AN: first of all. Individual responses!
Nightwing 509: CONGRATULATIONS! You are my first review…I didn't expect any one to review that fast but thanks! I'm going to make Hermione a really powerful witch in this so look out for more of her kicking some butt.
Iniysa: thanks! You know I didn't even think about it being a cliff-hanger I just got tired of typing but since it works that way, Good! You're lucky reviewer number two.
Thanks both of you for actually reviewing because it makes us writers feel good! Now onto the story!
The death eaters and dementors had broken through the wards surrounding the Burrow, and were marching purposefully toward the house. Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny all grabbed their wands and rushed outside. Mrs. and Mr. Weasley, Fred, George, and Tonks were firing off Patronouses, while Lupin, Moody, and Kingsley were left to fight the Death Eaters. Harry quickly launched his Patronous at some dementors before leaping in with Moody, Lupin, and Kingsley to help against the death eaters. 8 death eaters were bound and gagged, while the number of dementors was not decreasing.
He decided the death eaters were being dealt with fine, and left to go up against the dementors. He saw two closing in on Ginny and tried to come up with a happy thought. He thought of her letters to him. "EXPECTO PATRONUM" he bellowed, and his stag erupted from the end of his wand charging down the two dementors, causing them to flee for good.
Ginny got up, a little shaky, but ready to fight. Somehow, as she stood by him, casting off her dog-shaped patronus, he felt stronger, and couldn't help but notice the slight glow surrounding the both of them. He felt alive, and started firing patronouses 2 or three at a time, and in between, stunned a death eater or two. The glow was getting brighter by the minute He was feeling as if nothing could bring him down, as he made three more dementors flee.
He glanced over at Hermione, to see her facing off against no less than 6 death eaters, and without a scratch on her. He watched in awe as she stunned two and bound them in the blink of an eye. He then looked to Ron, who was finishing up with 3 more. Ginny, still beside him was also glowing fbrightly. She seemed to have let loose her rage against Tom Riddle as she ran over to assist Hermione, immediately catching some death eaters from behind, knocking them out of the battle.
The adults (now controlling the Dementors) watched, amazed, as the teenagers battled relentlessly against the unfortunate Dark Lord's followers. When all of the death eaters were bound or unconscious, they all teamed up against the dementors, who finally fled, realizing that they had lost the battle. As soon as the fighting was over, Aurors, Order members, Dumbledore, and the Minister of Magic arrived. "Dumbledore.." the minister stuttered.. "How did this happen?" He looked on with his mouth hanging agape.
" I think it is pretty self explanatory. Cornelius. I will explain the details to you later but I am afraid now you have some business to attend to.", gesturing to the fallen death eaters. "I trust you will take them into custody and keep them well guarded. After all, there are 20 here and some already in Azkaban, so we should be sure to not let them escape" Dumbledore said. Fudge hurried off to discuss the situation with the Aurors.
"Harry, Ginny, may I please talk to you for a moment?" He gestured to them to come over to talk. "Do you have any idea why you are glowing?" asked Professor Dumbledore with that ever-present twinkle in his eye. Harry suspected that Dumbledore already knew the answer, but wasn't willing to share it. "no sir." Harry replied. He glanced over at Ginny, what was looking very confused.
"Alright. We shall leave it there for now, and I will wish to speak to you when we get back to Hogwarts. Good job you two. I heard you were really something out there.", and with that, he left them.
Harry and Ginny looked at each other and shrugged, wondering why they had glowed. There was still a faint light coming from each of them but it was not as bright as it had been before. They soon re-joined the crowd to see who was injured. Tonks was once again off to St. Mungos, as well as Kingsley and Moody, but all other people had just minor injuries or bumps and bruises. "Hermione, Ron you were both great. You as well, Ginny. Thanks for distracting the Death eater behind my back with your bat bogie hex." He chuckled at the thought of the death eater running around with his hands over his face. Ginny smirked.
Mrs. Weasley was looking franticly about to make sure everyone was present. She shrieked and pulled all four of them into a bone-crushing hug. "Oh you were all amazing. I'm so glad that you're alright!" she said smiling, but in a short second switched modes drastically. "YOU COULD HAVE DIED! WHY didn't you stay upstairs where you were safe. You just be lucky none of you are hurt, or I'd have to kill you!" she continued to rant on about how they had put themselves in danger, but still gave them a sweet smile, before going to get some pie for them.
"Err-guys I still need to talk to you," he said, once again getting butterflies in his stomach as Ginny looked at him sympathetically. "Let's go up to Ron's room again, shall we?"
As they trudged upstairs, Harry was feeling nervous. He didn't want to tell his friends about the prophecy, but knew they were going to find out somehow anyway. As they got inside his room, they sat down, all looking expectantly at Harry. " I- err.. There's something that you need to know. At the end of last year, you know how Voldermort wanted the prophecy? Well it err- turns out that Dumbledore was there when the original prophecy was made….In fact it was made by professor Trelawney." Hermione let out a loud breath, but stopped herself from speaking. Harry continued on..
"Well this wasn't fake. Dumbledore knows what he's talking about. Well he told me what it said…." He repeated the prophecy just as he had done to himself many times this summer. "..for neither can live while the other survives.." Ron was looking at him blankly, as if he didn't understand. Hermione's lower lip was trembling, as tears welled up in her eyes, but Ginny's reaction was the worst of all. She was looking as if she understood, but didn't want to believe it…tears streamed down her face, as her hands started to shake. She tried to speak but found she couldn't. Hermione spoke first, "Harry…that doesn't mean- IT can't! oh Harry!" catching the look on Ron's face she tried to explain, but like Ginny, lost the ability to speak. Harry spoke for her.
"Ron. It means that I'm the only one who can defeat Voldermort. Either I kill him, or h-he kills me." The girls were openly crying and hugging each other by now. Ron's jaw dropped in shock. His voice shook as he said, "We'll do whatever we can to help you mate.." he stopped and embraced Harry in a brotherly hug. Harry felt his eyes stinging with tears, but held them in, just as he had held all other emotion in this summer.
After such a sad moment, Ron suggested they play a game of exploding snap. They all had a good time, but still hadn't forgotten about what had just happened. As they went to bed, Ginny stopped him. "Thank you for including me in all of this, Harry. I know you didn't have to." Harry was a taken aback. "Ginny, of course I wanted to share all this with you. You're one of the most important people in my life now. You have just as much of a right to know as anyone else." He couldn't believe that she thought she wasn't a major part of his life now. She looked really pleased.
"Well thank you, Harry." she said blushing a little. "That really makes me feel better. Remember.. If you need to talk, my door is always open." she said before kissing him briefly on the cheek, then departing. Harry touched his face when she had kissed him… it was still tingling, and the butterflies in his stomach were closer to the size of eagles. He knew she was just trying to make him feel better, but it did heighten his spirits slightly.
As he entered the room he was sharing with Ron, he was still slightly dazed. Ron must have noticed, because he soon asked him, "Harry what's up? You're acting like you're in some kind of a trance." Harry jerked his head up towards Ron. "I'm just a little tired. I'll talk to you in the morning. Goodnight"
As he turned out the lights, he knew that for this one night, he would not have nightmares about the department of mysteries. He would once again be distracted with thoughts of Ginny.
AN: ok tell me what you think…a couple of big things happened in this chapter…! I will try to update every day or every other day! The word count should be up in no time! PLEASE REVIEW! Thanks to you people who did! Oh and I'll keep up the I.R.s as long as you review!