Chapter 18: Searching…

I sat bolt upright. There had been a scream out on the grounds. It had sounded just like…

"No, it couldn't be. She's asleep." I turned toward Ginger's bed, a relieved smile crossing over my face. Until I noticed the bed was empty. "Oh, no! Ginger!"

I hopped out of my bed in the hospital wing and threw my shoes on as quickly as I could. I took the stairs down to the main doors two at a time. Throwing them open, I rushed out into the cold, dark night.

Come on, Ginger. Fight back! I could only frantically think to myself reassuring thoughts of her survival. I raced down the grounds, trying and failing to keep my thoughts from carrying themselves away.

I was in the middle of the grounds; Hagrid's hut was to my left, the major portion of the Forbidden Forest to my right. I turned around in a confused circle a few times, trying to decide the best way to go. Why hadn't I been awake? I should have been watching her!

I rebuked myself for my carelessness for several minutes before deciding to head toward the Forest. If I were trying to kidnap someone, I would want to use the mists of the Forest to my advantage.

Swallowing a huge lump, I grabbed my wand out of my pocket and started carefully into mist. My eyes narrowed to see into the enshrouded darkness. I step lightly, for fear of snapping a twig and alerting the kidnapper of my presence. I had to find her; I wasn't going to lose her again.

"How can you see out here?" a whiny, oily voice said behind me and to my right.

I whirled on Marcus Flint, wand at his throat. He looked at me in shock. I pressed the tip further into his skin. "What are you doing here?" I asked through clenched teeth. "Haven't you done enough?"

Flint's hands went up in surrender. He eyed me warily. "That's why I'm here. I feel terribly about what I did to her, Wood, and I want to make it right." His eyes looked sincere. "I can help, you know, if you'll let me."

I lowered my wand and motioned for him to lead the way. "But," I said, stopping him before he started off into the mist. "Any funny business and I will kill you. Do you understand?"

Flint nodded and started into the dark, damp woods. I followed, wand at the ready, in case he tried anything. I wasn't going to let Marcus Flint stand in the way of getting Ginger back.

He walked lightly, expertly, through the trees. About 200 meters from where we'd bumped into each other, he stopped and signaled to me to remain quiet. He ducked down behind a shrub and beckoned me to do the same. I followed suit, looking through the leaves of the plant. There stood a fat, little man, leaning over a lump on the ground. A body was lying to one side of the man; a girl's body. Ginger's body.

I looked at Flint, my eyes wide in horror. "Are we too late?" I whispered in the ear of my previous foe.

He shook his head. "She's just knocked out. I'll see if I can get Wormtail to let me help."

Flint backtracked a few yards, then came to the site from the general direction the castle would have been in. He was stomping on sticks, breaking them in two. "Oy, Wormtail. We ready yet?"

The fat man jumped, whirling around with his wand at the ready. He seemed to relax when he realized whom the voice belonged to. "Master Flint. Just a few more moments and the Dark Lord will be ready to interrogate the girl." He walked slowly up to Flint and eyed the lump in exhaustion and fear. Lowering his voice, he continued the explanation. "He's still terribly weak."

"Enough!" The lump's voice was venomous, and sent chills through Oliver's body. "Marcus, my boy. What are you doing here?"

Flint got onto one knee and bowed his head reverently. "I'm here to help, my Lord." He sneered at the man called Wormtail. "I know how incompetent the current help is."

"Ah…I see. So you're being here has nothing to do with your feelings for the girl." The voice chuckled coolly.

Flint's eyes clouded over a minute. He shook his head slightly. "No, my Lord. This girl is nothing but a nuisance to me. I came to aid in her destruction."

"If only you hadn't lied to me, Marcus. I then could have spared you."

The next second a flash of light issued from the lump and a booming voice bellowed "Avada Kedavra!" My eyes popped open in horror as the body of my past adversary lay lifeless on the forest floor. I leaned to the side and wretched vomit onto the ground.

"Wormtail!"

"Yes, master?" The little man was stuttering in fright.

"Wake the girl. We need to talk." The voice was slightly amused in it's frigidness.

A few seconds later, the body on the ground was twitching. Ginger was sitting up, looking around. When she realized where she was, she scampered back against a tree in fear.

"Hello, my dear. Shall we talk?"

Before I could stop myself, I was standing up. "Let the lady alone." God, I'm an idiot.