CHAPTER 24
The Veil Chamber
Harry slowly walked through the giant doorway, pulling a reluctant Hermione behind him. "Something isn't right, Harry," she hissed. "If this is the right place, where is everyone?"
"I don't know," he replied just as quietly. "I hope that they're all waiting for us in the last chamber," he said nodding toward the descending corridor at the end of the room.
"You hope?" Hermione said in a sharp whisper. "What are you trying to do, Harry, kill us both?"
This finally got Harry to pause. He spun about and stared at Hermione. "There are only two people in this castle that Grigore is concerned about. If he's not here, then it means that I've made a horrible mistake. Ron won't let them take her. You've studied them long enough to know what they'll do if he gets in their way."
Hermione's face paled. "Why didn't you tell them?" she asked weakly.
"Ginny knows what's at stake, here," he replied. "She'll see that the right thing is done. If Ron knew, he would never have let us split up. He's the best mate a wizard could ever hope for, but he's lousy at taking risks or seeing when they are necessary."
"And you're too willing to take them," Hermione whispered as she jabbed her finger into his chest. "You're so afraid to plan for the possibility that you've made a mistake that you're going to guarantee it by walking into a small room filled with wizards who wouldn't even lose a minute of sleep after killing you?"
Harry felt a tightness in his chest. "How did you know the room is small?" he asked with a piercing glare.
Hermione returned a withering glare. "Are you completely mental? You're going to choose this moment to question my honesty? You? The wizard who hasn't been willing to be honest with anyone for over a year?"
Harry blinked his eyes and felt his head clear. He rubbed at his scar and felt it was already warmer than the surrounding skin. The veil was affecting him already. His muscles were twitchy and tight. His heart was beating faster than usual and it felt as though hot and icy blood was mixing in his veins.
"I'm— I'm sorry, Hermione," he stammered. "I don't have time to think up some brilliant plan. I don't know if I have time for anything. I can already feel it," he added in a soft voice.
"Come on, then," she said with a frown. "I hope you're as dangerous as Tarus says you are."
Harry turned to look toward the far archway. "That's the worst part," he mumbled. "I think I am."
Leading the way with her hood down and wand drawn, Hermione crossed the rounded hall cautiously. Harry followed behind her, more wary of what might be behind him than whatever he was walking toward. They paused near the wide arch and crept to either side before peering around the corners.
Harry had expected to see at least a pair of Brotherhood wizards at the bottom waiting for them, but there was nothing. Harry glanced back, but the hall behind them was just as empty as the one at the end of the sloping corridor before them. Putting the tip of his wand to his temple, he muttered a simple charm which would let him see anyone who might be concealed by an Invisibility Cloak or some other spell, but there was nothing.
"Is something wrong?" Hermione asked.
"Yes."
Harry turned and strode down the corridor. He already knew what he would now find at the end. Hermione jogged to catch up to him, Harry entered the small antechamber and found it just as empty as he expected. He heard Hermione enter behind him, but didn't turn to see the concerned look he was certain she was giving him. Instead, he was staring at the doors.
The gold trim marking the points where the enormous doors came in contact with the surrounding stone was duller than one might expect. The surface was not smooth, but engraved and embossed with a pattern of interlocking, swirling shapes: snakes coiled and poised to strike, lions snarling with their claws bared and wisps of smoke wrapping around them all.
The voices were getting louder in his head. They were calling out to him, shouting for him to turn away. He wanted to do as they said, but there was another voice. Growing in volume over the others, it urged him forward. It was the voice of something dark, something horrible. If he ran, his nightmares would never be free of the sight of it. He had to face Grigore. He had to stop him. He had to end it.
"It's on the other side of those doors, is it?" Hermione asked gently.
Harry simply nodded.
"Very well," she said resignedly. "We'll do it together, then?"
Harry stared at the door and ran his hand down the gold border where the doors met in the center. He felt the room tremble around him and the throbbing in his scar increased. He nodded slowly.
"Together."
Harry pressed his hand firmly against the doors and felt them shudder under his touch. When he turned to look at Hermione, he knew that she would understand the look on his face. Her wand was out, but she barely had time to register the sudden change. His wand flicked toward her in a quick slashing motion. Without a word, she was thrown backward as if pulled by some invisible rope.
Harry turned back toward the door and gave them a mighty shove. They opened quickly with a slight grinding noise. When the space between them was just wide enough, Harry leaped forward, bringing his wand forward in a whirling movement around him.
"No!" Hermione screamed from behind him.
The world about him seemed to slow down. In an instant he surveyed the room. There were more Brotherhood wizards than he could have expected. It was truly a task beyond anything he had ever accomplished. However, he reminded himself, he didn't have to defeat them all —just one of them. As he sailed out over the first three steps, blocking two hexes with his hastily cast Shield Charm and letting two more miss him by inches, his eyes locked on his only target: Grigore Tarus.
He was standing on the lowest step, off to the left of the central floor and raised platform. Harry felt his left foot land on the stone step, and before his other foot landed, he was already turning to jump off toward Grigore. With another leap, he skipped yet another step as he aimed to land on the step below it, thus closing half the distance from the door to Grigore in less time than anyone could hope to anticipate.
As he flew toward the fifth step, he saw a swarm of hexes flying toward him. Few of them were close enough for him to even notice, but there was no need for accuracy when thirty wizards were facing one. Harry felt something hot strike him on his hip. The hex bounced off his Shield Cloak harmlessly, but it pushed him off balance, and instead of landing nimbly on his feet, he landed on one foot, a knee and his only free hand.
He glanced up and saw Grigore's wand pointed toward him. He raised his own wand, shouting "Enfracto!" as he rolled behind the shelter of the step to his left. The old man dodged the hex, though he nearly dropped his wand in the effort. Harry felt a second curse ricochet off his back as he got his feet back under him.
He'd lost his advantage. All around him, wizards were leaping down the steps to help and protect Grigore. He needed to give them something else to do. His wand arm lashed out toward the central platform. He didn't know if he was willing to destroy the arch, but he hoped that Grigore was even less willing to see it destroyed.
Confirming his hopes, Grigore shouted above the racket: "Protect the arch!"
At the same time that Harry shouted "Reducto!", he heard at least ten other wizards shouting "Aegeo!" As his curse shattered against the impervious shield cast between him and the arch, Harry darted forward, trying to get another shot at Grigore. A tall wizard leaped down from above to stand only a few feet away. Harry dropped his shoulder and drove it into the man's stomach, tossing him down to the step below. Somewhere in front of him, he heard Grigore shout something indecipherable.
In a split second, Harry's wand was pointed at the old wizard, and he heard himself shouting "Expelliarmus!" The two spells collided and bounced off crazily. Grigore's hex hit a wizard behind him, dropping the wizard to the floor immediately. Harry didn't pay any attention to where his went. He was already aiming for his second chance.
Another figure jumped between him and his target. "That's enough, Harry!" the man shouted. Harry recognized the voice, but it didn't matter. It was the voice of one of the many wizards he had taught a year ago. He had looked up to Harry, and Harry had counted him as a friend. That had been a year ago, and now they were enemies. The wizard grabbed Harry's wand arm, and he felt fury surge though his veins.
He wrenched his arm free, shouting "Sectumsempra!" He heard the man cry out as a deep cut slashed across his face. The wizard dropped his wand, but remained standing in Harry's way. With a second slash across the man's knees, his legs buckled and he toppled off the step, leaving Harry another clear shot at Grigore.
"Percutio!" Harry shouted.
A jet of purple light ripped through the air. Grigore muttered something, and raised his wand. He succeeded in blocking the worst of the hex, but the impact knocked him to his back and broke his wand, sending the pieces flying into the steps behind him.
Harry sprung forward, aiming his wand for what he knew would be the last hex. Grigore was sprawled across the ground, clutching at a bleeding hand and shouting to the ceiling: "No! No Killing Curses! No Magic!"
For a moment, Harry thought he was begging for mercy, but reality struck him a second later, in the form of a heavy shoulder ramming into his back. His spell veered wildly, hitting a stocky wizard running down to help Grigore. A second later, Harry felt another wizard jump down onto his arm, bending it toward the ceiling. A third wizard struck him, then a fourth, each of them grappling onto him and pulling him to the stone floor. Harry felt pain shoot up his arm as one of them slammed his wrist into the edge of the step. Suddenly, he felt a horrible emptiness in his hand. They'd taken his wand.
Ginny sat silently in the chair, though not willingly. She was beginning to lose the feeling in her arms and her throat ached with the restrained desire to scream. Albert was crouched over Ron, no doubt tying him up as well.
The rage building in Ginny's stomach was enough to frighten her. The thought of Ron being bound by a wizard who Ginny had accepted as a friend sickened her. She'd trusted him. She'd believed him. He had cheered her up and protected her, but it was only an act. He had been using her. Dobby was dead because she had been stupid enough to get drunk and trust a stranger.
With a jab of hatred, Ginny watched as Albert hauled Ron to his feet and dragged him across the room to sit in another chair. He was wearing his Shield Cloak again, but his hands were tied behind his back, forcing him to lean forward limply.
Albert walked over near Ginny, but not too close. He tried to give her a sympathetic look, but she scowled at him and strained against the dragonhide straps. He frowned and backed away. "I'm sorry it has to be this way," he said with a voice that almost sounded genuine. "Please, you must trust me, Ginny—"
"Don't—" Ginny snapped, "—call me that. You're not my friend. You don't know me. I don't know you."
"Listen to me," he said harshly, "If you value your life, you'll—"
He was cut off suddenly by a harsh whining coming from his robes. He frowned and pulled a golden watch from his pocket. The noise stopped after he tapped its face. His lips curled back in a snarl and he swore as he spun around. As he strode toward the door, she heard him complaining under his breath: "I told that moron that he was supposed to see that the alarm wasn't set off. I'll kill him." He stalked toward the door with the watch still clutched in his hand. He opened the door and leaned out into the corridor.
"Maurizio, you incompetent simpleton!" he shouted down the corridor. "I told you to see that the alarm was not set off! You turn around and see that it's turned off immediately!" He slammed the door and walked back toward Ginny, pacing impatiently.
The door to the study opened again, and Albert turned around to snarl at the wizard in the doorway. "Couldn't you hear me? I said turn it off!"
"The alarm wasn't set off up here," the wizard named Maurizio replied evenly.
Albert spun about again and with two long strides he was beside Ginny. Ginny felt a strong hand grab her by the jaw and turn her head to look directly into Albert's eyes.
"What is Harry doing?" he asked forcefully. "You must tell me. You have no idea how sorry you will be if you—"
His attempt at threatening her was interrupted by a series of high pitched chirps from his left hand. He quickly released Ginny and looked at the gold watch. For a moment, Ginny was certain she saw a look of anger and frustration pass across his face and she felt a rush of happiness.
"Something wrong, Aleksey?" she sneered.
He wasn't smiling. "Nothing for you to celebrate about," he said darkly. He turned about to face the other wizard, and announced: "They've got him."
Maurizio smiled. "Finally," he said grimly. "What about the pawn? What was her name? Granger?"
Albert nodded slowly. "Her, too."
Harry and Hermione were left unbound on the steps of the Veil Chamber, but there was no chance for escape. They were surrounded by ten wizards with wands drawn, all of them simply waiting for the smallest movement which might be seen as threatening. Two of the Brotherhood wizards were still on the floor. One was still unconscious after being hit by the spell Harry had blocked, the other was lying bandaged but still bleeding one step below Harry. Grigore was standing before Harry and Hermione, nursing his bleeding hand and refusing attention from a pair of Brotherhood wizards.
"Did you come here to kill me, Harry?" Grigore asked. Harry answered only with a smoldering stare. "What made you think that you might succeed? What secret do you possess that would give you the advantage? Certainly you didn't think that your antics back in London would do anything to weaken our protection." He paused, looking deeper into Harry's eyes. "Perhaps it was something else," he mused. "Perhaps you came here knowing you would fail. That is it, is it not? You came here looking for an end and not caring whether it was yours or mine."
"Why don't you give me my wand and find out?" growled Harry.
"Why not use the other wand you brought?" challenged Grigore. "I know you, Harry. You are brash and impatient, but you are also clever when you need to be, and right now you are in some dire need of cleverness." He leaned closer to Harry. "You have only two things with which you might bargain: the wand and the girl. I know she is here somewhere," he asked in a mockingly kind voice. "If you tell me where that might be, I will do everything I can to see that she is protected from the fate you have created for her."
"I can't remember," Harry answered with a smile.
"Don't toy with me, boy," Grigore spat. "If you care for—"
He was interrupted by the sound of someone pushing the giant stone doors open. Grigore looked up to see who the newcomer was. Harry's eyes darted toward the wand of the nearest wizard, but none of them moved an inch. They all kept their wands pointed directly at him and Hermione. If only he could find some way to get a message to her...
"They've got her," a voice announced from the doorway. "She and her brother were rummaging about in your study."
Harry felt his throat tightening, and it was only made worse by the satisfied look on Grigore's face. He signaled the wizard with a quick gesture before turning back to Harry.
"That answers the first riddle. What of the second? Where is the wand, Harry?" he asked smoothly. "You brought Ginny, but I cannot believe that you thought she would be enough to protect you. And I know that you would not risk giving her the wand, so where have you put it?"
"What do you care? You just want to kill me!"
"No," Grigore disagreed sharply. "No, that is the last thing I wish to do. This whole situation was caused by the inability of a wizard to find a way to kill you. I'd rather not fall in the same trap."
"So why am I still here?" Harry asked with a mocking smile. "You're not going to kill me, so I'll just be off then. We'll just go back to the good old days where I convinced your supporters to help me, and you had them murdered, then?"
Grigore wasn't smiling. "You always did like your inappropriate humor. No, Harry, I can't let you go either. I can't even imprison you. You are far too dangerous to be left alive, but I won't allow myself or anyone else here to risk an attempt at killing you. Your life must end, and the only wizard here who I trust to do that is you, Harry."
"We need to bring them down to the chamber," Maurizio told Albert. "Grigore said we were to find them and take them there as soon as it was safe."
"Yes, and I'm not convinced it is," Albert replied.
Maurizio stiffened and glared at him. "Grigore was very specific. She was to be taken down immediately."
"And my orders were equally specific," bristled Albert. "She doesn't leave this room until he comes for her."
"Until who comes for her?" Maurizio asked. "Whose orders are you following? Why does he have that cloak on?"
"I'm following the Brotherhood's orders," snapped Albert. "The orders were that they should be brought down just as they arrived, and you would do well to remember who was put in charge of this task."
"I remember," Maurizio said. "Grigore might have put you in charge, but he sent me to see that it was done right. Now, if you don't start taking them down, I'll report to Grigore."
"If you leave this room, I'll have your head in a box," threatened Albert. "Do not test me."
For a moment Maurizio simply stood in place and stared at Albert. Ginny was certain that he would back down and do as he was told, but she was wrong. With a resolute look on his face, the shorter wizard turned and stepped toward the door. Albert flashed a perilous expression and pulled his wand, but it did nothing to stop him. He reached for the door and slowly opened it.
Through the small space between the stone frame of the door and Maurizio, Ginny could see that the corridor was no longer empty. Standing just outside the door with his wand already drawn was a wizard she recognized almost immediately. She felt a flash of hope.
Josef roughly shoved Maurizio back into the room and slammed the door behind him. He threw a sharp glance at Albert. "You were going to let him leave?" he barked. "You had explicit orders to wait for me!"
"He would not have made it out the doorway, I assure you," replied Albert.
"He disobeyed you?"
Maurizio finally spoke up. "Grigore himself told me to see that Miss Weasley was taken to the Veil Chamber as soon as the path was safe."
Josef shoved him again. "And what made you think that the way was safe? Have you been watching the corridors? What if he had brought a gang of his Auror friends?"
Maurizio was undaunted. "She is to be brought down immediately."
"She is to be brought down once I say it is safe," Josef shot back. "Don't worry, my impatient friend. We will take her down momentarily, and I'm certain Grigore will reward you appropriately for your mindless obedience of orders. Now, I'll take their wands."
Reluctantly, Maurizio handed Josef Ron's wand. "He took Miss Weasley's wand," he said with a nod indicating Albert.
Josef nodded and let out a short laugh. "I suppose I understand why. He has done more to bring her here than anyone else. He deserves his little trophy. Still, the orders were specific." Josef walked over to Albert and took her wand. He pocketed the wand, saying, "I will speak to Grigore. Perhaps I will return it when we are finished." He was still smiling as he walked over to Ginny's side. He stopped as their eyes met, and she saw his expression change rapidly from amusement to outrage.
"What have you done to her?" he asked Albert. "She was not to be hurt!"
Albert crossed his arms and frowned. "I am afraid our friendship has entered a bit of a rough patch," he reported.
"So you beat her?"
"I was forced to resort to more physical means to subdue her, yes," Albert admitted, adding, "She is not injured. She can still walk, I'm certain, and I would bet my wand that she'd be able to run if given the chance."
"She's wandless," growled Josef. "You could not control a wandless, seventeen year old girl? Grigore would not be pleased to see her like this."
"Then he can come get her himself," Albert scoffed.
"I assure you, he will not," replied Josef coolly. "Nonetheless, he will see her shortly, and I will not let him see her with half her face swollen and bruised. Fix her while I revive her brother."
Ginny watched as Josef walked over toward Ron and placed the tip of his wand against Ron's shoulder. The wand glowed softly, and Ron's body stiffened an instant before his snapped back to look at the wizard in front of him. It took him only a second longer to notice Ginny.
"What did you do to her?" he growled. "If you don't untie her this instant, or I'll—"
"Silencio!"
Ron's mouth kept moving, but no more sound came out. "Or you'll do what?" mocked Josef. "Kill me? Even Harry failed to kill me. You couldn't even give me indigestion." He turned back to face Albert. "What are you waiting for?" he shouted. "Grigore is waiting. Mend her and be quick about it! Maurizio!" The other wizard perked up. "Help young Mr. Weasley to his feet and then give him a leash around his neck. He's far too fiery to trust on his feet. He'll have to choose between running or breathing."
Ginny stared at Josef. He had betrayed them as well. It had all been an enormous trap —the biggest trap of them all. Albert had used her. Grigore had used her. Even Josef had used her. She was the bait they had used to catch Harry. All the scheming, lying and planning, it had all been done to set up this one moment. They had played upon Harry's emotions: his need to keep her safe and his desire to help others.
And they had succeeded.
"Now, keep still and don't do anything stupid," warned Albert as he approached her with his wand out. "I'm just going to clear up those bruises."
"Why would I want to stop you?" Ginny said through clenched teeth. "I'd want to look my best, wouldn't I? It's not every day that I get to meet a Dark Lord. I wouldn't want him to get angry and kill me like every other wizard who's stood in his way."
"You have nothing to fear from Grigore so long as you keep your wits," Albert replied as a gentle warmth spread across Ginny's bruised cheek. He leaned over her a little to aim his wand at her upper arm. "Grigore will not hurt you so long as—"
Ginny had spotted an opportunity and taken it. As Albert was looking away from her, she had quickly hooked a foot behind one of his legs and kicked hard with her other foot. His leg twisted suddenly, knocking him off balance and dropping him to his hands and knees on the floor. Ginny picked her legs off the ground, curled into a tight ball, then pushed her legs out with all the force she could. Her heels struck Albert in the side of his head, sending him sprawling across the brightly colored rug and knocking his wand from his hand.
Though she might have disabled him for the moment, Ginny knew it was a pointless victory. Her arms were still bound tightly and Albert was already too far away for another attack. Instead of giving them the satisfaction of seeing her struggle uselessly, she sat with a silent dignity and glared at the wizard on the floor.
"Traitor!" she spat.
Albert slowly got back to his feet, and retrieved his wand. He quickly tapped the side of his head, mending whatever injury she might have given him. He stood beyond the reach of her legs and stared back at her.
"Yes," he said with a nod. "Maybe I am a traitor. And maybe I am a hero. Perhaps I am both. Are you wise enough to see how I will be remembered?"
"Enough," Josef interrupted with a smirk. "I think I understand now, Aleksey. She certainly is spirited," he commented as he walked right up to Ginny and looked into her eyes. "I am glad. That will be very useful tonight."
Ginny felt her stomach tighten as she wondered what Josef could have meant. She focused on keeping her face blank and expressionless. There was no use fighting them now or here. Her energy was best saved for some other moment when she might have some chance of actually accomplishing something.
Josef kept his wand trained on her while Albert untied her arms and lifted her to her feet. Once she was standing steadily, he ordered her to put her robes and cloak back on, then tied her hands behind her back much like Ron's. However, instead of the smooth, unyielding texture of the other dragonhide straps, the new straps felt much more coarse. She almost wished she was back in the chair sitting again.
"Maurizio, you lead Mr. Weasley," Josef announced. "Albert, I want you at Ginny's side. I will follow you and see that no one gets any ideas about escaping."
Albert walked over to Ginny and held her arm gently but firmly. He looked into her eyes for a moment, then turned to look at Josef. "It's time?" he asked.
"Yes, Aleksey," Josef replied solemnly. "It's time to go kill a friend."
"I don't know what you expect," Harry said, "but I won't help you. Not anymore."
"We will see," Grigore replied heavily. "I do not believe that you wished to separate yourself from Ginny to keep her hidden from me. I think you are trying to hide yourself from her."
"You're mental."
"It's been two weeks since you revealed yourself to her," Grigore began smoothly. "In all that time, have you never told her what you are?"
"She already knows what I am," Harry shot back. "Nothing you say will change that. She didn't believe your lies before, and she won't believe them now."
"We will see," Grigore replied in an emotionless voice. "I have worked very hard to keep her safe, but I have not lost sight of my ultimate goal. If in the end, she stands in my way, I will not hesitate. I have worked too hard and too long to be stopped by some foolish girl and her infatuation.
"I am not as weak or feeble-minded as you might hope," he declared. "Though my wand might not be as fast as yours—" He paused to hold up his bloody hand. "—my eyes still see as well as they always have, and my ears still hear everything that goes on in this castle."
Grigore turned toward Razvan Lupescu, who had been standing behind him silently. "Dragomir and Andros," he called out, "where are they now?"
Razvan stepped forward, and spoke up: "Dragomir arrived just after Harry. He should have taken his assigned post in the antechamber. We have not seen or heard any sign of Andros."
Grigore raised an eyebrow. "How convenient," he commented. "I don't suppose you saved me the trouble of killing him, did you Harry?"
Harry kept his face slack and his gaze empty. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Of course not," Grigore replied. "It's no matter. Andros is little more than a puppet. Send six wizards to fetch Dragomir. Do not take his wand, but do not hesitate to kill him if he resists."
Ginny admitted to herself that she had no idea what was happening. The Brotherhood had killed Stefan for simply talking to her. They had not waited or deliberated for even a moment. On Grimmauld Place, Grigore had shown no hesitation at all in killing Dobby. They'd captured Harry. After all the times he had escaped, she couldn't figure out why he had been left alive.
Perhaps it was nothing more than some sadistic desire to force his friends to watch him die. A dark voice in her head turned this thought on its head: Perhaps they were being brought down so Harry would be forced to watch them all die first. Ginny shivered at the thought.
She recognized the path they were currently taking. They had joined the same long spiral staircase that Grigore had used to show Ginny the Veil. There was no doubt in her mind that it was their destination now as well.
Ginny walked clumsily down the stairs next to Ron. He had a worse time of it, due to the rope leash which had been tied around his neck. Ginny had been left to walk freely, though she still didn't have the use of her arms or hands to steady her.
Maurizio walked ahead of Ron and Albert walked ahead of Ginny. Josef followed some distance behind them. She got few opportunities to look at him, but every time she did he had his wand out and his eyes locked on her. She wondered where he expected her to run off to.
After what felt like an eternity, the end of the staircase was in sight. Ron stumbled a little on the last step as Maurizio strode toward the door. Ginny took a moment to look behind her and found Josef aiming his wand in one hand and his other hand buried deeply in a side pocket of his robes. Ginny knew that he'd noticed her, but he said nothing.
She and Ron were led across the rounded hall and down the sloping corridor to the antechamber. Ginny had expected to hear the whispering of the Veil, but Ron was not all prepared for it. He stopped, earning a vicious tug from Maurizio.
"What is that noise?" he asked between coughs. "It sounds... unnatural."
"It is unnatural," Josef commented behind them. "That, Mr. Weasley, is the sound of the end of the world. Frightening isn't it? Such a quiet sound for something so universally destructive."
The five of them came to a stop in front of the large stone doors leading to the Veil Chamber. Albert held out his hand, telling Ginny to stay where she was, while Maurizio walked up to the doors, pulling Ron behind him. He reached out with his free arm to push the doors open.
"Wait!" barked Josef. "Let me check our prisoners. We have worked too hard to suffer any mistakes now."
Maurizio paused at the door with a look of frustrated impatience. Ginny watched as Josef walked past her to check on the straps around Ron's wrists. Her mind raced. No one was behind her any more. She could run. Albert had been unwilling to hex her before, and she doubted he would risk it now. But where could she go? Maybe it would be enough to simply make noise. Perhaps the distraction would be enough to give Harry some chance at escape.
Ginny watched Josef and Albert carefully, waiting for the perfect moment. Suddenly her eye caught something unusual. Josef was pulling something long out of his robe sleeve. An image flashed through her mind: Josef was going to stab her brother. He was useless to them, and Josef was going to take care of him here.
She opened her mouth to scream, but stopped when she saw Albert's face. It was completely expressionless, but his eyes were filled with a desperate pleading. Ginny froze. He wasn't angry or threatening. He was pleading with her, begging her to say nothing.
Only feet in front of her, she watched as Josef slid a familiar looking wand between Ron's hands. As Ron felt the touch of his own wand, his body began to twist to look behind him. Josef grabbed his shoulder, his fingers digging into Ron's robes.
"Say a single word, Mr. Weasley, make one wrong move and you'll be dead quicker than you can imagine."
Ginny turned back to Albert, but his face was nothing more than a stony mask. He'd seen her watching Josef. He'd wanted her to keep quiet, just as Josef had wanted to keep Ron quiet. Her heart raced as she felt waves of warmth flowing from her stomach out to the tips of her fingers. Josef had given Ron a wand. That could only mean one thing.
As he stepped behind her, she could feel him tugging at the rough straps around her wrists. They loosened a little as she felt the very distinctive feel of something ripping. Dragonhide didn't rip, not without powerful magic. They aren't dragonhide, her mind shouted. That was why they had felt wrong. Josef was giving her a chance to escape. She waited hopefully for the feel of a wand against her hands.
As if he could hear her thoughts, he whispered into her ear loud enough for everyone to hear: "It's time, Ginny. We cannot keep Grigore waiting. He's very eager to see you again."
Ahead of her, Albert nodded and Maurizio pushed the doors open. Instead of leading Ron in immediately, he waited as Josef pushed Ginny forward with gently but irresistible force.
The moment Ginny passed through the giant doorway, any hope she'd been feeling drained away. The small chamber was ringed with grey cloaked wizards. There were easily twenty of them, spread evenly around the top few levels of the room. A few levels down and ringed by a smaller number of wizards were Harry and Hermione. They stared up at Ginny with despairing looks. Sitting some distance away and guarded by two more wizards was Dragomir. He stared up at her with the same blank expression that Albert had given her.
Maurizio, Ron and Albert entered behind her. The doors were shut tightly behind her, leaving her feeling more trapped and helpless than she ever had before. Thirty wizards, she thought. It isn't possible.
"Bring her down!" Tarus called out. "Leave the other one. I have no use for him, yet, but remove his... rope," he said with distaste. "He is a wizard, not an animal, and we are not barbarians."
Josef and Albert began walking her down the stairs toward Tarus.
"You may remain where you are, Aleksey," Tarus commanded with a dark glare. "I have no doubt that Josef will be able to handle Ginny by himself."
Ginny continued walking with Josef behind her. Her eyes sought out Harry's face and saw his eyes. She had always loved the color of them, and now, all her senses were sharpened by fear and urgency. They seemed to glow and flash in the torchlight like a pair of emeralds. She could see that his fear was gone. Now there was only determination and resolve.
Josef led Ginny down to the same level Harry was seated on. He stepped toward Grigore offering him her wand. Grigore took the wand gently and passed it onto a nearby wizard, then extended his hand again. "And the bait?" he prompted.
Slowly, Josef retrieved a small wooden box from his pocket. Ginny caught a hint of apprehension as he handed the box over. Grigore took it with a slight smile. Instead of handing it to the other wizard, he simply checked the contents of the box and then held it tightly in his hand.
"Finally, they are all here," Grigore said as though he had accomplished some lifelong goal. "The Disciple and the Traitor—" he announced as he looked at Ron and Hermione in turn. "—the Angel—" he added with a glance at Ginny, "—and the Demon," he finished as he glared at Harry.
"An interesting mix, is it not? Two wizards, two witches. The four points of a compass, each one pairing with its opposite in some instinctual attempt to maintain some sense of balance and stability. But it's not really balanced is it?" he asked as he walked closer to Ginny. "Mr. Weasley has blind loyalty, but he is far from obedient. That's Miss Granger's strength, a strength so essential to her being that she is blinded by it. And yet, for all that conflict, they are both —in essence— good.
"Miss Weasley is no different —on the surface," Tarus said as pulled aside Ginny's robes to reveal the dragonhide vest underneath, "but underneath that shell, she knows a darkness that few have ever experienced, and only one has ever lived to report."
He turned and stalked toward Harry. "It's strange, is it not, that the only two people who have experienced Voldemort's wrath found companionship in each other. To the naive, it would seem appropriate or even desirable for such a match to be made. The wise know differently. Real warriors seldom seek sheildmaidens as wives. One who has faced the horror and brutality of battle is more likely to seek the oblivion of one who has never been touched by the more brutal aspects of our humanity.
"And yet, curiously, you did," he said to Harry. "I spent many months pondering that mystery. It wasn't until I began watching her myself that I finally understood. You weren't drawn to her because of the darkness within her. You were drawn to her because she had darkness within her and yet she remained unchanged. With her at your side, your own darkness could grow to towering heights and no one would notice until it was too late."
"I've had enough of your lies," snapped Harry. "I didn't believe them a year ago, and I don't believe them now. You are the one who has grown darker, Grigore. You're losing control. You've hid it for too long. You're running out of time."
"Yes, I admit there is truth in what you're saying," Tarus replied with a glint of wild excitement in his eyes. "And that was the final proof!" he said. "I knew the moment I heard that you killed Voldemort and yet lived that you would be a threat. The night we met, I had come to kill you. But I could not. In you, I saw terrible power —and immense potential. I fooled myself into believing that I could train you. You were to be my protégé, and together we would usher the world into a new age!
"You are more than just a wizard, Harry," he explained. "You are the creation of a world that has been brought to the brink of destruction. Even now, it hangs in the balance, and you are the fulcrum. You are the point around which the world tips and sways. You hold in your hand the power to save or destroy a world the Brotherhood has fought to maintain for millenia. In my arrogance, I thought I could teach you to enforce the balance. If I could succeed, the world might be safe for generations."
He turned to stare at Ginny. "I was deceived, just as Albus Dumbledore was deceived. Harry and Voldemort were too powerful to exist in this world. He is not the same wizard he was when he left you," Tarus whispered. "He has changed. Without you to balance him, he has corrupted those around him. You have seen this. You know I am speaking the truth. I feel the darkness within me. I feel his darkness."
"He's lying!" yelled Harry. "He's trying to use the Veil to make himself immortal!" he shouted to the rest of the Brotherhood. "He's been using all of us. He never wanted to protect Ginny! He needs her as a sacrifice and he knew that he'd have to kill me to get to her."
Ginny's chest tightened. That was what he had been keeping from her. He had needed her to come with him because he had wanted to use her as bait. She understood him now. He had been risking his life for her for a year, and he had needed her to risk hers for him. Instead of feeling angry, Ginny felt proud. She was doing her part. Harry trusted her. She gave him a faint smile. He returned a slight nod. They understood each other.
"I desire no such thing," argued Tarus. "My goal is no different than it has been for over eighty years. I have spent a lifetime trying to maintain the balance of nature. It is you, Harry, who must be sacrificed, not Ginny. With your death and her life, I believe the world can heal. I seek to obtain nothing at all for my labor. I promise you that I will do everything within my power to see that Ginny lives a long, rewarding life."
"You're a liar," replied Harry. "You're old and afraid. You've killed your own friends for a chance at immortality. You've created this whole fantasy about me being dangerous to hide your true plan. You only want me dead so that you will be free to pursue your own selfish goals."
"I can think of one way to prove we are telling the truth," Tarus said with a gleam in his eyes. "We will both step through the Veil," he said firmly. "You will prove to me that you are not the wizard who heralds the end of the world, and I will prove to you that I have no desires for immortality."
Harry smiled and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Grigore, I've played that game before. The moment I step close to that arch, you and your goons will toss me in and then Ginny is next."
Ginny watched as Tarus's face soured. "I will remind you that you have no wand. If I wanted to toss you through the Veil, I could have done it long ago and without any of this wearisome discussion."
"Then do it," Harry challenged, "but I won't help you. If you want me dead, you'll have to do it with your own hands or order one of your slaves to do it. I've done enough of your dirty work."
"I will give Ginny a wand," Tarus growled. "If there is any sign of trickery, I have no doubt that she will be able to ensure my death."
"No, Grigore," Harry replied stubbornly. "I won't help you, and I won't let you force Ginny to either. If that was your best idea, then I think your time has already passed. It's time for you to step aside. You are seeing things where they don't exist."
Tarus stood glaring at Harry, fuming and clenching his fists. "My vision is as good as it ever was. You are the one who has been corrupted. I did not wish to resort to this, Harry, but you give me no choice." He walked over to stand in front of Harry.
"Where is Voldemort's wand?" he asked calmly.
"I sold it to a discount wand store for a few Sickles," Harry said with a smile. "They stripped it down and put the feathers into a more flexible wand. It's probably being used as a whisk by some squib in Germany by now."
Tarus was not amused. He snapped his fingers and pointed toward the stone doors where Ron was standing. "Tell me where the wand is, or Ronald Weasley dies."
The smile vanished off Harry's face. Ginny turned her head slightly to look at Josef, but he didn't react at all. He was watching Harry closely as he and Tarus stared at each other.
"I don't have it," Harry explained. "I put it someplace safe."
"I know you, Harry," Tarus purred. "It's here, and you will tell me where it is."
"It's not here. I sent it to Germany by owl. It's probably somewhere over France at the moment. If you sent out twenty or so wizards on brooms you might—"
"Enough! Kill Mr. Weasley!" commanded Tarus.
A pair of wizards turned in place and extended their wands toward Ron. Ginny felt a stab of panic as they began shouting the same incantation.
"Avada—"
"Stop!" Harry shouted as he stood up. "I have the wand." He quickly reached into an inside pocket in his robes and pulled out a long dark wand. Ginny had an idea. It didn't have to work. It only had to add enough confusion to give them a chance.
"He's lying!" Ginny shouted. "I have the wand. It's in my pocket."
Tarus glanced from Harry to Ginny. "Check her," he ordered. Josef quickly patted her down, searching for the wand. After a few seconds, he found it and slowly pulled out a wand that looked identical to the one in Harry's hand.
"They're both lying!" cried Hermione as she too pulled out a wand. "This is Voldemort's wand. I know. I've been working with it for a year."
Tarus's lips curled in anger. "I have no time for games, Harry. Tell me where the wand is or—"
"It's not here," Harry repeated.
"You're lying," snarled Tarus. "Check Mr. Weasley! I believe you'll find a wand in his pockets!"
One of the Brotherhood wizards leaped up the steps and began searching Ron's pockets. He quickly found the wand and brought it back down. Tarus regarded it suspiciously. "Attack Razvan," he ordered.
The wizard did as he was told and slashed his wand toward Razvan, who was quickly pulling a wand from his own pocket. Ginny recognized it as Harry's wand.
"Expelliarmus!" Razvan shouted. The other wand did nothing and was quickly pulled from the grip of the other wizard.
"A decoy," Tarus growled. "He would never give Miss Weasley the real wand. He would not have even let it get close to her." He stepped toward Harry and yanked the wand from Harry's fingers. He handed it to the wizard who had fetched Ron's wand. "Again!" he shouted.
As commanded, the wizard attempted to hex Razvan and he attempted to disarm the other wizard. The result was the same as the last wand. Ginny tried to understand just what he was trying to accomplish. In the end, it wouldn't matter. There were only four copies. When Tarus realized that Harry was telling the truth, she knew he would be very angry. He had been serious about killing Ron. She tossed a warning glance at Josef. If they were planning to help Harry, they were running out of time.
Harry's mind was filled with a hundred thoughts, and he recognized that many of them were not even his own. Sitting as close to the Veil as he was, it was very difficult for him to concentrate. He could hear the desperate whispers of the dead blending together and forming a soft background to a much more sinister rhythmic noise. It took nearly all of his energy to simply keep it from completely occupying his mind.
He had much more troubling things to think about. Grigore was testing all of the wands. Harry had forgotten about his own wand. Grigore didn't need to perform the spell extraction charms Hermione had developed. He could simply have each of the wands attempt to duel with his own wand. Harry watched as Grigore plucked the next wand from Hermione's hand, already knowing the result.
As the wizard slashed his wand toward Razvan a brilliant red arc of flame erupted from the tip. Razvan was nearly too surprised to remember that he too needed to cast a spell. The two spells collided in mid-air and for a brief instant, a thin line of light connected the two wands. The shocked wizards broke the connection almost immediately. However, their surprise was nothing compared to the mortified amazement of Hermione when she realized that she truly had given Grigore Voldemort's wand.
"How appropriate," he chuckled bitterly as he pulled Voldemort's wand from the other wizards limp grasp. "You may have evened the score for a while, Harry, but I still have the advantage. I have always had the advantage, because I am not crippled by foolish ideas of right and wrong."
"Why do you want it? What use is a band of washed up dark wizards to an immortal Dark Lord?" Harry asked. "The Brotherhood are much better servants than the Death Eaters ever were."
"You are right, and yet, the Death Eaters are pressed by desperation that few wizards ever experience. That desperation will force them to take drastic action, and drastic action is precisely what I need." Grigore called a wizard to his side and handed him Voldemort's wand. "You know where to send it. Use an eagle owl, and tie the package in black ribbon," he instructed the wizard.
"What are you doing?" Harry asked. The voices in his head were growing louder, and it was getting almost painful to concentrate. "You're giving the wand to the Death Eaters? What are they paying you in return?"
"They are paying me nothing. It is simply payment for the help —willing and unwilling— that they have given me in the past. I am certain that Miss Granger has told you about their desire to resurrect their dead master? The spell they intend to use —the spell I found for them— requires three things. At the moment, they have none of them. I have just sent them the wand. The next component they already know where to find: your blood, the blood of the wizard who killed their master. It was the last component which I used to buy their aid. I promised them I could secure it for them."
Grigore rubbed his face and took a deep breath. "I did not want it to come to this, Harry, but you leave me no choice. With the wand is a message revealing them where they might find blood of that which housed their master's soul. It is simply a name: Ginevra Weasley."
Harry felt his heart skip. "But... how?" he stammered. "It can't be. She only wrote in the diary. Riddle— His soul never left the book until the very end. He never actually—"
"Yes, yes, Harry," Grigore agreed. "You are quite correct. Like you, Miss Weasley was only a vessel for Voldemort's magic, not his soul. However, the Death Eaters cannot know that. They have spent a year searching tirelessly for something to fulfill the requirements of the third component. Now that they know where to look, I doubt that they will debate the semantics of Miss Weasley's possession before they drain her body of every ounce of blood."
"You're a monster," Harry hissed.
"No, Harry, I am desperate," Grigore replied icily. "There is still a way to save her. The spell has three components. They have one and know where to get the other two. All you must do is deny them one of those two. So long as they may hope to obtain those last components, they will hunt her and her family and anyone she cares about. But if you were to step through the Veil, Harry, they would never get the first component —the most important component. Miss Weasley would be worthless to them."
Harry's mind struggled to find some way out. The plan was sadistic, cruel, barbaric, and perfect. Even after a year of hunting the Death Eaters, the Aurors hadn't even tracked down half of them. He couldn't keep Ginny safe without pulling her away from everything she loved.
Grigore pointed a bony finger toward the Veil. "Accept your fate, Harry. Save yourself. Save the woman you love. Save your friends and your family. Save the world. Again. It is what you were born to do."
"And if I don't?" Harry asked with an empty voice.
"Then I will seal you in this chamber and send Ginny back to London with no one to protect her. It will not take long for the Death Eaters to find her and drain her of every last drop of blood."
"You'd never let them do it," Harry said, trying to ignore the shakiness in his own voice. "You wouldn't let them kill her."
Grigore's face fell and he suddenly looked very old and very tired. His eyes blinked slowly. "I would. I am afraid that her death is no longer avoidable. The trap has been sprung. I can no longer save her. Only you can, Harry."
Harry looked over at Ginny. Her eyes were glassy and she looked deathly pale. There had to be some way out of this. He just needed more time. He glanced down to Hermione, but she only shook her head, revealing the same helplessness he felt. He quickly looked over at Dragomir, but the older wizard looked away quickly.
They had told him that he was acting too soon. Dragomir had warned him. Josef had known that they were walking into a trap they couldn't slip out of. Slowly, carefully, Harry turned to look at Josef. He kept his face as expressionless as possible while pleading with him to do something. He was out of ideas and there were no other options left.
"Something interesting there, Harry?" Grigore asked. "What could you possibly be hoping for? Do you think that I do not know that my own lieutenant has been conspiring against me? Do you think that I have not prepared for the moment of his betrayal?"
"You have strayed from the path, Grigore," Josef announced clearly. "I will not let you condemn her to death!"
A loud bang echoed through the room and seemingly everyone turned to search for its source. Behind him, Harry saw the wizard Grigore had called Aleksey standing slightly behind Ron and slashing his wand across Ron's back. For a moment, he thought Ron had been attacked, but the truth was obvious an instant later.
As Ron's arms sprung free of his restraints, the world around Harry slowed down. The wizard who had freed Ron was still swinging his wand in a wide arc. As it sliced through the air, it left a wave of yellow sparks flying toward a pack of wizards nearby. Somehow, Ron had gotten a hold of a wand, and was already aiming it at the face of his other guard, a younger Italian wizard Harry remembered as Maurizio.
Even as Ron's stunner struck Maurizio in the face, the wave of yellow sparks reached the first few wizards on the other side of Ron. They flew backwards, as though tossed by a giant. Harry wasn't alone and he was surrounded. Suddenly, there was hope.
"Tradare!" Grigore shouted. It appeared to be a signal of some sort. The rest of the Brotherhood wizards woke up from their shock and turned back to their leader. Grigore pointed a long finger at Josef. "Kill him, now!"
Harry needed a wand. He needed his wand, but Razvan was still holding it. Though Harry couldn't tell if it was lucky or terribly frightening, Razvan was not far from Ginny, and that was precisely where Harry knew he needed to be.
Grabbing Hermione and pulling her along with him, Harry dove for the wizards standing between him and Ginny. He needed to break through the ring of wizards guarding him and Josef had given him the distraction he needed. With Hermione close behind him, he slammed his shoulder into the back of one wizard while grabbing the arm of another. Using his momentum, he spun around and threw the second wizard back at his comrades.
In the resulting commotion, the first volley of curses shot through the air. Still ahead of him, Josef, Ginny and Razvan were all forced to duck to avoid being struck. Harry felt one spell strike his shoulder, but bounce off his Shield Cloak. Shoving Hermione to the ground, Harry jumped down one level for shelter and continued running toward Ginny.
Off to his right, Harry watched as Josef ducked one hex and waved his wand quickly at a pair of wizards nearby. They froze instantly, and Josef ducked behind them. With a single, fluid movement, he spun around and aimed his directly at Ginny. Harry felt a prickling of fear as a bright bolt of light hurtled toward her back.
The curse hit her hard, tossing her from the level above Harry to the level below him. Before Harry had a chance to kill Josef for what he'd done, he noticed that Ginny was still moving. In fact, she was freed. They must have left her with a working Shield Cloak.
Unfortunately, Harry was not the only one who realized that Ginny was free. Standing only feet from him, Razvan had his wand aimed at Harry and a hideous scowl on his face.
"It's over, Potter," he growled. "Frendo!"
Harry saw only a burst of light and a fast moving object slip between him and Razvan. Red hair flashed in front of him and a brief shriek of pain rang out in the room. Ginny fell to the ground, wincing in pain, but otherwise unhurt. Harry leaped over her, preparing to attack Razvan with his fists if needed.
Before he could reach him, a beam of silvery shot past his shoulder. Razvan cast a hasty Shield Charm, but not quite fast enough. The blast of the spell impacting on his Shield Charm sent him flying backward. He hit the floor, sending Harry's wand flying farther down toward the center of the room. It bounced down the levels until it landed on the stone floor.
Harry's eyes locked on his wand. It was far closer to the Veil than he wanted to go, but he had no choice. He looked about him quickly. On the highest level, Ron and Aleksey had opened the doors and were using them as shelter as they kept a large number of wizards busy. Dragomir had disabled one of his guards somehow and was wrestling for the other's wand. Another pair of wizards had taken position next to Hermione and together they were trying to make their way to the door.
They were still heavily outnumbered, but they were doing better than Harry would have imagined. Ginny was still wandless, but she was unrestrained and protected by a Shield Cloak. Josef had turned his back on Harry and was trying to stun or incapacitate as many wizards as he could while ducking behind the few wizards he'd petrified.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Harry's head jerked around just in time to see a rush of green light heading for Josef. He ducked behind a grey-haired wizard. The curse struck the petrified man, dropping him to the ground and leaving Josef completely unprotected.
"Harry!" he shouted. "If you're so powerful, do something!" Josef dove onto a higher level and rolled across the stone, dodging another pair of hexes.
With grim determination, Harry began jumping down from level to level. He needed his wand. It didn't matter how close it was to the Veil. He would just grab it and run off. If he didn't they wouldn't last another minute.
With one final leap, Harry landed on the central floor of the room, and quickly ducked down to lunge for his wand. As he landed, he felt his elbows bleeding from sliding across the rough stone. However, whatever pain it might have caused was completely washed away by the relief of feeling his hand wrap around his wand.
He quickly scrambled to his feet and began climbing up to the next level of the chamber. Just as he was pulling himself up, he felt his robes pulled tight against his neck. With nearly inhuman force, Harry felt himself tugged backwards onto the floor, knocking the wind from his lungs. As he coughed, he twisted around trying to see who had attacked him.
"I cannot let you live, Harry," Grigore growled, "even if I have to kill you myself."
Grigore's foot swung quickly and connected with the side of Harry's head. Harry's vision exploded with a thousand flashes of light. Over the ringing in his ears, he could hear a rhythmic chanting growing louder and filling his head. He forced his eyes to focus, but it was getting harder. The room was growing dark. Something felt wrong. He was moving, but not in any normal way.
In a burst of consciousness, Harry realized what was happening. Grigore was dragging him toward the Veil. He could already hear the voice calling to him. Harry closed his eyes. In his mind, he could see the stone arch with a dark shape superimposed over it. A simple idea formed itself inside his mind. This was what he'd come here to do, and now would be his last chance. With every last bit of concentration he could muster, Harry raised his wand, and said a single word:
"Pulsus!"
Harry had aimed for Grigore's chest, but he'd missed, and struck him in the shoulder. Grigore flew backward toward the arch, twisting as he flew. Instead of flying through the arch as Sirius had, Grigore's shoulder struck the right hand arch and he spun off the raised platform.
Harry would have sworn if he could have. The force of Grigore shoulder against the column had broken away a large chunk of stone just above the place it had already been damaged. As he tumbled to the stone platform, a plume of dark smoke poured out from the broken section of the arch. A splitting pain shot through Harry's scar and his vision filled with an inky blackness. He could hear frighteningly familiar words echoing in his mind:
Across the endless wastes and timeless sands
Born of
atrocity and boundless pain...
A swell of voices shouting and wailing filled his ears. Suddenly, breaking through all other sounds, was a single scream. It was comfortingly familiar. Harry smiled, wishing he could hear it again. It felt like he was floating. He didn't care anymore, he'd done his best. That was all anyone could ask.
Slowly, his vision turned from black to grey, growing lighter every second. He wasn't so comfortable anymore. There were other noises. Explosions. Angry shouts.
"Harry!"
Harry's eyes fluttered open and he saw Ginny leaning over him.
"I can't pull you any higher, Harry," she shouted. "I need you to help me."
Harry blinked again, and felt his wand clutched tightly in his hand. On the other side of the raised platform, Grigore was crawling back onto his feet and scowling at the two of them. Harry pushed with all his strength and Ginny hauled him up onto the first level. Harry felt more of his strength returning to him. One more level and he would be alright.
A strangled shriek echoed through the chamber. Harry looked up and found Razvan Lupescu standing behind Ginny. He was clutching her neck and baring his teeth as though he were some wild animal.
"She is the cause of all of this!" he howled. "If you want her, you'll have to follow her!" With a shout, he tossed her back toward the center of the room. Harry tried to stand up, but a new wave of pain surged through his scar and his legs collapsed underneath him.
Razvan leaped down to the floor and strode toward Ginny. With one hand on her neck and the other wrapped under her arm, he pulled her to her feet and began dragging her toward the Veil. She was trying to fight back, but he was much larger than her. In a matter of seconds, he had pulled her onto the raised platform. Harry could the see the panic in her eyes as Razvan neared the Veil.
"No!" roared a familiar voice. Harry's memory told him it was Josef. "Aleksey! The barrier! Quickly!"
A weaker reply rang out: "No! There must be another way! We cannot—"
"Do it now!" Josef shouted. "There is no other way!"
Harry could barely comprehend what he was seeing as a bolt of light burst forth from Josef's wand and rocketed toward the Veil. With Razvan less than ten feet from his goal, the spell hit the left side of the arch, shattering the stone column on that side. Razvan and Ginny were thrown to the ground.
Pain flooded into Harry's body. A voice from deep inside him begged him to run for the Veil. It was the only thing that would end the pain. It was unbearable. He watched in awe as the top half of the arch seemed to hang eerily in the air for a moment. Then dark smoke billowed out of the sides of the arch. The remaining sections glowed an eerie shade of green as brighter cracks spidered across the stone.
His ears were filled with screaming. He could hear Ginny, and Josef, and even Hermione. There was another voice, which for a time, he thought was his own. When he discovered the truth, he could hardly believe what he was seeing.
Razvan yanked Ginny back to her feet and tugged her slowly toward the crumbling arch. Grigore Tarus was on his feet and running across the platform toward him. He passed within feet of the arch and slammed into the two of them. The collision sent Ginny flying backward off the platform while Grigore and Razvan fell onto the stone platform.
"Aleksey!" Josef shouted.
"Occulo Animoportus!"
As smoke burst forth from the void where the arch had been, a cylinder of purple light spiraled upward from the golden ring, encircling the platform and forming a crackling cage around Razvan and Grigore.
As though a door had been slammed shut, the voices in Harry's mind disappeared. With a sudden clarity, he saw a dark shape —darker than the smoke filling the platform— leap forward and wrap itself around Razvan. There was a short scream which ended abruptly.
The chamber became disturbingly quiet. From inside the wall of purple light, Grigore let out a strangled moan. He scrambled away from the shadowy figure and began running for the edge of the platform. Before he made it more than a few feet, the figure shot forward. Grigore cried out and fell forward. His arms broke through the barrier, sending arcs of purple light crawling along his skin. With visible effort, he pulled himself forward until his head and shoulders were hanging over the edge of the platform.
"What have you done?" he gasped.
A pair of Brotherhood members were running down the steps to help him until the chamber shook with a low rumble. The wall around the platform showered the room in purple sparks, but it held. At the same time, something had given Grigore a monstrous tug. He'd lost his hold on the edge of the platform with one arm and his grip with the other was slowly slipping.
"You must run!" he shouted hoarsely. "You must—" He coughed, sending a small trickle of blood down the side of his mouth. "—must keep her safe," he coughed as he slid the small wooden box Josef had given him across the floor. "She must escape. Keep her away from—"
A sound like a snapping branch echoed through the room and Grigore suddenly disappeared into the black smoke inside the barrier.
Harry had no idea exactly what was happening, but there was no doubt in his mind that Grigore was dead. He blinked his eyes and tried to force himself to think of just what he needed to do now. He had never thought that he'd be able to succeed and still escape.
Chaos had filled the room. The battle seemed to have come to an unexpected end as all wizards began running for the door. They no longer paid any attention to Ron or Hermione. A few of them had paused to attempt hasty charms to free their colleagues, but quite a number of petrified, stunned, or otherwise crippled wizards were being left behind.
Harry didn't have time for any of them either. He was on his feet in seconds and running for Ginny. She hadn't moved from the place she'd fallen. When he got to her side, she was just staring blankly at the column of smoke inside the purple barrier.
"He... he... saved me," she mumbled. "He gave his life—"
"No time for that now," Harry interrupted. "I think it's time for us to leave." He wrapped one of her arms around his shoulders and began walking her as quickly as he could back to the steps. Josef had leaped down the steps to retrieve the small wooden box, and was now running toward Harry and Ginny.
"He can't keep that shield up much longer," Josef shouted as he gently helped push Harry and Ginny up the stairs.
Above him, Harry could see Aleksey standing in front of Ron and Hermione. A beam of purple light was flowing from the tip of his wand to the shield around the platform. As Harry watched, he could see the beam weakening. They had to move faster.
As they ran up the stairs, they passed the wizard Harry had struck with the Sectumsempra curse. One of his legs was limp and useless, and the other was struggling to push him up the rest of steps. Harry paused. He had never meant to let the man die. There must be something he could do.
"No!" bellowed Josef. He gave Harry a firm shove and pushed him up the stairs. "There is no time, Harry!"
As the three of them reached the top of the stairs, they found Ron and Hermione already waiting for them and urging them across the threshold of the giant stone doors. Harry felt a tug on his shoulder as Ginny stumbled through the doorway. He turned to find Josef pointing at the far side of the doorway.
"We need to close the doors!" he shouted. "They will protect us!"
Harry ran over to the door Josef had pointed at and began pulling it shut. Once it was more than halfway shut, he turned and saw Josef running down the steps. A wizard was limping up the steps toward the door and Josef had turned to help him. The shield was fading, and despite all that Josef had done, Harry couldn't let him die.
Running down to the injured wizard, Harry helped Josef pick the man up and drag him up the stairs. As they reached the top, Aleksey lowered his wand and ran through the doorway. Josef grabbed the edge of one of the doors and pulled it closed right behind him.
Harry and Josef tossed the limping wizard through the doorway and dove out of the chamber as a thunderous roar erupted behind them, slamming the doors shut as though driven by a horrible gale. The patterns etched into the gold trim flashed a bright green, but the doors held.
Harry laid back and tried to catch his breath. What had they done? Why had Grigore saved Ginny's life? Why had he given them the Portkey? Had he been wrong about Grigore? He had looked to be more afraid of whatever had happened than anyone else.
While Harry tried to recover, Josef was already on his feet and giving orders. "Aleksey! Find Updike. Stop him. Kill him if you have to."
"Dragomir went after him already," he said, sounding as weary as Harry felt. "I am certain—"
"As I would be, but if he fails, you must finish it," Josef snapped. "Dragomir must not leave the castle. Find someone trustworthy, and tell them to make certain that Dragomir remains here. He has to call them all. I cannot do it."
"Of course," Aleksey replied, then he disappeared up the corridor.
Josef turned back toward Harry. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Harry answered.
"I was asking Ginny," Josef replied sourly.
"I'll be alright," she croaked. "What just happened?"
"There's no time to explain," Josef replied. "You need to leave immediately."
"No!" called out the injured wizard. "Don't let him escape," he growled while pointing his wand at Harry.
Josef walked over to the wizard and crouched down beside him. "Perhaps the pain has blurred your vision, Marcus. That man you're pointing your wand at just saved your life."
"Saved me?" the wizard repeated. "No... I would have welcomed death if he would have given it to me. Perhaps he too will welcome it before—"
The wizard's voice was cut short by a sharp scream. He dropped his wand and curled up as he reached for the back of his leg. Josef held up a jagged, triangular piece of stone. It's tip was covered in blood.
"Perhaps you're right," Josef remarked. "We should have let you die. I prefer to believe that the world still has some use for you." Josef tossed the chunk of masonry back at the man's chest. As he turned and walked away the wizard on the floor stared at him with a look of anger and fear.
"Come on, Harry!" Josef urged. "You can rest later."
"Where are we supposed to go?" Harry asked, trying to keep the defeat out of his tone. "You've found or destroyed every place I have to hide."
"Go home," Josef said quickly. "Go back to the house Grigore found you in."
"It's not safe. The Brotherhood knows where it is. I can't make it safe for them."
"I am still in the Brotherhood," Josef replied sharply. "I will make it safe."
Harry stood up and stared into Josef's eyes. There was a time when Harry had trusted Josef with his life. For two months, he had been the only friend Harry had. And for ten months he had been the focus of so much of Harry's anger that he still had trouble putting the smallest amount of trust in him.
If there were many other wizards like Marcus Lipton, then Josef might not be able to keep his promise. Of course, if that were true, they would never make it out of the Castle. It seemed there was little choice.
"How do we get there?" Harry asked.
"Gather around," Josef ordered. "Ginny had the right idea. She only failed in her impatience." He opened the lid of the small wooden box to reveal a silver key laying in a bed of purple velvet. "Quickly, place a finger or two on the key."
Harry reached forward and touched the delicate ring at the end of the key; Ginny's finger was right next to his. She gave him an uncertain smile and looked back at Josef. Ron and Hermione were also touching the key, but Josef did not.
"I will be needed here," he said, as though he had read Harry's thoughts. "I hope that I will see you again. Good night, and for once in your life, Harry, don't do anything foolish."
Josef touched the tip of his wand to the end of the key. With a sickening tugging sensation, Harry felt himself pulled off the floor and forced through a long tunnel at an amazing speed. A moment later, he felt his feet land on a hard floor. He collapsed onto the polished surface along with Ron, Hermione and Ginny.
It was dark. As they blinked about at their surroundings, Harry could hear the sound of torches flaring to life and the sound of gurgling water.
"Wands out!" he hissed.
"I don't have a wand," Hermione whispered harshly.
"Me, either," added Ginny.
As more torches were lit, the room slowly came into focus. It was a large hall with a sizable fountain in the center with a number of figures of various sizes.
"We're at the Ministry," Hermione whispered. "Look! There's the guard!"
Harry turned and saw a lit desk at the far end of the hall. A shadowy figure was standing behind it. Suddenly, a cone of light sprung forth, shining in their direction.
"We've got to go," Harry said. "Pair up and Disapparate. Quickly." Ginny leaped to her feet and grabbed a hold of Harry's arm with a surprising amount of strength.
"Oi!" the guard shouted across the hall. "You there! Identify yourselves!"
"I'd rather not, thanks!" Harry shouted in return. The hall was now bright enough that Harry could see the small pointed hat on the guard's head. They had to leave before the guard had a chance to identify any of them.
"Ron, give me your wand," Hermione demanded.
"What? Why?"
"Because I've seen your Apparation skills in action," she replied. Ron looked like he wanted to argue, but quickly gave up his wand. This was no place to start a row.
With a nod, Harry closed his eyes and concentrated on the alley on Grimmauld Place just across from the old Black house. Ginny gripped him even tighter and pulled herself close. After a single crushing instant, he found himself standing with Ginny in the darkness of the empty alley. A second later, Ron and Hermione popped in behind them.
Ron took his wand and together, he and Harry stepped out into the street. It was quiet and completely empty. There were no signs of the battle that had taken place not even two days earlier. There were no signs of anything. It was as if the entire street had been abandoned.
Harry stood in the street, holding out a hand and telling the others to remain back. Something felt wrong. It was too quiet.
An owl hooted in the distance. Harry spun about to prepare for some attack, but nothing came. Somewhere behind him, a dog barked. Farther down the street, a cat was stalking some small, unfortunate thing.
Cautiously, Harry nodded to the others. They walked across the street to Number Twelve with a slowness caused more by weariness than wariness. Harry ushered them into the darkened house and firmly closed the door.
"Master... returns," Kreacher croaked from the shadows. The disgust in his voice was obvious.
"Yes, Kreacher, your master has returned," Harry said. "And he has work for you to do."
"It will take Kreacher some time to take down the paintings. Best if master just let them—"
"Don't bother with them —for now," Harry said sharply. "I want you to keep watch on the street and see that we all know the moment you see any wizards within sight of this place. If you fall asleep I swear I'll sell you to a charming family of Muggle-borns with lots of children."
"Master is very kind," sneered Kreacher. As he walked off, Harry could hear him mumbling: "Watching doors is troll work. Kreacher is not a troll. Of course, the mop-headed Mudblood is not a wizard and master has not noticed that either. Oh, Kreacher's old mistress would have noticed, she would have made..."
Harry turned and walked toward the kitchen. He was extraordinarily tired, but he didn't want a bed. He didn't want to fall into a deep, rejuvenating sleep. He needed to stay ready. He wanted to trust Josef, but he simply couldn't. If the Brotherhood showed up, he still had a few tricks to show them.
Ron, Ginny and Hermione joined him. They agreed that it would be a good idea if one of them remained awake at all times, and even better if two of them did. Hermione quickly summoned a clock and marked off a number of shifts. Ron and Hermione took the first shift, letting Harry and Ginny fall asleep in chairs in the parlor.
As the night passed and early morning dawned, Harry was awoken by a very groggy looking Ron. He said only three words, "Your shift, mate," before he collapsed in a nearby chair and fell asleep. Harry and Ginny took up their station in the kitchen, drinking two whole pots of tea in an attempt to stay alert.
Outside, the sun was shining and Muggles were walking along the sidewalk and driving down the street on their way to their jobs. Small children began playing in the park down the street. Elderly Muggles paired up and walked their dogs.
In the kitchen, the tea was gone and Harry and Ginny had long since run out of topics to talk about. Ginny had slumped forward onto the table and looked to be asleep. Harry let her. The wound on her back still needed to heal and the best thing for that was sleep.
He watched her for some time. He'd done so much for no reason except keeping her safe. He'd lost a year of his life, a year he was supposed to spend with her. He wanted for it to be over. He wished he could simply wake up and let this all be a dream. He reached across the table and wrapped his hand around hers. Unconsciously, she squeezed his hand and sighed contentedly. Harry laid his head on the table and just watched her sleep: the twitching of her eyes as she dreamed of some happier place, the gentle rise and fall of her shoulders as she breathed, the spot on her neck which pulsed in time with the beating of her heart.
Then his eyelids slowly closed, and Harry fell asleep.
