Ginny Weasley:

The Lion-Snake Prophecy

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter; I only worship JKR!

Chapter Sixteen - Paddock and Portkey

Ginny found Hiss in the paddock four hours later. She hadn't realized how much sheer mass had been stuffed into that tiny room of hers. After packing away everything she owned – she would not leave anything for some adventurous deatheater to find – Ginny had gone looking for her mum. She had found her in the kitchen, packing away the last of the dishes with a watery sniffle. After mum had shrunk all her furniture, Ginny had tucked the miniaturized pieces into the last compartment of her trunk and hauled the entire contraption downstairs. It wasn't yet late, perhaps two or three o'clock, and Ginny knew she had time to meet with Hiss. But before she left her house – possibly for the last time – Ginny tried to walk around and enjoy her home.

Yet the longer she dawdled inside the slowly emptying building, the more it felt less like a home and more like a place she once lived. The family pictures were gone from the walls, the clock had been moved from its ancient place in the kitchen, and even the upstairs linen closet where she had surprise-attacked Bill had been emptied. All traces of Percy had been stripped from his room – even the things Hermione and Tonks had left there were gone. Packed into boxes. Ginny felt as if most of her life had been packed into boxes.

The only thing left unchanged was the backyard – even the chicken pens were gone from the front – and it was here that Ginny took an extra moment to orient herself.

We'll be back, she told herself as she stared at the herb garden. How many hours had she whittled away here? We're just taking a short vacation. Ginny walked half-way to the paddock, the turned and glanced back at the house. From the outside, the Burrow looked almost normal. But something was off – there was a presence missing. An angry howl echoed across the lawn as the ghoul banged against the pipes. Ginny smiled and turned back to the path, wondering if the ghoul would leave shortly after they did, or if he would stay to wander the empty house. Perhaps he'd scare off a DE or two. Ginny hoped he was still there if – no, when – they came back. It would be too quiet with him gone.

Entering the paddock, Ginny found Hiss intertwined amongst the oak roots. He looked satisfied, but lacked the distinctive bulge of a solid meal. He noted Ginny's gaze and flicked his tongue self-satisfactorily. "I whetted my appetite waiting for you, little sssnake. How much time do we have left?"

"Around two hours," Ginny replied, walking over to the oak tree. She would miss this oak tree, this paddock …. "Are we really going to hunt?" She asked to get her mind off brooding.

Hiss stretched and sat up, "We are indeed, little sssnake. I ssshould teach you the basssicssss now that you have learned to properly sssmell your prey. Ussssually thisss sssort of firssst-hunt would take place at New Moon, when all isss dark and sssilent." He flicked his tail in annoyance as another angry bang! drifted across the backyard. "But we do not have much time."

"Uh, but Hiss," Ginny told him somewhat apologetically as he slithered out from under the roots, "I don't really want to eat mice."

Hiss ignored her, slithering forwards towards the edge of the forest instead of replying and flicking his tail, indicating that she should follow him.

"I also can't go into the forest!" Ginny whispered, hurrying towards him.

This time Hiss answered her, communicating mostly via tongue and tail, trying not to speak. "We will not go far. We must enter quietly and sssilently. The sssun iss high, but there are ssshadowss here. You are large, but mussst learn to blend. Make the dark placesss your companion. Meet your ssshadow, and lay ssstill." He slithered forward.

Ginny took a deep breath, in through her nose, out through her mouth, and followed.

It had been almost two years since she had entered the quasi-forest surrounding the Burrow. Before deatheater's were an everyday risk, Ginny used to play here often. She knew the patterns the shadows played during the daylight hours, and even the early dark. And yet, as she entered quietly as she could, something seemed different this afternoon. Perhaps it was the squashed fear of DE's lurking just out of sight, but more likely it was something more potent. This journey had the feeling of ritual to her.

It was indeed darker just under the foliage. Ginny watched where she put her feet, avoiding any dry sticks and ducking under low branches. She might be small for a girl her age, but she was huge for a snake. Just inside the undergrowth she paused, letting her eyes adjust to the dimmed light.

Ginny breathed deeply, slowly; the forest felt at once alien and comforting to her. She searched the floor for Hiss, seeing again the tingle of second vision on her sight. She saw his luminous form before she saw his physical self. Though she kept the vision dulled, Hiss almost made her gasp.

Her friend was a tightly woven mass of criss-crossing green, black and blue power, with the subtle hint of violet amongst the shades. His magic was solid though, more earthy that Hermione's gusty form, or Ron's watery parade. He held himself taunt, and yet Ginny could see the undercurrent of joy striding through his form. He was a being perfectly aligned with his own nature. Ginny knew she had much to learn from him.

Moving towards him as silently as she could, Ginny crouched and shifted her way amongst the forest floor. Hiss never looked at her, but kept his eyes peering forwards, sideways, and back. Every now and then, his tongue darted out to silently taste the air.

"Breathe deeply," his voice came to her quietly and full of purpose as she crouched awkwardly at the base of another large oak, "allow the sssmellsss to mingle with your normal sssenssse'sss. Grasssp the art of ssseeing, of sssmelling everything. Sssee the branches above your head, know them ssso they do not betray your presssence, and yet sssee passst them. Sssee into the tree, into the earth. Isss there rodent life hiding there?"

Ginny took another deep breath, fought past the errant thought that wondered what she was doing here, and tried to do as Hiss said. She summoned her second vision, and glanced at the tree beside her.

Too much, too much! The sheer life-force of the forest blinded her, and Ginny had to dart out her hand to rescue herself before she fell backwards off her heels. Her hand made contact with the stiffness of the bark, and somehow that settled her. Ginny tried to remember the world as it looked when it was normal. She opened her eyes slowly, seeing without magic again. Then she took another breath and opened her second vision. This time, the balance between the two was better.

With new eyes, Ginny looked at her surroundings. She stared widely, never having imagined the world could be so full of magic – it was everywhere!

It was in the trees, in the earth, in the small plants and the insects too. It was muted and uncontrolled, but it grew and pulsed slightly with the hum of life. A flash of colour caught her, and Ginny concentrated to see a beautiful asphodel with big, starry pink flowers. In a flash, Ginny understood her first potions lesson. Yes – she could almost see how asphodel might contribute to a Draught of Living Death. In fact, it now seemed so obvious in the way the particular magic of asphodel grew through the plant; Ginny wondered how she had missed the connection before.

There were four years worth of potions knowledge suddenly crying out to her from the forest floor, but Ginny had been asked to find none of these. Hiss has said they were hunting, and that meant looking for animal life …

Again Ginny concentrated. She thought of mice, their pink noses and red eyes. She thought of their tiny feet pitter-pattering across the kitchen floor, and the way they squealed when Crookshanks caught one. She tried to keep her mind from one particular rodent – a rat she had fed and crooned too before his true existence had been revealed. She would not think about Pettigrew, she would think instead about mice …

She thought about how their tiny hearts fluttered, how their fur came in so many colours, and felt so soft whenever she caught one in a trap. She thought about how they might look in the forest shadows, their pink noses dirty from digging. She thought about how they might rustle in the undergrowth, and what they might look like with her second sight.

After a moment of thinking these things, Ginny opened her eyes.

Again she had to 'dim' her second sight, as it nearly blinded her. But she kept her balance this time, and quickly found the mix she was looking for. As she concentrated on mice, the other magic in this place seemed to fade out. There was only one type she was probing for.

After a few moments of searching, Ginny found it.

There – at the base of the tree just across her line of sight – there was a sort of sniffing presence. Ginny listened hard, focusing all her senses on that tiny flicker. She heard a rustle in the undergrowth. It wasn't exactly like the rustle she had imagined, but she knew in an instant it was a mouse.

Unconsciously her breath slowed and deepened, she paused – caught in the riveting tenseness that was the Hunt. It didn't matter that she was human, or a witch, or crouching here beside an oak tree in shorts and an old t-shirt. The only thing that mattered was the oblivious sniffling rodent, and how imperative it was that she not give herself away.

Searching for morsels as usual, its tiny brain warring with the prospect of no food beneath this tree and the possibility of food that might lie a bit more out in the open, the mouse poked its nose out from the undergrowth and sniffed deeply. Ginny drew silently further into the shadows. She willed her scent not to give her away.

The mouse apparently sensed nothing out of the ordinary. With a daring, though foolish step, it edged out from the foliage. It was still early, no owls were out yet. And the mouse was hungry, its empty belly urging it further and further away from the safety of its burrow. It quickly scanned the skies again, its tiny brain somehow understanding that here owls could be found at the most unusual times. But nothing flittered there.

The mouse crept forwards, its tiny pink nose alive on the ground, searching for food. Ginny tensed in her place in the shadows of the oak tree. She bent her knees noiselessly, and just when the mouse had sniffed all it dared and moved to turn away, she struck.

In a suddenly release of energy, Ginny leapt from her place behind the oak tree. She dove for the mouse, her hands taking the place of fangs and darting out to grasp hold of the tiny creature.

But the mouse was a little too fast for her. Human muscle's untrained for this deadly art fell short, perhaps two inches out of range as the terrified mouse scurried away. It dove into the comfort of its burrow, and lay shaking in its assembled nest.

Ginny knew she had missed her quarry, and she tried to duck her head and roll through her lunge. She was only half successful, and ended up sprawling forwards on the forest floor, the palms of her outstretched hands dirty and slightly scratched.

Hiss came slithering from his place by the oak, and Ginny winced as she sat up to look back at him. The absurdity of the situation hit her, and with a ringing laugh she released the last of the tension that had held her.

"I'm sorry," she gasped at Hiss, her breath coming out in waves of laughter, "I guess I'm ..." she snorted through her nose, and this only set her laughing harder, " … not cut out for hunting!"

Hiss twirled his tail in a smile, and his voice sounded amused. "You're dive wasss mossst impresssssive," he slithered onto her arm and up her small shoulders, "I don't believe I've ever ssseen anything quite like it."

Ginny giggled, and tried to stand, wincing a little as her knees protested. They, along with her palms, were filthy.

"Mum's going to kill me," she chuckled, trying to brush the dirt away from her knees. Some of it caked off, half-mud half-dirt, as the forest floor was slightly damp. "We're going to the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, and I look as if I was in a fist-fight."

Hiss wound himself across the back of her neck. When he spoke, his voice was a little more serious. "It wasss a very good effort for a firssst time, little sssnake. You're concentration wasss ssspecifically impressssive."

It was actually a little scary to think about it, how easy and natural it had all felt, but Ginny acknowledged this only on the very edges of her mind. It was something easier to laugh about then to think on. Ginny turned her head to grin at her friend, "Thanks Hiss, it was fun actually – though I scared that poor mouse out of its wits. I think it's learned its lesson."

Hiss grinned a snake's smile, "I believe it did, little ssssnake. One I am sssure it will never quite forget. In fact, I believe the image of you diving towardsss itsss ssshaking form sssshall be forever in my mind assss well."

Ginny laughed and turned them back towards the paddock. In truth they hadn't gone very far, and within seconds had crossed again from the half-shadowed forest into the brilliant afternoon sunlight.

A quick glance at the angle of the sun, however, revealed that they had been out far longer than she would have thought. Ginny turned back towards the Burrow and saw movement in the kitchen.

"It's probably almost time to go," she spoke softly to Hiss. He uncurled himself from her neck and wound back towards her ankle.

"Indeed it isss, little sssnake. Though it isss ssstill not quite four, they are waiting for usss."

Ginny sighed and bent down to lift her pant leg. Hiss crawled onto her right ankle and settled himself there. "You okay?" She asked him.

Hiss rested his head on his tail and closed his eyes in bliss. "Perfectly. If I am to die thisss afternoon, I would be happier no place elssse than by your ssside, little ssssnake. I will not leave you."

"That's right you won't!" Ginny agreed, a little more forcefully than she had intended. "And you're not going to die either. I am going to get us to Headquarters. One protected place to another, with no stops in between. And if you feel Tom calling to you, well you just tell him to bugger off, you hear me?"

Hiss flicked his tongue at her, "I did, little sssnake. In fact, I believe half the houssssehold heard you."

Ginny clamped a hand over her mouth and looked towards the Burrow. A mass of black hair had indeed turned her way, but Ginny doubted Harry had in fact heard anything. Sending a strong feeling of love down to Hiss, Ginny trooped them back towards the Burrow. The house still looked empty, but with her family waiting for her in the kitchen, Ginny felt it had some of its old spark back again.

"Ginny! Where were you? I've been calling! And what on earth did you do to your knees? Well no time to get cleaned up now. Get in, get in." Mum finally stopped to take a breath as she ushered Ginny into the kitchen. It seemed so much larger now, even with everyone standing together inside it.

"I wanted to look around," Ginny defended herself, though it was unnecessary as mum was already turning back to dad. He was handing out old candlesticks and broken butter beer bottles, and mum stood comparing each item to a piece of parchment. Bill, however, heard her, and gave Ginny a small encouraging smile.

Ginny smiled back, and then felt her insides tighten with fear as a broken goblet was thrust into her hands.

"Now," her father was saying, "each of you has a different portkey, one that has been tailored to your magical signature. It will take you to muggle London, in the alleyway beside Headquarters. The portkeys have been timed within a minute of each other. When you get to London, walk to between numbers eleven and thirteen. Think of the piece of paper you each read in which Professor Dumbledore wrote about Headquarters. When Headquarters appears, walk quickly to the door and enter. Wait in the front entrance for everyone to appear. I will take a head-count as soon as we all arrive." Dad looked to each of them in turn, "Got that?"

Ginny nodded shakily with the others, hoping her nervousness would be misinterpreted by the group. Tailored to our magical signatures? Damn …

Mum was looking at her watch. "Okay now," she checked the list again, "Bill's first. Ready Bill? Five … four … three … two …"

There was a sort of pop, kind of like when someone apparated, but it was mixed with a whoosh as Bill was snagged away. Ginny watched her eldest brother get jerked forward by his navel, and knew after a moment that he was in London.

Mum was looking back at her watch. "Charlie, you're next dear. Remember, if anything goes wrong …"

"I'll send the signal. I know mum."

Ginny started to panic. She felt Hiss clench around her ankle. If the portkeys were tailored only to them, then when she was whisked away, Hiss would remain. She couldn't allow that. But they couldn't stay here, especially by themselves. The wards wouldn't last much longer.

"Okay Charlie, get ready. Harry, you're next, dear." Mum paused, then, "Five … four … three … two …" There was another whoosh-pop, and Charlie, too, was gone.

Think, Ginny told herself desperately. She was breathing hard now, and unbidden her magical vision swam before her eyes. Glancing down to her ankle, Ginny saw Hiss coiled there, a tight ribbon of energy.

"Ready Harry? Remember go straight to the door, dear. I'm sure everything is fine, but you never know … No signal from Charlie or Bill, though, thank Merlin. Ready now? Five … four … three … two …"

Ginny was still staring at Hiss. Hermione looked at her concerned, but Ginny hardly noticed the motion. An idea was beginning to form in the back of her mind … it was crazy … it had never been done before … there was no way she could hold him through a portkey ….

"Hermione honey, you hold tight next. Ron, don't fidget, you're right after her. No it's too late to change the order, so don't look at me like that. Ready Hermione? Five … four …"

She had no choice; she had to at least try. Taking another deep breath, Ginny let her magical vision fill her mind's eye. She concentrated on Hiss, memorizing his every criss-crossing strand of magical energy, and then closed her eyes. She fought to keep the image there in her mind's eye. See him, she told herself, he's right there, picture him clearly …

"Okay Ron, your turn. Ginny dear, you're next now. Yes yes Ron … and I told you to stop fidgeting! Hold tight, now. Another moment … alright. Five … four … three … two …" Whoosh-pop.

Ginny had completely tuned herself out from the Burrow. Her mother's voice was just another part of the darkness that swam before her. A darkness that showed her nothing but her friend. Hiss filled her vision.

In her mind's eye, Ginny then pictured herself. She saw herself reach forward and take Hiss into her arms. He relaxed into her embrace, and she remembered all the times they had sat together in the paddock, how he had rested on her warm flesh. She took them into those memories now. She would hold him. She would protect him. He was coming with her and nothing, not even a portkey, could take him away …

… Vaguely, Ginny heard mum counting down for her now. She tightened her hold on Hiss, praying that it would be enough …

"Ready Ginny? Five … four … three … two …"

Ginny felt a jerk around her navel, but she also saw a strand of thick white energy. It was reaching towards her from some place far beyond what she could see. The cord of magic wrapped around her body, protecting her head, cradling her neck to reduce whiplash. When it reached her chest though, it stopped.

Ginny willed it forwards. She held Hiss in her hands; she covered him with her arms. He is here, but he is a part of me, she thought desperately, take him with us …

The portkey magic seemed confused. Outside this inner struggle, Ginny could hear her mother starting to worry.

"What's going on? Arthur, look at her – she's fading in and out! Something's wrong …"

Yes something was wrong. The portkey was backing off, it was denying her. Something wasn't right. It had been programmed for a very specific frequency, and this energy was off, not quite on target. Only slightly, but this magic had been made by Dumbledore, slightly meant quite a fair bit …

No! Ginny thought. She held Hiss tighter in her arms, he's not here, you don't see him, he's not here …

The magic paused … re-evaluating the situation. The frequency was changing again. Not only that, but it was growing in amplitude. The power-waves would have astonished the portkey, had it been capable of thought. Lucky for Ginny and for Hiss, however, it was not.

He's not here … you can't see him … he's not here … you can't see him … he's not here …

Had there been something wrong? The target appeared again with the prescribed frequency. The portkey would have shrugged, had it shoulders. Instead it wrapped itself around the target. Contact had been established, following original protocols …

Ginny felt the energy wrap around them. She held tighter onto Hiss, maintaining her mantra, he's not here …you can't see him … he's not here … she willed the energy to believe her … it seemed to be working …

There was another tug at her naval, and this time there was no pause. Ginny felt herself rushing forwards, the world became a blur of magical energies, each of them intertwined to form a tunnel that raced her through space. Ginny caught mind-tearing glimpses of other people, other places through which they past. It was all to fast – too much! She tried to close her eyes, but the vision was in her mind, seen with her magic. If she shut it off, she would lose her hold on Hiss. Her grip was precarious at best. Ginny hugged her friend tighter as the visions tore by … she wanted to scream out in pain …

And then it was over. With a jerk, Ginny fell to the ground. There were lose pebbles beneath her palms, hands already abused cried out in physical pain.

The pain tore her mind from its agonizing ride. She was surprised to find her hands out in front of her; she had thought she was still holding Hiss …

Hiss! Quickly, Ginny reached down and felt for her friend. He was there, still wrapped around her ankle. He appeared shaken, though. He was holding himself onto her so tightly she felt momentary fear for her bones. But Ginny hardly felt the pain; she was too elated that it had worked. She was here, in London, with Hiss …

Hiss, too, seemed to realize they had made it through the harrying journey. Just as he started to relax, however, he tensed again. Ginny, halfway raised to her feet, paused. What was wrong?

But then she felt it. It appeared on the edges of her senses, not quite a sound, not really a vision, more like some terrible caricature of each. It had a distinctive feel to it though, a feel with which she was far, far too familiar …

Darting forwards, Ginny sprinted out of the alley. She turned right and ran down the London street, looking desperately for number eleven. Hiss was violently spasming now. The waves of thought, of energy reached out to caress hear, but Ginny fought them away. They were seductive and painful, but did not seem quite pitched to her ears. Or her mind. There was an off quality to them. Hiss, however, seemed to hear it all magnified infinitum. He was losing his grip on her ankle now; Ginny could feel him slipping off into the magic that assaulted him.

Bugger off, Tom!

Reaching down, trying not to slow her pace, Ginny picked Hiss off her ankle. His eyes were half-closed, and he jerked in her hands. Ginny held him close, her eyes darting across the houses.

Number nine, number ten, number eleven …

Number eleven!

Ginny stopped suddenly, hoping beyond hope that the hard part was over, that she could get Hiss inside where he would be safe. Unfortunately for them both, the hard part had only just begun ….

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Hey All,

Another chapter! I'm trying to keep on a weekly schedule here. Keeps me writing ;-)

And now for some reader response:

Comet Moon – thanks for saying you'll also review at SIYE. I wonder if you'll notice any of the slight differences? Nothing much yet … the things I felt like changing actually sounded rather good when I read them. Mostly I cleaned up grammar, and once changed the POV

Paige2310 – Ginny's magical-sight thing is something like seeing auras, but twisted. She sees 'magic', and how it moves in a person. How it's controlled. It'll be coming up a fair bit, giving us a different look into people's personalities and things.

Weselan – Yay new reader! giggle Ahh Hiss .. everyone's favourite character so far. I'm glad you all like him, he pretty much wrote himself. As for bad things happening – well he's not having an easy time of it, is he? Bad Voldie!

Mindy – lol, love it when people review twice.  And thank you for the Ron quote! Definitely high praise! Yes, adventure is the overriding storytheme, mostly because so much has to have plot-wise, that if I focused too much on romance the plot would never go anywhere! It's slow enough as it is, my penchant for detail. blushes And yes, I do like to draw out the storyline. I'm wondering if people can guess what's going to happen before the end … hopefully I can protect most of the details. grins

Tina – you gotta give me more than that, honey! But thanks for the encouragement. Hope you liked this chapter.

SeleneA – Ahh Charlie. He doesn't go away soon, but he's not really a focus point. I'll bring him in when I can though. Mostly when Ginny needs a good thwack on the head ;-)

Vixen519 –he he, love the name. Thanks for the compliment!

Nymph-Patronus – lol – glad I can supply your Ginny-fix! My life is saved!! Ginny's so-called 'powers' are very interesting … I don't really see them as powers, so much as exploring more with her magic. Harry could see the same if he learned how. How important her abilities will be to the war, however, I can't really say. Obviously there's a place for them, or I wouldn't have written them in. But she's not about to lead a snake army against Voldemort, especially with his ability to charm back even her best friends. This chapter gave you the hint that her Potions mark will certainly go up, though! I know we've been long at the Burrow, but I can't see Headquarters taking too long before we're at Hogitty Hogwarts. I had to set everything up first, and the best place to do that was the Burrow.

Sic-itur-ad-astra – wild name! What does it mean, Mindy? I'm updating, I'm updating!! And the next chapter is written, but it's crying for more thought. So it'll be probably a week. Don't hurt me! snicker

sigh I LOVE reviews. So feeeeeeed me. Feeeeeed the button! Become a button-feeding-monster. You need me to finish the story so feeeeeed!!!