SEPTEMBER 20th, 1997
Ginny felt herself lift up out of her body, like she was slipping out of a warm bath and leaving the water behind. The colors of the world around her grew muted, and her heart skipped a beat as she looked down and beheld her own body lying still on the ground next to Draco's.
It actually worked, she thought in amazement, taking a moment to look at each of her friends and family in turn. She would be making this journey alone, but they were here to help her— here to support her.
That warmed her heart considerably as she took a deep breath and looked around for what to do next. Her adrenaline was still racing— she hadn't even had time to really take in what had just happened. Voldemort was dead. She had killed him, at long last. The Wizarding World was safe from his tyranny forever. And Harry had survived somehow! She hadn't had anything to do with that, she was pretty sure… It was truly a miracle.
But she would have to save her celebrating for later. The silvery-white cord stretching out from her was easier to see now, leading toward a large ripple in the air. She gulped at the sight of it disappearing through the rift— would she have to open another portal after all?
Alys and the other women never did, she reasoned as she floated closer, following the length of the cord. But they still acted like they were seeing something I couldn't. Maybe I can just—
She had reached the ripple; its energy flowed out into the air around her in a circular pattern, like a stone had been dropped into water. Maybe she could just… dive in?
It was worth a shot. Pretending like she was back in the ocean, just like Draco had reminded her of, she swam forward through the air and, closing her eyes, made to dive into the ripple.
Her skin instantly became electric as she moved through, and she gasped at the unfamiliar sensation, but she kept going, kept pushing, and then, with a sudden pop, she found herself in a now-familiar place.
The sky was darkly twilit just as it had always been in Ginny's previous visits here, with huge striations of vividly-colored aurora streaked across the sky. Unfamiliar constellations winked down at her, reminding her that she was now very, very far from home.
She had arrived on the hill next to the oak tree, just like she had before. The leaves up in its branches rustled, though Ginny felt no breeze. Growing wary, she looked up, and on instinct reached for her wand. Her hand closed around nothing, and her stomach dropped, but before she could take a step back, a crow cawed and burst out of the tree's foliage. Ginny stumbled backward, startled, but the crow paid her no mind as it flew off, heading over the small plain below the hill she was standing on and over a massive forest further out.
Ginny frowned, trying to catch her breath. She was alone here— she would have to be cautious if she wanted any hope of finding Draco. But that shouldn't be too hard, she would just follow the…
The cord. Where was the cord? She looked around absurdly, as though she might have somehow dropped it, avoiding the obvious truth.
The cord was gone. Or at least she couldn't see it any longer. She put her hand over her chest, feeling for where it had been before, but there was nothing. She was glowing slightly, she belatedly realized, but there was nothing coming out of her chest, no path leading her forward.
She was alone.
"Shit," she murmured, her chest tight as she looked around again. This had to be where Draco had ended up, didn't it? He had shown her— or she had passively seen, one of the two— this sky through the bridge. She had followed the cord connecting them, and it had led her here. He was here— he had to be.
But how was she going to find him?
She squared her shoulders, determined. Okay, so this hadn't been in their plans, not at all, but Ginny had just done the impossible. She had defeated Lord Voldemort, for crying out loud! She had animated the dead, had felt the power of the stars given shape to a dragon, she had killed the unkillable… Surely she could handle one little rescue mission, even if she was in a completely foreign world and alone and defenseless…
As soon as the word defenseless crossed her mind, a faintly glowing sword appeared in her right hand. Ginny lifted her hand in wonder, examining the weapon. She couldn't be sure, but it felt like the same one that had materialized in her hand when she had encountered the shadow, when she had slain the beast it had summoned out of the ground. She shuddered as she remembered it lunging for her, how she had been certain it would maul her before her body had seemed to take over for her, summoning the sword automatically.
Just like it had now.
That didn't bode well for what lay ahead, but it was a relief that she could summon the sword at all.
And puzzling, she mused as she surveyed the ground below her, looking for any landmarks or significant places, any sign of somewhere to go. She had accomplished her task— Voldemort was dead. From everything she understood about the gem and its power… her claim on it should be over. So why could she still feel the light? Why could she still summon this sword?
What if Voldemort wasn't really dead? Could that explain it? No, that didn't make any sense… all of his soul fragments had been destroyed, Ginny had seen the evidence herself, and she knew beyond a doubt that his soul had been ripped from his body by her own hands. Harry had verified it too… No, he had to be dead. But then why could she still feel the light at all? Shouldn't it have left her by now?
Mum always did say never look a gift horse in the mouth, she thought wryly as she tightened her grip on the sword. She could only guess at why she could still summon it, but it was a good thing, and she shouldn't waste time questioning a good thing. She had to find Draco.
She surveyed the area once again, and her eyes landed on a distant castle, glowing faintly white under the blackness of the night sky. It was far away from her— through the forest down below, and up on another hill not unlike the one she was standing on now. It would take hours to walk to, if she had to guess. Not exactly expedient for a rescue mission…
Draco, where are you?
There was no answer.
Ginny bit her lip. The castle was the only landmark around that she could see, the only thing that stood out. Draco could be anywhere, but she had to start somewhere, and heading for the castle would actually mean traversing a good bit of the land here, letting her look for clues.
"Too bad I don't have a broom," she muttered, and she dared to wish for one, but nothing happened. Weapons were apparently on the table, but transportation was not.
That was fine then. She would head out on foot.
She could always call for Alys, she mused as she walked down the hill, or maybe the sprites. But now that she was here… this place felt too open, too exposed, like she would be found out any second, and not necessarily by something friendly.
Echoes of the calls she had heard "to open the gate" flashed in her mind, making her hair stand on end. What had that all been about? Alys had wanted her to use their power to defeat Voldemort, but couldn't she feel the… Ginny didn't even really know how to describe it. The offness, the wrongness, in their voices. They held no good intentions, whether they would have listened to Ginny or not. She had made the right choice in not allowing them through.
And she was making the right choice now in staying well out of sight, even from those who had helped her in the past. If she ran into a friendly face, then great, but she wouldn't draw attention to herself.
She walked on, crossing the grassy plain below the hill before entering the forest. She walked in silence, sword in hand, and she came across nothing and no one as she passed through. She was alone.
Time stretched on as she continued forward, and the forest began to grow swampy; solid ground gave way to mud, which soon became puddles of brackish water that had Ginny grimacing as she stepped in them.
At least I'm not wearing robes, she thought as she continued forward, thankful for the armor she had created. Her feet stayed dry despite the water beneath her, and she tried to walk as quietly as she could, trying not to splash.
The depth of the water gradually rose, and she looked around for any signs of drier land, but everywhere she looked, there was swampy water and not much else. Maybe she could try to climb a tree? But then what was she going to do? She couldn't jump from branch to branch…
No, moving forward would be the best route. She hadn't come across anything dangerous so far, and she would pay close attention to her surroundings— she couldn't afford to waste more time and turn back around now. She hadn't seen any signs of Draco in this forest, and he still wasn't responding to her intermittent calls across their connection; she had to keep moving.
She walked on, and the water grew deeper. The trees were spaced further apart here, with dense patches of moss covering the lower part of their trunks as they broke the water's surface. It was noisier here too— crickets chirping were the first signs of life Ginny had come across, aside from the crow right when she had arrived. Was this world really this empty? She had never seen other beings here when she had met with Alys, but she hadn't tried exploring either…
Just how big was this place, anyway? What if it was the same size as the whole Earth? Ginny could be in metaphorical Spain and Draco could be in Alaska for all she knew…
She sucked in a breath, her chest growing tight, and she made herself relax her shoulders. She had no reason to think that way, none at all. She shouldn't jump to conclusions just because she wasn't sure where Draco was. For all she knew he would be right around this next tree…
He wasn't.
The water was up to her mid-thigh now. The glow of her reflection rippled in the water in front of her as she walked, the crickets making a quiet melody in the background. There was a frog, too, she thought— its distinctive chirp reminded her of hunting for frogs in the pond out back behind the Burrow.
That made her heart squeeze impossibly tight. If everything worked out here… she would be going home after this. There was no one to stop her now— Voldemort was dead, and if she had to guess, by the time she made it back, the Death Eaters would all have been arrested. She would be going home.
Tears pricked her eyes as the reality of it all sank in— she had done it. Freed herself at last, and thus freed the rest of the Wizarding World too. They would get to be happy, all of them…
She just had to find Draco first.
Draco, please, if you can hear me, please respond—
The frogs— more than one of them— had gotten louder, their chirping more urgent. She hadn't noticed in her reverie. She had a split second to pause, a split second to be alarmed, before something massive slammed into her from under the water, dragging her down with it.
Ginny thrashed in the thing's grip, trying to get an angle to stab it with her sword, but it was so bloody dark, and oh Merlin she opened her mouth, why did she open her mouth, now she was swallowing nasty swamp water—
I'm not going to die like this.
Ginny did the only thing she could think of. She pushed, hard, with everything she had toward the creature— was it some kind of crocodile?— and her light flared. The beast—whatever it was— dropped her immediately, and as Ginny finally broke the surface, hissed whispers of witch-queen, witch-queen, witch-queen echoed in place of the crickets' chirps.
She stood there for a moment, shocked and panting, eyes darting around for somewhere safer to go, when an unfamiliar voice made her jump.
"Are you alright?"
Ginny looked around and, seeing no one, glanced upward and gasped.
"Ignotus? Ignotus Peverell?"
"So you know my name then," he said, floating down from where he had been hovering, coming to a stop just above the surface of the water. He looked exactly as she remembered him, though he was no longer a ghostly white. "I would know yours."
The shadow's admonishment echoed in her mind. You shouldn't be so quick to give your name to strangers, Elentiya.
"I… I'm not sure I should tell you."
Ignotus nodded, seemingly unperturbed. "That is wise, in a place such as this. I do not know your name, but I know your light, and I will not be the only one who was drawn here by that flash. Come with me— I can get you to safety."
He held out his hand toward her, and Ginny hesitated, looking around. She had no particular reason not to trust Ignotus, but so much of this was unfamiliar territory…
"I understand that you do not trust me, young woman, but I owe you many explanations, many apologies. I would like to have that chance, but it must not be done here. We are too exposed."
Faint echoes of witch-queen still sounded in the water around her.
She took a deep breath before nodding and taking his hand. He pulled her up into the air, making her gasp, before extending his arms.
"It will be faster if you allow me to carry you. I will be quick."
Grimacing, Ginny nodded and he scooped her into his arms before flying through the air at an alarming speed, back in the direction she had come.
"How did you find me?" she asked, resisting the urge to cling to him as the world raced by below them.
"Your light. The echoes its use gives off… resonate strongly in this world. Every beast and being felt its ripples, I am sure."
Ginny gulped at that, growing tense in his arms. Could that possibly mean that Draco would have felt it too? Did he know she was here?
"Do not be afraid. I am taking you to safety."
Merlin, I sure hope so.
"What was that thing that was trying to drag me under?"
"Something that thought it had found itself an unsuspecting supper."
"My light scared it off?"
"Certainly. Any beast, no matter how base, knows better than to attack Death's chosen."
There was an interesting twinge of… something, in his voice as he said it, almost like bitterness.
"Where are you taking me?"
"To sacred ground."
Apparently the people of the past love to speak in riddles, she mused, thinking of Alys. But wait… if Ignotus is right, that means Alys should know I'm here. Maybe she'll come looking for me…
But they were far away from the swamp now. To Ginny's ire, they arrived back at the very same oak tree she had first appeared under.
"We will be safe here," Ignotus said with a relieved sigh as he deposited her on the ground and landed beside her.
"But this is where I started! It took me probably over an hour to get to where you found me, and now I'm back where I started!"
"Where were you trying to go?"
"Well… I guess I don't exactly know," Ginny said, face reddening. "I'm looking for someone. He's lost, and I'm the only one who can find him."
"What do you mean lost?"
Ginny forced herself not to groan in frustration. Now was not the time for her to be answering a near-stranger's questions. "His soul left his body when I had a portal open, and I have to find him and bring him back."
"This friend of yours is on this side of the veil?" Ignotus asked, growing pale. Ginny nodded, and he covered his face with his hands. "Merlin. This is all my fault," he moaned, leaning back against the trunk of the tree.
"What?" Ginny asked, nonplussed. "What do you mean? I haven't even seen you in months. What's your fault?"
He bowed his head, removing his hands from his face. "I have much to explain."
"Then you better start explaining," Ginny said, hands on her hips. "I'm in a hurry, in case you couldn't tell."
He looked up at her, and there was such a weariness in his eyes that it took Ginny's breath away. "I am the reason you ended up here at all."
"I know that. I remember you, from Godric's Hollow."
He shook his head. "No. I should explain properly, but I am afraid the explanation will not be quick."
"Then maybe it can wait—"
"If you want any chance of finding your friend, you must understand why you are here," Ignotus interrupted, momentarily growing impatient. "There is much you do not understand, young woman, and without that knowledge, you are wandering blind."
That had certainly felt like what she was doing in the swamp.
"Fine," she huffed before sitting down on the ground. "You can call me Ginny, by the way— I believe you are who you say you are."
Ignotus nodded before, after a moment of uncertainty, he sat down across from her, leaned up against the base of the tree. "First I must tell you a little about this place— about this world." He looked out across the plain below them, and there was a strange mix of fondness and longing on his face. "I do not know what the knowledge is like in your time, but in mine, we believed our world to be all that there was, that we were the center of the universe. That is not correct— the world you live in, the world I lived in, is but one of many."
Ginny nodded, fighting the urge to interrupt and tell him that she knew this already.
"This place, where we are now, is like a central point, a world that connects all others, even time itself. This world is neither good nor evil— it is a waypoint, and all manner of creatures with all manner of motivations make their home here."
This, again, largely tracked with what Ginny already knew.
"Walking between worlds is possible, though some are easier to cross through than others. For some, travel is free-flowing. For others, the connection comes and goes with the passage of time— able to cross one moment, and the connection gone soon after. Others are nearly impossible to access no matter the circumstances. Ours is particularly walled-off— save for a rare exception, the only humans who can access the planes at all are Seers."
"Like Professor Trelawney!" Ginny blurted.
"Was that her name?" Ignotus said softly.
"You… you know of her?"
Ignotus bowed his head again. "When a Seer is using their power, they often do not realize what it is that they are accessing— they do not see this place as you and I do. They see only mist as they reach through, pulling at the strands of time, looking for portents of the future. They can catch glimpses of possibilities to come, hear fragments of that which has yet to pass, and they relay that information back on the other side. They do not fully cross… except for this Professor Trelawney."
Because of Snape's potion, Ginny thought, brow furrowing.
"I do not know why she was different, only that she was. She appeared here, and all those in this world heard her speak about the Master of Death… including me." He grimaced. "I knew exactly what those words meant, what magic they spoke of. The gifts my brothers and I had received, what history has dubbed The Deathly Hallows, had been lost to time; the Elder Wand, I knew, had caused bouts of chaos over the centuries, but it had always been alone, separated from its brothers. If they were to be reunited… their owner would have unprecedented power, including the ability to world-walk. I grew… concerned, that someone was looking for them in this manner, and, combined with the Seer's strange appearance, I felt it prudent to investigate to whom, exactly, this prophecy had been told, and to whom it referred."
"Investigate? Investigate how?" Ginny interrupted, her mind whirring as she tried to keep up.
Ignotus sighed. "It is… not easy for a departed soul to look back into the world once they have left it, but I am— forgive me— not an ordinary departed soul. My brothers and I were blessed by Death, but I was the only one prudent enough to not misuse my gift, and thus, the only one to live a long life. It has given me… perspective, and a certain favor in the eyes of Death, who some call the Mother. I had only one clue to go by— a title, someone called the Boy Who Lived. So I asked amongst the dead for anyone who knew this term, and I eventually met a man by the name of Sirius Black."
Ginny's eyes widened.
"I take it you knew him?"
Ginny nodded, amazed.
"He was very kind to me, and quite informative— he introduced me to Lily and James Potter, who as luck would have it is one of my own descendants, and together, they told me all about their son Harry and his survival against the wizard called Lord Voldemort."
"This is… wow. Not what I was expecting you to tell me."
"As I said, there is much you do not know, or did not, until today. My fears around the Seer's prophecy were heightened by news of this Dark wizard, and all whom I asked about him reported the same troubling stories— a cruel man obsessed with power and, more dangerously, immortality. I had to see for myself, so, with great effort, I looked through the veil to observe this man, and found that I had good reason to be afraid. He could not be allowed to possess the Hallows."
Suddenly growing agitated, Ignotus rose to his feet and began to pace. "Despite the clear danger he posed, however, I believed the world to be safe at that time— people had sought the Hallows off and on for centuries, and none had been able to reunite them. They were scattered, difficult to find, and I saw no signs that this Lord Voldemort knew anything about where to find them. But then this Seer— this Professor Trelawney— appeared again."
"And she foretold where to find the Hallows," Ginny finished.
"Aye," Ignotus said with a nod. "While not direct, she hinted at old magic, the kind that had been lost since shortly after my time on the Earth, the kind that was certain to lead Lord Voldemort to the Hallows if he managed to figure out any more information. I could not allow it to happen."
He dropped back to the ground with a defeated plop. "I hoped and prayed that she would not appear a third time, and I contented myself with the fact that prophecies speak of possibilities, not certainties. It was not guaranteed to come to pass."
"That makes sense— her first prophecy didn't come to pass, not really. Voldemort was the Master of Death when he killed Harry, but it didn't really work, did it? Harry came back to life. The Boy Who Lived triumphed instead."
Ignotus smiled at her for the first time. "Prophecies are a funny thing sometimes— have you ever noticed how intentionally vague the wording is? One could argue that you, as the Master of Death, triumphed over Harry Potter by defeating Lord Voldemort in his stead."
"I… what? No way!"
Ignotus laughed, a deep, throaty sound that surprisingly reminded her of Harry. "Divination is a subtle art. It is important to consider all possibilities, all meanings, when hearing the words of a Seer."
Ginny didn't quite know how to feel about that. Hermione's words about Divination being a nonsense discipline echoed in her mind.
"Well… anyway, you were saying that you hoped and prayed Trelawney wouldn't come back for a third time, but she did. What happened then?"
Ignotus's smile fell. "I am… not proud of this. I did what I thought was best at the time. When she appeared again, I… took control of her. She spoke my words to Lord Voldemort, words I carefully crafted for this situation."
It was Ginny's turn to jump to her feet, her heart in her throat. "You made the whole thing up?" she demanded, her mind racing. "But… but how…"
"Not exactly made up," Ignotus said hastily, looking abashed. "I did not lie, not exactly. It is true that anyone who knew the right place, who knew the right steps to take, could have accessed the Deathly Hallows from a thin place. But I could not allow Lord Voldemort to realize that they were within his reach— so I spoke truth about how to access the Hallows, but described someone completely opposite of him as the apparent subject of the prophecy. Someone young, a woman, born of wizarding blood and, most importantly, pure of heart— all things Lord Voldemort was not, and had no hope of becoming."
He rose to his feet once again, a look of desperation on his face. "You must understand that I never dreamed that he would orchestrate some way for this prophecy to come true— it was designed to keep him from the Hallows forever. I underestimated him, and thus unknowingly put you in danger. When you opened the portal in Godric's Hollow, and I saw what had happened… I was filled with shame and grief. My plans had failed, and an innocent child was suffering because of my actions. I knew I had to help you somehow, to attempt to atone for my mistake, but my own abilities were useless. I knew, though, of another power, an old magic that had been lost from the world for centuries but had been designed to fight an ancient, unkillable enemy, an enemy far greater than one Dark wizard. It was the best defense I could hope to give you. You begged for my help, and I asked Death for her most precious blessing, and She obliged."
"I… I don't even know what to say," Ginny stuttered. "So… all this time, all of this was… an accident, I wasn't destined for this at all, it was all a mistake—"
"I did not say that," Ignotus said kindly, giving her a gentle smile. "The Mother would never have granted you her blessing if she did not deem you worthy, Ginny. It was a contrivance that you ended up in Godric's Hollow to begin with, but once you were there, you earned the Mother's light— a gift very few have held. You have handled the burden thrust upon you far beyond what anyone could have expected— you do Her proud by your actions."
Ginny bit her lip, feeling thoroughly wrong-footed at this point. She had always resisted Voldemort's certainty in fate and destiny, but for so much of this to have been happenstance… It shook her confidence. She had destroyed Lord Voldemort, but it had all been an accident—
"It is not your birth that matters, Ginny," Ignotus continued, sensing her inner turmoil. "Not your birth, not your circumstances, none of it. We all enter the Earth the same way, and we all leave it the same way. It is our choices in between that matter, and for your choices, you were rewarded— I promise you, not just anyone could come face to face with Death and survive, let alone be blessed as you were. I am deeply sorry that my actions put you in danger, and yet, had I not made those same choices, who is to say what would have become of Lord Voldemort? Your actions, your choices, gave you the ability to triumph over him, despite his use of the Hallows. They live within you now."
Ginny put her hand on her chest, remembering the absolute, overwhelming flow of power in her veins as she had absorbed the Hallows one by one.
"Why can I still use the power at all? Is it because of the Hallows? I thought the light would have disappeared by now."
"What do you mean?"
"Alys said that the gem's power was so great and terrible that it could only be used once. I used it, but it didn't disappear— it's still inside me. It's blocked, like it was before, but—"
"You know the name Alys?" Ignotus interrupted.
Ginny blinked. "Yes. Of course I know the name Alys. She's the whole reason I was able to defeat Voldemort at all— without her help, I never would have figured out there was more to the gem than protection from death. I never would have gained the second sight, I wouldn't have known about Voldemort's Horcruxes… nothing would have worked, without her."
Ignotus looked deeply troubled. "I did not realize she would be able to speak to you this way."
"Well, it's a good thing she did, because otherwise I would have been absolutely screwed!" Ginny said, growing impatient. "Look, this has all been fascinating, and if I was meeting you under different circumstances, I'd have a million questions for you, but I really have to keep looking for Draco—"
"Ginny, this is important," Ignotus interrupted, his voice sharp. "What do you know about the gem's origins?"
Ginny covered her hands with her face. "Please, can't we talk about this after—"
"We must speak of it now. What do you know about the gem's origins?"
Ginny heaved a great sigh. "The gem was first given to Morgana centuries ago to save her people from some invading army. She made a relationship with Death, called the Morrigan, and then she led her people out of wherever they were before to the forest around Malfoy Manor, except it was before Malfoy Manor had ever been built. Morgana taught her people to worship the Morrigan, taught some of them the second sight, and passed the ability to call on the gem's power down to her daughter, and it was passed on and on down to Alys, in the fourteenth century. She was the last person to have it before me— Nicholas Malfoy slaughtered her entire village, and so she used the gem to kill him in return. She died that same night."
"Is that what she told you?"
"That's what she showed me," Ginny said, growing angrier. "I watched it all happen— it was a memory. A series of memories."
"You watched her die?"
"Yes, I—"
Well, no, not exactly. She had asked her to stop the vision— watching Nicholas Malfoy be slowly tortured to death had been too much. But her very first vision of Alys had been inside Malfoy Manor as it was burning down— lying on the ground, covered in blood…
"You what?"
"No, I didn't watch her die. Is there a point here? My friend could be hurt—"
"I believe this is connected to why your friend is here in the first place. Yes, this is critically important." He began to pace, ignoring Ginny's startled expression. "What was the last thing you saw in her memories?"
"Her torturing Nicholas Malfoy to death. I asked her to stop the vision— it was too gruesome— but I have no reason to think she wouldn't have shown the rest to me."
"She would not have shown it to you. But I will— you have to understand." He knelt down on the ground and began to dig with his hands. "I cannot show you someone else's memory, but the strands of time remember all things— we can watch from here."
"From inside the ground?"
"From what dwells inside the ground."
"… this is a strange place."
Ignotus laughed. "All places are, to those not from there."
"How do you think is connected to Draco's soul going missing?"
"Alys," Ignotus grunted, "I can guarantee, has not been truthful with you."
"Not been truthful with me about what? And how do you know?"
Ignotus grimaced. "About her intentions. I know her here… I believe she is… lost."
If he answers me one more time with a fucking riddle, I swear I'll—
Ginny gasped, interrupting her own thoughts, as water bubbled up from the ground into the small hole that Ignotus had dug. It shown pearlescent under the starlight, burbling slightly as it filled the space.
"You say Morgana fought against an invading army," Ignotus said, reaching into the water to scoop some up with his hands. "That is true. But watch."
He tossed his hands up, throwing the water everywhere, but the water did not fall. The droplets hung in the air before coalescing together, making a kind of translucent mirror.
"This is the army that Morgana fought," Ignotus continued, and the mirror's surface became opaque as a grassy field took shape within it. Hundreds of soldiers marched forward, swords and spears in hand.
"Looks like an army to me."
"Look closer."
Half-ready to just walk away at this point and ignore Ignotus entirely, Ginny instead walked closer to the water, examining the image. Her eyes widened as she took in the men's faces. Their eyes were fully black, even the whites, and a dark, mottled black band stretched around their necks.
"What's wrong with them?" she murmured.
"They are infested with a parasite," Ignotus said flatly. "A parasite not of this world."
On instinct, Ginny grasped her arm, remembering the tattoo. "Like an Imperius Curse?"
"More pervasive than that. The one who controls them lives inside them— a monster made of shadow piloting a human body."
Ginny covered her mouth with her hands, her mind on the shadow she had spoken to once before.
"Yes, it is horrific."
"But why? What's the point?"
"Sport and conquest, mostly, but they also are always hunting for new worlds with access to their preferred food source— magic." He shared a significant look with her. "Our world is not as magical as some, which has protected it from incursion, but it was discovered during Morgana's time, and you see the result of that invasion here."
"Is that why they were called an unkillable enemy?"
"Aye. Killing the host does not kill the shade within. So Morgana pleaded for aid, and it was granted."
The image in the mirror shifted, and Ginny watched in awe as Morgana rose above the warring armies, glowing golden with a spectral sword in hand. She flew across the battlefield faster than Ginny could keep track of, but in her wake fell soldier after soldier, who gradually rose again, returned to normal.
"So she defeated them," Ginny said.
"Yes, and made it more difficult to cross between our world and others. The enemy was gone, but could attempt to return. The gem grants its wielder an escape from Death, but Morgana chose to pass on after a time, entrusting the ability to call for the Morrigan's aid to her daughter, and thus the gift was passed down through the generations. Any one of her descendants could have called on the Morrigan to request Her light to defend against another invasion, and it would have been granted to them."
"But… but the Morrigan is a god, right?" Ginny asked with a frown. "Why doesn't she just get rid of them all? Why did she need a guardian?"
Ignotus sighed. "The weakest god is a hundred times more powerful than the strongest wizard, but they are not infinite in strength. And, for what it is worth, these creatures… the ones I have shown you here are plenty threatening to us, but within their own world, far from here, they are relatively weak. The Morrigan's focus must be on greater threats."
Ginny took a step back. "Listen… like I said, this is all fascinating, but this is way too much for me. I didn't come here to learn about invading shadows from another world, or gods' wars, or anything like that, okay? I just need to find my friend and get out of here— get back home."
Ignotus grabbed her arm, suddenly deathly serious. "You hold the gem's light within you. You must understand its history so you do not make the same mistakes as your predecessor. If you want any hope of surviving here and finding your friend, you must listen."
"What mistakes?"
Ignotus took a deep breath. "Mankind was fortunate in that an invasion did not occur a second time. But in the five hundred years between Morgana and Alys… it made it easy for the origins of the gem to become distorted. The ancient enemy became interpreted more broadly than it was ever meant to be. How do you think Alys interpreted it?"
"For her, it was Nicholas Malfoy. He destroyed her entire people in a single afternoon— he was her enemy."
"I wish it were that simple." With a frown, he waved his hand over the image, causing it to shift. Alys appeared, looking just as Ginny had seen her before; she wore the white gown that her sister Merilda had wanted her to, claiming it had belonged to their mother, only now it was streaked with blood all down the front. She glowed golden, hovering slightly so as to stay out of the way of the flames consuming Malfoy Manor. Nicholas Malfoy's desecrated corpse lay on the dining room floor, barely recognizable.
"This matches what she showed me before."
"Watch."
Draco, please hang on, she sent across the bridge, fighting frustration as she watched Alys float out of the room and down the ground floor hall. Thick smoke filled the air, making it difficult for Ginny to see details clearly— Alys's glow was a blurry outline as she passed through the manor. It was strange to follow her along the halls— so similar and yet different to the ones Ginny had walked. What had Draco said? The whole building had burned down except for the family vault in the basement?
Alys, it appeared, was heading for the basement. It wasn't magically concealed like it was in Ginny's time— an open archway showed stairs leading downward, and Alys descended them. What did she want with the basement? Nicholas Malfoy was already dead…
A woman's scream echoed up the stairs, and Alys moved faster.
"Is that his wife? Isolda?"
"Yes. From everything I know, Nicholas Malfoy was a cruel man, and his wife was a common target of his cruelty, but his last act was a good one. It was common in those days for a wizarding marriage to involve a link between souls— a kind of bridge, you could say. A husband and wife could speak across this bridge, no matter their physical distance. Nicholas Malfoy's last act was to tell Isolda to grab their two children and run— there was a room, down in the basement, that was magically protected, and once Isolda saw the extent of the fire, I am sure she felt like that would be the safest place to hide."
Ginny covered her mouth with her hands, not wanting to believe what Ignotus seemed to be implying.
"But Isolda was innocent. She couldn't have done anything to stop Nicholas— Alys had to have known that."
Ignotus remained silent, his eyes on the mirror. Ginny's eyes widened as she beheld what must have been the entrance to the Malfoy family vault— an archway of stone, with runes carved all around its edges, glowing faintly green as Alys approached. Isolda was cowering inside, holding her baby and clutching a crying Alexander close to her, who was watching Alys with wide eyes.
"Please, forgive us!" Isolda yelled. "My children… spare my children…"
Alys said nothing. She lifted her hands in front of her, not unlike Ginny had done to Voldemort. The foundation shook beneath them, but the stone archway held fast. Frustrated, Alys sent a pulse of power forward toward the stones; one of them cracked, but the magic seemed to hold strong— the blast bounced off the open entryway as though it were solid stone.
"Please, have mercy! I beg of you—"
Alys snarled and sent another pulse of power forward, shaking the foundation even more. She did not open her mouth, but her voice echoed.
There was no mercy for my people. There shall be none for yours.
She lifted her hands once again, and Isolda ducked her head, holding her children close as they waited to die, but then Alys's light went out.
"What is this?" Alys demanded as she dropped to the ground, looking around indignantly. "Where is my—"
"They are not your enemy."
Alys's eyes widened as she turned to look down the burning hallway, where Death stood.
"Great Queen!" Alys dropped to her knees. "Please, they are my enemy— you, in your infinite wisdom, must know—"
"They are innocent."
Alys blanched. "No! How can you say that? My people— your people— have all been slaughtered—"
"And the one responsible is dead."
Alys rose to her feet, cold anger hardening her face. "It's not enough! How could it ever be enough—"
"This is not what my power is for. You shame me with this."
Death lifted Her hand, and with a great rush, the gem flew out of Alys's chest and into Death's outstretched hand, making Alys cry out.
"No! Do not forsake me now! You cannot do this! Please, mighty Morrigan—"
"You must come home now. There is nothing for you here."
Alys went flying forward, into Death's waiting embrace, and together they disappeared. The water-mirror's surface began to grow wavy before it broke apart into water droplets, which fell back to the earth, magicless.
Ignotus turned to look at her, a sad expression on his face as he watched Ginny wrestle with what she had just seen.
"She was going to kill them all," she whispered, their terrified faces flashing again and again in her mind. "How could she want to kill a baby?"
"She wanted vengeance, not justice. When I spoke about someone with a pure heart, Ginny… it was not only to counter Lord Voldemort. It was also in memory of this. People can do horrible things when they are in pain… but some are willing to go further than others."
Ginny said nothing for a long moment, her mind reeling. Then, "Did Isolda and the children survive?"
"Aye. They rebuilt their home, and Nicholas Malfoy's son grew up to hate Muggles more than his father ever did as a consequence of this night— a consequence that, from what I understand, has echoed through the centuries in his family line."
Her mind flashed on Lucius Malfoy, on everything she had ever learned about the Malfoys and blood supremacy, and on Lucius reminding her of their unofficial family motto— Malfoys first.
"What happened to Alys?"
"I believe you saw— she went with Death, body and soul, and has dwelled in this realm ever since."
Ginny frowned. "You said that you think all of this is why I'm here now, but I still don't understand what you mean. Alys lost the gem because of how she tried to use it, but what does that have to do with me and Draco? I'm not looking for vengeance."
Ignotus looked out toward the horizon. "As we discussed and as you have seen, human souls are not the only ones who reside here. I do not know for certain, but the fact that she helped you, a witch, at all is… intriguing. I do not believe she acted alone." He turned to look at her. "How did Alys act when you first met her?"
Ginny's frown deepened. "She didn't want to help me at all. She told me to go away, basically."
"What changed?"
"I came back, and she told me how to get the second sight, in a roundabout way, and if I could do that, she would help me use the gem's power. Which she did. You think she was being influenced to help me? Why?"
"Can you think of no reason?"
She thought back, thought back over all her encounters with Alys over the past few months, and the memories from earlier today, of the incessant tugging, of the cacophony of voices, echoed in her mind.
"Because using the power let me open a portal…" she whispered. "Except I didn't let anything through that wasn't human. Alys kept asking me to open the gate… and she was so excited when I did, at first, but then… then I didn't hear anything from her after that."
Ignotus nodded. "You very well may have just prevented a second invasion."
Ginny tried to ignore the cold sweat that had broken out on the back of her neck, her palms tingling. "What does Alys get out of that, though? Why would she help them?"
"I do not know. I only know that beings born of spite find hatred and bitterness very attractive, and she has been in this place for a very long time."
"So then when it didn't work…" Ginny's brow furrowed, trying to put it together. "Draco ended up here instead." Her eyes widened. "His soul is connected to mine! Is that why? They were trying to affect me but they couldn't, so they took him instead?"
Ignotus's eyebrows rose. "That would indeed make some sense."
"But that means Draco is in danger!" Ginny cried. "Please, you have to help me find him right away!"
Draco! Draco, where are you? Please, I know you're in danger— tell me where you are!
"After all the pain I have caused you, you would still ask for my help?"
"Well, obviously! You got me into this mess, now you need to get me out of it."
His eyebrows rose still further before he threw his head back and laughed.
"You remind me of my son," he said, still chuckling a little. "Alright— yes, I will help you, Ginny, champion of Death. Hold still."
Ginny held her breath as Ignotus reached toward her chest. He laid his hand over her heart, took a deep breath, and then pulled back. A million tiny shivers erupted all over Ginny's body as what looked like a ball of silver yarn took shape in his hand. The strands of material glittered like starlight, glowing faintly in the darkness.
"This will guide us to him," Ignotus said, handing it to her, and as soon as she grabbed hold of it, her nostrils filled with the scent of the sea.
Draco.
"How do I use it?"
"Toss it in the air, and it will lay out a path for us to follow."
Hold on, Draco. I'm coming.
Her heart pounding, Ginny tossed the ball in the air and watched as it unwound, stretching through the air out toward the forest she had left earlier.
"Come, Elentiya. Let's go save your soul-friend."