Chapter 11

Out of Bounds

Ginny felt consciousness slowly creeping into her head. Her mind was cloudy and confused, her eyes could only see fuzzy shadows and her ears were filled with a horrible, harsh ringing. Her body seemed to be filled with a burning pain.

She blinked her eyes, but still couldn't see anything. Had they blinded her? It didn't seem so. She could see a faint block of light coming from somewhere to her left. She blinked again and her vision sharpened a little more. It looked to be a door. She must be inside some building.

Her legs ached, sharp pains were shooting down her back and it felt like she'd broken one of her arms. As her eyes scanned the room, she was struck by a wave of dizziness. She must have been hit with quite a few hexes. She'd never felt quite as bad as this.

The room around her was dark, but it seemed to be mostly empty. The moment she moved her head to look around, a blinding pain stabbed into her left temple. Instinctively, she screamed in agony. Her left arm jerked toward her head in an effort to try and stop the pain, but it didn't obey.

Ignoring the burning aches in her arm, she tugged at it again. To her horror, she suddenly realized that she couldn't move it. Both of her arms were stretched above her head, leaving no way for her to see what the problem might be. She pulled harder, feeling the first twinges of panic. A sharper pain in her wrist confirmed her fear. Something was holding her there.

Grimacing against the pain, she lifted her head again and tried to see what had happened to her. It looked as if she was laying on a table in the middle of a large, dark kitchen. She tried to move her legs and found that one of them was already immobilized. She could faintly make out something like a piece of dark rope wrapped around her ankle. It held her leg firmly enough that she could move it only slightly.

As she struggled against her bonds, the room grew suddenly darker. An instant later, the sounds of boots on a wooden floor echoed painfully in her ears. Then a muffled voice cut through the ringing in her head.

"You're not supposed to be awake yet."

Now fully panicking, Ginny struggled with all her strength. When her leg wouldn't budge, she tried pulling her arms free and was rewarded with excruciating pain in her right arm. She was right. It was broken.

Ginny was awoken from her pain by a sudden tug on her free leg. She looked down and found the wizard grasping her left ankle. She fought back frantically, but it didn't do any good. She didn't have the strength to fight back, but that didn't mean she was going to give up.

Ginny stopped struggling and watched as the wizard pulled out what looked to be a long leather strap. He wrapped it around her ankle twice and then reached under the table. The moment he let go of her leg, she pulled it free. As he dove to grab it again, Ginny delivered a vicious kick to his jaw. He let out a satisfying howl of pain, and Ginny took another opportunity to slam her foot into his his forehead.

To her surprise, the wizard stumbled backward and fell to the floor. After tugging at her other leg for a second she gave up and tried the only option she had left.

"Somebody help me!" she shouted. Her own voice sounded muffled and hollow, and the noise was painful enough to bring tears to her eyes, but it was her only hope now. "Anyone! Please Help!" Maybe someone would hear her and tell one of the guards.

"Silencio!"

The hex struck her just as she was about to shout again. The wizard grabbed Ginny's leg and held it down as he tied the strap underneath the table. When he was finished, he raised his wand again and with a flash of red, the world was swept away.


The sounds and smells of the waking world slowly swirled around Ginny as she slipped back into consciousness. The ringing in her ears was gone, replaced with an eerie silence. It was much darker than it had been before. In fact, it was completely dark. She tried blinking her eyes and realized immediately that something had been tied around her eyes.

Without thinking, she tried reaching for the blindfold, and was rewarded with more sharp pains in her arm. When she tried to call out in pain, she found her own voice muffled. She'd been gagged as well.

"That arm is still broken," a voice announced from frighteningly nearby. Ginny flinched, fearing some attack, and managed to tug at her broken arm again. This time, she only let out a low groan.

"I'm going to take off the gag and blindfold," the wizard said smoothly. "Please don't scream. It won't do you any good. I've charmed the walls. No one will hear you."

Ginny froze. It wasn't the chilling message which caught her attention, but the voice delivering it. It wasn't possible. They said he was gone. They all said he was gone. Ginny trembled as her captor pulled the blindfold from her eyes.

The room was far too dark for her to see anything more than a dark shadow looming over her. He quickly removed her gag and stepped away. Ginny strained against the darkness to see him clearer. She knew his voice, but she didn't know if she could trust herself.

A lamp flared to life next to the table she was tied to. Ginny turned her head from the light. A series of dull throbs pounded inside her head. When her eyes finally adjusted to the light, she turned back toward the lamp and found a wand pointed directly at her head.

"Don't move," the wizard ordered. Ginny's heart started beating faster. His hood obscured most of his face, but in the dim flickering light from the lamp, Ginny could make out dark hair and the cold stare of a single green eye. As he leaned forward to press his wand against her temple, she saw a faint lightning shaped shadow on his forehead.

"H-Harry?" she asked in a raspy voice.

He ignored her. "Keep still," he said without a trace of emotion.

"Oh my god― Harry!" Ginny shouted. She turned her head to look at him, but stopped when she felt the point of his wand jab into her temple, making her head throb again sharply. She winced, but kept looking at him. "Harry, you... you have no idea―"

"―how happy you are to see me?" he finished for her. "Or is it 'how long you've been searching for me?'" His voice was cold, hostile, and filled with scorn.

Ginny tried to say something, but found herself unable to speak. She'd dreamed of finding Harry hundreds of times, but in none of her dreams had Harry ever treated her with such contempt. She watched in shock as he ran his wand over the side of her head some sort of pattern. A warm tingling ran over her scalp and down her neck.

"What― What are you doing?" she asked hesitantly.

"You hit your head pretty hard," he explained in a hard tone. "You broke your arm, too. I think that's the worst of it ―for now."

"What's wrong, Harry? You're― You're angry?" she questioned. "I'm so sorry, Harry. I saw a dark wizard and I ran after him. It was stupid. I know it was stupid. I should have run to the guards, but― I couldn't let him escape, so I tried to follow him but I lost him and ran into that alley and then― Ginny froze as she remembered what had happened before she woke up. "Did you stop him?" she asked.

Harry had moved on to prodding her broken arm, but he stopped. "Stop who?" he asked in a bored voice.

"The wizard who tied me here!" she shouted. "We have to go! He could come back any minute." When Harry didn't respond to her demand, she shook her arm to get his attention. "Come on, Harry! You can do that later. Untie the ropes so we can go!"

"They aren't ropes," he corrected her. "They're dragonhide straps. They don't burn or dissolve and they resist most hexes. I've already learned that lesson."

"What do you mean? Can't you untie them?"

"Yes," Harry said in a steady voice, "but I'm not going to." He finished with her arm and stood up.

"Why not?" Ginny demanded. "This is no time for pranks, Harry.

"It's not a prank," Harry replied sharply. As his face turned toward the light, Ginny saw a dark bruise stretching across the side of his face.

The shocking reality struck Ginny and left her unable to speak. What was going on? Her mind raced as she tried to think of some reason or explanation for the situation she was in.

"What's going on?" Ginny asked with some uncertainty.

"I see you're still recovering from the Stunner," Harry said flatly. "You're tied to my table, but that broken arm and nasty bump on your head should be healing nicely."

"That was very kind of you," Ginny shot back sarcastically, "but I think I'd rather deal with the broken arm and a headache than be tied to your table, thanks."

"I figured you would."

"Then why am I still here?"

"Because you haven't told me who you are."

"I'm Ginny!"

"Right," Harry replied with a frown. "Of course you are. You just decided to take a holiday in sunny Romania."

"I didn't plan anything," Ginny explained, "They sent me―"

"I'm sure they did," Harry interrupted with a patronizing tone. "How about we try talking again after the Polyjuice Potion wears off."

"I haven't drunk any―"

"Stupefy!"


Ginny felt the groggy dizziness of being woken up after yet another Stunner. It was a feeling she decided she'd felt quite enough over the last month. This time the memories rushed back to her much quicker.

A pair of lamps were lit in the room. She lifted her head as much as she could and took a look around. Harry (if it truly was Harry) was sitting in a chair nearby with a large book open in front of him. His wand was out and pointed toward her, but he was still focused the book.

Ginny let her head drop and gave her head some time to clear. How long had she been here? What was he trying to do? Was it really Harry?

"Why are you doing this?" she asked after losing her patience.

"That's the wrong question," he answered with disinterest. "You're supposed to ask 'Where am I?'"

"Why am I supposed to ask that?"

The wizard looked up from the book and frowned. "You're not very good at this, are you?" he said.

"What, good at being tied to a table?" Ginny asked. "I'd say I'm better than you. Care to prove me wrong?"

"No," he answered with a smile, "I wouldn't want to interrupt an artisan like yourself ―at least, not until your performance was complete."

"What performance?" Ginny replied. "What are you trying to accomplish with this? What's the point of all this? Why did you save me just to imprison me?"

"I wouldn't have," he replied, "but those weren't Brotherhood wizards putting on a show for my benefit. That was a band of thieves who have been robbing shops in the area. They'd have killed you, and no one would have cared or noticed."

"But you would have," she persisted. "Why did you care? Why did you turn back to save me?"

Harry ignored her questions and slammed the book shut. He stood up and began pacing in a circle around her. "It's been almost two hours since I saw you. Even the most skilled potions master couldn't make Polyjuice Potion last that long, so it's got to be something else," he explained as if he were merely talking to himself. "So, I figure it's got to be a Glamor Talisman, some form of Disillusioning Draught, or the Mimmiformus Charm."

"What are you talking about?" Ginny asked.

Harry just kept pacing. "Now, the potion is the easiest, but it wouldn't last much longer. The Mimmiformus Charm would be clever, but it wouldn't convince anyone who knows Ginny well, and the talisman― well, it would work, but it'll send you around the twist in just a few hours, so if I were you, I'd hope it isn't that."

"What do you want?" Ginny asked.

"I want to know why you're here."

"Why I'm here? I'm here because I was chasing the dark lord who attacked me in Giza." As soon as she said it, she jerked her head up to stare at the wizard walking around her. She had been chasing a wizard, and now she was his captive. She remembered the wizard at the Quidditch match, and again at the Ministry, and all the warnings from Tarus and Hermione. Hermione had told her not to trust wizards who looked like Harry, and Tarus had warned her of walking into traps.

"You're not him, are you?" she said without emotion.

"Not who?" the wizard asked with a sigh. "Harry Potter? Didn't you see the scar?"

"Harry wouldn't have run from me," Ginny declared.

"And Ginny wouldn't have let me get away," he snapped.

Ginny closed her eyes and shouted at him, "What do you want? I haven't taken any potions or used any charms! I am Ginny Weasley!"

"Well, your wand is a good copy," the wizard said. "Pretty convincing. Much better than last time, though I should expect that, shouldn't I?" Ginny watched as he flexed the wand a couple times. "Still, there's more to a wand than just wood and the right length. What core does it use?"

"Unicorn hair," Ginny growled.

"I wonder if you're right," the wizard replied as the wand flexed dangerously.

"Don't you dare break my wand!" Ginny shouted threateningly.

"How else am I supposed to know if you're telling the truth?" the wizard asked. "We both know I don't have the tools to verify your claim. It seems we are at an impasse. You refuse to admit you are not Ginny, yet I know that you are not. What would you do if you were in my position?"

"If I was in your position," Ginny snarled, "I would run. I will get out of this eventually and then I'll hunt you down and show you what torture is really about."

"This is not meant to be torture," the wizard corrected her.

"Well it's not hospitality, either," she snapped.

"And how else am I supposed to discover just who you are?" the wizard replied. "You claim to be a witch who is still in the Weserburg. She cannot be in two places at once. It is simple to concoct some story about why you are here. I need proof. How do I know you are who you say you are? What could I ask you that the Brotherhood couldn't have discovered? They know more about my past than I do. Even if you could think of something, it would only make me more suspicious."

"Can you prove that you're Harry?" Ginny retorted.

"I don't need to," he replied. "You wouldn't be here unless you already believed that. You knew who you were chasing all along. You knew it from the moment you saw me watching you."

"I didn't come here looking for Harry Potter," Ginny explained. "I was following the wizard who murdered my brother in the Ministry of―."

"I didn't murder anyone," the wizard replied immediately.

"Well get comfortable with the idea, because I'll starve before I turn into whoever it is you think I really am."

The wizard scowled at her. "We'll just see then," he said as he strode toward her. He tapped his wand to her forehead and said in a clear voice: "Somnus."

The room spun for a second, then faded to darkness.


When Ginny awoke, the room was almost completely dark. It must have been well past sundown by then, and wherever she was, there were no other lamps lit. She felt stiff and cold. For a minute or more she just laid where she was, silent and completely still. She couldn't hear any sound suggesting her captor was nearby. Her arms and legs were numb from their lack of use, but this might be her only chance.

She concentrated on curling her hand up as small as she could, then tried pulling it free of the restraint. Slowly she could feel the smooth dragon hide slipping across her wrist and over her hand. A slow, burning sensation climbed toward her elbow where it met a sharper ache from the newly mended bone in her upper arm. Finally, with a flash of pain, her fingers slipped through the loop and her arm was free.

She swallowed her shout of joy and immediately started tugging at the other hand. She couldn't feel her hand anymore, and because her legs were still tied, she couldn't reach the restrained hand with her free one. She pulled at it until the burning pain was almost unbearable.

"You'll have better luck if you work on one your ankles first," a voice called out from the dark. Ginny froze and searched the darkness for its source.

"I tied your other hand a little looser than the rest," he explained. "I figured you'd try to escape and I didn't want to have to mend that bone again after you broke it trying to escape."

"That's very thoughtful of you," she replied acidly.

"I said I wasn't trying to torture you," he told her firmly. "We might be able to help each other. You don't understand the danger you're in."

"No, I don't, alright? I don't understand the danger I'm in. I've been trying to understand it, but the more I learn, the more danger I find myself in," Ginny said testily. "I don't know why D'Anneau was so bloody eager to talk to me when he must have known it would only get him killed. I don't know why the bloody Brotherhood tries to kill me one night and completely ignores me the next. I don't know why I'm tied to a table, why I'm shouting at a stranger in the complete dark, or why I'm so bloody cold in the middle of summer!"

"I can provide you with some of those answers, but I don't think you'll like what you discover," he said cryptically. "Sometimes the answers are more troubling than the questions."

"How poetic," Ginny remarked. "Why don't you untie me and I'll take you to see a friend of mine. He loves those little pieces of wisdom. His name is Grigore Tarus. He's―"

Before Ginny could finish a pair of lamps flared to life, blinding her for a few seconds. As the room faded back into focus, she was struck with a paralyzing terror. She'd been too cold to notice, and now she understood why. Her robes gone, leaving her laying on the table in only her underwear. She immediately tried to cover herself with her free arm.

"Is this your idea of a sick joke?" she snapped. "Or is this my punishment for being disobedient?"

"It was necessary," the wizard explained. "I needed to eliminate the possibility of a Glamor Talisman, and since you haven't turned into a raving lunatic, I'll conclude that you aren't the sort of person who would make a talisman out of bright purple knickers."

"Hey! I like these, they―" Ginny replied quickly, then caught herself. "Quit looking at my knickers!"

"Ginny doesn't have any purple knickers," the wizard told her.

"What?" she shrieked. "How would you know?"

He ignored her. "And I hardly think she would show up to an international convention of wizards wearing socks covered in little dancing piglets."

"They're soft!" she said defensively. "I only wear them under boots. No one can see them."

The wizard sighed heavily and sat down, not really looking away from her, yet not looking at her either. "The sort of transfiguration magic needed for things like this... it's not meant to be used for this long. It can do serious damage to your mind and body. What are you using to do this? If you tell me, I will do my best to reverse any of the effects. Is it the Orthomorphus Charm?"

"It's not any charm," Ginny answered insistently.

"That's what the others said."

"What others?"

"The other Ginnys, Rons and Hermiones," the wizard said in a tired voice. "There was even a Bill and a Neville, but no one really expected them to succeed. They were just diversions. The serious tries have always been Ginny or Hermione. He must be getting quite frustrated, now. You're better than all the rest of them."

"What are you saying?" Ginny asked. "You've been attacked by wizard posing as Hermione and... me?"

"No, not attacked," he replied. "Earlier, you had asked how you could be certain that I really am Harry Potter. It's really quite simple. Only I would ever claim to be Harry Potter. Why would anyone else want this? Who else would want to rip themselves from everyone they cared about just so they could tell their friends from their enemies?

"I wake up some mornings and I can't remember where the night ended and the nightmares began. Some days all I want is to talk with her and make her smile, but the danger it would put her in is... unacceptable. Who would want that? Who would choose to be haunted by everyone they love? After seeing them die enough times, you begin to get used to it and you begin wondering if it would still hurt if it was real."

"You killed them?" Ginny asked quietly.

"I'm not a murderer!" he replied immediately. "I tried to help them. I tried to save them all. I'll try to save you, too, if you let me," he said in a quieter voice. "The Brotherhood always comes for them, and they'll come for you. I don't know what they told you, but they don't care about you. If you were Ron or Bill, you might have a chance, but..." his voice trailed and he looked away for a moment. When he looked back, his eyes were set and cold. "They won't protect you."

As Ginny watched him speak, she felt a tightness in her throat and a warmth growing in her chest. She finally understood. All the pain in his eyes and the sound of his voice, no one could imitate that.

"It's really you, isn't it?" she asked weakly. "What's happened to you? I― I had always hoped you were still alive, but... I had almost given up. Harry, I swear to you, it's Ginny."

"They all say that," Harry replied coldly.

Ginny stared at him. He'd never believe anything she said. Maybe it wasn't what she said, but how she said it. "Come here, Harry," she called to him as she reached for him with her free arm. Slowly, he stood and walked to her side. She ignored the cold draft across her stomach and looked into his eyes.

"Harry, I love you."

The change in his expression was immediate. His eyes softened and the corners of his mouth twitched into a weak smile. "Oh, Ginny," he whispered, "it's really you. I've waited so long. I thought we'd never be together again. That's all changed now."

He leaned closer to her and caressed a lock of her hair as he stared into her eyes. "After I untie you, we'll leave this place. We'll leave and never think about it again. I have more than enough Galleons to let us live comfortably for as long as we want. We can run away and live in a cottage in some Alpine valley. I'll carve broomsticks from the branches of the trees in our yard, you can raise puffskeins and give them cute names, and we'll just be safe and happy."

Ginny gave him an odd look and opened her mouth to speak, but he held up a finger to quiet her.

"Hush, my love," he said sweetly. "We can leave the world behind. We won't have to worry about corrupt politicians in France or the latest trouble the Death Eaters caused. We won't tell anyone where we are," he said as his voice took on a slight edge. "That way, no one will be able to tell us that Ron was murdered in the middle of a match, or that Hermione was killed in a gruesome, mysterious accident late one night. We won't have to hear about your brothers' store exploding and all the unfortunate wizards who died inside it. We can just live in innocent bliss, right up to the moment they come to kill us in our sleep."

Ginny gasped in pain as Harry grabbed her bruised wrist and pushed it down onto the table again. "It's more likely I'd find myself tied to the table as soon as I turned my back on you, or I'd find the Brotherhood waiting for me when I turned the next corner," he said as he mechanically wrapped the dragonhide strap around Ginny's wrist and tied it to the table again.

"I tied it better this time," he said as he walked back to his chair. "You'll break your arm again if you try to escape the same way."

"Whatever you're hoping to accomplish here, I think you should know that I am supposed to meet with Grigore Tarus tomorrow morning," Ginny announced, as she tried to ignore the pain in her wrist. "If I don't show up, he'll know something happened and he'll come looking for me."

"Grigore's pretty resourceful," Harry said over his shoulder. "I'd guess he's already looking for you." As he reached the door, he extinguished one of the lamps.

"You're just going to leave?" Ginny called out. "You're not going to stun me or hit me with a Sleeping Charm or something?"

"No," Harry replied with a slight smile. "You've been hit with enough spells for one day. I don't want to make it seem like I'm torturing you."

"Then give me a quilt or something! I'm freezing!" Ginny shouted.

With a wave of his wand, the last lamp went dark. "I think that's the first honest thing you've said."


After shivering for what felt like hours, Ginny finally fell into a troubled, restless sleep. In her dreams, she was chasing after a dark wizard, and every time she caught him, she would pull back his hood and find Harry laughing at her. Eventually she gave up, only to find herself in an empty field, feeling much safer but very alone.

She awoke feeling much the same way. She didn't want to think of what the day might bring. It almost seemed better when she was just sleeping. At least then she was only facing her own imagination. The thought of facing Harry seemed more frightening than anything she might dream up.

For quite some time, Ginny tried to simply fall back to sleep. There was no use waking up any earlier than she needed to, and with any luck she might be able to delay long enough for Tarus or his guards to find her. However, no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't force herself back to sleep. She felt warm.

The though raced around her mind. She'd been freezing cold that night. What could have changed? Was the building burning? She wanted to open her eyes, but wasn't sure if she wanted to know just what she'd find. What would she do if there was a fire? What if she had been moved somewhere else? Slowly, she opened her eyes and let them adjust to the dim light of the room.

The reality of the situation was somewhat more difficult to comprehend. At least she would have known what to expect from a fire. The scene before her seemed to defy any explanation. A long black cloak had been draped over her, covering her from her shoulders to down past her feet. It looked almost disturbingly like a shroud, but it had kept her warm ―surprisingly warm, as if it had been charmed to do so.

Ginny lifted her head and found Harry sitting in a chair nearby. He wasn't looking at her. Instead he was slumped forward, staring at a wand he was clutching in his hands. Ginny recognized it as her own. There was something odd about his posture that she couldn't describe.

As if he sensed her gaze, Harry let the wand drop to the dusty floor. "Why are you here?" he asked in a tired voice.

All the frustration and anger from the previous evening rushed back to Ginny. Before she had time to think, she was already speaking. "You're asking me?" she snapped. "I'm here because you tied me to a table."

"That's why you're still here," Harry shot back, his voice suddenly filled with an intense bitterness. "Why did you come here in the first place? What did you hope to accomplish? Why did you think you would succeed after so many others failed?" He lifted his head and stared at her with reddened eyes. "Why are you torturing me? Why do you use her? Why can't you leave her alone? Why do you keep doing this?"

Ginny stared back at him. "I'm not doing anything," she replied.

"Then why are they searching for you?"

"Why is who searching for me?"

"The Brotherhood of the Sacred Balance," he answered sourly. "They're searching the city, asking for witches with red hair. It's only a matter of time before they find this place. If you're not one of them, why are they looking for you?"

"They're probably here to do what they failed to at Giza," Ginny said with a hint of fear creeping into her voice. "If you leave me here, it will be no different than if you killed me yourself. You still want proof I'm really Ginny? Let them come here, and you can read about it in tomorrow's Daily Prophet."

"There won't be any article. You're not Ginny," he said defiantly.

"If you're so certain, why did you cover me with your cloak?" she asked.

With a scowl, Harry stood, strode toward her and yanked the cloak off of her. The air in the room felt frigid compared to the soft warmth of the cloak, but she clenched her teeth and refused to react. For some time, he just stood next to her, staring at her silently. It made her feel extremely self-conscious.

"Is this fun for you?" Ginny asked him.

"No," he answered in a lifeless voice. "Ginny has shorter hair."

"It only looks long because I'm tied to a table."

"Ginny's freckles are darker," he challenged.

"It's been a while since I've spent any time outside," she explained. "I spend most of the day in the Ministry or the Leaky Cauldron."

"She has a cluster of them ―three of them in a tight triangle, on her―" Harry closed his eyes and let out a sigh, "―on her lower stomach, a little off to the left."

Ginny's eyes opened wide and her mouth dropped open. "How could you know that?" she shouted. "Nobody knows that!"

"Ginny does," he replied, "but it seems that you didn't."

"They're there," Ginny insisted, "they're just hidden by what little clothes you left on me. If you untie me, I'll show them to you."

Very hesitantly, Harry reached for her stomach. With a single finger, he pushed down her knickers a fraction of an inch, then pulled his hand away as if he'd been scalded. He stared at Ginny in fear, then slowly backed away.

"It's a trick," he mumbled.

"It's not a trick, Harry," Ginny said. "You're so certain that everything is a trap that you can't even recognize when it's not. I can't prove to you that I am who I say I am. At some point you'll just have to trust me."

Without a word, Harry turned and walked out the door. Ginny laid on the table waiting for him to walk back into the room, but he didn't. As time passed, she started to wonder if she'd gone too far. If Harry had left and the Brotherhood really was coming― well, there was no reason for her to think about it. There wouldn't be anything she could do. Harry simply had to return.


After a few tense minutes, Ginny heard the sound of heavy boots walking toward the room. She took a deep breath and raised her head to look at the door. To her relief, she found Harry standing in it, though his expression was somewhat more troubling.

"There isn't much time," he told her as he walked into the room. "They're nearby. It won't be long until they find this place. If I'm right, they'll kill you if they find you here. If you're right, they'll still kill you. If you come with me, you'll have a chance, but I can't take you with me until you tell me the truth."

"I am telling the truth!"

"Then you won't mind drinking this," Harry said as he held up a small vial.

"What is it?"

"Veritaserum," Harry answered, "or something like it, at least. I'm pretty sure he said it was the same thing."

Ginny gave the vial a worried look. "If I drink that, you'll untie me and we'll leave?" Harry nodded stiffly. "Fine," Ginny snapped. "If that's what it will take, then I'll do it."

Harry strode over to the side of the table and uncorked the tiny bottle. He paused for a moment, looking suddenly uncertain of what to do next.

"I sure wish I could help you," she told him. "If you just untied one of my hands―"

"I'll do it!" he snapped at her. He held the vial lightly in his right hand and leaned forward. He reached forward to steady her head with his left hand, but as soon as it had touched her jaw and cheek, he froze. He stared into her eyes, and Ginny watched as his eyes filled with sympathy and longing. Suddenly, he jerked his hand away and stared at it as if it had been the cause of his emotions. An instant later, the room echoed with the unfortunate sound of shattering glass.

Harry's expression turned from shocked disbelief to dismay as he looked to his empty hand. As the realization of what had happened struck him, his expression changed quickly to anger. He let out an enraged shout which ended with the sound of glass being crushed under his boot. He spun on his heel, grabbed a nearby lamp and shattered it against the wall. He began pacing, but stopped a few seconds later as a louder crash echoed through the doorway. He pulled his wand from his robes and leaped to the doorway.

"Petrifacto!" he shouted. There was a dull rumbling, followed by a deep silence.

He leaped into the next room, and Ginny waited for him to return as sounds of shuffling boots and moving boxes slipped through the open doorway. Moments later, Harry reappeared, carrying a bulging leather bag.

"Harry?" Ginny called out as he began rummaging around the room, "Harry, what's happening?"

As if answering her question, she heard a wizard shouting nearby. "There's nowhere to go, Harry! Don't let this get out of hand like Giza!"

"Untie me, Harry!" she pleaded. "We've got to go!" Harry ignored her. "They'll kill me, Harry," she shouted. "No matter who you think I am, you know they'll do it. You're not that kind of wizard."

Harry didn't respond and went about hastily gathering what he could. He slipped his cloak over his shoulders and then ran over to pick Ginny's wand up off the floor. He paused before slipping it into his pocket, then turned and began walking away.

"We're not here for Ginevra," the voice at the door called out, "and we're not here to kill you, Harry. It never had to be this way."

"Yes, it did, Dragomir," Harry shouted back through the door. "I won't join you. I spent seventeen years fighting the last Dark Lord, I'm not about to help create another one."

"I will not ask again, Harry!" the wizard shouted. "If you come out now, I will promise that no harm will come to Ginevra."

Harry looked at Ginny strangely, then back through the door. He closed his eyes tightly and ran his hand through his hair. He opened his eyes and shot a worried glance at Ginny, and then the door again. A second later, the room shook violently with a deafening explosion.

Before Ginny even knew what was going on, Harry had slammed the door to the room shut, and was pointing his wand at it.

"Petrifacto!"

The posts and planks making up the wall shuddered then seemed to expand and darken as a rough grinding noise filled the room. In seconds the whole wall had turned to thick stone. With a frustrated shout, Harry turned his wand on Ginny. Instinctively, she turned away and closed her eyes.

"Evanesco!" he shouted.

For a moment she felt a sudden lightness, as if she were floating. It lasted only an instant, however, and the next sensation she felt was the sharp pain of her back slamming onto the floor. She gasped for breath and rolled onto her side. What had happened? She forced her eyes open and looked around her. The table was gone. He'd vanished it. The dragonhide straps lay limp on the floor. He'd set her free.

While she sat gasping and dumbfounded on the floor, something large and soft struck her chest. She blinked at it once then picked it up. It was a roll of cloth.

"They're your robes," Harry shouted as he struggled to lift something against the far wall. "Put them on. It'll be cold where we're going."

Ginny ignored the pain in her limbs, back and chest and hastily pulled her robes on. She found her boots nearby and quickly jammed her feet into them. Harry had pulled up a pair of the floorboards and was sitting on the edge of a large dark hole in the floor.

"If you want to live, you're going to have to follow me and do exactly what I say." Without another word, he pitched forward and disappeared into the hole. A large booming noise shook the room and Ginny saw the petrified wall shudder and crack. Seconds later, she threw herself down the hole as well.

The hole was deeper than she expected, and her legs buckled as she struck the stony floor of the pit. It was dark ―almost impossibly dark. A moment of panic struck her as she realized that she would never be able to reach the hole above her and she had no way of seeing in the dark.

She shakily got back on her feet, and was rewarded by a faint glow ahead of her. She walked toward it as quickly as she dared. A series of dull sounds were echoing around her. It sounded as if she were in some sort of tunnel. She found one of the walls and started walking faster toward the glow. As she neared it, she realized it was Harry. It looked like he was holding her wand in his left hand for light.

"Thank you, I'll need that," she said as she reached for it. At the last second, Harry pulled it out of her reach and twisted slightly to point his wand at her neck. Ginny froze in place, and stared at him.

"What― What's going on, Harry?"

"What color was my birthday present?" he asked in a strained voice.

"What present?" Ginny asked confusedly. "Which birthday?"

"What color was it!" Harry nearly shouted.

Ginny tried to back away from Harry but he followed her, keeping his wand at her throat. "You're not making any sense, Harry!" she shouted back. "What is this about?"

There was a wild, desperate look in Harry's eyes. "What color was it!" he screamed.

Behind her, Ginny heard the rumbling of a large explosion and the sound of tumbling stones. The Brotherhood was coming. They'd never get away, now. It was never supposed to be like this, Ginny thought. Harry was supposed to face Voldemort and then return so they could be together. She didn't think anything could prevent that. It wouldn't have mattered if Harry became an Auror or if she had to take some boring job at the Ministry or if they were forced to live in Grimmauld Place―

Ginny's mind froze. Was that what he meant? She stared back at him and saw tears forming in his eyes. As he opened his mouth to start an incantation, Ginny new she only had one chance.

"Green!" she shouted as she cringed. "It was green, like your eyes!" When no curse struck her, she opened her eyes and found Harry staring at her and holding his wand tightly.

"It was a green cake with a single candle," she added. "The candle was too big for the cake, but it was the only one I could find. I didn't think it would matter."

"There was a picture on it," Harry said shakily. "What was it, a Snitch or a Lion?"

Ginny's eyes opened wide. "A picture― What are you talking about? I didn't put anything on it, just the candle. I didn't think anyone would ever―"

Before she could finish, Harry had started shouting something. A flash of panic hit Ginny and the world seemed to slow down around her. There was a bright flash of light from Harry's wand and she felt the hot sparks hitting her skin. A second later there was a sharp explosion followed by the ear splitting noise of falling stone. Harry grabbed her shoulder and pulled her deeper into the tunnel. Ginny stumbled along after him for some time before he finally stopped and allowed her to catch her breath.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Ginny looked up at him. "Do you believe me now?"

"Yes," Harry replied quickly. "I guess so. Can you Apparate?"

"Of course I can, what did―"

"Try to go to Grimmauld Place, then," he said as he returned her wand. "Don't ask questions. Go now."

"I'm not leaving you, not―"

"Go!" he ordered. "I'll follow you." When she hesitated he got angry. "I'm trusting you, you're going to have to trust me."

Ginny nodded and focused on the alley she normally Apparated into. She felt the world disappear around her and the crushing feeling of Apparation, but it disappeared much too quickly and an instant later she found herself stumbling in the dark again. She opened her eyes and found Harry frowning at her.

"I know how to Apparate!" she told him. "I don't know what went wrong!"

"It's not your fault," he replied. "It means they're already putting up Anti-Apparation wards. Come on. If we run, we might be able to get someplace they haven't covered yet."

Harry lit his wand and slung the bag over his shoulder. Together, they ran down the empty tunnel for quite a ways. When they stopped again, Ginny was gasping for breath.

"Try again," Harry told her.

Ginny did, but the result was the same. She collapsed onto the stone floor and tried to catch her breath. Harry sat down nearby and opened his bag. After some rummaging about, he handed Ginny a bottle of water and a small loaf of bread. She was starving and accepted both of them immediately.

"Where are we?" she asked after she had finally relaxed.

"We're in a tunnel which used to run from the castle to the Gatehouse. I think it was dug as an extra escape route from the castle in case it was ever attacked again. To keep it open, the walls were charmed to resist spells. That shaft hadn't been protected for some reason, but the rest of the charms seem to be in place."

"So we can get to the castle?" Ginny asked as she ripped off another chunk of bread.

"Not any more," Harry answered. "Even if I hadn't just filled the way to the Castle with rubble, the Castle entrance is sealed."

"So what do we do now?"

"We rest," he told her. "We're not far from the castle right now, and it'd be a long walk even if we were taking the High Street. I think this is going to be quite a bit longer. There's no point in running now. They know we're trying to escape. They'll have wards covering the entire city by now."

"What about the High Street?" she asked, "There were loads of guards on it. If we could make it there, we could find a guard and raise the alarm. They were all ordered to protect me."

"Even if we could somehow make it to the High Street safely, we wouldn't get much help from the guards," he said. "Most of them are either being paid by the Brotherhood or are members themselves. Some of them might help us, but I doubt we could find them. The Brotherhood will have made sure none of them would be around. If we see any guards, we have to assume they are Brotherhood members."

"But... Tarus trusts them. He doesn't know, does he?"

"Yes, I'm certain he does," Harry answered. "Grigore knows much more than he shares with others."

"But he's in danger! We have to find some way to warn him!"

"Right now, we are in greater danger than Grigore Tarus," Harry said. "He is very resourceful when he needs to be. Don't worry about him. Worry about yourself."

"Why do I need to worry about any of us?" Ginny asked. "What is happening? Tarus said that a war was coming. You said it, too. There's a new Dark Lord coming, isn't there?" Harry nodded solemnly. "I saw him in Giza," she said. This caught Harry's attention and he watched her as she explained what had happened.

"What is going on, Harry?" she asked finally. "Why is the Brotherhood hunting me? Twice now they've set traps for me. What does this new Dark Lord want with me?"

"He doesn't want you at all," Harry replied in an empty tone, "he wants to destroy me, just like the last Dark Lord." He turned toward Ginny with a sympathetic expression. "No one was setting traps for you. They were setting traps for me. You were just the bait to draw me out."

"That's why I didn't come back," he said heavily. "It started almost immediately after Voldemort's defeat. I think he had been waiting for me to confront Voldemort. I don't think he really cared who won. Maybe he hoped we would kill each other and leave him without anyone to stand in his way. It doesn't matter.

"I didn't realize how serious it was until it was too late. Once I realized what was happening, I tried to stop it, but I was betrayed. With help from a number of other wizards, I managed to escape with my life, but they didn't escape with theirs. One by one, the Brotherhood turned on them. They were killed whether they fought back or not. If they ran, they were reported as criminals. If they hid, their families were killed.

"Everywhere I turned, I found the Brotherhood turning good wizards against me and killing those who wouldn't. I had no choice. I had to remain hidden, if only for the safety of everyone around me."

"Tarus said the same thing," Ginny commented. "He also said that it won't be long before it won't be possible to keep it hidden."

"Well, it's reassuring that I'm not the only one," Harry said with obvious frustration. "If he says that we won't be able to keep it secret for much longer, then maybe it's best that you found me before the Brotherhood―" Harry stopped abruptly and looked away.

Sensing a change in his mood, Ginny leaned toward him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright, Harry. I've been through worse."

He turned back toward her, but kept his eyes down. "I'm― I'm sorry about Charlie. I knew he was going to be there, but... You can't imagine how―"

"Don't blame yourself, Harry," Ginny said in a comforting tone. "I know about Charlie. He made a mistake, but he was trying to fix it. He made his own decision. Tarus told me how brave he was to stand against the new Dark Lord. Charlie made him promise to keep me safe."

Harry simply stared at her for some time, then dropped his face again. "He was brave," Harry agreed. "All he wanted was to keep his friends and family safe. He could never have killed anyone. I knew the danger he was in. I tried to stop him. I tried to protect him, but he didn't listen to me. He thought he could keep all of us safe."

"I know, Harry. There's no Prophecy this time. You won't have to fight him alone," she said encouragingly. "I can help you. I'm not going to let another dark wizard terrorize the world like Voldemort did. I won't let him get away with killing my brother. Neither will Ron or Hermione. We'll all help you this time."

"No," Harry said with a sudden urgency. "No, you can't. It's too dangerous."

"How can it be more dangerous than having a pack of dark wizards blow up a cottage to try and kill me?"

"Didn't you listen? They don't want you. It's me they want. If anyone else figures out I'm alive, the Prophet will plaster it all across Britain. It will start a war."

"The war is already here, Harry," she argued.

"Maybe, but not for Ron and Hermione, and not for you. Not yet," he said insistently. "The Brotherhood will not harm you. They need you as bait. So long as we're apart, you still have a use to them, and they will believe they still might be able to use me without killing me," he explained. "I don't want you to end up like Sabine D'Anneau."

"Don't talk that way, Harry," Ginny said, chastising him. "You're nothing like Henri D'Anneau. He was a horrible man and he got just what he deserved. Sabine is better off without him."

Harry glared at her. "Henri was a git. He got what he wanted because he sold every bit of decency he had to buy it. He committed crimes so horrible that I barely know how to describe them. He made himself rich and powerful by using others, but he was too daft to realize that he was just a pawn in the plan of someone much smarter than him. To say he got what he deserved is an insult to the concept of justice."

Ginny recoiled in confusion. "Then... what did you mean?"

"I don't bloody care about Henri D'Anneau," he replied. "He deserved death seven times over, but Sabine didn't. They killed her because of what she knew about Henri."

"No, the Prophet was wrong about her, too," Ginny said with a slight smile. "Sabine is still alive. She must have escaped from the camp that night when―"

"Sabine is dead Ginny," Harry interrupted. "They killed her."

"No, she's not," she insisted. "I just saw her yesterday. I spoke with her before I left. She―" Ginny paused as she remembered the conversation. "She told me not to come here," she said in a weak voice. "She said it was dangerous and that Tarus wouldn't be able to protect me."

Harry winced upon hearing the news. "She was accused of attacking two guards. The German ministry took her from the Weserburg and locked her in a prison cell. They found her dead this morning. They, er... They're still looking for her sisters and her parents. I doubt they're alive."

The shock numbed Ginny. "Why― They'd already killed her husband. What did she do to deserve that?"

"What did she do to deserve her husband's murder?" Harry asked. "I don't think there is another woman in the whole world who was more deserving of a dead husband. If it would have been possible, I think she would have given anything to have Henri killed."

"Well, why did she marry him?"

"Because Henri D'Anneau always got what he wanted. Sabine used to be his supervisor in the French Ministry. He always had enough ambition for eight normal wizards, and I think he resented the fact that Sabine was a year younger than he was. The resentment grew to a deep hatred, and with time, that hatred became an obsession. At some point, it seems he asked her to marry him, though it was more likely a demand.

"She turned him down. It was said that she had loathed him from the moment they met. The tension grew between them until Sabine was finally able to force Henri to be re-assigned to the department which handled magical sports. In response, he... introduced himself to Sabine's younger sister.

"I only heard stories of the fights they used to have. Sabine fought back as hard as she could, but she lacked Henri's ability to ignore right and wrong. One day, Sabine's brother came down with a horrible illness. No one could understand what caused it or guess what might cure it. Two days later, her sister became ill with the same symptoms. Then her other sister. They were all quite close to death and no healer could find any way to fight it. Sabine refused to talk about it, and they kept it a secret from the rest of the world. One day they simply recovered. A week later, Sabine and Henri were married. It was always known that if she ever did anything to upset him, their illness would mysteriously return.

Ginny didn't know what to say. The more she found out about Henri D'Anneau, the more it nauseated her to think that she had been trying to help him. No wonder Harrington and everyone else was so suspicious of her.

"Sabine knew that she and her family would only remain alive as long as she did whatever Henri demanded. When he was killed, she knew they would come for her. It sounds like she used her last chance to speak out to warn you."

"I don't understand," Ginny said. "She barely told me anything. I still don't know what I'm avoiding. I don't know what is going on. Every time I am about to figure something out, the Brotherhood stops me. Who is this new Dark Lord? How did he get the Brotherhood to help him? Why am I in more danger here than in Britain?"

"With enough time, I might be able to explain it all to you," he told her, "but it's too risky. I promise you I'll explain everything eventually, but you'll be safer if you don't know right now."

"That's what Hermione said, but it never kept me safe," Ginny argued.

"It really did, and it kept me safe, too. If you were to know everything you asked, you would be a threat to the Brotherhood. So long as you don't know about them, you're not a threat to them. Sabine knew about them, and that's why they killed her."

Ginny sighed in frustration and glared at Harry.

"I promise I'll tell you more when it's safer. With a little luck, we'll be able to discuss this more. Right now, we need to get moving."

Ginny slowly struggled to her feet. Her whole body felt sore and her heart was still pounding in her chest. She didn't know if it was from the stress of the last few minutes or from her shock at being so close to a living, talking Harry Potter.

With both of their wands lit, it was much easier to see the tunnel they were walking through. It was narrow enough that she could have stretched her arms from one wall to the other, but tall enough that she could only dimly see the ceiling. For the most part, the stone was smooth and even, though not polished. At times it would widen into small chambers no larger than a decent sized room, and there the stone would be much rougher, as though it were a room that had never been finished.

Ginny tried to remember how far it had looked from the Castle to the Gatehouse. It felt like they should have already been there, but Harry hadn't made any comment about their progress. Instead, he seemed to be shining his wand around the tunnel as if he were searching for something.

"You do know where we are, right?" she asked.

"We're in a tunnel," he replied.

"Thanks, that's amazingly helpful," Ginny replied sarcastically. "Do you know where in the tunnel we are?"

Harry stopped and aimed his wand toward the ceiling. "I'd say we're in the botton half of the tunnel." Then he turned and continued walking without seeing the scowl on Ginny's face.

"You really think now is the best time for humor? We're running from wizards who you can't even tell me about without putting me in mortal danger and you're making jokes?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Harry replied mockingly, "was there something else you were concentrating on? That little room we passed five minutes ago really was an amazing shade of grey, wasn't it? Oh look!" he said, pointing to the wall. "A crack. Fascinating."

"Are you trying to keep something from me, Harry? Do you not know where we're going?"

Harry stopped and glared at her. "Alright, why don't you lead the way."

Ginny glared back at him. "That's not what I meant, Harry. You're acting strange, like you were looking for something. I was worried that―"

"That we took a wrong turn?" Harry interrupted. "Maybe we should have taken the other door? Maybe we went up one too many flights of stairs," He shone his wand ahead of them and then behind them. "Take a look, Ginny. There's nowhere to go. A wad of parchment and stiff breeze could lead us through this maze."

"Then what―"

"It's a bit odd for me, you know," he said as he looked down at his feet. "I hadn't expected this to happen. Not yet. And then I― Well, it's a bit awkward, isn't it?" He turned and continued walking into the darkness ahead of them. "I guess I'm still adjusting to it. It's been so long since we've seen each other―"

"Has it?" Ginny replied sharply. "Weren't you at Ron's match? You ran away from me, and disappeared into the crowd. And then I saw you again at the Ministry. That was you, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Harry said over his shoulder.

"But those weren't the only times were they?"

"No," he answered. "I try to keep track of what you are doing. I've been watching Hermione and Ron and the rest of your family, too."

"Hopefully not as closely as you've been watching me," she said.

"It was harder when you were at Hogwarts, but I trust McGonagall," he explained. "After you left, yeah, I've kept a close eye on you. You're in much more danger than Ron or Hermione."

"Right. And just how closely were you watching me?"

There was a moment of hesitation in Harry's steps. "What do you mean?" he asked in a confused tone.

"Why did you think I didn't have purple knickers?" she questioned. When Harry didn't reply, she kept pressing him. "You must have some idea of what color knickers I do have if you were willing to claim that none of them were purple. I don't think you were just bluffing."

There was a moment of silence before Harry finally responded. "You keep a wardrobe of clothes at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place," he said. "I check them for curses regularly, and well..."

"What about the freckles, then?"

"The freckles?" Harry said in a strangled voice. "I, er... I mean... It's the summer, isn't it? And I was always used to your freckles being darker, in the―"

"The other freckles," she said, stopping his rambling excuse.

"I, er... which other―"

"You know which freckles, Harry," Ginny nearly shouted. "That's not something you're used to seeing in the summer. That's not something anyone is used to seeing."

"I can't remember when it was, really," Harry started explaining. "I didn't mean to... I didn't know you were there―"

"Try again, Harry," she said. "They're not the sort of thing you see through a crack in the door. You'd have to be pretty close to see them, and I think I'd have noticed―" Ginny's voice caught and she stopped abruptly.

Harry heard her boots scuffle in the dust on floor of the tunnel and spun around to see what had happened. He aimed the light at her, and saw the look of horror on her face. He spun around to check the tunnel behind him, but it was just as empty as it was before. He turned back to Ginny, and found red blossoms of color spreading across her face.

"The Invisibility Cloak," she said weakly. "That's why I never saw you in the house. You could have been sitting at the kitchen table the day I made your cake and I never would have known. And you'd still have been sitting there when―" She covered her face with her hands, hoping to hide her shock and embarrassment. She had always thought she'd been alone in the house. It felt silly walking to a bedroom or closet to change into different clothes.

"That's how you know what color knickers I wear," she said through her hands. "It'd take more than one time for you to pick out three freckles as some sort of identifying mark. You can't even see them with most of my―" She dropped her hands and stared at Harry. "How many times have you watched me?" she asked insistently. When he didn't respond, she stepped closer and raised her voice. "How many times, Harry?" He stared back at her for a moment, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"There may not be a way out of this tunnel."

"What?"

"This tunnel is supposed to go from the Castle to the Gatehouse. I entered from the Castle entrance and I've never seen the Gatehouse entrance. It used to be there, but most of the old Gatehouse was torn down to make shops and pubs. I found the shaft leading to that old shop before. I guess I figured there would be another one."

"And you waited until now to tell me this?"

"I'm sort of happy I did," mumbled Harry.

"Harry!" Ginny shouted. "What are we going to do?"

"Spend the rest our lives together?"

"This isn't funny, Harry!" Ginny scolded him.

"Maybe not, but to be honest, I'm much more comfortable talking about this than the last topic," he replied calmly.

Ginny gave a frustrated sigh. "How far away are we?"

"It can't be much farther," he said. "The ceiling is getting lower. There's still some chance that there will just be a locked door at the end. That's easy enough to deal with. And if not... well, let's wait and see what we fine, alright?"

"No, it's not alright," Ginny snapped. "Did you have any plan at all when you jumped down that hole?"

"Not really," he answered. "I didn't have much time, did I? It wasn't like I planned to see you here. Did you have any plan when you ran off down a dark alley after someone you thought was a dark wizard?"

"That's completely different!"

"How?"

"It just is," Ginny replied with finality. "Now, can we get moving again? I'd rather know for certain if you've buried us alive or not."

With a shrug and a frown, Harry turned and continued walking along the tunnel. It didn't take long before it was obvious that the tunnel ceiling was getting lower. Of course, it wasn't really the ceiling which was dropping, but the floor which was imperceptibly sloping upward to meet it.

The lower the ceiling got, the more anxious she became. Harry seemed to feel it too and without any signal, they both began walking faster, until they were jogging through the suddenly cramped tunnel. Just when she was about to stop to catch her breath, Harry slid to a stop in front of her and she slammed into his back, sending them both crashing to the ground.

For a moment there was complete darkness as they disentangled themselves. As Ginny braced herself against the wall and stood up, she realized she didn't have her wand.

"Harry! I lost my wand," she called out.

"We've got bigger problems," Harry replied dejectedly. There was a flash of light, and Ginny saw Harry sitting on the floor of the tunnel nearby, lit by the soft light of his wand. Not far away, Ginny saw her wand laying in the crack between the wall and the floor.

"What is it, Harry?" Ginny asked as she reached for her wand.

"Remember when I said some answers are worse than the questions? This is another one of those times."

Ignoring his warning, Ginny held up her wand and said, "Lumos." The tip of her wand blazed, casting sharp shadows against the wall. She pointed her wand down the tunnel and for a second, her heart leaped. Not far away the tunnel ended in complete darkness. She ran towards it, but her hopes were dashed as she saw light shining off the darkness.

At the end of the tunnel was a wall of smooth stone made of tightly laid, large black bricks. She ran her hand across the wall but felt only the same chill of the other tunnel walls. Her heart began beating faster. They were trapped. They'd never find a way out. With a wild shout she slammed her free hand against the wall. The impact travled back down her arm and made her cry out a second time, in pain.

"There has to be something we can do," Ginny said as she nursed her arm.

"What would you suggest? Fire? Maybe a nice explosion in a cramped tunnel?"

"Oh, so we should just sit here and die!" Ginny shouted.

Harry walked up to her and held out his hand in a calming gesture. "We have food for another day or so. We might be able to find some part of the tunnel that wasn't charmed. One of the chambers, maybe."

"I'd kill you if I thought it'd do me any good!" Ginny shouted.

"Well, there'd be enough food for two days, then," Harry shouted back.

"At least you finally came up with a plan!"

"I'm not staying here with all this yelling."

"Well, you're free to go," Ginny replied.

"Go where?" Harry asked.

Ginny stared at him. "You said you weren't staying here."

"I didn't say anything."

A faint voice filled the tunnel. "See there?" it said. "You heard that. I specifically asked for a room that was not haunted."

Harry stepped forward to study the wall. "It's coming from the other side of this wall. It must not be very thick. It might not be protected by the charms the rest of the walls are."

Ginny set her jaw, then grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him back away from the wall. Her arm extended, aiming her wand at the center of the wall.

"Reduc―"

Before she finished, Harry had jumped for her wand and wrenched it from her grasp.

"What was that for?" she asked.

"Are you daft?" He shouted. "There are wizards on the other side of that wall!" He quickly strode forward and touched his wand to the bricks.

"Genoportus!"

Slowly, the bricks seemed to squeeze apart until they had formed a short, narrow doorway through the stone wall and into a dimly lit room. Harry pushed Ginny through the opening and then slipped through himself before it closed with sharp crack.

The room they had entered was richly decorated with a pair of golden lamps casting a warm glow across the ceiling. A trio of wizards were standing in the room with them, two in long formal robes and a third in something of a uniform.

"What is the meaning of this!" one of the ones in long robes shouted. "What kind of establishment is this?"

"Stun them," Harry told Ginny. He aimed his wand at the one who'd spoken. A second later, a red beam shot from his wand and the wizard dropped to the floor. Ginny had frozen and was staring at the stunned wizard. The other long robed wizard was doing the same. The uniformed wizard was already running for the door.

"Stun him!" Harry commanded as he ran for the door. Ginny ignored her own fears and confusion and aimed her wand at the other wizard. He stared back at her in complete terror. Ginny closed her eyes, and tried to concentrate.

"Stupefy!"

When she opened her eyes, the wizard was laying next to his companion. There was a flash of red light as Harry stunned the third wizard. He returned quickly and gave her a disapproving look.

"Why did we have to do that, Harry?" she asked. "They could have helped us."

"Why would they do that? Did you forget already? We're the one's running from the city guard. As far as anyone else knows, we're criminals," he explained. "They'll wake up feeling lucky they were just stunned and not killed."

Ginny didn't feel quite so certain, but there was no time to argue with Harry. He was already walking back to the door. She followed him and walked into a huge room. The ceiling was several floors above them and a large wooden staircase wound around the walls toward the ceiling.

"We're in the cellar of one of the old towers," Harry told her. "They turned it into an inn. It's quite close to the Gatehouse. They have a fireplace there which is kept connected to the British Floo System at all times. It's for Ministry use only. That's where we're going."

He ran for the stairs, pulling Ginny behind him. After walking up four flights of stairs, they'd attracted the attention of a number of wizards. There were some shouts from the cellar beneath them, and Harry picked up his pace. Two flights up from where they were, Ginny could see a row of stone pillars. That must have been the ground floor.

As they neared the final flight of stairs, Harry stopped and signaled for Ginny to stay where she was. He ran ahead and stealthily surveyed the ground floor. After only a few seconds, he returned.

"I guess it's about time that we had some good luck. The Brotherhood doesn't know where the tunnel exit is. It looks like they're guarding the gate between the High Street and the courtyard. They don't know we're already inside," he explained with a faint smile.

He quickly led Ginny just far enough up the stairs so she could see the ground floor of the tower. Each of the four walls around her were broken up into three separate arches, one large arch flanked by two smaller arches and gigantic square pillars at each of the corners. It gave the place a feeling of spaciousness and elegance while retaining the imposing strength of the former tower.

One of the large arches was decorated in gold and framed by the branches of two trees planted inside the building. Through the archway, Ginny could see an open area paved in pale stone and decorated with plants and fountains. Walking about the courtyard were a number of wizards, including a few pairs of wizards in familiar purple robes.

Harry pointed through the arch toward another large arch with a barred wooden door. "That's the door we need to go through," he told her. "Once you get through that door, you'll be in wide corridor. Take the first left you see ―there's only one― and follow it as far as you can. You should find yourself in a large room with a fireplace. Toss in one of these―" he paused to hand her what seemed to be a small envelope filled with powder, "―and go somewhere safe, just don't go to the Ministry."

"What about them?" Ginny said, pointing at the guards.

"Stun them, confund them, do anything that can keep them from following us, but try not to kill them. They're good wizards for the most part," Harry said with a frown, "they've just been... deceived." Harry rummaged through his bag quickly and pulled out a shimmering bundle of cloth. "You do remember how to use this, don't you?" he asked as he handed it to Ginny.

Ginny nodded slowly and he continued his instructions. "Once you put that on, I won't be able to see you. I'm going to do what I can to make sure no one follows us. I need you to get that door open and run. Don't wait for me and don't call for me. I'm going to trust you to see that you escape, and you'll have to trust me to follow you. I'll see you in the kitchen."

Ginny nodded and wrapped the cloak around her body, leaving just her head visible. "Wait!" she called out as Harry turned to walk up the last few stairs. "Shouldn't you be wearing this? I mean, you're the one who's supposed to be dead. If they see me, they might not do anything."

"That's not a risk I want to take," he whispered. "None of them really believe I was ever dead. If they see you here, they'll know that you're here with me. If they only see me, there might be some doubt about whether I took you with me or not. That might buy us an extra day or so." He looked out into the courtyard again and took a deep breath.

"Come on, we should go now. The guards just passed by." Harry pulled his bag tight to his back, raised his wand, and began walking up the steps. Ginny pulled the cloak over her head, tightened the grip on her own wand and followed him. Harry stalked toward the archway to the courtyard, his posture alert and somewhat aggressive. A number of wizards milling about the building stopped to stare at him, but he ignored them and continued on. When he reached the arch he paused.

"Ginny?" he called out into the space behind him. "Take note of that door. It might get a little difficult to see soon." Ginny turned and tried to study the door. It was more than twice as tall as she was and a heavy wooden beam had been placed across it at about the height of her head. She turned so that she was directly facing it. When she turned back to look at Harry, his wand was pointed at the center of the courtyard. A pair of cloaked guards and another tall wizard were staring at him.

"Go!" he commanded. "Go now!"

With her heart pounding in her chest, Ginny turned and ran toward the door, dodging a pair of elderly wizards. When she was halfway to the door, a loud shout split through the morning air.

"Turbio!"

A second later, Ginny felt a gust of wind followed by the sensation of being drenched with water. She was still on her feet, but it was nearly impossible to see. An impossibly dense fog had filled the courtyard, turning it into a confusing world of blindingly bright mist and unrecognizable shadows. Closing her eyes, she carefully walked forward and ignored the cacophony of shouts behind her.

"Halt!" a wizard shouted angrily as she bumped into him. "Stay clear! The Gatehouse it closed! Find shelter somewhere else."

Ginny concentrated on the direction of the voice and raised her wand. "Stupefy!" she shouted, and watched a beam of red light lance through the fog and strike a wizard. Hoping she'd hit the right one, she raced forward and felt the surface of the door, now clammy from the mist. She took a step back and tried a number of charms and spells on the door but it wouldn't budge.

A new sense of urgency struck her as she realized the mist was beginning to thin out. Without it, there would be nowhere for them to hide. Even the Invisibility Cloak wouldn't be able to hide her. She squinted at the door, hoping to see something that might help her out. It was was almost absurdly strong, with dark iron reinforcing ancient wood. The enchantments on it were probably so old that no one even remembered them.

A roaring wind picked up behind her, and she was tossed against the door. She grabbed onto one of the door's enormous gold hinges and waited for it to die down enough for her to use her wand again. An idea struck her suddenly. The Gatehouse had been built for strength, not beauty. The gold hinges were probably added later, possibly without the enchantments laid on the door. She carefully held her wand tip to the hinge.

"Fervenso!"

Slowly, the hinge began to glow red hot, then slowly twist and pull itself away from the door. Ginny stepped back and hit the other hinge. A second later, the door gave a shudder, dropping molten gold onto the stone below.

"Reducto!" she shouted.

The door held firm, but the impact wrenched one side free of its hinges and it slowly fell forward, twisting and pulling the other door with it. A number of shouts rang out across the courtyard as the doors slammed to the ground with an ear-splitting crash.

Trust Harry, trust Harry, Ginny chanted in her head, then turned and leaped through the door and into a large stone corridor with a vaulted ceiling. The sounds of the battle in the courtyard echoed down the corridor, causing a stab of panic as she wondered how Harry could possibly face them all.

A large arch loomed ahead of her; as she passed under it, there were two wide halls leading off in either direction. She paused for a moment to look back behind her, and saw a cloud of dark smoke with flashes of light obscuring the door. If there was fighting, then they hadn't caught him yet. Ginny took a breath and ran down the hall to her left. At the end of the hall, she saw a doorway guarded by a single wizard.

"Stupefy!"

The wizard dropped, and with another flick of her wand, the doors flew open revealing a fancy looking parlor. Just as Harry had told her, there was a large fireplace stretching along one of the walls. She pulled out the small envelope Harry had given her and she threw it into the flames. For a moment nothing happened, then green flames burst from the center of the fire, filling the fireplace.

Ginny pulled off the Invisibility Cloak and stepped into the fire, but hesitated for a moment. She hadn't heard anything since she had turned the corner. What if Harry was in trouble? How long would the flames last? What could it hurt to check? No one could see her. She took a step out of the flames, but an insistent voice in the back of her head called out:

Trust Harry.

She stepped back into the fireplace. Harry was coming. He would follow her. She would meet him at Grimmauld Place. They would be safe.

"Diagon Alley!"

As the room swirled away, Ginny caught a glimpse of a wizard running into the room with a dark cloak draped over his arm like some sort of shield. The scene disappeared a moment later in dizzying blur of hundreds of fireplaces. The world stopped spinning suddenly, tossing her to the floor roughly.

"Good morning, Miss Weasley," a familiar voice called out to her. "I've never seen you here this early. Is there something I can get for you?"

Ginny slowly stood up, and walked unsteadily toward the bar, where Tom had stopped wiping a large mug to stare at her. "No, Tom, I'm fine," she said. The pub was almost completely empty. A few stray wizards were strewn about the room, but there was one familiar face. Sitting right where she expected him to be was Albert. He smiled and raised a glass to her before draining it and dropping it back to the bar.

"Finally quit your job, did you?" he called out with a laugh. "About time, too. I never could understand why wizards had them. Seemed an awful waste of perfectly good lives, especially for a witch like you. Come on over," he said with a sweep of his bottle, "we'll drink to your new found freedom!"

"I didn't quit my job, Albert," Ginny said as she tried to control her dizziness.

"You certain?" he asked. "You look like you've been drinking all night, and not very well, I'd say."

"No, it was just a long trip on the Floo," Ginny said as she sat down on a stool. She just needed to rest a moment. She knew she couldn't stay for long.

"Oh, a long trip? Where would that be from?"

"Germany," she lied. "I'm one of the delegates for the Site Selection Committee. Or at least I was one."

"Oh," Albert said with a frown. "Well, let's drink to you not losing your job then!"

"Albert, if I drank any of that, I doubt I'd have a job."

"All the more reason to do it," he laughed as he pulled out a second glass, filled it, and slid it toward Ginny.

"No, no. I have to go," she insisted. "I've got to go." She stood up and waved at the two of them.

Albert frowned and cocked his head at the second glass. With one fluid motion, he picked it up and emptied it. Then he drank the first with the same ease and nodded to Ginny as she walked off.

She left the Leaky Cauldron and took a moment to see if anyone might be following her. After only a few seconds, she decided it wasn't worth it and Disapparated with a slight pop.


Harry had felt his heart leap at the sound of the door crashing to the stone courtyard. It was the sound of escape and Ginny's safety. He wasn't far from the door, but he needed to give her time to get to the Warden's Office. Though it pained him slightly to do it, he jabbed his wand at an ancient tree standing near the gate and it burst into flames. He warded off a few more attacks, then bolted for the door.

A quick slash of his wand brought the burning tree down behind him, scattering a number of wizards just looking for some amount of safety from the fury he'd unleashed. As he ran into the corridor, the rug caught fire behind him, putting a thick cloud of black smoke between him and the Brotherhood wizards. He caught a glimpse of Ginny turning the corner and couldn't help but smile.

They were going to make it.

He ran on, turning around occasionally to fire a hex over his shoulder. As he reached the large chamber between the two halls, he felt a curse slam into his back. He sprawled across the floor and his bag tumbled against a large stone column. He hadn't thought his Shield Cloak would take another hex, but it seemed that Fred and George had done even better than they had said.

He scrambled to his feet, ripped off the old cloak and jumped for his bag. As he ran back across the corridor to, another hex shot past his head. This time it was an all too familiar green light. It was time for him to go. As he ran down the hall, he pulled his last set of Shield Robes from his bag and draped them over his arm. They wouldn't stop the Killing Curse, but it couldn't hurt either.

He could hear them running after him, but he kept ducking behind plants and pillars, refusing to give them a clear shot at him. Finally he saw the door to the Warden's Office. A wizard was lying stunned on the floor and the doors were forced open, one of them hanging loosely from only one of its hinges.

Harry dashed into the room and saw the whirling green flames as Ginny spun off to safety. He reached into his pocket, and threw his own packet of Floo Powder into the fireplace from across the room. He ran for the flames, and just as he stepped into them, they flashed green. He turned, and saw a pair of cloaked wizard burst into the room.

"The Redcap's Revenge!" he shouted, and the room swirled away.

A moment later he found himself rolling onto the dusty floor of the Redcap's Revenge, a seedy wizarding pub nestled in a rather poor neighborhood of York. The bartender there was nearly blind and couldn't have been able to tell Harry from Ginny. Without a single word, Harry crawled to his feet and dashed for the door. Once outside, he Disapparated.

After running across the street, he ducked into Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. It was completely silent. He ran for the kitchen, but it was deserted. He checked the parlor, the cellar and the two nearby bedrooms, finding nothing. Upon returning to the kitchen, he found Kreacher standing near the fireplace scowling at him.

"Master returns," he said with disdain. "Someday, master will not return."

"Enough, Kreacher," Harry shouted. "Where is Ginny?"

"The flame-haired harlot?" Kreacher laughed. "Filthy thing ran away. Maybe the horror of the shame she brought to my old Mistress's house has finally overwhelmed her."

"Has she been here today?" Harry questioned him.

A sour look spread across Kreacher's face. "No," he said sharply. "And Kreacher doesn't want her here! Good riddance!"

Harry turned and ran for the door. He'd seen her leave. She had to be somewhere. She probably went to Diagon Alley. Why didn't he tell her not to go there? He should have known they'd be waiting for her. With a frustrated shout, he ripped the door open, and came face to face with a very shocked Ginny Weasley.

"Harry!"

Harry grabbed her shoulder, and tugged her into the old house. Before she could say another word, he'd pulled her to him and held her tightly.

"Are we safe?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered. "We're safe."


Author's Notes:

And there was much rejoicing.

So, Harry finally joined the story, and in a memorable way. I said this chapter was going to be fun (back when it was originally Chapter 10), and hopefully people are going to enjoy it.

There are several things in this chapter that are interesting to point out, and a good number of things which will be hints toward the rest of the story. This chapter pretty firmly establishes the Brotherhood as a group of wizards Ginny no longer wants to find. Now that Harry is around, Ginny's going to be slowly learning more about what has been going on and what she's missed.

Also, for the person who asked about the release schedule (but didn't email me or leave an address for me to respond to), I'm putting chapters out at about one a week or so. This week is going to be an empty week while I work out some details of the next section of the story. I don't know if that's faster or slower than you might expect, but that's about how long it takes.