Author's note- No reviews- I MUST HAVE REVIEWS! Phew-uh-anyway-hm. This
chapter will definitely have a lot of fluff in it, including some adventure
and a pair of really great rings. Breakups, reunions, torture
uncontrollable screaming, and even a death ahead. Wow, sounds like a bucket
full of fun!
Harry woke that night, his scar burning like a white-hot wire pressed into his skin, the nightmare still playing over in his mind.
Lars-that was the name of the boy. Hermione was down in a secret dungeon, her body tortured and mangled and barely alive. Her heartbeat was two per minute. She was dying. He was killing her.
He wanted him and Ginny. And Mary- she was alive. No, she was a ghost. Lars made her a ghost- he made her a ghost because of his love for her. Harry felt a small pang of sadness for him, but it dissolved quickly.
It all came together in his mind- all except one thing. If Lars was the same age as his sister, and she died eighteen years ago, then why didn't he look any older? Lars still looked like he was the same age as he was when Harry's sister died.
Ginny. It seemed that no matter what was happening, he always thought about her. He was going to have to save Hermione; What if he died? What if something happened to one of them, leaving the other alone?
That was all it took.
* * *
Seameus unlocked the castle door with his wand and walked quietly inside, heading towards the Gryffindor common room. He trotted silently down the corridor to his left, whistling contently.
He stopped, however, when he heard a scream from underneath him- it sounded like Hermione. His heart thumping rapidly, he raced down the corridor and down a large number of steps that he had never seen before.
The screams grew louder, and he ran faster. She sounded like she was dying. Finally, he reached the door to the dungeon, panting from exhaustion and horrible fear. He opened the door and screamed.
He only saw Hermione's long, curly hair fall to the ground before-
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
* * *
Harry raced down the stairs of his dormitory and saw the back of Ginny's head, shaking uncontrollably from her hysterical weeping. She turned around, her face blotchy and tear-worn.
"Seameus is dead," she wailed. Harry stood there in shock, his mouth open. Finally, he swallowed down a lump in her throat and spoke.
"How?" he croaked, walking over to her. She gave a shuddering breath.
"He came home from holidays early and they found his body outside the castle," she said in no more than a whisper.
"Oh god," Harry said. "Oh god. He's here." Ginny knew what he was talking about and didn't say a word. He reached into his pocket and took out two rings, Ginny watching him. One of them was gold with a white jewel spiraling in slanting lines around it like a candy cane.
The other was one small jewel of the same kind. They obviously went together. Harry slipped the one with one jewel onto Ginny's finger, and it glowed scarlet. Harry put his spiraling one on as well, and it too glowed red.
"If I die then the light will go out," Harry said.
"No," Ginny said. "No. You're not going to die. And we can't get married. Not yet- I'm seventeen! We can wait. We can wait for a few years," she said.
"We may not HAVE a few years!" Harry said. Ginny sniffed. "If I go we'll never be able to do anything, so if you want to get engaged we'd better do it now. Ginny, will you marry me?" Harry asked, holding her hand.
Ginny nodded. Harry leaned forward and kissed her lightly.
"Don't follow me. No matter what happens," he whispered.
"Okay," Ginny said in his ear. "I promise."
Harry walked away from her, opening the door to the common room.
"I love you," he said, closing the door with a bang.
"I love you too," Ginny whispered.
* * *
Harry knew exactly where to go. In his dream, he had seen the dungeon and everything in it. He knew that he probably wouldn't live through this, but it didn't matter. Not anymore.
He didn't even notice the ice-cold chill that filled the air as he walked down the stairs. He went through many corridors and passageways, the coldness growing. Finally, he saw the door and opened it.
He had to cover his mouth from screaming as he saw the limp figure of Hermione on the ground, a puddle of blood dampening her hair. He ran over to her, checking for a heart beat through her chest.
Nothing. He put his ear over her breath and waited. Finally, after a minute and a half, Harry heard an incredibly faint THUMP. She was still alive, but by a thread that was already breaking.
He looked up, and his heart plummeted. Lars was standing there, twirling his wand between his finger.
"Harry Potter," he said quietly.
"You bastard," Harry breathed. "You did this to her. And you killed Seameus." Harry pointed a shaking finger at him. He rolled his eyes.
"Good job! Of course, his body was quite hard to drag onto the grounds, but I managed it," Lars said. "And now, since your little girlfriend isn't here and you've really pissed me off, I think I'm gonna torture you nice and slow until she comes."
"Do your worst," said Harry savagely.
"CRUCIO!" Lars bellowed.
* * *
Ginny's felt her heart stop as her ring turned white and back to red again. He was dying. She began to hyperventilate as it turned white again and then back to red- but the red was beginning to fade to magenta. She screamed as it again turned pale- longer this time- and then to a paling pink.
Tears welling up in her eyes, she ran through the door, breaking her promise to Harry. The ring worked, she found, as a kind of tracker, and it guided her to the dungeons. Every second she walked, the ring grew fainter.
* * *
Harry felt his heart stop and then beat again, blood leaking from his temples. The pain from the Crutacious curse was lessening as death lured in front of him. Lars's voice grew fainter, and his life began to flash before his eyes like wildfire.
His mother, nursing him as a baby. The Durslys, spanking him for turning the television. The first time he went to Hogwarts. His first Quidditch match. Getting the Firebolt for Christmas in his third year. Fighting with the order. Teaming up with Malfoy to fight evil. Seeing Ginny on the train in September. Watching her come in from the door at Hogsmeade. Their first kiss.
"She'll be coming soon," Lars said. "Good thing I can't kill you, Potter, or you'd already be blown into a million tiny pieces." Harry felt his heart beat slow and his breathing fade. And then, a faint opening of a door and a scream met his ears- Ginny had come for him.
"Ginny," Harry muttered. "No."
"I'm sorry, Harry," she whispered, running beside him and dropping to her knees. She held his hand and began to cry on his back.
"Isn't this touching," Lars said. Now, at least Harry could die in piece. But, this didn't feel like dying. His vision was clearing and Lars's voice was louder. Finally, he was able to sit up- stand up. Lars looked faintly surprised.
For a minute, they were all silent. And then, a voice that seemed far away and distant met everyone's ears.
"Lars, wait. I'm here." Mary passed through the closed door and Harry's eyes welled with tears. For a moment, she just looked at all of them. And then, she turned to Harry and floated to him.
"My baby brother," she said softly. "I missed you so much." A tear rolled down his face and he smiled.
Mary turned to Lars, who was also crying, but much harder than Harry.
"Mary. Mary, I love you. I love you so much," he said. Mary smiled.
"I love you too. But Lars, why are you doing this? Why have you turned?" she asked him concernedly. Lars shook his head.
"Voldemort came to me and said my father was dead, and he told me he could bring you back," he said.
"Lars, have you wondered why Voldemort was never able to kill you?" she asked him.
"No," Lars said. "Why?"
"Because it was your destiny to destroy him. You can't die until you kill him. Come, come look," Mary said, floating over to a small puddle of water in the far corner. She pointed at it and Lars looked at his reflection. His eyes widened.
"You can't get any older, either." Everyone stared in awe for a moment before he spoke again.
"W-Why me?" he asked quietly. Mary sighed.
"Your father didn't die, Lars. Your father is Voldemort."
Harry woke that night, his scar burning like a white-hot wire pressed into his skin, the nightmare still playing over in his mind.
Lars-that was the name of the boy. Hermione was down in a secret dungeon, her body tortured and mangled and barely alive. Her heartbeat was two per minute. She was dying. He was killing her.
He wanted him and Ginny. And Mary- she was alive. No, she was a ghost. Lars made her a ghost- he made her a ghost because of his love for her. Harry felt a small pang of sadness for him, but it dissolved quickly.
It all came together in his mind- all except one thing. If Lars was the same age as his sister, and she died eighteen years ago, then why didn't he look any older? Lars still looked like he was the same age as he was when Harry's sister died.
Ginny. It seemed that no matter what was happening, he always thought about her. He was going to have to save Hermione; What if he died? What if something happened to one of them, leaving the other alone?
That was all it took.
* * *
Seameus unlocked the castle door with his wand and walked quietly inside, heading towards the Gryffindor common room. He trotted silently down the corridor to his left, whistling contently.
He stopped, however, when he heard a scream from underneath him- it sounded like Hermione. His heart thumping rapidly, he raced down the corridor and down a large number of steps that he had never seen before.
The screams grew louder, and he ran faster. She sounded like she was dying. Finally, he reached the door to the dungeon, panting from exhaustion and horrible fear. He opened the door and screamed.
He only saw Hermione's long, curly hair fall to the ground before-
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
* * *
Harry raced down the stairs of his dormitory and saw the back of Ginny's head, shaking uncontrollably from her hysterical weeping. She turned around, her face blotchy and tear-worn.
"Seameus is dead," she wailed. Harry stood there in shock, his mouth open. Finally, he swallowed down a lump in her throat and spoke.
"How?" he croaked, walking over to her. She gave a shuddering breath.
"He came home from holidays early and they found his body outside the castle," she said in no more than a whisper.
"Oh god," Harry said. "Oh god. He's here." Ginny knew what he was talking about and didn't say a word. He reached into his pocket and took out two rings, Ginny watching him. One of them was gold with a white jewel spiraling in slanting lines around it like a candy cane.
The other was one small jewel of the same kind. They obviously went together. Harry slipped the one with one jewel onto Ginny's finger, and it glowed scarlet. Harry put his spiraling one on as well, and it too glowed red.
"If I die then the light will go out," Harry said.
"No," Ginny said. "No. You're not going to die. And we can't get married. Not yet- I'm seventeen! We can wait. We can wait for a few years," she said.
"We may not HAVE a few years!" Harry said. Ginny sniffed. "If I go we'll never be able to do anything, so if you want to get engaged we'd better do it now. Ginny, will you marry me?" Harry asked, holding her hand.
Ginny nodded. Harry leaned forward and kissed her lightly.
"Don't follow me. No matter what happens," he whispered.
"Okay," Ginny said in his ear. "I promise."
Harry walked away from her, opening the door to the common room.
"I love you," he said, closing the door with a bang.
"I love you too," Ginny whispered.
* * *
Harry knew exactly where to go. In his dream, he had seen the dungeon and everything in it. He knew that he probably wouldn't live through this, but it didn't matter. Not anymore.
He didn't even notice the ice-cold chill that filled the air as he walked down the stairs. He went through many corridors and passageways, the coldness growing. Finally, he saw the door and opened it.
He had to cover his mouth from screaming as he saw the limp figure of Hermione on the ground, a puddle of blood dampening her hair. He ran over to her, checking for a heart beat through her chest.
Nothing. He put his ear over her breath and waited. Finally, after a minute and a half, Harry heard an incredibly faint THUMP. She was still alive, but by a thread that was already breaking.
He looked up, and his heart plummeted. Lars was standing there, twirling his wand between his finger.
"Harry Potter," he said quietly.
"You bastard," Harry breathed. "You did this to her. And you killed Seameus." Harry pointed a shaking finger at him. He rolled his eyes.
"Good job! Of course, his body was quite hard to drag onto the grounds, but I managed it," Lars said. "And now, since your little girlfriend isn't here and you've really pissed me off, I think I'm gonna torture you nice and slow until she comes."
"Do your worst," said Harry savagely.
"CRUCIO!" Lars bellowed.
* * *
Ginny's felt her heart stop as her ring turned white and back to red again. He was dying. She began to hyperventilate as it turned white again and then back to red- but the red was beginning to fade to magenta. She screamed as it again turned pale- longer this time- and then to a paling pink.
Tears welling up in her eyes, she ran through the door, breaking her promise to Harry. The ring worked, she found, as a kind of tracker, and it guided her to the dungeons. Every second she walked, the ring grew fainter.
* * *
Harry felt his heart stop and then beat again, blood leaking from his temples. The pain from the Crutacious curse was lessening as death lured in front of him. Lars's voice grew fainter, and his life began to flash before his eyes like wildfire.
His mother, nursing him as a baby. The Durslys, spanking him for turning the television. The first time he went to Hogwarts. His first Quidditch match. Getting the Firebolt for Christmas in his third year. Fighting with the order. Teaming up with Malfoy to fight evil. Seeing Ginny on the train in September. Watching her come in from the door at Hogsmeade. Their first kiss.
"She'll be coming soon," Lars said. "Good thing I can't kill you, Potter, or you'd already be blown into a million tiny pieces." Harry felt his heart beat slow and his breathing fade. And then, a faint opening of a door and a scream met his ears- Ginny had come for him.
"Ginny," Harry muttered. "No."
"I'm sorry, Harry," she whispered, running beside him and dropping to her knees. She held his hand and began to cry on his back.
"Isn't this touching," Lars said. Now, at least Harry could die in piece. But, this didn't feel like dying. His vision was clearing and Lars's voice was louder. Finally, he was able to sit up- stand up. Lars looked faintly surprised.
For a minute, they were all silent. And then, a voice that seemed far away and distant met everyone's ears.
"Lars, wait. I'm here." Mary passed through the closed door and Harry's eyes welled with tears. For a moment, she just looked at all of them. And then, she turned to Harry and floated to him.
"My baby brother," she said softly. "I missed you so much." A tear rolled down his face and he smiled.
Mary turned to Lars, who was also crying, but much harder than Harry.
"Mary. Mary, I love you. I love you so much," he said. Mary smiled.
"I love you too. But Lars, why are you doing this? Why have you turned?" she asked him concernedly. Lars shook his head.
"Voldemort came to me and said my father was dead, and he told me he could bring you back," he said.
"Lars, have you wondered why Voldemort was never able to kill you?" she asked him.
"No," Lars said. "Why?"
"Because it was your destiny to destroy him. You can't die until you kill him. Come, come look," Mary said, floating over to a small puddle of water in the far corner. She pointed at it and Lars looked at his reflection. His eyes widened.
"You can't get any older, either." Everyone stared in awe for a moment before he spoke again.
"W-Why me?" he asked quietly. Mary sighed.
"Your father didn't die, Lars. Your father is Voldemort."