"Ow!" Hermione cried as Ginny tried to put a healing salve on her arms.

"Sorry Hermione," the younger girl grimaced, "but it's not like they were using a tickle charm on you. I can't believe they're getting away with this!"

"What does it matter? They can't kill me yet, so they're doing the next best thing," Hermione grumbled.

School had started on September the first, like usual. Only, Voldemort was in charge now. Ron and Harry had run off into hiding, while Hermione chose to return to Hogwarts with Ginny. Being Harry Potter's best friend had put a target on her back, and being muggleborn hadn't helped at all. She seemed to get the worst punishments from the Carrows than any other student in the school. At least this last "detention" hadn't landed her back in the hospital wing, again.

"You didn't have to come back here. You should have left instead of babysitting me," Ginny said, moving about Hermione's deserted dorm room.

"I couldn't leave you by yourself, Gin. I'll be better once I get back to the library."

Ginny smiled tightly, and then glanced at her watch. "We'd better go, or we'll be late for class."

"Thank you, Gin," the older girl said, hugging her friend before grabbing their bags and heading to their respective classes.


The atmosphere of the castle was very subdued. Everyone kept their heads down while they walked, trying to become as insignificant as possible. Even the Slytherins had a very somber air about them. The first years that Ginny occasionally passed seemed to have the same frightful expression upon their faces. She felt sorry for them, and for anyone who seemed to catch the Carrows' eyes. More than once, the older Gryffindors had to help heal wounds for the younger ones after their detentions. What hurt Ginny the most was all of her friends that hadn't come back this year.

While she pondered over the fates of her missing friends and family, she bumped into a very solid, warm something. If it hadn't been for the mystery person grabbing her arms to keep her steady, she surely would have fallen. As she looked up to apologize, she realized that she was standing face to face with Lucius Malfoy. Her face hardened the second this realization hit, but he didn't seem to notice her sour disposition. Instead, he gave her his most charming smile.

"You must be careful to look where you're walking, Miss Weasley. These are very dangerous times," he said, releasing his hold on her.

"You would be the one to know, sir," Ginny gritted out.

"Miss Weasley, you should learn to treat the guests of this school with more respect," a silky voice said behind her.

She turned around to find Headmaster Snape standing a foot or so away with his arms crossed in front of him. "I apologize for my rudeness, Headmaster." Headmaster my arse! The evil, double-crossing traitor! She mused.

"While as entertaining as this is, Severus, I believe we should let the girl get to class," Lucius smirked. "Wouldn't want her getting a detention with the Carrows, now would we?"

"Of course not," came the dry reply.

With that, Ginny turned down the staircase leading to the dungeon. Once she was out of sight of the two men, she broke into a run and didn't stop until she got to the door of the potions classroom.


Ginny headed straight to the library after Herbology, her last class of the day. She found Hermione near the back of the vast room surrounded by stacks of books. The red head shook her head and rolled her eyes. 'At least some things never change,' she thought grimly.

"Hi Ginny," Hermione said, looking up from her school work. Noticing the other girl's troubled expression she asked, "What's on your mind?"

Ginny dropped into a chair next to Hermione. After casting a wary glance around, she launched into her morning's run in with Malfoy Sr. and Snape.

"Ginny! You can't let your anger get the best of you! Especially with everyone we know risking their lives," the brunette scolded. "I can't believe he didn't give you a detention on the spot!"

"I thought for sure he would. It's strange, though. Malfoy wasn't cruel to me, and he even caught me so I wouldn't fall."

Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, "That is strange. I need to finish this essay before dinner, but we'll talk more about this later."

"Okay. I'm going to the common room and talk to Neville. See you," Ginny said, grabbing her bag and heading out of the library.

As Ginny walked through the corridors back to Gryffindor tower, she continued to replay that morning's events. It had been the only thing she could focus on all day. The possibility of a Malfoy being kind to her was puzzling to the poor girl. Not just any Malfoy, either, but Lucius Malfoy! She was walking in a daze, just allowing her feet to steer her to the tower.

"Well, well, sister. Look what we have here. A poor, blood traitorous lion on her own," the gruff voice of Amycus Carrow called out from in front of her, stopping Ginny in her tracks.

"And a Weasley at that," Alecto said in her shrill voice.

Ginny looked up at her two 'professors' and clenched her wand in her hand. She knew what these two were capable of, and had helped heal her housemates many times in the past month. They seemed to relish in torturing children, but she was prepared. Ginny wasn't going to let them get away with attacking her.

Amycus sneered at her, "Let's teach her a lesson. Crucio!"

Ginny dodged the curse easily. Training with the DA last year had really paid off for her. She fired a stunning spell and caught Amycus in the middle of his chest. She didn't waste any time, turning on her heel and running down the corridor.

"You little bitch!" Alecto screeched before taking off in pursuit.

The stout woman kept on Ginny, throwing hexes and curses at her. Ginny fired back as often as she could while running through different corridors and down stairs. She kept trying to lose the older woman, but Alecto was persistent in her pursuit. As she turned down one corridor, near the dungeons, she felt a sharp, hot pain hit her in the back. Ginny staggered a couple steps, knocking into a door. She screamed out in pain before everything went black.


Hermione walked into the Great Hall, scanning the room for Ginny. When she didn't see the trademark Weasley hair in the crowd she walked straight over to Neville and sat next to him. Neville had been sitting quietly, face drawn in worry and pushing the food around on his plate. He looked up as Hermione sat next to him, before looking around.

"Hi, Hermione, Have you seen Ginny today?" Neville asked, hope shining in his eyes.

"About an hour ago while I was in the library finishing my potions essay," Hermione said, looking at him with dread. "She was headed to the common room to look for you."

"I never saw her, and I've been there since my last class," Neville replied slowly.

"That's not possible." She turned to the other Gryffindors and raised her voice, "Has anyone seen Ginny tonight?"

The response was many shaking heads, and murmurs of 'not since our last class.' Hermione turned back to Neville, both with similar looks of fear and worry clearly written on their faces. They both stood up, dinner completely forgotten, and raced out of the hall.


At the Head Table, Severus Snape had been waiting anxiously for Ginny to arrive. When the Granger girl came in without the red head he started to worry that the Carrows had gotten hold of her, since they were missing as well. Granger seems to have the same idea, he thought when she and Neville raced out of the hall to go looking for the missing girl.

A few moments later, the Carrows burst in the doors. Alecto was breathing heavily while her brother had a dark look on his face. Both approached the Head Table, glaring at everyone who dared to catch their eyes.

"What is the meaning of this?" Severus sneered.

"Headmaster," Alecto started, "the Weasley girl vanished!"

"She attacked us, completely unprovoked. When we went to retaliate she fled from us," Amycus said.

"I chased after her, and as soon as I was about to grab her she just disappeared," Alecto said.

"People do not just vanish within Hogwarts; especially not in a corridor," Severus glared.

"She did! I know it wasn't apparation because of the spells on the castle, but she just disappeared. I saw it with my own two eyes!" Alecto cried.

"Maybe you should get your eyes checked, then," Severus retorted. He put up a hand when both opened their mouths, and stood. "However, I will go and look into it."

Severus left the Great Hall, and headed to his chambers to floo Lucius. He had already set up the guest room in his quarters, and knew Lucius would want to stay in the castle until Rhiannon would reappear. He had a tight smile on his face, knowing what would happen in the past and how it would change the girl's life forever.


Lucius Malfoy, head boy, was heading to breakfast with Severus Snape and the rest of his 'friends'. The rounded a corner, and saw a red headed figure lying motionless in the doorway of an unused classroom. He walked over to check her pulse before ordering them to get the Headmaster. Lucius scooped the girl up in his arms to take her to the hospital wing, while Severus followed, carrying his bag.

"What do you think, Lucius?" Severus questioned.

"I'm not sure, Severus. I've never seen her before in school," Lucius replied.

"I wonder who she is," Severus said.

Lucius looked down into the face of the girl, who seemed to merely be asleep. Her face scrunched up in pain when they started up the stairs to the hospital wing. I wonder who she is, too, Lucius thought as they approached the doors and Severus called out for Madam Pomfrey.