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Ginny Weasley kept running until she reached a door, flung it open, and burst outside. Once out there she slowed down, put her hands on her knees, and took a deep breath. When she started breathing more normally she looked up and glanced around her. It looked like a perfect day. The blue sky was tinged orange as the sun began to set behind the mountain in the distance. It was warmer than usual with a slight cool breeze. The grass was green and nightingales were singing a happy tune at a nearby trees. Ginny couldn't understand it.
How can everything be so perfect when I'm living the biggest lie of my life?
She kept walking until she reached the lake. When she reached the shoreline, she looked at her reflection in the water. Ginny didn't recognize herself. She looked worn and tired. Her face was paler than her usual cream complexion and it made her freckles stand out even more. She had dark bags under her eyes and her hair hung flat. Ginny looked at her eyes. They looked dead, as though the sparkle was ripped from them. I guess in a way it was. No wonder everyone is asking how I am.
Ginny looked away, angered that she hadn't realized the drastic difference in her appearance and wishing she had paid more attention. If I had realized then I could have done something. Makeup, hair spell, that suntan charm that Lavender was talking about. Oh well, I can't go back in time.
Deciding that she'd figure out what to do about her appearance later, Ginny walked away from the lake and sat down on a rock nearby. She watched the ripples play on the water's surface. The sun continued to set and the sky got darker and darker. The darkness appealed to Ginny. She felt like she fit better in the darkness now than in the light. In the light she had to hide all that was happening to her and all that she was feeling. In the darkness she was free. She could feel what she was feeling, try to accept what was meant to be, and rail at the injustice of it all. The darkness felt comfortable, like her seat in front of the fire. Ginny put her knees up and hugged them close. And as she tightened her hold she started to remember her dream.
"Ginny," Ron was yelling, "You can't do this!"
"He's right," said Hermione in a much calmer tone as she put a hand on top of Ron's to quiet him down, "You're dead if you try this alone."
Ginny looked around and noticed that she, Ron and Hermione were sitting in the library at a large wooden table. Ron looked angrier than she had ever seen him. His face was flushed red and smoke was practically blowing out of his ears. Hermione looked angry too, but in a more reserved fashion. There was steel in the look that she was sending Ginny. But there was also something else, there was fear.
"It's my fault in the first place," Ginny heard herself saying.
"Nobody blames you Ginny," Hermione said softly.
"Ginny, don't do this. Dumbledore's gone to get help. We should all just wait here. Harry'd want us to," Ron said pleadingly.
"You were always the one to break the rules and help Harry when he was in trouble, what's so different now?" Ginny's voice was deceptively calm. "You risked death for him before, why can't I?"
"Ginny, it's different..." Ron started.
"Why?" Ginny demanded, "I care about him too you know."
"Ginny, don't go kill yourself because of some crush," Ron said abruptly.
Ginny felt a pain in her stomach at her brother's words.
"God," Ginny started as she looked at Ron incredulously, "I thought you knew me. I thought that after all these years as my brother you would know me better than that. So what if I had a crush on Harry? He's my friend, and yours too I might add, and he deserves to live. He saved my life once..." Ginny paused to look directly at her brother who was looking decidedly uncomfortable. "And I'd like to return the favor."
With that, Ginny stood up and walked out of the library, leaving Ron and Hermione in shock.
All of the sudden the corridor started to swirl and a mist rose from the floor. As everything started to blur Ginny reached her arms out and tried to find something to grab onto.
A few moments later, the mist started to subside and the ground beneath Ginny stabilized. Her outreached hand touched someone's robe and all of the sudden Ginny was pushing her way through a crowd that had gathered in the main corridor. Ginny reached the middle of the crowd and looked at the ground where everyone was standing. Ginny felt the shock and terror rise up in her as she saw Colin Creevy lying on the tile floor, unmoving. She ran to his side and knelt down beside him, holding his hand and softly touching his face. His face was so pale and his hand was cold. Ginny could feel wetness on her face and knew she was crying.
Madame Pomfrey burst through the crowd and shooed her away. Somebody took Ginny's hand and led her away from Colin's body. They put an arm around her and hugged her, but Ginny barely felt it. Somehow she knew that this was all her fault. Her friend died because of something she had done.
As Ginny walked down the corridor it began to change again. The ceilings lowered and turned to stone. She was walking in a tunnel and following a path with many twists and turns. Soon the tunnel opened up and Ginny was in a large stone chamber with tall ceilings.
"So Miss Weasley, you've finally decided to arrive," said a voice dripping with evil.
Ginny to her right and saw two lone figures. One was Voldemort. He was wearing a hood that obscured his face and stood a half a head taller than the figure to his right. Harry.
Ginny started to walk towards them and Harry turned around to look at her. His face was full of surprise and confusion. A lock of jet-black hair fell in front of his eyes, but Harry didn't brush it away. He just continued to stare at her as she walked in his direction. He looked as though he was trying to tell her something, but Ginny couldn't read his emerald eyes. She turned back toward Voldemort and stopped right in front of him. Stifling her fears, Ginny looked up at him.
"Well, you've certainly grown up since I saw you last," Voldemort said smoothly, "Pity you didn't die then. You've kept me behind schedule."
Ginny shivered at the way Voldemort talked about her death. As if her being alive was some sort of inconvenience. Her brush with death first year had almost been the cause of Voldemort's rebirth. Instead, Harry himself had inadvertently been the cause of Voldemort's current state. Ginny looked into Voldemort's face and saw no physical resemblance to Tom Riddle. His face had been so distorted and mangled by the Dark Arts that Ginny could only recognize him by the sinister glint in his cold gray eyes. It was the same glint that had been in his eyes first year in the Chamber as he slowly sucked the life out of her and told her calmly and darkly that she was a stupid, foolish girl.
Voldemort continued on. "No matter. It will be more entertaining now."
"Leave her alone!" Harry cried out from beside her. He was struggling to move, but it wasn't working. In fact, Harry hadn't moved since she got here and Ginny realized that he was probably stuck in one place by some sort of enchantment.
"You shouldn't meddle in other's affairs Potter, it's rather rude," Voldemort said as he turned away from Ginny and looked at Harry instead.
Ginny knew that something bad was happening as soon as Voldemort raised his wand. Oh, why hadn't Harry just kept silent! Ginny tried to think of something that could work as a distraction, but before she could do anything, Voldemort aimed his wand at Harry and muttered "Crucio."
Harry screamed and slumped to the ground, writhing in agony. Ginny rushed over to him and pulled him into her arms. Harry passed out from the pain. Ginny stroked his hair lovingly and then turned toward Voldemort in anger.
"Why can't you just leave him alone!" Ginny screamed. "It's me you want."
Voldemort put away his wand and slid over to where Ginny sat holding Harry. "That's where you have it wrong, my dear," He said silkily. "I have great need for both of you."
"Why?" Ginny asked, "Why can't you just take me and let Harry go?"
"Because the only way that I can ensure that you keep your promise is if Harry Potter is dead. We can't have him coming to your rescue, can we?"
Ginny looked down at Harry. He would try to rescue her. Harry Potter was always the hero. Ginny didn't think he knew any other way to be. She couldn't let Voldemort kill him though, there had to be some way that she could save him.
"What promise?" she heard herself asking.
"We'll go into that later, in great detail." Voldemort evaded.
"Just let Harry go and I'll do whatever you want."
Voldemort made a face where it looked like he was trying to smile. It came out as more of a twisted smirk.
Harry had started to stir and moved to get up.
"No Gin, don't," he said weakly.
Ginny looked down at Harry and knew that she had to do anything in her power to save him. She stood up and faced Voldemort.
"Just let him go," she said firmly.
"Well Miss Weasley, I think I might take you up on your offer," Voldemort said slowly.
"Ginny, don't!" Harry said as forcefully as he could as he tried to push himself up to a sitting position.
"Just let him go and don't harm him and I promise to do what you want," Ginny said as she tried to ignore Harry's protests. She would do anything, even make a deal with the devil, to save the one she loves.
"Agreed," said Voldemort as though he had just won a clever chess match. He held out his hand and Ginny shook it, feeling a cold shiver down her spine when her hand touched Voldemort's. Harry was standing up by now and looking at the linked hands in shock. He still couldn't move more than a foot from that spot on the floor.
Ginny released her hand quickly and rubbed it on her robe trying to get rid of the slimy feeling. Then she looked back at Voldemort.
"Let him go!"
"I'll let your little boyfriend go in a minute girl," Voldemort said sharply.
Boyfriend? Ginny thought.
"It seems to me that we're in an interesting predicament here," Voldemort continued, "You see I can't just let him go, I'd much rather see him die."
"Then kill me and let Ginny go," Harry said from behind her.
"Harry don't say that," Ginny pleaded as she looked at him. He looked so brave and noble standing there, trying to give his life to save hers. Turning back to Voldemort she spoke, "You promised you wouldn't hurt him!"
"Yes," Voldemort conceded, "But I never said that someone else couldn't help me get rid of my little Harry Potter problem. And who better than his girlfriend?"
"I'd never hurt Harry," Ginny said firmly.
"Well you did make a promise to do anything I wanted you to do," Voldemort said slowly.
"You broke your end of the bargain, it doesn't count anymore," Ginny said angrily.
"Well, I guess I'll just have to insure your cooperation then," Voldemort concluded as he took out his wand. "Imperio!"
Ginny felt light, like she didn't have to worry about anything anymore. She barely registered what was happening until Voldemort whispered his command.
"Kill him."
Ginny tried to fight it, but she started walking towards Harry against her own volition. Harry, who was standing silently in place looked at her with widened eyes. Ginny took out her wand and pointed it at Harry.
She was screaming inside trying to break the curse, but nothing was working, she had lost control of her body. It was just like first year. Voldemort was once again in control of her actions. Only this time she was sure that she would remember what she did.
It was like she was watching a film and she couldn't press stop. She saw Voldemort a few steps away grinning evilly and wondered how one person could contain that much malice. Evidently he wasn't much of a human anymore.
She looked down at her wand and then up at Harry. He looked shocked and scared and uncertain. He was still shaking from the effects of the curse, but was standing there bravely. She looked into his emerald eyes and they changed. They now held a look of complete faith and trust.
Ginny's hope resurged and she tried anew to break the curse. But just as she started to summon her will she heard her own voice, steady and calm.
"Avada Kedavra."