Possession
Chapter XIX - Choosing Sides
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Ginny held her breath as Dumbledore entered the room, hoping that the Headmaster wouldn't sense her presence. Ever since the Dark Lord's visit she'd been here, watching Harry. They'd moved him from the main Hospital wing into a smaller, private room and the whole time he hadn't moved. He'd just lain there looking up at the ceiling as a few people had come and gone.
She'd watched over him. For the past five days, she had skipped all her classes and had watched him from the small closet space she had found. She knew the others were worried about her, and that no doubt Dumbledore had heard and would insist that she return to class but she had vowed to herself that she wasn't going to leave Harry until he was well. Convincing Dobby of that had been easy too so each day, she slipped out of bed before dawn, and crept into her hiding position, returning to her dorm only in the depths of night. The House Elves knew she was there and they brought her food regularly so that she wouldn't have to go to the Great Hall and explain herself.
Ron or Hermione would wait up for her each night and listen to her report but that was all they could do. The teachers were watching them too closely for them to do much more than that but their support was helping. They also gave her new books to read since the three of them were researching ways to help Harry but none of them had found anything. She closed her eyes, before turning her attention back to Dumbledore.
The Headmaster looked tired but he had looked that way since Cornelius' death. Inwardly, Ginny didn't think it was much of a loss and it had galvanized the Wizarding World. No one doubted the Dark Lord's return now and already Aurors were training for the combat they knew would come. The Dark Lord had given them a blessing, a gift as he had put it but Ginny knew there was something else troubling Dumbledore. What else had the Dark Lord done?
Tired blue eyes looked at Harry as the Headmaster sat down, taking one of Harry's hands in his own. "I'm sorry, Harry," Ginny heard him say and perked up slightly. Perhaps he was about to reveal what had gone wrong.
"I am so sorry..." the old man repeated, stroking Harry's hand. "I cannot right was has gone wrong but I can give you the power to ensure that it never happens again." With those words, Dumbledore reached into his robes and drew forth a shiny silver sword that Ginny had seen before. It was the weapon of Godric Gryffindor. "Harry... You are the last direct descendant of the Founder Gryffindor. You have the right and the responsibility to bear his sword and for good or ill, you have inherited his full powers. I pray you will walk the right path."
With those words Dumbledore rose, placing Harry's hand on the hilt of the blade and looking once more at Harry's face before he left the room.
Ginny continued to watch and that was why she saw it. She almost cried out in happiness as Harry's hand closed voluntarily around the sword hilt but he showed no further sign of life. After a moment she looked away, blinking back tears. This wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair. Hadn't Harry suffered enough?
And then, everything changed.
Ginny blinked... There had been a wave of darkness and now everything in the room was reversed. She looked around with wide eyes. What was dark was now light and what had been light was dark. Even the sunshine streaming in the window was dark, the inky lines highlighting further points of darkness which were dust motes hanging in the air. Without thinking she turned to Harry but he was unharmed.
His hair was now white and his skin was black - not brown as if the colour pigmentation had changed, but black as if he was made from shadows. His lips were grey and his eyes were... They remained unchanged... Emerald green orbs that were staring sightlessly up at the ceiling.
But Harry was no longer alone. Above him was an inky shadow, looking down at him with eyes that were absolute pitch. And the sword of Gryffindor was gone. Ginny cried out and tried to jump forward but she could not move and her voice died in her throat. She was forced to watch silently. And that's when she saw it, rising out from beneath Harry and coming to rest on his forehead like a live version of an Egyptian crown, was a small serpent, about as long as her arm. It looked up at the shadow, eyes burning red and it's tongue flickering as it tasted the air.
The shadow moved, raising what passed for a head as it looked at the serpent and it seemed eons passed as the two stared into each other's eyes.
-He does not belong to you,- the hiss came from the shadow.
-He belongs to the King.- The snake replied.
-He is ours.-
-Only if he desires.-
With that, the shadows eyes opened wide and it cocked it's head, leaning in close to truly examine the little serpent.
-Basilisk?-
The serpent nodded, raising the still tiny red crest on it's head to the fullest.
The shadow paused at the response but then it spread itself out, covering Harry's entire body before it seemed to disappear but Ginny could see that it was seeping into Harry. -We will wait for the right time,- the shadow whispered just before it disappeared entirely.
Ginny pitched forward as the room returned to normal and the sudden noise and motion brought the attention of the serpent on to her. It hissed a warning, whipping it's tail around as it moved to Harry's chest, rearing above him, daring her to come closer.
-Human?-
Ginny nodded to it as she rose and was surprised as it bared it's teeth, hissing again but showing off it's formidable fangs. "I don't want to hurt him!" She snapped. She was here for Harry's protection. She would do anything for him.
-But it was human's who hurt him.-
"I know! And I want to hurt them back... But I don't know who they are."
-The Master does... And he is already dealing with them.-
"You-Know-Who?"
The snake looked confused. -My Master.- It repeated.
"He knows who did this to Harry?"
At this the little serpent looked sad. -No... He only knows who hurt his mate in the past... His mate isn't speaking of his current hurts.-
"Then let me help him!" Ginny implored the snake. Even as they had been talking, something she didn't even question her ability to do, she just did, Harry had been changing. At the moment black flame seemed to be rising from him burning nothing but flickering with a steady not light that was retreating back into his body.
-You would bond with him?-
The youngest Weasley didn't even feel herself hit the floor. That was it! That was the answer they had been looking for...
Bond with him...
If she were bonded with Harry then she could stay with him forever... And she would share everything that he was... She could help him wake up and she would know who had hurt him and could tell that to Dumbledore and if she was remembering correctly... A true bond mate's testimony was taken to be just as legitimate as the testimony of the victim... Harry wouldn't even need to face his attackers again... She could do it for him... She could help him so much if she was tied to him.
But what if he doesn't want it..? What if he rejects you? What would you do then?
It was the voice of reason, cutting into her dreams as it had so often in the past.
"I love him," she whispered, feeling the dull pain in her chest that hadn't vanished since she had known something had been wrong with Harry. "I love him so much," she repeated the words again, closing her eyes against the tears.
-Enough to die?-
"Willingly," she nodded not looking up.
-Enough to live?-
"Ecstatically," she nodded again.
-Enough to walk away?-
"NEVER!" Her head snapped up and she found herself eye to eye with the serpent.
-Then you do not love him,- it hissed, a note of contempt in it's voice.
Ginny shook her head as the pain in her chest redoubled at the little creatures actions. "No..." she murmured, "You don't understand. I love him," she began again, wiping away her tears and speaking in a voice that was firm but laced with emotion. "I love him enough to walk away," she said solemnly, ignoring the burning pain in her chest at the thought. "But I would not do so without a fight... I would walk away... I wouldn't stop loving him but I would walk away if I knew it was his true desire. It would hurt... I don't think anything could hurt me that much but if it was his true desire I would. I would fight first but would walk away."
The little serpent looked at her through narrowed eyes. -You speak the truth...- It hissed, a strange note of contemplation within it's tone.
"I would do anything for him."
-Bond with him?- It questioned again.
"Yes," Ginny nodded, her voice firm.
-Then you may return and I will let you approach.-
Ginny nodded again, not minding being ordered by a snake as with a considerably lighter heart she moved towards the door. She needed a bonding spell. She looked back at Harry once more and smiled gently at him. He was as still as ever, looking up at the roof but he was protected now, she knew that. The little serpent would not allow anyone close and the dark shadow that was Gryffindor's sword was now inside him, awaiting its time.
"I will return."
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Lucius surveyed the room through narrowed eyes. He was dressed in his full Death Eater Regalia but had exchanged his plain mask for a black onyx mask which he would discard before the night was over. The room was full but was relatively quiet. His fellow Death Eater's had come because he had invited them. They were the one's who had muttered the loudest against the Dark Lord's changes.
It was time now. Draco had acted well and the Dark Lord had responded with far more force that Lucius had been expecting. The Dark Lord had killed several of his Muggle prisoners, executing them through the sheer force of his combined Cruciatus and Imperio curses. They'd screamed in agony but because of the absolute force of the Dark Lord's Imperio they couldn't breathe. The magic had taken total control of them, not letting go until their limbs were twisted and broken and they were covered in blood. They hadn't even resembled humans but the time it was over. The other Muggles had watched in horror before the Dark Lord had returned them to their cells, and then disappeared himself.
Only to appear at Hogwarts to kill the Minister of Magic... That was slightly troubling since it was behaviour befitting a Dark Lord at the height of his power but Lucius was confident he could discredit the action.
"My fellow Death Eaters," he cried in a magically amplified voice as he stepped forward. "The time has come for us to claim what is rightfully ours."
"So our Lord wants us to march?"
Beneath his mask Lucius smiled grimly. It was a good opening. "Alas, no," he said in a tragic voice. "The Dark Lord does not yet order us to march... And he may never give that order."
"What?"
The elder Malfoy waited for a few moments, allowing the indignation at his suggestion to pass. "I know, my brethren, I to mourn this fact but it is truth. Many of you have noted the changes in our Lord since his rebirth and have attributed his reluctance to attack to the time it takes to gather his forces. Our Lord has been regretfully absent for 13 years and even for a wizard of his power, regaining his strength is a slow process but this is not the case. The Dark Lord has recovered his powers but holds his attack for another reason..."
"Potter!" The name was spat with vehemence.
"Yes!" Lucius agreed. "Harry Potter is the cause of our Lord's hesitation."
"Then let us kill the boy and be done with it."
"But our Lord has claimed that right for himself."
"Sometimes to be loyal, it is necessary to disobey."
"Then you will suffer the fate of those Muggles," Lucius said coldly, bringing the gathered Death Eater's attentions back to him. They had all known what had happened to the Muggles and they all knew how much longer it would take for a wizard to die that way.
Lucius continued in the chill silence that descended upon the gathering. "He would kill you. He would not hesitate, he would not stop and you would be but the first. Our Lord no longer desires Potter's death. Those Muggles were gathered for Potter's sake because they hurt him when he was a child. Their torture, their pain, their heads are the Dark Lord's courting gifts."
More silence...
"Our Lord has changed since his rebirth. He no longer hunts Mudbloods, he no longer sees the ascendancy of blood. As regrettable as it is the weakness given to our Lord through Wormtail's blood had only been accentuated by Potter's blood. Our once great Lord is fallen, weakened from within and I fear there is scant hope that his lax morals or obsession with Potter may be broken. There is only one way to strengthen the Dark Lord."
"How?"
"Remember him. The Dark Lord has fallen but his ideals remain. We can remember him and unite under a new Lord, one who is not weak, one who knows the purity of blood and one who will destroy Potter and Dumbledore like the animals they are." Lucius reached for his mask, pulling it off as he activated several charms he'd placed on himself earlier.
His magical aura burst into brilliant existence, making him seem far more than he was and rustling his robes with power. "I am the pure blood Lucius Salazar Malfoy and I will take mercy on the fallen. I will destroy the Light and all the Muggle loving fools who stand in our way so that the pure bloods can take their rightful place as the rulers of the world."
There was one moment of stunned silence before the entire room burst into cheers which slowly resolved themselves into a ringing cry. "Malfoy! Mal-foy! Mal-foy!"
Lucius smiled beatifically, his arms raised in acceptance of their acknowledgement. They were his now... The moment they'd said his name their loyalty was his. There was a little known Dark charm that ensured that so long as he ordered them along the path they wanted they would follow him. The charm would suffice for now and later, his would extract their vows, binding the Dark Mark to him.
He looked over the cheering Death Eaters. These were the first but he knew, before he could truly challenge the Dark Lord he would need those who held power - those who had authority within the Ministry and those who's personal power levels could challenge him. It was a risk but he would bet his life to obtain the power of the Dark.
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