Chapter 20 - A Seer's Words and A Traitor's Promise

"Take Potter and leave," Voldemort said. "Wait for me in the forest."

Lucius nodded and grabbed Harry by the arm and took off. Harry had troubles keeping up with him. He ran with Lucius out of the Department and into the forest where they waited for Voldemort and the other Death Eaters to come out. Once Voldemort did come out Harry watched him cast the Death Eaters' sign over the Department and then he headed towards them.

"We go now", Voldemort said. "Their here for Harry, no doubt."

Then Voldemort lead his death eaters through the forest and into a clearing. They all looked around and found no one around. Taking a breath of relief Harry walked beside Voldemort and up the hill. They were almost at the top when a flash of a spell came flying by them. Then came more spells but Voldemort did not stop walking till he was at the very top of the hill. Then turning around him and his death eaters found Dumbledore, as well as the Order standing at the bottom of the hill.

"Where is he Tom," Dumbledore asked. "What have you done to him?"

"I've done nothing he didn't want himself," Voldemort said pushing Harry forward. "Ask him yourself."

Everyone watched as one death eater stepped in front of Voldemort and took of his hood and then his mask. Many people gasped and said no, Harry stood there proud in front of Voldemort. He glared at Dumbledore and then looked back at Voldemort, before turning back to talk to them.

"He did not force me," Harry began. " I wanted to join. I couldn't take everyone's lies anymore and he promised me something that none of you could ever have given to me."

"Harry," Dumbledore began.

"Don't start," Harry snapped. " You saw this coming all those lies you hide from me. I bet you have more don't you?"

"Harry this isn't the time," Remus said. " Get over here now."

"No," Harry said. " I'm happy standing where I am thanks."

"Harry you don't realize what you've done," Dumbledore said. "Your letting him win."

"So, maybe I want him to win," Harry said. " I do realize what I've done, I've given him the only power to defeat him and now it will defeat you."

Then Harry heard Voldemort order his death eater to charge forward. Harry felt and watched as death eaters, even Lucius ran forward towards the Order.

"Go, head back," Voldemort said. " Just get as far away from here as possible. I'll find you."

Harry nodded and went back up the hill but stopped when he heard someone yell his name. He turned around and found, Ginny running out of the forest and towards the battle, her face staring only at him. Then he saw Hermione, Ron, Draco, Clara, and Luna come running out. Harry panicked and watched them join the battle to get to him. But to his surprise Ginny was running right through the battle and to him. She dodged curses that came her way, and when a curse hit her she got right back up and kept running as fast as she could. Harry turned and ran through the forest as fast as his legs could carry him. He didn't need to look back to know Ginny was on him. He could hear his name being screamed by her as she ran after him. He ran through the forest till he came to a cliff and stopped. He looked around and found there was no place for him to go. Then he turned around and found Ginny walking towards him. Her face was covered in tears. She had cuts on her and bruises, Harry assumed from running through the forest.

"Harry is it true?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, I'm sorry," Harry said.

"Why?" Ginny screamed walking up Harry's face. "Why?"

"He told me I could at least see Sirius," Harry said. "If I was lucky I could have brought him back."

"But you can't bring the dead back," Ginny said.

"I know," Harry said. " But I got to see him, Ginny. He was disappointed in me for joining him, but I didn't care. "

"I am too," Ginny said. "You betrayed us all, for what your godfather."

"I..."

"No, you listen to me," Ginny said. " I believed in you so much and you let me down. You've let us all down. You're the only one who can't defeat him and I know you are. I can feel it in my heart that you are supposed to destroy him, not join him. Harry why would you join him, just to see someone you know could never come back to us?"

"I had to see him," Harry said. "You would never understand."

"I would have, if you would have come to me," Ginny said. " I care for you Harry, a lot. Way more than I ever thought I could and you betrayed me. My heart is ripped in two, but I still...can't stop. I'm here for you Harry; even now I'll stand with you. I'm a seer, and I know it. My sign is a star, a star to tell the future. I understand the future, but you've changed it so much."

"Ginny," Harry began.

"In my dreams," Ginny started. "I've seen and know everyone's symbols. Mine a star, for I am a seer and will see the future before none of us ever get there. I will aid you in anyway I can. Hermione, love. It's her love that has kept us going, her love for Draco that keeps her heart aching. She loves you Harry and she'll always stand by you, she'd die for you. Just so you could complete your destiny, your prophecy. Ron, friendship, he believes so much in you Harry. It was him who wanted to come after you the most. He swore to himself that he'd never leave your side again. His friendship that will always be with you, a friendship stronger than life. Something none of us will every understand what's in him."

"Ginny," Harry said.

"No, shut up," Ginny said. "You'll listen to me, and you'll listen good damnit. Luna, faith and hope. Something that not one of us could ever have. She has faith in the weirdest things and yet she still believes and puts her hope in them. She has faith in you that you will save her and her father. That you'll kill Voldemort so that everyone she loves and cares about will be able to live on. So they may be at peace and know that they are safe. She will be standing there with you Harry, for she believes in you more than any of us, more than me. She believes you could take over the world, do anything you want. Draco, a snake. Slytherin blood, pureblood through and through. He's rude and annoying yes, but he is cunning and smart. He'll be the sneakiest person and teach us the Dark Arts. He'll be standing with you fighting Dark against Dark, for the light Harry. You're the only reason he is good. Can't you see that? If it weren't for you Draco would have never have become our friend, he would have never have been good."

"Ginny," Harry said. "I understand that, I do, but Voldemort has always and always told me the truth since day one. He has never hid or lied to me. Dumbledore, the Order, and even my friends have kept things from me, lied to me. How can I possible want to be with them if all they do is lie and lie right in front of me."

"I've never lied to you," Ginny said. "I have never once told you something fake, or hid something from you. Harry I care for you so much, I love you Harry. I love you so much it hurts, so much that I want to be with you, whether good or bad. I'll stand with you against everything I love, because I love you more. I'll join the Dark Side Harry; I'd join it for you. I'd do so much for you Harry, more than you'll ever know. Why you might ask because I love you. I know you may never feel the same way, but at least I've told, I'm not keeping things from you Harry."

Then with that Ginny took the last steps between them and kissed Harry. To her surprise he kissed her right back. When she pulled away she found Harry had tears running down his face. He looked up at her and stared into her eyes. His eyes were so bright, so green. Ginny smiled at him.

"I love you too," Harry said. "I love you a lot, and not just as a friend. You mean the world to me, Ginny. You can't join the Dark Side for me; I want you to be light for me. I need you to go on without me for a while. I've decided something."

"What?" Ginny asked as tears started to run done her face.

"That I will fulfill my destiny," Harry said. "Just because I'm on the Dark, doesn't mean I can't fulfill my destiny. You know what I mean, don't you Ginny. I'm staying with him, I need to learn his weakness and once I know. I'll strike, for you. You must promise me something though."

"What," Ginny said.

"That you'll never join him," Harry said. "That you never ever take the dark mark and become a death eater. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you did, because it would be because of me you did it. I want you to tell no one of what I told you. Tell them you couldn't catch up with me; tell then it's to late. Make everyone believe I'm dark, Ginny. Can you do that for me, can you promise me that you'll do it?"

"I promise Harry," Ginny said. "But I'll miss you so much."

"I'll miss you to Ginny," Harry said smiling.

"But you have to promise me something too," Ginny said.

"What?" Harry asked.

"That you'll come back," Ginny said. "Those no matter what you'll come back for me and let me help you kill him. Promise me that you'll come back, that you won't leave me. That I'll always have you thinking of me, and wanting to be with me. Promise me you'll love me forever and that I can trust it when you come back."

"Ginny," Harry began. "I promise you."

"You swear," Ginny asked.

"Yes," Harry said. " I swear on my parents grave, that I will come back to you Ginny. That I'll let you help me, that I'll love you forever."

With that Harry leaned down and kissed Ginny on the lips and then pulled away. He stared at Ginny for a few minutes and then picked up a rock and muttered a spell. Ginny grabbed Harry's arm.

"Don't forget," Ginny said. " Don't forget me."

"Never," Harry said. "I could never forget you Ginny."

Then Ginny let Harry's arm go and watched him disappear with his port key. She stood there staring at where he stood for sometime before she turned around and started walking back. When she reached Dumbledore and the other she found the death eater and Voldemort gone. She walked silently by dead bodies of death eaters, and the ministry, aurors. She looked at Hermione and saw her looking at her. Ginny looked at her, promise me, and nodded her head in a fail. She then looked over at Dumbledore and found him talking to Remus before they both stared at her.

"Where is he?" Dumbledore asked.

"I...I don't know," Ginny said. "I couldn't get to him."

Dumbledore stared at her for a moment, trying to read her mind. Ginny stared right back and thought don't even try it. Dumbledore immediately turned his head from her and looked over at the Order. Ginny laughed out loud to herself, causing people to look at her. She turned away from them and walked over to Hermione.

"Did you get him?" Hermione asked. "Reach him?"

"No," Ginny said. " By the time I got into seeing view he disappeared."

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked." You where gone for a while."

"Yes," Ginny said. "I started crying, Hermione. I couldn't believe he was gone."

"Ginny," Hermione said hugging her. "Don't worry, we'll get him back."

Ginny smiled to herself and thought more than you know Hermione, more than you know. When Hermione let go of her she smiled at Ginny and then went over to Dumbledore.

"Any of us," Hermione asked. " Did any of us get harmed, or killed."

Dumbledore looked at her and seemed to hesitate. He then looked over at Ginny, and she felt her heart sink. She walked over to Hermione and looked him in the eye.

"Who?" Ginny asked. "Who is it?"

"I'm sorry Mrs.. Weasley," Dumbledore began. "But I'm afraid that your brother Charlie has been killed."

Ginny stood there for sometime as she watched Dumbledore walk away to my mother and father. I watched in horror as my mother started to cry, screaming no into my dad's chest. My dad held her so tightly. I wished I had Harry here to hold me, to tell me it was going to be ok. I didn't realize I had tears running down my face till Hermione was asking me are you ok. I just stared at her. How could I be, my brother, my brother was gone. I looked back over at my parents and found my mother on the ground now and my dad still holding her. How he kept so calm, how he didn't cry I'd never know. I did know though that he was being string for my mother. She needed him to be strong and so he was. I barely heard Dumbledore say that Kingsley, and some death eater named Karakoff was dead. Why he mentioned that death eater I'll never know. I looked around for Ron and found him crying in, well Luna's arms. I smiled at them and then realized that my brother was dead, this was not a happy day and I stopped.

I held my breath as Remus came over to me and held out a port key for Hermione and me. I took in my tears now dry on my face and we headed to the Order's place. Sirius's old house. I looked around the room. Remus and Hermione staring at me, expecting me to do something. They weren't wrong though. I wanted to scream, run around and break everything I could. But I couldn't this wasn't how I should react. My brother fought bravely I'm sure; I should not mourn over him, but be glad. Be glad that he will always remain my brother, his memories I'll never forget. I turned from Hermione and Remus and walked up the stairs and into my room. I shut the door and went to my bed and laid down. I stared at the ceiling for a while before whispering to myself, before I fell asleep.

"I Promise"