Friends Close, Enemies Closer
.:Angelgrl185:.
((I do not own the Harry Potter Series or any of its components))
Chapter Two: Cliffhanger
Bright lights and the low murmur of voices awoke Ginny out of her unconscious state a few hours later. Harry, Ron and Mrs. Weasely had brought Ginny back to the Burrow, Mrs. Weasely refusing to leave Ginny's side since the Dementor incident. Ginny opened her eyes slowly and her view was still a little foggy. Ginny recognized her surroundings to be her bedroom; she was lying in the small twin bed with the dumpy mattress and old worn green sheets in the middle of her room. Her mother was standing by the doorway talking to someone Ginny assumed to be a doctor, she couldn't really make out who it was. Ron was pacing around the wooden floor and Harry was staring absent-mindedly at her bedroom ceiling.
"Mom?" Ginny said her voice still groggy. Mrs. Weasely paused mid sentence and spun around to see her bed ridden daughter.
"Ginny? Oh, Ginny thank goodness! We were so worried about you!" Her mother said coming to kneel beside her bed, giving Ginny a tight squeeze.
"Gosh Gin, you scared the crap out of us." Ron said shaking his finger at his sister, a relieved smile on his face.
"How are you feeling Ginny?" a new voice broke in. Ginny looked towards the stranger at the door and took in his merry blue eyes hidden behind small silver spectacles and his snow white beard and hair.
"Professor Dumbledore?" Ginny said in disbelief as he walked from the doorway over to where she lay.
"Seems you've been through quite a scare Miss Weasely." Dumbledore observed as he watched Ginny.
"I guess you could say that." Ginny answered sitting up in her bed, leaning back against her thin pillows.
"Ginny, would you like to tell me what happened?" Dumbledore asked sitting in a chair Harry had brought over for him.
"Well, my Mum, Ron, Harry and I had gone to Diagon Alley to get our new school supplies for the year and my head burst into pain and I fell on the ground. My Mum and the boys helped me up and we got in an argument and I was a little embarrassed cause I yelled at Harry so I ran away." Ginny admitted, looking shyly at Harry.
"It's ok Gin, I shouldn't have doubted you." Harry reassured her.
"What do you think caused this headache?" Dumbledore asked.
"Well, while I had the headache, I got quick flashes of images running through my brain, but I couldn't really make out what they were. It was like they were small pieces of a puzzle and I didn't have all the pieces." Ginny explained.
"Ginny said back in Diagon Alley that they were memories she had received in the Chamber of Secrets." Ron offered, "but she ran away before she could really explain what she meant." Dumbledore looked towards Ginny for an explanation.
"When I was in the Chamber I was unconscious because Tom Riddle was controlling me from inside my head, but he couldn't control my sub conscious or my conscience. I had heard him planning to kill Harry when he came downstairs and I couldn't let that happen so I used our link to go into his mind and try to get him out of mine, but I ended up in his memories. I saw one memory, although I cannot remember it now, that was really important and I knew I had to tell someone, but before I could leave, he appeared. Tom said he had to kill me now that I had seen his memory, but I wouldn't let him so we dueled in his mind. He tried to erase my memory when I tried to stun him and it changed the effects so I only forgot that important memory instead of everything. That's when I left his mind and Harry destroyed the diary." Ginny explained.
""You were battling Tom Riddle in his mind while I was battling him in the Chamber?" Harry asked, looking at Ginny in awe. Ginny just nodded, unsure of what to say.
"Ginny why didn't you say any of this before?" Her mother questioned.
"Well I had forgotten that's why, the flashes I received during the headache were enough to make me remember what had happened." Ginny clarified.
"But you do not remember that specific memory of Tom's yet?" Dumbledore asked.
"Not really, there isn't enough to create a full memory, just miniscule amounts." Ginny replied.
"Tell me what happened after the headache." Dumbledore encouraged Ginny to continue.
"Well after I was running away, it felt a lot colder than before and that's when it got darker and I heard people around me screaming. I looked up and Dementors were swarming the sky around me. I was scared so I began to run, I didn't really know where I was running too, but I knew that I had to get away." Ginny whispered remembering the horror and coldness the Dementors had brought with them. Mrs. Weasely quickly gave Ginny a piece of chocolate who accepted it gratefully.
"Did the Dementors attack multiple people?" Dumbledore questioned.
"No." Ginny said shaking her head. "They only followed me, they chased me for a long time and I was getting tired, I couldn't run anymore. That's when they cornered me at the end of an alley. The one tried to kiss me, that's when Harry, Ron and my Mum came and Harry used his Partronus to scare them away. That's all that I remember." Ginny finished.
Dumbledore sat back in the chair appearing to be thinking hard. His fingers fiddled with his beard, stroking the soft silvery strands.
"What is it Professor?" Harry asked, recognizing Dumbledore's troubled look.
"Those Dementors were chasing Ginny for a reason. Dementors don't just randomly appear and pick on young girls, they follow the Dark Lord's orders now." He explained.
"That means…" Mrs. Weasely started, before covering her mouth with her hands while looking towards Ginny, worry evident on her face.
"Yes, Voldemort knows that Ginny is regaining the memory he made her forget and he is trying to stop her from completing that memory." Dumbledore stated.
"Ginny this means that you are in grave danger, you are no longer safe here. As we speak Voldemort will have things spying on the Burrow." Dumbledore warned her.
"What do we do?" Mrs. Weasely asked clutching Ginny's hand.
"Ginny needs to be protected while she regains her memory." Dumbledore said.
"What about Hogwarts?" Ron said suddenly. "Hogwarts is where Ginny would be safe."
"I'm sorry Ron, but Lord Voldemort won't stop hunting Ginny until she's dead. He will use any means to get to her, even trying to infiltrate Hogwarts." Dumbledore said.
"Hogwarts isn't safe?" Ron whispered backing away from the bed.
"Hogwarts is safe Ron, just not the safest place to keep Ginny." Dumbledore relieved his fears.
"What do you suggest, Sir?" Harry asked.
"I think we need to place Ginny in the Wizarding Protection Agency." Dumbledore suggested.
"But Dumbledore, Ginny would be locked away from all her family and friends." Mrs. Weasely protested.
"I know, but it's the safest way." Dumbledore said gravely.
"Wait, Professor, you said that Voldemort wouldn't stop chasing Ginny until she was dead." Harry said slowly as the other four looked at him confused.
"Harry we can't kill Ginny!" Ron said looking shocked at his best friend.
"No Ron, hear me out, we aren't going to kill Ginny. Can't we pretend to kill Ginny? I mean, stage her death so everyone thinks she's dead?" Harry suggested.
"That's actually not a bad idea." Dumbledore admitted.
"What do you think Ginny?" Harry asked, turning towards the redhead.
"I guess that could work." Ginny said hesitantly.
"Do you have a plan in mind Harry?" Ron asked his friend.
"Well, it has to be something big, with lots of people there." Harry began, "Because we need as many people to see it as we can."
"True, what if we held a back to school picnic?" Ginny commented adding in her suggestions.
"Yeah, a picnic at the huge meadow by our house." Ron said getting into it.
"Exactly and we could have someone dress up as a fake death eater and come to the picnic and kill Ginny." Harry added excitedly.
"Alright Harry, no need to get that into it." Ginny said dryly watching the twinkling in Harry's green eyes.
"What do you think Professor Dumbledore?" Harry said turning towards the wise older man.
"I think it's a good idea, what about you Molly?" Dumbledore inquired turning towards Mrs. Weasely.
"Well as long as everything goes perfectly and Ginny is in no danger, then I guess it would be ok." Mrs. Weasely decided.
"Alright, I leave it up to you all to plan it, what do you think about the weekend before we return to Hogwarts?" Dumbledore suggested.
"That's fine, are you going to be there?" Ginny asked him.
"No that would cause suspicion so I think it's best I stay away and let it be just a student affair." Dumbledore decided. "Now I think we should all leave Miss Weasely alone and let her get some more rest." He said standing up. Harry, Ron and Mrs. Weasely followed his example and walked outside. Dumbledore however didn't leave, but sat back down.
"Ginny, I have a proposition for you." Dumbledore started. Ginny looked at him curiously.
"When we fake your death, you will have to be placed inside the Wizard Protection Agency anyways to make sure no one sees you. I have a problem with this because I feel that all young witches and wizards need to finish their schooling. What I am about to tell you, you cannot repeat to anyone and will be our little secret. Do you promise?" Dumbledore asked her.
"I promise." Ginny swore.
"Good, now there is a way for you to still attend Hogwarts after all this commences." Dumbledore started.
"Really?" Ginny questioned excitedly.
"Yes, but something needs to happen first." Dumbledore added.
"What is that?" Ginny asked bewildered.
"We need to change your identity." Dumbledore replied. Ginny's green eyes went wide.
"How do we do that? Is that possible?" she asked in disbelief.
"Yes, but it is so rarely done that no one knows about it. It is a top-secret research. You will be required to take a potion every week that will change your appearance and voice. Your mind and personality, all that stuff will remain the same. Just your identity will change." Dumbledore clarified.
"You mean we can actually do that?" Ginny asked in wonder.
"Yes Ginny."
"This is amazing! I can still be in Gryffandor with all my friends!" Ginny exclaimed excitedly.
"That's another thing Ginny, you won't be allowed to be in Gryffandor anymore, you need to be placed in a new house." Dumbledore added apologetically.
"What? How is that possible? I was sorted into Gryffandor." Ginny protested.
"Yeah, but just for precaution you can't have anything the same as the person you are now. You will not be sorted again, we'll just place you in a new house." Dumbledore explained.
"Which house?" Ginny asked her green eyes narrowing.
"Slytherin." Dumbledore state evenly.
"WHAT!" Ginny shrieked loudly as Dumbledore gave her a pointed look to be quieter.
"You cannot place me in Slytherin." Ginny hissed.
"Miss Weasely, understand that I am acting in your best interest. I would appreciate it if you would trust my judgment." Dumbledore said calmly.
"I'm sorry, Sir, I do, it's just that, Slytherin?" Ginny said doubtfully, shaking her head.
"Yes Ginny, I feel that the safest place for you to be in is Slytherin, where Voldemort came from himself. He would not expect it, wouldn't even dream of finding you there." Dumbledore explained.
"You are right. I'm sorry for yelling." Ginny apologized, seeing his logic.
"I am going to leave you now, you have a lot on your mind and you need some rest." Dumbledore said simply, getting to his feet.
"Goodbye Sir." Ginny called, waving at him as he left. She laid back down in her bed, grabbing the pillow with both arms and resting her head on it. Ginny sighed as she stared at her bedroom wall. Things were getting scary.
It was a bright sunny day, puffy white clouds floating aimlessly in the clear blue sky. Ginny breathed in deeply, drinking in the fresh air and wonderful scents of the wildflowers dotting the meadow. It was a glorious day to die. Ginny giggled softly at that thought before getting serious. Her life was going to change for better or worse today. She smiled welcomingly as she watched her classmates and housemates appear before her. They all held baskets of food or blankets. It was a brilliant idea really, Harry's picnic idea. It seems that half the school had shown up along with parents.
Ginny looked around and noticed Hermoine setting up their picnic blanket at the end of the meadow, near the cliffs. Ginny jogged over to help her set up.
"Hey Hermoine, beautiful day isn't it?" Ginny asked as she picked up the other end of the blanket to help her friend.
"Simply gorgeous Ginny, hello to you." Hermoine replied. "Where are Ron and Harry?" she added looking around for the two boys.
"Probably talking to Seamus or someone." Ginny said with a shrug.
"This was a really great idea, to have a welcome back picnic." Hermoine complimented her.
"Oh it wasn't my idea, it was Harry's." Ginny informed her, waving away Hermoine's praise.
"Really?" Hermoine said in amazement. "I didn't know Harry was so thoughtful." She added.
"Neither did I." Ginny said with a smile.
"Ginny! Hermoine!" Ron's voice cut in through their conversation as he ran towards them. "Let's eat, I'm starved." He complained, plopping onto the blanket. Harry appeared a few seconds later and sat down next to him.
"What about everyone else?" Hermoine asked.
"They're already eating and stuff." Harry said reaching for some food.
"Oh."
"So Ginny, excited about starting your fifth year?" Hermoine asked turning towards the other girl.
"Um, yeah." Ginny said strangely looking down at her plate. Hermoine gave her a questioning look before turning her gaze to Harry and Ron, her eyes asking them what was wrong. Harry just shrugged and Ron looked away, picking at his food.
"Alright, what is going on?" Hermoine demanded placing her hands on her hips.
"Nothing." Ron said biting into a piece of chicken.
"Liar." Hermoine determined.
"It's nothing really Hermoine, we're just faking my death today." Ginny said nonchalantly as she grabbed a piece of chicken for herself.
"WHAT?" Hermoine yelled. Three pairs of eyes shot to her and three mouths shushed her.
"Hermoine, be quiet!" Harry whispered urgently, clasping her mouth with his hands.
"What are you three babbling about?" Hermoine questioned fiercely. Ginny sighed and explained everything that had happened yesterday.
"Dumbledore agreed to this ludicrous plan?" Hermoine said in disbelief sitting back on the blanket.
"Yes." Harry answered.
"When is it happening?" she asked.
"Soon, my dad is playing the death eater." Ron informed her.
"Are you afraid that he's going to be attacked by all the students and parents here?" Hermoine questioned glancing around at all the blankets littering the meadow with people eating.
"Dumbledore cast some sort of shielding charm on him so their spells won't affect him if they try anything." Ron explained.
"Oh, that was a good idea." Hermoine said thoughtfully.
Screams interrupted their conversation as students launched themselves off their blankets, running hazardously in all directions. Three black forms ascended from the sky as everyone watched in terror.
"Uh, Ron, there are three of them. I thought it was only supposed to be your dad." Hermoine said pointing to the three death eaters who had appeared.
"It was." Ron replied staring at them. "I don't think any of them are my dad." He added his face growing pale.
"You mean those are real death eaters?" Ginny whispered, her face blanching in fear.
"I think he's right." Harry replied.
"Oh no, what do we do?" Hermoine said frantically watching the death eaters come closer to them.
"RUN!" Ron yelled, but as the four tried to scatter, they were attacked with stunning spells. Ron, Harry and Ginny managed to dodge them, but Hermoine was hit and fell to the floor.
"Hermoine!" Ron yelled, running over to her fallen form. "Harry help me!" he yelled looking back at his friend. Harry raced towards them until a low voice range out.
"IMPERIUS!" the spell hit Ron dead on and the force knocked Harry off his feet, flipping him in the air where he landed yards away.
"RON!" Ginny screamed at her brother whose body was no longer under his control. He looked up at Ginny, an evil glint in his eyes and began moving towards her, his arms reached out. The death eaters laughed gleefully as they watched Ron heading towards his sister, not remembering or noticing Harry Potter in the background.
"Accio Firebolt. Accio invisibility cloak." Harry whispered to himself, waiting for his possessions to arrive as he watched Ron reach Ginny who had backed away to the edge of the cliff and grab her roughly.
"Ron no! You don't want to do this!" Ginny screamed as her brother's fist clenched around her throat cutting off her air. She gasped and choked, struggling against his iron grip. Her auburn hair flared wildly in the wind as she felt herself being lifted off the ground by Ron. She turned her head and saw that she was hovering over the edge of the cliff.
"Please! Please I beg you Ron, do not drop me! Don't do this to me!" Ginny pleaded with her brother, tears filling her green eyes. This time he smirked coldly then released his fingers from their hold around her neck and Ginny fell.
"NOOOOO!" she screamed, arms flailing wildly.
Ginny felt as if she was moving in slow motion. Her body jerked around wildly, yet slowly as her lips parted emitting a ghastly scream. Her stomach was queasy, her heart felt as if it had plummeted to the pit of it and she was shaking uncontrollably as she fell. Fear encased her heart and mind as she tumbled endlessly through the air with incredible force, gaining speed as she fell.
The death eaters crackled from their stance as they watched Ron Weasely dispose of his sister Ginny. Hermoine recovered from her stun and whipped out her wand, shooting a stunning spell back at them. The death eaters were caught surprised and dropped to the floor, knocked out, breaking their hold on Ron. Ron stepped back from the cliff, a worried look on his face as he turned around and ran to Hermoine. She pulled him into a hug sobbing hard.
"Hermoine what is it?" Ron asked looking into her brown eyes.
"It's Ginny." She cried causing Ron to become alarmed.
"What about Ginny? Where is she?" Ron questioned.
"She fell off the cliff." Hermoine cried.
"How?" Ron asked.
"They put the Imperius Curse on you Ron. They made you throw Ginny off the cliff." Hermoine revealed. Ron reeled back in shock, horrified by what he heard.
"I killed Ginny?" he gasped, "I killed my sister?"
"Ron it wasn't your fault." Hermoine pleaded with him, "You couldn't do anything."
"I should have been able to fight it, like Harry can." Ron said angrily.
"Harry, Harry!" Hermoine said, remembering their friend. "Where's Harry?"
"I don't know. Harry?" Ron yelled loudly.
"Ron I think we should get out of here, everyone is gone and the death eaters might wake up." Hermoine suggested.
"Your right, let's go." Ron said, grabbing her hand dragging her through the meadow towards the Burrow. Hermoine glanced back to the cliff, tears pouring down her cheeks.
"Goodbye Ginny." She whispered.
Harry's broom and cloak sped towards him, coming to rest right in front. Harry grabbed the cloak and threw it on, becoming invisible. He acted then, grabbing his Firebolt and mounting it before racing towards the edge of the cliff, spilling over it and flying downward at a neck breaking speed. He heard Ginny's screams as he flew and saw her down below him, her body flailing around in the heavy air. He urged his broom faster until he was dead even with her. Harry maneuvered the broom under Ginny and her eyes widened as she felt the handle under her. Harry moved the cloak around Ginny too and she realized what had happened. Grateful, Ginny wrapped her arms tightly around Harry and squeezed him hard, afraid to let him go as he sped away from the cliff climbing high into the air until both were no longer visible.
Harry touched down lightly in the soft green grass in the front yard of the Burrow, letting Ginny ease off the back of the broom. Together, still underneath the invisibility cloak, they walked inside the Burrow. Mrs. Weasely was sobbing hard against Mr. Weasely's chest, her shoulders wracking with the force. Ron sat at the kitchen table staring blankly at the wall, a guilty look on his face while Hermoine sobbed next to him, her head in her hands. Dumbledore sat quietly in the corner looking thoughtful and looked up when Harry and Ginny walked in still not visible. Harry took the cloak off himself only, his body randomly popping out of the air alarming everyone in the kitchen except Dumbledore.
"Harry!" Mrs. Weasely cried, running over to Harry and throwing her arms around him. "We thought we had lost you too."
"Harry where were you?" Ron questioned. "Ginny's dead."
"No she's not." Harry replied.
"Harry, I know it's a hard thing to accept, but she fell off the cliff." Hermoine answered solemnly.
"Ginny is not dead." Harry protested. "I have her right next to me underneath the cloak. We didn't want any of Voldemort's spies to see her." He explained hurriedly.
"You have Ginny?" Mrs. Weasely gasped, looking frantically around the room for her baby girl.
"I think it would be wise to go upstairs to a secluded room." Dumbledore advised.
"You're right Albus." Mr. Weasely agreed. "Let's go to Ginny's room, it will look like we're grieving." He added. Everyone trooped upstairs together, Ginny trailing behind wearing Harry's invisibility cloak. Immediately when they reached Ginny's room, Mrs. Weasely whirled around and looked around.
"Alright Ginny, you can come out now." She commanded looking for Ginny. Ginny slipped off the cloak and appeared before her friends and family.
"Ginny!" Ron called out, rushing to give her a hug, looking extremely relieved. The rest of the Weasely family present surrounded Ginny, giving her hugs and kisses as she tried to fend them off.
"Ginny, I think it's time for us to be going." Dumbledore interrupted.
"What is this Albus? Mrs. Weasely questioned.
"I have to leave Mum, it's not safe for me here anymore." Ginny explained.
"But, they think you are dead now, they won't look for you." Mrs. Weasely protested.
"Molly, they still have spies anywhere, if any of them glances Ginny our charade will be up. We have to hide her until it is safe." Dumbledore said.
"And when will that be Albus? When Voldemort is defeated?" Mrs. Weasely said angrily.
"Maybe so Molly, maybe so." Dumbledore answered solemnly. "Let's go Ginny." He said heading towards the door. "Harry, do you think we could borrow your cloak?"
"Yeah sure Professor." Harry replied, throwing Ginny the cloak.
"Goodbye." Ginny said, giving her family hugs. She walked over to Hermoine and gave her a tight hug before walking over to Harry.
"Thank you for saving my life Harry Potter." She whispered in his ear before kissing him softly on the cheek and walking out of his life until further notice. Harry placed a hand on his cheek where Ginny's plush lips had brushed it, his green eyes staring at her as she walked out of the door.
"Goodbye Ginny Weasely."
That would be all for chapter two! I hope you enjoyed it and please review!
.:Angelgrl185:.