Crimes. There are many of them. Larceny, rape, murder. The list goes on to include so many awful things that people don't talk about them. Many crimes go un-noticed. Like when a person steals a necklace from a bargain store. Nobody notices. Nobody cares. But there are crimes that go un-noticed that shouldn't. Crimes that ruin a life. Crimes that stop one.
~*~
Harry sat up in his sleep. His eyes were wide open and his body was covered in sweat. He was shivering cold, but he didn't seem to noticed as he got out of bed and went to his wardrobe without a second thought. His hand grabbed some robes which he put on mechanically.
"Ginny I have to see my father." He proclaimed. Ginny rolled over in her sleep.
"Right now?"
"Yes." Harry said. "It's important." With that he disappeared.
~*~
"You'd better have a damn good reason for getting me up at 4:30 in the morning." James said. He was wearing an off-white dressing gown (A/N that's a robe, you nerds). There were bags under his eyes which looked tired and irritated.
"He spoke." Harry said triumphantly.
James looked very much awake now.
"WHAT?!"
"You heard me." Harry said.
"He spoke." James said.
"Yes."
"He spoke?"
"Uh-huh."
"He Spoke!"
"YES!"
"What did he say?"
"Well he was talking with Voldemort about a special task or something. He refused to do it, I believe. All I remember is him saying 'I cant do that this week I'm going out of the country on business.'"
"What was his voice like?"
"It was definitely male. Low and British in accent. It seemed familiar, if that accounts for anything."
"It might, later…" James said, still writing. He looked up from his sticky note and into Harry's eyes for a moment. "You think hard about who your friends are and which of them seems the most likely to join- my God Harry! You're bleeding!"
"What?" Harry said, looking around himself.
"On your hand." James said. "How did that happen?"
Harry looked down. Sure enough, his left hand had a long, thin red line that was diagonal on the top of his hand. James pointed his wand at it and it clotted over.
"I don't remember it at all." Harry said. "Maybe when I opened the wardrobe it nicked me?"
"You should be more careful!" James said.
"Look that doesn't matter right now." Harry said irritably. "What we need to work on is who Mr. Nobody is!"
"You're right." James said. "So lets go over this again. Red eyes, deep male voice."
"About your height."
James swallowed. "Yes. 6'0."
"He could be anybody." Harry said. "But I just have the strangest feeling in my stomach…" Harry trailed off.
"Well?" James said, leaning forward on the kitchen table. "Do you have any ideas?"
You, Harry thought, looking him in the eyes. "No, I cant think of a single person."
~*~
"Harry we need to talk." Ginny said flatly when Harry entered the flat 10 seconds later.
"About what?" Harry said, flopping onto the couch and flicking on the radio. Ginny didn't look amused and flipped the radio off again.
"About us." She said acidly. That got Harry's attention. He looked up suddenly into her eyes, fear and confusion playing behind them.
"What about us?" Harry said, grabbing her hand.
She shook him off her. "It's just that- ugh, Harry stop looking at me like that."
"Ginny are you breaking-"
"Just shut-"
"You're breaking up with me?"
"I said be qui-"
"You can't just-"
"WOULD YOU KINDLY SHUT YOUR FACE FOR A SECOND?" Ginny said loudly.
"But-"
"I'm SICK of this!" Ginny raged. "Why wont you EVER let me get a word in edge wise?"
"Why are you dumping me?"
Ginny made an angry noise in her throat, balled her hands into fists and disappeared without another word. Harry slumped into the sofa after she'd gone, wondering what he had done wrong.
~*~
The minutes felt like hours as Harry waited for Ginny to return home. He stayed rooted on the couch, listening to silence, staring at an empty white wall. He didn't understand. He didn't understand why she was mad. There was no reasonable explanation to soothe his mind. Unless she had been seeing somebody else-
"Ginny?" Hermione's voice cried. 2 seconds later Hermione popped into the kitchen, looking stricken. "Ginny are you here?"
"You just missed her." Harry said, swallowing a lump. Hermione jumped a bit and looked at him.
"Harry, what are you doing here?"
"This is my house." Harry said.
"Where's Ginny?"
"You tell me." Harry said irritably, sitting up out of the couch and crossing his arms. "I think she just dumped me."
"WHAT?"
"Yeah, that's what I said and she stormed out of here saying something about me not letting her 'get a word in edge wise."'
Hermione looked uncomfortable. "You don't know then, do you?"
"Know what?" Harry said, his face falling. "It's not-"
"Oh Harry I'm not the person to tell you this." Hermione said, breaking eye contact.
"Tell me what?" Harry pleaded. "I deserve to know this sort of thing! I mean-"
"She came to me last week, sobbing and-"
"I'm her boyfriend and-"
"I did the best to get her to calm down but I-"
"- Should know if she's cheating on me."
"I shouldn't be here." Hermione said, looking torn. "Harry- " She reached out a hand and gripped his shoulder. "Hang in there, okay? Everything will wok out for the better." She disappeared, leaving Harry more confused than before.
Ginny did not return to the apartment that night.
~*~
((A/N: BRAIN FART! I have nooooooo idea what to write after this. Hmmmm…. *ponders silently for a while, trying to make her brain to forget about all the homework her teachers have given her* …well I guess the only thing left to do in this chapter is a dream and- a cliffhanger [kind of]))
~*~
"What are you doing here?" Came Voldemort's icy voice. The room was packed full of Death Eaters. More than Harry could ever recall seeing. Mr. Nobody shifted nervously in front of the dark lord and swallowed loudly before mumbling something. Voldemort laughed. "You didn't go on your business trip because of THAT? You could have been helping us in the battle! Honestly… l idiot I should-" Voldemort raised his wand but thought better of it, "No. Next time I'll punish you."
"My lord is most gracious." Said Mr. Nobody, bowing low. When he stood up again, Voldemort smacked him with the back of his hand. A skull shaped ring caught Mr. Nobody's skin and left a trail of red.
"Maybe a scar will make you remember where your loyalties lie." He cackled.
~*~
Harry woke at that moment, due to a pain in his cheek. He sat up and felt it. Something wet smeared his face. Harry- thoroughly startled- jumped out of bed, flipped on a light and looked at his reflection in the mirror over the dressing table. There was no wound, but a slur of red lingered where one might have been. Harry leaned in to examine it closer.
A hand closed over his mouth and grabbed his arms. Somebody put a wand against Harry's temple
"Don't move and I wont kill you," Said a low, deep voice.