Notes: Hi! I didn't leave you. The link wasn't working for a while… dunno why…. anyway, onward with the story! We're almost done! Kinda happy and sad at the same time… Swear word alert!
This is a short one, to build up to the ending.
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The stone wall spun around, and on the other side was Ginny, shackled by her wrists and ankles. "Well, hello."
"Go to hell."
"You should be thanking me for not killing you."
"There's no reason for you to wait. Why not do it now?"
"I can't kill you - yet. You're the bait. Bait is never really effective if it's dead." Ginny laughed. "Hmm... I'm glad I amuse you."
"Harry will never fall for it."
"Oh really? He fell for it the last few times..."
"He's smarter now. He won't..." Now the other laughed.
"Smart? Oh yes, I knew he was smart the whole time. The problem is he needs to be heroic, and -"
"Don't you dare talk that way about Harry!"
"A bold statement from someone who is chained to a wall."
"Just wait - he's going to kick your ass."
"Yes, just like he was going to the last half a million times."
"Just wait, just you wait and see."
"Oh, I have been waiting. He hasn't shown up yet. I think he forgot about you."
"No!"
"Yes."
"No, he'd never -"
"Then where is he now?"
"Making a plan to come kill you."
"No, I can see him now. Horribly weak mind he has... He's asleep...That bushy haired girl is near him though. What's her name? Well anyway, it seems like he's already forgotten all about you."
"No! Harry loves me -"
"Does he? And how do you know?"
"I know! I don't need to tell you anything!"
"Then why do you continue to talk?"
"He'll come for me, I know he will. Just wait! He'll kill you!"
"Whatever you say." The wall spun back around...
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Harry nearly jumped into the air. He felt a hand on his chest that pushed him back down. It was Ron. "Easy there mate." They were in the living room of Grimmauld Place. Harry was on the couch and Hermione and Ron were nearby.
"How are you feeling Harry?" Hermione asked.
"What day is it?"
"Thursday." Ron said.
"April tenth." Hermione added. They were silent for a second, and then:
"I know where he has her." Harry said, staring at the ceiling trying to pinpoint exactly where his dream had taken place.
"You mean Ginny?" Ron asked.
"Yes." He kept thinking. Where was it? He had seen it before... "The Riddle house!" he said, sitting up quickly.
"The what?" Ron asked.
"Riddle as in Tom Riddle?" Hermione said absently, remembering where Harry was referring to.
"Yes. It was his parent's house or something. He was hiding there a few years ago... Of course. Why didn't I think of it before? It's so obvious." Harry was still thinking. Where did they have a stone wall in that house? In the dream he'd had years ago, he'd only seen an upstairs room and some hallways. Maybe it's in the basement, or that house where the muggle lived... I know it's the Riddle house. I know it is. It has to be...
"And she's still alive?" Ron asked.
"Yes, but he has her chained up."
"What about Neville and Parvati?" Hermione asked.
"Didn't see them, but I'd guess they have to be nearby too. We need to get there. Now."
"Don't be ridiculous, Harry," Hermione said. "We can't just burst in there."
"No, we're not bursting anywhere."
"Then what -?"
"For starters, you two aren't going."
"What!" They both said.
"And I plan to grab a few aurors to hold back the Death Eaters."
"Why aren't we going?" Hermione asked.
"You know why."
"And since when has that ever stopped us before?" Ron said.
"This time it's different."
"Different how? We've always been near death."
"And this time you won't be." He got up and headed for the stairs, going to change his clothes and grab anything that might be useful. He could hear the other two following him.
"You're not going without us." Hermione said crossly. Harry closed the door, making the excuse that he was changing - Ron pushed the door back and came in anyway. "Ron?" she said, obviously not wanting to invade Harry's privacy.
"It's nothing I haven't seen before Hermione." He closed the door and turned to Harry. "What's gotten into your head?"
"I don't want you two getting hurt."
"We've been over this a million times. You can't get rid of us." He stepped closer to Harry. "I want to save her just as much as you do, and maybe even more. I'm not going to let both of you get killed."
"No one is going to die, except for a few Death Eaters and Voldemort." Harry said absently, walking past Ron and thinking of any aurors that would want to help him.
"Stop being so damn heroic for once!"
"It's not called being heroic. It's called being in love. Imagine Hermione in Ginny's place - maybe then you'll get it."
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"It's a very far fetched idea, Harry." Lupin was saying.
"I know he's there. Trust me."
"It's not that I don't trust you, it's that if he told you where he is, he's probably long gone by now."
"Remus has a point," Tonks said. "He probably has a hundred Death Eaters there, waiting for you, while he is somewhere far off waiting for them to drag you in."
"He has Ginny there."
"What about Neville and the Patil girl?"
"I don't know, but-"
"We can't just go raiding houses whenever we think we know something -" Lupin said.
"I know I know something! We need to get there now!"
"Calm down Harry," Lupin warned. Harry sighed and looked moodily at the floor. I should have just gone, he thought. I should have known they'd never believe me... "We need a better plan than -"
"You know what?" Harry said, standing up quickly. "Never mind. I should know by now not to ask for any help. The only person that has ever helped me was Dumbledore -".
"And look what happened to him." Harry stopped, wanting to strangle whoever had said that. No Harry, he told himself. There are more important things to kill. He ignored the comment and stormed out.