My Thoughts Be Bloody
... O, from this time forth,
My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth.
Hamlet, Act IV, Scene IV
Ginny awoke in a poorly lit room with her face against the cold stone floor and her hands tied in front of her. It was some sort of dungeon cell. There was a man kneeling next to her. He grabbed her chin and turned it roughly to see her.
"At least you got the right person," Draco Malfoy said with dripping contempt before getting up.
"My arm," a man said weakly, "as long as it's attached, they can save it at St. Mungo's, let me Apparate there..."
"No, you fool. You'll be questioned," Malfoy hissed at the man.
"But... but my arm..." he said looking down at the limb he was holding up with his left hand.
Draco ignored the man and turned to Mulciber. "Did Potter do this?"
Mulciber shifted his weight on his feet. He considered his answer as he looked at Ginny. "No, Potter wasn't there. It was this bitch."
Malfoy turned to look at Ginny who was still a little groggy after being enervated and then looked back at Mulciber. "You'll have to deal with this problem. We cannot bring a healer here," he said at the same time as he gave a significant sideways glance at the wounded man. He seemed to be going into shock.
Mulciber nodded and took out his wand. "Avada Kedavdra!"
Ginny watched in horror as the green flash struck the wounded man in the chest and he simply collapsed dead to the floor.
"Get him out of here," Malfoy ordered.
Two men grabbed the body and took it out of the room. Ginny tried to get up and only then did she notice that her ankles were tied to an iron ring on the floor. Malfoy was strutting in front of her, black robes billowing, with a curled upper lip. She was terrified by the fact that no one seemed to be bothering to conceal their identities. They apparently weren't expecting her to make it out of there alive.
"Well, Weaselette. The natural order will soon be re-established. The Malfoys on top, and the Weasleys in the gutter." He pulled her up by the arms and pushed her to the wall pressing his body against her. "You and I are going to continue where we left off at Hogwarts," he said against her ear.
Despite the fear that permeated her body, Ginny reacted the only way she knew, with defiance. "Is that what this is all about? Are you such a pathetic wanker you can't even pay to get laid?"
Draco slapped her hard across the face, but Ginny bit back any indication that it had hurt. "Don't flatter yourself, Weaselette. This is about a lot more; but I will shag you before this is over. For some stupid reason, my mother wants you to produce a Malfoy baby. She's under the misguided impression that you're somehow special."
Ginny's head was pounding with the words she had just heard. They expected to keep her prisoner for months. The idea of Malfoy simply touching her made her nauseous, but being raped to produce a Malfoy child would be unendurable.
"I'll die first. I swear it!" Ginny said through gritted teeth and with narrowed eyebrows.
Malfoy leered at her perfectly proportioned figure and cupped her left breast over her clothes with a smirk. Ginny struggled against her bindings at spat and him. Malfoy stepped back and wiped the saliva from his face. He was aroused. He loved being in a position of power and to demean his women. He punched her in the face, knocking her down to the floor. Her left eye started to swell almost immediately. "Good, that will leave a mark. It'll make your father more willing to negotiate."
Ginny's sight was still blurry from the punch, but she could see him approach with a lecherous smile. She struggled desperately and screamed in frustration. She pushed her thighs together, cursing the fact she had chosen to wear a sundress instead of pants. Malfoy loomed over her.
"What do you think you're doing, Draco?" Narcissa Malfoy asked calmly, as she came into the cell carrying a couple of Death Eater masks.
"If you want her to breed, I will have to shag her. Isn't that what you want, mother?" he asked sarcastically, curling his upper lip.
"The first order of business is to start the negotiations to release your father," she snapped back at him. Narcissa Malfoy approached Ginny and looked at her appraisingly. "The black eye is a nice touch. Well done, Draco."
Malfoy grunted and shuffled his feet, still disgruntled by the interruption. Narcissa pulled out her wand and pointed it to Ginny's lower abdomen.
Despite the relief she felt, Ginny started struggling when Mrs Malfoy started chanting an incantation. She had no idea what she was doing. There were a series of coloured glows that flowed back to the wand coming from her lower abdomen.
"As I suspected, she's on the potion. She will be menstruating in two or three days but won't be ovulating for a couple of weeks. I will tell you when she's ready for you. Is that clear?" she asked looking at Draco, who simply grumbled in a low voice. "IS THAT CLEAR?" she asked again more forcefully.
"Yes, mother. That was too much information, by the way," Draco answered, seething with frustration.
"Don't lose sight of the bigger plan. When she's fertile, you can fuck her all you want. For now, silence her and let's get in touch with the Ministry."
-0-0-0-
Harry was in the bathroom, contentedly humming a tune and washing his teeth, when he heard Tonks calling his name. The urgent knocking on the door of his room alarmed him. He hurriedly put on a bathrobe and yelled for her to come in as he stepped out of the bathroom.
Harry felt the blood drain from his face when he saw Tonks expression when she burst in. Whatever it was, it was bad. He felt a sense of dread creeping up on him. The pain of what she had to say was evident on her face. She looked at him with compassion before talking. "Harry, it's Ginny. She has been kidnapped."
The words hit him like a ton of brinks. He was momentarily frozen in place, unable to move or utter a word. His agony was clearly visible on his face. "How did it happen?" he asked anxiously as he took a step forward and grabbed Tonks by the lapels of her robe. "She was going to Floo to her flat. The Weasley's connection is secure, and none of the ward tampering alarms have been set off at either location."
"The Weasleys were out of Floo powder, and she walked to the Apparition point..."
"Was she hurt?"
"We don't know."
"Where was the bloody minder? He better be dead or dying at St. Mungo's!" he hissed.
"Ginny never called him. She was in a hurry. She didn't even ask for one of her brothers to accompany her to the Apparition point."
Why? Why now? Why her? A hundred more questions tormented Harry's mind.
"Have they made any demands yet?" he asked, holding his breath. If there were demands, it meant that they had some time, and that Ginny wouldn't be killed... at least not immediately.
"No. They left behind a two-way mirror and instructions to wait for them to contact us."
Harry let out the breath he was holding. "I have to get to the scene," he said letting go of her lapels and turning to the closet.
"Harry!" Tonks called out, making him turn around. "There's a lot of blood at the scene. We think it's from one of the kidnappers, but they were still testing it when I left."
Harry remained silent as what she had just said sunk in. He could hardly think. He was paralyzed with fear; a fear like he had never felt before. Just as he thought he was emerging from the darkness; the light of his life was being taken away from him. He had already lost so much. His mother and father, friends like Alastor Moody and Dumbledore. Ginny was his one chance at true happiness. Losing her would be unbearable. The pain of that thought almost overwhelmed him. He felt himself spiral into despair and pulled his hair. This was his bloody fault. He should never have left her. He should have stayed at the Burrow or insisted that she come with him. He was a pathetic failure. He was a fraud as an Auror, as in everything.
Tonks saw him sinking. "GET IT TOGETHER, HARRY!" she screamed mercilessly at the top of her lungs, even though her eyes were filled with tears for him.
After a few seconds, Harry looked up. His jaw was set, and his eyebrows narrowed. There was a dark glint in his eyes. Tonks knew he could be a sweet and selfless young man. The Harry she knew was incapable of murder, even if he was capable of killing to defend himself and his friends. But there was another side to Harry; a scary one. She had seen it only once before. It was the one that had shown no mercy and no remorse during the Battle of Hogwarts. The one that was disappointed when his opponents surrendered. The Harry that looked at her now was that Harry. She shuddered to think about what he would be capable of doing for Ginny.
Tonks was right, Harry thought. He could have a nervous breakdown later; after Ginny was safe and those responsible punished. Harry turned around quickly and started to pull clothes out of the closet. He put them neatly on the bed. Black boxer briefs, black socks, black tactical boots, black cargo pants, black tee-shirt, black robe. Black as night.
It was the colour of his purpose.
Harry took a step back and conjured Gryffindor's sword. He tested its weight to reacquaint himself with it after three years, and then flourished the blade with blazing speed. After testing its feel again, he laid down the sword on top of his clothes, where it promptly disappeared.
"Dark deeds, darkly answered," he quoted with grim determination etched on his face as he looked at Tonks. "Give me a moment to get dressed."
-0-0-0-
The Auror Office had set up a field crisis facility in the Burrow's living room. The magical evidence collection teams were still working at the Apparition point, and so far, they had determined that the blood they had found was not Ginny's. St Mungo's had been advised to report the arrival of any patients with major injuries. On another front, the efforts to trace the Portkeys had been unsuccessful. They were limited to waiting for the kidnappers to contact them, a fact that had Harry pacing like a caged lion around the crowded living room, where the entire Weasley family was gathered.
"The best scenario is that it is strictly a kidnapping for ransom, Arthur," Shacklebolt said with a deep voice.
"But we have no money!" Mrs Weasley whimpered between sobs.
"I have money, Mrs Weasley" Harry cut in. "You can have all you need. Let's hope that's all they want."
"Harry, we couldn't..." Mr Weasley said, wringing his hands and shaking his head.
"They could be trying to get money from her team," Shacklebolt added before Harry could respond. "The Harpies' security chief has been notified and will be flooing in shortly."
"He's here already," Ron said as he rubbed his mother's back. "Tonks is filling him in with the details."
"What other possibilities are there?" Mr Weasley asked.
"It could be political. Someone may be trying to destabilize the government, in which case they'll try to drag this out as much as possible," Shacklebolt said. "The worst-case scenario is that this is some kind of personal vendetta against Ginny, or you..."
Tonks and Summerby were coming into the room when the two-way mirror started to vibrate. The silence became oppressive as the mirror rattled against the table.
"Everybody pay attention. Any detail you notice could be helpful," Shacklebolt said just before tapping the mirror with his wand.
Two figures wearing black robes and Death Eater masks appeared. Behind them, a restrained and gagged Ginny was clearly visible. Her swollen left eye drew a gasp from all present. Harry could hardly contain his fury, but somehow managed the strength to focus on the task at hand.
"Who are you," the shorter of the two masked figures asked in a female voice that sounded hollow due to the mask.
"I'm Kingsley Shacklebolt, Head Auror..."
"I don't talk with subordinates," the woman cut him off. "I want to talk to the Minister of Magic."
Harry and Summerby shared a significant look as Shacklebolt handed Mr Weasley the mirror.
"What are your demands?" Mr Weasley asked, trying unsuccessfully to keep a firm voice.
"I want a prisoner exchange. I want a dozen Azkaban prisoners in exchange for your daughter tomorrow, or I'll send her back to you in pieces."
"That's impossible. We need more time to convince the Wizengamot to issue the release," Mr Weasley spluttered.
The masked figure turned to the taller one and nodded. The figure calmly turned around and brutally punched Ginny in the stomach, making her sink to the ground.
The cries of outrage in the Burrow's living room were loud, but no one screamed louder obscenities at the mirror than Harry. The fear he had felt before was now mixed with a horrible feeling of impotence and helplessness. The situation was out of his hands, and he couldn't do anything to help Ginny. It took a great effort from Shacklebolt, Tonks and Summerby to physically restrain the Weasley boys and Harry. They were all incensed and had no one to retaliate against. Nothing Harry had ever experienced before was as maddening as watching Ginny being hurt. To add insult to injury the hooded figures laughed at them with impunity.
"Stop it. Stop it, please!" Mr Weasley pleaded with tear filled eyes. "What prisoners you want?"
"We have sent the list to The Daily Prophet along with the location and instructions for the exchange," the taller masked figure said in a man's voice. "Follow those instructions exactly, or she's dead."
The mirror went black and there was shocked silence for a few seconds before everyone started talking at once. After a nod from Shacklebolt, Tonks went to the Floo, and using some of the powder she had brought back from Harry's flat, left for the offices of The Daily Prophet.
"SILENCE!" Shacklebolt screamed with a booming voice. When silence was restored, he continued. "Anyone noticed anything that could be helpful?"
"The woman said something that sounded familiar," Summerby said stepping forward.
"That's right," Harry added as he moved forward as well. "When the woman said she did 'not speak to subordinates' she reminded me of that git at the dance club, Malfoy," a shiver went through his body. "Ginny said he had tried to rape her at Hogwarts."
Ron surged forward, his face was completely red and contorted with rage. "I'm sure that bloody bastard is involved. He has always hated our family!"
"Calm down, Ron," Hermione said grabbing his arm. "We have to remain rational."
"Hermione is right," Mr Weasley added. "Let's wait for the list of prisoners they want."
Even though Tonks had only been gone for a few minutes, the wait seemed eternal. When she arrived, she made her way directly to Mr Weasley and handed him the note. "They said the message was left by an owl that left immediately. No trace is possible."
Mr Weasley grabbed the parchment and started reading. "Bulstrode, Alecto Carrow, Crouch, Vincent Crabbe Sr, Flint, Gregory Goyle Jr, McNair, bloody Lucius Malfoy, Parkinson, Rowle, Warrington and Yaxley." He handed the note to Shacklebolt. "The list is in alphabetical order. The exchange is set for tomorrow at eight in the evening by the glen just outside Hogsmeade."
Shacklebolt paced looking down at the floor considering the alternatives they had. He was glad it wasn't his call. "This is obviously also political. Releasing these Death Eaters could bring down your government, Arthur. Especially since The Prophet is now involved. What are you going to do?"
"I don't care about political consequences. All I care about is getting Ginny back safe. We'll have to release them," Mr Weasley said determined.
"You think the Wizengamot will agree?"
"Not in twenty-four hours. I will have to issue an executive order. That also has the advantage that Amelia Bones won't have to sign any release documents. She will be in a position to take my place as Minister untainted by the ruckus The Prophet is going to raise."
"The first step is to search Malfoy Manor!" Ron cut in.
"Not only Malfoy Manor. The houses of all the Death Eaters that are going to be released need to be searched not only for Ginny, but also for any clues to her whereabouts," Harry added.
"Percy, go to Amelia Bones's house right away and bring back the emergency search warrants needed," Mr Weasley said urgently.
Hermione moved forward as Percy left quickly without saying anything. "We have to be prepared for foul play at the exchange," Hermione said. "There will be only thirty minutes of daylight to complete the prisoner exchange. They are pushing the timetable to keep us off balance."
"That's right," Shacklebolt said. "These people cannot be trusted."
"We need a Trojan Horse... a Ulysses to go in, and open the gates from the inside," Hermione said pensively.
"What the bloody hell are you talking about, Mione?" Ron said frustrated.
"It's a Muggle story. We need for them to bring one of us into their hideaway. Once inside, the person on the inside lets the rest of us in."
"Have you gone completely mental?" Ron said frustrated. "You really think they are going to let one of us in?"
Hermione rolled her eyes, but it was Harry who spoke. "That's a brilliant idea, Hermione. That will also allow us to recapture the Death Eaters after the exchange if everything goes as agreed. Are you thinking of Polyjuice?"
"Yes. The DMLE has a stock of blank Polyjuice ready for the last ingredient. We need to choose the best candidate for the switch, the one that will draw the least scrutiny," Hermione answered.
Shacklebolt was looking at the list and raised his voice. "I have it! Barty Crouch Jr. He is estranged with his entire family after killing his father. I'm sure they're not involved. He also didn't have much contact with the others on the list," he turned towards Tonks. "Go get his file. We need all the information we can get."
Tonks nodded and promptly left.
"What if they discover the switch? They could kill Ginny!" Mrs Weasley said, wringing her hands.
"There's a chance they will kill her anyway. These people have no sense of honour as we know it," Mr Weasley answered, putting an arm around his wife's shoulder.
"Polyjuice is risky," Harry said pensively. "Who's going to be our Ulysses?"
All the Weasley brothers volunteered at once and started to argue loudly among themselves, offering their reasons for being the best choice. Hermione was surprised to see Harry hold back. He was deep in thought, rubbing his jaw with his hand. "What are you thinking, Harry?"
"I think I have the ideal candidate," Harry said succinctly.
-0-0-0-
No one slept that night. They had all participated in the searches of the houses of the Death Eaters that were going to be released. Even Neville and Luna, who had arrived as soon as they heard the news, had been deputized by Hermione on the spot, and taken part. "If we have to fight, Ginny would want Luna and Neville there. I have absolute trust in them," she had explained to Shacklebolt.
With the exception of the Crouch household, they seemed to have been expected in all the other residences. The searches had not yielded anything useful. After the defeat of Voldemort, the Wizengamot had placed many restrictions on his known sympathizers as part of their sentences. They were prohibited from having their houses under the Fidelius Charm or to possess Dark objects of any kind. Nothing was found that would allow the Aurors to take anyone in for questioning. The raid to Malfoy Manor was particularly frustrating. Draco would alternatively taunt them and play the innocent victim with a permanent sneer on his face. Harry had to hold back Ron several times to prevent him from punching Draco. In the end he needed restraining also.
"Too bad, Potter. The Weaselette sure looks like a good shag. She will probably be a lot more experienced when you get her back... if you get her back, that is," he said with a smirk.
It took Ron, Shacklebolt and Brad Collins to stop Harry from killing Draco right then and there. "If something happens to Ginny, I'm coming back to slowly cut you to pieces... whether you are involved... or not," Harry hissed at Draco.
"Are you going to allow this, Head Auror," Draco said cowering back, trying, but failing to maintain a dignified expression. "This man just threatened a law-abiding citizen."
"You're welcome to present a complaint in person at the Ministry," Shacklebolt replied with contempt. "If you do, Mr. Potter will be placed in administrative leave and be free to do as he wishes while the investigation takes place. That could take weeks."
"My lawyers will hear about this. It's an outrage," Draco said visibly shaken.
-0-0-0-
As the morning broke, all of Ginny's brothers, Mr Weasley, Hermione, Shacklebolt, Tonks and Harry sat at the table for breakfast. Mrs Weasley had resorted to cooking as a way to try to calm her nerves. The table overflowed with food, but no one seemed to have an appetite.
Hermione was reading the early edition of The Prophet which featured a double column front page headline that read: 'Minister's Daughter Kidnapped'. The sub-headline asked: 'Arthur Weasley can't protect his own daughter. How safe is Wizarding Britain under his leadership?' There were articles listing the names of the prisoners the kidnappers demanded be released, and also another describing the raids that had been conducted the previous night, including a short interview with Draco in which he described the "abuses" he had suffered. To make matters worse, there was an editorial by Rita Skeeter that expressed outrage that Mr Weasley would likely set dangerous criminals free for a "personal" matter.
"Did you mean what you said?" Ron asked Harry, as they sat around the table for breakfast. "About going back to kill Malfoy? I want in if you do."
"Yes, I did," Harry said seriously. "He is involved. His knuckles were bruised."
"Someone should be following him!" Ron said, pounding his fist on the table in frustration.
"Wherever they have Ginny, it's probably under a Fidelius Charm and they are getting there through the Floo," Hermione said. "Zeller is posted outside Malfoy Manor, but it's unlikely they'll lead him to her. So far this seems to have been planned thoroughly."
Shacklebolt pushed away his barely touched plate of food and put several phials of potion on the table. "This is a four-hour dose of dreamless sleep potion. I want all of you to drink it and rest. We need to be sharp if it comes down to a fight. If there are any developments you need to know of, you'll we awaken with the antidote."
Harry grabbed his potion without saying a word and headed upstairs. He needed a few moments alone. A cot had been set up in Ron's bedroom for him. Harry sat on it, squeezing the phial of potion hard in his hand. He imagined all kinds of horrible things happening to Ginny at that very moment. The idea of sleeping while those things could be happening to her made him sick, but the kidnappers had control of the situation for now. Thoughts of bloody revenge filled him as his stomach churned. Harry raised the phial and looked at it intensely. He wanted to be ready and clear headed when the time to draw wands came. He closed his eyes and willed himself to give Ginny the strength to endure what she had to endure. Hold on and fight, love. I'm coming for you. He drank the potion with a single gulp, and quickly fell into dreamless sleep.
-0-0-0-
Draco Malfoy flooed to Greengrass Manor early in the morning to take advantage of the fact that his mother was a late riser. He went down to the dungeons and looked inside the cell where the Greengrass women were being held prisoner. Narcissa Malfoy had congratulated herself in making her revenge more complete by including the Greengrass family in the plan. They had dared to look down with disdain at the Malfoys at their hour of defeat, and Narcissa had sworn to make them pay. She had made Helena Greengrass watch as she repeatedly Crucioed her daughter Astoria, who at one time had been all but engaged to Draco. Now Astoria Greengrass lay on the floor, just a little more responsive than a vegetable, as her broken mother and sister looked on. The fate of Astoria was even worse than that of her father, who had been killed as soon as he had made Narcissa Malfoy Secret-Keeper.
Draco continued to the next cell. Inside, a dishevelled and battered Ginny Weasley sat on the stone floor, visibly tired, but awake. Despite his mother's instructions, Draco was determined to forcibly take her. He couldn't think of a better way to take revenge on Potter, Ron Weasley and in particular, on Ginny. He wanted to humiliate her for all the times she had shown her contempt for him. He went into the room and closed the door behind him. He strutted towards her like a peacock, getting aroused by his position of dominance. He was a Malfoy and he felt entitled to have whatever he desired. The redheaded blood traitor was beautiful. There was no denying it. Ginny got up from the floor to face him despite her fear. The green sundress highlighted her curvy figure, and Malfoy leered at her.
"I need some of your hair, Weaselette," he said as he approached her.
Ginny felt some relief, thinking that was all he wanted. She faced him with her chin up. Malfoy grabbed a handful of her hair and lowered his nose to it. He took a deep breath, taking in its aroma before pulling several strands off. He put the strands in a cardboard box and put it in the pocket of his robe.
"You got what you wanted. Now, leave," Ginny said.
"That's not all I wanted," Draco said undoing his belt buckle before pushing her against the wall and pressing his body against her.
"Get away from me, you bloody tosser," Ginny said with repugnance.
She tried to knee his bits, but he was ready for her move. Draco grabbed her leg and roughly pushed her down to the floor lying on top of her with a leg between hers. He was too strong and heavy for her. With one hand he held her restrained hands over her head, and with the other he undid the button and zipper of his pants. "You are going to enjoy this, bitch," he hissed against her ear. He put his hand just on the inside of her knee and started to slowly move it up her leg. Ginny's struggle became desperate. Fear and shame overwhelmed her, and tears started to flow freely from her eyes. Draco's mocking laughter echoed in her ears as his hand moved to just inches from her crotch.
Only one man had ever touched her most intimate parts, Harry. She was going to keep it that way. The fear disappeared and it was replaced with raging fury. "DON'T TOUCH ME, YOU BASTARD!"
It was as if lightning had struck. There was a bright flash and Draco's body flew through the air. He violently struck the wooden door across the cell and sank to the floor with a groan of pain. Ginny looked at him dumbstruck. The last time she had done accidental magic had been ten years ago. At that time, her mother had watched her in disbelief because it was unheard of for a ten-year-old child to perform accidental magic. Ginny became intensely aware of the flow of magic in her body. It felt different. It had always been powerful, but now it felt even more so. Suddenly she had an epiphany. It was not only her magic that she felt coursing through her body... it was also Harry's magic... she could feel it. They had willingly shared with each other everything; their bodies, their souls and their love. They had given and received from each other things they desired and things they hadn't even suspected, because when you truly love someone and they love you back, that person lives within you... they become a part of you.
Ginny would have to think about the mystical aspects of love later, because Draco was now scrambling on his hands and knees with a look of terror on his face. She narrowed her eyebrows and glowered at him. It was time to take the "accidental" out of accidental magic. She got up from the floor and pointed her index finger at Draco, trying to focus her magical energy into it. Her finger started to glow with an eerie golden light and Ginny became entranced by the display. Draco looked at her wide-eyed and quickly drew his wand. She saw the red light of a stunner too late.
Draco nervously approached the redhead's unconscious body with his pants around his ankles. Ginny's skirt had ridden up her body as she fell back, exposing her slim and well-toned legs. The shiny green fabric of her tiny silk knickers was visible. He would never get a better opportunity to finally rape Ginny Weasley.
The only problem was that his bits were completely limp.
Draco watched Ginny's prostrated body and put his hand down his briefs to touch himself. He lowered his head to one side to get a better look up her skirt. After a minute he screamed in frustration. His wanking wasn't working. He wasn't getting hard...not even close. If there was no violence, no humiliation and no fear, he couldn't get erect. Draco cursed loudly as he pulled up his pants. He kicked Ginny hard on the ribs before leaving the cell.
-0-0-0-
The prisoners were transported to the glen outside Hogsmeade, with a Portkey, at five minutes to eight. The instructions of the kidnappers were followed rigorously. Shacklebolt, Ron and Harry were in charge of the exchange. Several metres back, over a dozen Aurors, reinforced by the Weasley brothers, were ready to intervene if things didn't go as planned. Others patrolled the top of the surrounding mountains with brooms to prevent an ambush. Everyone was on a hair trigger.
Ten people dressed in the garb of Death Eaters appeared at eight o'clock sharp on the west side of the glen. One of them was holding Ginny with a wand pointed at her neck. Another, whom Harry recognized as the female that had spoken to them last night, cast a protective shield around Ginny and the Death Eater holding her. He recognized him as the one that had punched her. Shacklebolt and Ron approached the woman and another Death Eater who had moved to the centre of the glen. The woman performed a series of spells and incantations that Harry recognized were for the detection of anti-apparition and anti-Portkey jinxes.
"Let's start," the woman said, seemingly satisfied.
Harry brought Bulstrode forward from the holding area and handed him to Ron. The woman cast a charm on Bulstrode that glowed green and then gave him a potion. She waited a few seconds and then gave him a piece of parchment, a wand and a coin. The other Death Eater guided him to where the others were waiting.
"What are you doing?" Shacklebolt demanded.
"You didn't think we were going to trust you, did you?" she said laughing. "I'm checking for tracking charms and for Polyjuice."
"In that case, let us check Ginny first!" Ron said angrily.
"You are not in a position to make demands!" the woman bellowed. "Bring Carrow!"
Shacklebolt held Ron back and whispered furiously in his ear, he then turned to Harry and nodded. As Harry brought Alecto Carrow to the centre of the glen, he kept his eyes on Ginny. Her eyes were vacant, and she seemed unresponsive. Harry hoped she simply was under the Imperius curse or some potion to keep her docile.
The Death Eater repeated the same procedure she had followed with Bulstrode. "Next!" she said after she finished.
Harry brought Barty Crouch Jr forward. Before the woman could do the charm to detect the tracking charm and give him the Polyjuice antidote, Ron spoke.
"Are you going to do this with every single one of them? This is going to take too long," he screamed. "Let us check on Ginny, now!"
"Head Auror!" the woman shrieked. "Calm this boy down, or the deal is off!"
Shacklebolt pulled Ron to one side and shook him by the shoulders vigorously as he angrily whispered to his ear. Then they returned to the centre of the glen and the exchange continued. The woman performed the detection charm and gave Crouch the potion without incident.
One by one, Harry brought the prisoners forward, and as he did so, he became more and more convinced that the young woman the taller Death Eater was holding wasn't Ginny. There was, however, no way to be sure until they could check her. The Death Eaters had them, literally, by the bollocks.
After Harry handed Yaxley to Ron, he stood next to the shield where the taller Death Eater was holding Ginny. He could see that the man was smiling with a smile that reached his blue eyes. Harry could swear those were the eyes of Draco Malfoy. Harry hardened his look. He poured all his anger and his fury into his gaze, making the man behind the mask shuffle his feet uncomfortably and the smile to disappear from his eyes. The master Portkey was activated and all the Azkaban prisoners and the Death Eaters that had arrived for the exchange, disappeared.
As soon as the protective shield fell, Harry stepped forward to prevent Ginny from falling to the ground. He looked intensely into her eyes and shook her, but there was nothing there. The Weasleys ran towards them, along with the Chief Healer of St. Mungo's. Harry stepped back, convinced that the young woman wasn't Ginny. After some basic diagnostics spells were performed, the Chief Healer shook his head and administered the Polyjuice antidote. Harry wasn't surprised when after a few seconds the young woman started to transform. A minute later, she was completely changed into an attractive blond, blue-eyed woman.
The Weasleys were incensed, cursing aloud in frustration.
"Does anyone recognize this young woman?" Shacklebolt asked.
"I do," Hermione said puzzled. "She was in Slytherin House at Hogwarts. Her name is Astoria Greengrass."
"What do we do now!" Ron screamed furiously.
"We wait for Ulysses to open the gates," Harry said calmly.
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