Chapter 12: Unforgiven

"Alohomora!" Ginny screamed as she thrust her wand against the lock of the cage. The emaciated inmates recoiled in terror, shrieking and crying as Ginny slashed with her wand like a whip. "Alohomora! Fuck you, Merlin! ALOHOMORA!"

Ginny cursed as she tried to rip the cage open, but the bars would not bend, and the lock remained unbroken. Ginny kicked the cell in a rage, and only then did she hear the captives' screams and realize she was the cause. Ginny cried out in horror. "Oh, Merlin. I'm sorry! I'm not trying to hurt you, I swear. I...I want to help. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

Ginny slumped to the floor in tears pressing her face against the cold metal bars. She had to help them, damn the Horcrux. This was more important. It had to be. Yet the hopelessness of their situation was suffocating. In her heart, Ginny knew freeing the prisoners from this prison would do no good. They were weak and unarmed. They would not escape but instead be massacred.

Yet it did not matter as Ginny couldn't even free them from the fucking cage. Ginny had already wasted too much time and knew she would have to abandon them to their fate. But Ginny didn't think she could live with herself if she turned her back on these innocent men, women, and children trapped in this hell. Ginny sobbed, "I'm sorry, I just want to help. I...I...shit."

Suddenly, Ginny felt a small hand wrap around her finger, and she opened her eyes to see a small boy staring at her from behind bars. Ginny vaguely heard a woman crying out for her son, yet Ginny paid it no mind as she stared into the eyes of the child. Ginny searched her pockets and pulled out a poorly wrapped sandwich, reminding Ginny of the sandwiches her Mother would send with her on the Hogwarts express. Ginny handed the sandwich to the child and whispered. "Eat up."

Some prisoners hesitantly gathered around the boy, looking at Ginny with hope. Ginny opened her mouth to speak when a door barged open as Witch entered the room. Ginny hopped to her feet and hastily wiped the tears from her eyes. The Witch thin had a long, curled nose with an ugly wart on the end of it. The Witches eyes were a light blue, a little too far apart, and held the vacant joy. Either this was under an overpowered Imperius curse, or this was how she was.

"Good morning Mrs. Wormwood. You hear the news about Coraline. She was having an affair with that Mudblood in the department of accidental magic, Rufus. Do you hear that, Rufus? Is Rufus even in here? Are you alright, Tabeca?"

"Um... I'm a little under the weather Miss...Sauerkraut," Ginny uttered, reading the Witches' name tag.

"How often do I have to tell you to call me Merry." The Witch insisted as Ginny noticed the clipboard floating beside her with a quick quill writing upon it. "I'm sorry you're unwell, though it explains the lack of progress. You're usually on top of things, Tabeca. Well, that's the wonderful thing about teamwork. When you're feeling down, your teammate carries the load."

"Now, if my calculations are correct, there are 141 Muggles. Fifteen of them are dead from natural causes, leaving 126. According to the latest harbor results, the maximum Muggles we can fit onto a single ship is 113, leaving 13 spares. Since you're under the weather, I'll deal with the spares. I'll start the counting. One."

Screams shattered the calm as a beam of light shot out from Miss Sauerkraut's wand. Ginny could only stare in horror as the half-eaten sandwich fell from lifeless hands. The boy was dead before he hit the floor. Ginny couldn't breathe. She couldn't move. She could only stare at the boy's lidless eyes and hear the shrieks of terror from the boy's distraught Mother, who was beyond mere grief. "Two."

The shrieking was suddenly silenced as another body dropped to the floor, this time a middle-aged lady, and numbly, Ginny realized that she grieved no more. Ginny could've saved her. She could've saved the boy, too, if she was not in a state of shock. But, instead, she was weak, just like Tom said, and now someone else was going to die as she heard the call of 3.

Ginny blinked, and her vision was red. She blinked again, and time seemed to slow. Ginny looked up in time to see the curse strike down a feeble old man, another life she could've saved, another life she had failed. Another call of "Four!"

This time the spell missed, and Ginny realized her wand was out and aimed at the Witch, for that is what she was, a wicked witch like in that Muggle book Hermione had lent her, as vile as the ooze that spilled forth from Tom's dairy. Ginny felt her wand shoot out of her hand, but she didn't need her wand. Ginny charged forth in slow motion as Merry aimed her wand at her chest, but before she could fire a curse, Ginny lunged, tackling the Witch to the ground.

Ginny mounted the Witch, who bucked like a bull as she reached for the wand just out of reach. Ginny felt the Witch's neck beneath her hands and squeezed. The Witch's eyes bulged from her head like a toad, and she was croaking like one too. "Yes, Ginevra, you know what to do."

Ginny blinked, and beneath her was a rooster squawking as she tightened her grip around its thin little neck. Ginny stared in fascination at the kicking of its legs and the way it convulsed. A forgotten image of her parent intertwined as she stumbled in on them after having a nightmare. Her Father acted similarly—convulsing, like this dying chicken. Mother had said they were hugging and that it felt good. Ginny had smiled at the chicken. Did it feel good? Ginny hoped it did, though she doubted Tom cared. Ginny didn't know why she had to squeeze this chicken's neck, but she knew it would make Tom happy, and he would make her happy. Nothing else mattered when she entered the fog; all was good in the world. So what if the memory disturbed her, she could bury it, just like Tom said. "We all have bad memories but don't have to think about them. We are not our memories. We are what we become."

Ginny grimaced as something poked her eye and crawled into her mouth. She shook her head as the Witch forced her nails into Ginny's cheek. Ginny closed her eyes so the Witch wouldn't gouge them. Ginny squeezed them tight until the fingers stopped scratching, the chicken stopped convulsing, and the Witch stopped breathing.

Ginny gasped for breath as she fell to the ground, rolling beside the Witch like she was the one being strangled. Ginny blinked, then blinked again. Nothing changed. Ginny glanced to the side and then quickly looked away. Ginny swore she heard Fred whispering. "Don't look. If you don't look, it didn't happen."

But it did happen.

Ginny didn't need her eyes to see that the Witch beside her wasn't moving, breathing, or sleeping. Ginny stared at the ceiling and whispered, "Four."

"You killed her."

"Shut up!"

"I'm impressed. I didn't think you had it in you."

"I said shut up!"

"She killed three people, Ginevra, and would've killed ten more."

"I didn't have to..."

"You killed more people by doing nothing. At least this one deserved it."

"She fucking deserved it, but..I...I'm not..."

"Everyone's a killer if pushed far enough. I was around your age when I made my first kill, and my motives were less pure than war is hell. But, of course, finding out your Father is alive and is the cause of every bad thing to ever happen to you...that is a pretty good motive if I do say so myself."

"I'm nothing like you."

"Ginevra, you are what I made you, nothing more, nothing less. Remember who taught you how to strangle roosters? Well, now you've strangled one more chick."

"Shut up!"

"Look at what you've done. Look at your work."

"Shut Up!"

"Murderer"

"I SAID SHUT UP!"

Ginny's eyes snapped open, staring at the ceiling with a pounding headache. For a moment, Ginny imagined she was back at Grimmauld place and had too much to drink. But she knew better and looked to the side to see wide sightless eyes staring back at her. Ginny closed her eyes, buried her horror, grief, and trauma as she had countless times before, and rose to her feet.

Ginny would have thrown up if she had eaten that morning, but the nerves had been too much for her. For the first time, Ginny fully understood the consequences of her decision to follow Harry meant. This was war, and war turns children into killers into heroes. Ginny had said she would do anything for Harry, and if it came down to it, she would kill for him in a heartbeat, but this wasn't about Harry. This was about the child she tried to feed and offer hope to. This was for the Mother, who died knowing her child was dead...and for the other ten muggles, who would've joined them if Ginny had not done what she did.

This was not the world Ginny recognized. Everything was different. The rules had changed. This was a world where innocence was dead, passivity was guilt, and activism was voilence. Ginny had acted, and now she had to live with it for the rest of her life, however long that was.

Ginny did not feel better, not even a little. Her head hurt, her stomach was churning, and she felt like her soul was ripped in two. So What? She had come to terms with it. She had no choice. To allow the Witch to continue murdering innocent people was no choice.

Ginny hardened her heart, looked upon the late Merry Sauerkraut's face, and took in her wide, horrified eyes and blue lips. Ginny took a deep breath, counted to 10, and then began dragging the body by her heels. The Witch was heavier than she looked and took ages to pull her to the door. Ginny opened it only to reveal a small quaint office full of flowers and perfume. Ginny found it sickening, which only worsened when she saw Tabeca Wormwood's portrait. The sight so repulsed Ginny the enraged Witch nearly ripped her skin off, disgusted that she had taken the visage of such a vile person. How could someone be so indifferent to the atrocities outside her office that she believed she could drown out the stench with cheap perfume?

Ginny dragged the Witch into the office before slamming the door behind her, only for it to bounce off Merry's head. Ginny winced before kicking the head and slamming the door again, but this time Ginny started dry heaving as an eye popped out of Merry's head. Beyond disgusted, Ginny wandless banished the body into the office before finally slamming the door shut.

Ginny pressed her back against the door as she regained her lost composure, only to freeze. A hundred eyes were staring at her, and for the first time, Ginny realized they had been watching the whole time. Ginny stared, horrified by the realization, she opened her mouth to speak, but the words would come.

Suddenly a Wizard burst into the room with a cold sneer. "What the hell is taking long, Wormwood, and...where the fuck is Sauerkraut?"

"I...I haven't seen her." Ginny uttered as she approached the Wizard on the other side of the cage. The man had grey hair and a big black scar across his weather face, but most notable was the canine snout that protruded from his face. Ginny's jaw nearly hit the floor when she recognized who this was. "I'm doing the best I can by myself...Greyback."

"I can see that," Fenrir growled, sniffing through his canine snout before whimpering like a kicked puppy. "Merlin's Mother, what is that stench."

"I..I..I." Ginny stuttered as the Werewolf sniffed towards the office door and recoiled in pain.

"What the hell have you done!" Fenrir Greyback howled, causing the Muggles and Muggleborn to cry in terror. Ginny was as pale as a ghost. He knew, of course, he knew!

"How can I sniff out promising prospects when all I can smell is... fucking perfume!" Greyback wretched, and Ginny could breathe again. But, of course, how could she be so stupid? The smell was so repulsive she almost felt sorry for the wretched monster. "I smell any bloody perfume in this room again. I swear to Merlin; I will feast on your beating heart."

"It won't happen again." Ginny stuttered as the Werewolf turned to leave, only to pause as something caught his notice. Ginny followed the creature's eyes and nearly gasped in horror as she saw the clipboard lying on the ground.

Ginny rushed to pick it up, but Greyback beat her to it. Reading it, he snarled. "I thought you said Sauerkraut didn't show."

I..I...may have forged her name and...and..." Ginny trailed off as the Werewolf towered over her, emitting a deep growl from the back of his throat.

"Why was this lying on the floor? What kind of place are you running." Greyback howled before shaking his head. "Fuck it. We're behind schedule. I'll have the Williams prepare the prisoners for their voyage to Azkaban. I assume the portkey still will work."

"Of course," Ginny answered hastily, and Greyback nodded.

"It better be for your sake. I hate to tell the Minister that your incompetence delayed Azkaban's grand reopening." Greyback snarled before turning to leave. Before Ginny could sigh in relief, the Werewolf roared. "What are you waiting for? He's waiting for you."

Ginny gulped as she looked back at the prisoners. She had to help them. She couldn't just leave...Suddenly Greyback nearly ripped her arm from its socket as he dragged her towards the door. "I advise visiting St. Mungos when your shift is over to ensure you haven't been confunded."

Ginny was dragged down the hallway, and she could hear raised voices from the trial taking place. Then Greyback led her to another round door where he hissed. "He's waiting."

Ginny looked between Greyback and the door. Then, gulping, she placed her hand on the doorknob only for Greyback to bark. "One more thing, I saw the dead child Tabeca. Don't mistake me for a broken heart, but I can't help but view it as a waste. That boy could've made a great werewolf, or he was a mere Muggle. I don't know or care, but leave the children for me in the future. Besides, even if they are Muggle, they taste the same."

With that, Greyback reached into his pocket and vanished from sight. Ginny remained frozen, trying to take in what she heard. It just never ended, the horror, the depravity, and to prove her point, the door suddenly opened...revealing...

"Percy..." Ginny gasped as she saw her Brother. Percy gave a cool glare but otherwise said nothing. He looked worse for wear. He was as pale as a ghost, his normally red hair had patches of grey, and there were bags beneath his eyes as if he hadn't slept in weeks.

"Weasley, prepare the prisoners for portkey." A cold voice uttered, and Ginny noticed the hooded figure in the corner of the room, clocked in shadows.. "According to this report, we are behind schedule, thanks to Tabeca's sloppy handiwork and a missing executioner, so you shall dispose of the spares at the harbour and dump their corpse in the ocean."

"Sir." Percy bowed before walking past Ginny. Ginny felt hatred washing over her as the knut suddenly dropped. Percy was a part of this. He was helping the Ministry. Before she could help herself, she hissed. "Anything for a promotion, Percy."

Percy shot her a confused but steely glare and snapped. "I'm just following orders, same as you."

Ginny faced the hooded man, refusing to look at her Brother-as if anyone participating in this genocide could still be called her Brother. Ginny wished beyond all else that she could curse her former Brother into smithereens, It was bad enough that he abandoned the family when they needed him most, but this was beyond forgiving. As far as Ginny was concerned, she only had five brothers now."

"Your Occlumency continues to fail you." The Cloaked figure crooned. "You were always a slave to your emotions. Miss Weasley."

Ginny's eyes widened, dras\ing her wand only to see it fly into the hooded figure's hand. "Pity, you are a truly talented witch, but as long as you give into your feeling, you will forever be enslaved by them."

Ginny flew at the door, but it wouldn't budge, and clocked figure exclaimed in an irate voice. "Are you not listening to me? Your impulsiveness will get you killed. Don't feel, think!"

Ginny rushed towards the figure, only for her to land face-first on the floor, cracking her nose. "See, now you are body-bind, and at my mercy, I can do whatever I want all because you could not possess a modicum of self-control. Finite."

Ginny slowly looked up at the Wizard and hissed. "You might as well kill me. I'll die before I tell you anything."

"So naive. Brave and foolish, truly a Gryffindor through a through. Mark my words. The Dark lord and his minions will torture you beyond your meager imagination. The Dark Lord will break your feeble little mind and cast you to his dogs. But make no mistake. If I wanted to kill you, I would've done so at the wedding."

The Wizard lowered his hood, and Ginny's mouth dropped. "Snape!?"

Snape rolled his eyes as Ginny rose to her feet. "Obviously, but your fear and hatred blinded you. Episkey."

Ginny cried out as she grabbed her nose, and Severus uttered. "Please, tell me this isn't a rescue mission because to jeopardize your mission over a hundred lives is as short sited as it is foolish."

Ginny shook her head. "Umbridge has one."

"I see." Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and spoke. "Find Potter and, if possible, your friends and leave at once. It is far too dangerous for him to be here. Did you not consider breaking into Dolores's home? It's not as well fortified as one would imagine."

"We didn't know where she lived..."

"Did you ever think to ask?" Severus scowled as he shook his head. "The fate of the world rests in the hands of Gryffindors. Merlin, help us all."

"We're in over our heads, Snape. We still need to take our newts. For Merlin's sake, I just passed my Owls. If you think you can do better, then why don't you find the Horc-"

"Silence!" Snape snapped before looking around the room. "Do not speak of such thing in such places. As for your pitiful retort, Dumbledore considered me more valuable as a spy and was proven correct. Because of Dumbledore's foresight, I am now the Headmaster of Hogwarts. I confess that I can't stop the Dark Lord from making the lives of my students miserable, but I can save them! My Muggle-born students weren't shipped straight to Azkaban prison because I convinced the Dark. Lord otherwise. Furthermore, you're only alive because I saved you. Your life cost me greatly, Weasley, the least you can do is not throw it away so cheaply."

If Severus was expecting gratitude from the young Weasley, then he was surely disappointed when her eyes narrowed. "Why exactly are you here?"

Snape said nothing though Ginny didn't fail to notice he was averting his gaze. "You're involved in this!"

"I'm a Death Eater," Snape uttered stiffly. "This is what Death Eaters do."

"Oh, so you're just following orders!?" Ginnys snapped as she viciously poked Snape in the chest. "Do you know what's happening in there? Their slaughter people in theirs. Not Muggle, not Muggleborn, they're people Snape. You're slaughtering them like animals."

"I know, but I can do nothing without revealing my true allegiance," Severus muttered, looking every bit his age.

"So that it then? You're condemning them to die!?" Ginny shouted, not caring who heard her.

Ginny shivered as the room suddenly grew cold, and Severus hunched over her like a vampire as he hissed. "You are a naive little girl, speaking of things you don't understand, but since you've joined the cause, let me impart a small modicum of advice, and I pray for your sake that you listen. You can not save everyone. Sometimes you must do terrible things and make unimaginable sacrifices to achieve your goals. We are at war, that is, if our meager resistance can even be called a war."

"Can't you at least contact someone in order?" Ginny exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "I mean, surely Dumbledore told someone."

"Dumbledore only told one person of my true loyalties, and believe me. It was more than I expected."

"Well, contact this person and let them know what is happening, maybe give them advice on how to..."

Ginny tailed off as Snape fixed her with a long piercing gaze, and suddenly, the broom landed. "Oh."

"Yes, Oh," Snape smirked bitterly. "As far as the world knows, I'm the Dark Lord's loyal servant and most trusted adviser. Unless you were foolish enough to inform your friends, only you know otherwise."

Ginny slowly shook her head, and Severus sighed. "So your not completely hopeless."

"So...besides me, you're on our own." Ginny realized, understanding the weight of what Dumbledore entrusted her with, a man's life.

"I understand how you feel. I want to help, too, as I have countless others. So many lives I could have saved if I had only acted differently. But we are at war, and unfortunately, the innocent suffer...always." Snape whispered, a distant look in his eyes, and Ginny could only imagine the weight on the bitter man's shoulders. "I've fought on both sides of this war. It makes no difference. You will be forced to do things you didn't think you were capable of, but the truth is, there is nothing we are not capable of, for better and for worse. So don't let the guilt consume your heart. You're not the monster you fear. What happened was a symptom of this world gone mad."

Ginny looked up suddenly, tears running down her cheek, and Ginny realized in her heart that Severus knew what had happened, what she had done. "Hard as it may be, Miss Weasley, you must try to forgive yourself. Sometimes we must do terrible things for the right reason. As long as your purpose is pure, your soul may be whole. So embrace the guilt, for it makes you human, but don't let it consume you, or it will destroy you."

Severus then turned and looked away. "Go, find your friends and leave this place, and don't look back. Don't look back."

Ginny nodded and turned to leave but paused at the door as a thought struck her. "Is that how you handle it...the guilt..."

"I'm not like you, Miss Weasley," Severus whispered, a vacant look in his eyes. "Despite your many flaws, you are not a bad person. I am. I've made my choice, and now I must live with it, and all that's followed is a result of my choice. I envy you, for I can never forgive what happened...never."

"What happened." Ginny tried to ask, but when it happened. One moment he was there, and then he wasn't. There was no snap of apparition, a tug of a portkey. Severus Snape was gone. Ginny could only wonder what horrible deeds Snape had committed, what sin was so great unforgivable that he would dub the unforgiven. Ginny wondered if Severus was right about her or if she was unforgiven too.

Ginny opened the door and continued down the long hallways, her former Professor's words echoing in her head, not unlike Tom's had...and still did.

"Don't look back." It was Easy to say but said than done. Slowly Ginny's feet came to a stop, and despite the new Headmaster's words, Ginny looked over her shoulder. It wasn't the blood on her hands that she couldn't wash away. It wasn't the murder of Merry Sauerkraut that had her looking back. Ginny was well-practiced at looking ahead and forgetting the past. But she couldn't ignore the Muggles and Muggleborn she was leaving behind.

How could she not look back when she heard the scream of hundreds of people trapped in a living hell, at the mercy of the worst of humanity? Ginny had to help Harry. He was the key to saving England, if not the world, not to mention the love of her life. Saving those people wouldn't change anything. As long as Tom ruled, there would be endless misery and woe. A hundred lives were but a trifle of what Tom would rip from the world like an unborn child from the womb. It wasn't just the world. If Ginny had to choose between saving a hundred lives and the man she loved, she would choose Harry in a heartbeat,

And yet he could still hear them screaming. It was scared into her mind, and Ginny wondered if the screaming would ever stop and if she would ever sleep again without hearing their cries. Ginny knew she could live with taking a life, but if she turned her back and left the men, women, and even children, to die, she would never forgive herself and be forever unforgiven like half blood prince. Suddenly it became all too clear what she had to do.

Ministry officials parted as Ginny stormed down the hallway, wand brandished. The way forward was evident. Ginny would not forsake those in need while she had strength in her veins. Ginny was born a fighter; if worse comes to worst, she will die a warrior. Ginny only hoped Harry didn't blame himself.

"Dark times lie ahead of us, and there will be a time when we must choose between what is easy and what is right." Dumbledore's words rang in Ginny's ear and gave her courage. After all, when had things ever been easy for her? "Bombardo!" Ginny screamed as she blasted the door off its hinges and stormed into the prison with her wand raised with a curse on her lips. But, instead, She took in the sight of her brother.

"Percy?"

Percy was standing by the imprisoned Muggles and Muggleborn. In one hand was a dirty shoe that could only be a portkey. In the other was a wand aimed right at her. Percy then spoke with eyes of steel. "So you do know my name Wormwood. Everyone in this place seems to have forgotten it."

Ginny shook herself as she hardened her heart and steadied her wand. "It is you who has forgotten who you are."

Percy glared at her with hatred in his eyes as he hissed. "Not anymore."

Ginny stepped to the side, and to her relief, Percy did as well, inadvertently stepping away from the prisoners in danger who would have taken the brunt of her attack. "What happened to you."

"I woke up." Percy snapped. "I was blind to the truth, but now I see."

"See what? What is it you see? I see nothing but an arrogant snob who would see our world burn. As much as I hated you, I never lost hope, but I was wrong. I thought you were a Weasley."

"I am a Weasley." Percy roared.

"You're a murderer." Ginny cried tears in her eyes. "You're a traitor."

"From my point of view, you are the traitor." Percy snapped as the tip of his wand shined a bright red.

"What would your parents think if they saw you now." Ginny snapped as she felt her wand start to tremble under the weight of her rage. "What would you Brothers say, your sister!"

"DIFFINDO!" Ginny ducked as a few hairs fell from their head, belatedly realizing the curse was aimed at her throat. Percy fired another curse, only for Ginny to block it with a protego.

"YOU DARE!" Percy roared with a furry she had never seen from him before as another curse rattled her shield. "YOU DARE SPEAK OF HER!"

"Confringo." Ginny fired, smashing Percy against the wall. "Ginny, her name is Ginny, and she would be ashamed if she saw what you've become."

"YOU KILLED HER." Percy cried as he fired a wordless curse, only for Ginny to block it and cast expelliarmus, and his wand flew into her hand.

Ginny aimed both wands at her brother and snarled. "Where were you when she died? Where were you when Riddle returned? Where were you when she needed you most? You weren't there when Riddle enslaved her. You weren't there as our family fought a war. You weren't at your brother's wedding when I was dying to see you. Instead, you were after fame and glory. You were embarrassed by us, your shameful white trash family, and now you're one of them!"

Percy all but shriveled into himself as he sobbed pitifully, and Ginny snorted in disgust. "Maybe if you were there, you could have saved her. If your sister were alive, she'd still be dead to you. You dead to me, you asshole."

Suddenly Percy started screaming as bat-shaped bogeys flew from his nostrils. Ginny's arm shook from the power of her curse, the most potent bat bogey hex she had ever cast. It was only exhaustion that lowered her wand. Ginny turned her attention to the prisoners, contemplating how to free them.

Suddenly Percy's wand flew from her hand as she was hurled into the cage's bars. "Bombardo"

Ginny ducked and rolled as the bars behind her exploded. Ginny looked up to see Percy had two wands aimed at her and cursed. She had held back because he was her brother, and now he had the upper hand.

Ginny rolled again as Percy fired another curse at her. "You dare use her curse. You dare mock her memory."

Ginny fired a Bombardo, only for Percy to reflect it at her. The resulting explosion sent her flying. Although it surely would have killed her without the last-second shield, she still cracked her head against the wall, leaving her world spinning.

Ginny could only blink as Percy tossed his wand to the side, only to draw another wand and toss it. Ginny blinked and stumbled forward. Wait, when did the prisoners get wands?

Ginny hastily blocked a blasting curse, but the following expelliarmus sent her wand flying into Percy's hand as he cursed. "Fuck you."

Ginny blinked as she realized Percy had pulled even more wands from his robes. Then, shaking her head, her vision cleared as, one by one, Percy armed the Muggleborn. "You're...helping them?"

"It amazes me how blind your lot is." Percy hissed, Ginny's joints locked into place, and all she could move were her eyes. "As if I'd ever be loyal to you, after what you did to my family, to my sister."

Ginny's eyes widened as a boulder appeared in her stomach that had nothing to do with magic. Ginny felt lower than dirt as she finally understood. Snape was right. She was a slave to her feeling, blind to reason.

Percy strutted towards her. Wand brandished like a sword as he hissed. "Your right. It's my fault she's dead. I turned my back on my family. I took them for granted, and now I've lost them forever. I'll never be able to forgive myself for what happened. I wish I could see her one last time, tell her how sorry I am and how much she means to me."

Ginny's heart lurched as she took in her brother's words and felt her heartbreak inside her chest, overwhelmed by the love and sorrow Percy showed her, and she wished she could speak and tell him that she was sorry too.

Then Percy's features darkened as he stared Ginny down with conviction. "But I refuse to wallow in my guilt, not until every Man, Woman, and child is free, regardless of magic and blood status, and every Death Eater is dead.

Ginny tried to speak as Percy stalked towards her like a Lion approaching his wounded prey, ready to pounce. Ginny tried to talk and stop Percy from making a terrible mistake, to tell him she was sorry for doubting him, but most of all, she wanted to tell her brother that she loved him and she forgave him for everything, but her lips remained sealed. Ginny closed her eyes and thought of Harry as she felt the wand dig into her throat.

"This is for Ginny," Percy growled as his eyes glowed red as his hair. "Avada-"

There was a sudden clamor of voices as the prisoners swarmed them both. Some stepping between Ginny and her Brother, while others crowded Percy pulling his wand arm back. Percy looked around in confusion when he suddenly froze, staring at her as if seeing her for the first time. Then Ginny saw long red hair cascade down her vision like a crimson waterfall.

Ginny stumbled forward towards her brother, who stepped back as is struck. "Ginny?"

Ginny slowly nodded as she wiped unshed tears from her eyes. Percy let out a strangled sob as he stuttered. "Ginny...I...I...Oh, Merlin...I'm so...so sorry-"

"Shut up, you prat." Ginny cursed as she threw herself into her bothers arms, and for a moment, they forgot all the eyes surrounding them as they embraced, cried, and healed. In the dungeons of the Ministry, a light shined in the dark as two lost souls found each-over,

No one saw the eyes from the shadow, looking upon them with bitterness and envy. The red hair reminded Severus of another witch who had left him long ago, how he longed to see her one last time and tell her what cowardice silenced. But Severus knew better. Miracles never happened to him. He had chosen the world over the only thing in it that made life bearable, and now she was gone, and Snape walked alone, forever unforgiven. Snape sighed before reaching into his robes, leaving the Weasleys to their salvation while returning to his eternal damnation.