" Well hello there. It's been a while, hasn't it?" he said with a twisted smile that made him look like had a lemon stuck in his mouth.
" Not nearly long enough." she replied through gritted teeth. It was a struggle to remain standing. All that she wanted to do was lye down and cry herself to sleep, and when she woke up it would have all been a dream....but this wasn't a dream. It was reality, her reality and there was no escaping it. " Why are you here?"
" Why I thought you would have guessed by now. Harry Potter." He smiled again. He looked so stupid that if it wasn't such a serious situation Ginny would have laughed.
" I had guessed that, but I also thought that if your half-blooded master was as wise as he thinks he is, he would give up after he failed four times." Why did I just say that, thought Ginny. Oh no im so dead. Suprisingly enough, Lucious didn't raise his wand. The only signs that he had even heard her were his hands, which were clenched into fists, and a vein throbbing at his temple.
" We will see. Now you must excuse me, because now that we have Harry, I really see no reason to stay in this.....place." Then he did the most suprising thing of all. He got on top of the window sill, gave a small wave, and jumped. Open mouthed, Ginny ran to the spot where Lucious Malfoy had just been standing. When she peered out of the window her stomache dropped. Lucious Malfoy was on the back of a flying carpet, and right beside him were two death eaters that were wearing masks, and Harry.
Although hysteria was threatening to take Ginny over, she did the only thing she could possibly think of. She outstretched her hand and pulled it back to her. When she did this Harry lifted off of the flying carpet, and came flying towards her. Only when he was back inside did she breathe again. She set Harry on the floor very gently, and went to him. He was tied up and unconcous. At that moment there was a popping noise and a second later Percy stood in front of her.
" Ginny, what in blazes happened here?" He hurried over to Harry's side as Ginny lept up and ran back to the window. There was no flying carpet in sight.
" Where's dad?" Ginny asked as she went to check on her mother.
" At the office he should be here any moment." Percy yelled after her. When she got to her parents room she flung open the door. Her mother wasn't there. So, she thought, the twins aren't in their room, mom's not in her room, what about Ron. She ran up the stairs to the fourth floor, and straight into Rons room. It was also empty.
" mmmmm mmmm mm mmmm" It was quite and muffled, and was coming from across the hall. But that's my room, thought Ginny. Nevertheless she went to her door and pushed it open. Ginny gasped. Sitting on her bed were, her mother, Fred, George, and Ron...all bound and gagged.
After everyone had been untied, Mr. Weasly had arrived and helped to revive Harry. The Tuttle's had come over and were trying to calm Mrs. Weasly to no avail, and there were several other people there from the ministry investigating what happend They'd been asking everyone questions ever since Mr. Weasly summoned them.
" Are you Virginia Weasly?" asked a deep voice. She nodded. " Can you tell me what happened tonight?"
" They came for him." she said softly.
" Yes, they came for Harry, but what happened when they came?" said the man softly without any trace of annoyance in his voice. She turned up to look the man in the face. This was it, her chance to tell someone what she was. She had just opened her mouth to say that she was a Lifter when someone apperated right on top of her.
" Im so sorry my dear." said a frail old lady, climbing off a frantic Ginny. After a night like she had just had, Ginny was extremely jumpy, and an old women appearing right on top of her didn't help her bundled nerves in the slightest!
" Matilda, I am trying to interview Mrs. Weasly on the events of the night so if you will be as kind as to-"
" Linda Coltrain is dead." Said the old women interupting. The mans face twisted and for a minute that seemed like eternity he couldn't speak. When he finally did speak, it was breif.
" Why. How?"
" The Dark Lord found out she was a Healer. She killed herself soon after they captured her." The old woman began to sob. " She always said she'd rather die then help their side, and she meant it." The man went to the old woman and put his arms around her. He didn't even notice Ginny leave. She felt sick. She couldn't tell them what she was now.
Somewhere in the distance she heard Harry ask " Where's Ginny?" but she didn't stop moving until she saw the place where Draco Malfoy had been pinned against the wall. Ginny couldn't keep it down any longer. She ran into the bathroom and threw up. She had shown the enemy what she was, and had been to stupid to even notice the danger she had put herself, and her family in. She brushed her teeth cautiously afraid that if she weren't careful she would be sick again.
There was a quiet knock on the door. " Ginny, it's Harry are you okay?" The tone of his voice made her heart shudder. He was in pain, not physical pain, but mental. She didn't know how she knew, but she knew that it was true. " Ginny? Will you please open the door? I need to ask you something." Ginny groaned afraid she knew what it would be, but opened the door anyway and walked out of the bathroom.
" Yes?" she asked looking up to face him, although waves of nausea threatened to make her run back to the toilet.
" What happened tonight?" he asked.
" I don't remember it all," she lied, " I just remember seeing the death eaters and then waking up beside you in the twins room." There, she thought, that sounds reasonable. But apparently Harry didn't agree.
" I don't believe that, Ginny." he said frowning. " But I understand if you can't tell me, and I know that you wouldn't purposely hurt me." She felt heat rise to her cheeks.
" Thanks for reminding me Harry." she said sadly. At first Harry looked puzzled, then he seemed to realize what he had accidently said.
" Oh Ginny, I am really sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I know that wasn't you, it was Tom. You didn't do any of it." God why didn't he just shut up while he wasn't that far behind. " Ginny, look at me." Ginny didn't.
" I'll be in my room tell everyone not to worry." She lingered just long enough for Harry to see a tear cascade down her cheek. Harry reached out to grab her arm, but she was too quick for him.
Only when she had reached her room, locked the door, and put a chair under the handle did she realize how exausted she was. It was a struggle to make it all the way to her bed, but she did, and she was asleep before her head even touched the pillow. Unfortunately it was not a restfull sleep. She kept having nightmares where Lucious came to her room and took her away. Then Voldemort would make her kill people for him, and even though she knew it was impossible because Lifters can't kill people, it still terrified her. When finally she had slept for a few hours without any nightmares, her mother knocked, or rather banged, loudly on the door.
" Ginny dear Harry and Ron are going to leave for Diagon Alley soon, they wanted to know if you would come with them?" Ginny groggily got up and went downstairs to make herself breakfast.
" Ginny!"
" WHAT?" she screamed after nearly falling down the stairs. She was extremely paranoid after all of her nightmares.
" Sorry, Gin. Didn't mean to scare you," said Ron laughing. Ginny was tempted to throw him against the wall like she had with Malfoy, but restrained herself thinking that it wouldn't be a very good idea.
" Is there something that you wanted?" she asked irritably. Ron stopped laughing, and his ears went pink.
" Yeah, Hermione's parent are going to let her stay with us until school starts, and we are going to go meet her at Diagon Alley. Do you want to come? Its just going to be me, and Harry. The twins are going with Lee tomorrow."
" Why isn't mum going?" she said. Ginny didn't think it was a good idea to let Harry go anywhere without supervision. Ron leaned in close obviously afraid that Mrs. Weasly would here him.
" She has alot to do, which may be a good thing. She isn't used to that kind of stuff , and she's extremely paranoid." 'Well duh!' thought Ginny.
" Okay I'll go, I need to get school things. Less then a week now. When are we leaving?" Ron smiled.
" 4 minutes." Ginny's eyes widened. She ran into her room, changed clothes, and ran downstairs just as Harry dissapeared out of the fireplace. Then Ron steped in and he to dissapeared. She hurried to the fireplace. She took some floo powder from the Jar on the mantle peice, threw it in the fire, and stepped in it. " Diagon Alley" she said loudley. The world around Ginny dissolved and a new one appeared full of spinning fireplaces. After a minute or two of spinning she stopped at a huge cobblestone fireplace. She stepped out and there was an imediate burst of strong wind. It took her a second to realize what it was.
" Oh it's that new ash duster Dad kept telling mom we should get."
" Miss!" said a squeeky voice. " You will need to move so the person behind you can come through."
"Oh! Sorry!" she said moving to go look for Ron and Harry. She didn't have to look far, because they were waiting for her about 10 feet away from where she was standing.
" Ginny, we're going to meet Hermione and catch up, why don't you uh....do something alone for a bit." said Ron tentavily. She frowned, they were doing it again. They were excluding her from their little adventures. Well thats fine, I will have my own this year, she thought, determined not to feel sad. She put on a cheery face.
" Okay I will see you three later." she said, and they seemed to believe that she was fine with it. She looked around the shops for a while but didn't see anything she wanted until she came to odd looking triangular shop. I don't remember a shop being there. Must be new. The sign above the door was indecipherable, covered with dirt, and soot. If I didn't know any better, I'd think someone did that on purpose. She said mentally. The moment she walked in the door, she knew tha something was going on. Her right arm flew up, without warning, and she went straight toward the back bookcase. She had a strange sensation in the pit of her stomache as if she had been here before. Her hand expertly fumbled with the books on the shelf until finally she pulled a large dusty volume out by the spine.
" What the heck is going on?" Ginny asker herself.
" Well to me, it looks like your ready to check out." Said a voice by Ginny's ear. Ginny whirled around, only to face nothing.
" Over here Miss Weasly.", said the voice again, but this time it came from somewhere in the front. Ginny peeked, beyond the bookcase, and saw a short dumpy old lady, standing by a desk near the front door. Ginny was utterly bewildered, but walked to the woman anyways.
" Weren't you just behind me, and...", Ginny frowned a bit nervously, "...how do you know my name?" The old woman smiled, and it truly did wonder's for her. She didn't look near as creepy as she had before.
" Red hair, and I used to be friends with your mother, during Hogwarts." Ginny smiled politely back now, no longer fearing for her safety. " And, no, I was not behind you."
" Well then who was, I know someone was there, I heard them." The old Lady smiled again, but this time with a I-know-something-you-don't glint in it.
" You heard my voice in your ear, but I didn't moved from the spot I am in now." Ginny was now even more confused then when she had first come over. The old woman saw her confusion and decided she should elaborate. " If you really want to, you can make your voice go somewhere that you are not. It's quite easy, but since you are still fairly new I will not expect you to have ability." Assuming she was talking about Hogwarts, Ginny let it slide as one more person telling her she was still a little girl.
" Not nearly long enough." she replied through gritted teeth. It was a struggle to remain standing. All that she wanted to do was lye down and cry herself to sleep, and when she woke up it would have all been a dream....but this wasn't a dream. It was reality, her reality and there was no escaping it. " Why are you here?"
" Why I thought you would have guessed by now. Harry Potter." He smiled again. He looked so stupid that if it wasn't such a serious situation Ginny would have laughed.
" I had guessed that, but I also thought that if your half-blooded master was as wise as he thinks he is, he would give up after he failed four times." Why did I just say that, thought Ginny. Oh no im so dead. Suprisingly enough, Lucious didn't raise his wand. The only signs that he had even heard her were his hands, which were clenched into fists, and a vein throbbing at his temple.
" We will see. Now you must excuse me, because now that we have Harry, I really see no reason to stay in this.....place." Then he did the most suprising thing of all. He got on top of the window sill, gave a small wave, and jumped. Open mouthed, Ginny ran to the spot where Lucious Malfoy had just been standing. When she peered out of the window her stomache dropped. Lucious Malfoy was on the back of a flying carpet, and right beside him were two death eaters that were wearing masks, and Harry.
Although hysteria was threatening to take Ginny over, she did the only thing she could possibly think of. She outstretched her hand and pulled it back to her. When she did this Harry lifted off of the flying carpet, and came flying towards her. Only when he was back inside did she breathe again. She set Harry on the floor very gently, and went to him. He was tied up and unconcous. At that moment there was a popping noise and a second later Percy stood in front of her.
" Ginny, what in blazes happened here?" He hurried over to Harry's side as Ginny lept up and ran back to the window. There was no flying carpet in sight.
" Where's dad?" Ginny asked as she went to check on her mother.
" At the office he should be here any moment." Percy yelled after her. When she got to her parents room she flung open the door. Her mother wasn't there. So, she thought, the twins aren't in their room, mom's not in her room, what about Ron. She ran up the stairs to the fourth floor, and straight into Rons room. It was also empty.
" mmmmm mmmm mm mmmm" It was quite and muffled, and was coming from across the hall. But that's my room, thought Ginny. Nevertheless she went to her door and pushed it open. Ginny gasped. Sitting on her bed were, her mother, Fred, George, and Ron...all bound and gagged.
After everyone had been untied, Mr. Weasly had arrived and helped to revive Harry. The Tuttle's had come over and were trying to calm Mrs. Weasly to no avail, and there were several other people there from the ministry investigating what happend They'd been asking everyone questions ever since Mr. Weasly summoned them.
" Are you Virginia Weasly?" asked a deep voice. She nodded. " Can you tell me what happened tonight?"
" They came for him." she said softly.
" Yes, they came for Harry, but what happened when they came?" said the man softly without any trace of annoyance in his voice. She turned up to look the man in the face. This was it, her chance to tell someone what she was. She had just opened her mouth to say that she was a Lifter when someone apperated right on top of her.
" Im so sorry my dear." said a frail old lady, climbing off a frantic Ginny. After a night like she had just had, Ginny was extremely jumpy, and an old women appearing right on top of her didn't help her bundled nerves in the slightest!
" Matilda, I am trying to interview Mrs. Weasly on the events of the night so if you will be as kind as to-"
" Linda Coltrain is dead." Said the old women interupting. The mans face twisted and for a minute that seemed like eternity he couldn't speak. When he finally did speak, it was breif.
" Why. How?"
" The Dark Lord found out she was a Healer. She killed herself soon after they captured her." The old woman began to sob. " She always said she'd rather die then help their side, and she meant it." The man went to the old woman and put his arms around her. He didn't even notice Ginny leave. She felt sick. She couldn't tell them what she was now.
Somewhere in the distance she heard Harry ask " Where's Ginny?" but she didn't stop moving until she saw the place where Draco Malfoy had been pinned against the wall. Ginny couldn't keep it down any longer. She ran into the bathroom and threw up. She had shown the enemy what she was, and had been to stupid to even notice the danger she had put herself, and her family in. She brushed her teeth cautiously afraid that if she weren't careful she would be sick again.
There was a quiet knock on the door. " Ginny, it's Harry are you okay?" The tone of his voice made her heart shudder. He was in pain, not physical pain, but mental. She didn't know how she knew, but she knew that it was true. " Ginny? Will you please open the door? I need to ask you something." Ginny groaned afraid she knew what it would be, but opened the door anyway and walked out of the bathroom.
" Yes?" she asked looking up to face him, although waves of nausea threatened to make her run back to the toilet.
" What happened tonight?" he asked.
" I don't remember it all," she lied, " I just remember seeing the death eaters and then waking up beside you in the twins room." There, she thought, that sounds reasonable. But apparently Harry didn't agree.
" I don't believe that, Ginny." he said frowning. " But I understand if you can't tell me, and I know that you wouldn't purposely hurt me." She felt heat rise to her cheeks.
" Thanks for reminding me Harry." she said sadly. At first Harry looked puzzled, then he seemed to realize what he had accidently said.
" Oh Ginny, I am really sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I know that wasn't you, it was Tom. You didn't do any of it." God why didn't he just shut up while he wasn't that far behind. " Ginny, look at me." Ginny didn't.
" I'll be in my room tell everyone not to worry." She lingered just long enough for Harry to see a tear cascade down her cheek. Harry reached out to grab her arm, but she was too quick for him.
Only when she had reached her room, locked the door, and put a chair under the handle did she realize how exausted she was. It was a struggle to make it all the way to her bed, but she did, and she was asleep before her head even touched the pillow. Unfortunately it was not a restfull sleep. She kept having nightmares where Lucious came to her room and took her away. Then Voldemort would make her kill people for him, and even though she knew it was impossible because Lifters can't kill people, it still terrified her. When finally she had slept for a few hours without any nightmares, her mother knocked, or rather banged, loudly on the door.
" Ginny dear Harry and Ron are going to leave for Diagon Alley soon, they wanted to know if you would come with them?" Ginny groggily got up and went downstairs to make herself breakfast.
" Ginny!"
" WHAT?" she screamed after nearly falling down the stairs. She was extremely paranoid after all of her nightmares.
" Sorry, Gin. Didn't mean to scare you," said Ron laughing. Ginny was tempted to throw him against the wall like she had with Malfoy, but restrained herself thinking that it wouldn't be a very good idea.
" Is there something that you wanted?" she asked irritably. Ron stopped laughing, and his ears went pink.
" Yeah, Hermione's parent are going to let her stay with us until school starts, and we are going to go meet her at Diagon Alley. Do you want to come? Its just going to be me, and Harry. The twins are going with Lee tomorrow."
" Why isn't mum going?" she said. Ginny didn't think it was a good idea to let Harry go anywhere without supervision. Ron leaned in close obviously afraid that Mrs. Weasly would here him.
" She has alot to do, which may be a good thing. She isn't used to that kind of stuff , and she's extremely paranoid." 'Well duh!' thought Ginny.
" Okay I'll go, I need to get school things. Less then a week now. When are we leaving?" Ron smiled.
" 4 minutes." Ginny's eyes widened. She ran into her room, changed clothes, and ran downstairs just as Harry dissapeared out of the fireplace. Then Ron steped in and he to dissapeared. She hurried to the fireplace. She took some floo powder from the Jar on the mantle peice, threw it in the fire, and stepped in it. " Diagon Alley" she said loudley. The world around Ginny dissolved and a new one appeared full of spinning fireplaces. After a minute or two of spinning she stopped at a huge cobblestone fireplace. She stepped out and there was an imediate burst of strong wind. It took her a second to realize what it was.
" Oh it's that new ash duster Dad kept telling mom we should get."
" Miss!" said a squeeky voice. " You will need to move so the person behind you can come through."
"Oh! Sorry!" she said moving to go look for Ron and Harry. She didn't have to look far, because they were waiting for her about 10 feet away from where she was standing.
" Ginny, we're going to meet Hermione and catch up, why don't you uh....do something alone for a bit." said Ron tentavily. She frowned, they were doing it again. They were excluding her from their little adventures. Well thats fine, I will have my own this year, she thought, determined not to feel sad. She put on a cheery face.
" Okay I will see you three later." she said, and they seemed to believe that she was fine with it. She looked around the shops for a while but didn't see anything she wanted until she came to odd looking triangular shop. I don't remember a shop being there. Must be new. The sign above the door was indecipherable, covered with dirt, and soot. If I didn't know any better, I'd think someone did that on purpose. She said mentally. The moment she walked in the door, she knew tha something was going on. Her right arm flew up, without warning, and she went straight toward the back bookcase. She had a strange sensation in the pit of her stomache as if she had been here before. Her hand expertly fumbled with the books on the shelf until finally she pulled a large dusty volume out by the spine.
" What the heck is going on?" Ginny asker herself.
" Well to me, it looks like your ready to check out." Said a voice by Ginny's ear. Ginny whirled around, only to face nothing.
" Over here Miss Weasly.", said the voice again, but this time it came from somewhere in the front. Ginny peeked, beyond the bookcase, and saw a short dumpy old lady, standing by a desk near the front door. Ginny was utterly bewildered, but walked to the woman anyways.
" Weren't you just behind me, and...", Ginny frowned a bit nervously, "...how do you know my name?" The old woman smiled, and it truly did wonder's for her. She didn't look near as creepy as she had before.
" Red hair, and I used to be friends with your mother, during Hogwarts." Ginny smiled politely back now, no longer fearing for her safety. " And, no, I was not behind you."
" Well then who was, I know someone was there, I heard them." The old Lady smiled again, but this time with a I-know-something-you-don't glint in it.
" You heard my voice in your ear, but I didn't moved from the spot I am in now." Ginny was now even more confused then when she had first come over. The old woman saw her confusion and decided she should elaborate. " If you really want to, you can make your voice go somewhere that you are not. It's quite easy, but since you are still fairly new I will not expect you to have ability." Assuming she was talking about Hogwarts, Ginny let it slide as one more person telling her she was still a little girl.