Chapter Seven... All the Way

She was walking death - white skin a sharp contrast to her clotted, bloody fingertips and the thick, dark mud that covered her feet. The rags draped across one shoulder were rotted and brown as were the ones that wrapped around a single leg. Other than that, she was naked and shivering. The temperature in the room had dropped considerably, and hot steam escaped my mouth as I breathed.

"Oh my god," I heard Cho whisper, and she wrapped her arms around the first-years protectively. Ginny, however, didn't seem to notice and she took a single step... towards me.

My body tightened as gooseflesh prickled my arms, but I stood tall as she took another step. She was about twenty feet away when she raised her left hand towards me. The floor suddenly seemed less stable as a tremor began to build beneath us, and I lost my balance. I grabbed hold of the armrest to steady myself, and when I looked up, I saw the wand pointed directly at my face. Ginny's hand was rigid, and I could clearly see the crack on the wand flare with energy. With power. She could look right into my eyes... and a hideous smile broke out on her face.

"B-boy..." she said with a mouth full of dirt, "T-tak-"

"Stupefy!" Cho screamed, her wand already drawn. The spell burst from her wand and slammed into Ginny's abdomen. Ginny stumbled backwards a few steps, but she didn't seem to be otherwise affected by the spell. She looked at me with those same dead eyes and raised her wand again.

"Stupefy!"

The second blast caught her in the face, and she reeled. Fresh blood poured from her mouth, but if Ginny felt any pain, she didn't show it. This time, Ginny turned to face Cho.

"No!" I cried, running right at her. She raised her right hand and pointed at me - almost immediately, my scar burst open. Before I hit the ground, I felt thick, coppery fluid pouring down my face and I fell right into the stone steps.

"Harry!" I heard one of the first-years cry, and I looked around to see Ginny approaching Cho and the kids. Her cheeks were flushed and her chest heaved, but her eyes reflected steely determination. Cho raised her wand again and aimed at Ginny's chest.

"Stupefy!"

The blast raced toward Ginny, but in a motion too quick for my bloodied eyes to catch, she brought her right hand around and actually caught the spell. It gathered in an almost perfect sphere, and flecks of red crackled across Ginnys palm. She tilted her head as if she were studying it, her gaze almost child-like. Then, without another thought, she tossed it aside. The stunning spell flew into an oak bookshelf and cracked it in two.

Cho's widened in shock, and Ginny raised her left hand. Without a thought, Cho pushed the first-years behind her and onto the ground before raising her wand again.

"Stupefy!" The blast glanced off of Ginny's shoulder and right into the ceiling above me. The first-years began to crawl toward the stairwell as Cho stumbled backwards.

"Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy!" Cho sank to her knees as the spells bounced off of the approaching creature. Tears ran down her face, but she stared defiantly even as Ginny knocked her wand away.

"Whore," Ginny said in her dirty, gravelly voice before leveling my wand with Cho's eyes, "Can't t-take him a-away..."

No other way... there was no other way. I raised my hands toward Ginny and concentrated. My hands began to burn as I formed the spell in my mind, formed a mantra that permeated throughout my every thought. Blood began to pour anew as I concentrated, but that no longer mattered. Smoke wafted from the palms of my hands and I opened my eyes.

"Incendio!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. A rolling flare escaped my hands and roared across the room. It rammed Ginny in the small of her back, and she caught fire. Ginny jerked backwards and lowered her hands. She slowly turned to face me, the flame burning the remaining rags off of her body. Her eyes reflected the fire in red pinpoints as she seemed to forget about Cho and walk towards me.

"Come on," I whispered, glancing out of the corner of my eyes to see if the kids had left with Cho. They were halfway up the stairs to the bedrooms, but Cho had retrieved her wand and was getting ready to resume her attack.

No, I thought as Ginny loomed closer, get away from here! My hands still burned from my earlier spell and I was starting to feel lightheaded... probably from all of the blood I'd lost. The fire cast Ginny in a sort of dark silhouette as the last of the burning rags fell from her unscathed body. She seemed cloaked in darkness, ink that wrapped around every curve and crevice. It was beautiful in a twisted way, and I raised my hands once again. But before I could begin to concentrate, she pointed at me. There was no more blood for me to bleed, so the scar simply began to burn. The blood on my forehead began to blacken and curl and burn away, leaving only the stench of rot. I lost my train of thought, and my hands fell into my lap. They twitched and spasmed beyond my control as she came to a stop right in front of me. My head felt as though it weighed a thousand pounds, but I managed to raise it and look her in the eyes. They still looked dead, but there was a manic gleam behind the brown... behind Ginny herself. She looked hungry. She raised my wand and aimed it at the scar.

Let it be quick, I thought... letting everything go. Everyone evaporated - every person and thing that I knew. My burdens faded as I saw the energy shimmer from the crack in the wand, and I was ready. I closed my eyes.

Do it.

"Petrificus Totalus!" I heard an older, furious voice roar. A violet beam rocketed against Ginny's chest and launched her across the room and into the wall above the fireplace. The stone cracked with the impact, and Ginny fell to the floor. A flash of blue crossed my vision and I felt strong hands pulling me to a sofa.

"Good lord, Albus." a rough, male voice whispered, "Even I couldn't have anticipated this."

"Don't worry, Alastor," the older voice said, "I'm just thankful that the damage was contained to this room."

"But at what cost?" a woman's voice interjected, acrimonious at the other two. I felt soft hands cradle my head and begin wiping the blood from my glasses.

"Ms. Chang, where are the other two children I saw up here earlier?" the rough voice inquired in what it thought was a fatherly tone.

"I saw them run upstairs... they probably went into Harry's bedroom, like he said to."

When my glasses were placed back onto my head, I opened my eyes to see Professor McGonagall warmly stroking my hair, "Are you alright, Harry?"

I could barely move and my hands ached, "Yes ma'am."

"Is Harry okay?" I saw Cho join Professor McGonagall in my field of vision.

"For now," she replied, turning to someone I couldn't see, "We need to get him to Poppy right away."

"Alastor, would you go and fetch the children?" the older voice asked, "We must get Harry back to Poppy in my office."

I struggled to sit up, but Professor McGonagall held me down, "Whether you believe it or not, Mr. Potter, youre badly injured. I wouldn't suggest moving right now."

"I'm fine." I said, pulling myself to a sitting position with Professor McGonagall still grasping my shoulders, "Where's Ginny?"

Dumbledore glanced at the fireplace and Ginny still lay on the floor. She seemed so... fragile. Her pale skin looked red in the fire's glare. My wand was still clutched in her left hand, somewhat sinister in the red light.

"We will take her as well." He said, but his eyes were clearly disturbed by what he saw, "Perhaps Poppy can..."

He trailed off - Ginny began to rise from the ground. Her shoulders rose first, as if someone was pulling a marionette to it's feet. Her head dangled loosely from her shoulders, the blood red hair glowing with the firelight. The grip on my wand tightened, and she raised her head to look at us. Through dead eyes something intelligent studied us, and she tilted her head to the right a bit. She coughed, and rusty-colored fluid flowed down her lips and chin. I could hear the popping and cracking of bone as she straightened up, and the smile crossed her face once more.

"I'm only going to say this once, Miss Weasley," Dumbledore withdrew his wand from someplace in his sleeves and leveled it at Ginny, "Stand down!"

She raised her left hand to her face, eyes hidden by the strip of wand. Without warning, she pounced with inhuman speed to the opposite wall. She drew my wand back as she kicked off of the wall and straight toward Dumbledore!

Keshite!" She shrieked, her face twisted into a demonic mask. Dumbledore deftly leaped out of the way with an agility greater than his age should allow. The wand came forward like a sword, and an invisible force flew past us and into the opposite wall. The wall absorbed the blow for a moment, but then a long cut from ceiling to floor materialized. The entire section of wall silently fell backwards to the ground outside. The cold winter wind came into the tower, chilling me to the bone. Dumbledore inspected the damage and then raised his left arm. His sleeve had been almost cut off, save for a thread that held the dangling fabric to the garment. He calmly reached over and tore the sleeve off before drawing his wand again.

Dumbledore raced forward, wand held ready like a sword, and slashed at Ginny. She jumped backwards just in time to avoid the blow, and she leaped up to the ceiling. Aiming directly down at Dumbledore, she uttered her spell.

"Taki."

An eruption of fire rained down on Dumbledore, and his form was lost in the flame. Prof. McGonagall sat up, her wand at the ready, but the gnarled hand of Prof. Moody grabbed her arm.

"Minerva," was all that he said, and she sat back down, her lips pursed. Cho came to my other side and simply watched. I could see the fire reflected in her eyes.

The flame subsided, and Ginny leaped back to the ground. She rose from her agile crouch to inspect her handiwork. The floor where Dumbledore stood was almost non-existent, having been seared into molten slag. Not a trace of Dumbledore could be found, and Ginny turned her attention to us. I could feel Prof. McGonagall's hand tighten her grip on my shoulder as she withdrew her wand, but Cho and Moody beat her to the punch.

"Take another step and I will kill you where you stand." Cho uttered as she stood up. Moody didn't reply, but both of his eyes were keen and focused on the target before him. I tried to raise an arm to stop them, but a sharp pain streaked through my body, and I fell against the sofa.

"I don't think that will be necessary." Dumbledore mused as he stepped out from behind a pillar that was far too small to have hidden him. Ginny turned around and snarled, but as quick as he appeared, Dumbledore slid behind the pillar again. Like a great beast, Ginny ran to his hiding place, only to find it empty. She glanced from left to right, frustration building beneath her monstrous exterior. Ginny ran from the bookshelves to behind us with her bizarre speed, but to no avail. Dumbledore was nowhere to be found.

"D-dumbledore!" She roared, and she pointed my wand at us again. Power built faster in my wand than Cho's or Moody's could, and their wands flew out of their hands and behind Ginny. She smiled, broadcasting her intentions loud and clear. I heard a loud crack, and Ginny suddenly jerked forward. Her smile faded just before the ground rushed up to meet her. As her body was gently laid on the ground by the moving, tactile stone, Dumbledore was visible behind her. He was leaning against a wall, and whistling to himself. He had a pair of good sized rocks in his hand.

"Sometimes the simplest methods are the best." He said as he tossed the rocks aside. The first-years came up behind me, their eyes wide with worry.

"Harry, are you alright?" One of them asked. I sat up, wiping dried blood from my right eye.

"Never better." They grinned and ran to check on Cho.

Dumbledore lightly stepped around Ginny's body and bent over to pick up a rock lying next to her, "Sorry for waiting so long, but the epiphany didn't strike me until just a second ago."

Moody let out a hearty chuckle as he lowered his wand, "Always were the show-off, even in school!''

McGonagall, however, wasn't amused, "Are you confident that she is actually down this time."

Moody was already on that fact, it seemed. He was crouched next to Ginny's naked body and checking her pulse. He grunted, and then rose to his feet. He removed his overcoat and covered Ginny with it before scooping her up and laying her on the couch adjacent to mine.

"Albus," He said, his magical eye scanning all around the room, "She's alive."

Dumbledore turned to Moody, "What?"

"Only just, but that's not what the problem is." Moody stood up and withdrew his wand, "The shadow's gone."

"How could that be, Alastor?"

"The second that girl lost consciousness, it left her. But its still in here, I can feel it."

Dumbledore's face lost its easy-going demeanor and tensed up. He also readied his wand and stood up, "Minerva, will you escort them to my office? Make sure that they get there this time."

"Of course." McGonagall helped me to my feet and all of us - Cho, McGonagall, the first-years, and myself - walked away from the horrific scene and out of the room.

"Albus, I think that we need to regroup. Bring Flitwick and maybe Hagrid."

Albus Dumbledore rubbed his forehead, still trying to shake off the effects of Ginevra's fire spell. Alastor must have noticed, because walked over to Dumbledore and offered him his flask.

"By the way, nice trick back there," he mused as Albus took a swig from the flask, "I havent seen that spell in fifty years. I didn't think that there was a way to avoid it."

"There isn't," Albus replied, returning the flask to Alastor, "I was lucky... her initial attack took more out of her than she thought."

"Still," Alastor helped himself to a drink, "That bit with the rock was genius. Do you remember Professor Demetrios? Never let your guard down, and never underestimate your opponent... now bring me my drink!"

Albus couldn't help but laugh at the thought, "Good lord, that woman... don't remind me. She made us run circuits around the castle every time we couldn't beat her in a dual. I was just thankful that when I finally bested her, she laughed about it... rest her soul."

"So what do you think? Should we wait or should we regroup?"

He ran his fingers through his beard for a moment before answering, "We need to wait. If it gets past us, they will be our only defense."

Alastor considered this, and then nodded, "Agreed... it has been an honor to work with you, Albus."

"And I with you, Alastor." Albus replied.

They turned their heads as they heard steps coming down the stairs from the dormitories. The figure wore a black cloak of the finest velvet, and his boots clicked against the stone floor as he walked toward them. He was short, hardly taller than the hunched Alastor Moody, but he was broad, a diminutive hulk. His face was round and clean-shaven, but his lips were a deathly near-violet, like that of a victim of suffocation. His eyes were hidden behind smoked-glass spectacles and his hair was black and spiked with a red sheen. He glared at Alastor and Albus from behind the glasses and he grinned.

"What are you?" Albus said, clutching at his wand.

The Creature smiled his hideous smile and replied in a vitriolic, velvet voice, "I am Mujaki."