Sorry this is so late. First finals (including a loooong paper) and then packing to go home kept me super busy. Then laziness set in . But, I finished this one .

Chapter 4: Unexpected Arrivals

Ginny's fingers slipped beneath the seal; it was made of red wax and had a dragon within its crest, as well as some words Ginny couldn't read because they were so small. There was a pain in Ginny's navel as if a hook had attached there and was pulling her to some destination. As soon as it had stopped, Ginny felt the sensation of flying through the air, a blur of colors assaulting her senses, and, before she could get her bearings, a sharp pain exploded in her head and the world went black.

A weird sensation filled Ginny as she opened her eyes. She was lying on the seat across from Neville on the Hogwart's Express. She sat up and looked around, but she saw neither Luna nor Colin. Looking at Neville, Ginny could only wonder at what was wrong. Neville was pale and his eyes were darting everywhere. She tried to call out to him, but her throat was taut and not even a guttural noise issued forth. She felt detached and could only watch helplessly as Neville left the compartment.

)CaT(

Neville glanced around the compartment. Where had everyone gone? Ginny better not have stolen Harry's invisibility cloak and be playing a trick on him. If the Slytherins found out, well, he was already enough of a laughing stock as it was. But they wouldn't let the Slytherins know if they could help it. After all, they were his friends.

No, it was the great gossip chain that had him worried. He looked out of the compartment. There was no sign of them anywhere. He shut the compartment door and pulled down the shades. He then proceeded to jump on the seats and search every nook and cranny for them. He even search areas he was sure none of his friends could get into. They were no where to be found.

"Alright guys, very funny. You can come out now." Neville waited, holding his breath. As soon as he couldn't breath anymore, he realized his friends were no longer in the compartment. Darting eyes frantically scanned the compartment once more. Neville then opened the compartment door and went off to look for them elsewhere on the train. He was silently begging whoever would listen that they were somewhere, anywhere, on the train.

Remarkably, Ginny found herself floating after Neville, feeling strangely aloof. It was as if she were having an out of body experience without using any magical spells or potions to do so. She watched as Neville glanced down both corridors and headed left, clearing deciding to check where the snack trolley was last. As they made their way down the corridor, she found Neville searching each and every window for any sign of his friends. Even Ginny felt the panic rise up in her as she realized that Luna and Colin were no where to be found and Neville could not see her. Oh, she hoped she wasn't dead. It was rather too pathetic to die this way, much like the guy who used magic wrong and wound up being squashed by a sumo-sized troll.

Neville checked the compartment they had been staying in before heading to check the remainder of the train. Ginny, still mistily floating behind Neville, started glancing in the rooms Neville was passing by. Luna and Colin were no where to be found! One compartment's shades were pulled down, and Neville entered it glancing around. Ginny knew rather than heard him make up an excuse about a missing toad, Trevor, before closing the door on the astonished second years. Ginny knew Trevor had been securely locked away in the compartment, but still felt indignant; he should be looking for Colin and Luna (and possibly her body) instead of his toad! If Ginny had been more of herself, she would realize how silly she was thinking. Unfortunately, the detached feeling was brought on by a lack of brain usage, as the brain remained in the body, and Ginny was therefore unable to think rationally.

Eventually, Neville reached the end of the train and they had seen neither hide nor hair of either of their friends. Ginny, in a dreamy sort of way, realized how ridiculous it must look to see them just standing there in front of the meeting room (for prefects), or, if she truly was having an out-of-body experience, Neville must look ridiculous. Neville took a deep breath and opened the door to the room. Ginny then realized his eyes were closed and couldn't help but wonder if he had been searching with his eyes closed the whole time. Opening his eyes, Neville instantly recognized a robed figure with brilliant red hair. Ginny was sure he sighed her name before he took off running into the compartment. Something just didn't feel right to her, though.

Still at the doorway, Ginny was finding it harder to concentrate on the image in front of her. She could tell that Neville had spun around the girl and a look of shock appeared on his face. She then realized what felt so funny to her. The girl was most likely a first year, and now very scared at how Neville was behaving.

"You're not Ginny…" she could hear Neville saying. "Ginny…Ginny! GINNY!"

Ginny sat up and started pitting the sand that she felt in her mouth out. She had a killer headache and could only wonder where the sand had come from, as she still hadn't opened her eyes. Once she did, though, she rather wished she had not. The world had become bleary and a rather dull, sandy color. Even the sky seemed to be a dull sandy color. It was rather disconcerting, really.

Finally a blurry head popped into her view and she could make out Colin's voice. "Are you alright, Gin? You've been out cold for a half an hour, maybe. Luna and I have been trying to get you to wake up since we found you."

"Are you alright, Gin?" Colin, who was kneeling in front of her, asked, hands still on her shoulders from when he had shaken her awake.

"Umm…where are we?" Ginny's eyes had finally come into focus and she could not recognize where she was.

"We don't really know. Are you sure you're okay? You dashed your skull on a rock. We've been trying to get you up for an half hour already." Colin was looking into Ginny's eyes, as if they would reveal what she had yet to say.

"My head does sort of ache. And that might explain the weird dream I was having. Poor Neville," Ginny sighed.

"You should tell us your dream, Ginny," Luna mistily stated while staring into the distance. The feather band was still across her brow and the Quibbler was dangling loosely in the hand by her side. "After all, when nimbly bobberheads lead their prey astray, they tend to give them dreams of what is happening with those they care about."

Colin and Ginny stole a glance at each other and shared a smile. They were sure Luna had a creature for every oddity that could possibly happen. Recalling the events in her dream, Ginny and Colin soon lost their smiles. Ginny realized that her dream may have been more than a dream; after all, she woke up in the middle of the desert with Luna and Colin with Neville still back on the train as far as they knew.

After checking Ginny's head one last time for any cuts, the three of them decided that they should head off in one direction, making sure to reference the sky, in order to find some sort of shade or place in which they could rest until they decided on what they should do.

Upon standing up, Ginny looked for the rock she could have hit her head on. She found none; instead, right where her head was, Ginny found the book she had been reading on the healing arts. Ginny sighed; at least she had finished reading that book of Hermione's on the train. She would not have been able to last very long without knowing how the book had ended, and it looked like she wouldn't have been able to read it for a while.

Picking up the book and dusting as much sand off of it as she could, Ginny had to run to catch up with the others.

"What did you find, Gin?" Colin, with a look of great curiosity, asked.

"It's that healing book I found in my house. Apparently this is what I hit my head on." Ginny handed the book to Colin who proceeded to examine the book. Wordlessly, Colin handed the book back, approval written on his face.

"Maybe I could borrow that book one day," Colin asked more than stated.

"If you're willing to carry it, I'll let you borrow it now." And with that, Ginny handed the book over to Colin.

)CaT(

If there was anything to the horizon, Ginny swore it would be blurry. In fact, Ginny wasn't even sure there was a horizon; the heat was visibly snaking up from the dull-colored sand into the same dull-colored sky, blurring into a seamless, sand-colored ball engulfing them. Besides noting the lack of color, all Ginny really grasped was that she was in dire need of water and that the heat was oppressing her to the point of fainting. She knew it was no easier or different for Luna or Colin. None of them were still wearing the oppressive, black school robes.

"Could this be any worse?" Colin's voice was barely audible, whether because he could no longer speak loudly due to being parched or if her own hearing was failing her.

And then, without warning, a wind picked up and Ginny discovered that, indeed, it could get even worse. Now she couldn't see for the sand in her eyes and she doubted that Luna or Colin would be able to see either. Her face was also being eroded away by the coarse sand soaring across. She threw her hands up to protect her face and attempted to find Colin and Luna.

The dull sand color of the world got worse with each passing gust of wind. Ginny was finding it harder and harder to see even her arms in front of her face; the world had completely taken on the color of sand. Realizing any search for Luna or Colin now would be utterly fruitless, Ginny remained still, wrapping her arms to protect as much of her face as possible. Remembering the robe she had draped around her waist, Ginny quickly removed it and threw it on her head, hoping to further stop the sand from assaulting her eyes.

And as quickly as it had begun, the wind died. Tentatively removing the robe from off of her head, Ginny was amazed by how much sand cascaded off of her. Well, she really shouldn't be, she scolded herself. Sudden laughter alerted her to where Colin was. Amazingly, he was not much further from her. Attempting her best glare, Ginny hoarsely attempted to yell, "What's so funny about us almost being buried alive by sand!"

In between fits of laughter, Colin barely replied, "your…your hair!...it's…awful…don't dye…it…blonde…" And at the word blonde Colin completely submitted to the laughter.

Luna must have followed the laughter over to Colin and Ginny. Stopping in shock as soon as she saw Ginny, Luna remarked about how there must be some creature playing a cruel joke on them, to turn both Colin's mousy brown hair and Ginny's flaming red hair blonde. They both remarked that she looked better with her natural color than the sandy blonde currently donning her head and Luna blushed, either realizing it was the wind that blew the sand in everyone's hair or because she had been complimented, neither teen knew.

And as soon as the blush had crept away, Colin was pointing to the distance, crying "look!", and pointing at a dark silhouette on what they hoped was some sort of horizon.

The three of them whipped out their wands and waited for the figure to come closer to them. As the figure approached, it was apparent that the sand-colored hair was truly black beneath the sand and that he was wearing rather bagging clothes, sort of resembling old elephant skin and that he had glasses. Ginny was the first to recognize the boy she had been (and, if she were to be honest with herself, still was) in love with. Her eyes widened with shock, but she recovered before the other two recognized the boy who came to them, Harry Potter. Unsure of whether it was the real Harry, Ginny kept her wand raised.

Harry seemed to take a few minutes to recognize them. When he did, evident shock appeared on his face, quickly turning into suspicion. He quickly turned to Ginny and asked her a few questions he knew only the real Ginny would know (Mrs. Weasley had insisted on everyone in the household learning questions to ask people that only the family would know; Harry had always been a part of the family to her. Fleur and Hermione were the only other two to learn such questions as well). Fortunately for Ginny, he merely asked the question about her stuff teddy bear, Johnny, and not a question about the Chamber of Secrets. Ginny then proceeded to ask Harry the question about Aunt Marge's favorite dog (as no death eater in his or her right mind would ever want to associate with that kind of muggle). Both were satisfied by the other's answer.

Harry, nervously glancing at Colin and Luna, proceeded to ask Luna a question about Professor Slughorn's party last Halloween, and Ginny felt her blood boil. Sure, it was before they had started dating and was purely platonic, but that didn't help ease the jealousy coursing through her veins. Luckily no one but Colin noticed. Counting swiftly to ten, Ginny was again able to look at Harry's face rather than her shoes.

Colin swiftly changed the topic, bringing it away from what any guy would call dangerous territory. After telling Harry how they had gotten here, Colin asked, "so, Harry, how did you get here and do you know why we're here? Where is here exactly?" Colin glanced around the barren landscape, perhaps hoping that a Welcoming sign would be found.

Harry sighed. "I'm not sure what's going on. But I can tell you how I think I got here." And with that Harry began his story…

)CaT(

Hermione, Ron, and Harry stepped off the muggle bus. They had reached their destination: Godric's Hollow. Harry wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans. They took a few days to travel here, primarily to lose anyone who might be trailing them. As far as he knew, they had succeeded; Harry would have been surprised to learn that anyone had followed them from the Burrow. They walked away from the stop as the bus pulled away. There was no turning back now. Harry would see the land his first home had stood on. And if it was still there, they'd look at the ruins.

Hermione walked up to a streetcar vendor selling locally-grown vegetables. After buying some to cook for dinner, she asked directions to the old Potter house. Harry couldn't tell where they were going, but with all the pointing, he knew it would be quite complicated. It was a good thing Hermione was asking as neither Ron nor Harry had the trained memory for such complicated directions. Hermione soon came back and, without a word, they moved on. Harry hardly noticed anything as he walked along the street; his stomach was in a flutter from nervous anticipation. He did notice that Hermione and Ron flanked each other and thought about how it seemed that they would never admit what they were feeling for the other.

His thoughts soon drifted to the reason why they were going here. Harry hoped that some clue to the whereabouts of a horcrux or two would be there, anything to help them start out there quest, anything at all.

When Hermione finally stopped, all for the eye to see was a mass of field. "Is this it?" Ron asked.

"The vendor told me that if anything's left of the wreckage, we'll find it here."

"It doesn't look like it's here anymore," Harry responded bitterly.

Ron placed a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder, "Well, let's get to looking. We might still find something, mate."

Hermione was the first to move. She took the first hesitant step onto the field. It was a pretty field, the field of daydreams. The grass was waist high and swayed in the light breeze. Dandelion seeds were sent flying in the picking-up breeze. Somewhere behind her, Ron had started coughing, "Ruddy dandelion seeds!" Hermione stared at the wildflower variety. She doubted that anyone had been here since…that night. She looked for Harry, who was still standing on the path. He hadn't moved. Ron, however, was moving like a newly-born heron through the tall grass. Then he was gone.

"Ron!" Hermione and Harry ran to the spot where Ron was last seen. Hermione reached there first. "Ron! Are you alright?" Ron was sprawled in the grass, dandelion seeds dispersed through his hair like white streaks.

"Pppt! Yuck," Ron spat out a clump of white.

"Ron, are you alright, mate?" Harry had just run up. "What happened?"

"I dunno. I think I tripped on something," Ron rubbed his head. Dandelion seeds went everywhere, and his white streaks were now gone. Looking distastefully at the seeds, Ron muttered, "Ugh! What did I trip on?"

"Umm, it looks like a brick, Ron," Harry produced a red brick fragment from the grass.

Ron stood up and attempted to brush off the dandelion seeds. "Here mate," Ron held his hand out for the brick. Upon receiving the brick, Ron headed towards the path and set it down, visible for all the world to see. "No need in having someone else trip on it," Ron justified. "Well, let's keep looking," he added when both Hermione and Harry just continued to stare at him. Ron turned a light shade of pink from it all.

Hermione waited for Ron to catch up. "Are you alright, Ron?" Concern was etched through her words.

Ron was now a darker shade of pink. "Yes, 'Mione."

After an awkward pause, they headed off in opposite directions. Ron headed off in the general direction of where Harry was looking while Hermione headed off to a small glen. It took Ron a few moments to catch up to Harry.

"How's it going, mate?"

"I…I don't know. I feel like something's here, but…it's just out of reach, you know?"

After erasing the strange "whadda-ya-mean?" look off his face, Ron replied, "sure, mate. Let's go find 'Mione." Hermione was nowhere to be seen. They were surrounded by grass for all the world to see, minus a clump of trees off in the distance. Ron stated the obvious, "I don't see her."

"Maybe she headed towards those trees, Ron," Harry pointed towards the trees.

"Oh. Maybe she's found something. We should go find—" Ron stopped mid-sentence as a cloaked figure came running from the woods.

"Ron! Harry! I think I might have found something!" She gestured emphatically towards the woods; without looking to see if the boys were following her, she ran back amongst the trees.

Ron glanced at Harry and shrugged his shoulders. Then he broke into a run after Hermione, calling for her to slow down. After taking a second to register what, exactly, had happened, Harry bolted off in the same direction his friends had taken.

Upon entering the woods, Harry saw neither hide nor hair of either of his friends. Feeling the panic begin to rise in his belly, he sped up a bit. It became harder and harder to avoid the twigs and branches of the smaller trees and they began to lash at him as he passed. He stopped in front of one of the oddest trees in his life. He wasn't so sure what made the tree so odd; after all, it looked like any other tree he had every seen before. There was just something strange about it that he couldn't place.

Holding the stitch on his side, he decided to wonder about where his friends could've gone and decided that they were still in the woods. But then he started to think about the woods and decided that it would be hopeless to look for his friends in such a questionable place. After all, there had only been a few trees clumped together in the clearing. There was obviously some magic involved in this woody area. He reached out to touch the tree, pausing only inches from its bark. Should he really touch this tree? After all, if it was magical could it be a bad tree, like the whomping willow, lashing out at whoever got too close? That tree had nearly killed Ron and Harry once (as well as a car). Harry stared at the tree, willing it to do something, anything, to show what kind of tree it truly was. Deciding to trust it, Harry finally moved his hand closer to the tree. As soon as he barely felt the bark of the tree, it was gone. Harry felt a spinning sensation and the world went black.