Chapter 21 - Lightened Dark

The next morning when Ginny went downstairs she found the place empty. Well not really empty but very quiet. She had looked for Hermione and couldn't seem to find her anywhere. Finally giving up Ginny went into the kitchen to get something to eat. Inside she found Hermione sitting at the table waiting for her. Ginny stood there staring at her for a few minutes and then went over to the fridge.

"I know you lied about yesterday," Hermione said.

Ginny stopped moving for a few minutes and then got back to getting things for her sandwich. She ignored Hermione's comment and went on making her sandwich.

"Ginny," Hermione said. "I know you lied."

"I don't have the slightest clue what you are talking about," Ginny said taking out a plate and going to the table to sit down.

"Yes, you do," Hermione said watching Ginny eat.

"Listen," Ginny said. " I didn't get to him, alright."

"I could tell yesterday you were lying," Hermione began. " Everyone could tell Ginny. They know your hiding something."

"Hermione, I'm not hiding anything," Ginny said.

"Yes, you are," Hermione said. "We're not thick."

"You sure," Ginny asked.

Hermione glared at her. Ginny sighed and finished eating and put her plate in the sink. Then she turned back to Hermione, she thought about it for a few minutes and then decided, no, I made a promise.

"Ginny, please," Hermione went on. " I want to know what he said, is he alright?"

"I don't know," Ginny said. "I could only see his back and then he was gone."

"Ginny," Hermione continued.

"I'm sorry," Ginny said. " I couldn't reach him."

Then Ginny watched as Hermione started to cry and she ran out of the room. Ginny thought about going after her and then changed her mind. She needed to be alone. If she were to go after her, she'd just keep asking. With that Ginny left the kitchen and went into the living room. She found only Remus sitting there. He looked up and smiled at her before turning back to his book.

"Where is everyone?" Ginny asked. " Where are my brother, and my parents?"

"There out," Remus said. "They have a lot to do. Your parents have to plan a funeral now. Your brother wanted to help them and so their gone. They'll be back tonight."

"Oh, all right," Ginny said sitting down.

"You know, it all happened weird," Remus said.

"What did?" Ginny asked.

"Your brother dying," Remus said. " That spell was meant for me and your brother stepped in front of me. Why, I'll never know. Then I was so surprised out of it and shocked I fired a spell back at Karakoff and well he smashed into a tree. A branch going right through him, impaling him in a way. Killing him."

"My brother," Ginny said. " He really liked you. He thought you were the best teacher, even if he didn't have you. He looked up to you a lot actually."

"I still can't believe," Remus went on as though she hadn't said anything. " How are you cooping?"

"I'm good," Ginny said. " Not horrible or fantastic, just how I should be."

"I saw Hermione go running up stairs," Remus said. " Why?"

"She kept asking me about Harry," Ginny said. " I couldn't really tell her anything, since I didn't get the chance to talk to him."

"Your happy though," Remus said. " I won't push you, but I know you saw him.

"I didn't," Ginny said.

"You'd be upset if you didn't," Remus said. " Well I better go."

Ginny nodded and watched him leave the room. Sighing Ginny got up and went to the library in the house. The room was quiet big, filled with so many books. Most of which were Dark Art books, and other just stories and so on. Ginny then grabbed a book and sat down in a chair. Flipping through the pages not really reading them Ginny came across a rare stone.

The stone of Lightened Dark. Known for varies unknowable and unforgettable power. It was first found by a man named Harold Fiddler, who said the stone was as black as the night and gave of this unbearable pleasure and joy. He said that he couldn't pick it up, for when he tried his hands seemed to start burning. Not on the outside but in the inside. Yet, even though he said the stone brought out joy and pleasure, he died when he picked it up. How, still to this day we still do not know. We figure from what he had told people that maybe the stone and burned him inside out, fried everything inside him, killing him within five minutes. Years later another person came across this very some stone. Her name was Gabriel Hanson. Below is an article of how she saw and her thoughts on the stone.

I don't remember when I came across it, nor do I not remember when I came across it. I was walking through a cave and I tripped over it. When I looked back I found a pure black stone. I just stared at it for sometime. I felt happy, why I don't know. I certainly wasn't happy. The stone wasn't very big, small enough to fit in your hand. As I reached to touch it I felt my hand burning. I pulled away in fear. My hand wasn't harmed though, so I assumed I was just imagining things. But then when I picked it up. I couldn't let it go; it felt as though I was dying. I was burning everywhere, but I still couldn't see anything burning. So I never put the stone down. I just held it unable to let go, till I tripped and it fell out of my hand. It all happened so fast, I don't think I was holding it very long. Panicked I ran from the cave and went home. For days my hands hurt, and finally I went to the healers. I found out that I was in fact burning, that the stone had been burning me from the inside. It had burned the inside of my hands, and my whole body. The Healers said that I was lucky to be alive, that if I hadn't tripped I would have died. A coupler of days later I went out with a friend of mine. We couldn't find the stone anywhere in the cave I had come from. I figured it probably just disappeared, but then I started hearing rumours about another man who had found a stone like mine. It turns out he had pictures of it. When I saw them I was surprised that it looked like the stone I found. The stone was so dark; how anyone could pick it up I don't know. I started searching for it and I never found it again.

The stone was named Lightened dark because it brought out so much joy and happiness. So much light, and yet it was so dark. For years no one has ever seen that stone. Till this day no one believes in these stories. The stone has never been found since. It now only what we believe it is. A myth, legend, or is it really true. Can there really be a stone out there or where these two people just looking for fame and glory. Did one man just paint the rock black, did the other woman just go on with his story to try and be famous. How can anyone be sure? How can anyone know that it is or it's not out there? How can we base something upon a stone that has no history records or any evidence that it actually it real.

What we do know and believe is that that stone is out there. That, that stone can bring so much damage or maybe it can't. We know that it is as dark as night, and makes you happy. But if it burns you from the inside then it must be something dark. Something so dark that maybe a man made the stone, a man like Tom Riddle. Who created so much destruction in our world? What if he made it to kill everyone, to kill muggle-borns? Or maybe we're just assuming it was him. Maybe the stone came from far back into the past, like Salazar Syltherin or Godric Gryffindor. Can we really be sure though. No, maybe the stone was just created that day and then it was gone. All we know is what we really know. Two people ever saw it, one died. It burns you from the inside, yet it makes you feel so much joy. The stone of Lightened Dark. A myth, legend, only one day will tell.

Ginny stared at the page for a few minutes and then shook her head. She stood up and put the book away and left the library. When she came to the living room she found her brother sitting on the couch with Luna and Hermione reading a book. Ginny smiled at her brother and sat down besides Hermione. Neither of them spoke. Ginny stared up at the clock and watched the second hand click, click, and click.

"So," Hermione said putting her book down.

"Mom is really upset," Ron said.

"I don't blame her," Luna said.

"I can't believe it," Hermione said. " Charlie is gone and Ginny here is lying to us."

"I'm not lying," Ginny said.

"Yeah, you are," Ron said. " We all can tell. You'd be so upset Ginny."

"Why?" Ginny snapped. " Why would I be upset?"

"We can tell you like him," Luna said.

"Well of course I like him," Ginny yelled. " I'm in love with him."

"Ginny," Hermione said.

"Oh, shut up," Ginny said. " I'm sick of you all. I shouldn't be upset at all. I have no problem with him joining Voldemort. I'm glad he did actually. You are so thick, you hide things. I wish I could go join him, and I would but I can't. I have so much faith in the light, in him. I know everything will be okay. Whether I'm fighting with him or against him. I really don't care, because I'll be with him in the end."

With that Ginny got up and left the room. Hermione was about the go after her, but Ron stopped her.

"So, when's Charlie's funeral?" Hermione asked.

"After this year," Ron said. " Mom thinks we should relax and focus on school right now."

"I'm sorry," Hermione said.

"It's okay," Ron said. " I feel much better now than I did last night."

"Do you think your mom will be okay?" Luna asked.

"Yeah, besides she still has four of us left," Ron said.

Hermione nodded at this and then they heard Molly calling them for supper. Luna took Ron's hand and the three of them went into the kitchen for supper. While Ginny lay in her room thinking about Harry and that stone. How can a stone burn someone from the inside, I'll never know I suppose. I hope Harry is okay. What if Tom has the stone then he might be in danger. Ginny sighed and rolled onto her side. She found that her mind was only thinking of one thing.

The Stone of Lightened Dark