After three or four seconds of the feeling that their bodies were being squeezed and squished by invisible hands, Harry and Ginny could see the Burrow. They trekked across the swampy land that surrounded the Weasley abode, and knocked on the door. The minute it was open, Harry was tackled.

Hermione was on top of Harry. "We thought you had gone back to the Hog's Head and that the minister had tried to kill you!"

"She thought that," Ron argued. "The rest of us knew that git wouldn't stand a chance against you two."

"Thanks," Harry said, somewhat sarcastically in Ron's direction, and a bit meaningfully in Hermione's. "Um, Hermione?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you mind getting off me?"

"Oh!" Hermione stood up, helping Harry off the ground. "So, what happened after we left?"

"Well," Ginny started to explain, "Ab was unconscious when we got there, but he'll be fine, and Hagrid is currently escorting the 'minister' to Azkaban."

"That man is a bloody lunatic," Ron said.

"Agreed," said a voice from behind the door. It was Mrs. Weasley.

"Mrs. Weasley!" Harry exclaimed.

"Mum!" Ginny said at the same time.

They both rushed forward and hugged the plump, red-headed woman. "Where's dad?" Ginny asked.

"Your father is at the Ministry, starting the clean up of everything You-Know-Who caused. Anyway, I'm not the one you should be hugging," She said to them. They pulled away as she jerked her head towards the living room, in which sat George, who was staring sadly out the window.

Ginny walked over to him slowly and sat down beside him on the rugged couch. George started crying. Ginny immediately wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tightly.

"He's gone, Ginny. Forever." George was practically sobbing.

"No. Not forever." She glanced quickly at Harry, managing a small smile. He grinned in return. "He'll always be a part of you."

George sniffed and leaned into his sister, letting her support him.

Ron, Hermione, and Harry went upstairs to Ron's bedroom, where he hadn't slept in months.

"This is so weird," he mumbled as he made his way over the threshold.

He and Hermione took seats on the bed, Harry on the floor.

"So," Hermione started, "who is this new 'dark wizard?'"

"I bet it's Draco," Ron growled.

"Lay off, Ron. We don't know that for sure," Hermione argued.

"Why are you defending him? Don't you remember how awful he is?"

"Was, and you just don't like the fact that he's trying to make up for everything he's done."

"Don't make this about me–"

"Guys! Shut it! We should figure this out. One of Voldemort's followers is out there, probably planning to kill Harry. Who knows who it might be?"

A crash came from below.

"What was that?" Hermione asked.

They heard a scream.

"Was that your mum?" Harry asked Ron.

Ron looked at Harry and Hermione and then bolted out the door and down the stairs. The other two followed suit.

As they made it downstairs, they saw a hooded figure in the doorway. Molly, Ginny, and George were all backed against the far wall, staring in horror. The figure lifted its hood.

"I don't want to do this," Malfoy said. "I feel like there's something, or someone, controlling me. But I can't resist…" He pointed his wand at Harry.

"Expelliarmus! Stupefy!" Malfoy's wand was whipped from his hand and he was blasted through the doorway into a puddle. Harry looked around the room to find Hermione with her wand shaking in her hand. He ran over and hugged her. For some reason, he had a feeling of awkwardness when he pulled away.

Ron had scrambled to find his wand and run to Malfoy. "I swear to God, if you ever come anywhere near me or my family ever again, I will kill you, and it will be much more gruesome than when Harry killed Voldemort," he threatened.

"No need to worry about that, I'm only after Potter," Malfoy growled, gasping for breath. "Gah! Why am I saying that? Weasley, you have to believe me–I can't control myself. This isn't me!"

"So who is it, then?" Ron questioned him impatiently.

"I don't know! One of the death eaters, my father, maybe the minister?"

"Okay, well, you'll have to stay locked up somewhere so you don't 'accidentally' kill my best friend. Mum, we should put him in the basement."

They dragged Malfoy back into the house and down to the basement. Molly enchanted the room so Malfoy wouldn't be able to disapparate. "That should do it."

"What was he talking about when he said he thought something was controlling him?" Ginny asked.

"Hey-" Ron came running in from outside. "-I found these out where he hit the ground." He held out some foreign-looking rocks. "I've never seen rocks like these around here."

Harry recognized them immediately. "They're from the cave where Voldemort hid the locket.

"Potter, I'm going to kill you…" Malfoy was pounding on the basement door frantically.

"Bloody hell, Malfoy, SHUT UP," Ron bellowed.

They heard whimpering from behind the door. "Help… me…" Malfoy slid down the door and landed on the ground with a thump. He started sobbing.

Ron looked at Harry. "We need to help him," Harry said.

Ron grimaced and began to protest. "C'mon-"

"No. We have to. If not for him, then for the rest of the world. We can't have another Voldemort-"

Another scream from the basement. "-running around rampant…" Harry paused. "Hang on…"

"POTTER!" Malfoy was heard again through the door. "Ughh…" He groaned.

"What are you getting at?" Ron questioned.

"Wait," Harry shushed him. He waited until the cries from the basement subsided,

then said, "Voldemort."

"AAGGHHHH! POTTER… Ughhh…"

"It's the name. It's still taboo or something," Harry explained to the group.

"How?" Hermione asked. "Isn't it just a name since Vo-"

"Ahem!" Harry interrupted her before she said it again.

"Right. Isn't it just any other name now that he's dead?"

"I don't think so. Spells can last after the caster dies, can't they?"

"Yeah, spells have, y'know, lives of their own, or something like that," Ron explained, much to the surprise of everyone, especially Hermione. "Oh, c'mon, I know stuff."

"Well, as brilliant as it is that you know stuff, Ron, that still doesn't explain why this is happening to Malfoy."

"I bet it was Lucius," Ginny said, fuming with rage. "I wouldn't put it past the bastard."

"Well, wait a second, where are those rocks Ron found?" Harry asked.

Ron handed them over.

"These must have something to do with Malfoy's 'urges,' or whatever they are. We should see if we can talk to McGonagall," Harry suggested.

"Back to Hogwarts we go," Ron muttered.

Author's Note:

Finally! So I have a goal of 1,000 words for each chapter, starting now.