"Will you stay with me?"

"In here? No. But in here?"

"Always."

The voices felt hazy, distant. Ginny's mind couldn't wrap her head around them. It was like the voices of a dream from her childhood. Unrecognizable and irrelevant. Though the fact that she was hearing voices in her head at all was quite strange.

She soon fell back to sleep. She'd spent ages tiring Harry's werewolf out overnight. She hoped he'd gotten some much-needed time alone with his mother. Perhaps now his concerns could be alleviated. His mother wasn't going anywhere.

When Ginny next woke, it was to the sound of someone buckling their jeans. Once Harry's wolf had finally fallen to exhaustion, Ginny had fetched Harry's clothes and left them behind his curled body. She herself had remained in her animagus form, a fox, throughout the night.

She uncoiled her narrow frame and stretched. The smells of the morning filling her up, lifting her emotions to the heavens. She felt confident. Harry would treat her normally once again, and they had a loose plan to move ahead with in stopping Voldemort.

Because his name was Voldemort. Tom was long, long gone.

Ginny padded over to where a now fully clothed Harry sat. He had his knees brought up to his chest, his chin resting against them. His lids were closed, veiling his eyes.

She transformed in silence and instantly felt the now familiar pang of discomfort from her middle. Wormtail's potion had scarred her body in more ways than one. The large blotch of irritated skin shone angrily as she hesitantly lifted her shirt.

Ginny let the hem of her shirt drop back down and sighed. She slowly made her way over to Harry. The closer she got, the more she felt a strange new feeling around her chest. Almost like a sort of fluttering, but more deliberate. As though it had a sense of purpose.

Like a magnet inside her, pulling her towards something.

She sat down a respectful distance away from Harry and took in a slow deep breath. The morning air felt a touch harsh on her nostrils, but it was alleviating in a way.

"Are you feeling alright?" she asked quietly. There was no need to yell this early.

Harry opened his eyes but otherwise remained completely still.

"Harry?" Ginny tried again.

Harry's tongue darted out, moistened his lips, and smacked the roof of his mouth, breaking the impending silence. He reached up with his right hand and scratched his cheek. Then, he moved his scratching motion to the back of his head, kicking up dandruff that had formed over the past couple of days since their last proper freshening charm.

He resumed his position. Arms around his legs, his knees supporting his angled chin.

Ginny sighed quietly and moved a little closer. The fluttering magnetism in her chest gave another jolt. Like the distance from its target wasn't enough.

"Harry you can talk to me," she whispered gently.

Harry nodded slowly, absently. The skin on his chin folded and creased against his jeans. "Yeah. I reckon I can do more than just speak to you now, actually," he mumbled

Ginny could barely make out his words but held on to each one. "Are you alright?" she asked again.

Harry shrugged. He fidgeted with the grass and dandelions that coated the base of the tree. He picked at them and threw them about absently. "She's dead."

There was a long, uninterrupted silence. Ginny was sure the gears turning in her head were making an audible sound from Harry's perspective. She couldn't for the life of her understand what Harry was talking about.

"Who's died?" she asked.

Ginny could see the muscles in Harry's jaw and neck clench. "Mum," he choked.

The fluttering in Ginny's chest peaked and she had to physically strain herself from moving closer to Harry. Something clicked in the folds of her mind. Like turning the first light on in an empty city.

The magnet in her chest. The voices this morning. Her mind and body were trying to join Harry's.

She immediately threw up every ounce of protection she had over her mind. The ridiculous feeling in her body couldn't be helped, but she wouldn't let anyone that close to her mind. Not even Harry.

Not even herself.

"Harry, I…" Ginny faltered. What could she say? It was her fault, after all.

"It's not your fault," Harry muttered, as though he'd read her mind. Something she knew to be impossible. He just knew her that well by now. The conversation in the cellar of the Riddle House probably revealed far more about her personality than she may have thought.

"It's not your fault," he repeated in a deadpan. He took in a deep breath. "It's mine. It's my fault,"

Ginny sat in silence. Too stunned to speak. She didn't know how to even begin to process the weight of this development. It was incomprehensible to her that Harry had trusted her, and felt comfortable with her to the point that he formed a stronger bond with her than with his own mother.

"I'm sorry," she said hoarsely. "I don't… I can't understand how… how you could possibly…" every start of every sentence ended. She couldn't find the words to continue.

"How could I possibly recover from having a living person inside my head for over a year being ripped away from me in seconds with some parting words and an onslaught of memories? Yeah," Harry blurted tonelessly. His eyes surveyed the sprawling fields ahead of him.

Ginny swallowed and nodded, even though she doubted Harry could see it. Perhaps through his peripheral vision. "Did you get to see her?"

Harry scratched at the stubble that had made its presence known on his chin over the past month. "Yeah. Got to hold her. Got to speak with her," he waved his hand absently. "She was all ready to leave. You know. She had all this time to get ready," he spoke almost bitterly. Ginny knew this was nothing more than a way to bury the emotion temporarily.

Ginny reached forward and rested a hand on Harry's shoulder. It sent a shock of magic through her body, and she recoiled.

Harry didn't seem to notice.

"She said that she'd always be with me. You know," he turned to face her then, his eyes locked on hers. She felt that magnetic pull in her chest again. "In here," he made an exaggerated hand motion and pointed to his heart in an attempt at mockery, but tears began to accumulate in his eyes. "Because that means… just… so much!" a false smile spread across his face. "Oh, well, I can't hear her voice, or see her, or feel her warmth, but she's with me in here."

"Harry-"

He cut Ginny off. His rant taking all precedence in his mind. "Do you know what it's like to have someone living in here?" he asked incredulously, pointing at his head.

"Yes, actually, I do," she mumbled into the silence.

Harry slammed his mouth shut and shook his head, turning away from her. "It's different,"

Ginny let out a humourless laugh. "You're right. It was different,"

There was a long pause. Harry stared off into the distance. The sun crested the horizon to the East, forcing Ginny to squint.

"Having someone in here," Harry pointed to his heart. "Is awful,"

Ginny nodded mournfully. Her thoughts strayed to Charlie. "Like there's nothing good in the world," she whispered.

Harry nodded.

More silence met the conversation. There just wasn't much more to be said. Harry was distraught, though he didn't want to show it, and Ginny was feeling a flurry of confused emotions she couldn't get a handle over.

The situation was just too layered. The voice in her head was too familiar. The pull in her chest was uncomfortable. Her brain was firing off thoughts a million times a minute and yet Ginny continued to stare in silence.

"You're blocking me out," Harry muttered. "Why?"

Ginny felt tears form at the back of her eyes. She couldn't begin to explain the dread that had crawled over her skin like frost at the feeling of a presence in her mind. She hated the strange attraction she was feeling. She hated the familiarity of it all. She hated how she felt bonded to the boy next to her. She hated the whole thing. She hated the reminder. She hated the warnings. She hated him.

No. No, that wasn't true.

She reopened her eyes, not having noticed that they'd closed. "I can't… I can't do this right now," she replied tearfully, wringing her hands and getting to her feet. "Let's… let's just get back and start packing or… or whatever it is we have to do,"

"Ginny-" said Harry from the ground.

Ginny pulled at the roots of her hair and shook her head. "I can't do this Harry please, please can we not do this right now,"

"What?" Harry asked incredulously. "I don't think you understand how important-"

"And you will never understand how this makes me feel," Ginny snapped back. "Please, just… leave me alone,"

Harry gaped at her. "How the hell am I supposed to-"

Ginny began walking away. Back towards the cottage. "I can't do this right now,"

The tears finally slid down her face as she wrapped her arms around her body in a protective manner. It didn't matter that it was Harry. It didn't matter that she fancied him. It didn't matter that he needed her.

She wouldn't need him. She wouldn't depend on someone like that ever again.

She couldn't attach herself to someone like that again.

Regretfully Uncaring

Chapter 36: The Peverell Chamber

Harry refused to feel. Refused to think. Roughly an hour after Ginny had stormed off, Harry pushed through the decrepit wooden doorway of Regulus's cottage and started to mechanically prepare breakfast. Though he wasn't thinking of his mother, the pressing darkness surrounding his mind was all he could hear.

He'd never truly realized how many of his negative thoughts and worries were stomped out by his mother. There was that feeling of inadequacy, something he hadn't felt in so very long, that was back with a vengeance. Then, there was the horrible affair of acknowledging that she was gone. That his mother would never return, that he'd never hear her voice again.

He finished cooking two eggs. One for him, and one for Ginny. He didn't really give a damn about Regulus's food stock. As far as Harry was concerned, Regulus was lying about something or had simply failed at a ridiculously high pedigree.

The twit.

He heard the door to the kitchen creak open and knew it was Ginny from the flowery scent that came along with her. "Breakfast," he said, expressionless. He plated her egg and handed it out to her.

"Thanks," she murmured. Harry nodded to her and quickly ate his meal. Chewing deliberately slowly to calm his racing heart and mind.

Harry heard Regulus's footsteps and waited for him to appear. The most disturbing part about Regulus was that he didn't smell of anything. If Harry couldn't hear his breathing, he wouldn't believe he existed at all.

Ginny sat at the table and began going over scrolls and books like Hermione three months before exams. She was flipping through each book to read the small writings in the margins that Regulus had made.

"The Peverell Chamber is in Ireland," Regulus's voice made Harry jump and turn to face the man in question. "Meaning we can't apparate there. We'll have to take the ferry,"

Harry nodded absently and took a bite of a muffin that was laying on a plate in front of him.

"When can we leave?" Harry asked.

"How do you destroy a Horcrux?" Ginny asked calmly. Overriding Regulus's answer.

Regulus looked from Harry to Ginny. "I thought you said you'd destroyed one?"

Harry sighed. "Yeah, with a bloody basilisk fang. Unless you've got one of those lying about-"

Regulus waved his hand in a horizontal chopping motion to silence him. "That's the hardest way to go about it. Well, most difficult in terms of resources…" Regulus paused and eyed Harry and Ginny warily. "The only true way to destroy a Horcrux without any use of magic or creatures is by going inside it."

"I'm sorry?" Harry asked worriedly. He heard Ginny's breath catch, though Regulus, obviously, wouldn't be able to do such a thing.

Regulus bowed his head. "You must enter the Horcrux. Tear it apart from within. Some souls are weaker than others… Riddle's is obviously a special case,"

Harry sighed and sat back in his chair, fighting to avoid eye-contact with Ginny. His mind was a whirlwind of loud thoughts that did nothing but create an even bigger headache for himself. He was fighting any emotion with a vengeance. "How?"

Regulus shifted against the kitchen counter he was leaning against. "You use it. If it was a sword, you'd wield it. A locket, you'd wear it…" he scratched at his chin. "A book, you'd read it, or write in it,"

Harry felt a pull on the magnet in his chest to his left. Ginny must have been experiencing some sort of extreme emotion. That was Harry's best guess, at the very least. "If it was a cup… you'd drink it?"

Regulus raised a singular eyebrow. "Well, yeah,"

"When can we leave?" Ginny asked, slamming the cover of the book shut. Her leg was bouncing, making no sound to the human ear. Harry, on the other hand, could hear the air around her leg being displaced as she nervously waited for Regulus to answer her question.

"We can leave now if you'd like-"

"Alright," Ginny nodded and got to her feet. "We leave today. I want to be in Ireland by the afternoon."

Regulus lifted a hand to motion for silence. A look of pure disbelief etched across his face. "Now let's hang on a minute," he called. "Who the fuck put you in charge? No, really?"

Ginny stood there, her arms folded across her chest, staring right back at him.

Regulus pointed to Harry, then back to Ginny. "I want you both to listen to me. I know more about this enemy than either of you-"

"I guarantee you don't," Ginny interrupted.

Regulus's brow shot up his forehead. "I don't give a shit. I'm older than the two of you. I have been hunting this shitwhit for longer than either of you have been alive. So, please, understand that I make the decisions,"

Ginny eyed Regulus up and down but remained silent.

"Alright," Regulus continued. Bringing his tone down to a conversation level. "We can get there by tonight if we want to. Hell, we can be in the Chamber by midnight if we don't bother sleeping. Just…" he pressed his lips together and shrugged. "Be ready in ten,"

Harry gaped at Regulus as he left the room and clattered up the stairs. He ran a quick hand through his hair and sighed. All thoughts of his mother and Ginny were driven forcefully from his mind as he focused on getting their things ready. Not that they had much on them.

The journey from Fife to Ireland was a grueling experience. They apparated to the Western coast of Scotland before taking a muggle ferry to Ireland. It wasn't all that difficult, really, it was more the fact that Ginny wouldn't speak to Harry.

If Harry was honest with himself, he wasn't all that fussed about it. He'd yet to let himself give any ounce of thought to the events of the past twenty-four hours. The more he focused on something within his control, the more comfortable he became.

Speaking to Ginny was confronting a portion of that depressive hole in his mind, and no matter what the strange magnetic feeling in his chest told him, he wouldn't face it. Not now.

"It's North of Galway," Regulus explained as he, Harry, and Ginny made their way through the streets of the small port town. "We'll find a small alleyway to disapparate."

The Peverell Chamber was a famous landmark in the Wizarding World. So famous, in fact, that it was completely shielded from the Muggle World. Many visitors came and went in the winter months when the magic was said to be most potent. Its popularity led it to be checked on and regularly maintained by curse-breakers and magical historians.

It was lucky, therefore, that winter was still a few months away.

The site was practically deserted. The many signs scattered about for magical tourists guided them to a sort of visitor centre. The building was entirely empty.

Harry threw a confused glance to Regulus, choosing to avoid Ginny's stare once again, and was met with the sight of a man who knew exactly what he was doing.

In fact, it would seem this was another wizarding thing Harry just wasn't up to speed on, because Ginny too, approached the visitor centre with confidence. Harry followed them to an odd orange contraption. There was a number radial, similar to that of a muggle phone, attached to the front.

Regulus, then Ginny, entered the date and received a small slip of parchment out of a side-chute. Harry stepped up and copied their actions.

The slip of parchment was nothing more than a proof of access ticket.

"Those mark our magic down, just so you're aware," Regulus murmured.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "So, it knows our names? How could you have gone nearly sixteen years without ever getting traced-"

"It doesn't mark your name you twit," Regulus shot back. "All it logs is that two wizards and a witch entered on the eleventh of August 1995."

Harry nodded, feeling an odd sort of detachment at the fact that today was Ginny's birthday.

He hadn't said anything.

Then again, she was blocking him out.

The more he thought on it, the more resentful he became of her. He didn't want this either. Not in the slightest. It wasn't fair on either of their parts but her refusal to accept him was causing him far more problems than she could know. They were off the hook as far as the full moon went for around a month, but Harry didn't know what would happen come September.

He doubted it was healthy for their minds, nor their magic, to block a bond as powerful as that of a werewolf's connection. She should know better.

Regulus guided them through an odd garden with plants and fungi Harry had never seen before, even at Hogwarts. The garden path led to an opening in the ground, marked by a staircase.

"Is this… a tomb?" Ginny asked as they reached the top step, overlooking the impending darkness that awaited them.

Regulus shook his head. "All three Peverell brothers are buried in Godric's Hollow," he noted absently. Harry's mind was brushed regretfully with one of his mother's leftover memories. Walking Harry in a pram down a snowy lane.

Harry shook himself, returning to the conversation at hand. Regulus was eyeing him skeptically while Ginny focused on Harry's shoulder. "What?" Harry asked.

Regulus's eyebrow inched its way higher on his forehead. "You've got to stop zoning out. I can't have you on the moon while we're working down there,"

Harry, truly, hadn't really noticed how seriously he was dissociating but he didn't feel like arguing so he just nodded and apologized.

"Right, well," Regulus cracked his knuckles. "I'll go first then,"

He took a step forward and began the descent into the Peverell Chamber.

"He hasn't eaten or drank anything all day," said Ginny quietly. "There's something seriously off about him,"

Harry was startled somewhat by Ginny's sudden break in the silent tension that had wrapped itself around the two of them. "Er… what?" he asked dazedly.

Ginny pointed down the stairwell. "He's not eating, and he's not drinking. I'm telling you there is something wrong with Regulus,"

Harry walked up to stand beside her. "I'd be more concerned if there wasn't something wrong with Regulus, honestly. At least it's obvious,"

Ginny nodded, absently scratching at her arm. It was already red. "Right, well, come on then," she muttered more to herself than anything and walked into the Peverell Chamber with Harry following close behind.

The stairs were narrow. Harry would have assumed they'd have integrated some extension charms by now if this place was as popular as Regulus had implied, but after a year of taking runes, he knew well enough that some magic was too old and complex to interfere with.

The air composition changed the further they delved into the ancient abyss. Harry's vision in the dark was far stronger than whatever Ginny was seeing, so he knew the base of the stairs was coming way ahead of her, who stumbled a bit after dismounting the last step.

Harry sighed and stretched his arms up over his head. He'd had to squeeze his shoulders together down some lengths of the stairwell.

"This really isn't much," Regulus's voice caught Harry's attention, and he turned to properly inspect the cave they found themselves in.

It wasn't much of a chamber at all. Perhaps Slytherin's great secret had set the bar a bit high. It was a round room with many slots for doors to be attached. Of course, these openings were all sealed off with wooden beams and various boards but what caught Harry's eye was the triangular-shaped rune he'd seen once before.

It was a sort of eye, really. Etched into the stone on the only stretch of wall that didn't contain a doorway of some kind. The only place he'd seen the symbol was in his ancient runes class. Not as a rune they'd learned, but as a shape of a table he, Colin, and Ginny had sat at all year.

Each of the tables in that classroom was shaped like a rune, and at some point or another Harry had found them in his books. The only one that had never turned up anywhere was the triangular rune.

"That symbol… what's it for?" Harry asked, pointing to the triangular eye.

Regulus frowned. "That's Grindelwald's mark," he said quietly. "I've seen it elsewhere… I'm sure,"

Ginny took a step towards the wall with the rune. "I mean… it's in the Peverell Chamber… it's probably their mark. Grindelwald was well after their time. He must have taken it."

Regulus nodded, but Harry wasn't so convinced. There was more to this symbol than a mere marking of territory.

Ginny walked close to the wall around the room three times. Harry was only half paying attention to her. He was inspecting the floor and ceiling for clues.

"Right here," Ginny's voice broke the scattered silence. "This is where it's hidden,"

Harry strode over to where she was standing. "What do you mean? Can you feel it?"

Ginny made a strange motion with her head. Like she was ironing out a kink in her neck. "It's here. It's fresh,"

Harry sniffed the air. He couldn't smell anything like Voldemort on any of the surfaces around them. "Are you sure?"

Ginny raised her hand and placed it flat against one of the boarded-up doorways. "Positive," she said.

As the words left her tongue, a deep, eerie melody began to play from the very walls of the chamber. The best thing Harry could compare it to was the music played at Nick's Deathday party in second year.

The boards Ginny's hand had rested upon contorted into the shape of a large bird. Ginny took a step back and Harry drew his wand.

"Who seeks entry?" the wooden bird asked.

Harry hesitated.

"Speak, thieves. Or meet an untimely… for most, death," the bird fixed its beady gaze on Regulus for a moment before setting its head back in a neutral position. Not focused on anyone or anything in particular.

"My name is Harry Potter, this is Ginny Weasley, and this is Regulus Black," Harry spoke clearly, gesturing to each member as he spoke their name.

The bird nodded. "He knew you'd come," it said, before transfiguring back into the wooden boards and opening to let them through.

Harry grabbed hold of Regulus's arm and hauled him against the wall. "How would he know we're coming?" Harry ground out.

Regulus rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter. I didn't tell him... if that's what you're implying,"

"That is exactly what we're implying," Ginny rounded on Regulus, still avoiding eye contact with Harry. "How would Tom know we were coming,"

"So, it's Tom to you then, is it?" Regulus asked cockily.

"Shove off," Harry spat, pushing him harder against the rock. Harry was bigger than Regulus when it came to muscle. There was nothing the man could do to fight him. "Tell us what's really going on,"

"I'm not working for him. I never will again," Regulus wheezed. "And the two of you have got plenty of your own secrets, so don't go about begging me for answers."

Harry held him there for a few seconds before letting go of his arm and taking a step back. "That's fair," he conceded.

Regulus brushed himself off and stepped forward towards the opening. He once again led the charge through the passageway.

It was long and winding. Harry wondered now if all the boarded-up openings were fake save for this one. This part of the Chamber was incredibly poorly maintained. The ceiling was most certainly held up by nothing but magic.

Finally, they exited into a wide cavern. It was immeasurable in its size. Like a whole world trapped in this strange abandoned pocket of the Earth.

The air was clear, losing the dank scent and consistency of the chamber. If Harry didn't know any better, he'd assume he was above ground.

There was an enchantment on the ceiling, like that of the Great Hall, where it seemed as though the sky was right above you, casting natural light into the space.

There was the sound of flowing water, and when Harry turned to the sound, he saw a bridge.

It was crude in design. Seemingly built by hand. It was evidently sturdy. The designers had clearly gone for practicality over the aesthetic.

Across the stream, over the bridge, was a large tree. Though the walls were charmed to depict an open field, Harry knew this tree was real. It stood before them.

Even from this distance, he could make out a rough indentation in the tree's bark. Like something had been carved out of it.

"It's close," Ginny breathed. She too held her gaze on the bridge and tree.

A sudden memory was wrenched to the forefront of Harry's mind. "Ginny," he called, temporarily forgetting the tension. "Did I tell you about my second vault at Gringotts?"

Ginny frowned. "I don't remember… you might have,"

"I have a second vault. The Peverell family vault…" Harry's thoughts were moving faster than his mouth could speak. He began to walk towards the bridge.

"Potter!" Regulus cried. "Don't step on that bridge,"

Harry stopped in his tracks right before the bridge would have begun its crossing. Not because of Regulus's meaningless warning, but because of the sound he was picking up on.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

"Do you hear that?" Harry asked. The chamber felt so eerily familiar. Like a long-forgotten memory being unearthed after years of neglect. He supposed it belonged to him, after all. It was the Peverell Chamber, and he, Harry Potter, was the last remaining Peverell descendant.

Ginny shook her head.

"Come here," Harry instructed, gesturing vaguely to both of his companions. He heard them step up next to him. "Do you hear the ticking? It's like there's a clock embedded in that tree,"

Ginny was close to him now. Her scent and the magnetic pull on the voice's bond were intoxicating. He fought it for all he was worth, focusing every ounce of his brain power on the ticking sound.

Ginny nodded slowly. "I hear it too,"

Regulus hummed in acknowledgment.

"So, we can all hear it… and you agree that it's coming from over there?" Harry voiced his thoughts aloud.

Suddenly, a deep guttural rumbling met their ears. Like the sound Harry imagined a sleeping dragon would make. Then, Harry heard the flapping of wings.

"Time is a funny thing,"

Harry, Ginny, and Regulus all whirled around at the voice. There was an elderly man standing where they'd come in from. It was the same old man who had saved Ginny by giving Harry those potions in the alleyway.

This was the man who had told Harry that the clock was ticking faster.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

"You," said Harry slowly. "What are you doing here?"

The old man smiled. He opened his mouth to speak but was abruptly cut off by Regulus.

"Grindelwald?" he whispered in disbelief. Harry immediately drew his wand from behind his ear. Ginny pulled her shoulders back and glared at the man.

Grindelwald sighed. "I understand you, Weasley, are upset with me," he said, taking no notice of Regulus's deduction but wasn't refuting the accusation. "I can understand why, of course,"

"You're the reason my brother is dead," Ginny spoke in a tone absolutely devoid of emotion.

Grindelwald shook his head. "No, Chamber Girl, your anger is misplaced. Greyback is the one who killed your brother. Not I,"

Ginny folded her arms over her chest. "You left three of my brothers to die in a tower. You organized Greyback to attack Nurmengard." Ginny's voice grew harsher and harsher with each accusation. "You manipulated them into a false sense of security. You left them to die. You left them to die, and you expect me not to be angry!"

Grindelwald sighed. "All of what you just said is wrong. Firstly, I did not organize Greyback's attack. What I said to your brothers was that he was an easy thing to persuade. I was giving them a tool to fight with. From my understanding of how events transpired following my departure, your brothers and the veela girl ran. They did not fight,"

"You dare speak poorly about Charlie. About all of them?" Ginny cried. Harry was quite impressed with the level of self-control she was holding onto. The day had been emotionally trying. The fact that she hadn't broken down entirely was something to behold.

"I speak ill of fools. There is a difference," Grindelwald reached into his robes, and Harry shot off a warning stinging hex on the wall above his shoulder. Grindelwald raised an eyebrow and continued his motions, retrieving a small glass ball. A Remembrall. "So I keep track of the conversation. Old age, you know," he said with a smirk.

The smoke within the Remembrall remained white.

"I did not leave them to die. I left them in a safe enclosed space. At that time, I knew not of Greyback's ritual. I knew not of the storm he would brew through the ancient magics." Grindelwald continued. He raised an index finger to the sky to accentuate his next point. "I did not manipulate them into a false sense of security. They tempted me with the one thing I was meant to be devoid of for the rest of my life,"

"And what's that, then?" Ginny countered angrily.

"Power," Grindelwald replied simply. "I should never have been tempted by power for as long as I would live. But the fools wished to witness a prophecy. They practically begged for it-"

"Then you shouldn't have folded. You should have held strong," Harry yelled, silencing Grindelwald and Ginny in the process.

"You do not understand, my boy," Grindelwald whispered. "Power is like a cancer. It starts small. You enjoy exerting it over objects, school groups… magic…" Grindelwald's eyes gained a faraway look to them. Harry noticed Ginny scratching at her left arm again. "Then it grows. It becomes the only way you feel… real. Important. Worthwhile. It grows and it feeds, and you continue to supply it with what it demands."

"An addiction." Harry supplied in a deadpan.

Grindelwald held his hands out to his sides and smiled ruefully. "Precisely. Some can overcome it, naturally. Albus, for one… many, however… many fall victim. They let it flourish. They let it gain control. They understand nothing save feeding the incessant need for more. Those are the men and women I pity,"

"Really?" Ginny ground out. "You? Pity?"

"I do… I do…" Grindelwald trailed off. "I pity them because they are like me."

Ginny clenched her jaw and stopped scratching her arm. "Then tell me about your escape from Nurmengard… from your point of view."

Grindelwald nodded slowly and waved a hand, conjuring a chair. Regulus appeared distinctly unnerved but otherwise remained silent. He waved his wand and conjured a row of three chairs for Harry, Ginny, and himself.

Grindelwald cleared his throat. "Greyback captured your brother, William, in November. He was thrown into my… castle, prison, whatever it is you would define it as," he waved a hand dismissively. "I quickly make my introductions. He is… hesitant at first. He believes me untrustworthy… rightfully so, I would assume. Now for about a month, there is very little verbal exchange between the two of us… soon, however, he opens up. That must have been around Christmas,"

Ginny sighed in annoyance. "We know this from Bill. I want to know what happened that night. The night everything went to shit," Harry could hear the emotion leaking through into her voice now. So determined was she for answers that she persisted through the entire rest of the conversation.

Grindelwald nodded his head. "The boys want to see a prophecy delivered in the flesh. They want to know what it is like," he smiled mockingly and shook his head in disbelief. "They open the shutters and… my seer abilities are unveiled. I can see beyond. I… immediately form a prophecy. A true, meaningful, prophecy. Something that not even the wisest of men could ignore."

He clapped his hands together and leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. "I see more than just this… prophecy. I see a glimpse into the immediate. I see that Greyback will attack. Not its form, but its existence. I see that he would directly oppose your brother, Charlie,"

"You conveniently miss that he was going to die," said Ginny. She was practically shaking with frustration.

Grindelwald held up a hand to silence her. "Death… is a sure thing. The clock ultimately runs out of rotations for each life," he cracked his knuckles. "The how and the when, of death, are not so certain. They are determined not by fate, but by choices. Very similar to love, in fact,"

Harry tapped his foot on the ground repeatedly. "So, you couldn't tell me who I'll marry or who will kill me-"

"Ah, ah, ah!" Grindelwald held his palm up again. "I can tell you who… if it is murder, but I cannot tell you how,"

Harry swallowed, suddenly realizing the power the man across from him contained.

"So, you knew Greyback would kill Charlie. You just didn't know when," Ginny brought the conversation back into focus. "You're a fucking idiot if you couldn't put two and two together,"

"That is where you are wrong, Chamber Girl. Your brothers were given all the tools they needed to force Greyback's hand. They waited too long and made far too many wrong choices. They doomed themselves."

"How could you possibly believe that your little foreboding message about persuading Greyback was enough?" Ginny cried, getting to her feet and knocking Regulus's conjured chair down in the process. "You could have been a bit more specific,"

Grindelwald nodded slowly. Unconcerned with Ginny's mounting temper. "I agree I could have respected their narrow-mindedness a little better. In the end though… I would say I forced them to learn a valuable lesson. Listen, Ginevra-"

"Ginny," she corrected.

"Ginny," Grindelwald nodded to her, "I am not here to debate what could have been. I am here to speak with the pair of you,"

Harry frowned. "Pair? There are three of us,"

Grindelwald furrowed his brow. "I do not count the dead,"

Harry could've sworn he felt his heart stop. He slowly turned to look at Regulus who was watching Grindelwald with a curious expression.

"I am quite alive," Regulus reaffirmed in a bored voice.

Grindelwald shook his head repeatedly. "There is a difference between alive and being kept alive, Mr. Black,"

The questions were shooting through Harry's mind faster than he could think each one through.

Ginny opened her mouth to say something, but Grindelwald spoke over her, effectively silencing her. "I promise you that he is an ally, not a foe,"

Harry scoffed. "Well, pardon me for not taking your advice to heart,"

Grindelwald seemed to fight the urge to roll his eyes. "Do you know why I am here?"

"To speak with me and Harry," Ginny supplied in frustration. "You've said that."

Grindelwald sighed. "This place… it turns, wouldn't you say?"

Suddenly, the ticking in Harry's ear grew louder.

"Time is a funny thing. It seems to move forward… yet we cannot define if it moves at all," Grindelwald continued.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

"We base our entire reality around it… yet it is nothing more than a concept to which we warp,"

The ticking continued to grow louder.

"Then there are dreams," Grindelwald stood from his chair. The word 'dreams' echoed off the enchanted walls and seemed to dull Harry's senses. "Dreams change the passage of time. Therefore… they must exist at the source. Wouldn't you say?"

Harry wanted to reach out and complain about the riddles, but he honestly didn't care. He needed to get this headache to end.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

"Reality is balanced on the hands of Death's clock. Beware of her motives." Grindelwald continued. "You, Chosen One," he pointed to Harry. "Where you lie is the closest you can physically come to the clock. Be wary."

Tick. Tick. Tick.

"For you, Chamber Girl. The Key to it all. For you I have a mission," Grindelwald grabbed hold of Ginny's shoulder. She seemed to stumble a bit from Harry's view. He could feel the magnet in his chest vibrating out of control.

The voice of reason was desperately trying to establish itself. The ticking was blaring in Harry's ears. Ginny was in danger. His mother was gone. Regulus was a walking dead man, and Grindelwald was lashing them with his silver tongue.

"To you, Ginny, I tell you this," he leaned in to her ear, his voice no quieter. The motion was done for no reason besides creating a more intimate conversation. "I tell you that the puppeteer will reveal themselves shortly for you… but in the future for many. I tell you that however you may feel, you must… you must kill them before they get the chance to spread their… cancer,"

Ginny pulled back from Grindelwald. The little amount of control still flowing through her, Harry, and Regulus was just enough to keep her standing. "What?" she asked dazedly.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

"You are the key. You must rid yourself of this cancer. Kill them when they reveal themselves. It will not be the end of their life, nor will it be the last time you meet them," Grindelwald explained in near hysterics.

"What?" Ginny asked again, her voice growing fainter.

"Death does not end a life," Grindelwald smiled then. A true, genuine smile. "Tear the cheat's soul to shreds. For Albus." and with that, Grindelwald vanished in a plume of impenetrable darkness. Shortly thereafter, Harry fell unconscious.

Harry felt exhausted. Like everything had truly been taken out of him. The very magic within him was faint. How was he supposed to kill Voldemort if a short encounter with Grindelwald brought him this close to the brink?

"Get up, Potter, you're not dead yet," Regulus's voice grunted. Harry felt himself get hauled to his feet. He blearily opened his eyes. The unnatural light shocked him for a moment but he kept himself calm.

Ginny was sitting on the chamber floor. A small golden cup sat in front of her.

Harry let out a breath. The looming sense of dread and morbid thoughts of failure penetrated his mind. There was no doubt that this cup was the Horcrux.

"How'd you find it?" Harry asked.

Ginny didn't respond. Her eyes were closed, her legs crossed. She seemed to be mentally preparing for what was to come next.

"She asked for it," Regulus murmured. "It came to her,"

Ginny made a strange movement with her finger on her left knee. Like she was tapping a rhythm.

"Ginny?" Harry prodded. As much as he didn't want to speak with her at the moment, he was still concerned for her.

Her only acknowledgment of him was a slow turn of the head. She didn't even open her eyes.

"I'm sure you can sense its presence," Regulus began. "It's a defense mechanism. The locket was the same. It wants to destroy your morale. Corrupt your thoughts,"

Harry nodded and sat across from Ginny.

"The trick is… you have to move beyond those defense mechanisms and find the heart of what's powering the Horcrux," Regulus continued. "By going inside the thing itself,"

"Tom's soul," Ginny concluded.

Regulus nodded. "Exactly. Then, we find a way to overpower him, and voila, destroyed Horcrux,"

Harry turned it all over in his head, pleased to have something to distract himself from the pressing darkness. "It can't be that easy," he said after a while. "I mean… you just need to expose Riddle?"

Ginny let out an irritated breath. "It isn't easy, and it isn't simple."

Harry felt irrationally angry towards Ginny at that moment. Whether it was due to the Horcrux or not, he didn't know. He just wanted nothing more than for her to shut up.

Evidently, his reaction had shown on his face, because Regulus asked, "Are you two… alright?"

Harry and Ginny both turned to him, confused.

"It's just… I'm sensing some lingering tension," Regulus elaborated.

Ginny's shoulders slumped; her eyes downcast.

Harry shrugged. "We're fine. Now can we get on the move? I don't want to waste any more time."

Regulus's brows shot up, but he didn't seem keen on pursuing the subject further. He sat down in front of the cup and drew his wand. He muttered a spell and water shot from his wand's tip into the Horcrux.

"Well… cheers," he quipped, downing the contents of the cup in one go.

Immediately, he collapsed to the floor. Harry moved quickly to check his vitals, but Ginny beat him to it. She grabbed hold of his wrist and pressed against the pressure point, hard.

"He's fine," she confirmed, dropping his wrist and waiting for Harry to fill the cup.

"So, are you just not going to address it?" Harry asked after a brief pause. "You're not even going to bother talking about it? Like it doesn't matter?"

"Like what doesn't matter?" Ginny asked. Her tone betrayed her understanding.

Harry scoffed. "Stop hiding. That's your biggest problem. You know that?"

"As if you want me in your head!" Ginny cried angrily. Her cheeks pinkened. "I know you're cross with me over this. I know that no matter what you tell me, or yourself, you resent me for it. Just enough."

Harry shook his head, even though he knew it to be true.

"You're a terrible liar, Harry Potter," Ginny accused. "It's written all over your face,"

"It doesn't matter what I think!" Harry cried desperately. The recent months' stress nearly boiled over his well-constructed emotional walls. "You're my voice. You're the person I've got to have in my head and with you blocking it… you have no idea the effects it has on people!"

"Like what!?" Ginny shouted. "You're not going to turn into Greyback because you don't have someone justifying your every action constantly,"

The insult to his own maturity, and the behaviour of his mother, was too much for Harry to bear. "Fuck you,"

"What?"

"I said FUCK YOU!" Harry roared. The Chamber seemed to glow brighter as his anger roiled off him like steam. "Don't insult my mum. Don't act like this has been easy. You understand my struggle better than anyone,"

Ginny took a deep, calming breath. "You're right. I do. Which is why I think you should grow up. You don't need me. You don't."

Harry laughed mirthlessly and waved his wand, pouring water into the cup. "Drink it," he said, ignoring her statement and sliding the cup across the floor.

"No. You go,"

"You can't use your wand. How are you supposed to get the water into the cup," Harry countered.

"I can get it from the stream," Ginny offered.

Harry shook his head. "Fine. Take it so I know you'll actually come with us,"

"What?" Ginny asked, confused.

"I want to make sure you come with us," Harry repeated, bowing his head in her direction.

Ginny's jaw slackened somewhat. "Do you not trust me?"

Harry stared right back at her. "Do you think I should? Because you've given me a hundred reasons to say I shouldn't,"

Ginny's face may have remained the same, but the despair in her eyes was plain to see. Harry felt the tug on the magnet in his chest. What he'd said then had hurt her more than anything he'd done prior to this.

She reached forward and grabbed the cup in her small hands. She brought it to her lips and hesitated.

"This is going to work like dream. Do you understand?" Ginny whispered; her eyes unfocused.

"I understand,"

"I call it a waking nightmare," she continued. "You are conscious… but you're dreaming. We are venturing into Tom's mind… remember that you are not in control,"

Harry nodded.

Then, like an electric shock running through him, Ginny's eyes locked onto his. "Don't wait for me,"

Harry didn't get a chance to ask what she was on about, because just then, she drank the water from the cup.

She fell asleep, just like Regulus, practically instantly. Harry was immediately filled with a crushing sense of guilt.

He grabbed the cup from her limp hands and filled it one last time with water.

"I will wait for you," Harry promised, grabbing her hand. It didn't matter how he felt on the subject. He needed her. The magic coursing through her seemed to bind to his. Like threads wrapping themselves around each other. It wouldn't complete the bond, but it was enough to let out some of the pressure that had built since that morning. "I will wait for you," he repeated.

Then, Harry downed the water.

He was immediately hit with the eerie feeling in the pit of one's stomach that accompanied the coming of sleep. As though you were balancing on the edge of a cliff.

He felt as though he was falling, deep within the recesses of his mind. The ticking of the Chamber returned and vanished repeatedly.

Down, down, down he fell through the rabbit hole of Voldemort's mind.

Into the waking nightmare.

A/N: Huh, that was a cool chapter. What were you doing all this time?

Fic-wise, I completely restructured Act Four

Life-wise? Not enough to justify leaving an update this long.

When are Harry and Ginny going to kiss?

Next chapter.