All Good Things

by Kyizi

Harry and Ginny, a secret romance and a final battle...must all good things come to an end?

7. Part 7: To Sacrifice All

All Good Things

Part 7: To Sacrifice All

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This part is set in Harry's final year at Hogwarts, Ginny's second last year.

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Notes: Okay, the Lord of the Rings Reference, which no one guessed was "If in doubt, follow your nose". I say reference rather than quote, because I couldn't be bothered to get off my butt and get the book for a direct quote at the time! It's slightly paraphrased, I think. A few people guessed the Seventh Kingdom, but I guess I missed that bit in LOTR ;) That's pretty much my own doing, although Heliona pointed out that it's very reminiscent of The Tenth Kingdom and she's right. Guess the idea wasn't as original as I'd thought.

A huge thanks to SnakeEyesHannah for her review. You can thank her for me getting my butt in gear and delivering this chapter :)

No, I have no fixation with the word 'butt', I just happened to use it twice there. Yes, am in a very strange mood, but writing this chapter in a normal mood would be difficult as I'd be Crying already!

I'm sorry this took so long to deliver, I had intended to get it to you for the new year, sometime in Jan, at the latest…yeah, that never really happened, did it? ;)

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Ginny rubbed at her eyes and looked blearily around the room. There was nothing that should have awoken her, but, at the same time, she knew she had woken up for a reason. She couldn't explain the sense of urgency that compelled her to get out of bed and put on her nightgown.

She made her way down the stairs and into the Common Room, looking around for a moment, as if trying to get her bearings. She had been in the room countless times since starting Hogwarts, but there was just something different about it, something that made her feel as though it was the first time she had ever set foot in it.

Feeling fear grip at her heart, she started moving again, suddenly running up the boys stairwell and into Harry and Ron's room. She heard someone muttering and instantly knew it was Harry. She pulled back the curtains around his bed and crawled up to sit beside him, placing a hand on his forehead.

He was squirming in his sleep, as if he was having a bad dream and, after spending the last few months with him and being in his head, she knew that was the likeliest explaination. She had come to him in the middle of the night before, waking him from the dreams that she was beginning to share. But this was different. That night she was not sharing the same feelings as she had before.

Not knowing what was driving her to do it, she placed a finger over his scar, gently tracing the outline. Harry gasped and shot up, his eyes wide, sending her sprawling backwards. He took a few moments to calm down and steady his breathing. In this time, Ginny sat up again, her hands shaking.

"Ginny?"

"I-I don't know why I did it, I just…" she trailed off. Harry was staring at her with concern. He was beginning to fade from her vision. He looked as though he was in a tunnel, a black tunnel. He was the light at the end of the tunnel, but he was moving further away until all she knew was blackness.

* * *

It was dark. Everything was dark. She could feel the wind on her face. She could smell the sea salt in the air and she smiled. But it was still dark.

Open your eyes, Virgina.

She realised that the voice was right. Her eyes were closed. She opened them and blinked a few times as the sunlight pierced her eyes. After a few moments, she could see clearly and her smile widened.

She stood on a beach. It was a summer's day and the world seemed bright and happy, but the beach was practically empty, as though it were private and only certain people were allowed to be there. She hoped that she was one of those people because she did not want to leave.

She heard voices behind her and turned. She frowned, confused at what she was seeing. About a hundred metres down the beach she saw herself. The other Ginny was laughing and splashing in the waves, chasing a small child with ginger curls. On the beach, watching the other Ginny with the little boy, stood a man that could only have been Harry. In his arms he carried another child, slightly older than the boy. The little girl had dark hair, the same colour as her father and she seemed happier watching the fun than joining it.

Ginny took a few steps towards them. She wanted to be there, she wanted to be in the water with her son. James Sirius Potter. That was his name. He was three years old. He had been born in the backstage bleachers of the Lancaster Lions final match of the season, while his father caught the snitch and raced to her side without even letting it go. Jamie wanted to be a Quidditch player, just like his father.

She glanced at the young girl in Harry's arms. A moment later she smiled. Lily Ashling Potter. She was six and had, thankfully, been born in the hospital, despite Ginny's mother's protestations that home birthing was perfectly safe. She loved to read and write and she wanted to be a Potions' Mistress when she grew up.

Ginny smiled and began walking towards them in earnest. But the more she moved towards them, the further away they were. She began to run, tears beginning to fall as she felt her children being taken away from her. She needed to reach them, she had to be with them.

Ginny stopped running and fell to her knees grasping for air. The beach was empty and the sky had grown dark and cloudy. She was alone and her family was gone.

"You are never alone, Virgina. Always remember that."

Ginny whirled around and her eyes widened. She stood up, wiping her cheeks as she did. Nothing seemed to make sense. Everything was jumbled and she couldn't remember where she was supposed to be.

"Lily, am I lost?" Harry's mother smiled and stepped closer to her, reaching out her arms. Ginny allowed herself to be pulled into a hug and she relaxed into the woman's embrace. "You watch over him, don't you?" she asked, pulling back.

"Always," Lily said with a smile, tucking a stray piece of hair behind Ginny's ear. "Ginny, things are in motion that cannot be prevented. You cannot stop the future, but you can weather it as best you can."

"I don't understand," Ginny said with a frown. "If I can't stop it, why are you telling me?"

"Because the events of tomorrow night are something that Harry will forever have live with. They will haunt him until he is a hollow shell and has nothing left within him to love with or to be loved in return."

"But, I just saw…I mean, wasn't that the future? With Jamie and Ash?"

"I believe a very wise woman once said," Lily answered with a twinkle in her eye, "that 'you can only see possible outcomes, nothing is written in stone.'"

Ginny laughed. "And an even wiser woman said, 'You're both destined for great things. Don't be afraid to live, even when you think there's nothing to live for. You'll always have each other.' Is that what you came to tell me?"

"Not quite." Lily's expression changed. "I'm treading on dangerous ground here, Ginny. The waking world should only be warned when things are dangerously close to chaos. Ginny, the people we love have the chance to be rid of Voldemort forever, but only if they can let go."

Ginny was momentarily startled to find that she was not afraid to hear Lily speak You Know Who's name. She knew that Sirius purposefully avoided saying it for her sake. It took her a moment to catch up with what the older woman was saying. "You do not fear him here, Ginny, because here you have nothing to fear. Try to take that feeling back with you, it will help."

"I don't think I understand what you're telling me, Lily."

Harry's mother smiled. "I know, but you will when the time comes. Ginny, you have to make Harry understand that he will always have you. Harry has to know that you will be there for him or tomorrow he will die."

Ginny felt her heart breaking at the thought and she nodded. "He will know."

"You cannot blame yourself for his decisions either, Ginny, never blame yourself." Lily cut her off before she could interrupt. "I know you don't understand, but everything will become clear. There are choices to be made by everyone, even you, Virginia. Follow your heart and help Harry follow his."

"And I ask that you help Sirius if you can."

Ginny turned to her left to see James Potter approaching them. She frowned and tried to keep her composure. "Why would Sirius need my help?"

James smiled sadly. "Because he may need to make a decision that Harry won't."

"We don't have a lot of time left, Ginny," Lily said, stroking her hair. "But I want you to know that we are very proud of you."

"Of me?"

"Yes!" Lily laughed. "Of you. You are what Harry needs in his life. You have enough passion and love in your heart to give him everything he needs in his life, just as he has the devotion and love in his that you need."

"I do love him," Ginny said softly. It was the first time she had ever spoken the words and it felt odd knowing that the first time she had said them had been to Harry's parents and not to Harry himself.

"He knows," James said with a smirk and Ginny blushed. "God, I love being all knowing." Lily swatted his arm and Ginny laughed. This was Lily and James the way she knew them through the crystal and seeing it and knowing they were really Harry's parents made her wish she could have brought him with her.

"We wish he could be here too, Gin," James said.

"We couldn't show ourselves to Harry. Not tonight. Not when he has decisions to make tomorrow that have the fate of the Wizarding World resting on them."

"I understand. I think."

Lily smiled and hugged her again. "Keep your strength, Ginny. Keep it safe. And, not matter what happens; do not let him break you."

"What?" Ginny shook her head. "What do you mean?"

There was a crash of lightning and Ginny shrieked as the sky grew darker. She turned to Lily and James only to find that the space they had been occupying was empty. Her eyes widened and she turned in circles, trying to see them.

"Lily! James!"

"They're gone, Ginny. Everyone's gone."

She turned around and found herself facing Harry. But this Harry was not her own Harry. He was older. His hair was cropped short, as if it had been shorn deep into his skin in a manner that could only have been painful. His eyes seemed darker, wiser and filled with more heartache that she had ever seen in any living being. He may have looked like her Harry but he was hollow.

She stared at him for a moment and found herself living through memories that she had never had. Standing in a corner with Harry watching her as she shielded someone from view. Sirius getting in her way. Remus dying at the hands of Draco Malfoy. Dumbledore dying to protect Harry. Harry finally defeating Voldemort, but not after losing so many more. The names came with visions of gory deaths. Ron, Hermione, McGonagall, Charlie, Bill, Percy, Fred, george, Seamus, Lavender, her mother…her. They were all dead.

Ginny felt her heart tighten and her breathing grow shallow. Everyone was gone. She was gone. Harry was truly alone.

"Ginny, you have to stay strong." The voice had come from behind her and she turned to find herself looking at Harry again. She glanced back around, but the other Harry was gone, only empty beach lay behind her. She turned back to the Harry that had just appeared and noted that he also looked older. However, this Harry was different to the one she had just seen. His hair had grown slightly and framed his face more and, although it still hung in an unruly mess, Ginny loved it. His eyes were bright and shining with love and admiration. She had no doubt he had seen horrors in his life, but he seemed to be at peace with himself. He was the Harry she had seen on the beach earlier, before meeting Harry's parents.

As if to prove that fact, the two children appeared at either side of him, holding his hands and smiling up at her. They were hers; her children; hers and Harry's. She grinned as she remembered Ashling's first steps. Jamie's first words. Her family's support when they lost their third child, Charlotte. Ash's first birthday. Jamie's first broom. Harry's eyes the first time they made love. Harry's strength for her when she lost another brother. Harry's uncertainty when he proposed. Harry's joy when she called him an idiot and accepted. Things weren't always happy, but they had each other, just as Lily had said.

"I love you," Jamie said with a grin and Ginny smiled back, tears falling from her eyes.

"Be strong, mummy," Ashling said. "Don't let the bad man stop you."

"I won't, Ash. I promise."

"Ginny, don't let him win," Harry said as the rain began to fall. "Don't let him take this away from us."

The lightning flashed and Ginny gasped in horror as the three faces before her changed. Harry's scar had grown to cover his entire face. Ashling and Jamie had the same scar. Their eyes were missing and the hollowed out space they had occupied was glowing green. They advanced and Ginny screamed, closing her eyes and covering her ears as Ashling's words rang out around her.

"Don't let the bad man stop you!"

* * *

Ginny knew she was still screaming and only acutely became aware that she could no longer hear the sea. In the background, Ash's words seemed to echo, but were soon overcome by the mumblings of concern.

She could feel a strong grip around her arms and she struggled against it, Harry's disfigured face all too prominent in her thoughts. She grasped for air, her scream still reverberating through the room.

"Ginny! It's all right, it's me. It's Harry."

Tentatively, she opened her eyes, his calm voice having broken through the visions still flooding before her eyes. Her breath shuddered as his face focused. He was her Harry. She glanced at his scar, glad to see that it was back in its rightful place.

She could sense that people were surrounding her, but all she could see was Harry. He was still there and she needed to make sure it stayed that way. She would not allow him to become the hollow shell from her dream. Whilst their life with Ashling and Jamie had not been perfect, it had been as close to perfect as life ever got and Ginny made a vow to herself there and then. Out of the two futures she had seen, she would made sure that theirs ended as close to the one with Ashling and Jamie as it could.

"Ginny, are you all right."

She focussed on him again and smiled. "Have you ever thought of growing your hair?" she asked, and then promptly blacked out.

~x~x~x~x~x~

Ginny groaned as she felt herself waking up. It wasn't that she had been having a particularly pleasant dream, in fact, she wasn't sure she had been dreaming at all, it was more that she had the nagging suspicion that if she woke up, she'd want to be asleep again.

Her conscious decision to will herself back to sleep, however, failed to work and she soon found herself squinting against the harsh daylight that was surrounding her. She blinked a few times and found that she expected to be on a beach, but, when her vision cleared, she found that she was in the Hospital Wing.

"Gin, you're awake."

"Astute observation, Harry," she grumbled, ignoring his chuckle. "Water," she said softly and soon found a glass being held above her. Reached for it, but it was pulled away from her. She glared at him, but he simply smiled.

"I'll help you sit up and then we can debate about whether or not you have the strength to hold it."

"It's a glass of water, Harry, not a bloody brick."

"My, aren't we in a pissy mood this morning," he said with a smile and Ginny pouted.

She sighed. "Okay. Help me up."

Harry used his free hand to help her into a sitting position before settling on the bed, facing her. After a few moments of teasing, he handed her the glass and she drank greedily, despite his protestations that she sip the water.

"I needed that," she said after finishing the glass. She placed the empty glass on her bedside cabinet and glanced around. She noted that Hermione and Ron were curled up together on one of the chairs by her bed. They were fast asleep and Ginny smiled. She still found it hard to believe that they weren't a couple yet.

"I was so worried."

She turned to face him and smiled. Harry still found it difficult to talk about his feelings and Ginny appreciated that it must have taken a lot for him to say that to her. She smiled and shuffled over, reaching out a hand to him. When he frowned at her, she patted the bed beside her and he grinned, moving to sit by her.

After a glance at Ron and Hermione to make sure they were asleep, and a quick look at the portraits to make sure they were empty, Harry captured her lips in an intense kiss. They pulled back and rested their foreheads together. They stayed like that for a while and, as she stared into his eyes, the memories or her dream came flooding back to her.

"Harry, I-" She paused. She had no idea where to begin and she didn't think that telling everything would help him. There was only one thing she had to make clear. "Harry, I will always be here for you. I'm yours."

He smiled and Ginny could have died happy if her whole world had consisted of nothing but that smile. "And I'm yours." He kissed her again and it took all her willpower to pull back.

"We can't get caught."

"I know," he said softly. "I should wake up the others."

"Yes," she agreed. "I just need you to know, Harry. I need you to know that I'll always be by your side. Even if you're the only one that knows I'm there."

He stood up and backed away from the bed. "I know. Ginny, I lo-"

"Ginny!"

They both jumped as the door swung open. Sirius entered, closely followed by Remus. Professor Dumbledore entered a few moments later. Sirius and Remus both gave her a hug before she fond herself in Ron's arms. The noise Sirius had made on entering had woken up Ron and Hermione. In fact, Ginny was surprised he hadn't woken the dead.

"Nice to see you're taking care that no one sees you here, Padfoot," she said in the perfect imitation of Lily Potter. She grinned at the look of shock on Sirius' face. He opened and shut his mouth a few times before shaking his head.

"I'm going to kill her for teaching you that."

"For teaching me what?" she asked innocently.

"That tone of voice. The one that makes you feel as though you're three feet high and preparing to receive a spanking from your mother for being a naughty boy. That woman used words as weapons." Sirius shuddered, but she could see the fondness and playfulness in his gaze.

"Well, Miss Weasley," Dumbledore said, breaking the short silence. "It seems you gave a few people quite the shock last night. We shall brush aside the fact that you were in the wrong dormitory," he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

She felt a blush rising in her cheeks and cleared her throat. "Harry was having a nightmare."

"And you heard it from your dorm?" Sirius asked with a smirk.

"No," she said hotly. "I heard it in my head." Sirius nodded his head, but she could see that he still found the situation amusing.

"As I said, Miss Weasley, we shall brush that matter aside for the moment. I am curious, however, as to what happened after you arrived there."

Ginny took a deep breath and glanced around the room. She took in each of the faces before her and realised that there were two people missing. Two people that should be there.

"Harry, the crystal." Wordlessly, Harry took the crystal from his pocket and held it out to her. Their hands connected over it and a moment later, Lily and James appeared.

Part of her half expected Lily and James to remember the dream, or vision, she had had, but she knew that was impossible. The couple before her, however real they were, were not the Lily and James that had died to save their son. They were not the Lily and James that had come to her in her mind and asked her to help their son face whatever dangers lay ahead. What they were about to hear was as much news to them as it was to the rest of the room.

Ginny took one last look around the room before focussing on Harry. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes for a moment, willing herself to feel the strength that her 'children' had known she possessed. The strength that Lily and James Potter knew lay within her. After a moment, she opened her eyes and looked up at Dumbledore.

"Voldemort will attack Hogwarts tonight."

~x~x~x~x~x~

Ginny spent the morning explaining what she could, omitting the identity of the people who had told her and the possible futures she had seen. If anyone had doubted her they did not show it and, while it was clear that they were all curious about the other things she had seen and who had told her what she knew, they questioned nothing.

Ginny was subjected to various spells and potions by Madame Pomfrey, but was eventually allowed to leave the confines of the Hospital Wing, under Madame Pomfrey's protest. The truth was that they needed Harry's parents to continue with their research and, they needed Ginny in order to open the crystal.

After lunch, they began to get restless, unsure of when Voldemort would attack. Lily had told her it would be at night, but they had no time frame other than that and no one wanted to take any chances. Dumbledore had alerted people within the Ministry that he felt he could trust and had enlisted the help of all of Ginny's brothers and various other people that Ginny had never met, including a rather striking young Auror that kept changing her hair colour. Remus, if she recalled, had seemed to have a particular interest in her.

"I need a break."

Ginny was startled from her reverie as Harry stood up, stretching. She smiled and leaned back into the couch. "Hmmm, hot chocolate would be nice."

There was laughter from various people as Remus also stood up. "I think that's our cue to get some refreshments, Harry."

Ginny grinned. "Yes, slaves, that would be wonderful." She squealed as she was pelted by pillows from a few different directions.

"You coming, Ron?" Harry asked as he made his way to the door.

"Sure."

"You'll be all right if I go to the kitchens?" Harry asked his parents.

"I think they're close enough that Ginny should be able to keep us here on her own," Lily said, looking up from her notes.

Harry nodded and soon Ginny found herself alone with Sirius and Harry's parents. Everyone had been hungry and the room, no matter it's size had been enough to drive everyone a little stir crazy, Ginny's reasons for staying added to that fact were enough to make her want to run screaming from the room.

"You've figured it out, haven't you?"

The quiet voice startled her and Ginny looked at Lily in shock. She took a moment before nodding, willing herself not to cry. "There has to be another way."

"There isn't, Virginia, and you know it."

The use of her full name startled her. The real Lily, the Lily from her vision had used her full name. It was almost as if Harry's mother were trying to reach her again through the image she had left behind.

"Harry can't do it," she said and glanced at Sirius. "It would kill him."

The elder man seemed to have aged a hundred years since the last time she had looked. He had seemed so jovial that morning in the Hospital Wing that Ginny had chosen to believe it, had chosen not to look into his eyes to that bleak, hollowness she had seen in a vision of an older Harry.

"This was what he meant. This was why he wanted me to help you." Ginny crossed the room and kneeled in front of Sirius.

"Who said it, Gin," he asked, almost pleading with her. "Who told you it had to be me?"

"James did." Ginny burst into tears, crawling onto Sirius' lap. He held her tightly and she felt the shoulder of her blouse grow damp. He was sobbing just as hard as she was and she couldn't stop. She was supposed to be strong for him and she had broken down at the very thought of the task that lay ahead of him.

"They're coming back."

"I know," she said with a hiccough. "I can feel Harry getting closer." She pulled away from Sirius and was surprised to see him so calm. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault, Ginny. You gave me the strength I needed."

"What, by bursting into tears?" she asked, sarcastically.

He laughed and swiped at his cheeks. "No, by letting me know that James forgives me. For letting me know that he trusts me to protect Harry by doing it." Ginny nodded and he smiled at her. "Although," he said with a smirk, "the crying helped." She smacked his arm and he pulled back quickly. "Abuse! Abuse!"

She laughed softly, willing herself to forget the conclusion she had reached in her research. "Seriously, Sirius-"

"Did she put you up to that?" Sirius asked, pointing at Lily with mock accusation. "She knows I hate it when people say that."

"What?" Ginny asked with a grin. "Seriously, Sirius? Or Siriusly Serious?"

Sirius grabbed her around the waist and pulled her onto his lap again, tickling her mercilessly. She continued to scream as the door was thrown open, Harry, Ron and Hermione at the front of a long line of people who all had their wands drawn.

"Help! Help!"

Harry lowered his wand first and began to chuckle at the scenario. Soon, Ron and Hermione joined him as they all filtered into the room. Eventually Sirius let her go and she squealed and ran back to the safety of her own chair.

"Finished making a spectacle of yourself?" Harry asked with a smile.

"I hope you didn't drop my hot chocolate what with the rush to save me and all." Ginny replied, ignoring his question. Harry looked at her guiltily and she was about to say something when he broke into a grin and produced a steaming hot mug.

"Yum," she grabbed at it and began to sip it.

"As if I would drop chocolate for anyone." She threw a pillow at him as the others laughed. Harry winked at her and she shook her head. "So why all the effort, Sirius," he asked, turning to his Godfather. "Why didn't you just cast a tickling charm."

"Where's the fun in that?" James interrupted, receiving a glare from both Lily and Ginny.

Sirius laughed. "Absolutely. Although, use your brain, Har, I don't have a wand, remember."

Harry smiled. "Yes, you do."

"What?"

Harry stood up and reached into the bag he had left by the table. He pulled out a box and crossed the room, handing it to Sirius. The elder man opened the box tentatively, gasping as he was surrounded by a bright light.

"It's perfect," he said softly. "How did you manage to pick the right one?"

"You can thank Ginny for that," Harry said and she grinned at the two of them.

"We went to the Olivander's outlet at our last Hogsmeade weekend. Lily told me what your old wand was and, taking the main points in your life since you got your wand, I was able to choose what I thought would work."

"Good guess, Nostrodamus," Hermione muttered.

"Thank you." Sirius waved his wand and the room was filled with balloons, and judging by the way they were swishing, Ginny didn't want to know what was in them.

"Sirius, don't even think about it," Remus warned, looking at the balloons in alarm. He clearly knew what was in them and it looked as though he didn't want them to pop either.

"It's all in fun, Moony," he said with a mischievous smirk. He waved his wand and there was an almighty popping as every balloon in the room burst, covering them all in what appeared to be pink custard, with little lumps that looked suspiciously like green jelly.

"Ugh! Sirius!" Hermione stood up, looking at her robes in horror.

Ginny couldn't help herself. She laughed. She was clutching her sides and coughing before she realised that everyone else seemed to have joined her. That was what they needed, she realised. They needed to have their minds free from worry about Voldemort and the war and everything else that went with it. Because when the day drew to a close, all they would know was the darkness that would consume them all.

~x~x~x~x~x~

The castle was filled with an eerie silence as the day drew to its conclusion. There was a heavy threat hanging in the air as the shadows danced precariously close to where she sat, huddled in the corner.

Things had not gone according to plan and Ginny knew that they were about to get worse. Fearing that there could be spies within Hogwarts, the teachers had chosen not to evacuate the students until there was no time to spare, however, the first attack had come too soon and there was nothing to stop the battle from beginning.

One of the girls behind her was sobbing uncontrollably, and Ginny wished there was more she could do for her. The silencing spell she had cast over the first years did nothing to stop her heart from beating so loudly that she was sure it could be heard echoing through the entire castle. She signalled for them to follow her again, sure that the corridor was clear of any fighting.

She was angry beyond all belief that the first years trailing behind her had not been evacuated with the first lot of students. It was as though the fact that they were Slytherins meant that they had no right to live; as though they did not have the same right to avoid the horrors of war that their class mates did.

She had known nothing of the evacuation plans, but had left everything to the teachers, as she had been instructed. She had been told that she was to 'sit this one out' as Charlie had put it. She knew that he was only trying to protect her, but it still irritated her. Ron was allowed to be there, as was Hermione, because he was Harry's best friend, but little Ginny had to hide.

Luckily, the fact that she had the crystal meant she would not be sticking to the plans that had been laid out for her. Sirius and James had wanted to keep her out of it, but Lily had pointed out that she was the only one that could help. Sirius had no way of making the crystal work, but he was the one that needed to use it. He needed her.

She had been in the Seventh Kingdom, where she was meant to be. It was being used as a headquarters of sorts, the mirrors being used to keep track of the Death Eater activity within the building. With the full moon approaching, Remus could be of no assistance to the battle, much to his chagrin, so he was to be in charge behind the scenes, with Ginny as his second. She had not liked sneaking out on Remus, but it had been her only option, slipping through the mirror to the dungeons as planned.

It was there that she had seen something she had never expected; Draco Malfoy leading a group of frightened first years through the corridors. She was sure she had stood staring at him for a full five minutes before his voice shook her out of her stupor and she ducked as he had commanded.

He had knocked out the Death Eater that had turned the corner behind her, before approaching her and helping her to her feet. She hadn't known what to say to him about what had just happened so she had settled on asking about the first years.

"Oh, Slytherins are expendable, didn't you know," he had sneered.

"They can't have just been left here."

"Well, clearly they were." He had stared at her for a few moments, the sounds of the battle from the upper floors of the castle echoing down to them. "Will you get them to safety?"

"I have somewhere I need to go," she had said and Draco's eyes had instantly narrowed. "But," she had continued, "they'll be a lot safer with me than alone or where you're going."

He had looked startled that she had guessed he was heading into battle and not running off like the coward she had always assumed him to be. He had nodded and walked away, leaving her with the first years.

"Draco," she had called after him, his name sounding foreign on her lips. "Be careful."

"You don't know what side I'm fighting for, Weasley."

She had smiled. "No, but I can hope."

She glanced back at the first years once more, hoping that she had been right and that Draco was fighting for Hogwarts. She felt the heavy weight of the crystal in her pocket and remembered what she had to do. She had to find Sirius.

Dumbledore had planned to keep the fighting away from the Great Hall until the final showdown, so that was her destination. Sirius had told her that they were evacuating the pupils out through a secret passage behind the High Table and the plan was for her to activate the crystal (something she had never done on her own before, but, according to Lily, was possible), give it to Sirius and leave through the passage way. She was to hide just behind the door in order to supply her strength to keeping it open, until Voldemort and Harry got there.

She moved quickly down the corridor, making sure the first years were all still with her. She turned her head again, making sure that nothing had appeared in front of her. She saw a few bodies littering the floor, but tried to make sure that she looked at none of the faces. She did not want to know which of her classmates…or brothers might be lying there.

They made quick progress and soon Ginny found herself in the Great Hall. All the tables had been moved aside and the room seemed bare without them. The only thing in the room was the High Table and Ginny ushered the first years towards it, forcing them to run. There were noises coming from the door she had just closed behind them and she did not want to think what could be coming. The door behind the High Table banged open and she couldn't hold back a squeal of surprise.

"Sirius!" she gasped, relief flooding through her.

"We need to open it now, Ginny," he yelled, running towards her. The children in front of her began to scream in silence, all of them recognising Sirius Black for the murderer the Ministry had condemned him for being. They ran into the far corner, but made no move to go any further. Content that they would stay where they were, Ginny pulled out the crystal and held it in her hands, trying to block out the noises around her.

She forced herself to concentrate. She could feel the crystal vibrating, but nothing was happening. The world was coming to an end as she knew it and she couldn't get the one thing that might save them all to work. Tears began to stream down her face and she could feel blood trickling from her nose.

"It's not working!" She resisted the urge to throw the crystal against the nearest wall.

"You can do it, Ginny," Sirius said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him and saw the tears in his eyes. He was going to put himself through hell for Harry, for her and for everyone else in the world. He was going to do this for them. He had faith in her. Lily and James had faith in her. Harry always had faith in her and Ginny knew it was time she had faith in herself. She knew she could do it.

She took a deep breath and felt herself grounded to the floor, her feet becoming a part of the castle as the hum of magic flooded through her. Hogwarts was there fore her. She stretched out her senses and felt Sirius' magic, felt the thrum of power and the faith he had in her. Sirius was there for her. Harry was out there and she found him. She sensed him and his love for her. She reached out to everyone and everything she could sense and she took what she needed; from the castle, from Sirius, from everyone. She could do it.

"Well done, Ginny."

Lily's voice startled her and she opened her eyes, blinking to focus them. She wiped the blood from her nose on her sleeve and handed the crystal to Sirius.

"They forgive you." She indicated Lily and James. "And not just here, Sir," she said, using James' nickname for him. It seemed appropriate and Sirius gave her a smile. "They forgive you in the afterlife as well. For everything. Everything you think you've done wrong and everything you're about to do, everything you might not be able to forgive yourself for."

"But can Harry?"

Ginny nodded and smiled through her tears. "Of course he will, Sirius, he loves you. He knew, Sirius. He figured it out. I saw the look in his eyes when we closed the crystal for the last time. He knew, and he doesn't want to put you through this, but he can't do it. I know he can't, but Sirius he will try. He'll try to make sure that you don't have to."

Sirius nodded and pulled Ginny into his arms, hugging her tightly. "You know, if I was twenty years younger, I'd be giving Harry a run for his money."

Ginny laughed and wiped her eyes as she pulled away. "Twenty years younger would make me a cradle snatcher if I went after you."

Sirius laughed before turning to James and Lily. For a moment, Ginny thought he would hug them, but he didn't make any move towards them. He just smiled and they smiled back.

There was a loud bang and the doors to the Great Hall flew off their hinges. Ginny turned to see the one man she had hoped never to see again in her life. Tom Riddle. He looked a lot different than Ginny remembered, but he was still the same. She could sense his essence. She was still connected to the castle, knowing that she would have to return the power she had borrowed, and that gave her an insight she had never had before. She could see You Know Who for what he was. He was Tom Riddle, the young boy that had seduced her as a child, had used her. He was still in there and, somehow, that made Ginny more afraid than she had been before. She no longer feared Voldemort, she feared Tom. She feared that he would get to her again.

She ran to the back of the room, standing in front of the first years that were huddling in the corner. There was no way they could make it to the passageway and ever if they could, Ginny would not put the lives of those that had already used it in jeopardy by giving away its existence. She turned to face the room, watching as Voldemort approached Sirius, Wormtail scurrying in his wake.

Without thinking, she pulled out her wand and sent a few hexes in Wormtail's direction. The rat had no time to react and soon found himself pinned to the wall unconscious. Whilst she was now satisfied that Sirius would have his pardon, she knew that Voldemort would want to deal with her.

As if to prove her thoughts, she felt her wand being ripped from her hands. She had expected it, but the loss of her wand made her want to tremble. Instead she held her head high. She would not let him see her fear. If she was going to die, she was going to do so with dignity. She had little fear for the first years, they would not come to harm. Harry was coming, she could feel it. And, while he might not be in time to save her, she had no doubt that he would save them.

"Hey, Riddle, you're forgetting about someone."

Sirius' momentary distraction was enough to give Harry that extra moment. He entered the Great Hall, flanked by Ron, Hermione, Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape. Ginny could sense that the door that Sirius had entered from was about to open and that Death Eaters were behind it.

"Behind you!" she yelled and she was glad she had. A second later Lucius Malfoy entered, instantly throwing a curse at Sirius, but he was able to deflect it and send out on of his own. Everything that had come before had simply been the calm before the storm and, without her wand to help her, all Ginny could do was watch. Although the castle was allowing her the ability to sense the spells that were about to be used, she did nothing to warn anyone. All that would do would distract them. Lily and James were by Sirius' side, but they, like Ginny, were helpless. They had no real form and, therefore, no real magic; they too were being forced to be spectators.

Ginny tore her gaze away from Harry's parents to see Draco and Ron engaged in battle. He caught her eyes momentarily and she saw the helplessness in them. He truly was on their side, but there was nothing he could do while Ron was firing curses at him. She called out to her brother and he turned to her, thinking she was in trouble. Draco had realised what she was doing and had taken the opportunity to run. He was halfway across the room when Voldemort spotted him.

Draco was heading towards his father with rage in his eyes and Ginny knew what he intended to do. She called out to him, tried to warn him that Voldemort had seen him, but she was too late. His body was engulfed with green light and she turned away, not wanting to watch as he hit the floor. She glanced at Ron and saw that he was shocked beyond belief. Whilst it was possible to think that Draco's intent had been to hex Sirius, she knew that Ron had seen the truth, however hard that had been.

A sudden noise had her attention and she focussed on the centre of the room. Harry had finally reached Voldemort. Upon entering, the Death Eaters had swarmed around him and he had been effectively blocked from his main target, but now he was through, and Ginny watched, with tears streaming down her face, as the battle began.

She wasn't sure how long she watched, how long it took for them to wear down, but she knew when the balance shifted. She called out to Sirius and he nodded. He indicated to Bill, who had entered a few moments prior and purposefully not entered into the battle, and her brother took his place against Lucius Malfoy.  She had had no idea that Bill knew anything of their plan, but he caught her eye for a second and she knew that he had had enough faith in her to believe it would work.

She felt a tug on the power she was sending out to the crystal and she glanced at Sirius, keeping the channel open. She saw the look in his eyes, knew that he was hesitating. He took a look at Harry and his mind was set. He glanced at Lily and James one last time, before casting the spell.

Ginny felt her own power being drawn into the workings of the magic Sirius was using and allowed him to feed on her energy, as she, in turn, fed from the castle. She forced her eyes to stay open and kept her gaze firmly on Lily, James and Sirius. She could almost feel Sirius' heart breaking as he finished the spell. He had only one act left.

He whispered one final thing that, despite its volume, could be heard within the very fabric of the castle. Sirius threw the stone at Voldemort, as hard as he could; casting the spell to destroy it, moments before Voldemort himself could. In his eyes Ginny could see the pain he felt in knowing that he would have to live the rest of his life with the knowledge that, this time, he had been the one to kill his best friends.

There was a flash of light that engulfed the room. Nothing could have prepared Ginny for the pain she felt as the power she had fed the crystal was severed from her. She felt fresh tears fall as the words 'I'm sorry, Harry,' echoed through her and James and Lily disappeared.

Ginny gasped as the castle tried to reclaim what she had taken, only to find that the power was gone. He presence in her mind withdrew and, with it, all the strength she had left. Before she could hit the ground she heard Voldemort speaking. He was laughing at the feeble attempt the crystal had made. She glanced at Harry and, although she knew he wanted to grieve the loss of his parents once more, she knew that he had, as she had suspected, known that it was the only course of action.

Suddenly Voldemort hissed, "Accio," and she felt herself being pulled towards him. The piercing feeling in her gut was almost enough to make her retch, but she forced herself to remain calm. They had got this far and she knew Harry would save her…

She met his gaze. He was standing barely 6 feet away from her and yet the distance seemed immeasurable. She felt as though she was on that beach again, running towards him only to find that he kept getting further and further away. This was how she had died in the first Harry's life. This had been the point where he had lost her. It had left him hollow and broken, but she couldn't let that happen. Not to her Harry.

She met his eyes. He couldn't save her and she knew it and, what was worse, so did he. From the corner of her eyes, she saw that most of the fighting was over and all eyes were on her and Harry. Her connection with the castle had been severed, but she did not need it to know what words had left Lucius Malfoy's lips as Sirius was engulfed with a green light. She wanted to scream, but remained silent. She saw the small flash as Remus entered through the mirror they had placed in front of the passageway and she watched with a sad smile as he revenged his friend's death.

She was watching her world crumble around her and, despite the tears streaming down her face, she was oddly calm. Even as she saw Voldemort raise his wand, heard him utter the words that would end her life, she smiled and kept her gaze on Harry. Whilst she couldn't say the words, she knew she was conveying all her love in that one look and that was all that mattered. Harry knew that she loved him, he knew that she was also willing to die for him. And die she would.

"Avada Kedavra!"

~x~x~x~x~x~

End of Part Seven

Note: Okay, I'm crying. I don't care if you lot aren't, I am! *deep breath* Okay, well, the hard part is over. You know the whole story. The bits from Ginny's nightmares at the start are explained and the rest is filled in. If you come across any inconsistencies, let me know, as I didn't get around to rereading the other parts before I wrote this, and it has been a while!

There is one more part left, and it picks up from where the first part left off. There will be explanations as to what happened to Ginny after the end of this part, so don't worry.

I've started a Marauder outtake from Part Six, and that will be available…as soon as it's done! There will also be a Ron/Hermione outtake on how they finally got together and an epilogue with Harry and Ginny.