Chapter 10


Malfoy's betrayal


"Come on Ginny," Draco's voice seemed to be breaking through the haze that shrouded around her mind and affected her judgment.

She felt so vulnerable. She couldn't believe she'd literally broke down in Malfoy's arms, but the past months events had finally gotten to her.

She looked up suddenly aware of her surroundings. Malfoy was leading her into the forbidden forest. She glanced behind her and could only distinctly make out the light of Hagrids hut.

The school could no longer be seen, trees and branches obstructed her view.

Glancing ahead of her she could see only darkness and a sense of familiar dread settled in her stomach. She stopped abruptly.

"Where are you bringing me Malfoy?" She demanded firmly all hints of her previous break down gone.

"To a nice place where we can sit and talk." he answered his voice was sugarcoated but Ginny could sense the malice beneath and she could she the anger in his cold eyes.

She tore her arm from his grasp and backed away.

"What is this? You're lying to me. I'm not going anywhere with you." She said and swiveled around to return to Hogwarts when she felt Malfoy grab her from behind and fling her onto the hard dirt forest floor.

She tried to scream but he yanked her up by the hair and clasped a steel hand onto her mouth.

He stood behind her, one arm placed firmly around her middle locking her arms onto her sides and the other on top of her mouth pushing her head back roughly.

He leant forward.

"Why do you have to make things so difficult you mudblood lover. You should have come willingly but now I'm going to have to force you." she could feel the tip of his wand at the small of her back.

"Now you're going to move forward and I'm going to take my hand of your mouth. If you scream I'll kill you. I'm not afraid to use an unforgivable and I'm not afraid of Azkaban." She could hear his harsh words and knew they were true. This was the real Malfoy. He wouldn't hesitate to kill her, a lowly Weasley.

"So now what Malfoy?" she hissed but obeyed him and began to move forward his wand still pointed threateningly at her back.

"You know, I never would have guessed that a rotten disgusting unpurified creature like you could have a link to the most powerful wizard in the world." Malfoy spat. "To think I had to kiss you just to bring you here, but I guess anything is good enough for my Lord." He finished and Ginny boiled with fury.

"Why you sneaky little-" She began but Malfoy cut her off.

"Ah, ah, ah. You seem to be forgetting that I am holding a wand to your back." He scolded lightly, with an almost happy tone in his voice.

Ginny's blood ran cold. He was mad. Draco Malfoy had literally gone mad! Why had she trusted him? Why? Suddenly she remembered something.

"So the whole thing about you not becoming a death-eater? That was one of Tom's ingenious plans to get me to trust you?" She asked angrily sarcasm positively dripping from her mouth.

"Cruccio!" Malfoy bellowed and Ginny felt a pain so fierce tear through her body she thought her insides were being torn apart and felt her skin melting away.

She fell with a scream of agony and writhed painfully on the floor.

It stopped as sudden as it had began and she lay panting on the ground out of breath and in terrible pain.

"Listen to me you mudblood loving trash, his name is Lord Voldemort and I won't tolerate him being named otherwise. So if you know what's good for you, you'll refer to him as Lord Voldemort. Understand?" he hissed and Ginny took in several gulps of air to catch her breath and try to bring her frayed nerves to some state of normalcy.

He kicked her in the stomach and she gasped in pain, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

He grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her up to his face.

"I asked you a question!" he roared.

"I un-understand" she stuttered in a whisper her body aching all over.

"I didn't hear you!!" he screamed and twisted her arm roughly.

"I UNDERSTAND!" she cried a sob emerging from her parched throat.

He threw her roughly to the ground.

"Pathetic." He murmured in disgust then smirked at the fear in her eyes.

"Perfect, I like when woman fear me." He said gleefully.

"As for My lord telling you about my not becoming a death-eater, well lets just say he's brilliant for coming up with that" Malfoy chuckled. Actually chuckled!

She stared up at him in fear and cursed herself for leaving her wand in the common room.

That's why Voldemort had submitted those thoughts to her. He wanted her to trust Malfoy.

Suddenly dozens of black figures appeared around her all apparating.

She glanced up at the rising sun and realized suddenly that they were off Hogwarts grounds. They'd been trekking through the forest all night.

She gulped. She was doomed. Oh Harry why can't you save me now?

After Ginny had run out of the common room in anger. Harry and Ron had retreated to their dormitories and decided to tell Dumbledore in the morning.

Harry couldn't sleep, he'd tossed and turned and then just before dawn had decided that sleeping was useless.

He sighed and stood up. He wanted to go see if Ginny was awake. He needed to talk to her.

He quietly climbed out of bed and let out a startled gasped when he noticed Ron sitting up staring at him as if he'd never been to sleep.

"Can't sleep either?" he whispered and Harry shook his head.

"Lets go talk to her. I'm worried about her Ron. My scar hurts." He whispered worriedly. His scar did hurt. Voldemort was happy, insanely happy.

Ron nodded and they quietly left the dormitory and padded down to Ginnys dormitory.

"What do we do? Should we just go in? Or do we knock?" Ron asked questioningly.

Harry would have just gone in but he didn't want to have one girl wake up and find them towering over them, then start screaming like mad.

"Knock," he answered and rapped lightly on the door.

"Ginny? Ginny!" Harry whispered loudly.

Nothing.

Him and Ron stood by the door knocking until they were almost screaming her name.

The door swung open and a wild-eyed, wild haired girl stood in front of them looking very disgruntled and angry at having been disturbed.

"What?!" She said furiously.

"Ginny, can we see Ginny?" Ron asked the mounting unease in his voice reflecting his feelings perfectly.

"She's not here." The girl replied in irritation.

Harry looked at Ron and the fear was evident in both their eyes.

"Where is she?" Ron demanded.

"How am I supposed to know? She didn't come to bed. Its not like it's the first time." The girl replied then with one last grunt of annoyance slammed the door in their face.

"Ginny..."Ron said there was no mistaking the dread in Ron's voice. It was the same tone he'd used when Ginny had been taken into the chamber in their second year.

Harry's own heart was racing a million miles per hour and he felt sick to his stomach.

This was his fault. He'd handled the situation so badly and drove her away.

"Dumbledore." He only had to utter that one word and both boys were racing out of the common room and down the hall to Dumbledore's office.

They raced to Dumbledore's office and were surprised and chagrined to see Snape standing in the entrance.

"The headmaster has been expecting you." He snarled and they glanced up in shock.

"Well? Follow me, don't just stand there." He hissed and they followed him.

Dumbledore expecting us? How could he have known? Those were the thoughts coursing through Harry's head as Snape lead them up the stone staircase.

His question was answered when they entered the office to find a sullen looking Dumbledore and a distraught almost hysterical Hermione.

"What's going on? Ginny's missing!" Ron blurted and Hermione looked shocked then burst into tears
.
Dumbledore stood up and regarded them sympathetically.

"Who has her? What the bloody hell is going on!" Ron exclaimed.

"Language mister Weasley." Dumbledore scolded then turned to Hermione.

"Miss Granger I believe you have something you need to reveal?"

Hermione glanced up her eyes swollen.

"Oh Ron, Harry its not that hard to figure out!" She snapped and Harry's jaw fell.

Even in a time like this she could manage to scold them about being oblivious to something.

When both him and Ron said nothing Hermione sighed in frustration. Then stood up.

"Think about it? Ginny told us that fleur Delacour would say flee from death was the one hurting her." She said slowly, enunciating each syllable in the hopes of making them understand.

"Alright..." he said and nodded slowly.

"Well? What language does Fleur speak?" She said and looked at them pointedly as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I don't know... French I guess" Ron said and scratched his head.

"Exactly! Flee from death is "s'évader de mort" in French. That's what took me so long to research. "S'évader" didn't really fit properly, and then I figured out that "flee" in French can also mean "Vol". Put it together what do you get? Vol-de-mort. Voldemort. " She finished and both Ron and Harry were stunned.

Then Harry burst out in anger.

"What do you mean Voldemort (Ron cringed) is hurting her?!" Harry bellowed.

"Don't you see Harry? The scar? When's the only time Ginny has been affected by Voldemort?" Hermione asked and Harry frowned.

"I don't know... the chamber I guess." He said and Hermione nodded.

"Exactly. She must have gotten the scar from Riddle and somehow it linked her to Voldemort." Hermione said.

"How?" Ron asked and Harry could hear the rage in his voice.

"I don't know." Hermione said almost embarrassed that she didn't know everything.

"Well, it's very enlightening and interesting seeing how you three have managed to solve mystery after mystery every year." Dumbledore said and despite the surly circumstances there was a hint of amusement in his voice.

It all disappeared however, when his thoughts returned to the problem at hand.

"I want you three to return to your common room while I inform the Weasley's of Ginnys disappearance. I don't want you trying to find Ginny is that clear?" He said but he had a small smile on his face.

They nodded vehemently and turned to go. Harry's stomach dropped. Why hadn't he told her he loved her when he had the chance? Now he might never get one again...