The weeks went by as Ginny studied for her O.W.L's and Ron, Hermione and Harry studied for their own exams. One evening Ginny went to the library because she couldn't concentrate in the common room- there was too much noise and distraction. Harry, Ron and Hermione must still be having dinner. Ginny took her bags and belongings and headed in that general direction.

She heard Neville saying, "Ginny! Wait up!" before she reached the portrait hole. She turned and said, "Hey. I'm heading to the library. Want to join?" He nodded and groaned in frustration, "It's far too raucous in there!" Ginny laughed and nodded in agreement, "It is. It's like no-one's even focusing on exams. So weird."
On the way down the staircase, they bumped into Ron and Hermione. She frowned….Harry wasn't around. Ginny said, "Hey guys. Where's Harry?" Hermione shrugged and replied, "I think he's got a meeting..." Ginny guessed that means he's with Dumbledore. She sighed, "Alright. I'm in the library if he needs me." Hermione nodded and sighed, "Alright. Good luck with the swatting." Ginny smiled and thanked her before heading.

XXX

Ginny and Neville studied for about two hours quietly in the back of the library. Then when they were about to leave, Neville shouted, "OUCH!" Ginny frowned and whispered to him, "What's wrong, Neville?" Neville fumbled in his pants pocket and retrieved his coin, "It's the DA coin! It's burning." Ginny grimaced because immediately she knew this was a bad sign.

She muttered under her breath, "Crap! What does the message on it say?" Neville yanked it out and turned it around. He muttered, "Meet in the Room of Requirement hallway. ASAP." Ginny nodded and packed up her things quickly before throwing her bag over her shoulder, "We better hurry then, hadn't we?"

Neville nodded and they went running to the hallway together. Once there, Ginny found Hermione and Ron walking around in a state of panic! Hermione looked pale and she gasped thankfully when she saw the two, "Thank goodness someone still had their coins!" Ginny frowned and asked, "I don't understand…what's going on?"

Hermione pulled out Harry's potion of Felix Felicis and handed it to Ginny, "Here Gin. Harry wants us to have it. He and Dumbledore have left the castle for the evening. That means…" Neville finished her sentence, "Anyone could enter." Hermione nodded, "Correct. And Harry seemed nervous. He wants us to have this just in case."

Ginny stared at the potion and shook her head, "But he earned it…he did have some himself…didn't he?" Ron shook his head morbidly and replied, "No Gin. He wants us to have it." He was staring at the Marauder's map and Ginny frowned, "Who you searching for?" Ron shrugged and replied, "Malfoy. I saw him come here. He's obviously…" he turned his head and looked at the space the rooms doors normally occupy.

That's when Luna appeared. She smiled when she saw us, "Hello everybody! What are we all doing outside here? I got your message Hermione." Hermione began explaining and she handed Ginny the potion. She glanced at Neville and shrugged. She took a sip and then handed it to him. Once we had all taken a sip, Hermione walked to Ginny and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Harry told me he's sorry he couldn't say goodbye to you."
This made Ginny feel worried! He had left and not even come to say goodbye. What if something happened to him? He was the one who needed this stuff more than they did….she swallowed hard and whispered, "Thanks Hermione. I appreciate it."
The door to the room opened and then Ginny briefly caught a glimpse of a blonde, pale figure. She was about to stun him when the hallway became filled with darkness and she heard Ron and Hermione yell out in fear. She felt her heart racing with the adrenalin! She couldn't see, and she felt like she was breathing in soot.

She coughed violently and then she saw a red beam nearly graze her skin! She gasped in fright and then was about to the person…whoever it was when she realized that could be the worst idea ever! What if it was one of her friends! She noticed the fog was starting to fade a little though…so she squinted and saw a surly looking woman firing another red spell at her!

Ginny dodged it successfully and then was prepared for the next one, "Expelliarmus!" she shouted as another one came zooming past her from behind her. This caused the woman to smirk and then a man joined her. Both smirked at each other and the one said, "Alecto, I think this is Potter's girlfriend, is she not?" Alecto's smirk grew wider and she laughed, "Aha! Indeed it is. Shall we teach her what kind of trouble it means to be the Chosen's One's girl?"

Ginny felt her heart pounding as the two chuckled nastily and then aimed at her at the same time! Ginny jumped and dodged and used expelliarmus but they kept at it, making her feel exhausted. Then Luna joined her and said, "Ginny, let me help you! Two against one is so unfair!" All the while she was talking, they were dueling. Ginny thanked the lucky stars Harry had given them Felix…because if he hadn't, someone would have been hit by now.

They were closing in on everyone now. Ginny noticed Luna struggling against Bellatrix…that woman made Ginny's blood boil. She was about as nasty as Umbridge ever was…no she was worse than Umbridge. She was despicable. The Death Eater's were closing in on them, cornering them all into a circle in the middle of the passageway.
That's when Draco darted down the hallway. There was silence. They stood in a circle with their backs to each other…and there were six death eater's…aiming their wands. There was no way they could escape now! Maybe Harry's Felix had run out or expired or something. Ginny almost considered getting Neville's coin out of his pocket to cry for help.

Then Bellatrix seemed to decide she was bored or disinterested in them. She made to leave, the others following her…following Draco. Then she turned to Ginny and sneered, "Your boyfriend is getting what's coming to him. This is only the beginning. Please do send him my regards." Ginny cringed away from her fowl stench and watched as they climbed the staircase. She felt paralyzed with fear. She literally couldn't move.

They waited until the coast was clear before Hermione asked, "Ginny…are you alright?" She mumbled under her breath, "I'm fine…" but they could probably all hear the trepidation in her voice. Hermione mumbled, "I'm going to go and fetch Snape. Maybe he can sort out those Death Eater's for us." Ron all but yelled, "SNAPE! Hermione…" She glared at him without another word, grabbed Luna and headed through a shortcut to the dungeons.

Ron walked over to Ginny, "Are you alright, sis?" She shrugged and whispered, "They were threatening Harry…so no I'm not really alright but I will be. Thanks Ron." Neville asked worriedly, "What do we do now? Follow Malfoy?" Ginny shook her head at the same time as Ron who said, "No. Get McGonagall." So they headed off to McGonagall's office.

XXX

It took a good fifteen minutes to reach McGonagall's office. When they arrived, McGonagall looked pale and sick. There was another student with her…someone they didn't know. Neville asked concernedly, "Professor…what is wrong?" McGonagall whispered hoarsely, "Come with me…there's a dark mark placed in the sky." Ginny's eyes widened in panic, "That means…" She nodded slowly and she said firmly, "Follow me, you three. Where is Granger? And Potter?" They explained where Hermione had gone and where Harry was.

McGonagall groaned and said in frustration, "My gosh this can't get any worse! Let's go and find the dark mark." The group headed out onto the fields and found a crowd beginning to gather beneath the astronomy tower. Ginny hurried forward to see what all the commotion was about and she gasped at the sight she saw! Dumbledore's still form. There was a somber atmosphere and everyone was silent as the grave.

XXX

There was no movement among the onlookers as people gradually started hearing of the news that Dumbledore was dead. They joined the crowd in a silence and stared at the still form. Ginny felt like they were all zombies and this was surreal. This hadn't happened. They were all going to wake up from this nightmare and everything would be alright.

Some time later…she heard some whispering in the crowd as Harry came forward, pushing his way through. When he saw Dumbledore lying there lifeless, he crouched down and she could see he was shaking. Ginny couldn't help herself as she instinctively went to go and try and comfort him. Harry had suffered so much in these last few years…first Cedric, then Sirius and now…

When Ginny reached him, she leant over his crying form and gripped his hand in hers. It was the only way she could think of comforting him, just letting him know she was there. However, Dumbledore's still form was even more shocking up close. He looked so peaceful, and it was a strange contrast. Harry cried like he had with Sirius…and it was the worst kind of pain to watch. All she could do was be there for him. She squeezed his hand and she felt a powerful squeeze back…showing how much he was hurting.

XXX

McGonagall had gotten rid of the dark mark, along with the rest of the students and some while later, they found themselves back in the Gryffindor common room, not quite sure how they got there. The four of them sat in silence by the fire while everyone else had gone to bed. Ginny sat beside Harry, leaning her head on his shoulder, her hand still in his and staring aimlessly into the fire.

He had just recalled to them what had happened on his journey with Dumbledore and now none of them were sure what to say. That bloody Draco Malfoy! Harry had been right all along and now Hermione looked rather sheepish. She had apologized profusely to him, but to be honest what good was that going to do now? It was a little too late.

They were all silent, lost in their own thoughts. Harry then asked Ginny, "What happened with you guys?" She grimaced and bit her lip, trying to think what to say. Hermione said, "We waited outside the Room of Requirement…Malfoy came out and threw Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder into the air. It went black in the corridor and we couldn't see anything."
Ginny nodded and sighed, "If you hadn't given us that Felix Harry…I'd hate to think what would have happened." Harry nodded and kissed the top of her head to comfort her. She continued, "We missed several spells by mere inches. It was so close." Ron groaned and shook his head, "And Bellatrix was there too…what a bitch!"

Harry glanced up and Ginny felt her heart fall. She knew she had to tell Harry what Bellatrix said to her…but she really didn't want to. Hermione looked at her knowingly and she sighed, "Harry, Bellatrix somewhat threatened me." She sighed…worried about what this could mean for them. But she pushed that aside and said anyway, "She told me my "…boyfriend is getting what's coming to him. This is only the beginning. Please do send him my regards."

Harry grimaced, not liking the sound of this as much as I did. He groaned and shook his head, "I'm sorry guys that you had to deal with that. It all seems to be my fault." Ginny sighed and shook her head, "It's not your fault, Harry." Ron nodded and replied, "She's right. If you want to blame anyone blame Dumbledore. He shouldn't have left the school. They would have never come…" Hermione glared at him, "Ron! Don't you dare blame Dumbledore for this!" Ginny suddenly felt exhausted. She glanced at a clock on the wall. It was past one in the morning. She sighed, "Guys I'm going to head to bed. I'm feeling exhausted. I might also still have to write tomorrow…" she groaned at the thought. She leant down, looked into Harry's melting green eyes and said, "It wasn't your fault." He forced a smile and she kissed him on the cheek before bidding the other two goodnight. Not only was she physically exhausted, but she was also emotionally drained. She needed a long night's sleep.

A/N: Hey all! I was really looking forward to this chapter and I'm super happy with how it turned out! Hope you guys like it as much as I enjoyed writing it! We're getting there slowly but surely…

Starrya47 I'm not sure yet about the Horcrux hunt. I think maybe Ginny will find a way to join them halfway through or something like that.