Chapter 22 – It's just the beginning

Mrs Weasley was beside herself with worry, even more since there wasn't a scrap of evidence or rumour of where they had taken her daughter and adopted son. Two whole weeks had come and gone, she prayed they were still alive they had to be, they couldn't be gone. She couldn't lose her only daughter, but as time went on her hope was slowly diminishing. The longer they were away the more she lost hope, if they ever returned home she couldn't shake the thought from her head about what kind of state they would return in. What had they done to them? They would definitely hold internal scars, but would they run too deep to be repaired?

The thoughts that spun in her head were too difficult to bear, she stood in exactly the same place by the kitchen window as she did that day. She continued even now to blame herself for the day they went missing. If only she had looked for them earlier, Harry and Ginny maybe still with them, but they weren't and it was killing her inside.

The images and theories that ran through her head were just too difficult and painful to imagine. She stood in exactly the same place by the Burrow's kitchen window as she did that day they had gone missing. She cursed herself now for not looking for them earlier, if they had she thought they might of been able to save them.

She continued to stare out into the darkness of the Weasley garden, over to the grand oak tree where she would often see Harry and Ginny together. Over the previous summer they had been growing closer and fallen in love with one another. Now a year later they had been taken away because of that love.

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Arthur Weasley entered the deathly quiet kitchen, which he hated, he hated the silence. The kitchen usually held the laughter, chatting, disagreement and debates from his family and friends and now it stood empty apart from his distraught wife that stood by the window. Every night she would return to the same spot and punish herself for the dreaded night, it had only been two weeks. However two weeks had felt like an eternity, with no news, no sign, nothing. It was tearing them apart bit by bit and they were helpless.

Swallowing the lump in his throat and trying to remain strong he walked to his wife, he engulfing her in his arms trying to soothe her pain. But he knew his efforts were in vain because nothing would soothe her, nothing apart from her children returning alive.

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Ron and Hermione sat in the great hall; it was flooded with sunlight as the whole hall merrily ate breakfast. Both sat with their heads down facing empty plates, it was the second day back after the summer break. They didn't want to return to the school, but were promised they would be informed immediately of any information on their missing friends. Both were in a terrible state since Harry and Ginny had been kidnapped, Ron ate very little and Hermione ate nothing. Hermione's head kept spinning with different scenarios that could be happening to her friends, they could be dead and they wouldn't ever see them again. But she forced herself to stay hopeful, she clung to it his with both hands.

This is exactly why Harry hadn't wanted to show his feelings for Ginny, he had known he'd put her in danger. He would never forgive himself if anything happened to her. Hermione thought while she twirled the fork she had through her fingers as she looked up to Ron who had just sighed deeply. He raised his head to allowing their distraught eyes to meet before looking towards the staff table, where Professor Dumbledore sat nervously in his chair. His brow was creased as he kept running hands over his face as he gazed round the hall.

"I might go for a walk before lessons start," Ron muttered looking back at Hermione, "You coming?"

"Yeah, let's go." She replied and was just about to rise for her chair when she heard gasps erupting around the room. She looked in the direction of the gasps as she heard the doors to the great hall slamming shut, her eyes finally found what she searched.

The sight that awaited terrified her beyond belief, tremors rippled through her whole body; not really knowing how she should feel, she was beyond happy they were here, however the images that had been shooting through her mind were quickly becoming a reality. Her rising legs began to shake as she saw the state her two best friends were in. Harry stood staring off into the distance of the great hall clutching Ginny tightly to his body. They were dressed in beige rags that looked like they had been torn open, Harry's arm held a long untreated cut that ran from his elbow to his wrist which was covered in dried blood. They both were without shoes leaving there feet black with dirt, scrapes and bruises. He had been beaten severely; his face also held dried blood from the wounds that had been produced.

Her eye's travelled to Ginny's unconscious body that lay draped over his arms, she had nearly lost whatever contents she had in her stomach thinking Ginny wasn't breathing, but she had seen a small rise of her chest. She looked horrific; all the brightness that made Ginny was gone. Her skin didn't hold the lushes creams, but had become paler, bruises also littered her exposed skin, along with a cut on her arm that had also been left untreated.

Hermione pushed the tears from her eyes trying to be brave for her friends just as Professor Dumbledore swept past her, she rose from her seat fully and was hot on his heels.

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Harry approached the glowing doors to the great hall, realising he was so close to safety, he pushed himself on another step bursting through them into the familiar hall. Relief flooded his body as he stared up at the windows above the teachers table at the very front of the hall, silent tears he had been holding from his eyes fell as he looked down into his arms as a tear fell onto Ginny's bruised face. The violation flashed in front of his eyes and he crumbled to the ground as his legs could take no more, still clutching Ginny's body to his.

Exhaustion was closing in as Harry's body began rejecting what had just happened to it, he saw a shadow overtaking his vision and he clutched Ginny as tight as he could to his body. He would not totally let his guard down untill she was safely with someone he truelly trusted.

Professor Dumbledore fell to his side along with Ron and Hermione, sobs both escaping their throats.

"Harry?" Dumbledore spoke evenly as he lightly held Harry's shoulder, "Can you hear me?"

Harry heard the echo of a voice calling out his name, and he grudgingly turned his head towards the noise. The panic that still resided in his chest evaporated as his eyes met the blue twinkling ones of Professor Dumbledore, Harry then forced himself to listen carefully to the blurred noise that was coming from the wise professors lips.

"Can you hear me Harry?" Dumbledore repeated nervously never taking his eyes from Harry's that kept trying to roll into the back of his head.

Harry forced his lips to move and mumbled a "yes!"

"It's ok Harry...your'e safe now...you both are!" Dumbledore soothed as he grasped Harry's hand reassuringly.

"Snape...he..." He shakily tried to squeeze from his lips.

"I know Harry, I know...you're safe!" Dumbledore repeated but let his eyes travel down to Ginny, his whole stomach gave an almighty flip of nausea thinking of the horrors she had endured.

"Harry we need to get Ginny to Madam Pomfrey, can we...take her from you so we can get her there quick?" Dumbledore tried to explain delicately knowing that Harry gripped her protectively.

Harry slowly nodded his head understanding Dumbledore's reassuring words, he loosened his arms and felt the weight and warms of her body leave him. As Ron started lifting her into his arms.

"Get her...Ron...she needs..." Harry stammered as he tried to breathe.

Ron looked upon his sister lying limp in his arms and couldn't stop the tears falling from his eyes as Harry released her from his arms and into Ron's, "She'll be...ok...won't she?" He struggled to say.

"I hope so." Dumbledore replied as Neville approached Harry, hoisting him gently onto his feet supporting most of his weight, Hermione quickly moved to Harry's other side, carefully holding him.

"Mr Weasley you go ahead and get her to the hospital wing, we'll follow behind you." Dumbledore instructed him as he stood, he didn't know really what to expect seeing them after what Severus had told him. They were completely traumatized; he just hoped they were strong enough to live on.

"Aaaahhhhhhhh!!" Harry yelled as his friends supported him, his ribs throbbed in their cage from the beatings he had received.

"It's over Harry, it's all over!" Hermione tried to soothe him.

Harry winced again, "It's not...It's just the beginning!" He ground out as he felt his legs losing their strength, every part of his body ached horribly. His vision began to blur again and his hearing became muffled. He could feel the vibrations coming of his friends' bodies as they talked to him but he just couldn't focus himself to listen anymore. He tried to fight the exhaustion that was overtaking him, as every time he blinked his or closed his eyes for a second, the assault and terror that had taking place overtook him. But it was no good, he was gone his body gradually shutting down to begin a recovery that he didn't know it could fulfil.

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