"Well, after this delightful turn of events, are you feeling up to recounting what transpired, Miss Weasley?"
"Yes, and while you're at it, you can tell me why you cursed me." Harry said, looking at Ginny with not a trace of humour.
"I'm sorry if I hurt you Harry." Ginny replied, patting his arm gently. "But sometimes one must be cruel only to be kind."
Harry spluttered. "That's not what I meant! You could've died!"
"So could've you!" Ginny sat up straight and stared straight into Harry's eyes. "Voldemort wants you, Harry."
"All the more reason for you to leave! Voldemort would want to deal with me himself. The Death Eaters would have no qualms about killing you on the spot!" Harry said, raising his voice.
Harry was beginning to build up a temper – but he was facing the only person in the galaxy that had ever proven that she could stand up to him in such a situation.
"I knew you'd never leave me in that situation, Harry – but it wasn't just about us – there were students in the Room of Requirement – someone needed to get back and warn them!"
"And why couldn't you be that someone?"
"What!" Ginny shouted. "And leave you with Death Eaters! Are you insane?"
Harry looked away, turning to the Weasleys who were watching with open mouths.
"Do…do you get her?" Harry mouthed at them. "It's…it's…"
"Like looking in the mirror?" Hermione deadpanned.
Harry gaped like a fish but could find no argument, so turned back to Ginny, but found he unable to say anything, but Ginny understood and grasped Harry's hand, holding it.
"Well Headmaster, it went like this…" Ginny began.
"So Harry and I went our separate ways - and Ginevra remained in the dark manor of Wiltshire."
Fawkes began to warble a background song as Ginny started singing.
"Bravely bold Ginevra stayed forth to fight a lot,
She was not afraid to die, oh brave Ginevra,
She was not at all afraid to be killed in nasty ways, brave, brave, brave Ginevra."
Hermione's mind was cast back all those years ago when she had told Ginny about that song, and she groaned into her palms.
"She was not in the least bit scared to be mashed into a pulp,
Or to have her eyes gouged out and her elbows broken
To have her kneecaps split and her body burned away,
And her limbs all hacked and mangled, brave Ginevra.
Her head smashed in and her heart cut out and her liver removed and her oesophagus blocked …."
"That's…that's…that's enough music for now, Ginny." Ron, looking green.
"There was… I don't know if you can call it a duel." Ginny wondered. "We skirmished. Lestrange got my hair but I was helped for a moment by the fact they weren't cooperating. Then they began working in tandem. Malfoy disarmed me and Dolohov got me with his curse, but I got my wand back from Greyback and gave a bit of a nasty blow with that claw I transfigured – I didn't you'd mind, Professor, considering the situation."
Ginny reached into the pocket of the robes that were hanging next to her bed. "Got his wand out of it."
"Then I roasted the wardrobe and there was nothing left to stay for."
"So you apparated away?" Hermione asked.
"Not quite, Hermione, you see…
Brave Ginevra ran away.
Bravely ran away away.
When Tommy reared his ugly head she bravely turned her tail and fled
Yes brave Ginevra turned about and gallantly she chickened out
Bravely taking to her feet she beat a very brave retreat,
Bravest of the brave, Ginevra!"
"Most eloquently put, Miss Weasley." Dumbledore beamed.
"So, Voldemort appeared?"
"Yes sir. I tried to get him with Dragonfire but he stepped out of the way. The décor in Malfoy Manor has got a rather fetching Phoenix shaped scorch mark though." Ginny said, looking proud.
"How did you escape from him?" Dumbledore asked.
"Well…I disapparated…I know the basic theory, and fortune smiled on me as it seems that the Anti-Disapparation wards were either down or they don't bother with them – maybe they're more concerned with people getting in than out."
"And Voldemort didn't do anything to stop you?"
"Err…I think he tried to use some form of Legillimency to keep me there. It was almost as if he was trying to control my actions with his gaze."
"Lord Voldemort is the most powerful Legillimens in the world."
Ginny nodded. "It felt like Fred and George were smashing a million bludgers in my skull."
Dumbledore nodded. Lord Voldemort does have a flair for the dramatic, and it would be helpful for his image if he manage to overpower you wandlessly."
"Yes sir. And I'm sure you would agree that Tom Riddle is not the most delightful of dinner hosts, so I graciously declined his invitation to stay. By the time he realised what had happened and pulled out his wand I was being sucked out of Malfoy Manor."
"All in all an eventful day, Miss Weasley."
"Right you are sir." Ginny smiled.
"Well, you must be hungry after all that excitement, if you make your way downstairs to the Great Hall I'm sure a most scrumptious breakfast will be waiting for you."
"Does that mean I can leave?" Ginny looked at Madam Pomfrey.
"I don't see any reason to keep you here." Madam Pomfrey sniffed. "Do be careful, will you." Pomfrey asked, though she knew it was useless.
"I'll try." Ginny smiled, and hand in hand her and Harry left the room.
Her family and Hermione filed out after them, and Pomfrey left Dumbledore alone with Fawkes.
"Well Fawkes….this changes everything."
Dumbledore pondered what this meant for himself, his students, Severus, the young man Draco who was meant to murder him, and not least of all, Harry and his friends. It was long into the night before Dumbledore could get any sleep.