QUEST FOR FREEDOM


By Fire


Chapter 6 Day of Reckoning


"I hold it true, whate'er befall;

I feel it, when I sorrow most;

'Tis better to have loved and lost

Than never to have loved at all."

Alfred, Lord Tennyson


A crowded room. An electric silence. Dozens of teens clad in scarlet and gold. A silver cup. A broken glass. A smiling brunette and a dazed red-head looking on. Two people at the centre of the crowd. A first kiss. A true love born.

Harry jolted swiftly back to reality. Ginny was standing about three feet in front of him, looking at him as though he had three heads.

"What did you say?" she asked, incredulously.

"Marry me," Harry said, once again.

"Ten minutes ago you wanted to break up with me," said Ginny. "I don't understand."

"I had a chat with my mum," Harry said. "And I overheard her talking to Remus. She's right. You give me strength. You make me happy and Goddammit, I want to try and make you as happy as you make me."

He stepped towards her, took her left hand and held it between his own.

"Ginny Weasley," he said, quietly, with a small smile. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you, however long or short that might be. If I die in this war, I want you to always know how much I love you. I want the world to know how much I love you. And if by some miracle I survive, I want to grow old with you, raise a family with you, and love you forever. Will you marry me?"

Harry stopped and waited. Ginny glanced down at the floor, then lifted her face to look directly at him.

"You're crazy," she said. "This is crazy. We're in the middle of a war. People are dying everyday."

"We shouldn't let that take away what happiness we can have," said Harry. "Please Ginny."

"I know," she said. "That's what I was saying to you before. And however crazy you are, or this idea is, I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you, Harry, and yes, I will marry you."


"What's that hut for?" asked Ginny.

It was two weeks after their wedding, and Harry and Ginny were taking a walk in the grounds during the break between the day's training sessions.

"It was where the gamekeeper used to live," said Harry, not looking at the old hut.

"Used to?"

"Hagrid was killed about ten years ago," said Harry, quietly. "He bought me my owl when I was eleven, you know, Hedwig. She's a bit bored though. There's not been much use for post owls recently."

Ginny grabbed is hand and squeezed it.

"It's going to get better," she said. "We just have to keep…"

"Hey, Potter!" someone shouted to them from across the field.

"What is it, Jordan?" Harry yelled back.

"We have a visitor," said Jordan. "At the gates."

With a brief glance at Ginny, Harry set off at a run with his wife close behind him. He reached the gates barely two minutes later to find himself face to face with a young man about his age. One of the rebels there handed him two wands which belonged to the stranger. He opened the gate slightly to allow himself and one of his men, Wood, through it.

"Ginny," he said, turning around. "Will you send for Albus?"

He turned back to the newcomer.

"What can we do for you?" Harry asked.

"I'm Seamus Finnegan," the man said with a distinct Irish accent. "And I want to join you."

"Why now?" asked Harry. "Why not months ago, or even years ago?"

"Me mother died recently," said Seamus. "She'd been very ill for some time, cancer you see. Her immune system was crippled, or so the doctors said, so she just couldn't fight the pneumonia."

"I'm sorry," said Harry. "But I'm curious. Why couldn't you have treated her magically?"

"We've been living as muggles for years," explained Seamus. "Me dad's a muggle and me mum was terrified of You-Know-Who."

"You are trained in magic, though, aren't you?" Wood asked.

"Of course," said Seamus. "I wanted to come when I was seventeen, but I had to stay and look after Mum."

"I see," said Harry, pausing briefly. "Left forearm please."

Dutifully, Seamus pulled up the sleeve of his left arm to reveal bare skin. Wood waved his wand across it and nodded to Harry.

"He's clear of the mark," Wood said.

"Ok, then," said Harry. "It's just something we have to check, I'm afraid. Wood. Take him to Dumbledore."

Harry handed the wands to Wood, turned around and pushed open the gate allowing the three of them through and found himself face-to-face with his parents.

"Where're you…"

"We can't talk now, Harry," said Lily, hurriedly.

"Peter knows where we are if anything happens," said James.

The two of them rushed away down the path towards Hogsmeade. Harry closed the gate behind him and felt Ginny's hand grip his.

"Don't worry," she said. "I'm sure they'll be fine."


The serenity of Harry's evening with Ron, Hermione and Ginny was broken by the arrival of a phoenix patronus.

"It's a message from Dumbledore," said Harry. "He wants me to go to his office immediately."

"Should I go with you?" Ginny asked.

"No," said Harry. "He says to go alone."

Harry kissed Ginny lightly on the mouth before standing up and living the room. He made his way quickly through the corridors contemplating what Dumbledore might want. He was only a short way from the office when he heard voices calling to him from behind. He turned around to see Remus Lupin and Sirius Black hurrying towards him.

"Where are you going, Harry?" Lupin asked with a look of concern on his face.

"Dumbledore's office," said Harry. "Why?"

"It seems as though you got the message as well then," said Sirius, his features not their usual cheerful selves.

A grave look crossed Harry's face as he realised what news Dumbledore was most likely to share.

"You don't think…" he said.

"I sincerely hope not," said Lupin.

The three men made their way to the gargoyle statue together.

"Sugar quill," said Harry, and the gargoyle moved to allow them to the staircase that led to the old Headmaster's office.

Sirius knocked on the door and a weary voice from the other side muttered,

"Enter."

Sirius opened the door, and they entered to find three empty chairs waiting for them.

"Please take a seat," said Dumbledore.

The three sat down.

"Thank you for coming so promptly," he continued. "Have any of you seen Peter? I sent him a message, but it returned to me moments ago, unanswered."

"No," said Lupin. "I haven't seen him since this morning, come to think of it."

"Ah well," said Dumbledore. "He will have to be told later. I'm afraid I have some terrible news. Lily and James went out on a mission earlier today to spy on the activity at the main Death Eater camp as it appears they are preparing to move. As is procedure, they watched from a distance and did not attempt to engage the Death Eaters in any way. It appears they were ambushed. Both were killed in the battle that followed. I am very sorry."

"How?" said Sirius. "How could the Death Eaters have known they were there?"

"It is my guess that someone in our ranks has turned spy for Voldemort and informed him of Lily and James' position," said Dumbledore.

"What about that new kid, Finnegan?" Lupin suggested. "He looks a bit shifty."

"No," said Harry, his face pale and his voice wavering. "It was Peter."

"Absolutely not," said Lupin.

"Think about it, Moony," said Harry. "When I saw Mum and Dad leaving they told me that Peter knew where they were going. Albus can't find Peter and nobody has seen him since this morning."

"I think you're right, Harry," said Sirius. "But why now? He could have turned them, or us, over months ago."

"A good question, Sirius," said Dumbledore. "But I believe it is quite simple. Voldemort has needed Peter to extract as much information from our camp as possible. It seems as though he has decided that he now knows enough, and has withdrawn the traitor from our midst. I fear an attack is imminent."


Two days later, Harry, Remus and Sirius spent a few hours preparing a memorial garden for James and Lily. After requesting that they wanted to do it alone, Ginny found herself at a loose end. Training sessions had been cancelled for the afternoon, as a sign of respect, and so she wandered the grounds alone, until she came across her brother Ron, who was behaving rather peculiarly. Ginny walked up behind him and gazed at him for a moment.

"What are you doing, Ron?" she asked.

Ron jumped up and whirled around.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack, Ginny!" he exclaimed, angrily. "And it's none of your business what I'm doing."

His ears turned red as he sat down behind a bush again.

"I see," said Ginny, her mouth twisting into a wicked smile. "So, it wouldn't have anything to do with Hermione and the fact that Krum invited her for a picnic."

Ron glowered at Ginny. He opened his mouth to speak, then changed his mind and shut it again.

"I love the goldfish impression," Ginny said. "Which I suppose means that I'm right."

"He has no right," said Ron, his temper flaring up. "He comes waltzing in here being all European and stuff, and decides he can steal my Hermione."

Ginny laughed.

"Don't let her hear you say that. Remember, women are not a possession. Besides, I'm pretty sure that you haven't even bothered to make your move yet."

"I didn't know how," said Ron. "Every time I tried I got all tongue-tied and ended up sounding like an idiot. And now Krum's asked her out I've got no chance."

Ginny smiled.

"Don't say that. You've got to stay positive."

"Oh, come on, Ginny. Like she's going to choose me, a lanky red-haired idiot, over Krum, super-warrior!"

Ginny laughed again.

"She likes you, Ron. She's just got it into her head that you don't feel the same because you've not asked her out yet. So ask her out. Soon. Harry said that Dumbledore reckons an attack is imminent, so you've got no time to waste. You don't want to regret not asking her for the rest of your life, do you?"

"Well no, but have you seen them?" said Ron, sounding slightly stricken. "She looks so happy."

"Just go for it, Ron," said Ginny. "Otherwise you'll spend the rest of your life kicking yourself, or at least I'll be kicking you, if you don't. Look at…"

Ginny broke off as the two siblings heard footsteps from behind them. Ginny turned around to see Albus Dumbledore approaching.

"I'm terribly sorry to interrupt," he said. "But I was rather hoping to find you today, Mrs Potter."

Ginny looked confused for a moment, before realising that Dumbledore was speaking to her.

"Why?" she asked.

"I need to discuss something with you," Dumbledore said. "And I would prefer it if Harry did not know about it."

"I don't think it's a good idea to keep things from him," said Ginny.

"You might think differently when you hear what I have to say," said Dumbledore. "Would you mind joining me in my office?"

"No, that's fine," said Ginny.

Dumbledore set off walking. Ginny followed him for a couple of paces before turning back to her brother.

"Remember what I said, Ron," she told him before turning back and walking behind Dumbledore to his office.

It took them about ten minutes to get there, and when they arrived, Dumbledore conjured a comfortable looking armchair for Ginny. Dumbledore sat facing her on the other side of his desk.

"Tell me of your dreams, Ginny," Dumbledore said.

"What do you mean?" asked Ginny, sounding bewildered.

"The vivid dreams," said Dumbledore. "The dreams you have of people you know, of events that have happened. They are so vivid; it is as though they are memories. But how can you remember things that have never happened? What have you dreamed Ginny?"

"I dreamt that you, and Minerva, and a giant man that I've never seen before left a baby at a place called Privet Drive. I dreamt that Voldemort rose from a cauldron whilst Harry was tied to a tombstone. I've dreamed of an underground chamber, a basilisk, a diary and me. I once dreamt that I was riding an invisible horse, but I don't know where I was going. But I don't understand. How do you know? I've never told anyone."

"I have dreamed of these things too, Ginny," explained Dumbledore. "So has Harry, but as far as I'm aware, nobody else has. I too have seen the basilisk, as has Harry, but the invisible horse is new to me."

Ginny looked thoughtful for a moment.

"It could have been a Thestral," she suggested. "It would make sense, flying and invisible. Then again, that would mean that I hadn't seen death, which just isn't possible."

"Hmm," murmured Dumbledore deep in thought. "Can you remember where you were going in the dream? And who was with you, perhaps?"

"Well, Harry was there, and Ron," she said, pausing briefly. "Hermione too, and someone called Luna Lovegood. She was one of my rebels, but she died a long time ago. And then there was a slightly chubby boy who I didn't recognise."

"It could have been Neville Longbottom," said Dumbledore. "He'd be the right age, and fits the description. Do you remember where you were going?"

Ginny thought hard for a moment.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "I remember. We were going to the Ministry of Magic to save someone. Er… it was… no… wait… erm… it was Sirius! He'd been captured or something like that, and we'd escaped the Headmistress. Wait, Headmistress?"

"Ah," said Dumbledore. "I have dreamed of her."

"And Harry called the Thestrals, well, at least the blood on his clothes did," finished Ginny.

"I see," said Dumbledore. "And how did the dream end?"

"We were in a huge underground room," said Ginny. "There were rows upon rows of shelves containing thousands of little orbs. I don't know what they were, but then we found one labelled with Harry's name, but then I woke up."

"You went to the Hall of Prophecy," said Dumbledore.

"The what?" asked Ginny.

"It is presumed fable by most," said Dumbledore. "But it is a room in the Department of Mysteries where a record of every prophecy ever made exists."

"Why would we go there?" asked Ginny.

"I have no idea," said Dumbledore.

There was a moments pause.

"Albus," asked Ginny. "Why do we have these dreams?"

"I don't know," said Dumbledore. "I can guess, but that might not altogether be accurate."

"It's the best we've got," said Ginny.

"It could be that we are all connected in some way to an event long ago," said Dumbledore. "Something significant that changed the course of time, maybe. Or perhaps it is something to do with Arthurian legend. After all, we have found the cycle repeated in our own time, perhaps we could find something in the old legends to help us."

"I could look in Library," said Ginny. "If you want. There's got to be some books on Arthur in there."

"By all means," said Dumbledore.

"Ok," said Ginny. "I just have one more question."

"Ask away," said Dumbledore.

"Why don't you want me to tell, Harry?"

"Ah. He's been through enough recently, and I fear this would only distract him further. Remember, Ginny, that he is the only one who can defeat Voldemort. Without him, we have no chance."

Ginny nodded and left the room.


Ginny didn't get to spend much time in the Library looking. In her spare time for two days she searched the shelves and found nothing. Then on the evening of the third day she finally found something promising: a book entitled Muggle Legends in the Magical World. Eagerly she pulled the book of the shelf, sat down at a table and began to rifle through the pages.

A horrible wailing siren was sounded, and could be heard throughout the castle. Everyone stopped what they were doing. It was early evening, so most were in their rooms or in common rooms, chatting, playing chess, or Gobstones, some had even gone to bed in dire need of an early night, but none of that mattered now.

Everyone in Hogwarts castle knew what that siren meant. Attack!

It didn't take long for the army to assemble in the Great Hall. Led by Ginny, who had raced from the Library at the moment the siren sounded, they marched through the main doors and out into the grounds. As they approached the edge of the Forbidden Forest, one of the lookouts ran to Ginny.

"They're coming through the trees," he said, breathlessly. "They've found a way to breach the wards."

"Ok," said Ginny. "Wands ready!"

She turned to Harry.

"My guess is that the Death Eaters will come through but Voldemort will hold back," she said. "You'll probably have to go looking for him."

Harry nodded.

"Keep them off me," he said.

"We'll do our best," said Ginny.

Jets of light began shooting through the trees.

"Shields!" Ginny yelled to her army, raising her own shield non-verbally.

Following their spells strode the army of Death Eaters. There were hundreds of them, all identical. The same black robes. The same masks. The rebels sprang into action and the battle began. Out of the corner of her eye, Ginny saw Harry disappearing through the melee and into the trees and she knew that the next few minutes would make all the difference between victory and doom.

The rebels were out numbered by at least five to one. They were better trained, and stronger, but in the end it made little difference. All around the rebels were falling like flies. Green jets of light criss-crossed in almost every direction, and for the first time in battle, Ginny was afraid. As the minutes passed, she moved back through the crowd towards the castle and just as her opponent fell, she looked up and was horror-struck by what she saw. A figure, a man with long silvery hair, fell from the highest tower and as he hit the ground a greasy head appeared, looking over the battlements.

"It's Dumbledore!" she heard a voice behind her shout.

"Stay focussed!" she shouted. "Impedimenta!"

The Death Eater who had been approaching to her left stopped in his tracks. She raced for the castle, for the spot where Dumbledore's body lay. Aiming a spell high up to distract the Death Eater at the top, Ginny fell to her knees at Dumbledore's side.

"Oh, Albus," she wispered.

Her eyes surveyed his body, hoping desperately, for some sign of life, but found nothing, except a scroll of parchment, clutched in his left hand. Shaking slightly, she teased the scroll from the old man's fingers, and found that there was something hard in the middle. She turned it around to see her name written on the outside.

"Ginny, look out!" she heard someone shout behind her.

She whirled around and pointed her wand at an approaching Death Eater.

"Impedimenta!" she yelled.

The Death Eater froze and Ginny scrambled to her feet, tucking the scroll into her robes she ran back into the battle.

"Stupefy!" she said, pointing her wand at a Death Eater advancing on her brother, Bill.

"REDUCTO!" yelled a nearby Death Eater aiming for the castle.

As the south wall virtually exploded, the shock wave knocked Ginny off her feet. Getting up again and stumbling on, she saw each of her rebels surrounded.

"Petrificus Totalus!" she said, flicking her wand immediately to her left to freeze a Death Eater torturing one of her Southern rebels, a young woman called Nymphadora Tonks.

Ginny bent down to help Tonks to her feet, when an almighty bang was heard in the forest. Ginny stood up, as stiff as a poker, and watched, horrified, as a column of smoke rose high above the trees.

Everyone on the battlefield stopped. The Death Eaters moved forward towards the trees, perhaps hoping for victory, or perhaps preparing to retreat. The few rebels left standing took their opportunity to retreat back towards the castle. To her left, Ginny saw Remus Lupin leaning over the body of Sirius Black who lay beside a Death Eater's mask. He had been fighting Bellatrix Lestrange when Ginny had last seen him.

And then, as she was filled with sorrow over Sirius' death, Ginny heard a sound which shook her to the core. A sound which terrified her so deeply, she wished she could not hear, for the horde of Death Eaters at the forest's edge had just erupted in a roar of triumph.

A man appeared amidst the ground, raised high on a magical plinth. His features were snakelike; his nostrils slits and his eyes red and he was cackling.

"My friends!" he exclaimed. "The rebels have irked us for many a long year. But it is over now. Their hero is dead. And we are victorious!"

Voldemort raised his wand and levitated the body of Harry Potter above his head. Ginny's hand shot to her mouth to stifle a silent cry. Distantly, she heard hurried footsteps around her, and felt someone tugging on her right arm.

"We have to go, Ginny!" a voice said, quietly but urgently.

Ginny shook her head.

"No, Moony," she said. "Harry…"

"Harry's dead, Ginny," said Lupin. "And we'll be dead soon too if we don't leave now. It's over, Ginny. We have to go!"

Reluctantly, Ginny allowed Lupin to lead her away. Joining with the twenty-or-so survivors, the rebels raced across the grounds. Through the numbness that was slowly consuming her, Ginny noticed, somewhere in her subconscious, that Lupin was leading them towards a particularly violent tree known as the Whomping Willow.