DISCLAIMER: Not mine, all JKR's, blah, blah, blah.

Chapter 16: Beyond the Veil

The eve before Halloween was extremely quiet. The Gryffindor Common Room, which was missing eight students, all lost in the Hogsmeade attack, was so silent you could hear a pin drop. Ginny sat in front of the fire, writing her Transfiguration essay. Hermione was re-reading one of her textbooks. Harry and Ron played Wizard's Chess half-heartedly. The day before they had attended their second Order meeting, and the news was not good at all. Well, not good for their side, at any rate. Voldemort was fairly quiet, but his army was growing. Known Death Eaters had gone missing, vanished without a trace.

Dumbledore felt like something big was going to happen. And Harry had to agree. Acantha had shuddered when he had asked her what was going to happen. She told him that she didn't know, but that he should let his Occlumency shields down to find out. All she knew was that whatever the Dark Lord was planning, it was big, and it was not going to be pretty. Harry had broken all his shields, and now he felt naked without them. He had gotten used to the sense of safety they provided him. He had had no visions, but his scar hurt so bad, he almost passed out. Ginny had taken it upon herself to look after him, ignoring her schoolwork and even missing classes to be with Harry. While Hermione loudly protested the situation, Harry had silently accepted Ginny's help.

And now, the day before Halloween, everything was quieter than ever. Ginny was on edge. She seemed nervous, was jumpy, and got angry at anyone who would talk to her. Hermione was scared, biting her nails and hiding behind her books, looking for something that they would be able to use. Ron and Harry took the tension wordlessly, going on about their everyday activities, but much more serious and solemn.

Ron had just won the second game in a row when a blinding pain surged through Harry's scar. Everyone's nerves had been shot, and Harry's pain-filled screams made the entire common room go crazy. Ginny rushed to help Harry, who had slipped from his chair and was clutching his head on the floor. She whispered soothing words to him while exchanging a worried glance with Hermione. He gripped her hand so tightly she was sure he would leave bruises.

The noise coming from Gryffindor Tower alerted Professor McGonagall of what was going on. She ran immediately to the common room, Madam Pomfrey and Remus Lupin trailing her. The two professors quieted the students and sent them off to bed, while the nurse tended to Harry.

"Potter, are you alright?" McGonagall asked, concern etched on her face.

The pain was slowly going away as Harry put up his Occlumency wards. "Yes, I'm fine. The pain isn't so strong anymore."

"What happened?" Professor Lupin asked.

"Nothing. Just my Occlumency shields down while Voldemort was torturing on of his Death Eaters. It's fine now."

"Are you sure, Potter?" Madam Pomfrey pressed.

"I'm fine, really."

The three professors lingered a bit, making sure that Harry was okay, and that the other students were asleep. They allowed Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny stay up for a while longer, as Harry had argued that he didn't feel sleepy due to the vision. As the three adults left the room, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny looked at Harry expectantly.

"He's carrying an attack, tonight, at midnight," he informed them.

"Where?" Hermione asked.

"Stonehenge."

They met back in the Gryffindor Common Room at exactly midnight. Harry had sent a note to Dumbledore with Acantha, who returned with the headmaster's answer: Stay where you are. Don't leave Gryffindor Tower.

Of course, Harry knew that he couldn't stay in his dormitory. They were a part of the Order, and they were going to help. So they were now getting ready to go to Stonehenge. Acantha had warned them against using earth place shifting right now. "Mother Earth can feel the evil on her right now. She won't be forgiving, even to those who haven't posed a threat to her." There was no way to water or fire place shift, so they decided to air place shift. Hermione had argued against it, but saw no other way of getting there.

"Maybe we should leave a note or something?" asked Ron. Hermione raised her eyebrow. "Well, not all the teachers are going to be in the battle," he said.

"Ron, there's no time for that. Besides, Dumbledore will see us there." Hermione pocketed her wand carefully, then turned to Harry. "Are you sure it's Stonehenge?"

"A hundred percent positive," he answered. "He said the answer to all his problems was there."

"You mean, he's figured out a way to become immortal?" Ginny asked.

"Possibly. I don't know."

"What are we going to do when we get there?" Hermione asked.

"Fight," Harry said simply.

Air place shifting was not only the fastest way to travel, but the easiest and less exhausting. Anyone could do it, even regular wizards, but they preferred to Apparate and waste their energies. Jenny was keeping a close watch on the elements. In all her years as a trained Paxturus, she had made a lot of elemental friends, who were now helping her keep track of her students, especially Harry. Jenny and Remus had been with Dumbledore when his note had arrived, 'Voldemort is planning to attack Stonehenge at midnight. There's something there that he wants.' Within minutes, the Order of the Phoenix was assembled in Grimmauld Place.

Jenny knew what Voldemort wanted in Stonehenge, and she seriously considered breaking her initiation oath and telling Dumbledore about it. She decided against it. It could get her stripped of her powers. She knew Harry wouldn't be able to stay away from the ritual site. She sent her mother a mental thank you for suggesting that Harry's initiation gift be the secrets of the dead, rather than him learning it through his training. If Harry really knew what lay beyond the Veil Between the Worlds, they might lose him forever.

Stonehenge was not very far from Hogwarts, so it was easy for the four Gryffindors to air place shift. It was a weird feeling though, entering the place. It vibrated with magic so strong, it made them all dizzy, and Ginny almost fainted at the feel of it. Thankfully, they landed on the area surrounding Stonehenge, but they could make out the fierce battle that had begun only minutes ago. A mass of black-clad Death Eaters were fighting the Order. Ron looked over the crowd and recognized his parents, Bill, Charlie, and the twins. He clenched his fist tightly when he saw George being hit with a Stunner, and Hermione, who had followed his gaze, laid her hand on his shoulder to keep him from running to help.

Harry held Ginny, keeping her standing. He thought for a second that maybe it was a bad idea to bring his friends along, with no idea as to what to do in the middle of a battle, but knew if he had suggested that they stay at Hogwarts, Ron and Hermione would have fought with him, and Ginny might have punched him again. "Alright, here's what we're going to do..."

Acantha had followed the teens to the battle site, and as soon as they arrived, she sought out Jenny. "They're here. What would you like me to do?"

Jenny sighed. "I don't know. It might be a bad thing to stop them, but it could be even worse to let them fight."

"Harry's a natural born leader," Acantha said. "I've been watching him since he was born, just as your mother, Abigail, asked me to do. He'll be more help in battle than you think."

"And the prophecy?"

"Has never really had any influence on his life."

Ginny knew Voldemort was here somewhere. Harry had sensed him. Now she had to look for what he wanted, whatever that was. If it was really the secret to immortality, they had find it first. Harry had made his orders very clear: Find what the Dark Lord is looking for before he does. 'Easier said than done,' she thought. She didn't even know what she was supposed to find.

She could make out Hermione dueling a Death Eater, and Ron helping their mother only a few feet away. Harry had made a dash towards George, waking him, and pull the twins aside to explain the situation quickly. The more people they had helping him, the better.

"And so we meet again, Miss Weasley," a familiar voice said behind her.

Ginny turned around slowly to face Severus Snape, his face hidden in Death Eater's mask.

"I was not expecting you here," he continued. "But I'm sure that my master will be pleased to see you again."

"How dare you speak to me after everything you've done?" Ginny asked angrily. "Dumbledore trusted. I trusted you, and you betrayed us to him! You don't deserve to breath the same air as I do."

Snape ignored her angry statement. "I suppose your precious Potter is around here somewhere." He looked around through the slits of his hood. "The Dark Lord will be happy to see him as well."

"You're a monster. You are just as bad as Voldemort is. An evil, rotten person."

"You aren't worthy enough to speak his name!" Snape hissed.

"You aren't worthy enough to look at me!"

"Crucio!"

Ginny feel to the floor, pain flowed through her. She tried not to cry out, but the pain was too strong. It stopped suddenly, and she took a deep breath to steady herself.

"Ginny, what the hell are you doing here?" Bill asked, helping her up.

"We came to help," she answered, panting.

"We? Oh, please don't tell me that Ron, Harry, and Hermione are here too."

"Where's Snape?" Ginny tried to ignore the worried look on her brother.

"I Stunned him," he said. "Come on, let's find the others and send you back to Hogwarts."

"From the middle of a battlefield? Bill, we have as much right to fight as any of you. We're part of the Order, too. So we're staying." Ginny replied stubbornly. Bill stared at her for a second, before pulling her down to dodge a stray spell.

"Alright, but stay close to me. I can imagine what Mom would say if she found out." Bill threw a couple of Stunners around, both hitting their targets.

"Now's not the time, though. We need to find something."

Harry had taken out about four Death Eaters, and had Fred and George tailing him when they bumped into Ginny and Bill.

"Anything?" he asked them. Ginny shook her head.

"What are we looking for?" Bill asked.

Harry sighed. "We don't know, exactly, but-"

"Maybe it's that," Fred said, pointing to a stone archway, covered by a thin, black veil.

"That is exactly what I'm looking for," a cold voice said from behind them. Voldemort was walking slowly up to them. "Thank you for leading me straight to it, though I must admit I was quite surprised to see you here."

Ginny, Fred, George, Bill, and Harry were quiet and stood blocking his way. "My patience has run out with you. Move out of the way," Tom hissed. "Or you'll be sorry."

For about a minute or two, no one moved. They all stared defiantly at the Dark Lord, almost daring him to do something. And he accepted their challenge.

Voldemort raised his wand, and pointed it directly at Ginny. "Avada Kedrava," he hissed. The spell hit her right in the chest, and while it had no effect, it made her lose her balance, and accidentally, she fell straight through the veil.

In a flash, Harry remembered the night Sirius had died. Falling through the Veil. Now Ginny was falling too. "No!" he yelled, running through to catch Ginny.

A/N: To all my reviewers, thank you! I feel so loved! Please don't kill me because of this chapter. I know some of you might think me evil for leaving it at such a cliffhanger. Don't worry, next chapter you'll find out if Harry and Ginny are really dead.

And we are so close to the end of this fic! I'm writing the last chapter as you're reading this.

Remember to leave a nice review!

Love,

Amalia