Ginny Weasley:

The Lion-Snake Prophecy

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

Chapter Eighteen: Answers and Questions

Ginny stared at the white-haired figure, willing her brain to ignore the half-moon glasses, the characteristic robes, and the perched fingers. But as her vision grew clearer, there was no denying such facts.

Dumbledore was here. Right here beside her. He was staring at her through his glasses, and there was no twinkle in his eye.

Ginny felt her throat constrict, her breath came fast but laboured and she could not look away. She was caught in the blue-eyed gaze of the man who had coached her, talked to her, comforted her, and finally betrayed her.

Sudden shouts from the painting of Mrs. Black broke the timeless silence. Ginny winced and looked away, tearing her eyes from Dumbledore's all-seeing gaze. Far below – two stories, three? – Mrs. Black could be heard roaring about werewolves and mudbloods. Lupin must have arrived. Ginny wondered if he was here to personally escort her to Azkaban.

"Ginny," the voice was low but kindly, and had moved in the general direction of the chair by her bed, "look at me."

She didn't want too. She really didn't want to. But Dumbledore's grandfatherly tone had a compelling quality to it. Ginny fought, but there was no strength in her will. It would be better to hear what punishment she faced from Dumbledore himself. She gave up and looked back to him.

"There will be no punishment, Ginny." Dumbledore's voice was still soft and kindly. "Not if you tell me what happened. Tell me everything that happened."

"E-everything?"

Her voice cracked, and Ginny hated herself for it. But Dumbledore always brought out the soft side of her nature. The weak side Tom laughed at.

The white-haired figure nodded. He looked once towards Hiss, who was still perched on the bed by her chest. There was a seriousness in his gaze; something she had only witnessed once in her admittedly short life.

Ginny took a shuddering breath. Everything.

"Wait." An idea came to her, "if I … if I tell you everything, if I answer all your questions, will you do the same for me?" Dumbledore looked back at her, a quality she could not read in his face. Ginny hurried on, the urgency she felt transferring itself to her voice. "If I ask you a question, will you promise to tell me the truth? The whole truth."

Dumbledore lifted one white eyebrow. "The whole truth takes a lot of telling, young Miss Weasley." He paused for a moment, "but if you desire, I will consent to tell you that which pertains to your own situation. Anything beyond that would require the consent of others."

Ginny nodded quickly, then winced. She was still sore. "I can accept that."

The Headmaster leaned back in his chair then, perching his fingertips together and closing his eyes behind his half-moon glasses. Ginny knew from past experience that this was her signal to begin.

And begin she did. It was difficult at first, but once she got going the words would not stop. She told him about the summer after her first year, about the nightmares that would not stop, and how she had met Hiss who had helped her. She described their building friendship, and quickly outlined her growing knowledge of the reptile world. She did not mention the prophecy, but instead explained how Hiss had helped her make sense of several things Tom had 'left behind' in her mind, like parseltongue. Ginny thought she saw a shadow pass itself over the Headmaster's face then, but he said nothing and so she continued.

She told him about returning to school, about Hiss remaining behind. She outlined the two years in which nothing extraordinary happened, except a few incidents with Professor Lupin and the (fake) Professor Moody. These interested him, she could tell, but they were not important for now. And so soon – far too soon – she arrived at the summer before fourth year.

Ginny explained a little of Grimmauld Place, and touched on the special relationship she had developed with Sirius. She did not elaborate on how much it had hurt her when she was ignored in favour of Harry, but Ginny thought Dumbledore understood. She explained how painful it was to leave Hiss behind that year, when they had had so little time together. Ginny briefly mentioned how Sirius had told of her of the Golden Trio's adventures in their third and fourth years, even of the graveyard duel, of which she had nightmares for a week.

Her fourth year passed quickly in her telling as well. There had not been much of interest besides that which Dumbledore was already aware. The DA had been an experience for her – the chance to practice a few of the more mundane spells Tom had left in her head – and Quidditch had been wonderful but frustrating. These were things that, important as they were at the time, hardly seemed of mention now.

Ginny didn't spend much time talking about the Department of Mysteries disaster. Indeed, having been knocked unconscious relatively early in the course of fighting, there was not much to tell. She picked up her narrative only once she had awoken from her brief coma in time to take the Hogwarts Express back to London with the others.

Dropping Harry off had been hard. He had seen so much, done so much, lost so much … to leave him behind with those horrible Dursley's had almost been too much itself. But Hiss had been waiting for her, and they had a lot to do before the return to Headquarters. Those few weeks without Harry passed rather quickly, in fact. Too quickly. There hadn't been enough time to enjoy herself before the realities of life came crashing back upon her.

It began the afternoon Harry returned. Ginny explained the anger she had felt from him, and why she had decided to meet him in the garden. When she arrived at the early morning scene in which Harry had shown up with the letter, Ginny felt her voice crack.

"I – I read it and saw what you thought. I didn't think it was possible. Hiss had seemed … I mean later he told me he would have known if I were being possessed again. He could smell it from me. I've learned to … to smell a little like that too. And I think he's right. He would have known.

But Harry would never have believed him, and at the time I wouldn't have believed him. I know you must be upset with him for going against your orders, but at the time I think it was the best thing to do. We had to know – both of us – what was really going on. So we did the Mind-Travel Spell you taught me in second year. We performed it that night."

Ginny was no longer looking at Professor Dumbledore. She could not bear to see the pitying empathy lurking in those eyes. So instead she focused on a particular section of peeling wallpaper that happened to lie directly across the room from her. The dim light was casting strange shadows onto the walls, and beneath that peeling paper loomed a particularly dark pit. It seemed as if the wall itself failed to exist behind the paper, as if a depthless hole hung there instead. Like a small glimpse into chaos.

"The spell went … alright I guess. We had a few false starts – places I thought were my home, but were not – before we finally arrived where we were supposed to be. We couldn't get in though. It was locked by a gate of snakes. There was a padlock in place. But we looked for signs of 'recent passage' just like you'd said too, and didn't see any. Harry tried to force his way in though, into my mind. And it … it didn't like that so much."

Ginny then explained about being thrust into Harry's memories, memories that she, oddly enough, had shared. As she still wasn't watching the Headmaster, Ginny did not know his reaction to this news, but she heard – or rather thought she heard – a tiny indrawn breath come from the direction of his chair. But she refused the instinct to glance at him.

She went on to say how, once they arose from the trip, the connection between them was visible when they concentrated on it. Ginny did not mention Hermione being pushed accidentally down the stairs, but rather explained that Harry, Hermione and Ron had been introduced to Hiss and to Ginny's parseltongue abilities. She explained how Harry had been watchful of her from then on. She thought he understood that she wasn't dangerous, but knew he wasn't about to take any chance.

Finally she arrived at the morning in question. Hiss had received orders – for lack of a better word – to accompany her, and she had tried to get in contact with him, Dumbledore, but had been unable too. She had decided, upon urging, to try and bring Hiss with her to Grimmauld Place anyways.

Ginny explained the portkey experience as best she was able, and how she and Hiss had to make a run for Headquarters with Tom on their tail. In attempting to explain the barrier that had prevented her from entering, Ginny stopped.

"I think," she began again after a moment of collecting her thoughts, "that it had been programmed not to kill me. And so it was only going to force us back into the street again. But with Tom hurting Hiss, I couldn't allow that. I … I gave it everything I had. I knew you would show up soon, and I hoped that – somehow – you might be able to turn it off. And so I tried to hold us there as long as possible. It wasn't enough though. It finally beat me, and I felt myself go down into the darkness again. I think I was going unconscious. But then something happened … something I don't understand."

There came a sigh from Dumbledore's chair, and this time Ginny was forced to look over at her Headmaster. He looked … exhausted. Old. No, more than old – ancient. He looked ancient and weary and almost as if he were considering giving up. Ginny felt as if a bucket of guilt had been poured on her. Dumbledore had so much he was dealing with at the moment … the last thing he needed was her making problems too.

After a moment, the Headmaster rose from his seat. Ginny felt fear mingle with her guilt, but she did not move from the bed. She still wasn't sure if she could, had she even wanted too.

The Headmaster did not actually leave the room, however. He simple opened the door a crack, and spoke to someone waiting in the hall. Ginny glanced towards the door, and saw a flicker of green light reflect itself onto the Headmaster's face. He had inside-out sound-proofed the room then. Ginny signed in relief. From the low tones that replied to the Headmaster's voice, she presumed it was Snape who had been waiting in the hall. She certainly did not want Snape knowing the details of her past few years, if she wanted anyone too.

The Headmaster waited by the door for a moment while the footsteps of her Potions Master sounded away. He was standing with his back to her, and Ginny had the impression that he was doing some deep thinking. With the circle of light only glancing upon the back of his robes, Ginny peered at her Headmaster. Was that dirt clinging to his robes? No, it was lighter than dirt – dust then. Why would Professor Dumbledore be dusty?

Footsteps echoed again along the hallway, forcing Ginny away from her thoughts, and they were distinguishable as two distinct sets the closer they came. Ginny tried to peer around Dumbledore to see who Snape had brought back with him, but she needn't have bothered. After a quick word of thanks to the Potions Master, Dumbledore turned and walked back into the room.

Leaving Harry standing alone in the doorway.

Ginny quickly drew breath, and was aware of Hiss sitting up straighter by her side. Harry's eyes – such a vibrant green in this dim light – flickered once to her friend and then back to Ginny herself. For a moment they stared at each other.

It was Dumbledore who broke the silence this time. "Come in, Harry. Come in." He conjured another chair with a flick from his wand. It appeared much more comfortable than his own. "Have a seat and tell us both what you saw downstairs."

At this Harry and Ginny looked towards Dumbledore, but the Headmaster avoided both gazes as he settled back into his seat. Ginny looked back to see Harry hesitate, then walk stiffly into the room. He sat in the comfortable armchair Dumbledore had conjured, but did not relax into it.

"I arrived in London after Charlie," Harry began, looking to Dumbledore and avoiding Ginny, "I walked up to … to Headquarters and the door opened for me. I waited in the entrance for Ron and Hermione, and when Ron arrived we went into the kitchen. Bill was getting out some sandwiches. I heard the door open and figured Ginny had arrived, but then I heard a … a kind of cut-off scream. I ran back to the entrance room, and Ron and Hermione were behind me. We saw Ginny," he looked towards her briefly, but Ginny hardly noticed. Instead she was thinking, I screamed?

"And she was, well, she was being held in midair by something we couldn't see at first. She was shaking, convulsing like under the Cruciatus curse. I – Ron – he wanted to do something, but Bill held him back. He didn't know what was going on. We could see Ginny was holding Hiss. She looked like she was trying to fight whatever held her, but a moment later she completely relaxed."

Harry glanced towards her again and this time Ginny met his eyes. There was something unknown lurking behind them. Then he looked to Dumbledore again and continued on. "Ron thought – well we didn't know what happened. She looked … almost dead. Hermione started crying, and I think Charlie or someone was yelling for you, sir. Then … I don't know what exactly, but I saw something …"

He hesitated, and Ginny felt her breath catch in her throat. Dumbledore seemed to lean forwards in his chair. "Yes Harry? What did you see?"

Harry's eyes dashed between Dumbledore, Ginny, and Hiss. "I saw – I thought I saw – some kind of snake, coiled around her."

Ginny felt her blood go cold, a snake?

"It looked," Harry was still speaking, and he sounded more hesitant than ever, "It looked almost like Nagini, Voldemort's pet. It was large like her, though I couldn't see any markings. It was coiled around Ginny like it could have squeezed and killed her at any moment, but it only looked like a shadow. Like a ghost or something. I might have said something, I don't know, but a moment after it appeared it looked at me. Right at me. Then it flicked it tongue once in the air and, and disappeared.

The next moment the shield that held Ginny released her and she fell to the floor. She seemed … incoherent. She tried to get away and was talking in parseltongue. Professor Snape eventually got her to the couch before the fire, and then brought her up here when you arrived and told him too. We waited downstairs until Mr and Mrs Weasley showed up, and Bill tried to explain what happened. He wasn't really able too. I think …" Harry glanced again to Ginny, "… I think they have a lot of questions still. They don't understand what happened."

Ginny let out a short, strangled laugh. "That makes three of us!"

She buried her head in her hands for a moment, and Hiss did what he could to comfort her. I don't want this, I don't want any of it. Please Tom, just leave me alone …But he wasn't going to leave her alone. Ever. Hadn't he told her that years ago? 'you are mine now, little Ginny. You gave yourself to me freely, and now I own you forever. You will never be free of me until the day you die so I shall live. Do you look forward to that day, little Ginevra?

A stupid question: she was still looking forward to it.

It was the silence from Harry and Dumbledore that make her look up again. Both men were watching her, Harry with caution and confusion, Dumbledore with a thoughtful gaze. Ginny looked to both of them, her hand automatically seeking Hiss. She stroked his smooth scales tenderly, taking what comfort she could.

"An interesting idea," Dumbledore spoke suddenly, softly. His ancient voice held a note of interest in it now. Looking over, he pierced Harry with a sharp gaze.

"Do you still have the letter with you, Harry?"

The sudden change of subject caught Ginny of guard. Harry also appeared startled. "The, the letter?" Dumbledore nodded and Harry reached into his back pocket. "I do, actually." He pulled out the carefully folded parchment.

Dumbledore reached out a steady hand, "May I see it please?"

Harry handed it over. Dumbledore unfolded it carefully and read it in silence, his eyes darting back and forth beneath his glasses.

Ginny and Harry watched him carefully, but the Headmaster appeared oblivious to their scrutiny. "Interesting …" he murmured, his voice that same thoughtful tone as before. When he finished he looked up again to Harry, "And you say it was delivered by Fawkes? And was addressed to you personally?"

Harry looked startled again, and Ginny felt a glimmer of hope …

"Yes, both sir. It was, and, and he did. Sir, are you saying …?"

Dumbledore nodded once and returned his scrutiny to the letter. He looked over its folded pages to meet Ginny's eye. "You are correct, Harry. I did not write this letter."

Hey Guys,

Wow, was this chapter ever hard to write. Dumbledore and I are still arguing over how much to reveal to you and Ginny right now. I think the letter is a wonderful place to start, but beyond that we have a conflict of interest. We're working on it though, wink.

I hope the 'story review' wasn't too long. I needed to be specific about what Ginny had told Professor Dumbledore, and what she had not (and of course, I wanted to remind everyone how this story falls into the context of Ginny's life and Harry's school years). I also needed a transition/explanation between the Burrow, all the excitement, and now Grimmauld Place. They will be hanging at Headquarters for a while, but then I promise school will begin soon enough.

So this chapter definitely look longer to post than it had been planned too, and I can guarantee that the next will take forever to post as well. March – as every University student knows – is a deadly month. And then I've got my two (yay!) med school interviews in April and then exams. So collective groan, I know. That said, the next chapter has no post date planned. I will get it out asap, but it might be a while.

ducks the thrown rotten tomatoes See Dave, you picked a horrid time to get involved in my writing …

I'd like to go through and post direct replies to people, but I want to get this posted and I actually - gasp! - am going out tonight. Girls night out, I know .. the world is dying of shock. Me, actually being social. Sigh.

So, I shall post this without further ado. Review review review! I need your comments, and I ESPECIALLY need to hear if I've made your favourites/author alert list! So extra-juicy hugs to those who already shared this leprechaun-dancing news.

But above all, if you like the story or hate it, please


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