For Harry

Task for Beater 1 (me): Write about what life would be like a week after Voldemort rises to power

Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition, Round 8 for Puddlemere United.

Word Count without A/N's: 1,015

Prompts:

(word) allegiance

(dialogue) "Well played, Voldy."

"HARRY POTTER IS DEAD!"

The words still rang in Ginny Weasley's ears days after that fateful day. She heard that sentence twice. Once was when Hagrid carried Harry Potter's body back to the castle. The second time was when Voldemort defeated him in a duel.

The first time, it was a lie.

The second time, it was the truth.

When he said those fateful four words a second time, no one was ready to believe it. Everybody was looking around, as if Harry was going to come out of nowhere and shout, "Hey, Voldemort! I'm alive! You can't get rid of me!"

He didn't. The Wizarding World's beacon was gone, and the Order of the Phoenix—now called the Order resistance—knew that they had to immediately go into hiding to stay alive. They were the only hope at a better world now, and Voldemort demanded all Order members were killed on the spot.

Ginny Weasley was plagued with nightmares every night since that day.

"It's not safe, Ginny," Harry had said of their relationship.

Angry tears flooded her face. It was safe for her. It wasn't safe for him. She didn't even get to say goodbye…

Now that Harry was gone, everyone seemed to simply have given up. The Order of the Phoenix was reduced to a simple resistance group. The rules weren't so lenient on Order Members, anyways.

"All people that resist against the Dark Lord's power shall be punished."

There were also rules like,

"All Muggleborns will be forced into slavery. Failure to comply will result in instant death."

"May the 2nd is now Victory Day."

Victory Day? More like doomsday. If any of them showed their faces, they're admitting 'punishment.' Ginny doubted the punishment would be milk and cookies.

So, obviously, the Order of the Phoenix went into hiding because they valued their lives. Well, most of them at least. Some didn't even want to live anymore, preferring to just be tortured and eventually killed already.

Ginny thought the whole situation was terrible. Right now, the Order was laying low, trying to figure out what to do next. After all, it'd only been a week and things were going desperately downhill.

Some people decided to simply Apparate to America.

Shell Cottage, their hideout, had been put with many wards that soon no one could count them, as well as an enlargement charm so that all the Order and anyone who wanted asylum would stay there.

Ginny would remember the old days. They were gone. Years of a good life were now replaced with what would no doubt be years of fear and terror.

Dead. Their hope was dead. Her love was dead.

Ginny slowly changed her position in her bed, turning around and hoping sleep would find her. The next time Ginny woke up, Harry was right next to her.

Wait…how?

"Harry?" she managed, slowly pulling herself out of bed, "How are you…?" She reached out a shaky hand to touch him. Her hand went right through his.

"Alive?" he supplied, "I have my ways, Gin. You're not conscious, you're dreaming."

Ginny blinked, before spinning upon him in rage, "He killed you!" she screamed, "How did this happen? What did he do? How—"

"It wasn't enough," he interrupted her, his voice hollow.

"So…" trailed off Ginny, looking down at her lap, "You're just going to give up?"

"Ginny," he said firmly, "You know very well that if I were alive and with you, I'd do everything I could to stop Voldemort from doing what he is now."

"I know," said Ginny softly, her eyes brimmed with tears, "I know."

"I love you," he said softly.

"I love you too," Ginny said, now openly crying. "Things would've been so different…"

"Not all hope is lost, Gin," he said firmly.

"Harry, you don't know how bad it is," she said bluntly, looking up at him. "If you don't pledge allegiance to him, and his Death Eaters find you, you're taken for punishment. (1). I'm pretty sure it isn't being grounded for two weeks! Muggleborns are now slaves. A week ago is now victory day. He released these laws two days after he…came to power," she shuddered.

"Muggleborns are now slaves…Hermione," he gasped.

"Hermione is with Ron and the Order," reassured Ginny, and she could hear Harry's sigh of relief, "Harry, people are committing suicide every day. People are Apparating out of Britain. And who knows? He has Wizarding Britain. Maybe he'll…aim for something bigger," shuddered Ginny.

"Well played, Voldy," spat Harry in disgust. (2).

Ginny broke down, "Innocent lives…"

I'm sorry," said Harry, his voice cracking. "I'm so, so sorry Gin."

"Don't say that. You did your best," said Ginny firmly.

"Ginny, he is mortal," started Harry. "You can still end him."

Ginny blinked, "What do you mean?"

Harry sighed, "When Ron, Hermione and I were gone all year…it was to find these things called Horcruxes. Horcruxes…well, in order to create one, you split your soul. You're immortal."

"Split your soul?" gasped Ginny incredulously, "But…how does that work?"

"In order to create a Horcrux…you have to kill someone," explained Harry.

"And…" trailed off Ginny, "How many did…he have?"

"Seven," whispered Harry.

Ginny swallowed as she looked up at her dead lover, "But…but what if, Harry you have to think of the possibility—he's going to make more. He might have another Horcrux now, for all we know. He has no qualms of killing people. He's doing it left and right, for the Lord's sake! Harry…we're screwed."

"Don't ever say that," said Harry fiercely. "I would've been nothing without the Order, you hear me? Nothing. You, the Order, have a chance at stopping this from happening—even if Voldemort did win."

"For you, Harry," said Ginny, her voice cracking, "We're going to keep fighting for you. I love—"

She looked up. Harry's spirit was gone. Ginny let the tears flow freely down her face as she sat upright—this time not dreaming. But Ginny Weasley did know something, even if Voldemort was in power—the Order wasn't going down without a fight.

For Harry.

A/N: Done! I don't like it, but done! My first attempt at a Hinny. Writing has honestly been hell for me this week, trying to balance RL, summer hw, and writers block, especially for this round in particular. To anyone waiting for a Meaning of Life chapter…I'm sorry, if it helps know that I'm 1,000 words in. My goal is Sunday/Monday, but I'll fail xD Thanks to Slytherin's-one-and-only for looking at the beginning of the fic and letting me decide that I might not need to start over.

Footnotes: two, one for each prompt used.

Please R&R :)

-Ana