"She couldn't cry. All her tears had been scorched away. But her heart felt as if it had been torn open."

-The Secret Circle

Chapter Seventeen

Pain. I woke the next morning to a vast amount of pain. The green emerald stone on my necklace was bright with color. Screams of panic rang loudly from the Gryffindor Common Room. I grabbed the first pair of robes I could find and stepped into some house slippers. Upon my arrival I was met with the devastated faces of many of my fellows classmates.

"What's going on?" I asked my brother as he tried to calm down a hysterical Hermione.

"Voldemort has attacked every family of Muggle-born students who attend Hogwarts. There were no survivors." Ron too was crying. I noticed for the first time ever he said the Dark Lord's name without a shudder of fear. I felt sorry for all those effected, truly sorry. Many of them were only children and now would have to face the rest of their lives as orphans. There was no doubt however that my mother, being the kind hearted she is towards everyone but me sometimes, would take in Hermione as one of her own. Hermione was practically family now anyway, for it's only a matter of time before Ron officially proposes to her.

"Ginny, Dumbledore wants to see us now." A voice stated from behind me and I turned around towards the face of Harry Potter. I nodded in understanding and followed him out through the portrait of the Fat Lady.

We were joined in the Headmasters office by Professors Snape and McGonagall, both with grim looks on their faces. Even Dumbledore's eyes have lost their traditional twinkle that was so often associated with him.

"I am afraid to report the sad news of the students families that were taken away from us this past night. Miss Weasley I am afraid to report to you that Mr. Malfoy was among the crowd of Death Eaters that were spotted at these raids. I know of your association with him and I strongly advise you to stay close to Hogwarts. There are rumors spreading around the Dark crowd of your closeness to both Severus and Draco and I'm afraid you are in great danger. Now, Harry, I called you here because you are the only person to have repeatedly come across Voldemort and defeated him each time. Professor Snape and Miss Weasley have been for the last few months, conducting an experiment to find a defense against the Unforgivable Curses. They have succeeded in completing a one time only defense against the Avada Kedavra spell. However only a small amount of the potion was made, as it was still in its trial periods. Small flasks of the potion were given to a select few and I strongly feel that you too should carry one. Voldemort is planning a full out attack within a couple days times and we will need all of the best wizards in the field. You are one of our greatest allies, and you too Ginny. We would also like your help but however if you were caught, your knowledge could also be our greatest threat. Now, I advise you to each go back to your dorms and rest for the remainder of the day, for it shall prove to be a long one. Severus, Minerva, I still would like to talk to you. Good day Mr. Potter, Miss Weasley."

We walked down the corridor and back to our tower in silence. That is until Harry turned me around suddenly with an angered look in his eyes.

"So that's why you turned me down, it was because of Malfoy! He's evil Ginny, evil and a Death Eater for God's sake! How could you betray Gryffindor, and your family, like that!"

"I didn't ask to fall in love with him Harry! But he was the only one who saw how unhappy I was and was willing to help me! Where were you those nights I cried myself to sleep? Huh? Where? Want to know where he was? He was right there beside me holding my hand. When I was sad he held me close, when I was sick he stayed beside me in the hospital bed! Want to know why I love him Harry? Because he was there when everyone else wasn't!" I shouted and turned around in the opposite direction of the dorm.

"Ginny...wait! I'm sorry okay!"

However I didn't really hear the rest. I was down the hall and heading to the front doors of the school without thinking of where I was going. All I know was I had to get out of here. I had to escape this prison. Too much was happening all at once.

'Draco was there last night...he took a human life.' I knew before that he was sent on 'missions' but I never really believed, or wanted to believe, what really went on those dark nights. Now there was no overlooking it. They were turning Draco into a true Death Eater, a killer; a horrible evil creature of darkness.

"Virginia!" A voice called from the doorway of the castle. But by now I was walking along the grounds and was too far away to hear much of what was being screamed at me. I turned towards the doors but a black shadow came over me.

A suddenly there was blessed darkness...

"It is a Weasley. See from the hair." A voice hissed from somewhere nearby.

"It's their girl Virginia. Rumor is she has been getting too close with the Slytherins lately. Particularly their Head of House and a certain dragon." Another voice, this one much deeper than the first, added. I cracked my eyes just a bit and took in my surroundings.

It was dark cell, from a first quick glance. I wasn't lying on a bed, more like a stiff board of wood from the feel of it. Dark colored candles scarcely lit the diminutive room. Three figures gathered around the doorway, obviously waiting for someone.

"He should be here soon, I imagine." The third voice squeaked, for this person had a high pitched squeaky sort of voice.

Suddenly the door burst open and five more figures entered the room.

"She is to be sent up to the Dark Lord immediately. Now wake her!" The voice shouted loudly.

"Crucio!"

A sudden burst of pain shot through my every limbs and I nearly fell off the makeshift bed had it not been for the two sets of arms holding me upright.

"Raise your eyes to me, child." The voice hissed again.

"I am not afraid of you Lucius Malfoy." I spat at him. Red-hot anger breached his face and he would have struck his fist at me had his son not intervened. My body still aching from the Cruciatus Curse placed upon me, I was quietly dragged up into a large dining hall that was considerably fixed up to look like a throne room. And seated on a small black velvet chair was the very cause of all of the evil that has currently possessed our world.

"Hello there Voldemort, things going well for you lately?" I cheerily asked. I was doomed, there was no way around that. They would kill me no matter if I remained submissive or outspoken, for I was just like any other witch in our world.

"You should learn to hold your tongue Miss Weasley, or my minions would enjoy cutting it slowly out of you." He replied. At the thought of my tongue being unceremoniously ripped out of my mouth I swallowed hard. Maybe I should have stuck with submissiveness.

"What would it matter, I'm dead either way." I retorted back to him. He smiled for a second, his two slits for nostrils flaring slightly.

"You have courage my sweet. But amongst us you are but a small mouse in a room full of hungry cats. Now onto business. Rumor is that you have been working on a potion that is said to defend against the Unforgivable Curses, is that correct?"

My face remained impassive but my mind was jumping hysterically. 'How could he possibly know that information?' Though Snape was a double agent he would not report that news to the Dark Lord no matter how much he was tortured. So how did our information leak?

"I have no idea what you're talking about sir." I replied.

"You lie Miss Weasley. Now I want to know how you made such a potion. You will tell me, or otherwise I will have to use a Truth Spell to get the information out of you. For that is how I found out about the potion to begin with. Draco, why don't you tell Miss Weasley how you gathered the information about the potion for me?"

I looked over at Draco, anger flaring in my eyes. How could he betray me like that! Did our love mean nothing to him! But I never told Draco about the potion being completed, so how did he know? And then it hit me.

A dark figure drifting off into the shadows. Dumbledores office. Draco overheard our conversation with the Headmaster.