MAY 1st, 1997
"C'mere, Harry..."
"No."
"Yeh can' stay here, Harry... Come on, now..."
"No."
He did not want to leave Dumbledore's side, he did not want to move anywhere. Hagrid's hand on his shoulder was trembling. Then another voice said, "Harry, come on."
A much smaller and warmer hand had enclosed his and was pulling him upward. He obeyed its pressure without really thinking about it. Only as he walked blindly back through the crowd did he realize that it was Luna who was leading him back into the castle. Incomprehensible voices battered him, sobs and shouts and wails stabbed the night, but Harry and Luna walked on, back up the steps into the entrance hall. Faces swam on the edges of Harry's vision, people were peering at him, whispering, wondering, and Gryffindor rubies glistened on the floor like drops of blood as they made their way toward the marble staircase.
"We're going to the hospital wing," said Luna.
"I'm not hurt," said Harry.
"It's McGonagall's orders," said Luna. "Everyone's up there, Ron and Hermione and Lupin and everyone-"
Fear stirred in Harry's chest again: He had forgotten the inert figures he had left behind.
"Luna, who else is dead?"
"Don't worry, none of us."
"But the Dark Mark- I saw bodies-"
"It was Bill, but it's all right, he's alive."
There was something in her voice, however, that Harry knew boded ill.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure... he's a- a bit of a mess, that's all. Greyback attacked him. Madam Pomfrey says he won't look the same anymore... We don't really know what the aftereffects will be- I mean, Greyback being a werewolf, but not transformed at the time."
"But the others... There were other bodies on the ground..."
"Neville and Professor Flitwick are both hurt, but Madam Pomfrey says they'll be all right. I haven't seen Ginny anywhere, but Ron said he had told her to go back to the common room earlier tonight."
Harry sighed in relief.
"Has anyone told her about Bill?"
"I'm not sure. McGonagall wanted to make sure everyone who was on the ground went up to Madam Pomfrey first. I can get her in a minute."
They had reached the hospital wing. Pushing open the door, Harry saw Neville lying, apparently asleep, in a bed near the door. Ron, Hermione, Tonks, and Lupin were gathered around another bed near the far end of the ward. At the sound of the doors opening, they all looked up. Hermione ran to Harry and hugged him; Lupin moved forward too, looking anxious.
"Are you all right, Harry?"
"I'm fine... How's Bill?"
Nobody answered. Harry looked over Hermione's shoulder and saw an unrecognizable face lying on Bill's pillow, so badly slashed and ripped that he looked grotesque. Madam Pomfrey was dabbing at his wounds with some harsh-smelling green ointment. Harry remembered how Snape had mended Malfoy's Sectumsempra wounds so easily with his wand.
"Can't you fix them with a charm or something?" he asked the matron.
"No charm will work on these," said Madam Pomfrey. "I've tried everything I know, but there is no cure for werewolf bites."
"But he wasn't bitten at the full moon," said Ron, who was gazing down into his brother's face as though he could somehow force him to mend just by staring. "Greyback hadn't transformed, so surely Bill won't be a - a real-?"
He looked uncertainly at Lupin.
"No, I don't think that Bill will be a true werewolf," said Lupin, "but that does not mean that there won't be some contamination. Those are cursed wounds. They are unlikely ever to heal fully, and- and Bill might have some wolfish characteristics from now on."
"Dumbledore might know something that'd work, though," Ron said. "Where is he? Bill fought those maniacs on Dumbledore's orders. Dumbledore owes him, he can't leave him in this state-"
"Ron- Dumbledore's dead," said Harry.
"No!" Lupin looked wildly from Harry to Luna, as though hoping the latter might contradict him, but when Luna did not, Lupin collapsed into a chair beside Bill's bed, his hands over his face. Harry had never seen Lupin lose control before; he felt as though he was intruding upon something private, indecent. He turned away and caught Ron's eye instead, confirming that he had spoken the truth.
"How did he die?" whispered Tonks. "How did it happen?"
"Snape killed him," said Harry. "I was there, I saw it. We arrived back on the Astronomy Tower because that's where the Mark was... Dumbledore was ill, he was weak, but I think he realized it was a trap when we heard footsteps running up the stairs. He immobilized me, I couldn't do anything, I was under the Invisibility Cloak - and then Snape came through the door and disarmed him-"
Hermione clapped her hands to her mouth and Ron groaned. Luna's mouth trembled.
"-more Death Eaters arrived- and Snape did it. The Avada Kedavra." Harry couldn't go on.
Madam Pomfrey burst into tears. Nobody paid her any attention except Luna, who whispered, "Shh! Listen!"
Gulping, Madam Pomfrey pressed her fingers to her mouth, her eyes wide. Somewhere out in the darkness, a phoenix was singing in a way Harry had never heard before: a stricken lament of terrible beauty. And Harry felt, as he had felt about phoenix song before, that the music was inside him, not without: It was his own grief turned magically to song that echoed across the grounds and through the castle windows.
How long they all stood there, listening, he did not know, nor why it seemed to ease their pain a little to listen to the sound of their mourning, but it felt like a long time later that the hospital door opened again and a sobbing girl- one of Ginny's friends- entered the ward.
"Harry?" she choked out. "Is Harry here?"
Harry spun around and hurried toward her. "Yes, I'm here. What is it - er...?"
"It's Lydia," she said with a shaky breath. "Have you seen Ginny anywhere?"
Harry felt as though the ground had fallen out from under him. "No. We thought she was in the dormitory. Have you not seen her?"
Lydia shook her head, hiccuping a bit from crying. "No, not all night. I don't know where she is, I thought maybe she was fighting with you all..."
Ron had overheard the conversation and was at Harry's shoulder in an instant. "When's the last time you saw her?" he demanded.
"Probably lunchtime," Lydia said. "She and Kathleen went to the library afterward, but Kathleen came back alone..."
"I saw her after that," said Ron. "She was running around, looking for... looking for you." He and Harry looked at each other, panicked.
"Looking for me?" Harry demanded. "Did she say why?"
Ron shook his head. "No, just to tell you that she was looking for you. But...she knew Dumbledore was away from Hogwarts. Do you think she went looking for him too?"
"Alright, let's not panic," said a rapidly recovering Lupin. The idea of Ginny missing seemed to have knocked him out of his grief-induced stupor. He strode forward and put his hand on Ron's shoulder. "Let's all think. Did any of you see Ginny fighting during the battle?"
He looked around the room; everyone shook their head no.
"Alright," Lupin said, taking a deliberately deep breath. "And she wasn't one of the fallen- we've already accounted for everyone there. So who was the last person to see her, and when?"
Again, Harry looked around the room.
"It must have been me," Ron said, guilt lacing thickly into his voice. "I told her to go back to the common room, but she must have never made it back... She said she had to talk to Kathleen first, and then went running off again. I tried to give her the Felix potion but she wouldn't stop, Harry, she-"
"It's alright, Ron," said Lupin, tightening his grip on Ron's shoulder. "You behaved perfectly naturally, you had no reason to do otherwise. You said this girl's name is Kathleen? Kathleen Barrows? Is she a friend of Ginny's?"
"Yes," Lydia answered. "She's both of our friend. But that's the other thing." Her voice became shakier, dropping to a whisper. "I think there's something wrong with her..."
"What do you mean, wrong with her?" Harry asked, his heart racing now.
"She won't come out of the dormitory. We all tried to get her to come out, but she won't, she says she can't come out until morning. It's really weird, I don't know what's wrong with her-"
"Let's go to her, then," Lupin said.
"I'll go too," Hermione said, standing up from Bill's bedside. "The stairs in the dormitory are enchanted, they won't let any boys into the girls' side."
Harry grimaced, remembering that discovery the previous year. "I don't think an alarm and a slide are going to stop us, Hermione."
"Still, I'm coming," she insisted.
"Me too," Tonks said, her face flushed. "Dumbledore asked me to look after her, but I swear, she was in the library all afternoon..."
"Dumbledore asked you to look after Ginny?" Harry asked, incredulous. "Why?"
"He didn't say. Just told me to keep an eye on her, and let him know if I observed anything unusual. But I never did - she just seemed... well, like a normal student."
They started walking out of the hospital wing, their pace not quite a jog.
"Tonks, when did Dumbledore ask you to do this?" Lupin asked.
"Right after the students came back from holiday," she replied.
"All the way back in January?"
"Yep."
Harry's mind raced into overdrive as they hurried down the hall and up the stairs, his mind returning to his conversation with Ginny about the Deathstick, and how Dumbledore had discouraged him from looking into it. But that had been after January, way after. Why would Dumbledore have been keeping tabs on Ginny all the way back in the beginning of the year?
If he had Tonks watching her at school, he must have thought she was in danger somehow. But why?
His stomach twisted as he realized that he had broken up with Ginny in that exact same timeframe because he had also worried about her being in danger - he didn't want a target on her back due to being connected to him. But that couldn't have been Dumbledore's concern, could it? Surely he would have said something...
They had reached the Gryffindor common room - Luna had tagged along as well, panting a bit from hurrying up the stairs.
"Dillygrout," Hermione said a little breathlessly. Her hair was wild from battle and she had a bit of dirt smeared on one cheek. "Let me try talking to her first, see if I can get her to come down. Maybe she's just really scared."
"I'll go with you," said Tonks. "My responsibility."
"And me," said Luna. "I've talked to Kathleen before, maybe I can help."
They hurried up the stairs, leaving Harry, Ron, and Lupin to pace in front of the fireplace. After a couple of minutes, a commotion could be heard upstairs.
"What the bloody hell is going on up there?" Ron asked. He didn't need to wait for an answer. Tonks came tromping down the stairs, an absolutely hysterical Kathleen swung over her shoulder.
"I have to stay till morning!" she yelled, her fists beating against Tonks' back. "I have to stay in the dormitory until morning!"
"What is-"
"She's under the Imperius, Remus, look at her eyes," Tonks said as she roughly plopped Kathleen down on one of the sofas. She immediately tried to stand, but Lupin was in front of her in an instant, his hands on her shoulders, gently but firmly keeping her in her seat.
"It's alright, Kathleen, it's alright. Do you remember me? My name is Remus Lupin, I taught you Defense Against the Dark Arts in your second year, remember?"
"I have to stay in the dormitory until morning," she said, though she made no move to push against Remus. Indeed, her eyes looked glassy, just like Viktor Krum's had during the Triwizard Tournament.
What the fuck is going on?
"Yes, I understand," Lupin replied, nodding along. "Why do you have to stay in the dormitory until morning?"
"I will be safe if I stay in my room until morning," Kathleen said. Cold dread filled Harry's stomach.
"Who told you that?" asked Tonks, earning a quick warning look from Lupin. Kathleen kept her mouth closed.
"I understand if you can't tell us," said Lupin patiently, and Kathleen's shoulders visibly relaxed. "But I want to help you. Do you believe me?"
"Yes."
"That's good, very good. Kathleen, I'm going to ask you some questions, and I need you to answer me honestly, alright? If you can't answer, that's ok, but I need you not to lie to me. Can you do that for me?"
"Yes."
Lupin took a deep breath. "Ok. Let's check some basics first. What's your full name?"
"Kathleen Elizabeth Barrows."
"Good. What is the date today?"
"May 1st, 1997."
"That's right. Who is your best friend?"
"Ginny- Ginny Weasley." Kathleen's bottom lip trembled.
"You're doing excellent, really excellent," Lupin reassured her with a squeeze of her shoulder. "Did you see Ginny Weasley today?"
"Yes."
"Where did you see her?"
"In class. At lunch. In the library."
"Anywhere else?"
Kathleen remained silent. Harry's pulse quickened, echoing in his ears. He wanted so badly to interject, to knock Lupin out of the way and shake the answers out of Kathleen, but it was like his old professor's calm demeanor was the only thing keeping her from flying out of her seat. One wrong move would destroy the fragile alliance Lupin was working so hard to build.
"Ok, that's alright. And when you saw her in class, or at lunch, or in the library, did you see her interact with anyone unusual, or do anything you wouldn't expect her to do?"
"No."
"It's like I said," Tonks muttered. "There was nothing."
Kathleen looked up and glared at Tonks with surprising venom, causing Lupin to turn and look at her.
"Sorry," Tonks murmured before turning away.
"Tonks, you said you were watching Ginny for Dumbledore," Harry said. "You were watching her all day today?"
"Not... not all day."
"And the one fucking time you weren't there, something happens to her!" Ron burst out, unable to contain himself any longer. Kathleen buried her face in her hands, rocking back and forth slightly.
"Ron, settle down," Lupin said, his voice sharp as a whip. "We all want to find Ginny. Tonks watched her loyally for four months without anything happening. For all we know, whoever is involved in this waited for Tonks to be distracted in order to strike."
"But why?" Harry said. "If this is to get at me somehow-"
"No," Kathleen said through her hands. The room turned to look at her again.
"What?" said Harry. Kathleen removed her hands from her face and looked at him.
"No," she repeated.
"Kathleen, let me see if I'm getting this right," Lupin said, causing her to look at him again. "Whoever put you under the Imperius Curse and told you to stay in your dormitory tonight until morning is the same person that's involved in whatever happened to Ginny."
Kathleen remained silent.
"And this person told you what their intentions are," Lupin continued.
"No," Kathleen said.
"But you have a good guess?" he asked.
Kathleen made a sort of noncommittal shrug.
"Or at least a suspicion?"
"Yes."
"But you're not able to tell me what that suspicion is, I'm assuming," Lupin said.
Silence. Lupin sighed.
"Thank you Kathleen, for your help," he said. "I understand you're under a compulsion, but I can assure you, you are perfectly safe to stay down here for the time being. The fighting is over."
"What about Dumbledore?" Hermione whispered. "Should we ask about that?"
Lupin appeared to debate before turning back to Kathleen. "One more question - do you know anything about what happened to Albus Dumbledore tonight?"
"No."
Harry frowned as Lupin stood up and turned away from Kathleen. Luna went to sit next to her and put a comforting hand on her back. Kathleen promptly burst into tears and buried her face on Luna's shoulder. Lydia hurried to her other side and leaned against her.
"It's gotta be Snape, right?" Harry whispered, not wanting to upset the girl further. "An Imperius Curse, a strong one, and an order to hide tonight. But why would he tell her to hide? What does he care who lives or dies on our side?" He couldn't stop the viciousness from creeping into his voice, from letting the all-consuming rage at Snape leak through.
"It doesn't make a lot of sense," Hermione agreed. "But honestly, how would he have had time to do anything? Luna and I were patrolling outside his office, just like you asked, Harry. He didn't come out until the castle was already under attack. And Ron saw Ginny not too long beforehand, right? Unless he has a Time Turner we don't know about, Snape can't be in two places at once."
"I wouldn't put it past him," Harry said bitterly. "Who knows, maybe Voldemort taught him some tricks."
"Well, I don't think we'll be getting any more answers out of her tonight," Lupin said. "She's clearly been told not to reveal anything. What we need is a good Legilimens."
"No!"
The room turned to look, startled, at Kathleen, who had scooted as far back into the sofa as she could and had a look of terror on her face.
"It's alright, it's not painful at all-" Lupin started in a reassuring voice.
"I don't like it!" Kathleen said, her lip quivering. "I don't like it."
"You've experienced Legilimency before?" Tonks asked, incredulous.
"That proves it, it has to be Snape!" Harry said.
"No," said Kathleen.
"What?" Harry snapped. Kathleen glared at him.
"No," she repeated.
"Was Severus Snape the one who used Legilimency on you?" Lupin asked.
"No," said Kathleen.
"Was Severus Snape the one who put you under the Imperius Curse?"
"No."
"She's lying," Harry insisted. Kathleen stood up, knocking Luna and Lydia backward.
"No!" she shouted, before burying her face in her hands again.
"Kathleen, I know you really want to tell us the truth," Lupin said. "Harry's just upset, and he's trying to understand. Was it a Death Eater who cursed you?"
Kathleen remained silent but removed her hands from her face, her defiant eyes locked on Harry's face. What was she trying to tell him?
"Was it Draco Malfoy?" Hermione breathed, causing every head to snap toward her.
Kathleen remained silent, her hands balled into fists.
"Malfoy, a Legilimens?" Lupin asked, raising an eyebrow. "That's highly advanced magic, I have a hard time believing-"
"So did I," interrupted Hermione. "But Ginny came to me months ago, concerned about Malfoy and some kind of weapon. I told her it was stupid, to ignore it, but-"
"You're telling us this now?" Ron asked. "Why didn't you say anything before?"
"She made me promise not to tell either of you," Hermione said, wringing her hands. "Because... because... oh, it's all so stupid now, but she danced with Malfoy at the Hufflepuff party and she was embarrassed, she didn't want you to know-"
"But she told me anyway, later," Harry said quietly. "Not about that, but about overhearing Malfoy and Zabini in the library, talking about a weapon called the Deathstick, remember?"
Ron nodded. "Yeah, and you told Dumbledore, and he said-"
"It's been handled, yeah," said Harry.
"I can-" Kathleen started, and appeared to stumble over her words. She gripped her arm so tightly that Harry could see she was going to leave a bruise. "I can tell you more tomorrow," she finally gritted out. "I have to stay in my dormitory until morning. This is my-" She grimaced. "This is my final command."
"Just answer yes or no, please, Kathleen," said Lupin. "Am I to understand that your Imperius Curse will be lifted tomorrow morning?"
"Yes," Kathleen said with a relieved sigh, releasing the grip on her arm.
"That's even weirder," said Tonks.
"Well, I don't think we're going to get any more answers tonight," Lupin said, running a hand through his hair. "We need to head back down to the hospital wing, Professor McGonagall went to go alert Arthur and Molly about Bill. We need to tell them about Ginny."
Kathleen looked at Harry for one final moment, fire in her eyes, before racing up the stairs and slamming the dormitory door shut.
Lupin sat down on the sofa next to Luna, holding his head in his hands.
"Harry," he said. "What did you say about something called a Deathstick?"
MAY 1st 1997 - MAY 2nd 1997
Harry sat in the hospital wing, his elbows braced against his knees. After the adrenaline of the battle several hours before, his whole body felt curiously numb. He dully supposed that there was only so much he could take in at once. Once the adrenaline had nowhere to go, it had left him feeling absolutely exhausted.
Mrs. Weasley was sitting next to Bill's bedside, choking back tears as she stroked his hand. He still hadn't woken up, though Madam Pomfrey said that was to be expected after his ordeal. Fleur Delacour was on his other side, dabbing ointment on his wounds. In the face of tragedy, the two women seemed to have put their differences aside.
Mr. Weasley was standing in one corner of the hospital wing, talking to Lupin and a newly-arrived Kingsley Shacklebolt, who was responding on behalf of the Ministry.
"-Bellatrix Lestrange, Corban Yaxley, and Amycus and Alecto Carrow," Lupin finished in a weary voice. Kingsley was taking notes furiously on a piece of parchment.
"Thank you, Remus," he said in his deep, resonant voice. "This is all quite a shock. The Ministry will want to act immediately."
"See that they do," said Lupin, running a hand through his hair. "Though I would be surprised if they find anything. Snape won't hang around- the damage has been done."
"What about Ginny?" said Arthur. Kingsley sighed.
"Well, it does pose a problem, Arthur. I'm not sure what to make of it. There's innumerable spells and enchantments protecting the castle from forced entry. That's why this whole business with the Vanishing Cabinet-" Kingsley nodded at Harry, who had filled him in based on Bellatrix's bragging about Malfoy, "-was even necessary. Her assailant could have entered that way and taken her with them, I suppose, but your son and this other boy-" he nodded at Neville, who had finally woken up, "-were patrolling that floor all evening, per their report. It was only thanks to them that the Order was alerted so quickly to the Death Eaters' presence. It seems unlikely that someone could have taken a struggling Ginny Weasley down that corridor and into the Room of Requirement undetected."
"What if she was under the Imperius Curse?" Harry interrupted. "She would have looked normal."
Kingsley nodded again. "That is possible, and Ministry officials are already en route to Borgin and Burkes. They'll investigate the area and question any potential witnesses."
"Kingsley, we've got to do something," Arthur insisted, desperation creeping into his voice. "My daughter is missing. We can't wait for the Ministry to respond."
"Well, Remus reports that one of her friends may know something-"
"Kathleen Barrows," Lupin interrupted. "I already questioned her, Arthur. She is under the Imperius Curse, though she apparently believes that it will be lifted in the morning. Tonks is with her now. When morning comes, I can-"
"In the morning? We can't wait for morning! Ginny is probably in danger somewhere, we have to do something now!"
"We can question Blaise Zabini," said Harry suddenly. The three men turned to look at him. "He's the only still here who might know something."
"Blaise Zabini?" Kingsley asked. "Chiara Zabini's son?"
"I don't know, but I only know one Blaise Zabini," said Harry, unsure what difference it made. "Ginny overheard him and Malfoy talking in the library a couple months ago about a weapon for Voldemort, and Kathleen as good as confirmed that Malfoy is the one who cursed her. If anyone knows something, it's him."
Kingsley looked at Lupin as Professor McGonagall entered the room.
"It's better than doing nothing," Lupin said with a shrug. "Minerva, can we use your office?"
McGonagall nodded. "I'll call Horace and get him to bring Mr. Zabini along."
"I'm coming too," said Harry. Lupin looked like he was about to object, but Kingsley interrupted.
"That's fine," he said. "You are the only one aware of any of the details of the situation, as I understand it. Arthur, I would ask that you remain here- Arthur, I understand you want to help, but we need to be cautious where this is concerned. Too many people in the room, the wrong questions posed, could ruin things. Stay with your wife and your sons. We will return shortly."
Mr. Weasley frowned at Kingsley but did not argue, instead moving to stand behind Mrs. Weasley, who was still seated next to Bill's bedside. Ron was next to her, his eyes on Harry. Harry nodded at him, assuring him that he would make sure they questioned Zabini thoroughly.
He has to know something... He has to.
Harry, Kingsley, and Lupin all walked out of the hospital wing and headed for Professor McGonagall's office. It belatedly occurred to Harry that she was Headmistress now, no longer deputy.
The gravity of Dumbledore's loss was like a constant, physical ache in his stomach, contrasted sharply by his racing heart, whose sole attention was focused on Ginny.
Ginny, where are you?
Soon enough, they reached McGonagall's office, which was unlocked. They settled themselves inside, Harry choosing to lean against one wall rather than taking a seat in the middle of the room.
He turned the past few months over and over in his mind while they waited for McGonagall and Zabini. What did he know for sure? He had overheard Malfoy talking to Snape at Slughorn's Christmas party, about repairing something- clearly the Vanishing Cabinet- and about Voldemort having "all the information he needed to fulfill the prophecy." This, apparently, was the Deathstick, whatever that was. What had Ginny called it? An unbeatable wand?
He knew that Ginny had attended the Valentine's Day party in the Hufflepuff common room, and while she hadn't kissed Malfoy, she had apparently danced with him and was embarrassed about it. He ignored the tightening in his chest at that thought- it wasn't important now. Hermione had said that Ginny told her that Malfoy had mentioned a weapon that night, which tracked with Malfoy's mission, but why had Ginny been involved at all? Was it a coincidence that he had told her that information on Valentine's Day and she had been the one to overhear him in the library, weeks later?
Harry would have suspected the whole thing was fake if it had not been for Dumbledore's reaction when Harry told him about it. The Headmaster had been adamant about not discussing the matter in depth, simply stating that it had been handled.
It didn't make any sense. He was missing information, and he had a sinking feeling that Dumbledore was the only one who could have given it to him.
The door to McGonagall's office opened, and she walked in, followed by Professor Slughorn and Blaise Zabini, who was in his pajamas. He surveyed the room with suspicion.
"What is this about?" he asked, narrowing his eyes when he saw Harry. "Is someone I know hurt? People are saying there were Death Eaters in the castle."
Harry bit his tongue to keep himself from speaking out of turn, which he had been strictly admonished against by Kingsley.
Yeah, you would know all about Death Eaters in the castle, wouldn't you?
"Have a seat, Mr. Zabini," said McGonagall as she swept around to her side of the desk and took a seat herself. "There were Death Eaters in the castle tonight, but the danger has passed. No one you know is seriously injured."
"Then why am I here? It's the middle of the night," he said. Slughorn, who looked very pale, pushed gently on Zabini's shoulder in order to urge him to sit down. Zabini sat.
"We just have some questions for you," Kingsley said, keeping his tone brisk and professional. "Ginny Weasley, a Gryffindor a year below you, is missing."
"That's unfortunate."
Harry balled his hands into fists, his nails digging into his palms.
"Would you happen to know anything about that?" Kingsley asked.
Zabini barked a laugh. "No, why would I? I don't think I've ever said more than two words to her before. Have you checked the corridors? Maybe she hid from all the fighting."
"We are certain at this point that Miss Weasley is no longer on school grounds," said Kingsley, making Harry's stomach tighten even though it wasn't news to him. "If you know something, anything at all-"
"I'm sorry, are you accusing me of something?" Zabini demanded. Kingsley looked uncomfortable, shifting his parchments around as he looked at his notes.
"We're just following all possible leads-"
"Because if you're accusing me of something, I think I'd like to know what that is. My arm's clean, see?" He rolled up his sleeve to show an unblemished left forearm. "I'm no Death Eater, nor is anyone in my family."
"No one is accusing you of being a Death Eater, Mr. Zabini," McGonagall said, her voice sharp.
"Then what possible lead are you following? And why is he here?" Zabini asked, jerking his chin toward Harry.
"I'm your accuser," Harry said, unable to stop himself. "Ginny told me about your and Malfoy's conversation in the library."
Zabini raised an eyebrow at him. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Potter. Malfoy and I have had many conversations, given that we share a dorm, and certainly some of them have been in the library, but none of them included Ginny Weasley."
Harry thought he detected a hint of something, a smirk or maybe a laugh in Zabini's voice.
"She overheard you," Harry said angrily. "Talking about the Deathstick-"
Now Zabini did laugh. "I'm sorry, the what? Is this some kind of stupid prank? Because I don't find it very funny-"
"Don't try to deny it," Harry said, taking a step away from the wall, his pulse echoing in his ears. "You're lying, Zabini."
Kingsley looked like he wanted to interject, but Zabini spoke first.
"I don't know what Weasley told you, Potter, but I have no idea what you're talking about. She must have misheard something. I'm sorry she's missing but I can't help you."
"And we're just supposed to take your word for it?" Harry said, venom in his voice.
Zabini leaned back in his seat. "Unless you have some actual reason for suspecting me of something, then yeah. Isn't that how things usually work in your world? It's your word against mine, and seeing as you weren't even there to hear this supposed conversation..."
"We're getting off track here," said Kingsley. "Mr. Zabini, can you tell us where you've been tonight, say after dinner onwards?"
Zabini crossed his arms behind his head, clearly making himself comfortable. "Well, let's see. I had dinner with Daphne Greengrass- lovely girl by the way, you would like her, everyone does- and then we went back to the Slytherin common room, where I roundly beat her in a game of wizards' chess before I headed off to bed. I believe my dorm mates can confirm my bedtime, if you need to check."
"And speaking of your dorm mates," Kingsley continued, "have you seen Mr. Malfoy at all this evening?"
"Nope," said Zabini. "But that's not unusual. He's been spending a lot of time by himself lately."
"And that didn't strike you as odd?" Harry asked, unable to stop the sarcasm from creeping into his voice.
Zabini smirked. "No, I'm not in the habit of interrogating my friends." He turned to look at Kingsley again. "Speaking of, aren't you an Auror? Is this a formal Ministry investigation? Because if so I'm fairly certain you're supposed to inform a minor's parents before asking them any questions. Have you notified my mother?"
Kingsley looked supremely uncomfortable now.
"Please do feel free to Floo her," Zabini continued, pressing his advantage. "She's in Rome right now, has a big meeting with the Italian Minister in the morning to discuss funding an expansion of St. Mungo's there, but I'm sure she'd be thrilled to take this late night, or is it early morning, call, Mr... er, what was your name again?"
"That won't be necessary," said Kingsley briskly. "Professor Slughorn, you may escort your student back to his dorm."
"Please do let me know if I can be of further assistance," Zabini said smoothly as he stood up and followed Professor Slughorn out of the room.
"Won't be necessary?" Harry burst out as soon as the door closed. "Ginny is missing, he knows something-"
"And we have no concrete evidence tying him to anything at all, unless you have something else besides this second-hand conversation and a clearly personal dislike of the boy?" Kingsley said firmly.
Harry started pacing, gesticulating wildly as he talked. "We're wasting time here, chasing dead ends. She could be dead by now-"
"It's unlikely, Harry," said Lupin, speaking up from his corner. "If they wanted to kill her, whoever they is, why not do it here, under the cover of the battle? Going through all the effort to get off the grounds can't have been easy, especially with half the Order swarming the castle before long. I don't know where Ginny is, but it's highly likely that she's alive."
Harry felt himself start to shake. Ginny could not be dead, she couldn't be, but if she was alive... what kind of torment could she be going through? Lupin smiled sadly at him before standing up and putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Harry, it's late. So late it's early, in fact. You need to try to rest. Arthur and Molly will file a missing person's report for Ginny, which will give us more Ministry power in order to investigate. I will personally talk to Kathleen in the morning and find out what she knows. The Order won't stop until she is found, I promise you. But we're all exhausted, and Dumbledore is... Dumbledore is gone. We need to regroup. We can't fly off into the night, chasing shadows. We need to find a solid lead."
Even though it was the last thing he wanted to do, his muscles were screaming at him that Lupin was telling the truth. He bowed his head, defeated.
"Okay."
MAY 2nd, 1997
Draco stared at the ceiling of his room as the sun rose, his eyes gummy and sore from lack of sleep. He had laid down hours ago now, but he couldn't close his eyes. Every time he closed his eyes, his mind supplied worse and worse scenarios for what could be happening to Ginny.
She was supposed to be here now. How had things gone so horribly wrong?
He had made his father recount the whole insane story three times over before Lucius had finally lost patience, given him the memory strand, and told him to knock himself out in the study, where a Pensieve was tucked into one corner. Which he had done, four more times, before finally stumbling to his bed.
Despite months and months of preparation, part of Draco was amazed that anything had happened at all in Godric's Hollow. Ginny's suspicious commentary in the memory mirrored his own thoughts- it was all just so bloody unlikely.
Every time he had watched the memory, his blood had run cold upon seeing the spectral hooded figure extend its hand to Ginny. His brain couldn't quite conceive of it- Death was a real being, an actual three-dimensional being, and it had made the three Deathly Hallows. Well, possibly four now…
He frowned up at the ceiling as he recalled the way Ginny's body had lit up with golden light upon the mysterious gem hitting her chest. It had created a veritable column of light, stretching far into the sky, shooting right through the Dark Mark. It had sent the Dark Lord into a rage, a rage so intense that he hadn't hesitated to attempt to murder Ginny the moment she appeared uncooperative.
He slammed his fist against the mattress in impotent rage. The gem was unexpected, he would give the Dark Lord that, but he had promised to give Ginny to Draco after the night was over. Instead, he had tried to murder her not once but twice, merely because she acted exactly like they both would have expected her to. She didn't pose a threat, she wasn't attacking them, she didn't have a wand. It was cruel.
His own stupid words to Blaise echoed in his mind. The Dark Lord keeps his promises, Zabini. He felt stupid for believing the words, stupid and childish for being hurt that he had been so easily convinced when everyone else around him had seemed to realize the truth.
He had wanted it to be true, he realized. Had needed it to be true in order to do what had to be done. And it was worth it, wasn't it? His mother was alive, his father was alive, he was alive... The words sounded hollow even in his own mind. What cost had he inadvertently paid with Ginny's life in order to win the Dark Lord's good graces?
He knew precious little of what had happened after his father had stunned her, only that the Dark Lord had instructed Lucius to take her to his headquarters, "for testing," Lucius had said. His father had refused to say more than that, almost bringing him and Draco to blows before Lucius had given him the memory and dismissed him for the night. His mind replayed Ginny repelling the Killing Curse over and over, followed by her collapsing under the force of the Cruciatus. He would not soon forget the way her body had folded, the sharp cry that had escaped her lips as the pain hit her. It was his fault. All his fault.
There was a knock at his door.
"May I come in?" his mother asked as she cracked open the door. When Draco didn't respond, she slid inside, the light from the hallway cutting a sharp line across the floor. Like Ginny's light had across the sky.
"Did Father send you?" he asked as she sat on the edge of his bed.
"Yes," she said simply. "He thought you might listen more to me than him."
Draco didn't respond. He didn't know what to say.
"He wanted me to talk to you about tonight," Narcissa continued. Draco gritted his teeth. "This gathering is in your honor, Draco, yours and Severus's. You cannot afford to appear ungrateful for the Dark Lord's favor."
"Ungrateful?" Draco asked in a monotone.
"Yes," his mother replied. "This is your victory party. You need to act like a victor."
Act. Act was the key word there. He closed his eyes, ignoring their stickiness.
"I'm tired, Mother."
Hi friends! In upcoming chapters we'll be having some time skips, so I've preemptively started adding the dates to scenes in order to make the timeline clear, since people are now in different places. Part of this chapter is an adaptation of Chapter 29: The Phoenix Lament from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.