Author's Note:
'This is a contest entry for the Dracolov challenge! If you would like to enter you must e-mail Dracolov, her e-mail is in her profile. The last day to enter is 12/1/04. Please R & R (read and review) and thank you for reading my story.
Disclaimer:
I don't own any of the orginial Harry Potter character because I am not that creative...but I wish i was...I only own the plot and my characters.
chapter 13: Desperate Measures
"Tsk, tsk...what have you gotten yourself into Severus?" Disappointment reigned supreme in Dumbledore's eyes as he stared down upon the man behind his spectacles.
"Innervate." BJ chanted so that Snape could respond to the Headmasters upcoming interrogation.
"Albus, it had to be this way."
"Really? Was your biological clock ticking?"
"You know better than that. Voldemort is gone now but is anything really better?" Snape spat cynically.
"Of course it is. There was peace and freedom, until now that is."
"Peace? Freedom? All I've seen is pain and anguish. If anyone tries to state otherwise, the Ministry quiets them quickly and sweeps everything under the rug while the mortal realm grows more and more curious every day. The end is inevitable even if you and your supporters want to believe differently."
"Who approached you with this plan?" Dumbledore decided to change tactics.
"Isn't it obvious?"
"Explain it to me." the Headmaster persisted.
"It starts with an offer that I couldn't refuse."
"And what would that be?"
"A world full of opportunities..."
"You already had that or hadn't you noticed?" BJ jumped in from frustration at his ignorance.
"No, people like me don't have that." he shot back with a glare.
"But what exactly was going to change?" Dumbledore asked in confusion.
"They were going to make me who I was always meant to be."
"Seems that they fulfilled half the deal already, is that right?"
"So the crafty little witch told you?"
"Didn't have much of an incentive to keep the secret." BJ scoffed.
"This puts you in a bind, you realize that don't you?" Dumbledore informed the bound deceptor.
"I'm sure that we could work out something with the Ministry....Arthur would be very interested to know..."
"I wouldn't be so sure Severus. Especially in light of who the father of your child is."
"How did you know?" Snape exclaimed at the realize that his house of cards was falling in around him. Dumbledore simply stood there with an expression on his that cried out "I always know". Recognizing his lack of hope or options, Severus gently laid his head back on his pillow and silent wished for the "Avada" curse verses Azkaban.
-----------
Hermione and Harry watched the scene slowly unfold before them of the two siblings going toe to toe and realized that this maybe the opportunity that they had been looking for. Hermione was slowly beginning to stand, sure to keep one eye on the feuding couple, yet making her way towards Harry and the body of Parisa. Moving at a snails pace, she was just another step from being able to release him when a movement in the shadows caught her attention.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" Harry whispered.
"Look, over by the door...do you see it?" she whispered back.
"See what?"
"Like a quiver in the room. Maybe it's like a porthole..." she speculated.
"Hurry up and get me down before they see you." Harry pleaded. Hermione stood up and quietly unchained him but as she reached to unchain Parisa, Harry stopped her.
"Don't bother with her, we need to get out of here now."
"No, you don't understand it's..." she began to explain just as Ron caught sight of sight of them. For a moment Harry thought he was alert Ginny until he saw Ron's smile broaden, the old Ron was back though how or why was not readily apparent.
"I don't what you're playing at Ginny but you'd better start explaining or I'll put an end to this myself." Ron threatened her pulling her farther away from their captives.
"What difference does it make? The whole point of this was too make them pay, wasn't it?"
"No, the point was to set things straight. You told me that she used me to ahead but that wasn't how it really was, was it?"
"She used you to get closer to Dad, remember?"
"I don't believe that anymore. I think you twisted everything to get back at Harry, I don't think that any of this had anything to do with Hermione or muggles. How could take advantage of me like that?" Ron fumed as his suspicions became clearer.
"I didn't need you or anyone to get back at him. This is about the downfall of the magical world by those who wish to intergrate it with the mortal world, nothing more...nothing less." she defended vigorously.
"Really? Then why kidnap Harry and hold him captive? Why not just dispose of Tara or just kill him outright, could it be because you wanted something else from him?"
"Like what?"
"Maybe another mind and body exchange with someone who does actually want you...someone like Flint?"
"How did you know about that? Were you spying on me?" she spewed.
"So it is true. You just wanted vindication to the world and make the masses rally behind power couple of Harry and you?"
--------
"Harry....Harry?" Hermione billowed lightly trying to pull his attention away from the altercation and back the matter at hand.
In her peripheral vision, Hermione saw Parisa's body fall to the floor and a hushed voice said "Innervate" to revive her. She knew the hypnotic voice sounded familiar but it didn't immediate hit her as to who it was.
"Harry, we have to go." Parisa said as she took him by the hand and began to lead him away before his shot away from her.
"I'm not going anywhere with you."
"Harry it's Tara." Hermione comforted.
"What? That's not Tara, I've never seen this woman before in my life." Harry begged to differ.
"I'll explain in a minute if you just come with us."
"Accio wands" Hermione called out in order to arm them but as Hermione's wand levitated from Tara's pocket, she turned to see what was going on.
"No...stop them Ron!" she shouted in vain.
"Dumbledore!" Hermione chanted after grabbing Harry and Parisa's hands to apparate to their former Headmaster.
A second transparent voice called out the same leaving Ginny to believe that she'd heard an echo until the resounding Pop which followed indicted that someone or ones were also there....but who was it? Unfortunately for her, she was far too concerned with the new developments to place the voice to be that of Draco. The only she really knew at that moment was that her plan was falling apart before her very eyes and she was powerless to stop it.
----------
Dumbledore turned around at the sound of the first Pop which announced the appearence of Hermione, Harry and Parisa and was just about to embrace Harry when the second Pop foretold the presence of someone else though no one was there. Everyone was looking around fearing the worst when they heard a mysterious voice call out "Appareo" to unveil Draco and Sapphire standing there with them all.
"Draco, what are you doing here?" Hermione exhaled relieved that it was him and not Ginny or Ron.
"We followed you."
"So you're the one who I saw?"
"What the hell is going on here? Who is she? Where did you find Harry?" BJ was rattling off questions so fast that she thought she would faint from the exertion of it.
"We need to get out of here. Ginny won't be far behind us." Draco reasoned.
"Ginny? Ginny Weasley, why would we care if she came?" BJ questioned.
"Professor, where can we go?" Hermione asked the rather calm looking man before them. With a simple flick of his wand, a bubble appeared to close around the large group and Dumbledore shouted out "Beauxbaton" pulling everyone away in an instant. In a matter of seconds, the group was standing the expanse of a beautiful sprawling grounds in the French countryside.
"Follow me and we shall sort everything out." Dumbledore ordered the group and they followed without protest. "Madame Maxine?"
"Albus?" came a heavily accented French dame's reply.
"Sorry for the intrusion but we need a place for my group to talk...in private."
"Merci, is all ok?" she asked.
"I will explain more later after I know the situation myself."
"Qui." she complied and lead them to her office so they would not be interrupted. After she left, Dumbledore turned to the others to begin the briefing.
"Who wants to go first?" he requested.
"I will." Hermione piped up instantly. "This all started with Draco's company secretly working on a way to transfer mind and bodies under the instruction of the Priory of Sion."
"Priory of Sion?" Harry chirped.
"An ancient group of wizards who have been working to prompt the takeover of the world by magic with them as the supreme rulers." Draco answered immediately.
"I was sent by the Ministry to see how much Draco knew and I assumed to stop him but that's not really why I was there." Hermione continued.
"She was sent by the Minister to distract Draco from the Priory's true motives until it was too late to stop them."
"Why would Arthur do that?" Harry asked knowing it was true but trying to understand how it all happened.
"We believe that Ginny instigated the whole thing but we're not sure exactly why other than to get back at Hermione and Harry." Draco replied.
"But who's plan was this to begin with?" Dumbledore questioned.
"Either Ginny or Parisa. But I would bet on Parisa." Draco offered.
"Then why did you bring her with you?" Snape jumped in.
"Because she's Tara in Parisa's body." Hermione replied.
"And where or shall we say, in who's body is Parisa?" came Dumbledore.
"Ginny's body."
"No...that can't be." BJ shouted.
"Why? Unless, where is Ginny right now?" Hermione's eyes widened as she realized that she'd never asked herself that until now.
"She's at the Ministry....with Arthur." Sapphire told them.
"That's really bad, isn't it?" BJ shot the question at Dumbledore realizing that they could all be wanted for Merlin knows what by now.
Dumbledore was about to answer when Madame Maxine returned to the office with a less than pleased expression on her face. "Read this." she spat as she threw a piece of paper to Dumbledore.
---------
"What are we going to do now?" Ginny screamed vehemently at Ron while pacing the floor.
"We? We aren't going to do anything." Ron laughed.
"Everything is falling apart and it's all your fault. The Priory has killed people for less and I won't save you now."
"I don't think they will be too happy to know that you've been manipulating their resources to get revenge on Harry, do you?" Ron reminded her.
"I didn't do anything wrong."
"You and Parisa hatched a plan of your own, didn't you?"
"For the good of everyone. We were going to control the two most powerful men in the magical world. The only true obstacles to the Priory." she admitted feebly.
"No, you were plotting to get the mates that didn't want either of you. You put the entire Priory at risk for your romantic conquests. It's your lies and your egos that are to blame, not me."
"If you would have followed the plan then no one would have any the wiser. But you just had to grow a conscience and distract me."
"You do what you want, I'm going to have a chat with Dad. This has to stop...you have to be stopped before someone else gets hurt." Ron stated firmly.
"Of course, Dad..."
"What are you planning?"
"I'm sorry it had to be like this but you leave me no choice..."
"No, you wouldn't..."
"Oh but wouldn't I?" Ginny smirked as she raised her wand to stop him. "Avada..."
"Ginerva Weasley...what are you doing?" came an unexpected and startling familiar voice.
Author's Notes:
First of all, thanks for the reviews as always and welcome to new reader Kim.
Thanks to the returning readers: Obbsesive, Felicity2, slyswn28, dracolov/Mr. Big Bad and sugan n spice 522.
Kim...thanks for the compliments on the storyline...I wanted something different from anything else that you will read on the site and I'm glad to see that I have accomplished that.
slyswn28...Ginny is going to get exactly what she deserves and very soon...
Obbsesive...I will check out Digital Fortress and let you know how I like it.
sugar n spice522...I will be looking forward to more on your stories soon
Finally, thanks to Dracolov and Mr. Big Bad for encouragement and sponsoring the contest.....enjoy this chapter and review, review, review.....
