of Travers, who stopped and looked down at her.
"Giving up already? Sure you don't want-erkkk" Travers stopped talking, then looked down to the see the branch that Ginny had conjured sticking clear through his chest. He wavered for a moment, then the magical shield popped out of existence and he crumbled to the ground.
Ginny stood up, breathing heavily. She spit on the body before making her way gingerly over to where Pettigrew had fallen. Pettigrew lay, limp and unmoving, marking the tree that supposedly revealed the secret entrance. For all his failings, Pettigrew had saved Ginny's life, intentionally or not. Shaking her head, Ginny moved his body away from the tree and leaned forward to touch her wand to the branch. An tunnel appeared in the dirt, just feet away, and Ginny moved to stand at the entrance.
The insanity of what had just happened and she was attempting threatened to overwhelm Ginny and for a moment she considered sending a patronus to Robards letting him know where she was and requesting backup. Entering an enemy stronghold blind, outnumbered and no exit strategy or backup went against every rule in the auror book. But Marzoc's recent betrayal and Robards attitude towards Harry had shattered her confidence in the trustworthiness of the ministry.
Steeling herself, Ginny extinguished her wand and stepped into the open mouth of the tunnel. It was dark and damp under the ground, and Ginny felt the opening close behind her. She felt her way forward, following the left wall, keeping her wand arm free. The dark and damp soon overcame her sense of direction as the tunnel twisted and turned.
After several minutes of walking claustrophobia started to set in and it seemed to Ginny that she was walking deeper and deeper into her own grave. The temptation to turn around was almost irresistible. But she wouldn't abandon Harry. Couldn't abandon Harry.
Ginny's anxiety continued to skyrocket until the dancing light of a distant fire flashed through the darkness. Ginny quickly pressed herself up against the wall and crept forward, praying nobody saw her.
A hundred yards farther and the tunnel began to open up, and Ginny found herself in a large antechamber. It was filled with boxes and containers, some seemingly from centuries ago, and some that looked very recent. The fire was coming from another chamber just farther on. As she got closer, voices began to drift out.
Ginny could pick out the shrill voice of Bellatrix yelling commands, while a deeper voice typically responded. Another voice asked a question and a bang and yell of pain followed.
At least three of them, then. Ginny continued to creep forward, knowing that a frontal assault would most likely result in her and Harry's deaths. She paused and quickly cast a disillusionment charm on herself. It wasn't the best solution but there was no other way to enter the chamber.
Her heart pounding out of her chest, Ginny moved forward. She was lucky. Bellatrix and the other death eaters seemed focused on preparing some kind of ritual that involved a large pot, a black flame and several vials that sat on a table next to the bound form of Harry. Ginny's heart stopped at the site of him. He was awake, though he had been badly beaten, and blood seeped through his shirt in several places.
Ginny knelt behind several large boxes, just beyond the light of the torches that light the room. She had few options. The death eaters were spread out across the room, and if she were exposed her position would be indefensible. Any decision was taken from her though when Bellatrix stood from where she had been stoking the fire, whispering spells that caused it to jump and change from black to purple. "Let us begin!" She called out and the two other death eaters hurried to stand around the cauldron. Bellatrix began muttering but her words didn't reach Ginny's ears. Bellatrix reached and grabbed a bone from the table where Harry lay. Bellatrix tossed the bone in the cauldron in disgust, before grabbing her wand. More words that Ginny couldn't make out followed. Suddenly another figure emerged from the darkness.
He was tall, with pale, fading hair. Squinting, Ginny nearly gasped out loud when she recognized an emaciated Draco Malfoy. He had been suspected dead after the final battle, but no body had ever been recovered. Ginny watched, horrified, as Draco staggered towards the cauldron. Slowly, he raised his right arm, then looked and nodded at Bellatrix. Without hesitation, Bellatrix pulled a knife from her robes and quickly swung it downward. Draco screamed as his arm dropped into the cauldron, and Bellatrix casually silenced him and kicked him out of the way.
Bellatrix then turned towards Harry, putting a fresh cut on his face, and holding a small vial underneath the cut to catch the blood that flowed from the injury. Bellatrix turned back to the fire, triumph on her face, and dropped the vial into the concoction. Finally, reaching into the bosom of her robes, Bellatrix withdrew a skull, bleached white and clean. Bellatrix slowly lowered the skull into the potion, before falling to her knees in an act of supplication. Ginny held her breath. The seconds passed, and suddenly a deep chuckle filled the chamber. Ginny's heart stopped. But then she recognized the voice.
"I told you idiots. He's gone. Nothing will bring him back." He said in a tired voice. The blood from his cut had lubricated the covering his mouth and he had managed to get free of it. "All that pain, all that suffering, for someone who, if there is a hell, is burning there now."
Bellatrix flew to her feet, a deranged look on her face. She pulled the knife from her robe and turned towards Harry, her scream of impotent rage echoing in the chamber.
In a panic, Ginny raised her wand and sent a spell screaming towards Bellatrix. It took her in the back and sent her crashing into the table where Harry lay. Ginny took advantage of the stunned silence that followed and sent another spell that shattered the table and chains that kept Harry captive.
The two remaining death eaters followed the direction the spell had come from and quickly began hammering the boxes that made her shelter with spells. Ginny knew she only had moments before the death eaters flanked her. She popped up to fire of another spell, forcing the death eaters to hunker down. The spell that had hit Bellatrix was powerful, but it wasn't a killing spell, and it was only a matter of time before she was back up. And worst of all, Ginny was exhausted. She knew that in her state fighting two experienced and vicious death eaters was a death sentence. But what else could she do? If this was the way it ended for her, she would not go out on her knees. Ginny summoned her strength and summoned a light in the middle of the chamber, blinding the other death eaters and illuminating the whole of the cavern.
Searching for Harry, she saw him still laying on the ground, apparently dazed by the spell that had shattered the table. "HARRY! GET UP HARRY! PLEASE, GET UP!" Ginny screamed out, fearing more for him than her own life.
Harry flinched at the sound of her voice, and suddenly he was staggering to his feet. Ginny almost sobbed in relief. But their situation had not improved. Harry was defenseless and Ginny could do nothing to help him while pinned down by the other death eaters. Inspiration flashed in her mind and Ginny stood quickly. "HARRY! CATCH!" Ginny threw Harry's wand towards him.
Harry watched the wand fly through the air toward him, and with the skill of a seeker, Harry snatched the wand out of the air. Ginny felt a thrill of hope. But her throw had taken her out of position. There, exposed, a spell hit in the shoulder and Ginny was spun around by the force of the spell. Ginny collapsed to the ground, a pain she had never felt before radiating out of her left arm and shoulder. She reached over to feel her left shoulder. Her fingers came away wet.
"GIIIINNNNYYY" Harry's voice seemed to come from everywhere, and Ginny managed to turn her head to see Harry charging towards her. Spells flew from the other death eaters, but Harry didn't seem to notice. If they hit him, they didn't even slow him down. One death eater was blasted clear from the chamber, landing heavily in the antechamber.
The other death eater turned and ran, not towards the exit, but where Bellatrix had gone down. Ginny watched through hazy eyes as the other death eater raised Bellatrix back to her feet. The two remnants of Voldemort's army aimed their wands toward Harry and forced him to take cover behind the roots of a large tree.
Ginny felt Harry's eyes land on her and her vision seemed to tunnel until all she could see were bright green eyes, haunted and terrified. Suddenly the eyes turned away, and Ginny became aware of a distant roaring, followed by a crashing sound that Ginny felt more than heard. The whole cave seemed to be rumbling. Ginny tried to call for Harry again, but no sound seemed to come out. Ginny wasn't sure whether or not her eyes were open until suddenly Harry's face appeared in her vision. He was right over her, and Ginny wanted to raise her hand to his face but couldn't find the strength.
Ginny could see Harry's mouth moving, but no words reached Ginny's ears. Harry suddenly turned away from her, raising his wand. Golden light poured out, enveloping them both. The golden light illuminated Harry, covered in blood and dirt, but still standing, unconquered.
He dropped to Ginny's side, taking her hand. Harry was talking again, but Ginny couldn't make out the words.
"Ginny!" a voice called as if from a great distance. A voice Ginny thought she recognized from somewhere. Then world faded to black and even the golden light disappeared.