Crash And Burn
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters.
Author's Note: Sorry all for the wait! It took me a while to come up with some of the concepts in this chapter. And by god I'm gonna figure out how to add in a Quidditch game somehow! Anyway, on with the chapter!
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Ginny woke to find herself on a field in a grey world. Mist and fog swirled around her, revealing nothing but shadows and dim light. She called out, yelling to see if anyone would answer her, if anything would move besides herself. She heard nothing. She started trekking through the field, looking around to see any sign of a house, a barn, anything. Nothing still. She suddenly heard a flurry of movement behind her and turned around to face a horse.
This horse was unlike any she had ever seen. Its coat shone with the light of the moon despite there not being one out, at least that she could see. Its head was finely shaped and as it stood she could see the outline of its wings flush with its body. It moved closer to her, nudging her shoulder then getting down on its front knees. Ginny wasn't totally sure what she should do but caught on when the horse turned its head around and pointed to its back with his nose. Ginny climbed on and the horse immediately took off.
Ginny closed her eyes as she felt the wind rushing past her, roaring in her ears. She felt the movement of the horse under her and soon they were in tandem. She dared to open her eyes once and gasped at the site she saw below her. Fields of green stretched for miles, homes dotting the landscape and suddenly right in front of her arose a castle such that had not been seen for centuries.
The castle was large and grand, its banners of blue and white billowing in the breeze as guards marched back and forth along the wall of the castle. Once the horse landed and she was riding inside, she saw that a whole city was there. Farmers were selling their crops, metal workers making all types of weaponry and armor, everyone running around trying to get their day through. ~This is just like modern times. Everyone still runs around, trying to scratch out a living.~ Everyone seemed to know her though. They all tipped their hats and even one man said "We've been expecting you my lady! Welcome to Camelot!" She had long since forgotten that she had no control over this horse, enjoying the sights and the people. Soon, though, she was at what appeared to be a gate. Guards moved out of her way and she entered.
Suddenly that world vanished and she was in a darkened room. The lights flooded on and she shut her eyes quickly, slowly opening them to allow them to adjust to the light. She soon found that she was in some sort of chamber. She glanced around, recognizing many of the items there as some she had seen in her home, some she used at school. ~This must be some sort of medieval wizard's house.~ She walked around, studying the cauldrons, the quills, the potions ingredients. She saw that whoever it was had everything they needed to make an Animagi potion. The she heard a voice.
"Welcome Virginia Weasley. We've been expecting you."
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Voldemort paced back and forth in the Grand Foyer of the Riddle home, the anger evident in his face, a path worn into the floor. "Would somebody like to tell me what in the hell happened yesterday?!?! Over half our followers are dead, and by whose hand were they slain? A young bloody girl's!!!" He swiped his hand to the side, whipping it at the wall and watching it shatter.
"Sir, if I may, I do believe I may have an answer as to what happened."
Voldemort turned, rage burning in his eyes. "And who dare speaks when I have not asked them too?"
A cloaked figure stepped forward. "I do." The figure threw back their hood. Long raven colored hair flowed out from underneath the hood. "My name is Cho Chang, and I have a piece of parchment that may be of particular interest to you." Voldemort stormed up to her, looking like he'd enjoy a bit of head hunting and looking as though Cho was his target. She calmly reached into her cape and handed him the piece of parchment. "Here. I took this away from Potter when I had an argument with him in the hall. It has an interesting story to it and I believe an explanation for yesterday."
Voldemort tore the parchment from Cho's hand and went over to his chair, sitting down and letting Nagini run up his arm. Nobody could see what his facial expression were, but most could tell by the swelling of his back that he was getting more and more angry by the word. He suddenly balled up the parchment and threw it into the fire, watching it turn to ashes before him. "We must capture the Weasley girl! Capture her and we've got both threats to my power. Capture them before Yule night or you shall all die by my own hand," he roared.
"If you please, your lordship, I do have an idea as to how to capture the Weasley bitch."
Voldemort did not turn, just put his hand out and waved it towards him, beckoning the girl to his side. "Tell me child, just what exactly your plan is."
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"Who are you," Ginny asked, looking around. She saw a man standing next to the woman she was currently talking to. The more she looked at the man the more she thought about the prophecy. He looked like the description…..black hair, green eyes…….the woman had red hair, brown eyes………..could it be? "Epona? Merlin," she questioned, watching them as they nodded their heads yes. "How did I get here? What happened?"
"Well my dear, I believe that I can explain that one. You see, you two, you and Harry Potter, are the two we've been waiting for. We've been watching the conflict in your time for a long time. Harry unfortunately had to show his power at the young age of one year. You, my dear, had never had cause to call upon your reserves until yesterday when you felt the need to protect those closest to you. You have so much power in you. Yesterday was only the tip of the iceberg. You will have help in learning to harness and control this power. A friend of yours and Harry's, a nice black dog."
"You mean Sirius? He really is a nice man. I only just met him yesterday. Oh my! He must think I'm positively nutters after the portal thing. How did I know how to call that portal, all those words, the spell, how," she asked, looking around, getting more and more frightened.
Merlin laughed. "Do not worry Miss Virginia. Both you and Harry have a long life ahead of you. Just beware of those who would threaten your happiness, your livelihood. There is one, a girl with long black hair, who will become a threat to you very soon. Beware her," said Epona, looking into Ginny's eyes. "Stay away from this girl. She can hold nothing but evil in her heart."
"How will we know when it is time to go? Will we be called somehow? And when? Will it be before Yule's night or after," she asked, rattling off her questions, wanting to know as much about what was going on as she could. She was still a bit curious about what was going on. Quite frankly, she thought she was either hallucinating or dying and this was some odd way to enter the afterlife.
"You will know when it is time. You will feel it all around you, in your heart, in your mind. The energy in the air will be crackling, the fear heightened to an all time high. You will know my dear. Now go back to your school, to your classes, to your Harry. You two have a world of things to learn and not much time to learn them. You must go back. Farewell dear Ginny," said Epona, hugging her. "You remind me so much of myself when I was your age."
"Thank you mam. There's just one last thing I want to ask. It's a bit off the subject, but would you happen to know how I can get rid of those horrible visions I get without drinking that god awful potion," asked Ginny, a bit of a blush creeping up in her cheeks. She didn't know if they knew about what she was going through, but perhaps there was some ancient recipe for a potion that Snape didn't know that tasted better than week old gym socks and rotting vegetables.
Epona removed her headband she was wearing, a lovely platinum band with a Celtic knot in the middle, the five points of the essence accented with a precious jewel. "Here. Take this. I used it too when I got the visions. It may help you too."
"And take this for young Harry my dear," said Merlin, handing her his cape and wizard's hat. "He will find great use for this in his future."
"Thank you both, for everything. I just hope that the two of us can live up to the legacy and legend you have left behind for us," she said, hugging them both. The world suddenly went a bit blurry and she could faintly hear her name being called by a very worried sounding Harry. She tried to call out to Epona and Merlin again, but to no avail. The last thing she heard before waking was "Beware the black haired girl. She is your only threat."
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"Ginny?! Ginny please wake up! GINNY," Harry shouted, clutching her body to his, her head in his lap. He was stroking her hair, trying to get her to wake up. He'd been trying for a few minutes now. He shook her shoulders, even tried pouring water on her but to no avail. Sirius grabbed his shoulder but he violently shrugged him off, hugging Ginny's body to him and rocking back and forth with her.
"Harry, you're doing no good with her out here. She needs to get back to Hogwarts and be seen by Poppy. The poor woman probably already knows you two are on the way, me included now. Come on. Pick her up and I'll hold onto you and we'll apparate there. Dumbledore will know where to find us." Harry nodded weakly, holding her body in his arms. He was trying to hold back his tears. She had almost died in the process of her saving them. Sirius gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Hold on Harry. We'll be there in a second."
A moment later Ginny was laying in a hospital bed, Harry at her side, Sirius in a chair a bit back from the two. She groaned suddenly and her eyelids fluttered open. She rolled her head to the side. "Harry? Is that you? Where am I," she asked, looking around.
Harry jumped up and grabbed her, hugging her and laughing. "Dear god Ginny! You're alright! You're alive," he exclaimed. He suddenly turned serious. "Next time you do that, you had better give me more warning than this time. You nearly got yourself killed!"
Ginny kissed his forehead and smiled. "Harry, you worry too much. I was perfectly fine. In fact, I don't think I would've gone out unless a certain pair from a prophecy hadn't needed the meeting time." She shook her head, remembering what she had just seen, or rather, what she had just……well, she didn't quite know what had just happened, but she knew one thing for sure, and that was that it had been real.
Sirius turned to the two of them now. "Harry, what is this about a prophecy? What nonsense is this or is there something behind it?"
Ginny smiled wryly. "Oh trust me. I just got knocked out to get confirmation of this. Harry, why don't you explain. I need to search my pockets for a few things." And with this Harry launched into an explanation of everything, starting with the first conversation underneath the willow trees all the way up until now, not leaving much out.
While Harry and Sirius were combing over the finer details of the one thing that would rule their lives until Yule's night, Ginny went into her pockets and pulled out the packages she had shrunk just before the attack. She resized them and opened the bags. She thought she'd find it there. "Oh Harry, one more thing: Merlin said to give you this." She handed him the robe and wizard's hat that Merlin had asked her to take back for him. She herself put on Epona's headband, hoping with all her being that his would be a fix instead of that wretched potion.
Dumbledore walked in then, going over to where Ginny was still lying in bed. "Well Miss Weasley, I do believe this confirms it. I had hoped nothing like this would happen, but I am going to have to request that you stay within the school grounds with Harry. I'm sorry to put it this way, but the world cannot risk your safety." Ginny and Harry both nodded.
"Well, on a lighter note, I do believe that I've solved a bit of a problem that Professor McGonagall has been having. She had wanted to add in more days for the Animagi classes but due to her already busy schedule was not able to. It has come to light very recently that an experienced person in this area has become available for a teaching position, should he accept it." Dumbledore looked to Sirius. "Well, how about it man? Minerva could use the extra time, we're always in need of a substitute teacher, and your only real scheduled class would be with Harry and Ginny helping them with their transformations. I'm sure you know more about it than anyone else possibly could. You'd have a room in the staff wing, paid position. What say you," he asked, his eyes twinkling as he watched Harry's jaw drop and Ginny start shaking, wanting to scream and jump up and hug him.
Sirius leaned back in his chair with a thud. This was something totally unexpected. He thought about it. It would mean more time with Harry, he'd have a home, a job. He wasn't seeing anything too bad about this. He turned to Harry and Ginny. "Well ladies and gentlemen, what do you think? Me as your professor? You think it's a good idea," he asked, wanting their approval.
Harry didn't need to be asked twice. He launched himself over Ginny's bed and jumped onto Sirius, hugging him. "Please take the position Sirius! Please," he asked.
Ginny put her legs over the side of the bed and leaned on Harry as he came over to her. She stood up and shakily walked over to Sirius, leaning down and giving him a hug. "I barely know you but I can see that you are a good man, and it would break Harry's heart if you didn't accept. If, for no other reason, accept for his sanity," she said, laughing a bit as Harry gave her a mock glare before laughing with her.
Sirius turned to Dumbledore, grinning like a child in a toy store. "Professor Dumbledore sir, you have yourself a new Animagi professor." Harry and Ginny jumped up and hugged each other before going back to hugging Sirius again.
Dumbledore chuckled. "Well, I shall leave the Animagi class to its first session." With that he swept out of the room and went to his office, eager to finish up his excess paperwork. He hadn't expected a note from Professor Snape to be waiting for him by owl, however. He knew Snape was on an undercover mission and thus would never use a school owl. It would give away his position. However, here one was, plain as day, a letter from him attached to its leg. He untied the letter, sending the owl on its way, and immediately opened it. As he read on he paled more and more, falling back into his chair and absent-mindedly stroking Fawkes's feathers. "Dear god Fawkes," he mumbled, re-reading the letter. "It's worse than I thought."
Albus,
I did not have any other way to reach you besides school owl. I only hope this isn't intercepted on its way to you. I am currently at the Death Eater camp. I must tell you about some extremely surprising recent developments. Cho Chang has become a Death Eater. She was brought in by Draco Malfoy and is now heading up a sort of group to capture Miss Weasley. I cannot stress how important it is that the two of them are kept away from Miss Chang. She has promised Voldemort that she will deliver Harry's head on a silver platter and Ginny's soul to use as kindling in the fireplace. A promise such as this must be kept or risk death. This is a real threat. We must do all we can to keep them safe.
Sincerely,
Severus