All characters are property of JK Rowling and I do not make a profit from this story.
Beta: Roman's Sundial
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Insurance
Harry Potter – Present Day
January 9, 2000
When Harry arrived at St. Mungo's, it was nothing but chaos. There were witches and wizards everywhere, casting a variety of spells at one another. There were the screams of the innocent who had no idea what was going on. Patients and visitors alike were trying to take cover or leave, whilst visitors of those who weren't awake were trying to somehow transport their unconscious loved ones to a safe place. Harry aimed his wand and tried to stun the nearest rebel, but the problem was that he did not know who was friend and who was foe. It seemed as though (unlike the Death Eaters), Grindelwald's supporters did not hide beneath cloaks or disguises, and it therefore made it harder to determine who was on the wrong side. An adult witch to his right was dueling another adult witch, but Harry did not know who to defend. Before he could make a decision, he was distracted by a very large boom above him. Harry headed for the stairs and ran all the way up until he found the place where the explosion had come from. He nearly tripped over someone with bushy hair, and quickly turned around to determine that it was Hermione on the ground. "Hermione!" Harry yelled, bending down to see her.
"I'm alright!" she said, accepting his help to stand. "The blast threw me several feet, and I think I broke my arm."
Harry saw that she was cradling her left wrist. "You need to get out of here; go to Hogwarts and have Madam Pomfrey mend you."
"I'm fine, Harry, my wand hand is my right. Besides, I need to find Neville; we were both up here when the explosion happened."
"Neville!" Harry yelled out, afraid that his friend was worse off than Hermione. Harry looked around him, and realized at once where he was. This was the fourth-floor, and across from where he was standing was the Janus Thickey Ward. "Hermione," Harry said, making his way through the debris. "Neville's gone after his parents, come on." After climbing over large chunks of the fallen ceiling, pushing through the heavy door to the ward that was now hanging by one hinge, and stumbling over a body laying on the ground (he was terrified to look and see who it was), Harry find a heavily bleeding Neville tending over the body of a man.
"Neville, are you alright?" came Hermione's voice, who had followed Harry through the mess.
"Fine," said Neville, not looking at them. "My dad is badly hurt though, I don't know what to do." Hermione pushed past Harry to take a look at Frank Longbottom. After a few moments, she took a deep breath and smiled.
"It's a head injury, Neville, but he'll be alright. Quick, take that cloth right there and wrap it around his head tightly. I won't be able to mend it, but Madam Pomfrey will."
"Neville, get your dad out of here and go to Hogwarts; Madam Pomfrey will help him."
"What about my mum? Harry, I can't leave her here."
"We'll take care of her, I promise. Go!" Harry added, when he saw Neville hesitate. Neville guided an injured and confused Frank Longbottom out of the ward, and hopefully, safely out of the hospital where he could apparate him to Hogwarts.
"What are we going to do with her?" Hermione asked, indicating towards Alice Longbottom. "Her mind isn't clear thanks to what Bellatrix did to her, it'll be difficult to navigate her out of here."
"Well, we have to try," Harry said, grabbing Alice by the hand. "Can you apparate her to Headquarters?"
"If I get outside, yeah, but I can't guide her out of here with just one hand and use my wand to defend us."
"Will it work if I whisper the Headquarters location in her ear?" Hermione nodded, and so Harry, as secret-keeper, gave her the information required to enter Number 12, Grimmauld Place. When he was finished, he heard someone trying to get through the rubble. He raised his wand ready to attack, but relaxed at once when he realized that it was only Ron.
"I passed Neville on the staircase, he said you guys were here," came Ron's voice.
"Thank goodness it's you Ron, we need your help. You need to help Hermione guide Alice Longbottom through the hospital, so that Hermione can apparate her to safety."
"Hermione, what happened to your arm?" asked Ron, ignoring what Harry had just said to him.
"I'm fine!" Hermione said. "Just help me get Alice out of here!" Together, Ron and Hermione guided a disoriented Alice through the messy ward and into the main hall.
"Take care of each other, and of her," Harry called to them. "I'll meet you at Headquarters as soon as I can." He started to leave the ward himself, eager to find the rest of his friends to make sure that they were okay (and Godric Gryffindor, Ginny better be okay), when he stopped beside the body that he had passed earlier. Frowning, Harry bent down and closed the eyelids of the man in front of him. He was the biggest fraud and an incredible fool, but even Gilderoy Lockhart did not deserve to die this way.
Ginny Weasley – Present Day
January 9, 2000
"You're going to be okay, I promise," Ginny kept saying over and over as she applied pressure to the open wound that was pouring out blood.
"Owww, I can't, noooo!"
"Shhh," Ginny cooed. "Just lay back, don't speak, it's going to be alright." She slowly lifted her head from her hiding spot, careful not to be seen by any foe nearby, and glanced over at the unconscious Andromeda that was laying on the floor across from her. Since her injury the day that Essa had died, Andromeda had not woken up. The Healer's were certain that she would eventually make a full recovery, but then this happened at St. Mungo's. When Ginny had arrived, her first thought was to find Andromeda, knowing that she would have been unconscious and therefore not able to defend herself. As Ginny had approached her room, however, she saw a man aim his wand at the ceiling, and she barely had time to take cover before there was a loud explosion and the ceiling came crumbling down. Ginny found her way through the rubble to Andromeda's room, but as she made to enter, a woman had grabbed her leg. Flinching, Ginny immediately grabbed her wand (or rather, temporary one since Grindelwald still had hers), but realized at once that it was an injured Healer seeking help. Ginny immediately attempted to help her, but her injury was much too grave and before she could try and find help, she heard voices approaching. Not knowing who it could be, she quickly dragged the injured Healer into a corner, and together they sat in hiding, hoping that the voices would soon leave. Ginny stared at Andromeda but could not determine the extent of her new injuries. The explosion had clearly knocked Andromeda out of her bed, but Ginny did not know what else it had done to her.
"Ooow, help!"
"Shh," Ginny said again, using her free hand to cover the Healer's mouth. "We need to be quiet!" she whispered.
"Ginny?"
"Harry!" Ginny called out, relieved to know that he was okay. "Harry, I think someone else is here, and I-" There was a loud noise behind Harry; someone else was trying to dig through the debris.
"Get down and stay quiet," Harry whispered to her, pulling out his wand.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Harry Potter himself." Ginny froze when she recognized the voice; it was Gellert Grindelwald. Terrified that the injured Healer would give away their spot, she looked down at her only to see that she was now unconscious. Ginny felt for her pulse; it was there, but it was very weak.
"So, I guess we finally meet," Harry said to Grindelwald.
"I knew that we would, Harry Potter, but I never expected it to be here, now, alone." Ginny did not like how Grindelwald had said alone; it was almost as if he knew someone was hiding. She looked down at the Healer again; her pulse was almost gone.
"What was all this about, then?" Harry asked him. "You said you wanted The Greater Good, how is destroying the hospital help you achieve that?"
Grindelwald smiled. "You know what I need to achieve The Greater Good, Harry Potter, and you don't seem to want to give it to me. All this," he waved his empty hand around the room, "was because you didn't give it to me. You killed all these people, Harry Potter."
"No, you did. I gave you terms, but you decided not to meet them."
"You are not in control, although you may think you are. Here, let me show you." Grindelwald must have flicked his wand, for out of nowhere, the large piece of concrete hiding Ginny and the Healer had vanished, and she was now staring at Harry and Grindelwald. "Hello, Gloria," Grindelwald smiled. "Come here, please." Ginny slowly walked towards him, but she felt Harry stiffen as she passed him.
"No," Harry shouted, wand still aimed at Grindelwald.
"It's fine," she whispered to him as she made her way over to Grindelwald. Once she was within arms reach, Grindelwald grabbed her and aimed his wand at her throat.
"Do you see, Harry Potter, you are not in control, I am. Now, let us talk about the Hallows, please."
"Fine, but let her go."
"Clearly you do not understand me, Harry Potter, so allow me to say it slowly for you. You. Are. Not. In. Control. Now, where are my Hallows?"
"I'll take you to them," Harry said quickly. "Just let her go and we can go get them together."
Grindelwald laughed. "Do you honestly think that I am about to walk out of here, with you, in front of all your Order friends?"
"They listen to me," Harry said.
"Well, this one here doesn't listen very well," he said, referring to Ginny. "She was supposed to come back to me. Why didn't you, Gloria?"
"Because I didn't have the Hallows."
"But that wasn't your only instruction, was it? You were supposed to return to me. Now I must teach you all a lesson."
"I'll go now," Ginny said desperately, fearing Harry's safety. But Grindelwald laughed again.
"It is too late for that, Gloria," he said to her. "I told you that I am a man of my word and so I must prove to you that I am."
"No!" Harry screamed, louder than ever. "Take me instead!"
"Well, now, look at this! Harry Potter is going to sacrifice his life for Gloria! Now why would he do that?" Ginny's heart sunk as she realized that Grindelwald had figured it out. "Of course! This isn't Gloria! No, this here is Ginny, Harry Potter's girlfriend! Well, haven't I landed on a goldmine or what!"
"Whatever you want, Grindelwald, just let her go." Harry said quietly.
"I want the Hallows, Harry Potter, tell me where they are!"
"I can't!" Harry said again. "No, wait!" he yelled, as Grindelwald moved his wand closer to Ginny. "There's a spell that won't allow me to tell you, but I can take you there, you have my word!"
"Your word is useless to me now, I have something much more valuable!"
"If you kill her, I will NEVER give them to you, and if you kill me, you will never have them. So really, trusting me is your only option," Harry said.
Grindelwald smiled. "You are a smart one, aren't you? I can't say that I don't like a good sport… Alright Harry Potter, let's have some fun! Meet me at my mansion since you know where it is and your precious Ginny may live."
"Deal," Harry said quickly. "Let her go."
Grindelwald made to let her go, but then stopped. "Oh, I almost forgot," he said jokingly. "I must take my insurance. Abracadabra!"
Arthur Weasley – Present Day
January 9, 2000
Arthur Weasley thought he had heard the screams of Harry, so he and several Order of the Phoenix members had made their way to what was supposed to be the fourth floor, only to come face-to-face with a tragic scene: Harry and Grindelwald pointing wands at one another, and Ginny on the… No… "GINNY!" screamed Arthur. There was another blast. Soon, the entire room was filled with dust and nobody could see anything.
"My mansion," came what must have been the sound of Grindelwald's voice. Once the dust had cleared, Grindelwald was nowhere to be seen.
"Ginny!" Arthur cried, making his way to his only daughter.
"It's alright, Arthur," said Harry, kneeling down beside him and Ginny. "It's the Abracadabra curse, she's alive."
"Thank Godric," sighed Arthur, grabbing his chest. "Are you alright, son?" he asked Harry.
"Yeah, but there's some injured people in here, come on." Arthur followed Harry into a room where a Healer lay unconscious on the ground, blood spilling out of her like water. He bent down to feel a pulse.
"This one is gone," he said sadly. The other people that had been with Arthur were also looking for survivors.
"Andromeda needs help, Arthur," came Minerva's voice. Arthur made his way over to them, where an unconscious but alive Andromeda laid on the ground.
"But this is the hospital," Harry said. "Where else can we take the injured?"
"To Hogwarts," said Minerva at once. "It seems as though Grindelwald and his followers are gone, so have all the injured transported to Hogwarts immediately. Poppy can start treating them, but any Healer that is able to go and help should do so immediately. Arthur, can you go there now with Andromeda and inform Poppy?"
"Of course," said Arthur. He then turned to Harry. "Do you know if the others are safe?" he asked him, afraid of the answer.
"Ron, Hermione, and Neville are," Harry answered. "But I don't know about anyone else."
Arthur nodded. "Well, send word on your galleon, if you don't mind. Let's get the injured moved to Hogwarts, then the rest of us need to meet at Headquarters." As Harry started to pull out his galleon, Arthur turned and levitated Andromeda. "Harry, can you-" Arthur started to say, but was unable to finish his sentence.
"I'll take care of Ginny," Harry told him, understanding what he was trying to say.
Arthur smiled. "I know you will."
Harry Potter – The Past
April 6, 1999
It had taken Harry several visits to Gringotts, but he had finally organized the majority of his vault. Throughout his years at Hogwarts, Harry had only ever grabbed coins from the front of his vault and gone off to buy whatever it was that he needed. A few months ago, however, when he had made a stop to get some coins, he noticed a shiny chalice in the corner. He made his way over to it and noticed that there was a large 'P' on it. He realized at once that it must have been the Potter sigil, and for the first time it dawned on him that his vault must have contained more than money in it. He began immediately going through it, and over the weeks he started to find many artifacts that clearly had belonged to his parents. Since Harry had never really known his parents, and lost the closest people to them (like Sirius and Remus), anything he found in the vault that wasn't gold was completely fascinating to him, and he was finally starting to learn what his parents were like. For instance, after discovering seven different sets of pearls, Harry concluded that his mother must have been a pearl fanatic. He pictured her with her long red hair, wearing beautiful pearls around her neck. That made him think of another redhead that he loved, and could not wait to one day gift these to her. Halfway through the vault and off to one side, Harry found a dirty old broomstick. He picked it up and read the name on the handle: Wild Wind 470. Harry had read enough about broomsticks to know that this was an old broom. A large grin spread across his face when he realized that this must have been his father's quidditch broom. Harry had moved the broom to now lay atop a golden table that was in there. He was just about finished for the day and was going to lock his vault, when he noticed a small black box sitting atop a pedestal in the very back corner. Curious, he made his way over to it when he noticed a piece of parchment was attached. He carefully removed the parchment and read the letter in what he now knew was his mother's handwriting:
My dearest Harry,
I pray that one day I may give you this in person, but since this is a war, I had to ensure that no matter what, I got this to you. Enclosed in this box is the very ring that your father, James, gave to me when he asked me to marry him. The very ring has been in your Father's family since the very first Potter. It is very old and very special. I was honored to receive it, and I am honored to pass it on to my son so that he may one day put it on the finger of the woman he loves. My wish for you is that you find happiness and are always loved. A love like mine and your father's is rare, yet I believe in my heart that you will find it, too. I ask that you cherish this ring and do not give it to anyone lightly. But when you do finally give it to your soulmate, I know that you will be the best husband that there is.
Your loving mother, Lily xx
Harry put down the letter and opened up the little box. Inside was a golden ring with a large opal in the middle. Harry did not know much about jewelry, but he knew that this ring had to of been priceless. Silently promising his mother that he would honor her wishes, he put the box back on the pedestal, until the day that he was ready to make Ginny his wife.
Author's Notes: I enjoyed adding this scene to the story because it really hits a lot of our characters and I need them to fully feel the effects of war.
To respond to some reviews: I am glad to hear that so many of you love Ginny! I did not include her in the previous chapter simply because not every chapter is going to mention every character. Up until this chapter, there wasn't much going on for Ginny. Remember that this story is covering a 19 year span so there will be times where certain characters will be absent and other times where they are the main focus. I can assure you that Ginny will have a big story line shortly. (Perhaps between 10-15 chapters from now). In regards to the Hermione, Draco, Krum, triangle.. I did say in the beginning that there will be some Dramione in this fic. I also said that I would stay true to Rowling's epilogue, but keep in mind that a lot can happen in nineteen years! I can tell you that there will be an end to the triangle shortly; A few more things need to happen first! In terms of sending Draco to Azkaban, Hermione, Harry, and gang need to keep Order business separate from Ministry business. What I mean by that is the Order knows about the spell but the Ministry does not, and they cannot send Draco to Azkaban without a reason, and there isn't one since the spell is not known to the Ministry.
The next chapter is a huge push for team Order, when some vital information is revealed. (Although, not all of it because that would be too easy lol) There's also going to be a push towards Dramione, and I'm sorry but no Ginny at this point because she is currently under the Abracadabra spell! The flashback in the next one is a Remus Lupin one.
I decided to post this chapter early because I don't know what my week is going to look like. Hope you all like it and I look forward to your reviews!