Chapter Fifteen
A Day In the Forbidden Forest
Harry walked down to breakfast that same morning, thoughts playing teasingly throughout his mind, which he was constantly trying to sustain. But he could not keep the thoughts from pouring in; thoughts of the Reaper, his dream of (presumably) the Reaper, and Sirius's warning. He knew his mind should be elsewhere — the Quidditch match he and the rest of the band was playing at was in a couple of days, and he needed to be ready — but the teasing thoughts would not stop, even when he wanted them to.
He sat down at the Gryffindor table with a dull thud, then began eating his bacon and eggs slowly, trying to take his mind off Voldemort. It was as he was taking a sip of milk that he felt someone sit down quietly next to him, and he glanced over at the person. Ginny's flowing red hair was suddenly right in front of him, and it startled him so that he nearly jumped.
Ginny turned to face him and smiled warmly, offering a pleasant "Good morning," in his direction before beginning to eat her breakfast. Harry returned a soft "Good morning" to her, then continued eating quietly. Before long, several more students had entered the Great Hall, and after a moment the post arrived. Hedwig's snowy white form was nowhere to be found within the mass of swirling feathers, so Harry was getting up to leave when Ginny pulled him back to his seat gently.
"What's up?" Harry asked, glancing at her curiously.
Ginny shrugged very casually. "I'm just wondering what happened during the ball…. Why you thought I was in the common room…?" She turned the last bit into a question by giving him a questioning glance.
Harry hesitated a moment, giving her a piercing stare while weighing his choices: If he lied, Ginny would probably eventually learn the truth from someone, somewhere when it blew up in his face at the end of the year; if he told the truth, he could endanger her as much as him.
Harry made his decision. "Meet me in the Charms classroom during lunch, and I'll tell you," he said so only she could hear. Ginny nodded, then waved goodbye to him as he walked off to gather his things for his first class.
On his way to the Gryffindor common room, he saw Seamus Finnigin walking down to the Great Hall.
"Morning, Seamus," said Harry brightly as he passed. Seamus nodded, acknowledging Harry's presence. Harry shook his head as he walked on, completely missing Seamus's blood-red gaze stare after him.
***
When the lunch bell rang, Harry made his way slowly to the Charms classroom. After thinking it over during his first class, he realized he really didn't want to tell Ginny; as he had already considered, it would most likely endanger her, and Harry had already endangered quite enough people. If something happened to Ginny because of him…
Harry opened the door to the classroom and slipped in, hopefully going unnoticed by everyone. He hadn't wanted to use his Invisibility Cloak; Ginny didn't know about it yet, and on top of that, he didn't feel safe letting secrets out anymore…not with something that could impersonate others running loose…
He slowly walked over to a chair and sat down with a soft thud. He had been sitting for a few moments when the door flew open, and Ginny walked in quietly, taking a seat next to his. They remained silent for a moment, until Ginny finally spoke very softly.
"You wanted to tell me something?" she said slowly.
Harry nodded without speaking. Ginny, it appeared, would not take a nod for an answer, and pressed the matter.
"So what was it that you wanted to tell me?"
"You asked," said Harry after moment, "what I was talking about earlier this morning in the common room." Ginny nodded solemnly, and Harry sighed quietly. "A few days ago—maybe a week, I don't remember the exact time—I was walking back from the Quidditch game, Dumbledore said he needed to have a word with me. I was following him when I saw another Dumbledore—obviously the real Dumbledore—walk by.
"I blinked several times, but both Dumbledores were there," Harry continued, "until I spoke to the real Dumbledore. Then the fake one disappeared. Dumbledore got a worried look and told me to go straight to bed, so I did. I thought at the time I was just seeing things—nothing more than a little over-excitement from the Quidditch game, I reasoned. Until the night of the Halloween ball."
He paused a moment before continuing. "Then I saw Hagrid's Urdai wandering the grounds as it rained. I blinked and it disappeared, and when I turned around, you were there, or at least who I thought was you. You asked me…what I was looking at, and I said nothing. Then you got all huffy and left. It was like you were…were…" He trailed off, searching for the word. "Possessed, I guess," he finished lamely.
Harry gazed at Ginny. She had listened in silence the entire time, and now stared directly back at Harry with her large blue eyes.
Harry jolted back to reality.
Blue eyes?
Harry jumped out of his chair and actually thought of drawing his wand on the red-haired girl before him, then decided against it. His chair had fallen over in his haste, and clattered to the floor with an eerie echo. The door flew open again, and in walked…Ginny?
Harry wheeled around, and the other Ginny was gone. Rubbing his eyes furiously, he scanned the area 'Ginny' had just sat in.
"What's wrong Harry?" Ginny (the one by the door) asked. "Sorry I'm a little late. Professor Snape held me up in his dungeon for spilling beetle eyes everywhere…. What're you looking for?"
Harry hesitated once more, then walked over to Ginny and looked at her eyes. They were definitely brown, no blue tint about them. Before he could stop himself, he had spilled out his entire story to Ginny, praying inside that this was indeed Ginny, and not the same impostor that had been running around school lately.
"…and then the other Ginny disappeared, leaving you and me here," he finished his story for the second time in thirty minutes. "Something's happening, Gin, but I have no clue as to what or who is doing it. How could something just…disappear? Apparition?"
"No," said Ginny instantly, "you can't Apparate on and off Hogwarts grounds."
"Of course," said Harry in an offhand manner, "how can I keep forgetting that?" He sighed loudly. "Then how the hell is that thing doing it?!"
Ginny shook her head, her fiery hair shimmering slightly.
"I don't know, Harry," she said finally, "I just don't know."
"Don't tell anyone about this except…"
"Hermione, and you tell Ron," Ginny finished for him. Seeing his blank expression, she added hastily, "We've got to tell someone about this, you know. If you don't want to tell Dumbledore, that's fine by me, but at least get Ron and Hermione in on this. They need to be warned as much as me, if not more." She paused, searching Harry's anguish-filled face. "They'll help you through this more than I can, Harry Potter."
She turned to leave without saying goodbye. Harry stared after her, then shook his head slowly, wondering why girls were so hard to understand.
He walked out of the classroom, wondering whether or not to look for her. After hesitating a moment, he made his decision, and set out to find a red-haired, short, fourth year girl.
As Harry walked away, scratching his head in confusion, Professors Dumbledore, Flitwick, and McGonagall reappeared within the confines of the Charms classroom, each holding the same weary look on their faces. Dumbledore scratched his chin for a moment, then turned to the other professors.
"Has Severus said anything to you about this?" he asked.
"No," said McGonagall, echoed by Flitwick a moment later.
"Either he's not letting on to us all that he knows, or Voldemort knows more than we think he does," said Dumbledore slowly, "and I'm willing to bet it's the former to the latter. Search the library for any information on such creatures as what Harry has described, and I'll ask Remus, Sirius, and Dol if they've heard anything of the return of any…such creatures."
He turned to them, a questioning look on his face which plainly said "What do you think?"
McGonagall, shook her head slowly. "I have no clue. I know what I'd like to think it is, but it's impossible. The…"
"Urdai," Professor Flitwick interjected. "Find the Slytherin first year Urdai Clarily. There's something strange about her. Something very strange indeed."
***
Harry found her sitting under a tree near the lake, staring out at the rippling waters with a distant look in her eyes. Though he didn't think he'd actually done anything, he approached her cautiously, and sat down next to her.
"Why aren't you in class?" he asked gently, stretching his left leg out before him.
Ginny looked down, then back out towards the waters.
"I don't know," she admitted. "I just…. I'm sorry I left without saying goodbye a few moments ago. I…I don't know what came over me. Sorry."
Harry stared at her, and she turned back to look at him, her brown eyes pleading something with him. There was fear mirrored in those lush brown eyes, and Harry didn't miss it.
"What frightens you?" he asked softly.
Ginny didn't respond immediately; in fact, she watched Harry intently several moments before responding, and when she finally did, her voice shook slightly, as though she realized who she was talking to.
"You," she said, scooting a little closer to him.
Confusion flashed across Harry's face.
"What?"
"You," Ginny repeated softly. "I'm afraid…that something will happen…to you."
To his surprise, Ginny did not blush as she said this, but instead kept a straight face.
"Don't worry about me," said Harry hastily. "It's not worth it. I'm always in danger. If you were to worry about me every time I was in danger, you'd be worrying every second of every day. I can—"
"I know you can say the words 'I can take care of myself,' Harry," Ginny interrupted. "But there's nothing behind those words. You can't stand alone, even though you've tried to so many times. In the end you'll either die or let someone help you."
Harry felt his face heat, but maintained control over himself.
"I can handle myself," he said, in a harsher tone than he'd meant, and Ginny instantly looked hurt. "I'm sorry," he whispered, taking her hand in his own without noticing what he was doing. "Please don't worry about me, Gin. I've lived this long on my own…"
"You don't think people have worried about you all this time?!" Ginny exploded, wrenching her hand free of his and backing away from him. "I don't know about most of the major people who knew your parents, but even I was worried about you before I knew you! We all knew you were sent to a Muggle home! Dumbledore and Hagrid and Professor McGonagall were probably worried more than anyone! And think of…think of Peter Pettigrew, your godfather, who was killed by Black…"
"Sirius didn't lay a finger on Pettigrew," Harry spat without thinking. Ginny frowned at him.
"What are you talking about?" she asked.
Harry thought of saying "nothing," but decided against it.
"Pettigrew faked his bloody death," snapped Harry, "and got Sirius sent to Azkaban for doing nothing!"
"But Black was the secret keeper…"
"No he wasn't. He changed it to Pettigrew at the last moment. Who'd suspect the little runt to be the secret keeper, anyway? It wasn't like Pettigrew was the smartest or bravest person in the world. Why would James and Lily Potter choose him? The little rat sold them out. He'd been working with Voldemort the entire time. Then Sirius chased after him, and Pettigrew faked his death by making it look like Sirius killed him. He blew his own finger off.
"Wormtail was also an unregistered Animagus, so he was your family's rat for the past twelve years till he ran away 'cause Sirius found him. Sirius is innocent. Hermione, Ron, and I helped him escape in third year. Don't tell me I should feel sorry for Pettigrew, 'cause I don't. I'm not living with my godfather, Sirius, because of that worm."
Ginny stared at Harry with an open mouth. Harry hadn't meant to reveal all of that to her, but hadn't been able to stop.
"It's the truth, Gin," said Harry softly. This time it was Ginny who laced her fingers in his own. Unfortunately, Ron and Hermione chose this exact time to appear a few feet away from them.
"What're you two doing out here?" Ron demanded at once as he approached them. Harry watched his eyes drift slowly down to their hands, which were still entwined, and Harry and Ginny sprang apart.
"Having a conversation," said Ginny easily.
"Why did you miss Defense?" Ron asked, unsatisfied by their explanation.
"Is Defense already over?" Harry asked, trying to sound offhand. Ron nodded. "Wow! Time really flies!"
"Harry, what's going on…" Hermione started, but she abruptly fell silent.
Harry stood up and glanced around. Light began fading away slowly, and black clouds were filling the sky. Rain began to drizzle slowly from the sky, and a cold chill was about them. From within the shadows near the castle, a dark form emerged, so dark that Harry could just barely make it out amid the shadows about it. He felt his insides go cold as he recognized it.
The Reaper!
"Damn!" Harry cursed loudly, grabbing Ginny's hand and motioning for Ron and Hermione to follow him. He darted off in the direction opposite of the Reaper, the only way they could escape. The route before them was not one Harry wanted to travel: The Forbidden Forest.
Trees loomed around them, blackly silhouetted. Harry ran faster than he ever had, darting in and out of trees, hoping Ginny wouldn't hit one of the trees. Harry hadn't given them time to argue with him, nor would he have stopped even if they had told him to. The Reaper was still following them, its black form nothing more than a shadow against the ground.
After a moment they stumbled into a clearing. Harry tripped over a root and stumbled down, dragging Ginny down with him. Ron and Hermione flew past them.
"Don't stop!" Harry called after them, frantically feeling through his pockets. "Damn! My wand's not with me! D'you know any powerful spells, powerful enough to kill a creature?"
"No," said Ginny. "So we don't have any defense?!"
Harry was about to answer no when a light flicked on within the depths of his mind: Why couldn't he at least attempt magic with no wand? "I think I have an idea. Just run when I tell you to, and don't stop for anything."
Ginny hesitated, then nodded. Harry jumped up, then pulled her up after him. Ron and Hermione had disappeared into the trees beyond them, opposite to where they had entered. Harry grabbed Ginny's hand, then walked forward to the other edge of the clearing. Moments later, the Reaper appeared at the edge of the clearing, near twenty yards away from them.
"Run, Ginny, and don't look back," said Harry quietly.
Ginny hesitated once more, then darted off behind him. Harry turned to the Reaper, which was still approaching slowly. Harry racked his brain…what was the spell Professor Tallow had used? The Pyr Charm. Harry had not even attempted the charm, but was willing to give it a try.
"Infernobolus!" he shouted, raising his hand as he would a wand. To his great surprise, a ribbon of blue fire lanced out towards the Reaper. The Reaper jumped to the side, moving quicker than Harry had anticipated. Harry, getting used to controlling the fire, lanced it towards the Reaper once more. The Reaper dodged again, but the next time Harry hit it. It shrieked and flew backwards into the woods. Harry felt drained suddenly, like the magic was taking strength out of him.
Moments later, an Urdai appeared. It shrieked and lunged at Harry in a fury, claws drawn. Harry was too quick, though. He darted to the side, then sent the ribbon of fire out at the creature. The Urdai shrieked in response as the fire ripped into it. It whirled around, and Harry felt claws ripping his shoulder. Harry cried out in anguish, then grabbed the Urdai's slimey head and sent the blue fire out into it. The Urdai disappeared to quickly, however, and left no trace of anything.
Harry fell to his knees, then to his stomach, clutching his shoulder in pain. He tried to lift his head, but everything ached. Eventually he gave up and let his head fall onto a patch of grass. He knew he shouldn't fall asleep—the Reaper and Urdai would still be out—but he couldn't control his consciousness anymore, and drifted into a dreamless bliss.