Chapter 12
The morning sunrays reflected off the gloomy castle in a dazzling light. So bright, that as Bill Weasley, who was looking up at the tremendous walls, had to hold a protective hand over his eyes. It was quite cold in the forest, but Bill didn't pay any attention to it. Restlessly shifting from one foot to the other, he gazed again on the lake and impatiently waited that Ginny would finally come into view.
That his little sister had returned with Harry Potter to the headquarters of the Dark Lord yesterday, he hadn't liked at all. Bill still thought with a certain grudge of Albus Dumbledore who had got him and his mother to give in.
The mere thought of Ginny being here now he detested deeply. He didn't want her to be in danger, didn't want anything happening to her. And least of all he wanted to have her in the vicinity of Harry Potter. Even if he had indeed not done anything to Ginny for whatever reasons – what he strongly doubted, when thinking of her cheek that had shimmered in different colours – the alleged son and heir of the Dark Lord was dangerous.
The murder of Peter Pettigrew had surely not been his first he was responsible for. To say nothing of the stories Severus Snape had told them about the young Lord. If only a fraction of them was in accordance with the truth, then Harry Potter was a perfect example of a dark wizard.
Recalling how Ginny had been holding his hand and even had defended him yesterday, Bill pressed his lips together and wondered what he had done to captivate her so. On top of that it had been her own wish to return to Voldemort's headquarters. To help them, she had said!
Yet she was still almost a child. Moreover she had no battle experience. Though Harry Potter had assured them that Ginny would be in no danger at any time, how could he trust the word of a wizard who had grown up in the Castle of Death?
Bill shook his head and looked over to the other waiting people. Tension was writ large in all their faces. Some Order members even looked downright afraid. If it had also occurred to them that this could be a skillfully set up trap? A trap to take them prisoner and to wipe out the Order of the Phoenix once and for all?
How should they know whether Harry Potter really intended to kill the Dark Lord? Everything he had showed them the previous evening could be a great lie, a put- up job.
And yet no-one of them had raised an objection. He hadn't either.
Leaning against the thick trunk of a tree, he mused about how it would be if they should indeed succeed in defeating the Dark Side today. They would be able to go home and their life would return to normality. How great it must be not to live constantly in fear, not be forced to fight and not to worry whether you would survive the next day. There wouldn't be any attacks anymore; they would be able to leave the house alone. They would forget the war and they would delight in the everyday matters of life.
And Ginny would not see Harry Potter again, he added with an inaudible sigh.
But even if he made every effort, he just couldn't imagine it. He had never known life without war and yet he wished nothing more ardently than to have a future that wasn't determined by the war.
Yes, he thought, perhaps his hope had also been greater than his fear and his doubts.
"They're coming," he heard Charlie say, who was standing beside him.
Bill looked up, took a deep breath and riveted his gaze on the three figures who suddenly had appeared from nowhere at the opposite end of the meadow and were quickly approaching.
His restlessness grew into boundless spaces.
As Ginny, Harry and Severus Snape had nearly reached the Order, Ginny ran to her mother. While Ginny was hugging her family, Harry and Severus went over to Albus Dumbledore.
After a short greeting, Harry fetched a few small, wooden boxes out of one of his pockets and called Ginny's name. Reluctantly freeing herself from Fred's and George's embraces, she swiftly hugged her mother once more and stepped to Harry.
Harry gave her and Professor Snape each three boxes and turned to Dumbledore, who had already raised his wand. Together they put a charm on the gathered people. In the next moment the Order members began to shrink.
Ginny, Harry and Severus kneeled down in the dew wet grass and waited until the single Order members, who now were about five centimetres tall, came to them and then lifted them cautiously into the boxes.
Shortly afterwards only Albus Dumbledore remained.
"We trust you, Harry. Don't forget this," he said and nodded.
Harry simply cast a glance at him, lifted his hand and cast the spell also on Dumbledore. As soon as he was stowed away in one of the boxes, Harry carefully piled them up on each other and laid a hand on the topmost box.
"Will the wards not sound the alarm?" Severus suddenly asked.
Harry shook his head.
"Not anymore. Here, everyone takes three."
Loaded with the boxes, Ginny stood up. While she had to hold the boxes with both hands, Harry managed it to hold them with one hand and to seize her arm with the other.
"Ready?" he asked.
Ginny tightened her grip around the boxes and closed her eyes with resignation. How she hated it to apparate! Fortunately she succeeded in staying on her feet when they arrived in the Great Hall.
As Severus Snape had turned up as well, Harry quietly said,
"Snape, you will show them the dungeons."
Snape spun wordlessly around and marched away with billowing robes.
Ginny and Harry, however, looked at each other silently. And even if Ginny knew that time was precious and that they had to act as soon as possible, she was incapable of moving as she stared into Harry's emerald eyes.
Unexpectedly Harry reached out a hand and touched her shoulder. Something seemed to envelope her. She only felt it for an instant and yet she was certain that she hadn't imagined it.
"What did you do?" she asked.
"I've surrounded you with my magic. It will protect you for a while," Harry said and handed her his wand. Kneeling down, he began to open the boxes.
Ginny swallowed hard as she realized again why they were here. Rapidly she copied Harry and freed the Order members, who immediately changed themselves back.
Ginny cast a last glance at Harry and then led one part of the Order out of the hall. Harry gazed after Ginny and suppressed the impulse to follow her and to bring her to his chambers, where she would be in safety in any case. But he knew that Ginny, just like Snape, had to show the Order members the approximate way. They couldn't risk that the Order would get lost and would lose their bearings in the huge, gloomy castle.
Although he had drawn some plans yesterday, it would take too long to consult the maps in the first place and secondly they would be useless should unforeseen things happen. And Ginny had, at least, walked the way back and forth several times the previous night.
While Ginny showed the Order to the western wing of the castle, where the most of the Death Eaters had their quarters, Harry led his part to the northern wing. There not only Voldemort, but also those Death Eaters who were closest to him had their chambers.
As Harry had expected they didn't even meet a single Death Eater.
Having reached their destination, Harry indicated the Order members to go and stand in front of the different doors. The moment everyone had moved into position, Harry gave the signal to attack and flung open Voldemort's door.
The Dark Lord was sitting at a little round table and was just eating breakfast. When Harry stepped into the room, he looked up.
"Henry! Did something…"
He broke off, grasped his wand and slowly stood up.
"I would advise you to consider your decision, Henry," he said coldly.
"You have murdered my mother!"
"It was inevitable. And you know it, Henry. She provoked me."
"Don't you dare to blame her, Voldemort! It was your fault. And for that you will pay. You and your followers!"
"And how have you planned to do that? My Death Eaters are in the majority, if you haven't realized it yet."
"That very well may be. But…"
Harry smiled as he heard the screams.
"…your followers are just being taken care of by Dumbledore and the Order. I think we have quite a good chance to win."
"So, you have betrayed me. That is regrettable. But it isn't too late yet, Henry. If you now align yourself with me, we can ward off the attack and defeat them once and for all. I would forgive you, Henry. You would remain my right hand and heir and I would overlook your betrayal.
If you decide, however, to fight against me you will bear the consequences. You should realize that you will not be able to defeat me," the Dark Lord said and took a step towards him.
"Consider it well, my son."
"I am not your son, Voldemort! My mother has deceived you. She was already pregnant as you captured her!"
The Dark Lord hissed, his snake-like face contorted into a grotesque grimace. That could not be true! And yet he sensed that Henry, who stood in front of him with eyes full of hatred, had spoken the truth.
Struggling against the unrestrained fury that rose in him, he suddenly found himself thinking back seventeen years, recalled the one day – a few weeks after her abduction – where he had led Lily down to the dungeons. In one of the many cells the young woman had wept over James Potter who had lain lifeless on the ground. Though it had been only some insignificant prisoner, Lily had believed him as he had told her that he had killed her husband. His spy Severus Snape, a highly gifted Potions master had brewed him the Polyjuice Potion without suspecting for what his lord had required it.
As Lily's tears had dried up, she had slowly risen, had turned around and had looked straight into his eyes.
One day you will be defeated, Voldemort. One day you will pay for everything you ever did.
Still he saw her standing in front of him, heard her quiet but firm voice. Even in mourning she had been beautiful.
Lily, he thought and cursed her, the woman, who he had never forgotten, who hunted him in his dreams and who he hated. Since the day he had seen her for the first time he hadn't found peace anymore.
Would he have never met her. Would she have only been on his side…
The Dark Lord paused, refused to think this thought out. Instead he suppressed his memory of Lily and concentrated on the present. He knew that he had to act. Or else he would lose everything. Henry had brought Dumbledore and his Order into the castle. For this Henry would pay, just as Lily had paid for defying him.
And afterwards he would take care of Dumbledore, this fool. But before, he had to get even with Henry. The Dark Lord lifted his head and looked into Lily's emerald eyes, which her son had inherited.
"In that case it was a grave mistake not to kill the Mudblood much earlier."
Involuntarily Harry clenched his fists, felt his hate finally overwhelming him. Without hesitating a further moment, he attacked Voldemort. He was only filled with the feeling to kill, to destroy and exactly this he would do. His magic burst out of him, so fiercely that he couldn't control it anymore.
Harry didn't care, however, as he gave himself over to his magic and the power he felt flowing through him. He saw neither the horrified understanding on Voldemort's face, nor did he realize that all curses the Dark Lord hurled against him just rebounded off his protective shield.
Only when a big glassy vase shattered into thousand pieces and one of the shards scratched his cheek, he came again to his senses.
Trembling he stood there. He felt dizzy, but gradually his eyes could discern the contours which stood out in front of him clearer. The room looked like it had been ravaged by a hurricane. And Voldemort lay curled up in front of him, nearly destroyed beyond recognition by his magic.
He was dead, as Harry dazedly realized.
He should have felt triumph, joy that he had taken revenge, relieve that he had survived. But instead an icy coldness crept up in him.
He turned around and looked into the ashen faces of three Order members who stood in the door with frightened eyes. Wondering how long they had been here already, he walked towards the door. The wizards backed away from him as he stepped into the corridor and listened.
It was quiet, far too quiet.
One moment later he started to run. Since the Great Hall was the only place within this castle from where it was possible to apparate, it was more than likely that the Death Eaters had tried to flee there. Having reached the hall, he saw that he had been right with his assumption. The fight had indeed shifted to the hall.
A shrill laughter, sure of victory, caused him to spin around. His eyes fell on Bellatrix Lestrange. He raised a hand and once more he gave himself over to his magic which felt so alive. The laughter changed into an agonizing scream that grew ever louder.
It was the thought that she had to show the Order members the way that prevented Ginny from turning around and to go in search of Harry. Seized with fear and worry, she stumbled ahead. How she managed it to not get lost was a mystery to her, but somehow she succeeded in leading the Order members to the western wing.
As soon as they had arrived, her mother gave her a kiss, however, and send her back and Bill ordered the twins to stay with her and to keep an eye on her.
"But…" she protested feebly.
Bill cut her short.
"No buts, Ginny. You've helped us already more than enough. You will fight under no circumstances."
Realizing that contradiction would be useless, Ginny nodded. Fred and George took her between them and hurried with her in direction of the staircase. They hadn't come very far when a voice bellowed,
"We are under attack! The Order is here! We're under attack!"
Fred grimaced and quickened his pace. They had nearly reached the stairs when a door was flung open. Seeing them the two Death Eaters stopped dead in their tracks.
"Run, Ginny!" Fred shouted and took a step towards the Death Eaters.
But Ginny didn't even consider it. With raised wand she stood there.
Her eyes darted back and forth between Fred and George. If she hadn't been afraid of hitting one of her brothers nothing would have kept her from sending a curse against the Death Eaters, but so she refrained from doing it and hoped with pounding heart that nothing would happen to the twins.
When she became aware that further Death Eaters, pursued by Order members, stormed towards the staircase it was too late. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a blazing red light approaching. A second later the curse crashed into her with incredible force and took her breath away. She was flung through the air. She hit her head on something hard.
As she regained consciousness again and slowly sat up, she saw that she was lying at the bottom of the staircase. Someone called her name, but only when Bill kneeled next to her she realized who it had been.
"Ginny! Are you hurt?"
"No," she said with difficulty and let Bill help her up.
"No", she repeated louder as the dizziness finally lessened.
"I'm fine", she assured him and looked up in the grim face of her brother.
"Come. I'll get you to safety," he said and dragged her away.
After some metres Ginny stopped abruptly.
"Fred and George! We have to help them!" she exclaimed.
"I left Charlie with them," Bill replied tersely and walked on.
Little later they found themselves in front of the entrance to the Great Hall. Bill stifled a curse and grabbed her by the shoulders.
"Stay here and do not budge. Understood?"
Ginny had hardly nodded as Bill already ran into the hall. Leaning against the wall, Ginny let her gaze wander over the fighters.
Suddenly she froze.
Harry! And her heart leaped. He was alive! He was here!
This could only mean one thing: that he had defeated Voldemort.
But her joy vanished as swiftly as it had come. Something was wrong, she thought with growing dread. As another Death Eater burned out in a dark fire, she forgot all caution and began to run.
How she knew this she could not say. But she was certain: she had to go to Harry. Without paying attention to the curses that were flying around the place, she meandered through the fighters. Finally she reached him.
"Harry, no! Stop! Stop, Harry!"
Harry whirled around, stared at her as if she were a stranger. Involuntarily she backed off and for the fraction of a moment she believed he would attack her as well.
"Harry," she whispered.
His gaze became clearer, softer.
"Ginny? What on earth are you doing here?"
Then he took her arm. Only when they had reached the magnificent throne of the Dark Lord, he let go of her and drew her close to him. Ginny felt how he trembled. His face, however that he pressed against hers, was unnaturally hot.
"What happened?" she asked.
"He is dead. I've…"
Suddenly he pushed her away from him. Ginny fell on her knees. As she had clambered to her feet again, she saw that he was fighting with a silver-blond wizard, who still was wearing his pyjamas.
Ginny came out from behind the throne and just wanted to point her wand on a second Death Eater who was running towards Harry and his opponent, as Bill appeared in front of her and seized her arm.
"Ginny! Did you lose your mind? He could have killed you!" he barked at her and while Ginny was wondering who her brother could have meant with 'he', she had no other choice than to follow Bill as he ran into the opposite direction.
"Let go of me, Bill!" she shouted, unsuccessfully trying to free herself and to turn around to look for Harry at the same time.
Bill ignored her, however, and soon Ginny lost sight of Harry.
In the next instant Molly and Charlie Weasley rushed towards them.
"We have won!" Charlie shouted.
"We have won!"
But Ginny didn't hear him. Finally having caught Harry's gaze, their eyes locked.
For a while they looked at each other. Then Harry turned around and walked out of the hall. Before Ginny could have freed herself from her mother's clutching grip, Harry had disappeared.
