Harry Potter and the Deathday Curse
Chapter 26 The Search Begins
A.N. Thank you to everyone who reviewed!!!!!! This chapter is dedicated to Lizzy/Tygrestick, who is a wonderful reviewer and an even better author. I also want to recommend this really good story called The Riddle. It's by Tadariada and I really encourage everybody who likes my story to read it, because I guarantee that you will enjoy it. Anyway, now we will find out what happened to Ginny…
Harry started to get worried when he didn't see Ginny all night. At two in the morning, when Professor McGonnagal came to complain about half of the house still being up, he didn't see her walking off towards the girl's dorm room. He tried to voice his worry to Ron, but Ron had fallen asleep on his bed without even getting dressed. Harry fell asleep soon after.
He was shaken awake about an hour later.
"Harry!" Someone hissed at him through the darkness. "Harry! Wake up!"
Harry opened his eyes blearily and looked around. About a foot or so away from his face was James's face.
"What are you doing here?" Harry said, rubbing his eyes and letting them adjust to the darkness.
"I came to talk to you about the match," James said, sitting down on Harry's bed as Harry sat up. "We saw you fly, but we didn't get to congratulate you after the match."
"Oh, thanks James," Harry said.
"Right," James said. "Well, goodbye Harry."
"Say hi to Sirius and Remus for me," Harry said as he lay back down.
"I will Harry."
"Goodnight James."
"Goodnight son." Harry didn't hear the last two words, he had already fallen asleep.
"Do you have her?" Asked Voldemort.
"Yes my lord," said a person from under a dark cloak. "She is in dungeon number 18."
"Hmm… Bring her here." The Death Eater departed, only to return a few minutes later. She held a struggling girl, who's hands were tied behind her back. Her dark red hair was in disarray and she had a bruise blooming on the side of her right head.
"What is your name?" Voldemort asked. The girl didn't answer, she just glared up at Voldemort.
"I asked you a question, girl," Voldemort said, with a bite of impatience in his voice. "You are supposed to answer."
She didn't answer.
"Crucio." The girl fell to the ground, twitching and screaming at the top of her lungs. Lord Voldemort took the spell off of her and she remained twitching on the floor.
"Now will you answer?" Voldemort said softly. "What is your name?"
After a moment or so of silence the girl gave a small squeak, "G-Ginny Weasley."
"That's more like it." Voldemort said. "I suppose that you are wondering why you are here."
Ginny got up off of the ground and nodded in reply.
"Well, I can't tell you that. We'll wait until Potter gets here."
"Harry?" Ginny said breathlessly.
"Yes, he will be arriving shortly. Looking for you," Snarled Voldemort. He started laughing and then he said, "Throw her back in the dungeon." The Death Eater started to pull her away while she was yelling, "No! Not Harry! Leave him alone!"
Miles away, Harry woke up in a cold sweat and his scar burning on his forehead.
"Ginny," he croaked. He pulled the sheets off of his legs and sprang out of bed. He went strait for his clothes and pulled them on hurriedly.
Then he got his wand and ran down the spiral staircase and into the common room. When he had almost reached the portrait hole he realized that he didn't have a clue where Ginny was. He scratched his head and looked around the common room, searching for some clue to where Ginny was. Candy wrappers and Butterbeer bottles were strewn everywhere. There were a few streamers lying around. Harry went over and sat, frustrated, in a chair. After a moment of thinking he realized that he was sitting on something. He reached under him and pulled out a piece of paper. It was a note, it said:
Meet me down by the lake. We need to talk.
He stared at the note and then jumped up from his chair. He ran out of the common room and out into the corridor. He ran all the way to the Entrance Hall before he stopped. He was out of breath. He stood, panting, his hands on his knees. After he got a few good breaths he started running again, and he didn't stop until he had reached the lake. He didn't even notice that it was pouring down rain, he looked around for any sign, any hope that Ginny was still waiting for him or anyone down there. He didn't even know if the note was to Ginny, but he just had a feeling. He looked around hopelessly, before falling to his knees and just staring at the ground. He didn't know how long he sat there, eventually he got up and walked slowly up to the castle.
When he reached the portrait hole, The fat lady asked him why he was soaking wet and why he was out so late in the evening. He just gave her the password and climbed into the common room. He didn't even notice James, Sirius, and Remus sitting around the common room fire, he didn't acknowledge them when they called out to him. He walked up to the dorm room and pulled a book out of his trunk. Then he returned downstairs.
"Harry?" Sirius said, coming up to him. "What's wrong? Why are you all wet? And what are you going to do with that book?" Harry didn't reply. He put the book down on a table, opened it and tapped the first page with his wand.
"Show me Voldemort," he said in a quiet voice. Sirius, James, and Remus all yelped and jumped up, but before they could do anything Voldemort's face swam into view.
"Hello Harry Potter," He said quietly. "I was wondering when you would be seeing me."
"Where is she?" Harry asked, trying to keep his voice from shaking with anger, and trying to ignore the sharp pain that had just occurred in his scar.
"Why, what are you talking about Potter?" Voldemort said sarcastically.
"You know damn well what I'm talking about," He snarled. "Now, where is she."
"Who?" Voldemort said, a small, cruel smile appearing on his face.
"Ginny."
"Ah yes, Miss Weasley," Voldemort said, giving a small chuckle. "Well she is in good health, currently."
"What do you mean by 'currently'?"
"What do you think I mean?"
"I swear to god, if you hurt a hair on her head I'll-"
"You'll what, Potter?" Voldemort interrupted. "Hm? Haven't thought about that have you?"
Harry was silent for a moment.
"What do I have to do for you to let her go?" Harry asked after a moment.
"Guess."
"I'm tired of guessing games," Harry said.
"You know the mountain that overlooks Hogsmeade?"
"Yeah."
"Have you ever been in the cave at the top of the mountain."
"Yes."
"Well, it goes back pretty far. If you walk as far as you can, you'll find stairs, walk down the stairs and you'll find a series of passages…" Voldemort trailed off.
"Then what?"
"You have to find her and me before noon tomorrow." Voldemort said.
"What passages do I take?" Harry asked.
"You'll have to find the correct passage yourself, Potter." Voldemort said, smiling again. "And be sure to be there before noon! Or else your little Ginny gets executed."
He drew out his wand and waved it in the air. The page of the book went black, and then turned into a normal page. Harry slammed the book shut and started to walk back up the stairs to his dorm. James called after him, but Harry wasn't paying attention. When he had put his book away he walked back down to the common room, pulled his hood over his head and wrenched open the portrait hole. Remus tried to pull him back, but Harry pulled his arm out of his strong grasp and started running down the hall. He had almost reached the Entrance Hall when he felt someone strong pull him back.
"Let me go," he snarled.
"No," came the voice of James.
"Let me go James." Harry repeated.
"No, hear me out first." Harry stopped struggling and looked into his father's face.
"I forbid you to go looking for Ginny," He said firmly.
"What?" Harry said.
"You heard me, you can't go looking for her."
"Why not?" Harry said.
"Because I'm your father and I don't want you to be putting yourself in danger."
"I'm still going." Harry said, starting to walk toward the doors again.
"No, you're not." James said, throwing his arm out to stop him. "Harry, I know that you like Ginny, but she is not worth putting your life in danger."
"You would've done the same for Mum." James stared at him for a moment.
"Don't bring her into this," He said softly.
"But you would've." Harry said. "You would've risked everything for her. You even agreed to have me killed if it would save her."
"Harry-"
"And now I'm going to do the same thing that you would've done for Mum if you were in my situation."
"Harry," James said firmly. "These are totally different situations. Your mother and I were married, Ginny is just some fling-"
"Oh yeah," Harry said, feeling the anger rising. "Well, she may just be my fling, but I think we have something special and even if this relationship doesn't work out, at least I will know. If I don't go do this, I won't know, because she'll be dead."
James stared.
"If you do go, you might die," He said.
"I don't care, so long as she doesn't-"
"Harry, I'm your father and I say-"
"You may be my father, James, but you haven't been acting like it lately," Harry snapped. James looked down at his son, glaring up at him with those green eyes that reminded him so much of Lilly. He watched as his son turned on his heel and ran out of the door and out into the raging storm. Then James turned and walked slowly back to Sirius and Remus.
Harry walked up the muddy road to Hogsmeade, where it was pitch dark as it was about four or so in the morning. He looked up at the giant mass in the background, Ginny was somewhere in that mountain, and he had to find her before it was too late. He ran through the streets of Hogsmeade and up to the mountain. He rested for a moment at the top and then walked into the dark and cold cave. There was a torch in the inside of the cave, and more torches adorned the wall as he got deeper and deeper into the cave. He reached the stairs and walked slowly down them, his footsteps echoing. He kept his wand out, and his eyes kept darting around. He reached the end of the stairs and saw several tunnels leading in different directions.
"I'm coming Ginny," he whispered, and took the tunnel on the right.
A.N. That's all I'm typing for now. Please review!!!!!!!!!
