Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling, Warner Brothers and its various publishers own Harry Potter. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.
A/N: Would anyone believe I've been locked in a cave for a while? Anyway, I am so sorry for the delay. It couldn't be helped. Thanks for taking the time to read and review! Notes to reviewers are at the end of the chapter.
Chapter 33
Fight and Flight
Once outside the infirmary, Hermione took off running as if a dragon was chasing her. Worried and a little disconcerted, Ron trailed after her. He couldn't remember seeing her so flustered -- well, other than that time behind the Charms section in the library and that was a different kind of agitation altogether. He couldn't see why she was so upset. It's not like Malfoy had told them when Hogwarts would be under attack. It could be weeks away.
The first place they searched was the Great Hall. While quite a few students were still enjoying a late breakfast, the only people seated at the staff table were Professor Sinistra and Madam Hooch.
Ron longed to pluck one of the warm scones off of the heaping tray in front of him, but Hermione grabbed the front of his robes and said, "Not now…we have to find Dumbledore." Leaning into his ear, she whispered, "The castle could be under attack at any moment."
He knew there was no point in arguing. Casting a regretful glance back at the scones, he followed her clicking heels out of the hall and down several corridors. They were still running at a fair pace by the time the Headmaster's gargoyle was in sight.
Her curly hair more tangled than usual and her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath, Hermione said, "Sherbet lemons."
The gargoyle refused to open. She pressed her hand to her side, and grimaced. Her forehead was furrowed in pain.
"Do…do you know the new password, Ron?"
"How about Mars Bars?" he asked, looking expectantly at the statue. When it didn't work, he shrugged and added, "That's the one Ginny and I used the other day. Dumbledore must change his password all the time. Can you think of any other sweets?"
Straightening her back, Hermione dutifully began to list all the confections in Honeydukes. Ron had a horrible sense of déjà vu, of standing by Ginny while she went through the same list.
Before long, Hermione's voice was hoarse and Ron was out of ideas. In fact, his mind had wandered back to the scene in the infirmary. He cleared his throat and interrupted.
"Do you reckon Ginny'll be all right?" he asked. "Maybe we shouldn't have left her with that arrogant git."
Halting her litany of sweets for a moment, Hermione whispered, "Hogwarts' walls have ears…we shouldn't speak about any of this out here."
Ron looked around suspiciously. He had noticed several paintings eyeing them as he and Hermione ran down the passageway.
Seemingly softened by Ron's expression, she added confidently, "Ginny'll be fine. Mal…I mean he won't wake up for hours. By then we'll have Dumbledore to sort out this mess."
Smiling bravely for Hermione's sake, Ron knew in his heart that his sister hadn't been fine since Harry had gone missing. Not knowing anything about Harry's fate was difficult for him, but he knew his sister was getting desperate. There was no telling how Malfoy's ruse had affected her. If they couldn't sort out what had happened, she might never be the same.
Ron couldn't stand the thought of losing her, too. No one had dared say it out loud, of course, but one fact was clear. Malfoy showing up at Hogwarts pretending to be Harry meant someone on their side was pretty sure the real Harry was gone for good. He really hoped that thought hadn't occurred to Ginny. As soon as they spoke to Dumbledore, he was planting himself right by her side. He might not be able to help Harry any more, but he wasn't going to let anything else happen to his sister.
He turned to the gargoyle and started pounding on the stone, joining Hermione in randomly naming sweets.
As Hermione stepped up and began to strike the statue with him, a deep bell rang. It sounded almost like a gong, a warning raining down on them from deep within some Hogwarts watchtower. The two of them hammered at the stone frantically and shouted, but the gargoyle didn't budge.
After Ron and Hermione left, Ginny stared at the sleeping figure in front of her. She'd seen him when he first arrived, covered in blood. Those wounds were real. If they had done all that just to make Malfoy's illusion seem genuine, what had they done to Harry? And he was out there -- she just knew it. Somewhere in the world, the real Harry was all alone and wondering what happened to all his friends.
Dumbledore, the Order, her parents…they'd all searched for weeks without telling her anything. Even Ron and Hermione had decided to look for Harry without her. They'd closed her out entirely, expecting her to swallow her worry and be patient while they handled everything. And every time she'd brought the subject up, they'd all reacted the same way, trying to comfort and calm her instead of letting her help.
As though this was the time for calm. Without Harry life would…well…she simply refused to contemplate that thought any further. It wouldn't help her find him…and there was something, or at least someone who could help her search.
Staring at the dot floating on the parchment in the fencing practice room, Ginny tried to focus. She looked through her rucksack and found the Portkey that Harry had made for her all those months ago, the one that would bring her back to the infirmary if she was in trouble. She slipped it into her pocket, then made sure Harry's Invisibility Cloak was tucked inside her rucksack. Glancing around, she grabbed the bag of chocolates off Malfoy's bed. Then she hurried out of the room.
Unceremoniously shoving the infirmary door open, Ginny hit a solid object. She heard a voice cry, "Oomph…oww!"
She recognized that voice. "Neville?" she asked, opening the door more cautiously the second time, Ginny winced at the sight of him clasping both hands over his bloodied nose.
"Whad's da 'urry?" he asked.
"Oh…ew…I am so sorry," Ginny said, ignoring his question.
"Dats all righ', Ginny." Neville said, still pinching the bridge of his bloody nose. He pulled a big white handkerchief from his pocket.
Ginny covered his hand and said, "Please, it was my fault, I'll fix it."
She pulled her wand and uttered a quiet Healing Charm. Then she uttered a fairly effective cleaning spell.
Neville tucked his handkerchief back into his trousers.
"I came down to find Harry," Neville said, smiling and patting his pocket. "There's something I want to show him."
Despite these mysterious words, Ginny couldn't bring herself to care about whatever surprise Neville had for Harry. Her own worries were pressing in and she didn't feel like she had time to explain everything to him. She smiled, hoping she seemed natural, and said, "Actually…he's sleeping. But there's something I have to do right now. Something that really can't wait."
She tried stepping around him, but he moved in the same direction and blocked her path.
In a distant tower, a bell began to ring, slow and persistent.
"What's that?" Neville asked, looking around the empty corridor, as if he could discover the source of the noise nearby.
"I'd have to say that it's a rather large bell," Ginny answered, trying to edge around him without being too obvious about it.
"All right…I meant what could it mean?" Neville said, confusion knitting his brow.
Finally brushing past him, she mumbled, "Sorry, Neville…but I have to go."
Back over her shoulder, she shouted, "Ron and Hermione should be back any minute. Maybe they'll know."
With that, Ginny hurried toward the fencing practice room to confront Rhys. The entrance hall was crowded with students. The heavy front doors had already closed with a dramatic boom. The magical locks were still twisting and turning into place. Ernie Macmillan and the other prefects were waving their arms, shouting for the students to follow them to the common rooms.
She fought her way down the staircases against a crush of people, glad that — despite the fact that some had called out to her — none of them had tried to stop her. Fortunately, Ron and Hermione were nowhere in sight.
Ginny ran past some wide-eyed Hufflepuff first years and down the passageway to the practice room. The deep gong of the bell drove her forward, her shoes slapping against the cobblestones.
She checked the map to make sure Rhys was still alone. Years of being the youngest in the family had taught her the importance of stealth. As she reached the final turn, she swung the Invisibility Cloak over her, pulling the silvery fabric close around her face.
The door to the practice room stood open. Rhys sat on the floor, idly twirling a wand in his hand as though he hadn't noticed the warning bell.
As she drew closer to him, she realized a second wand was on the floor next to him, within easy reach. Except for spinning the small length of wood in his hand, Rhys held perfectly still. The dark circles under his eyes made him look much older and grim creases were set into his otherwise handsome face.
Part of Ginny softened at the sight. He seemed so sad, but right now, he also appeared to be her only hope of finding Harry. She didn't plan on leaving things up to the others any longer. Under cover of her cloak, she aimed her wand and said two soft spells in quick succession, "Accio Wands! Colloportus!"
Both wands near Rhys flew into her free hand, seeming to vanish into thin air. The door slammed shut with a resounding bang.
Startled, Rhys was instantly on his feet, casting his head from side to side, presumably in search of the disappearing wands.
Without speaking, Ginny dropped them and her rucksack on the floor by her feet, then stepped out of the Invisibility Cloak.
"Oh…I should've known." Rhys folded his arms defensively.
"You and I need to talk," Ginny said, pointing her wand at him and watching him closely as he tracked her movement further into the room.
Arms still folded across his chest, Rhys stood still and stared. For a full minute neither of them spoke. The deep sound of the warning bell, muffled by the closed door, was the only noise in the room. It was Rhys who finally broke the staring contest.
"I knew Bill and Charlie at school, you know."
Without waiting for her to answer, Rhys shifted his gaze to the floor and shuffled his feet, giving the appearance that he was uncomfortable talking to her. "That was before…when things weren't so complicated."
Not really caring to know what Rhys was rambling on about, Ginny said, "I want to know what happened to Harry."
The sound of the bell persisted, unnerving her.
Rhys continued as if he hadn't heard her speak. "When I first came to Hogwarts, it was this beautiful, magical place…full of amazing things and interesting people."
The deep toll of the bell punctuated his speech.
Still out of breath, Ginny wasn't sure what he was trying to tell her. "What are you on about?"
"Don't you hear it? It's happening." He shook his head and came back to himself. Narrowing his eyes, he asked, "What have you done with my wand?"
"Don't you mean wands?" Ginny asked pointedly. "I noticed you brought a spare."
Sticking his hands in his pockets, Rhys said, "After yesterday, can you blame me? What are you going to accuse me of today?"
It was Ginny's turn to look discomfited. "I just came to talk. We didn't have a chance yesterday…and we left things a little…unfinished." She pulled Fred and George's bag of chocolates out of her pocket, asked, "Care for one? Please…think of it as a peace offering."
Rhys didn't look remotely tempted. He folded his arms again and eyed her suspiciously.
Something in his manner made Ginny afraid he was deciding how to overpower her. Keeping her distance, she kept a wary eye on him and tried to appear calm. She shrugged and withdrew the bag. "Maybe you're allergic."
"They say…" Rhys began, a small flicker of amusement in his eyes. "It's never a good idea to take candy from a Weasley."
Genuinely offended, Ginny asked, "Who says?"
"Everyone."
Ginny frowned. "I'm sure I don't know what you've heard, but I didn't come down here to play a prank on you."
The ringing of the bell suddenly halted, leaving an ocean of silence behind. Ginny let the bag of sweets fall to the floor. It seemed as though time had run out.
Rhys' expression grew more serious. "There's no more point in playing games. You don't have to trick me. Ask me whatever you want and I'll tell you the truth."
As he spoke, Ginny noticed the windows growing darker as if clouds had covered the sun. A storm must be blowing in.
"Fine…what happened to Harry?" Ginny held her breath, waiting for his response.
Rhys answered dully, "I lured him into an ambush. That isn't him upstairs in the infirmary. The real Harry's probably dead."
That was about what Malfoy had told her, but hearing it confirmed…and hearing Rhys confess his complicity in the scheme…made her blood pound in her veins. Her voice shaking with anger, she asked, "How…how could you do something like that?"
She realized she still had her wand trained on him. It took everything she had not to hex him.
"I…I told him about my sister Gwyn. She's been sick and he offered to help." Rhys's voice shook and his forehead furrowed. "It sounded like a wild story — some kind of enchanted water that could cure anything. I didn't believe him."
An involuntary little snort escaped from Ginny.
"But I knew someone…this man told me that if I could get Harry Potter out of the castle to meet with him, then he could get some of her medicine for me. You can't just buy it…and very few wizards know how to brew it." Rhys looked grief stricken. "Harry's offer, it seemed like my best chance, maybe my only chance…so I contacted this man and told him where to meet us."
"You must have known 'this man' was probably a Death Eater," Ginny said, disgusted. He'd sacrificed Harry for the promise of some potion?
Rhys' expression remained troubled. "I thought about it. He was a friend of my brother…but I never saw any mark. No masks, or anything. I…I put it out of my head. Snape had been making this potion for months, then he just disappeared…it wasn't a cure, but it was the only thing that stopped the cancer long enough to give her some peace." His eyes darkened. "You don't know what it's like to watch someone you love suffer. I would have done anything…anything at all…to make it stop."
Growing impatient at his attempt to rationalize, Ginny asked, "But what happened when you got there?"
"When I realized what was happening, I tried to warn Harry to get out, but it was too late." The hollow tone of voice had returned as Rhys resumed the story, but it did nothing to calm her nerves.
"Someone hit him with an Anti Disapparition Jinx and he couldn't get away. They were closing in on us from everywhere."
"And then?" Ginny asked, her voice barely audible.
With a grunt, Rhys answered, "Harry pulled me into the cave with him and hid both of us, all the while telling me to Apparate away…to save myself."
"And he succeeded. You're here." Ginny's eyes blurred with tears, but she urged him on through gritted teeth. "Tell me the rest."
His voice lowered. She struggled to hear over the sound of the rising wind rattling against the windows.
"I left, but Death Eaters were swarming the entrance to the cave looking for Harry. One of them caught me outside the cave and clothed me in one of their uniforms and forced me back inside. As we walked along, this woman turned into Voldemort. I was shocked…frightened. It seemed like it might really be him. That was magic that I've never seen before. They discovered Harry in a matter of minutes."
"What did they do to him?" Ginny asked, her voice barely audible.
"I don't know."
Ginny felt a cold wave of revulsion flood through her. She pointed her wand directly at his nose and shouted, "How could you not know!"
Wincing, Rhys turned his head away, and continued to speak in a low voice. "That woman pulled off my mask…as soon as Harry recognized me, he stunned me. That's the last time I saw him. When I woke up, everyone was gone. The cave was empty…I searched everywhere! I even checked the walls for any hidden passageways."
Ginny didn't know whether Rhys was telling the truth or not. She wracked her brain for a question that would confirm his story.
"Who is that in the infirmary?" she asked.
Rhys looked at her, his eyes heavy with self loathing. "I don't know...but I'm supposed to bring him his wand. They're blackmailing me now…I do what they want, or they tell Dumbledore that I'm the one that lured Harry away from Hogwarts."
"None of this will help me find him!" Ginny shouted.
"You can't find him!" Rhys shouted back, looking dreadful. "No one can. He's gone. He was outnumbered and surrounded. He couldn't have fought them off."
Ginny's emotions were spiraling out of control. Even if Rhys was telling the truth…it was just his opinion, his version of the events before he was knocked unconscious. She'd have to go to the cave and see for herself.
"You don't know what you're talking about!" Ginny shouted, slinging Harry's cloak and her rucksack over her arm. "Harry could have fought them off. He's much stronger than they are. You just don't know him."
"No! I do know what happened!" Rhys shouted. He took a step toward her, but stopped short when she gestured with her wand. Holding his hands up as if surrendering, he spoke in a softer tone. "You're scared and tired…you want your boyfriend back, but life doesn't work like that. He's gone. He saved my sister's life and I repaid him by luring him to his death!"
A loud crash just outside the windows drew their attention. The sound of shattering glass was followed by a deafening whoosh. Soon the acrid smell of something burning seeped into the practice room. Through the window, Ginny saw flames shooting out of one of the greenhouses.
"I don't think we have much time!" Ginny shouted. "You have to take me to the cave…you said you would!"
"Time won't help us." Rhys shook his head sadly. "Nothing can help us now. Don't you see…there's no escape? We can't get out. The castle is surrounded."
"Harry is still out there somewhere, waiting for help," Ginny said, praying with all her heart that it was true. "I don't care what you say…I don't care what anyone says…if I have to go alone, I will. I'm going to keep looking for him until I find him."
In a flash, Aurora appeared in front of her, fluttering her tail in front of Ginny like a lifeline. The soft trill of phoenix song wavered through the air, filling her heart and making Ginny suddenly feel invincible. Without a backward glance, she took hold of Aurora's tail. Smiling at the phoenix, she said, "Take me to him."
Fire swirled around them, and they were gone.
Harry stared at the gem in his hand, sure that he'd never seen it sparkle that way before. Falling back onto his mattress,he looked at the cave ceiling. By some trick of the light it seemed to stretch and move further away, just for a moment, then it resumed its normal proportions. Harry rubbed the inner corners of his eyes, and then recast the charm to freshen his contact lenses.
Rolling onto his side, he set the ruby on the bed next to him. Any trace of sparkles or light had stopped. The center of the gem was as flawless as it had always been. Carefully, he lifted the ruby again, and held it in his hand. The slow, roiling cloud appeared again, this time without him saying a word.
He stared into the heart of the stone. Within its normally clear depths, a small universe of stars seemed to swirl and dance, like a cosmic maelstrom. Harry startled, as the sparks breached the surface of the gem and crackled softly around his palm.
He sat up and held the gem out in front of him. For a moment he wondered if he was creating the effect himself, to break the monotony of the cave. Something to take his mind off the fear gnawing inside that he would die here, alone, his life unfulfilled. But, as he watched, mesmerized, the cloud arched and spread, breaking free from the egg shaped gem. Unconstrained, the fireworks spread until the surrounding white walls turned red.
He jumped to his feet and shouted, "What the…"
Suddenly a white light broke forth, as if it had a mind and purpose of its own, brightening everything. It traveled around the walls, dragging red sparkles in its wake. Harry shielded his eyes just as the fiery comet hit him full force in the chest, knocking him down spread-eagled onto the uneven floor.
It's nighttime and a castle is surrounded by armored knights. Fire streaks across the sky. Men scream: burning, twisting, falling to the ground...and the stench chokes the living–
A tall dark haired man and a bright haired woman walk side by side through a field. The sun is warm, and the sky blue, and–
A dragon, red as blood and pitiless as plague, roars its way into camp, snatching a knight from his horse. The horses bolt, trampling their riders as the dragon's claws reach out again–
Dense foliage, deep in shade, a stillness broken only by the buzz of some unknown insect…then a crash of underbrush and a chorus of wild cries–
Fire and smoke and the lines have broken, men desert their posts, falling over each other to escape. A wizard with long white hair and a beard stands, holding his twisted staff over his head. Light bursts forth as–
Ron sat down next to Hermione in the chairs that Dumbledore had conjured for them, feeling a little foolish for being caught pounding on the Headmaster's gargoyle just moments before.
Professor Moody had made some crack about them trying to open the gargoyle the Muggle way and even Professor Lupin had smiled. The two Professors were now standing across the room leaning against the mantle, looking expectantly at the small fire crackling in the hearth. Although many portraits on Dumbledore's office walls listened attentively, other frames were strangely empty.
Professor Dumbledore calmly sat down at his desk and looked attentively at them through his little half moon glasses. "What brings two Gryffindors to my office in such a fashion?"
Looking relieved, Hermione said, "It's just that we've come across some information. Hogwarts could be under attack at any time."
"Where've you been?" Moody asked, pointing his walking stick at them. "Hogwarts is under attack…and you two prefects ought to be in Gryffindor Tower by now. Didn't you hear the warning bell?"
"Is that what that was?" Ron asked, earning him an exasperated look from Hermione.
Lifting his hand as a signal for attention, Dumbledore said, "There is more you wish to tell me, isn't that right, Miss Granger?"
Turning her attention to Dumbledore, Hermione spoke all in one breath. "It's not just the attack on Hogwarts, Professor. You should know…the boy in the infirmary, it's Draco Malfoy not Harry Potter."
A look of surprise crossed Dumbledore's face, but he seemed ready to believe her. Out of the corner of his eye, Ron thought Lupin seemed to wither at the news. The old werewolf bent down and then turned toward Moody, putting his hand on the shorter wizard's shoulder.
His voice sounding gruff, Moody shouted, "I told you his magical aura was off, Dumbledore!"
The light in the room darkened as though a shadow had fallen on the castle, blocking the midday sun. Without taking any notice, Dumbledore shook his head slowly. Despite the continued tolling of the warning bell, he looked for all the world like a man with plenty of time on his hands.
"That explains his phoenix' lack of interest in his return," Dumbledore said, glancing sadly at Aurora, who was still perched next to Fawkes on the stand in his office. "Alas, we mustn't worry about that now…we will have to deal with events as they transpire."
The warning bell stopped. Although Ron heard Hermione gasp softly, the Headmaster continued as if it wasn't cause for concern. "Mr. Malfoy is already sequestered in the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey has been instructed to keep him sedated. We must focus on whatever is threatening to attack Hogwarts. The castle will defend itself, if we can protect it from within."
"That's just it, Professor!" Ron exclaimed, finding the silence more alarming than the bell. "What about the people…the people who aren't…"
"Please, speak freely," Dumbledore said, leaning back in his desk chair and steepling his fingers.
Ron glanced at Hermione, and jerked his head towards Dumbledore. She pressed her lips together, and nodded.
Ron took a deep breath and began. "We all figured out it was Malfoy…and, after all, Harry's one of my best friends and…"
"So we dosed Malfoy with chocolate covered Truth Taffy!" Hermione blurted out.
Dumbledore's eyebrows shot upward in surprise.
Hermione looked around at all the adults, and swallowed nervously.
Ron tried to grin, then dropped his head in his hands at the sight of all their stony faces. Avoiding their eyes, he tried to explain. "And Malfoys's been planted here because Voldemort's going to attack Hogwarts! He's going to use Harry no…you know…Malfoy to make everyone think Harry's gone over to the other side."
Hermione interrupted, "And he couldn't do such a thing without some help from someone inside the castle."
"We left Ginny to watch him…" Ron added. "So no one could help him escape this time."
Ron was suddenly glad that Ginny had offered. It certainly made it sound more like they'd handled things properly and cautiously.
"What's that about your sister, Ron?" asked Mr. Weasley as he stepped through the floo. The hearth continued to flare with green light as his brother Bill, Tonks, Hestia Jones and Kingsley Shacklebolt followed his father through the floo network.
Ron smiled. It made him feel safer, stronger somehow that his father had arrived. Here was someone who'd always believed in him.
Just then a flash of fire called everyone's attention to Fawkes' perch. Dumbledore's phoenix held still under everyone's sudden scrutiny.
Hermione spoke first, her voice almost a whisper. "Harry's phoenix has disappeared."
Everyone turned to the Headmaster, clearly expecting him to explain. They all knew he'd been saying that as long as Harry's phoenix was hanging around, it had to be a sign that Harry was alive somewhere.
"It could mean nothing of course," Dumbledore said. The only sign that he was thrown for a moment was a slight tightening of his jaw. Conjuring a reassuring smile, he said, "We must continue to face each dilemma as it occurs. Dark forces are closing in on Hogwarts. We will need to keep our wits about us."
Some of the Order members nodded their assent as the adults gathered around Dumbledore's desk to look at the miniature model of Hogwarts that he'd conjured there.
But Hermione buried her face in Ron's shoulder for a moment. They didn't speak, for neither of them wanted to affirm what they were both thinking.
Aurora and Ginny arrived in the clearing outside of the cave. Letting go of the phoenix' tail, Ginny stumbled as she landed in the soft grass. Smiling gratefully up at Aurora, she whispered her thanks and rolled to her feet. She looked carefully around the glade while she dusted the grass off her knees.
It was a beautiful spring day. No sign of turmoil, no warning bell. Bushes, dense with bright, green buds hugged the hillside. The canopy of trees surrounding the small clearing were speckled with blossoms in shades of pale pink and white contrasting starkly against the dark evergreens of the forest. Knowing the cave entrance was somewhere behind the screen of shrubbery on the hillside, Ginny took a few tentative steps towards it.
Something stirred within the thicket, shaking the branches and making the ferns tremble.
Ginny paused at the sight and fought off her fear. Swinging the Invisibility Cloak over her head, she felt safer as she disappeared under its soft folds. Then, bolstered by the soft trilling of Aurora perched somewhere high overhead among the blooming trees, she moved slowly toward the bushes.
Hugging the cloak close and fingering the Portkey in her pocket, she moved forward cautiously, trying not to make an obvious depression in the untrampled grass. She wrenched herself backwards, as two small birds burst forward, scattering leaves as they chased each other from the bush. Ginny smiled at the sight of the birds skittering in front of her. Sweeping back a branch, she stepped behind it toward the hillside.
A few steps more and she saw an ancient statue cut into the side of the hill with a basin beneath. This was the place. Aurora circled high overhead, either unwilling or unable to approach the entrance to the cave. Though the phoenix was now silent, her presence gave Ginny the reassurance she needed to step inside the small opening in the side of the hill.
After the warmth of the spring sunshine, the cave seemed especially cold and dark. Ginny stepped inside cautiously. It worried her a little that there didn't seem to be any defenses for the cave, no guards, nothing blocking the entrance but some old bushes…no reason to guard the cave. Then she remembered Aurora. Harry's phoenix thought he was here.
When she stepped into the main cavern, the torches were already lit. Everything was just the way Harry had described it, except that the arch on the far side of the room stood open. If she could make it inside that room, she could find the passageway to the rest of the chambers, or maybe find clues about where Harry might be.
A few steps forward and the room seemed to sway. As the wave of dizziness washed through her, Ginny couldn't remember where she was or why. Panicking as she looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings, she closed her eyes.
When she opened them again, the cave seemed very familiar. Still standing near the entrance looking inside the main cavern, she had an overwhelming sense that the cave was empty. In fact, she could vividly remember having just finished searching both the room in front of her with its gently flickering torchlight and the room beyond that archway. She could remember touching the cold stones and checking for hidden passageways. The only other rooms she'd found were the one that Professor Lupin had been in last summer and the one beyond the archway -- all empty and untouched.
Something wasn't right. She knew there was more to this underground grotto than those two caverns. What about the staircase and the storerooms that Harry had explored? Stepping forward unsteadily, she looked around with her heart pounding, this time keeping her eyes closed, she took a few more steps and the confusion left her. By the time she'd reached halfway through the room, her mind had cleared.
Shaking her head, relief flooded through her. Someone had warded the cave with a Confundus Charm. That's why Lupin and the others hadn't found anything. None of them had really searched and…they wouldn't have warded the cave if there were nothing here to find.
Hope returned with that thought, but her relief was short lived as the next step she took filled her with blinding pain. It started with her foot and spread through her entire body until she was shaking with it. Ginny collapsed to the ground, writhing.
The rucksack she was carrying broke her fall, but she rolled over in agony. The pain did not subside, but she felt something rigid poking into her. It was her wand. She pulled it out of her pocket. With all the strength of will she could muster, she aimed it at her feet and whispered, "Finite Incantatum!"
It was enough to end the pain, but now Ginny had to fight her fear. Sweating profusely, her heart pounding, she took off her shoe and rubbed her foot. After a moment, she put it back on and stood up unsteadily, unsure about taking another step.
But now she had something other than her own desperate faith to drive her forward. Clearly someone was determined to keep people out of this cave and to punish anyone who disobeyed. That could only mean one thing. Harry was here somewhere and all she had to do was figure out how to find him.
Ginny took her Charms book out of her bag and dropped it onto a small rock near her feet. Before she could quite bring her hand back, knives shot out of thin air and shredded the book to pieces in a few furious seconds, nicking Ginny's palm in the process.
It was just a scrape, but it stung. Pressing her free hand against the cut, Ginny looked around her. Dozens of innocent looking rocks, exactly like the one she'd stepped on and the one that carved up her book, were scattered all over the cave. Perhaps every one of them had some sort of cruel and deadly jinx applied. Moving carefully, she set to work clearing a path across the floor so she could reach the archway. A combination of levitating the rocks out of her way and throwing down her Potions book before she took her next step, made her progress slow, but pain free.
Somewhere between writhing in pain and concentrating on clearing the floor, the Invisibility Cloak had slipped off and it now hung loosely over her shoulders. Ginny felt unbearably warm anyway, so she slipped the cloak and her jumper off and put them both in her bag. She undid the top buttons of her white uniform shirt and kept working with her book to clear a path.
By the time she had reached the arch, she could barely breathe. Worried that the heat was caused by another ward, Ginny tried the revealing spell that Harry had taught her, but it only showed that the cave was full of magic. Blue light shone everywhere, indicating that the very air was enchanted. Extending her wand at nothing in particular, she shouted, "Finite Incantatum!"
Laughter rang out around her. A high, cold, mirthless laugh that she hadn't heard in years. Someone had appeared in the archway behind her. She turned, surprised at the sight of a handsome, sixteen year old boy, impeccably dressed in a Slytherin Hogwarts uniform. Although Ginny knew he was only a charmed image — she could see through him into the inner room — her pulse began to race.
"You must have some sort of death wish," he said, a humorless smile curving the corner of his mouth. "But now you must turn back or your wish will become a certainty." With that pronouncement the image of the clean cut teenager morphed into the sinister vision of Lord Voldemort as he looked today, white faced and snakelike.
When Voldemort had placed the Boggart Ward or whatever it was, he probably expected the second vision to be the frightening one, but she knew all too well what the young Tom Riddle had been capable of and the latest incarnation had nothing on his younger self.
Ginny swallowed hard and looked away. It didn't seem smart to try to march through the archway, even considering that the image was definitely just some sort of ward. She raised her wand, and cast a Protection Charm around herself. Moving off to the right side of the doorway, she reached out with her Potions book to test the ward. As carefully as she could, given the angle, she pitched her book like a Quaffle, directly at the sinister face.
A ball of fire as large as a blast from a dragon flared in the archway, disintegrating the book. The wave of heat was so intense that Ginny could feel it even through her shield. The flames disappeared moments later, and the image of Voldemort reappeared, smiling at her as though daring her to walk through the archway anyway.
Clearly no one could survive walking through a blaze like that. She'd have to find a way to clear the ward. Ginny didn't know what to do. She wished she'd paid more attention to what Harry had said about the wards at Hogwarts. There had to be some spell that would let her pass.
It was so hot. Her hands were clammy and her hair clung to her face and neck, but she lifted her wand and aimed at the figure in the archway. If this was the only way through, she didn't see much choice. She'd have to try the only spell she knew. While her aim was careful, her hands were so sweaty that her wand slipped and fell just as she said, "Finite Incantatum!"
As her wand slipped, she reflexively ducked, grasping for it. The ward sent a powerful explosion back in her direction, and the bad angle of her casting sent the warded blast upward toward the ceiling, off toward the right side of the archway, above where Ginny was crouching.
The initial backfire from the ward missed her entirely, although she couldn't escape from the shower of small rocks and debris falling from the ceiling above her head. It was all she could do to cover her head with her arms until the dust settled. She grimaced with pain, but she didn't think anything was broken.
Choking on the dust, Ginny looked up to see that the blast had created a hole next to the archway, a new and unwarded entrance to the inner chamber. If she could climb through that new hole, she wouldn't have to pass through whatever other nightmares the ward on the archway had planned.
Ginny strapped her rucksack on her back and held her wand in her teeth so she could use both arms to climb the wall and reach the new opening. She grabbed onto the nearest handhold, leveraging herself up the stone. Gravel trickled down over her, sliding down her neck. Dust clung to her face, congealing into paste. She continued climbing, inching her way up the wall until she'd reached the hole.
Clambering through eagerly, she was confronted by something she should have expected. The specter of a lady with long, red hair and a low cut green dress, sat on thin air, a few feet off the floor. Her face was buried in her hands, and she appeared to be quietly crying.
Ginny called out to her, "Niniane!"
Obviously startled, the ghost lifted her face and turned. She was beautiful, seeming neither old nor young. She lifted her chin and asked, "Who's there?"
Then, instead of waiting for an answer, she floated to her feet and turned toward the wall, apparently ready to retreat.
Gathering her courage, Ginny crossed the inner chamber and shouted, "Wait! I need your help!"
The ethereal figure just walked through the wall as though she didn't hear. Ginny stopped, looking around at the smooth, clear walls. The room held a raised platform, but nothing else. There were no other passageways visible, but she knew somewhere off of this room a staircase led to the storerooms that Harry had explored. She frowned. Maybe…maybe the doorways here were like the barrier at Platform Nine and 3/4!
Ginny nodded to herself, and followed Niniane through the wall. On the other side, she exhaled in relief. In front of her was a spiral staircase, cut into the side of the cave, leading up toward some sort of light. The walls had fingers of light stone that thickened and grew together as she climbed.
Racing to keep up with the now wailing ghost, Ginny tried to catch her breath and at the same time get the ghost's attention.
"Where…are we…going?" Ginny asked, between gulps of air. She reached the top of the stairs completely out of breath, astonished to find that the stairs led to a blank white wall.
Niniane turned swiftly and loomed over Ginny's head. She snarled in Ginny's face.
"We?" she shouted. "Get out! You've no business here!"
Drawing herself up as tall as she could, Ginny matched Niniane's angry glare. "I'm not leaving until I find Harry."
The ghost let out a cry that would haunt the dead. Ginny winced at the racket, but stood her ground. She knew she should be sympathetic in the face of all that grief, but all she could think of was the time when Harry had to deal with this same angsty ghost, and Seamus and Parvati thought it was Ginny wailing like that.
She couldn't help herself. She laughed and once she started, she couldn't stop. And, before she knew it, she was laughing and crying at the same time.
Miraculously it worked. Apparently Ginny's hysterics were enough to bring Niniane out of her melancholy. The next thing Ginny knew, the beautiful ghost wrapped her arm around her shoulder and patted her sympathetically, muttering soothing noises.
The shock of Niniane's cold hand brought Ginny back to her surroundings. She tried to grab that hand and hold it, but — like all ghosts — there was nothing there.
"You've lost someone?" Niniane asked, in a mournful tone.
"This is the last place anyone saw him — " a sob caught in her throat, cutting her sentence short. Ginny swallowed hard.
"You're so young," Niniane said sadly, shaking her head. Muttering something like, "And you'll never get out of here alive," the ghost drew away from Ginny.
"Have you seen him?" Ginny asked, desperation drove her forward, keeping her talking to the crazy ghost. "I need to know what happened to him…to find him."
"Find him…yes…" the ghost began to float down the stairs.
"Wait!" Ginny shouted after her. She didn't have anything to lose. "I can't keep up with you."
She raced after the ghost, back down the steps in a vain attempt to keep up. She watched the green skirt fade through the wall about half way down the stairwell, and stopped, pressing her hand against the wall.
Discouraged, Ginny sat down on the step. She pulled a tissue out of her pack and wet it with water from her wand. Between wiping the grime off her face and casting a quick cleaning charm she began to feel marginally better.
It would have to do until she made it back to Hogwarts, if she made it back…if there was still a Hogwarts to go back to. Remembering the smell of smoke and the flames leaping from the greenhouse, Ginny spared a thought for what might be happening back at school.
It wouldn't matter. None of it would if she couldn't find Harry. The fact that the crazy ghost had tried to lead her away from the top of the stairs was not lost on her. She decided to climb back up and examine that white wall.
On the other side of the white wall, Harry was still flat on his back, engulfed in a glowing field of swirling red and gold lights. He slowly fought his way to consciousness.
As the lights finally faded, he opened his eyes. Despite the fist sized rocks poking into his shoulder blades, he felt better than he had in weeks. He looked down at the now clear ruby in his hand and smiled. The visions had shown him more than brief flashes of the distant past; he now knew how to get out of the cave.
Leaping to his feet, Harry resisted the urge to do a little dance. Instead, he resolved not to waste any time. He'd lost enough of it trapped in here.
Harry grabbed his rucksack and began to transfigure things back into their original form. Remembering something he'd seen in his vision, he added as many of the fist-sized crystals from the cave that he could find. Finally, he shrunk everything down and slipped it into the pocket of his robes.
With a determined sigh, he walked deliberately toward the sealed exit. Fighting the tremor in his hand, he held the ruby to the white expanse of stone and said, "I mewn chrau ydy chryfder!"
Nothing happened.
His heart sinking to the pit of his stomach, Harry repeated the incantation.
"It won't work from inside."
The melodious voice startled him and made him heartsick at the same time. Of course, it was obvious that something was wrong.
Harry turned to look at Niniane, his eyes blazing.
"I was only trying to help," she said, sounding miffed.
"Help!" Harry shouted, wondering what she could mean. "What help have you ever --"
She cut him off. "And how have you repaid me?" The ghost's anger was escalating, as if she was bothered by something else. She snarled accusingly, "There's someone here…someone to see you."
"Who is it?" He wasn't sure this was good news.
"That's what I want to know?" Niniane shrieked. "Who is she?"
Niniane's jealousy aside, Harry was worried. This could mean that Voldemort and his Death Eaters had returned to finish him off. "Does she have black hair?" he asked, worried it was Bellatrix Lestrange.
Niniane frowned at him, and said, "Her hair is red like mine and she's looking for you. Have you played her false as well as me? Are there yet others? Some with black hair perhaps?"
Feeling like the sun had broken free somewhere inside him, Harry took a step toward the ghost.
"Ginny!" he shouted, his breath rushing out.
Niniane folded her arms over her chest defensively, a shocked look on her face. "Men!" she said, as if frustrated with the whole gender.
But Harry didn't back off. "It has to be her," he said. Moving close to the ghost, he said gently, "You've nothing to be jealous about. Remember, green eyes, not blue. I'm not who you thought I was. Owain was faithful to you…I'm sure of it…but I'm…I'm Harry…and the girl out there…well…she must have been very brave to come all this way, just to see if she can get me out of here."
Studying his face for a moment, Niniane softened her stance. She nodded and said, "Owain was faithful to me."
Harry pressed his advantage. "I'm sure he was. And I'm faithful to Ginny. It's just…couldn't you show her how to open the cave?" he asked.
"She needs some of your blood to open the cave. Perhaps a love potion," Niniane said, with a brief smile. "Or does she have something of yours? Some token. Something you've charmed."
Harry smiled back. Ginny would need something that used his blood, was charmed and was a token from him and he knew of something she'd have that was all three.
"Bloody hell!" Ginny shouted, glaring at the stone wall. She'd tried everything, every spell she'd read, or that Harry had taught her, and nothing was working! The wall remained impenetrable. She sat down on the step again, and bowed her head.
"Your Harry's in here."
Ginny jerked her face upwards, and she flinched at the sight of Niniane's head stuck out of the rock above her. The ghost arched an eyebrow knowingly at her, then promptly disappeared.
Scrambling to her feet, she tried to follow Niniane through the wall, but the stone remained solid. Her heart pounding, she slapped the wall in frustration. At last, a wisp of reliable information about Harry, then the stupid ghost disappears again. Was she just teasing? Ginny didn't know whether to be relieved or frightened. Her thoughts and emotions were frayed. If Harry was really in the next cave, was he alone? And how could she get inside to find out?
Rubbing her nose, she wondered if the ghost would remember she was out here.
But it was only a moment of wondering before Niniane was back at her side. The ghost floated by her shoulder, strands of her hair passing through Ginny's body. Ginny shivered, and moved away.
"You'll have to disenchant this wall," Niniane said.
Shaking her head, Ginny said, "I don't know how…"
"Use the same incantation as the one to seal the cave. I mewn chrau ydy chryfder!" Niniane spoke the Welsh phrase as if it were obvious. " And you'll need some blood."
Ginny stared at her. Thanks to the debris falling and the curse that had cut up her book, she had no shortage of blood to choose from.
She pressed her cut hand against the white stone, and stepped back. Pointing her wand at the bloody handprint, she haltingly repeated the words.
Nothing happened. Panic began to rise within her, worry that she had misspoken the incantation. She'd come so far.
Niniane looked at her like she was a silly little girl, "Not your blood…Harry's blood."
Her heart plummeted. Letting her wand fall to the ground, Ginny shook her head sadly. "I don't have any of Harry's blood."
And just how was she supposed to get any of it with Harry trapped inside?
The ghost tilted her head to one side and said, "He said he gave it to you. Some sort of token."
Niniane gave Ginny a closer look, running her gaze over her clothes and rucksack. Confused, Ginny looked down at herself. She snatched her wand off the ground and tried to focus. Something Harry had given her? What…oh! She pulled the charm with the small rubies out from under her collar. "Do you mean this? Harry gave me this…it's charmed to protect me."
"What better protection than a blood charm?" Niniane said with a wistful smile.
Could it be so simple at the last? Pulling the chain off of her neck, Ginny held the charm against the cold white stone and tried again. This time the wall glowed blood red as she shouted the incantation. Mist began to gather on its surface. A cloudy vapor rapidly evaporated off the stone. And as the mist cleared, she saw inside the cave.
Harry stood alone in the center of a spectacular white cavern, looking thinner, but very much like himself; staring back at her, wide eyed.
She took a step towards him, but halted at the threshold when he shouted, "Wait!"
Harry rushed forward, still looking at her like she was another ghost. Ginny had a sudden, wild thought about the state of her hair and the gravel and dust covering her. Then Harry began to smile, the corners of his mouth curling, and a weight seemed to lift from her chest.
As he finished crossing the distance between them, their eyes still locked on each other, she was lost in the familiar green sparkle. Then she found herself pressed against his chest and felt him breathing in her hair.
In a rush of words, he spoke about all that had happened. She heard his voice, but she wasn't listening to what he was saying. It was too much to take in. There'd be time to sort out his story later. For now, she heard only the wonder and the longing underneath his words, and the sound of his heart beating below her ear. The tumble of sounds washed over her like the evening tide over sand, smoothing and refreshing everything in its path.
Harry stepped back for a moment, keeping his hands on her shoulders, drinking in the sight of her. She ran a trembling hand through her hair. Overwhelmed by the intensity in his eyes, she couldn't meet his gaze.
The corner of her eye caught Niniane watching them from a distance, smiling as though their happiness was her own. Perhaps she saw herself as she should have been all those years ago, reunited with Owain. As she watched, the silvery apparition evaporated into the white wall like moonlight fading with the morning.
Then she forgot all about the ghost as she felt Harry wrap his arms around her againand pull her close. Leaning in slowly, he brushed his lips against hers, softly, tentatively, as if he was asking permission. But, this time, there was no holding back.
She melted against him, opening to his touch. Like a floodgate had opened, all they felt, weeks of wanting and fearing they'd lost each other, they poured into that kiss.
For Harry, it seemed like time had begun again. When he'd first seen her appearing in the mist, he thought she might be another illusion. A ghost sent by Death Eaters to torture him. Then he realized that even if she was an illusion, he didn't care…he'd been so thirsty for the sight of another person, and the girl standing in the doorway was at the top of his wish list.
She'd been looking straight at him, holding him with her eyes like she'd cast some sort of spell. Even from across the room, he could feel it flowing through him.
As he'd closed the distance between them, something inside him was whispering that he shouldn't trust his eyes. It could be another Death Eater trick, but the warning voice was drowned out in the rush of seeing her standing in front of him. All rational thought fled in the tumble of emotions coursing through him. Holding her close, he knew this was real…her scent…the feel of her hands in his hair…and before he could stop himself, he was blurting out all that had happened, crushing her close to him with the silky feel of her hair against his cheek, all the while wondering what miracle had brought her to him.
Harry shifted his hold, keeping his hands on her shoulders, leaning back so that he could get a closer look. He realized she was shaking and before he could stop himself, he leaned down and kissed her. He felt her respond, opening to him as his lips moved over hers. This was no pale imitation; this was the real girl.
At length, lack of air forced them apart, slightly breathless. Keeping her in the circle of his arms, Harry said, "I've missed you so much."
"Me, too," Ginny said, glancing nervously around the white cave.
Feeling her tremble against him, Harry stammered, "But, how…what…how?"
Before she could answer, he found her lips again and for a while, the cave around them ceased to exist. As the kiss deepened, Harry realized that nothing mattered more than the girl in his arms…or the people in his life. He never wanted to be separated from them again. The thought that followed this was that they were surely still in danger. Until they escaped the cave and returned to Hogwarts, he should be paying more attention to his surroundings.
With a sigh, he pulled away and asked, "How did you get in here?"
"It wasn't easy," Ginny answered with a grin. "This place is…dangerous. Let's get out of here."
"You don't know the half of it," Harry said, smiling back at her. He took a moment to shrink her rucksack to fit in her pocket. Clasping her hand, he asked, "Ready?"
Entwining her fingers with his, Ginny said, "It's not going to be easy to get out."
"How many guards are there?" Harry asked.
"There didn't seem to be any. But the place has wards and jinxes everywhere…it was really luck that led me through to you." She shook her head, and smiled. "And of course that crazy ghost."
"Just luck?" Harry smirked. "Hardly. More like sheer Weasley stubbornness!" He squeezed her hand and said, "Thanks for not giving up."
Ginny smiled, and kept her hand in his as he took the first step down the stairs, away from his prison.
Suddenly he felt dizzy…the whole cave seemed to sway. For a split second he thought he wasn't feeling well. Then he heard a rumble from deep within the cave. Small rocks and debris began to fall around them and he realized it must be some sort of earthquake.
"It's another ward!" Ginny shouted over the clatter and commotion, throwing her arms around his waist.
Nodding calmly, all things considered, Harry pointed at the cave behind them. Keeping his aim trained on the white walls, he shouted the time freezing spell. A blast of bright white light began to circle the crystal walls in the cave behind them, growing as it traveled. Closing his eyes against the blinding light, Harry covered Ginny's eyes with his hand and shielded her with his body as he quickly muttered, "Protego!" The time spell passed by them on the stairs and continued through the crumbling cave, seeming to freeze everything in its path.
Gravel and debris hung in midair. As quickly as they could, Harry and Ginny retraced her steps through the cave, coming finally to the clearing outside. When they left the cave, Harry's spell faded and the hillside began to collapse, shaking the ground underneath their feet. A cloud of dust and ash shot out of the bushes behind them as the interior of the cave disintegrated.
As the ground trembled around them, a fluttering of white descended from high above the clearing. Like the first flurry of snow, the white petals of the budding trees showered down on them, catching in their hair and dusting their shoulders. Just as softly, the sound of Aurora floated down from the branches above, growing louder and sweeter as the phoenix drew near. Harry grabbed her tail and with a strong arm around Ginny's waist, he whispered, "Hold on."To Be Continued…
Thanks!
Nimbirosa: Thanks for reviewing! Aurora didn't come near Draco since he was faking Harry. That was the reason that Dumbledore and Moody wanted him sedated until they figured out what was happening.
Lady of Masbolle: Work piling up all around…that's pretty much what happens to me, too. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Lourdes: I'm so sorry this took so long to finish. Anyway, I hope this chapter cleared up some of the lingering questions. At least Ginny was smart enough to sneak up on Rhys. Thanks for reviewing!
Lady of the Dragon: You had Rhys all figured out--his sister's story and all! You're right about the torch, too. Thanks for the nice long review!
Voice of Moonlight: Thanks for your kind comments. It's all right to be picky. Thanks for writing!
Toras: Hope you liked Ginny taking matters into her own hands. You were right about Dumbledore. He always knows more than he lets on. Thanks for writing!
sarah: Thanks, I will try!
SeekerTLK: Thanks for reviewing! I couldn't take him being trapped any longer either. Of course, Malfoy is still sleeping it off in the infirmary so we'll have to think of something more for him.
Hary9970: Dumbledore was acting weird, but he had a different reason. Thanks for writing!
B-A-Hplova22: Thanks for saying that. I felt sorry for Ginny, too. As for Niniane, she's insane so it's hard to credit her with rational thought. Of course, Harry had to escape! I'm sorry about the time between updates. It is hard to keep track of things. Thanks for reviewing!
spike blade: Thanks, I'll try!
Jake The Sheepy: Now it's Neville left guarding Malfoy…Thanks for reviewing!eyes of sky: Thanks for writing! He is a dirty little…
mysticruby: I'm glad that was a surprise. You were right about Rhys. If he really wanted to hurt Snape, he had his chance. Ron and Hermione have a greater role in the next chapter. Can't leave them out. Thanks for reviewing!
MsMissProngs: I'm glad you saw through him. Thanks for your review!
krissygurl: Smart! Thanks for writing!aschowin: Ron might still have his chance. Thanks for reviewing!
Ted M. Hammett: Thanks for your review! Snape's smart enough to at least know something was off. Thanks for all your nice comments. Sorry to take so long with the update.
Jack-A-Roe: That was nice of you to read the story through. I really appreciate it. I think if I were to rewrite parts of the story, I would at least shrink the Neville thing down because it leads the reader too far away from the main storyline. Does that make sense? The teachers were at least on to the fact that something was amiss. They just didn't have a chance to sort it out before Harry's friends took matters into their own hands. Anyway, thanks for reading it through and reviewing!
Harrie: Thanks! Sorry to keep you hanging on the cliff for so long.
fantastical-doodley-pips: Bono does rule! I don't know why you've changed your name. It's the first time I've ever been rooting for someone to win a Nobel Prize. Thanks for reviewing!
snuffles007: Thanks for your review! The updates are coming…eventually. Sorry to be slow.
Cobalt 45: Thanks for all your comments about Ginny. I agree; she seems like a character that could really step up and take charge, as she did in this chapter. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
tatie: Thanks for saying that you're hooked! Sorry to write so slow.
rosepetal 13: Thanks for writing! I think Voldemort is insane enough to torture and maim his own followers when it suits him. Look what he did to Pettigrew in GOF!
SillyGillie: Thanks for saying that! Dumbledore may have stopped them if he'd known what they were planning to do. Now they have the information they need and Malfoy has been stunned. I'll try to post soon.
mikeyJsly: Thanks for all your kind words! I am sorry to have written this chapter so slowly. Thanks for the encouragement.
GryffRavHuffSlythendor: I thought the Parisian trousers might be a dead give away. Malfoy would be the sort to wear designer clothes. Thanks for reviewing!
Lioness Blackfire: You should be pleased with yourself. I'm glad you liked Snape's thank you. Thanks for your review!
Silver Warrior: You figured out the attack was imminent! I'm very impressed. Part of the plan included Draco being incapacitated enough to keep him out of the path of all but Harry's close friends. Obviously, Draco overstepped his brief when he tried to take advantage of the situation. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Danny: I'm so sorry to keep you in suspense. I hope you got your science project done anyway. You asked a very interesting question. I do think that Harry's power comes from both of his parents. The books mention his mother's abilities and sacrifice far more often than his father's. The reason I keep mentioning the Potter line is that all of the torch information has been handed down in the Potter family until someone could use it properly. It's not canon. I totally made that part up. Thanks for your review!
KandiG: Thanks for writing! I'm glad that Draco was a surprise. "Harry's" rescue was a little too easy. As you read in this chapter, Voldemort had him solidly warded inside that cave.
Nathalie-z: Thanks, I'll try!
Bahzad: Thanks for reviewing!
SuzanneN: Thanks for saying that about the last two chapters. I'm glad you saw through the fake Harry.
lucy-lollipop: Thanks, I'm trying!
Crash3350: I remember your story. Thanks for reviewing!
travis: Thank for writing! Sorry it wasn't soon!
MandaEvelyn: Thanks for all your kind comments. I'm trying!
r h 4 ever: I'm sorry about the cliff hanger. Really I am. It could always be worse. I could have stopped when Ginny met up with Tom Riddle's image or when the cave exploded over her head. Thanks for writing!
ulkser: I am so sorry to be slow! Thank you for being curious. I promise to finish writing the story. The delay really couldn't be helped. Draco and Harry are on a collision course now. Thanks for writing to me!
iamari: Thanks!
Saffron Halifax: Thanks for all you wrote! I will try to get the next chapter out faster.
paddyandprongs: Thanks for your review! Hope Harry's rescue was fast enough. Dumbledore has his hands full now.
Treck: I can't believe you read thirty two chapters in a single sitting either! That's impressive. Thanks for taking the time. I appreciate it and thanks for reviewing.stevo: Thanks for reviewing! Rhys has been bad, hasn't he? I'm sorry about the withdrawal. At least this chapter is long.
Fang: Thanks for saying that! I'm trying to finish the story before summer. Guess I better hurry! Thanks for your review!
Always Wright: Sorry to worry you. I won't abandon the story. I have plans to finish. Thanks for reviewing!
blumnkymn: I'm sorry to worry you. I hope you have been reading loads of other fics. Thanks for writing!
Tom: Thanks! I will.
Tairo: Thanks! I'm trying to write faster.
Liuana: Thanks for your kind comments. You hoped for the right thing with this chapter. Thanks for your review!
duestchwolfsorceress: Thanks for reviewing! My thanks to both you and your sister! I have four sisters so I know how rare agreements can be. Thanks for the nice things you wrote. As for a schedule, I'm so optimistic that I always plan to update within a week or ten days, then real life intervenes. Sorry. I thought about making Rhys' brother an identical twin. In the end it seemed like that would make things too complicated, but it was a fun thought.
Cleoannie: Thanks for writing! You're not impatient. I've been unable to update in a timely fashion. I'm so sorry.
Stratagemini: Thanks for all your nice comments. Merlin's story, in all its transformations, is really fascinating. Thanks for reviewing!
Thanks for reading! Please review!