Chapter four

Weeks passed with no new events. Harry was grateful. Autumn turned to winter. Storms with snow came and went. He was looking forward to spending the holidays away from Hogwarts, at the Burrow, until he overheard a conversation one afternoon, when he was patrolling. Most of the students were in Hogsmeade, buying presents, also looking forward to the holidays.

Harry stopped and spun around. The voices were coming from behind an empty door, which Harry knew to be an empty classroom. No students were to be out of their towers, unless heading to the library. Then he thought recognized the voices.

"Why here?"

"I didn't want anyone to over hear us." This voice was defiantly a boys. He sounded almost tearful.

"Jake what is it?" This time, Harry knew it was Amy Hunter. He stopped, and listened for the reply.

"It's it's my mum's letter." Jake stuttered, "This letter that she wrote says not to go home for Christmas. It says that I should stay at Hogwarts."

"Oooh, I'm sorry Jake"

Harry heard shifting around as he immediately became worried himself. From what he knew of Jake's mom, Amanda, the only thing from stopping her to see Jake would be….

Dudley.

Jake's voice came again, "It's not that. It says that I'm never welcome in her house again. I don't understand. I don't know what I did. I don't know what I'll do."

Harry's temper surged, and he felt himself fading away, apperating away.

Justin Andrews fist slammed against Amanda's cheek hard. She heard it crack and felt dizzy with pain and she fell against the wall in a corner

"HOW DARE YOU DISOBAY ME WIFE!HOW DARE YOU GO AGAINST MY WISHES AND TALK TO THAT BOY! IT'S BAD ENOUGH THAT YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING RIGHT, AND NOW THIS. THAT BOY WILL NEVER BE WELCOME IN THIS HOUSE AGAIN, AND YOU WILL WRITE HIM AND TELL HIM THAT, OR YOU'RE GONE AS WELL!"

She tearfully wrote the letter, and prayed to Merlin that Jake would get Harry as soon as he received it. She knew it would never happen, but Harry would be the only person able to save her at this moment. She didn't know what it mattered if he found she was actually Ginny Weasley, but her first priority was to keep Jake away from Justin. And to do that, she needed Harry's help.

Her thoughts rambled on, her focus on Jake and Harry. She wish she could tell them that she loved them one last time before she joined Hermione and Ron up in heaven. And now where was Jake going to go?

As soon as she had handed the letter to the owl, Justin hit her again. Kicked her. She knew that she was going to die, there was no doubt in her mind any more. She hopped that the letter got her some help, but had no confidence that it would.

Finally Justin stopped. Ginny heard him breathing heavily, as he stood up and left the room, and then the door to the house slammed shut as well.

Ginny rolled onto her side, and fought losing conscience. Losing to the dark, would mean death, she thought desperately to herself. She couldn't move. She had to focus all her energy on breathing.

She fought for what seemed like an eternity, but really she guessed it was about an hour. She was determined not to give up. Even so, she felt herself slipping away into nothingness.

But then, a figure appeared. She thought that she was dreaming, and she smiled sadly at the figure. It bent over her. "Amanda? Amanda?" She nodded the best she could. She felt a hand on her wrist. With the sound of the voice, she had known that her true love was in the room with her.

"Amanda, I have a magical creature with me. Fawkes is his name" Ginny fought the dark. Trying not to fall into it with all her being.

She felt tears on her skin; Fawkes was healing bloody wounds on her. Harry had moved away. She almost cried out with the aloneness she now felt, because he had done so. The fireplace started up, and then flared up. "Molly, I have an emergency here. I can't transport her to the hospital, she in too bad of shape for traveling of any sort. She is just barely alive." There was a pause and then, "Fawkes is healing the worse of them, can you come?" Another pause an then, Harry sighed. "Yes, bring him.. We'll find a place for him to sleep here."

Ginny knew her secret life was coming to an end. Her mother was coming. She saw light coming nearer to her. Then, it was on her face. "Ginny?" Harry asked. She nodded once again, the best she could.

Harry's face darkened. "That son of a ---!"

"Uncle Harry!"

Molly Weasley hurried to the woman on the floor. Harry scooped up the young boy in his arms that had called him Uncle Harry, and Ginny knew it was it was her nephew.

As Harry once again cast the light on her, Molly didn't look at her daughters face. She tended to her wounds first and foremost. Harry told the young boy to find a light switch. Ginny felt herself sinking into the darkness again. This darkness was different though. It was less scary. Harry knelt down again, and still unmoving his wand lit light, he looked straight at Ginny's face, watching struggle, and then took her hand, and whispered firmly, "I'm right here Gin, let go. You're going to be okay."

Ginny felt herself slip into the dark, but it was not death that she had entered, it was a soundless, sleep that let the pain go away.