"The Hanged Man?" Harry said insolently, giving the sign hanging above the small town pub a strange look. "And I thought the wizard pub had a weird name."
"Shh...be careful of what you say around here, I wouldn't be surprised if the people here jumped at even a notion of weirdness...i.e., talk of the wizarding world." Hermione whispered, hitting Harry on the arm gently. He grinned at her and pushed open the door to the pub, holding it for their other 2 companions.
The pub was bustling with people, even though it was getting late in the evening. The four were surprised to find the pub so crowded; it seemed to hold the entire town. As soon as they had entered, everyone took notice of them and quieted down.
A murmur spread like waves through the hoard of people, all whispering at the sight of 4 people they did not know. Any stranger to them could pose a potential threat, and because so much had occured because of strange people in the past, the residents of Little Hangleton had grown to trust no one.
"What business brings you here strangers." the owner of the pub said from behind the bar as he cleaned a glass with a dirty towel.
Draco stepped forward, putting himself inbetween Ginny and the townspeople; he still held true to his right to protect her. "We were just passing through your town, and decided to stop in to have a small drink before hitting the road again." he said, his eyes wandering the crowd.
The bartender looked at them suspiciously for a moment, noting their weird clothing: black cloaks that draped over their bodies.
Seemingly satisfied with the story, the man smiled warmly at them and motioned for them to come take a seat at the bar. "Sorry for being so rude an' all, we just have to keep on watch for any strange folk...some weird stuff 'as been happening here, and we're still tryin' to figure out who's behind it all." the bartender said, while the rest of the pub went back to their gossip. "What can I get you folks?"
"Just water, thank you." Hermione said, smiling fakely at the man as he handed her a small glass of water.
"Water also." Harry, Draco, and Ginny repeated, not wanting to act unnatural, yet not wanting to stay too long.
"What kind of strange things have been happening here, if I may ask?" Hermione said, after taking a small sip of her water, which was no doubt from the tap.
The bartender looked at her for a moment, before leaning over as to mutter to her. "Well, the other night, the whole town was in here, celebratin' ol' Jimmy's 78th birthday." he said, pointing to an elderly man in the corner. "An' then, right as he blows out his candles, we here this shout comin' from outside. Of course we go out and check to see what the matter was, an' there it was. Plain as day, a large, oval shaped white light, moving towards the Riddle House...after a few seconds it was gone."
"I see...and what about the man who was said to have gone missing here?" Hermione asked, keeping her voice low.
"Ah yes, he had come into the pub the day he arrived, nice fellow he was...talked about sealing the deal on the ol' Riddle House...was so damn excited too...pity, I bet he tried to get into the house, and got trapped down in the cellar..."
"Why do you say that?" Draco asked. The bartender looked at him with a you-don't-know sort of look, and then leaned back in to tell them more.
"Legend says that theres a glowing beast down in the cellar of that house, and only 3 people have seen it, and all 3 barely got out with their lives...though it might have been better if they hadn't...drove em crazy, you see, seeing the beast." the man shuddered, as though a cube of ice had dripped down his back.
"What kind of a beast is it?" Harry put in, after being quiet for quite some time.
"We don't know, the three men went crazy as I said, and not one of them could begin to say what they saw down there, only that a glowing white light almost blinded them before they saw it. They couldn't describe it."
The four looked at eachother for a moment, confusion still hanging in the air. They still had no idea what the light was, and now there was talk of some creature in the cellar of the house...could it be from the same source?
After a short pause, Harry suddenly set his glass down and smiled at the bartender. "Well, it was nice meeting you, but we better get going now." he said, nudging Hermione in the side.
"Uh..yes, we better get going." she said, smiling as well, and nodding for Draco and Ginny to follow. They turned and left the pub as quickly as possible without gathering any more attention.
"What do we do now?" Draco asked as they stepped out of the pub and out of the earshot of everyone inside.
"We go to the Riddle House, and get inside." Ginny said curtly, as if it were obvious.
They began trudging up the road, which began to steep up towards a tall hill which supported a large manor surrounded by a rot iron gate: The Riddle House.
Nothing was said as the four walked on, the house seeming to get farther and farther away even though the were approaching it. The house looked gloomy and dark, and a chilly night wind blew past them, rustling the leaves on the trees.
No moon or stars were present in the sky; just a neverending darkness that must have swallowed the world whole. The howling wind penetrated their cloaks, whipping them tight to their skin. Draco held onto Ginny, trying to shield her as best he could.
Once they reached the gates, they glanced up at the large, dark manor in front of them. It's windows were boarded up, along with the door. The wind howled through the branches of a single tree that stood in the yard, in which where there was once grass there was now a field of dead weeds.
Draco pushed open the gate and held it open, allowing them to enter. They walked carefully up a cracked and broken cement path that led up towards the door to the house. There were no sounds except the howling of the wind and the flapping of their cloaks. The virtual silence was as deafening as a thunders roll.
"Stand back." Harry said, reaching up and tearing the boards from the door. He tossed then onto the ground and then kicked the door open. A fierce gust of wind almost blew them back, and a sudden crack of thunder rolled overhead. "Hurry, inside!" Harry yelled, helping them inside the chilly and damp house.
The manor was large and victorian style, it's rafters and floor covered in a thick dust. The staircase was wooden and decaying, standing as though about to collapse under it's own rotting weight.
The walls were covered in a decaying and torn wallpaper, which was supporting various paintings that were torn as well. A damp smell filled the house and caused them to choke.
"Come on." Draco said, coughing slightly. "The cellar is this way."
He led them down a damp and dark hallway, and stopped at the end. Bending over, he found the handle to a small trap door in the floor and pulled up. Dust flew into the air, causing a thick cloud to surround them.
"Draco?" Ginny whispered, reaching for him. She found his hand, and he led her down into the cellar with him. At the end of a long and steep staircase, they came to a stop. Harry and Hermione stopped close behind them, and their eyes grew wide.
Ginny would have run, had Draco not caught her arm just in time. The unicorn stood alone in the center of the room, large chains tied to her feet, neck, and muzzle. The unicorn was glowing a bright white, it's shiny coat reflecting the dim light of a tiny candle that was hovering in the corner of the dark cellar.
Draco was holding Ginny tightly now, his hands squeezing her arm. He knew that this was a set up, it was too obvious. He glanced nervously around, but his eyes couldn't see through the darkness.
Suddenly a loud laugh rang out in the room from the corner farthest from them. Ginny knew the laugh, but it didn't sound quite right.
"Congratulations...you have found where I've kept my whore." the voice spoke as a figure emerged from the darkness. He was tall and lean yet muscular, with sandy hair that lit up in the light of the unicorn as he stepped towards her.
They were stumped. This wasn't Voldemort, this was someone else...but who? The shadows concealed the man's eyes, but he stood upright and seemed to be questioning them with his gaze.
"Wait...who are you?" Ginny blurt out suddenly, causing the man to look at her. She felt a chill creep down her spine and felt her feet glue to the floor.
"Who am I?" the man said, an evil grin over his handsome face. "That's right...you don't recognize me in this body."
Again, they were stumped. Host body?
"What do you mean 'host body'?" Harry put in, looking at the man strangely.
"You should know Potter, you should be well aware of how my mind works nowadays..." the grin on his face flickered for a moment but then returned. He kept his gaze on Ginny this time, a move that caused Draco to clutch her arm very tightly in defense.
"Well hello Virginia, it's so nice you could come see me in a much better state...unlike that shadow you reduced me to a year ago..." the man said, walking towards them, his eyes still on Ginny. Suddenly he grabbed Ginny's cloak and lifted her off the ground, his strength overpowering. "How does it feel, young one, to be the one suffering yet again at the hands of Lord Voldemort?"
Draco whipped out his wand (along with Harry and Hermione) and pointed it straight at Voldemort. "Put her down you asshole before I kill you."
Voldemort dropped Ginny roughly on the floor, and turned to Draco. "Did you have fun watching your daddy cry out in pain, Malfoy Jr?" he said, a grin spreading across his face yet again.
Draco had had just about enough. His eyes glared at the man in front of him as he prepared himself to perform the simple curse that would get rid of the man who killed his father and almost cost him his life.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Voldemort spoke again, his eyes still on Draco. Ginny had crawled towards the unicorn, and was currently trying to unlock the chains.
Voldmort turned around and whipped out his wand. "Crucio!"
Ginny's back arched and she fell on the floor, her body curling and cringing in pain. Hermione yelled and tried to run to Ginny but Harry held her back, pointing his wand directly at Voldemort.
"Stand back and drop the wand Riddle, before I have to show you just what I've learned since we last met." Harry said, his eyes blazing.
Voldemort looked nonplussed, and continued to maliciously grin at the helpless three people in front of him. Suddenly he lifted his wand and ended the Cruciatus curse. Ginny stopped moving except for her chest, which was heaving and struggling for breath.
Draco felt overpowering rage building in him, but he couldn't do anything to Voldemort because he had his wand pointed directly at Ginny. Even expelliarmus wouldn't work now, Voldemort was too powerful.
"So what are you going to do, make your decision fast, or else I might make mine even faster..." Voldemort said, staring at them, taunting them to make a move.
Suddenly, Draco let go of his wand. It fell to the floor with a tap and rolled towards the unicorn. Harry and Hermione looked at him strangely, but one look at Draco's face and they dropped their wands as well. Voldemort began to laugh now, as they put their hands up in defeat.
"Smart decision. Now, what works for you: painless and quick, or slow and loatheful?"
"How about neither." a voice said from behind him. Voldemort swung around but it was too late.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Ginny yelled, wand in hand. Voldemort's body froze, but only slightly. His wand slipped from his hand and he stumbled to the floor.
Ginny collapsed, the last bit of her strength used up. Draco ran to her and pulled her into his arms.
"Thank you Gin, thank you." he whispered into her ear. She was on the verge of passing out when a loud scream erupted from behind them.
Draco whipped around and pointed his wand at...nothing. Harry, Hermione, and Voldemort were gone.
"What? Where?" Draco stuttered, standing up with his wand pointed at the darkness. The door wasn't open, there was no sign of a struggle...they had just...vanished.
Her breath ragged, Ginny turned to see the unicorn. It stood there, it's eyes looking straight into hers, it's fur glowing a healthy white. The unicorn had a large gash in it's side, where dried silver blood could be seen.
"What do we do, where do we go?" Ginny said, her eyes burning into the violet eyes of the unicorn.
I don't know. A voice said in the back of her mind.
"Tell me goddamnit!" Ginny yelled, stumbling closer to the glowing white horse. "Where are my friends?" she said again, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks.
The unicorn just stood there, looking at her without emotion or expression, without thought or care. She just stood there.
He could have taken them anywhere. He has many places none know of.
"How do you know this?" Ginny asked.
Draco turned and watched as his wife spoke to this unicorn, only the unicorn wasn't talking back. His heart raced as he tried to think of something, anything he could do. Voldemort had just, disappeared, but where the hell could he be?
I know because he's taken me to these places.
"Well then you know where they are, right?" Ginny said again, her voice cracking beneath the sobs that were building in her throat.
Yes.
"Then show me to them damnit!" Ginny grew frustrated and angry with this creature who she had risked her life coming to save. Her friends were taken away and she had to get them back, it was her fault they were there in the first place...
I can't, it's too dangerous. He's killed them by now I am sure.
"Don't you dare tell me that! They are okay, I know they are! Just show me where he has taken them!"
I cannot.
"Why the hell not!" Ginny stopped. The unicorn looked down, and what looked like a tear fell from it's eye.
Because I love him, you can't hurt him.
"You...you love him? Why?" Ginny asked, all anger fleeing from her voice.
Don't you understand, the next Weasley? Don't you GET it yet? The unicorn's head flashed up, facing Ginny.
"Get what?" There was a slight pause, as the unicorn's eyes fell hard on her's. They weren't gentle and beautiful anymore, but fierce and fiery.
I am the woman. I am Tom Riddle's wife...the one person who was completely devoted to him, the one person who trusted and believed in him...the only person who LOVED him.
"Woman? But...are you an animagus?"
Clever Weasley, yes. I am an animagus, but I am one for all eternity. He's locked me this way...locked me inside my own gift.
Ginny couldn't believe her ears. The unicorn...wasn't a unicorn at all. She was Voldemort's wife...Voldemort's wife who he locked in animagus form...but why?
"Why did he lock you that way?"
Because I'd befriended Maggie King...your aunt.
"I don't have an aunt..." Ginny said, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.
Not one your mother would talk of...why would she speak of a sister who befriended the wife of a terror!
"No...but...but if I have an aunt...then where is she?"
Dead. He killed her after he found out I had been seeing her, after he found out I had given her the gift.
"Oh my god...wait, what gift?"
Why do you wonder? Your using it right now. It almost looked as if the unicorn were beaming at her, smiling in a way. A realization came upon Ginny at that moment.
"The ability to speak with unicorns..." Ginny muttered, looking away from the unicorns stare. "But how do I have it?"
Because when I gave it to your aunt, it was strong enough to the degree that it would be a part of every Weasley woman born after her. You are the only Weasley woman now who possess' the gift.
Ginny took a deep breath, closing her eyes and taking in all the information. She had this gift because her aunt had recieved it, and she was here now because she was the only one who could talk to this unicorn, this woman...she really was the only one who could save her. And now, the unicorn was the only one who could save Hermione and Harry.
"Can you take us to where he might have taken my friends?"
There was silence for a moment, and Ginny looked up once more, only found herself not looking into violet this time. The unicorn had bowed her head, and her eye's were closed; silent tears fell from them.
Yes... she said after a long pause, looking up at Ginny. I will take you.
Ginny stood up, turning to face Draco, who was standing a few feet behind her, a confused look on his face. She walked towards him, and looked straight into his steel eyes.
"She knows where they might be. We have to follow her."
* * * * *
