A/N: Thank you!

Disclaimer: Sigh, I disclaim…only because I have no time to put up a fight. Too much to write

Ch. 33

Her sight was blurred, her head pounded. At every other second her heart skipped a beat. The light above started to blink fast and she felt her eyes fall back in their sockets. Her legs responded by thrashing in their bonds. Her chest began to quake soon after. Her teeth came slamming down on her tongue. She could taste the blood pooling in her mouth and she felt it trickle down her chin. From very far away she heard a few shouts. Just as it had begun, she calmed down. As she tried to recover from whatever the hell that was, a person came up close to her.

He lifted up her eyelid and shone a bright light in one eye, then after a few seconds he repeated the move on the other eye. "Okay," was all he said. He walked out of sight, but he didn't leave the room. Another man entered. She couldn't see him all to well due to the dots floating in front of her eyes. She noticed a strange sensation originating on her chin and then continuing into her mouth. She looked down, a movement that would've been impossible a second ago, and saw that the blood was gone. She rubbed her tongue against the roof of her mouth, it too was clean of blood and the cut had disappeared. Also her insufferable neck pain was cured.

"That's better."

She tried to ask who was there but she found that she couldn't talk. Her mouth could move but she couldn't form sentences or even coherent thoughts. Her mind was foggy and dull. She tried to just to scream and even that usually booming sound came out as an awkward squeak.

"You won't be able to talk for a little bit. You screamed quite a bit during that last seizure of yours."

Questions formed in her mind but she couldn't finish them before another popped up. She could only sit there and listen lamely.

"You are doing surprisingly well. But right now you need to be inspected." POP.

She wasn't on a chair any more. The chair had transformed into a metal table, her bonds were gone. Just as she thought it the man told her to not even bother. Besides, he reasoned, where would she get? The door? It was hardly worth it she was told. She also found she was far too tired to even move all that much anymore.

The other man with the light came back. She could see his face. He was tan (possibly Indian) and his face was pot marked. He had small frame, and his clothes seem to fall of his body. He had his hair up in a ponytail but the hair was very thin so the clump was small. When the light hit it just right, it seemed to shimmer. His eyes trailed down her body. He crossed his arms on his chest and thought for a second. Making up his mind he started at the bottom of her body. She looked down as far as she could to see what was going on. When she did, she saw she was in her school uniform, and became quite confused. But, she couldn't even try to figure out that thought any further as her mental fog swallowed it up.

He lifted up her calves to see the bottom of her feet. Without hesitation he grabbed gauze from behind her, where she assumed was a work table. Also he rubbed on ointment that didn't soothe at all. It stung something awful, but when she went to pull her foot back he held strong keeping her in place. He did the same on the other foot, which apparently had cuts on it.

Once done with that he dropped the legs down to the table and inspected her ankles. The skin there was rubbed raw from the harsh bonds of earlier. More gauze and more awful ointment were used there. He finished that and continued up her calves. They were fine, or just not bad enough for treatment. He got to her knees and then stopped. He looked behind her, where the other man was standing overseeing. After receiving a head nod from the other man, the inspection continued. To her surprise and embarrassment the man lifted up her skirt.

"Hey!" Her voice had returned, but it was very hoarse and she didn't recognize it as her own.

"He is a doctor," the man behind her said serenely. "Don't worry,"

That wasn't reassuring at all. Even if he was a doctor she was now lying on a table with her skirt lifted up and her bloomers for everyone to see. Her face reddened and felt as if it was on fire.

"Modesty…something new and different around here," the man behind her commented with a hint of amusement in his voice.

Her thighs were fine as all in the room could see. The man pulled down her skirt, thankfully. He then pressed his two fingers on her lower, much lower (almost indecently so), abdomen. She knew what he was checking for, a hernia. Luckily she was fine and his hands quickly left her body. Then he unbuttoned her top. She couldn't stop him and she became embarrassed beyond belief for a second time.

He pressed on her stomach, she was fine but it was very difficult to fight back the giggles. She was fiercely ticklish. Once done he buttoned her back up. And he felt her neck, checking the muscles there. She felt his thumb on her chin pulling her mouth open. He shone his light in. That was fine as well. His hand went around the back of her head and pressed in some choice spots. The last one he pressed, being directly behind her head, caused her to let out a yelp of pain.

"Bruised?" The man behind her called out.

The tan man nodded. He scribbled some things down on a clipboard that had seen better days. He left, scraping the work table behind him. It took him a much shorter time than earlier, pleasingly. The other man hadn't left though. He was still there.

"Well, now that's done." POP.

She was back on a chair. This one wasn't as awful as the one before. But the bonds had returned. However, they were cloth and were quite loose. "Who," she began as he mind started to clear.

"Just a friend," was all he said. He walked out in front of her; she didn't recognize him at all. "I suppose the 'where' is next?"

She nodded dumbly.

"I was told you were bright. Having that in mind I can assume that you know very well where you are." He was young. Mid-twenties or so. He had dark blue eyes with strands of gold spanning out from the pupil. His chestnut hair was neat and excellently hidden underneath was a scar that ran across the crown of his head.

"So, 'a friend' would kidnap me?" She asked maliciously. She had returned.

He chuckled, finding something about her question funny. "Well, I'll be your friend on the inside."

"Just what is this place?" She fidgeted trying, in vain, to gain circulation to her bum, for it was quickly falling asleep. This chair was better in the fact that it had a back, but the hardness was the same as the one of earlier.

"Well…It's a facility of sorts. I can see that you are recovering. I wish you could've seen yourself when you arrived here." He kept his eyes on hers and it soon became an intimidating connection. She wouldn't back down though.

"When was that?"

"That's irrelevant," he waved his hand as he dismissed the question.

"So, I guess all that's left is, 'the why.'"

He smiled. "Correct. But that's a different story for a different time."

The stare became too intense and she looked down. "Great," she mumbled.

He knelt down so he was eye level. "Oh, don't be that way. You don't have it so bad here. And, I promise, it does it get better. All you have to do-"

She cut him off, "is to cooperate?" She sneered.

He smirked and patted her on the arm, "exactly."

She furrowed her brows and was silent for a minute. "This is strange," she uttered lowly.

He stood up, sifted his weight to the left and crossed his arms over his chest. "How so?"

"You're being nice. It's weird is all." Ginny had thought that captors were violent, explosive people. But this man was understanding and seemed genuinely interested in her well being. It was very far from what she expected.

He sighed, "Well," he turned around to the door and turned the knob. He was halfway out when he looked back and said, "normal is boring."

"Anything?" Draco shouted across the room.

Harry was about to open his mouth and answer in frustration, 'no.' However, he tripped over a box and his head collided with the floor.

Draco heard the noise, "Oh, damn it Potter." Draco swore that this school was just all too abundant with idiots. When he got to Harry he was still on the ground. "What the hell is the matter with you?" Draco kicked him 'gently.'

Harry didn't move.

"Oh, c'mon you bas-" Draco began. His mouth snapped shut when he followed Harry's eyes to the floor. Lying there, motionless and ghastly pale was member two of the Dream Team. Even Ron's normally blazing red hair seemed to have a white hue to it. His eyes were open, glossed over as if there were made of glass. His arms stretched out awkwardly from his sockets reaching into oblivion. "Whoa."

Harry gulped and got to his knees. Draco leaned over grabbed Ron's feet as Harry got his head. The two of them carried him out of the room. Maybe it was because of the gravity of the situation, maybe it was their fear, or maybe it was even out of reverence, the Pride of Gryffindor and the Prince of Slytherin walked in silence.

The both knew where they were going. Each step was perfectly in line with the other. Ron's lame body was moved smoothly without even the slightest bump. Not many were out in the castle's hallways this time of day on a Saturday. The ones that were there kept themselves busy outside or elsewhere. However, Hogwarts was a large school, there was inevitably going to be some students out meandering through the corridors. Two older students, one from Ravenclaw and the other from Hufflepuff, saw the frighteningly odd sight. Neither Draco nor Harry nodded to them or made any note to their existence in any way. They continued walking dead set on their destination.

Their pace slowed until they were finally outside the hard wood door. It was closed, unsurprisingly. Without the convenience of a hand to turn a knob, Draco kicked his foot against the door. The knock was done in such a way that the second and forth knock were hit on the exact same spot with the exact same force. Harry noticed and could tell it was a special sort of code. He knew it just wasn't his paranoia when the door was hastily opened.

'Normal is boring, normal is boring, normal is boring,' her mind repeated. It could be coincidence. It might be a common phrase from wherever this guy was from.

"Could it?" she asked aloud to her empty room.

It wasn't. It was too perfectly planned. He even hesitated. No one would hesitate when just saying something of no consequence. No, it was meant to be said. It was spoken to peak her curiosity. To keep her mind here, to keep her interested in this place and this man.

"Oh, he is clever!"

"Am I?" a voice echoed in her room. Soon a man appeared from just behind her sightline.

"How long have you been there?" Ginny asked a little jarred and a little disturbed that this man was lurking in her shadows.

"Only just arrived, love," he answered pleasantly. He walked in front of her and popped a chair up into existence. "Your breathing is slightly off," he stated evenly as he removed his hat and soaked coat.

"Well you startled me," Ginny defended.

"Sorry, just got in." He sat down on the chair and made himself comfortable.

"From?" He removed the clothe bonds.

"Aren't we curious," he raised an eyebrow. "Just out for groceries. Kidnappers need bread and eggs too."

Ginny let a smile appear. They obviously didn't keep this guy to make up lies. "So, what do I have to do to get better accommodations?"

"Why? I think this room is quaint," he answered in his naturally, creepy, cheery voice.

"In that moldy, disgusting way." She paused, "not that I'm complaining…" Ginny rolled her eyes.

"No, not that you're complaining." He sighed. "Okay, we'd have to start you," he answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh! Why didn't you say so!"

"Are you sure you were in Gryffindor. That sarcasm comes too easily to you." He found her bit of attitude amusing.

"I guess I've been hanging out with Slytherins too long," she said off handedly.

"You have?" He affected surprise.

It was her turn to raise an eyebrow, "please. I thought you heard I was bright?" The two stared into the others eyes. Ginny didn't back down this time. "I know that you know I've been. I might be flattering myself to think that you've been spying on me for awhile."

"You might at that," he lowered his eyes and began to casually fidget with his hat.

"I might also know that I'm not the all important factor."

"You are smart. I wasn't disappointed at all," he responded very much pleased. The gold in his eyes seemed to shimmer.

"So, what's starting mean?"

"Are you sure you want to find out?" The shimmer disappeared.

"Yes," she answered firmly.

Her friend sighed. Now the gold had lost all allure and resembled the dullness of a stone. He got rid of the chair, sending with it his coat and hat. "There is one thing you should know. Once this begins it can't stop without my say so. I will tell you now that it will take something fatal." He left the room through the door.

As the door softly clicked closed the light went out. She hoped her fear was unfounded.

"And what is this all about?"

"Look," Draco pushed through the doorway.

No words left the Snape's mouth. His eyes did bug out of his head. "What were you up to!"

"Nothing," Harry answered hoarsely. Snape's head snapped up just noticing Harry there. "We just found him."

"Like this?"

Draco had a nice sarcastic retort ready but knew it was rude and tacky. He kept it to himself and said simply, "yes."

"What is this?" Harry placed his friend on a vacant table while Snape closed and locked the door.

"It is a severe petrifying curse. In this version of the spell the victim is totally stopped, he becomes as if he was frozen, as if dead." Snape explained.

Harry listened amazed. Who could help Mary to do something like this? How could she do it on her on?

"However the spell wears out from the inside out. So, wherever he was struck first is where the spell will wear off and continue outwards." Snape started to look at Weasley's fingers and face.

"What are you doing?" the silent Draco spoke up.

"Trying to find where he was hit." Then Snape started picking through the sick strawberry hair of frozen Ron. He let out a quiet curse.

"What?" Harry asked worried.

"Weasley was struck at the head," he said simply.

"His brain will be reanimated first," Draco started putting it together in his mind. "How long does it take for spell to fade?"

"It fades slowly. When it begins, it takes an hour for just a small square of tissue to come alive. It is a very difficult thing to kill someone and have them come alive again."

"Why don't you just kill them all together at that point?" Draco asked confused.

"Wait! I don't get the problem with the head," Harry admitted.

"What keeps the brain alive Potter?" Draco patronized.

"Uh, blood?"

"Right. What pumps blood?" Snape joined in.

"The heart."

The Slytherins waited for The-Boy-Who-Didn't-Know-Anatomy-From-A-Toad to figure it out.

"….OH! If his brain is alive before his heart he won't get blood to it. Oh, shit," Harry breathed.

"Good grief Potter. That was painful," Snape commented.

"What can you do?" Draco changed the subject.

"This is far beyond my ability. He will have to get to St. Mungo's immediately."

Another dead end.

A/N: so from my one review from the lovely Tanelle I shall continue with the story the way I have been going. This chapter is on the shorter side of things, perhaps with more reviews the chapters will get longer, wink wink….Please Review! Thank you.