A/N: You are so lucky to get a chapter this weekend! Between my cat dying and my internet acting all wonky, I wasn't sure you'd get one after all. That's why it's a bit short. I urge you all to check out the end of the chapter, where I've posted something about my next HP story, and let me know what you think. Enjoy!
IMPORTANT NOTE: Alright, I'm tired of getting reviews complaining about the use of "Protego" to block the Cruciatus curse. From what I researched, the killing curse was the only confirmed unforgiveable that can't be blocked by magical means. I found many conflicting resources as to whether or not a spell like "Protego" could block the other two. In short, no one seems 100% sure. For that reason, in this story the Cruciatus curse can be blocked by "Protego". So please stop complaining about it, okay?
The portkey tossed them down onto the dirt with a jarring thump that made every bone in Harry's body quiver. He staggered and fell against Ginny, who lost her balance and went down with Harry on top of her. Harry grunted when he felt a couple more people land on top of him and, wincing, managed to crane his neck so that he could look around. Draco and Hermione were the only ones who'd managed to stay on their feet, though there was a distinctly green tint to Hermione's cheeks and Draco looked pale. Knowing that it meant Ron and Lia were the ones on top of him and Ginny, he squirmed and somehow managed to wriggle out of the pile.
"Come on, everybody up," he said urgently, helpfully pushing Ron off of Ginny until his girlfriend had enough space to get up. He was glad to see that, as Ron and Lia scrambled to their feet, everyone still held their wands. So far no one had surprised them with an attack, but he was certain that it could happen at any time.
Harry took the chance to take a quick look around as his friends dusted themselves off, wondering where they were. The six of them had landed in a sort of clearing enclosed by dead trees, with the only way out being a pathway that led to the right. The clearing was dark and dimly light thanks to ominous clouds that swirled overhead, making it difficult to see if there was anyone hiding in the trees. He lifted his wand and cast a lumos, hoping it would help. It didn't, even when the other five helpfully cast the same spell; the trees must have been spelled against allowing any source of light to reveal their secrets.
"Where do we go first?" Lia asked, keeping her voice quiet. "Do you think... should we stick to the trees so that they won't see us coming?"
"Sounds good to me," said Harry, thinking that her idea had merit; he didn't like the idea of just walking up to Riddle and being a sitting duck for the man to pick them off one by one. He started to take a step towards the trees, and was brought up short when Hermione threw an arm out to stop him. She stooped and picked up a small rock as Harry shot her a confused look. She flashed him a grim smile and tossed her rock at the trees. An green barrier flickered into effect instantly, causing the rock to bounce off with a shower of sparks. A bunch of pebbles hit the dirt. Everyone stared in shock as Hermione nodded grimly with satisfaction and looked at them.
"I suggest we stick to the path and use rocks to find the right way to go. Whatever you do, don't touch that barrier. I've read about spells like that. It's the equivalent of a muggle electrified fence, only a thousand times more potent," she said.
"Bloody hell," Ron muttered, his freckles standing out starkly against the pallor of his face. "I guess they're going to see us coming."
"Maybe not. Does anyone know the Disillusionment Charm?" Ginny asked.
"I do." Draco moved forward and lifted his wand.
"Hang on. Everyone hold onto each other," Hermione ordered. "We'll risk losing each other if we don't, and we need to stick together. Harry, you be in the lead. Ginny, you're right behind him. Hold onto his shirt, not his hand. Lia, you're next. Then Ron, then me, and Draco, you'll be in the rear so that you can cast the spell on yourself last."
The six of them got into the ordere Hermione had suggested, allowing Draco to cast the Disillusionment charm on each of them in turn. Harry shivered at the feeling and resisted the urge to check for a broken egg on top of his head. Instead, he turned, looking in the direction that he assumed his friends were. He couldn't see anything as long as they were standing still, but that would change as soon as the group moved. But that couldn't be helped, and at least it was better than having nothing at all. Grimly, he took a step forward and felt Ginny fall in line behind him. After tossing a rock at the entrance to the pathway and making sure that there was no barrier, they proceeded forwards.
"Crucio!"
The attack came within seconds, aimed at the middle of their group. Harry and Draco reacted at the same time, casting a shield charm instantly. A bubble of silvery light formed in front of the curse, cutting it off effectively. Another curse came from the back where the shield didn't reach, canceling the Disillusionment Charm. At the same time, two figures emerged from the trees on opposite sides of the group, a man and a woman. Both wore dark cloaks, but the signature white masks were missing. Obviously Tom Riddle did not believe that they would live long enough to go home and spread stories around. Draco stiffened when he saw the two of them, his wand trembling in his grasp, and Hermione gasped softly when Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy moved forward enough to be visible.
"Mother? Father?" Draco whispered.
"Draco, I am ashamed. I would have thought you'd had more sense than to join a group of Gryffindors," Lucius said, shaking his head with disappointment. "It's not too late, my son. I am sure our lord would allow you to join if you were to state your case of temporary insanity."
Draco wavered, glanced at Hermione, and then took a deep breath. He tightened his hand around his wand. "Why would I want to join someone that I have to bow before?" he snapped, grey eyes flashing. "The Malfoys do not bow to anyone. You taught me that, Father. I only wish that you had seen the value in following your own instructions."
Lucius' face went pale with fury. "Why you little... Crucio!"
"Protego!" Draco shouted. As the bubble of light formed over the group, he looked at Harry. "What are you hanging around here for? I can handle my parents, but not if I have to worry about shielding you at the same time. Besides, Riddle is waiting for you. Go."
"But Draco..." protested Ginny.
"It's okay. I'll stay with him," said Hermione, looking calm and determined in the silvery light. "No arguments," she added when Draco went to speak. "I mean it, Draco. I'm not leaving you to face both of them at the same time. Don't you know that Gryffindors always want to play fair?"
"Foolish Gryffindors," he muttered, but the comment was lackluster at best. He wrapped an arm around Hermione's waist and kissed her, drawing an enraged shriek from Narcissa. "Go, Harry. Get rid of that bastard."
"Good luck, Draco," Harry said before grabbing Ginny's hand. He started to run, knowing that Lia and Ron would be right behind them. Just before the four of them left the clearing behind entirely, he heard Hermione taunting Narcissa over the fact that her baby boy was dating a mudblood and had to smile. Nothing else could make Narcissa loose control as fast as that could. But that was Hermione for you. In this world, she might care more about her clothing and appearence, but she still had a streak of cleverness that no one could beat.
"Do you think they'll be alright?" Lia asked, panting.
"They'll have to be," Harry said grimly.
"Hermione and Draco are resourceful," Ginny said, making an effort to placate her. "And I doubt Lucius and Narcissa are going to dare hurt the last line of the Malfoy family."
Harry wasn't so sure about that, especially where Hermione was concerned, but Lia seemed to believe it, so he let it go. Ginny's hand was warm in his, and he clutched it tightly as they rounded a corner. He stopped abruptly, gasping heavily, and looked around. There was a fork in the road, with one pathway leading left and the other leading right. Aside from that, both of them appeared to be identical. Which one were they meant to take? Bending down, he tried Hermione's trick of throwing rocks to see if a barrier would appear. Nothing happened, meaning that both ways were clear.
"What do you think?" he asked.
Ron studied the two paths with narrowed eyes. "I think both are probably equally dangerous and laden with traps. It's more a matter of which one we'd prefer to take as opposed to which one will be safer. Riddle really wants to duel with you, Harry, so I suspect both would eventually lead to the same place."
"Let's go right, then," Harry proposed. "I can't tell them apart, so we might as well just pick one."
Ginny walked over to the tree nearest to the right pathway and muttered something under her breath. Her wand lit with a bright red light that seared deeply into the bark, leaving an arrow symbol that was pointing to the right. "It will tell Sirius and the others which way we've gone when they come," she explained, brushing ash away from the arrow. "This place is built kind of like a maze. I don't want help to be delayed in coming for any reason."
"Good plan," said Harry, smiling at her. "Let's - "
"Sectumsempra!" A jet of light burst from the opening of the left path and struck Lia. She fell with a cry as Peter Pettigrew came into view. The man was visibly trembling, but he faced the four squarely.
"Lia, oh my god, are you okay?" Ginny knelt beside the girl and saw that Lia's left ankle had been broken by her fall, and that there was an ugly, seeping wound on her right knee. Lia whimpered when Ginny tried to wipe some of the blood away, visibly struggling to hold back tears.
"You fucking bastard..." Harry seethed, a murderous light in his green eyes. "I let you live once, you rat. I won't make that mistake a second time, believe me."
"No!" Ron stepped forward, blocking Harry, and spoke fast. "Harry, you have to keep going. The only way this is going to end is if you get to Riddle and put a stop to this once and for all. No one else can do it but you. I'll stay here and protect Lia, alright? I promise I won't let anything happen to her. I swear."
"Ron..." Harry hesitated, looking from his determined friend to Pettigrew. He would have liked nothing more than to cast the killing curse himself and watch the light die from the rat's eyes. But Ron was right. It was more important for him to worry about Riddle, and he'd need all of his energy to battle the psychopath. Eventually, he sighed. "Alright. Don't take any chances, though, got it? If he becomes too much, take Lia and run for it."
"Got it. Ginny, go with Harry," Ron ordered. "I'll be fine."
Looking tense and worried, Ginny nodded, pausing only to give her brother a kiss on the cheek before she and Harry took off up the path to the right. From six all the way down to two, Harry worried, glancing at his girlfriend out of the corner of his eyes. How much longer would he and Ginny be able to stick together? The problem was, of course, that Riddle was too clever by far. He'd known that Harry would bring friends along, and had no doubt purposely designed this trap to separate them. Harry gritted his teeth, growing even more determined with every step; he would kill Riddle.
The two of them ran in silence for a long time, following the path and stopping only occasionally to check for the barrier with rocks. It was always around the trees, forcing them to stay on the outlined path, and they never came to another fork. The path was just long and dark and never-ending, and after about ten minutes of solid running, Harry felt a stitch growing in his side. Finally, he was forced to stop, gasping for breath and rubbing at the spot. Ginny paused next to him, panting heavily. She wiped sweat from her forehead and looked up at the sky, which was still covered with murky grey stormclouds.
"Hate... Riddle..." she managed to get out.
"Me... too..." Harry answered, straightening as the pain disappeared. He took a slow, deep breath and glanced around. More of the same, and it was starting to drive him crazy. "What do you think?"
"I feel like we're not getting anywhere," she said, scowling. "It's like no matter how far we run, we're standing in one place."
Suddenly suspicious, Harry frowned. "Are there spells that could do that?"
Ginny blinked and rubbed her nose, looking thoughtful. "Well, yes, I suppose. I've never heard of any... but there are spells for practically everything else, so I don't see why not. You think Riddle cast a spell on this place to make us think that we're progressing when we aren't?"
"I think it's worth a shot. Let's try canceling it together. On three, alright? One, two..."
"Finite Incantatem!" Harry and Ginny chorused.
The whole world seemed to tremble around them, and then, with a sound like shattered glass, the dirt path and the trees disappeared, revealing that they were actually in a graveyard, with the forest several feet behind them. Ginny jumped when she saw the graves and Harry swore, knowing that this was Riddle's idea of a joke. No wonder they hadn't been getting anywhere; the two of them would have kept going until Riddle himself put an end to it. His eyes settled on a dark-robed figure was lounging against a burial stone just a few feet ahead, and immediately he held up his wand stepped protectively in front of Ginny as Bellatrix LeStrange gave a luxurious stretch and smiled, her eyes glinting.
"I see ickle baby Potter finally found the answer," she cooed. "My lord thought that you would."
"Bellatrix," Ginny hissed. She grabbed Harry's arm before he could cast a spell. "Harry – "
"No," he said, cutting her off. "No way, Gin. I am not leaving you here with her."
"You have to," said Ginny. "It's okay. I can do this. You go on to Riddle."
"But..." Harry hated the thought of leaving here there. Bellatrix, for all of her insanity, was an extremely powerful witch who could easily kill Ginny. He looked down into her golden eyes and thought to himself that she had never looked more beautiful. His heart swelled and he gently cupped her cheek. "Ginny, I..."
"Shh." Ginny placed her fingers over his lips and smiled sadly. "Tell me back at Hogwarts, okay?"
Harry smiled in return and kissed her fingers before pulling her hands away and taking her into his arms. He kissed her again, this time on the mouth, trying to pour all of his love and desire to protect her into the kiss. "Alright. I'm going to hold you to that."
"Please do," she said. "Now, go."
"I don't think so. Crucio!" Bellatrix shouted.
"Stupefy!" Ginny yelled at the same time.
With Bellatrix distracted by dodging the curse, Harry took the chance to sprint past her. She screamed with rage but he ignored her, aiming for the heart of the graveyard, where he knew that Riddle would be waiting for their duel to begin. Help might have been coming, but there was no way that Harry could stick around and wait for it to arrive. Behind him, his friends were locked into their own battles, and who knew how long they could hold out? Ahead of him, the biggest battle of life was waiting, and he was prepared to answer the call. Harry growled low in his throat and picked up the pace. He was ready to end this.
Please review!
My next story, so far untitled, will be H/G, and involves the following: While under the imperius curse, Ron destroys all bonds between the Potter and Weasley family forever. Within a matter of weeks, the Weasleys and Potters will grow to hate each other with a loathing matched only between that of the Weasleys and the Malfoys. Unable to stop the process, Ginny has one choice to make and little time to make it in – she can disown herself and keep loving Harry from afar, or grow to hate him against her will. What do you all think? Does this sound like a story you'd be interested in?