A/N: Well here is Chapter 9. It seems like I'm just dragging this one out, doesn't it? Sorry, but I really have no control over the plot. It unfolds itself. Oh well! I'm dedicating this chapter to Angelique. The only one that knows my 'secret' lol. And here's my randomness for the day: Eat hot apple pie with lots of ice cream. It makes you feel better.

Krazi Kelli: We find out what happened to her in this chapter and the next, I promise!

Chapter 9

Azkaban

After getting Arthur's permission, Harry walked over to the Auror headquarters.

"Tonks? You got a minute?" Harry leaned casually against the wall of Tonks' cubicle.

She looked up in surprise.

"Wotcher Harry! Uh," She looked at papers on her desk, "Yeah, of course I do."

Harry smiled.

"What can I do for you, Harry?"

"Come with me."

"Sure!"

Tonks jumped up looking excited but Harry waved her back down.

"I need something else, Tonks."

"What is it Harry? You look so serious."

"Do I? Hmmm….like godfather like godson, eh?"

Tonks burst into laughter.

"Leave it to Harry Potter to crack a joke like that!" she said.

Harry smiled.

"Tonks, listen. I need you to help me assemble a small team of Aurors."

"What for?" Tonks asked, looking suspicious.

"I'm going to Azkaban."

Tonks gaped at him.

"Are you serious?"

"No. But I'm not joking either."

Tonks sat there for a moment then smiled.

"I'll get Dawlish. You can get Kingsley."

Harry's face broke out into a grin.

"I knew I could count on you! Thanks, Tonks!"

Harry dashed across the room over to Kingsley's cubicle.

"Hello Harry." Kingsley said in his slow voice.

"Hey. Listen, d'you want to come with me to Azkaban?"

Kingsley surveyed him for a moment.

Harry noticed his hesitation.

"Arthur approved it. Please Kingsley, it's for Gin."

Kingsley smiled.

"I don't have to have Arthur's permission, Harry. I was wondering who else was coming."

"Tonks and Dawlish as far as I know."

"Good. That should be enough."

Harry followed Kingsley over to Tonks. She was standing beside Dawlish.

"All ready are we?" She asked brightly.

Harry nodded.

"I think we should go back to our cubicles and Apparate so no one knows what's going on." Kingsley suggested.

Tonks beamed.

"Great idea! Harry, you can stay with me."

Kingsley and Dawlish left. Tonks stood as far away from the opening of the cubicle as she could get and Apparated, grabbing Harry's hand at the last moment.

They landed and Harry gasped.

"Tonks!"

"What?"

"I can Apparate you know! Scared me to death, you did."

"Sorry. I had this great last minute idea that if we could do it at once there'd be less of a chance for anyone to see." She said brightly as Kingsley and Dawlish arrived with a POP.

Harry smiled grudgingly.

"Great idea, Tonks. Just….try to get it out in the open a little earlier next time, ok?"

She smiled.

"Ok. So where are we going?" Dawlish asked.

"Azkaban."

"Great. Freezing waters…evil men…I love adventures!" Tonks grinned.

"So the real question is how to get there." Harry looked at the three Aurors.

They stared back at him.

"Uh…guys…I haven't finished Auror training yet. I think it would be best if one of you decides." Harry said.

"Apparate." Kingsley decided.

"Great! Harry, d'you want to do it on your own this time?" Tonks asked.

"Well as great as that sounds, I haven't a clue where Azkaban is, so I think it would be better if we did Side-Along now, Tonks."

"Good."

Grabbing his hand she left with a POP.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"Wow." Harry said as he landed with Tonks.

"Yeah, it's not very pretty, is it?" Tonks said grimly.

Indeed, Azkaban wasn't pretty. Azkaban Island was mostly taken up by a large gray fortress. The other small section was used as a graveyard. The island itself gave off an eerie aura.

"Morgan!" Tonks walked over to an Auror patrolling the island.

"Hey Tonks. Long time no see, eh?"

"Love what you've done with the place." Tonks said sarcastically.

"Yeah I knew you would, Nymphadora."

"Morgan, do you really want to break out the first names?" Tonks asked.

"No! Sorry Tonks. Kingsley! Oh and Dawlish too! Having a tea party are we?" Morgan asked as Kingsley and Dawlish strolled up.

"Sorry Morgan. You'll have to wait till our next visit I'm afraid. Harry wants a conference with a special piece of slime here."

It was just then that Morgan noticed Harry.

"Mr. Potter! So pleased to meet you." He said shaking Harry's hand.

"Likewise." Harry grinned. He was feeling much better knowing that the Aurors were here.

"So what can I do for you?" Morgan asked Harry.

"I want to speak with Lucius Malfoy."

Morgan's face turned grim.

"You'll need an Auror with you in the erm…visiting quarters."

Tonks turned to Kingsley and Dawlish.

"How about I go in with him, and you two help guard the piece of dirt?" She asked brightly.

Kingsley and Dawlish nodded and followed another Auror into the fortress.

"Come on. I'll give you the grand tour." Morgan said to Tonks and Harry.

They entered the fortress and at once a cold chill came over them.

"Why's it so cold, Morgan?" Tonks asked.

"We have special charms on the cells and only the cells, mind you, that make the occupants feel like a dementor is standing right next to them. Don't worry, it won't affect you." Morgan added as Harry exchanged a look with Tonks.

"Good. They have certain lasting side effects that I personally don't wish to have while interviewing a dangerous criminal." Harry said smiling.

They followed Morgan around for a while as he pointed out various inmates or showed them the structure of the cells.

"Ah…this one was rather important. Sad to say it was a bit of a torture chamber I suppose since the prisoner was innocent. If Fudge hadn't….well…anyways…" Morgan had stopped at a small uncomfortable looking cell. "High security, this one was. Your godfather's in fact. See the markings on the walls?"

Harry leaned forward. Scratched onto the walls in various places were the words:

I AM INNOCENT. PETER PETTIGREW IS NOT DEAD. HE KILLED THEM.

"Funny how no one listens to the supposedly crazy people isn't it?" Harry asked quietly.

Tonks and Morgan looked sad and didn't say anything.

"Funnier still how when the morons find out they're innocent, they're usually dead…or some other innocent person died because of their ignorance."

Harry stood there for a moment just staring with his hands clasped around the bars.

"Well," Morgan said quietly, "I think they should have Mr. Malfoy out by now."

Harry let go of the bars and turned to follow them.

They walked into another room far away from the prisoner's cells. Kingsley, Dawlish, and two other Aurors stood in the room around Lucius Malfoy.

Harry got a deep feeling of satisfaction by looking at Malfoy. His one sleek and shining hair was lank and oily. His face was bones and his eyes only a small amount of arrogance and disdain. Azkaban had done wonders for him in Harry's eyes. He was humbled, and Harry took pride in that.

"Well, well….if it isn't little Harry Potter. Why Harry! You're all grown up, but really you haven't changed a bit." Lucius said, his voice dripping with contempt.

"Wish I could say the same for you, Malfoy. But I must say, Azkaban has broken you. I wouldn't have thought it possible."

"I am not broken." Malfoy hissed.

Harry laughed coldly.

"Really? And what would you call a man whose house is being used as an orphanage…whose son is dead…and who is wasting away paying for his sins?"

"Innocent." Malfoy said holding his head high.

"Oh you're far from innocent, Malfoy." Harry said, laughing softly, "But here I was thinking perhaps you'd changed….but you're still sitting there in filth trying to pretend you're better than you really are."

"I am a pureblooded Malfoy, Potter. What can you say?"

"I can say I'm a man."

Malfoy glared at him. Harry folded his arms and leaned against a wall.

"What did you do to Ginny, Malfoy?"

"Ginny Weasley? Your blood traitor little princess? I didn't touch a hair on her head, boy. It seems that you're the unbalanced one."

"Wrong answer." Harry said coldly and took out his wand.

"You think you're going to curse me, Potter?"

"No. I'm simply going to ask you a question. What did you do?"

Malfoy was silent.

Harry raised his wand.

"I'm warning you, Malfoy…what did you do?"

Malfoy leaned forward.

"Tell me, how does it feel knowing you put her in that condition, Potter? Knowing that you didn't protect her?" He whispered.

Harry snapped. He raised his wand but Tonks was in front of him in an instant.

"No." she whispered.

"Tonks, move."

"Harry listen to me…we'll give him Veritaserum but you can't hit him with anything, Harry. If you do, he'll loose his mind. His mental capability isn't strong enough and he won't be able to tell you anything." She said softly so only Harry could hear.

"Will the Veritaserum work?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"It should. He might be able to fight it enough to where he won't tell us everything but if you phrase your question right then we can find out what he hit her with."

"Fine, but someone else has to give it to him. I think I'd loose control if I got too close." Harry said lowering his wand.

"Ok."

Tonks motioned to Kingsley who withdrew a small bottle from his robes.

"Open up." He said to Lucius.

Malfoy glared at him and opened his mouth the smallest bit possible.

Kingsley sighed and wrenched his jaws apart and poured the bottle down his throat. Malfoy shuddered for a moment then sat quite still.

"Do you know who you are?" Harry asked.

"Lucius Malfoy."

"Do you know who I am?"

"Harry Potter."

"What spell did you perform on Ginny Weasley?"

Lucius sat there for a moment.

"What did you do to Ginny Weasley?" Harry said his voice growing louder.

"Why don't you go and wake up your sleeping beauty, Potter?" Malfoy asked.

"Why…you little—"

Harry raised his wand but Tonks lowered his hand.

"Harry, you've gotten everything out of him you can. I'm sorry, but we can't do anything else."

Harry swore then looked at Malfoy before leaving the room slamming the door behind him.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Tonks found him by the sea pacing.

"Harry?"

He looked up, his expression forlorn and slightly wild.

"I—"

But he seemed to be too choked up to go on.

"Harry…you tried…you tried so hard." Tonks said feeling her heart break as she watched him. She walked over to him and let him cry with her.

"Come on." She said after a few minutes, wiping her eyes. "Dawlish and Kingsley have already left."

Harry nodded and Apparated without saying a word.

When Tonks arrived back at her desk she looked around for Harry. He wasn't there. She knew he wouldn't be…but knowing where he was made her feel even worse than she had on the island.

OoOoOoO

He had managed to get to the hospital at the right time, thankfully. No one was in Ginny's room so he was free to be alone.

He sat beside her bed and stroked her hair. He loved her hair. It was so long and shone like auburn gold in the sun. She used to tease him by saying she was going to cut it all off. He smiled at the memory and wiped away a tear as it slid down his cheek.

"Don't worry, Gin. I'll figure something out, I promise."

He bent down and kissed her cheek softly before leaving. Had he stayed, perhaps he would have noticed the single tear running down her own cheek.

OoOoOoOoOoO

A/N: Oh my gosh! Nearly six pages of writing! I tried so hard to find a place to end this at but there really wasn't one. So there you go, a nice long read to satisfy you until I get up the next chapter. I'm sorry this one was kind of sad, but it had to happen. It gets better! I promise! Kat