"Shh," he whispered. "This way. Follow my voice. Here, give me your
hand."
"I can get across," she replied, her voice even softer.
"Ginny," he sighed, reaching out and grabbing her arm. "Here. We've got to get to Harry. And you've still got Fred's jacket. If I knew - If I know what he was like, there'll be Filibusters in there."
"They won't work anymore. It must have been four years since he left this down here."
Ron didn't let go of his sister's hand. "We're already late -" he started as she stepped over the underground stream.
"How do you know? You can't see your watch -"
"Did you get another one?" another voice said from over to their right. It was raspy and disused, but its owner didn't bother to speak quietly. Ron and Ginny jumped. "I always meant to give you one after I broke the first. Remember that? At the Feast at the start of fifth year?"
"Harry?"
"Yes, we're here," another voice said. There was a pause, and a bright light suddenly illuminated the cavern, its source being Ron's wand. A young man sat on a rotting wooden stool in the corner, wearing blue jeans and a torn T-shirt that had once been blue - and Dudley's, Ginny noted. It was still too big for Harry, even though Dudley had probably worn it at fourteen, six years ago. The man had a hand buried in the thick black fur of the large dog lying next to him, head on its paws.
Harry didn't move, but the dog lifted its head, wincing. Ron let out a soft moan, and Ginny hurried forward, collapsing to her knees, dragging Ron along with her. He didn't seem to want to move.
It was clearly visible at first glance. Harry and Sirius had been here, in hiding from the Dark Lord, for five years. But even after the Dark Lord's vanquishing, it seemed that his purpose - to break Harry Potter - might have been acheived long ago.
The Boy Who Lived was no longer a boy, but he was still a hero, and no one had any doubt that Voldemort had wanted even at the moment of his defeat more than anything to know that his enemy would suffer. Suffer he had, and suffer he would. Sirius' eyes were dull even as a dog, and both looked like they were starving nearly to the point of death. But Harry's eyes were milky and blank. Harry was blind.
Ron and Ginny were silent, and Harry let go of the tuft of Sirius' fur, reaching out both his trembling hands. Ginny slipped her hand into one of his, and pulled Ron forward. Ron seemed frozen. Harry took his hand too, pulling both of their palms to his cheeks. Ginny almost shivered - his skin was deathly cold.
Sirius transformed back to his human form. "It's been four years since I've seen real magic done," he said quietly. "Could I see your wand, Ron? I just.I just want to hold a wand again."
Ron handed his wand to Sirius. Harry released their hands and shivered.
"What's happened? No one's supposed to come down here until Voldemort's -"
"He's.gone," Ginny cut him off.
"For good?" This was from Sirius; Harry was sitting suddenly stiffly.
Ron nodded, then winced, glancing at Harry, as if coming back to life. "Yes."
"Do you." Sirius again. "Do you have any food?"
"Oh, God!" Ginny gasped suddenly. She hadn't noticed how thin they were. Both of them looked like they were starving. Wasted. Emaciated. "Yes - hang on -"
Ron was staring at them. "How long's it been since you've eaten?"
"I think it was the mice, but I have no idea how long. How would we tell time?"
"How long since you've had a real meal?"
"Four years," Harry said softly. "When Fred came to visit. It was four years, wasn't it?"
"How is everyone?" Sirius asked anxiously from around a mouthful of bread. Harry raised his head slowly, and even though his eyes were blank you could see he was still in shock from hearing about Voldemort. Ginny put part of a loaf of bread in his hand, and he slowly brought it to his mouth, as if it felt strange, and nibbled on it.
"Where to start?" Ron said with a bitter laugh.
"Hermione," Harry said.
"Missing. She vanished about two months ago. She isn't dead, though. We had a spell on her before, and the light is still on, so she's alive. She'll probably turn up sometime soon."
"Remus," Sirius said hesitantly.
"Alive, if not fine. He can't walk very well. He's been made an Auror."
"Dumbledore." Harry and Sirius seemed to have silently agreed to alternate.
"Dead. Since about three and a half years ago. He died in his sleep. He was tired, Harry. The last thing he said to anyone was, 'I hope Harry's all right.'"
Harry winced, and Sirius bowed his head, shoulders hunched.
"Peter," he said after a moment, without looking up.
"Dementor's Kiss took him last month. The dementors had gone over, too."
"Your family."
Ron was the one who spoke up. "Bill's missing. So is Percy. George is dead. Fred's gone hard. He's been right on the front lines since, and has seen more than he could take, I think, really. Charlie's an Auror, and he's very respected. Dad's Minister of Magic - does a bloody good job, if you ask me. Mum's fine - as fine as you can expect, with all of what's happened."
"And you?" Sirius again.
"My shoulder's bad," Ron sighed. "But I'm fine, really. Ginny's all right, too, aren't you, Gin?"
"I've been awfully worried," she choked, gripping Harry's hand again. He bit off another piece of bread and coughed. It shook his whole body. No wonder that shirt didn't fit him - she doubted you could find something that did.
"Viktor Krum."
"He's an Unspeakable for us. No idea where he is now, but he's fine. Kept out of trouble."
Sirius shrugged. "Moody."
"As paranoid as ever, with as many new scars as he could muster. Dad's tried to get him back into his retirement, but he kept finding out somehow when the Auror strikes were going to be and turning up."
"Fleur."
"Dead. She turned, Harry. She turned to his side, and took an Avada Kedavra for him."
"The Malfoys."
"All in Azkaban, which is guarded by normal guards now."
"Seamus, Dean, Parvati, Lavender, Padma."
"The twins are missing. Seamus lead a group of guerilla fighters. Lavender and he are engaged. Dean's supposedly dead, in the most recent battle."
"McGonagall."
"Alive, and Headmistress. Very capable, actually, and she's somewhat softer."
"Snape."
"He got caught spying and was repeatedly put under the Cruciatus. He's still sane, but he teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts and does it well, and fairly."
"Neville."
"He's been missing for two and a half years. There are two rumors: either he's in hiding or he's dead."
Harry sighed. "How did Voldemort go?"
"Well," Ron said, glancing at Ginny, "he's not dead."
"I can get across," she replied, her voice even softer.
"Ginny," he sighed, reaching out and grabbing her arm. "Here. We've got to get to Harry. And you've still got Fred's jacket. If I knew - If I know what he was like, there'll be Filibusters in there."
"They won't work anymore. It must have been four years since he left this down here."
Ron didn't let go of his sister's hand. "We're already late -" he started as she stepped over the underground stream.
"How do you know? You can't see your watch -"
"Did you get another one?" another voice said from over to their right. It was raspy and disused, but its owner didn't bother to speak quietly. Ron and Ginny jumped. "I always meant to give you one after I broke the first. Remember that? At the Feast at the start of fifth year?"
"Harry?"
"Yes, we're here," another voice said. There was a pause, and a bright light suddenly illuminated the cavern, its source being Ron's wand. A young man sat on a rotting wooden stool in the corner, wearing blue jeans and a torn T-shirt that had once been blue - and Dudley's, Ginny noted. It was still too big for Harry, even though Dudley had probably worn it at fourteen, six years ago. The man had a hand buried in the thick black fur of the large dog lying next to him, head on its paws.
Harry didn't move, but the dog lifted its head, wincing. Ron let out a soft moan, and Ginny hurried forward, collapsing to her knees, dragging Ron along with her. He didn't seem to want to move.
It was clearly visible at first glance. Harry and Sirius had been here, in hiding from the Dark Lord, for five years. But even after the Dark Lord's vanquishing, it seemed that his purpose - to break Harry Potter - might have been acheived long ago.
The Boy Who Lived was no longer a boy, but he was still a hero, and no one had any doubt that Voldemort had wanted even at the moment of his defeat more than anything to know that his enemy would suffer. Suffer he had, and suffer he would. Sirius' eyes were dull even as a dog, and both looked like they were starving nearly to the point of death. But Harry's eyes were milky and blank. Harry was blind.
Ron and Ginny were silent, and Harry let go of the tuft of Sirius' fur, reaching out both his trembling hands. Ginny slipped her hand into one of his, and pulled Ron forward. Ron seemed frozen. Harry took his hand too, pulling both of their palms to his cheeks. Ginny almost shivered - his skin was deathly cold.
Sirius transformed back to his human form. "It's been four years since I've seen real magic done," he said quietly. "Could I see your wand, Ron? I just.I just want to hold a wand again."
Ron handed his wand to Sirius. Harry released their hands and shivered.
"What's happened? No one's supposed to come down here until Voldemort's -"
"He's.gone," Ginny cut him off.
"For good?" This was from Sirius; Harry was sitting suddenly stiffly.
Ron nodded, then winced, glancing at Harry, as if coming back to life. "Yes."
"Do you." Sirius again. "Do you have any food?"
"Oh, God!" Ginny gasped suddenly. She hadn't noticed how thin they were. Both of them looked like they were starving. Wasted. Emaciated. "Yes - hang on -"
Ron was staring at them. "How long's it been since you've eaten?"
"I think it was the mice, but I have no idea how long. How would we tell time?"
"How long since you've had a real meal?"
"Four years," Harry said softly. "When Fred came to visit. It was four years, wasn't it?"
"How is everyone?" Sirius asked anxiously from around a mouthful of bread. Harry raised his head slowly, and even though his eyes were blank you could see he was still in shock from hearing about Voldemort. Ginny put part of a loaf of bread in his hand, and he slowly brought it to his mouth, as if it felt strange, and nibbled on it.
"Where to start?" Ron said with a bitter laugh.
"Hermione," Harry said.
"Missing. She vanished about two months ago. She isn't dead, though. We had a spell on her before, and the light is still on, so she's alive. She'll probably turn up sometime soon."
"Remus," Sirius said hesitantly.
"Alive, if not fine. He can't walk very well. He's been made an Auror."
"Dumbledore." Harry and Sirius seemed to have silently agreed to alternate.
"Dead. Since about three and a half years ago. He died in his sleep. He was tired, Harry. The last thing he said to anyone was, 'I hope Harry's all right.'"
Harry winced, and Sirius bowed his head, shoulders hunched.
"Peter," he said after a moment, without looking up.
"Dementor's Kiss took him last month. The dementors had gone over, too."
"Your family."
Ron was the one who spoke up. "Bill's missing. So is Percy. George is dead. Fred's gone hard. He's been right on the front lines since, and has seen more than he could take, I think, really. Charlie's an Auror, and he's very respected. Dad's Minister of Magic - does a bloody good job, if you ask me. Mum's fine - as fine as you can expect, with all of what's happened."
"And you?" Sirius again.
"My shoulder's bad," Ron sighed. "But I'm fine, really. Ginny's all right, too, aren't you, Gin?"
"I've been awfully worried," she choked, gripping Harry's hand again. He bit off another piece of bread and coughed. It shook his whole body. No wonder that shirt didn't fit him - she doubted you could find something that did.
"Viktor Krum."
"He's an Unspeakable for us. No idea where he is now, but he's fine. Kept out of trouble."
Sirius shrugged. "Moody."
"As paranoid as ever, with as many new scars as he could muster. Dad's tried to get him back into his retirement, but he kept finding out somehow when the Auror strikes were going to be and turning up."
"Fleur."
"Dead. She turned, Harry. She turned to his side, and took an Avada Kedavra for him."
"The Malfoys."
"All in Azkaban, which is guarded by normal guards now."
"Seamus, Dean, Parvati, Lavender, Padma."
"The twins are missing. Seamus lead a group of guerilla fighters. Lavender and he are engaged. Dean's supposedly dead, in the most recent battle."
"McGonagall."
"Alive, and Headmistress. Very capable, actually, and she's somewhat softer."
"Snape."
"He got caught spying and was repeatedly put under the Cruciatus. He's still sane, but he teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts and does it well, and fairly."
"Neville."
"He's been missing for two and a half years. There are two rumors: either he's in hiding or he's dead."
Harry sighed. "How did Voldemort go?"
"Well," Ron said, glancing at Ginny, "he's not dead."