NOTES: I apologize if anyone was waiting patiently for this. "The Little Child to Lead Them" has been taking up my time, and will continue to be my first priority until it is done. I posted the prologue so long ago I doubt anyone will have waited though.

DISCLAIMER: The characters and settings were created by JK Rowling and belong to Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Warner Bros and others.

Chapter I: Three Heroes

A tiny creak announced the opening of Ginny Weasley's door. She tried in vain to silence the high-pitched squeaking. It didn't matter anyhow; she watched through the crack as her brother, Hermione and Harry ran down the stairs toward the portrait hole. They hadn't noticed her. She yawned sleepily. She really should go back to sleep; she had classes tomorrow. But something stopped her.

"Where are they going?" she wondered aloud. She felt a pit of foreboding in her stomach. Something was wrong. Ginny desperately wanted to go after her friends but didn't want to put herself in any danger. She had enough excitement for a lifetime. She hesitated. Perhaps they were in danger and needed her help. That was ridiculous; Harry, Ron and Hermione were in danger all the time and they were fine.

Still, the strange feeling that they were in trouble would not go away. Without another thought, Ginny grabbed her flimsy bathrobe from next to her bed. She was just starting after them when a voice from the boys' dormitory stopped her. "Ginny?" it called.

She turned around to find a disheveled Neville Longbottom standing at the bottom of the stairs rubbing sleep out of his eyes. He was still in his pajamas. Obviously, the noise she had made getting down the stairs had woken him. "Ginny?" he asked again, still half-asleep. "All right?"

"Something's wrong, Neville," she whispered with deadly intensity. She didn't know how she knew, she just did.

Neville paled instantly. Most people would tell her she was just afraid of the storm still raging outside or that she had a nightmare. They would tell her to go back to bed. But Neville was different. He could tell she meant it. There would be no convincing her to stay. "Hang on," he urged her then raced back up to the 6th year boys' dormitory.

His chubby form emerged again a few moments later, clutching something silvery in his hands. "I'm going with you," he said firmly. Ginny could see that his hands were shaking, the watery silver thing moved ever so slighting. Neville was afraid. He had never been one of the bravest Gryffindors but he'd never let Ginny go running into a dangerous situation by herself. Ginny nodded. She didn't dare protest, he was wearing the same expression she was.

"What's that?" she asked as they nonchalantly walked toward the portrait hole.

"It's Harry's," Neville admitted sheepishly. "His father's invisibility cloak. I saw him use it once."

Ginny grinned at him. Of course, Neville would remember something like that while she was perfectly happy dive head first into the unknown unprepared. She blushed slightly. Usually she wasn't like this, but when Harry was concerned she just couldn't keep her wits about her.

"Do you have your wand?" Neville in a motherly tone as if he knew what she was thinking. She nodded, but only after checking her pockets to make sure.

They climbed quietly out of the portrait hole, hoping not to wake any other would-be heroes. The Fat Lady didn't even wake up when they closed it shut behind them. Ginny had an odd feeling that after the painting swung shut, they could never go back. They tip-toed down the hallway. Ginny could tell that Neville was tempted to go tell Professor McGonagall by the way he hesitated as they passed her door. He had been caught out of bed at night once before and didn't want to repeat the performance. Ginny hurried him forward. After all, they were out of bed past curfew as well. They'd all get in trouble. And Ginny didn't want to get Harry in any trouble.

The long, dark hallways of Hogwarts were quite a bit more ominous at night than they were during the day. The throngs of students and cheerful sunlight made you feel protected. At night, the way the shadows flickered made everything look like it was alive. Neville felt like all the paintings were watching him and whispering. Would they tell the professors -- or Filch -- that they were out of bed? He had to constantly remind himself that he was invisible while under the cloak. They paintings couldn't see them.

For Ginny, every shadow looked like a professor ready to give them a detention. Every nerve in her body was on edge. They were just about to the library now, moving very slowly at Neville's request. He wanted to make as little noise as possible. It was the opposite of what she would've done. Ginny reckoned the faster they were outside, the better off they'd be. Up ahead, the darkness was shifting like a person was coming out of the armor next to the library doors. Ginny mentally shook herself. It was no one, just a trick of the light.

Then, she saw it again. The shadow was moving. Now she was sure that there was someone lurking up ahead. Ginny put her hand out to stop Neville. She pointed silently at the area that had caught her attention. He saw it too and tensed up. Neither moved and inch, hoping whatever it was would just go away.

Ginny looked at him imploringly. What should we do? she asked with her eyes. He shrugged as if to say "we're invisible, just be quiet and no one will know we're here."

Neville offered up unspoken prayers to whoever would listen that it wasn't Professor Snape. Neville had grown into a man in the last six years he had been at Hogwarts. He was quiet and respectful yet strong and determined. He was smart too; at the top of most of his classes. Yet somehow, Snape still managed to make him feel like that scared, awkward, eleven-year-old boy. He often had to fight back tears in Potions. The only other person who could do that was his grandmother. Hastily he added "and please don't let it be my grandmother either" to his prayer.

Ginny leaned forward, trying to make out who it was but her eyes weren't completely adjusted to the darkness yet. Neville had to hold her shoulders so she didn't fall out from under the cloak and blow their cover. She strained her eyes along with her body. Slowly, everything was coming into focus. She could see who it was now. Ginny gasped audibly. Neville gave her a swift kick to silence her but it was too late. The cloak had fallen off.

"Who's there?" cried a nervous voice as its owner turned around and looked straight at them.

* * *

Ron Weasley groaned. He felt like someone had hit him over the head with a heavy object. Slowly, as if through a fog, the night's events came back to him. He realized that it was quite possible that he had been hit on the head with a heavy object or maybe several. He tried to reach up to feel for a bump only to notice, for the first time ,that his hands were bound. His hands and feet were tied with a glittery rope that could only be magical. Damnit, that meant he couldn't break them even if he could reach his wand.

He rolled over in a very awkward manner, trying to get a better look at his surroundings. Hermione was similarly tied right next to him. She was awake as well, probably for longer than he. She looked at him with huge, fearful eyes. He didn't understand. Hermione motioned her head to something behind him. It took awhile, but he turned around enough to see Harry, still passed out, tied to a large, stone altar. It was marked with some strange symbols that Ron couldn't read. He was sure, by the look on her face, that Hermione didn't know what it was either.

Their attacker didn't seem to be around. Although, it was so dark in this place he could be hiding in the shadows. Ron couldn't see much other than Harry and Hermione. The ground beneath him was rocky and uncomfortable. There was a tree root sticking painfully into his back. Following it with his eyes, he realized that the shadows all around them were cast by more trees. They were still outside somewhere, in a clearing, he concluded. But it didn't seem to be raining here.

How far had they been taken? They might have been out for days. They could be anywhere.

"This is bad," Ron sighed. Hermione nodded.

* * * * *

"Cho?!?" Ginny demanded incredulously. Indeed, the shadowy figure was none other than Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw seeker and Harry's crush. Ginny wasn't sure if she should be relieved it wasn't a teacher or angry that she had given them such a fright.

Cho seemed as surprised to see them as they were her. She was clutching her chest a breathing heavily. Her soft, Asian features were contorted in shock and confusion and her hair was in her face.

"Where are you going?" Ginny asked. Cho was fully dressed under a heavy cloak. She looked like she was going outside.

"I could ask you the same thing," she replied as her eyes swept over Ginny and Neville. The two, besides the invisibility cloak, were still in their pajamas. They looked silly. Cho held back a giggle. Ginny's green, flannel nightgown was flimsy and well-worn probably a hand-me-down. Her bathrobe did little to cover her. Neville wore nothing but a white shirt and boxer shorts with golden snitches on them. They stretched their golden wings in the moonlight. He flushed deep crimson under her inspection. He couldn't have been more embarrassed.

Ginny, on the other hand, was furious. "Where are you going?"

"Where are you going?" Cho demanded. The two girls were looking daggers at each other. Neville decided it was time to step in.

"Hey! Hey! Be quiet or someone will hear you." He turned to Cho. "We're going outside to check on Harry, Hermione and Ron. We heard them leave awhile ago and the never came back," he explained patiently.

Ginny snorted indignantly. She acted as if he had just told the enemy their secret. Harry, Hermione and Ron never told anyone who asked what was going on. It was better to play things close to the vest.

Cho's face softened. "I was going out to check on them too," she whispered so she wouldn't be heard by anyone else. "I was looking out my bedroom window when a bolt of lightening made everything clear, I saw them run across the Quidditch pitch." Her voice filled with concern. "Then when the field lit up again, they were gone."

"Gone?" Ginny asked. "What do you mean 'gone'?"

"Gone. Past participle of 'go.' As in, not there," Cho replied glibly.

Ginny opened her mouth to say something rude back when Neville decided it was a good time to cut her off again. If it continued on like this, the two girls would murder each other. "Then we're all here for the same reason. We can go together."

Cho and Ginny looked horrified. They tried to protest but Neville wouldn't hear it, he kept cutting them off and telling them to be quiet. Suddenly a look of fear came over his face. "Shh!" This time, his tone was different and the girls shut up. He strained his ears. "Someone's coming," he breathed fearfully.

Quickly, he pushed Ginny and Cho under the cloak, not giving them time to argue about being in such close quaters. They all held their breath and crunched together hoping that the invisibility cloak could cover all three of them. Footsteps could be heard in the distance. They were coming closer. All three of them prayed they wouldn't be spotted.

"I know I heard voices!" It was Snape. Neville wavered in his spot. Ginny put a comforting hand in his. "Over here!" Snape called.

He appeared at the end of the dark corridor accompanied by Argus Filch. Their eyes searched every corridor and shadow for students out of bed. Snape's eyes fell on the statue next to where the trio were standing. Neville was sure that he could see through the cloak and was looking straight at him. Snape had such evil powers. He never failed to catch Neville when he was doing something he shouldn't. Neville had visions of never getting out of detention in his life.

Ginny squeezed his hand again. Neville smiled down at her.

"Maybe they're over there," Filch pointed to an empty corridor. Snape followed after him with glee. He was hoping to find students he could punish. It was the highlight of his day.

The trio waited until they were out of sight to breath again. Then they waited until their footsteps couldn't be heard anymore to feel secure. Ginny removed the cloak and clutched it to her body. Her heart was still thumping loudly in her chest. Part of her still thought, Filch or Snape could hear it and would reappear any moment.

"Is that an invisibility cloak?" Cho asked in awe. "No wonder I didn't see you guys coming. Where'd you get it?" She reached her hand out to examine the cloak but Ginny jumped back.

"It's Harry's," Ginny hissed. She clutched it tighter, and held it out of Cho's reach. The cloak smelled heavily of Harry and in a sick way it was acting as a substitute for Harry's presence. She didn't want anyone else too touch it, especially not Cho Chang. Cho rolled her eyes. She didn't care enough about the damn cloak to fight Ginny for it. She had just wanted to see it, not keep it as a prized possession.

"Let's go," Neville interjected. He didn't really want to see the girls go at it now. Snape was only one good yell away. "We're wasting time." The girls nodded. Harry, Hermione and Ron could be anywhere by now.

They put the cloak back over themselves and raced out into the rainy night suddenly remembering the urgency they had felt earlier. It had been stupid of them to delay. They might have already missed their chance to rescue the other trio. The thick mud made their journey even longer. Their feet stuck into the ground making the run difficult and ruining their shoes.

Ginny and Neville were painfully aware of why Cho had dressed in thick, winter attire. The heavy rain soaked them to the bone. Ginny felt as thought she had jumped into a lake when she had stepped out of the castle. She shivered under the strength of the nearly horizontal wind. It really was disgusting out. The kind of night that horrible things happened, she thought bitterly.

"Here!" Cho shouted above the wind as they reached the center of the Quidditch field. "This is where I saw them!"

The field was completely empty. Save the three of them, there wasn't a person in sight.

"Harry!" Ginny called out. There was no answer. "Ron!" The wind howled throwing her shouts back in her face, but other than that the night was silent.

"Look." Neville pointed at Ginny's feet. There were footprints dug deep into the moist ground. Ginny put her feet into the holes. They were much bigger than her feet, and her and Hermione wore the same size shoe. She recognized the cheap brand of shoe. "Ron," she breathed sadly.

"These must be Hermione's," Cho yelled from a few feet away, very close to where Ron had stood. She had spotted another pair of footprints. She stood in them as Ginny had, looking at the ground around them curiously.

Neville searched the ground. There was another set of footprints next to Ginny. "Harry's," they all said at once.

That meant that he was standing in Harry's place. Neville shivered when he thought about it. He felt somehow that he should be standing where Ginny was and vice versa. But Ginny didn't seem to notice. She was looking around with interest. She could see the trail Harry had left when he had run out onto the field but the tracks ended where Neville stood like Harry had just vanished.

"Over here!" Cho yelled again. She was pointing at yet another set of footprints. They went from where Hermione had stood to Ron then to Harry. But they were much bigger and deeper than any student could have made.

"There was someone else here," Neville observed. That much, was obvious.

Cho turned around and followed the steps with her eyes. "They went..." she paused when she realized where they led. Her stomach did an involuntary flip-flop, "into the Forbidden Forest."