Ginny gritted her teeth against the cold wind, her eyes streaming a bit from the speed at which she was flying. She should have grabbed her Quidditch goggles before leaving, but she had been in such a rush she had barely had time to think. Her legs were cramped from staying in position for so long, and no matter how often she alternated between using the footrest and letting them dangle freely, she couldn't get comfortable. To make matters worse, the upward drift that her Cleansweep was vulnerable to seemed to be getting worse the longer she flew. If she didn't want to go shooting up into the sky, she had to press quite firmly on the handle at all times.
I should have taken the Firebolt, she thought as she switched her grip in order to stretch her sore wrist.
She should have done a lot of things, she was realizing. Despite Kathleen's assurances that Ginny had done the best she could have given the circumstances, she was reminded again and again of the fact that if she had finished her translation even one day earlier, they likely wouldn't be in this chaotic mess to begin with. It had truly been a perfect storm - why did Dumbledore have to be traveling right when they needed him most?
In a perfect world, she would have walked calmly to Dumbledore's office, handed over her research, he would have congratulated her on a job well done for the Order, and then he would have swiftly dealt with it before the Death Eaters were any the wiser. Oh, and some praise from Harry would be nice too, maybe some validation that she had been right to stick with her gut.
Was that a perfect world though? Hell, the real perfect world would be one where she never broke up with Harry, where Dumbledore had taken this threat seriously from the start, where she had never even heard of the name Loxias before. She briefly allowed herself to imagine it - Ron would have asked out Hermione by this point and she would have happily accepted. They could go on double dates to Honeydukes or the Three Broomsticks. There would never be a moment where the three of them awkwardly stopped talking when they remembered she was in the room, no sidelong glances or pointed looks. In this world, Harry would ask for her opinion on things - he would make it clear that he valued her input, that he saw her as "one of us" and not his best friend's little sister. He would love her as she was, not smother her with his overprotective tendencies. Allowing her imagination to run wild, she happily envisioned Neville asking out a delighted Luna Lovegood and all the silly shenanigans they would get up to together. And Kathleen would be there too, Kathleen and Ava and Jessica and Lydia. They would go to the Weird Sisters concert in June, jeans artfully ripped and shirts charmed to match the band's album covers, and have the time of their lives.
The broom was drifting. Irritated at being drawn back to this less-than-ideal reality, Ginny pushed down hard on the handle, causing the broom to bounce a bit. She wasn't sure how long she had been flying at this point - it had to have been hours. While Kathleen's compass spell worked well in giving her a direction to fly, it didn't tell her how far she had traveled or how far she still had to go. She knew that Godric's Hollow wasn't horribly far from Ottery St. Catchpole, but she had never flown home from Hogwarts either - it was a literal shot in the dark. She could only hope she was close, both due to the urgency of the situation and because her muscles were screaming at her at this point.
Would the Order already be there? Ginny hoped so. This astrological alignment would last until close to dawn according to the chart she had hastily consulted, so the retrieval could happen any time tonight. Kathleen had said she would sound the alarm as soon as Ginny left. Hopefully McGonagall hadn't given her too hard of a time - Kathleen was right, it was a lot to take in all at once. With any luck, McGonagall would have sent word to Kingsley and Remus, and the Order would have Apparated straight to Godric's Hollow. Who knew, maybe one of them even knew how to contact Dumbledore when he was traveling. She allowed herself to imagine him Apparating into a nondescript village and blasting back an army of Death Eaters.
If I can't have my perfect world, then a world where Dumbledore swoops in to save the day would be great, she thought, sending the wish out into the universe. Please, please hurry.
Her stomach clenched as she thought of the alternative - what if Dumbledore wasn't there, but You-Know-Who was?
She reminded herself of Kathleen's words. If you get there and it's too dangerous, just stay out of sight. You're more important than any stupid wand, unbeatable or not.
Ginny nodded to herself. If she saw even a hint of Death Eater activity, she would stay hidden - maybe try sending a Patronus charm to the Burrow to ask for help. This was a race, not a fight.
The longer she flew, the more she was reminded of this same time last year, when she and Harry and the others had been rushing to the Ministry of Magic, only to be lured into a trap. Harry had been so sure that his vision of Sirius had been real, and it had all been a fabrication by You-Know-Who, one which had ended in disaster.
This is different though, Ginny thought. This isn't about a vision - Kathleen and I both overheard Malfoy, and so did Harry at Christmas. And all of those books in the library back it up, especially Loxias's journal. Even Dumbledore didn't deny it being real, he just said "it's been handled." The evidence is there. If there's any sign of danger at all, I'll stay out of the way.
She flew for a while longer, fighting intermittently with her broom, before the golden light coming from her wand started to arc downward.
"Finally," she muttered as she started her descent. She would land on the outskirts of the village in order to stay away from any Muggles and assess the situation from there.
Down and down she flew, the twinkling lights of the houses below making the village look like something out of a fairy tale. The only night-flying Ginny had done before now had been at home, and never quite this high up. She smiled sadly for a moment as she grew closer to landing, imagining the various families living their lives behind those walls. If things had been different, this is where Harry would have grown up. Maybe she would have spent a summer here on occasion, rather than him always coming to the Burrow. She could scarcely imagine it.
She landed on the edge of the village with a little more force than intended, her legs shaky and exhausted as they touched down on solid ground. The Dirigium spell, its task complete, dissipated.
It certainly looked normal. She edged her way closer, keeping her broom tucked behind her in case a random Muggle happened to be looking her way, but she noticed nothing unusual. She could see the shadow of a woman in one of the windows, backlit through the curtains; she appeared to be washing dishes. No one was out on the street, but it was late enough now that that was to be expected, particularly given the quaint nature of the village. There was no obvious sign of magical activity, Death Eater or otherwise.
Could I possibly be early?
She ducked behind one of the buildings and pulled out her wand. "Lumos," she whispered, pulling out her notes from her robe pocket. She skimmed over Loxias's ritual, looking for what the hell was supposed to be happening.
"To the west of the village lies the ghost of a riverbed, once too deep to wade through and too dangerous to swim across. Herein lies the Wand of Destiny, waiting for the one worthy enough to wield it. That is a much better name than the Deathstick, he must have seen reason in his later years." She looked around again, something familiar tugging at her as she repeated the melodic words. There was something about the cadence of Loxias's instructions that reminded her of... something, but it was fuzzy in her mind, like something half-remembered from a dream. She couldn't place it.
"I flew in from the north, so I guess I go this way," she murmured. But was it safer to go through the village or around it? Going around meant avoiding Muggles, but also felt like an easier hiding spot for Death Eaters if there were any nearby.
Ultimately, she decided to split the difference. She folded the parchment into a small enough square to fit into her jeans pocket, then removed her Hogwarts robe and folded it up. She walked back to the edge of the village and tucked the robe into the base of the tree before leaning her broom up against it. Carrying the broom with her would be better for a quick getaway if she needed it, but it was bulky and would be impossible to explain to any random passerby. If she was going to run into a Muggle or a Death Eater, she would take the Muggle.
Her wand drawn, she walked back into the village, staying away from the main square and heading down a side street instead, heading west. Here too, the street was empty. She could hear a Muggle television on in one house as she passed, the giggles of small children in another. Nothing seemed to be amiss.
What if this had all been some big misunderstanding, somehow? What if she got to this riverbed and nothing happened?
Well, other than feeling like a massive idiot, I guess that wouldn't be too bad. Crisis averted?
Soon, she reached the western edge of the village. She squinted in the dark, but she thought she could make out a dip in the land where a river could have been. She looked around once again, wary. The moon was nearly full, which gave her some light to see by. She squinted again, trying to make out anything suspicious in the distance. There was nothing.
She grimaced as she realized that "nothing" included any Order members. Where were they? Still mounting a response? Or had Kathleen run into some kind of trouble? Ginny's stomach twisted as she imagined Malfoy confronting Kathleen about what, exactly, her name was doing in all of the library's books on Loxias.
I can't think about that now, she thought with a shake of her head. Even if that were true, there's nothing I can do about it from hundreds of miles away. I have to focus on what's in front of me.
She took a deep breath before walking out of the village, heading west. It didn't take long for what she was looking for to come into view - there indeed was an old riverbed here, filled in with pale stones that glinted in the moonlight.
I guess I really am the only one here. Is this actually going to work?
She hadn't really dared think it was possible, but it seemed like the stars had aligned for her at last. Maybe she wasn't too late after all.
"Ok, what next?" she asked, not bothering to keep her voice down at this point. She cast Lumos again and pulled out her notes. She raised an eyebrow at the instructions. This certainly wasn't how typical magical worked. It read almost like...
"Like a fairy tale," she said, realizing where she had recognized Loxias's earlier instructions. It read like one of Beedle's old stories that Mum had read to her at night when she was a little girl.
"Don't tell me this is all some fable," she said. "Is this some blood supremacist version of a children's story?"
Her mind returned to Dumbledore's words to Harry. It's been handled. He wouldn't have said that about something mythological - he would have just told Harry it wasn't real. Right?
"Damn it," she cursed. She read through the instructions again. "Well, I guess I flew all this way. Would be stupid to turn around now without at least trying it."
Feeling a little silly, she knelt down at the edge of the riverbed and picked up a rock. It was an eerie shade of white, almost like bone.
What's a fairy tale without a little bit of creepiness? she thought as she transfigured the edge of the rock so that it was as sharp as a knife.
"Here goes nothing," she said as she used the rock to slice into her left palm. She gasped a little at the pain as blood, bright red even in the dim light, welled up. She made a fist and held it over the riverbed. She focused on her intention to retrieve the Deathstick or the Wand of Destiny or whatever it was called in order to bring it to Dumbledore, to keep it away from those who would abuse it.
"I am a true seeker of the Deathly Hallows," she whispered as she squeezed a few drops of blood out of her hand onto the riverbed.
She didn't need to wait to see if it worked. The air around Ginny instantly changed, growing hot and humid. The hair on her arms stood on end, like lightning was about to strike somewhere nearby. She looked up in wonder where, about fifteen feet above her, a bluish-green light was swirling. It looked like photos she had seen in Astronomy class of the Aurora Borealis. She went to stand up, but was amazed to find that she was floating a couple inches off the ground.
"What the hell?" she murmured. "What is this?" The swirling light grew in size and Ginny floated upward as it expanded, slowly but surely. She kept her wand gripped tightly - the light didn't feel sinister, but Loxias had certainly made no mention of this in any of his writings. She was in unfamiliar territory.
After a moment, the ball of light separated from itself, making a ring of swirling energy. And what Ginny saw through that ring made her jaw drop.
This was another world - that was the only way to describe it. It was nighttime in this place, whatever it was, but a deeper night than Ginny had ever seen, with unfamiliar stars and huge striations of Aurora Borealis all across the foreign sky. So dark as to almost look like shadow itself, there was a great hill in the foreground with a massive oak tree atop it. If she looked further, she could see a towering castle in the distance- indeed, truly as if it had risen out of a fairy tale. The very air felt ancient and laced with magic.
Ginny floated in place, eye-level with this... portal? She pondered for a moment what she was supposed to do, as she didn't seem to be able to move forward, but she quickly realized she wasn't alone. A hooded figure stepped out from the shadow of the tree and floated off of the hill toward the portal. Ginny gripped her wand tightly - had a Death Eater somehow entered this place ahead of her?
As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she knew it was incorrect. This thing, whatever it was, was massively tall and rail-thin. Almost like a Dementor, but without the associated air of dread. It wasn't human.
It reached out a hand toward her in apparent greeting, and Ginny's eyes widened as she realized that its hand was a skeleton, no flesh on it at all.
What in Godric's name is this?
The figure extended its arm out to its side and looked over its shoulder, apparently summoning something. After a moment, three figures came into view. These were at least clearly human; they appeared to be young men, maybe age thirty or so, but they were completely void of color, almost like a black and white photograph. They came forward to stand next to the hooded figure, and it all clicked in Ginny's mind.
This is EXACTLY like a fairy tale, she thought in amazement. The Tale of the Three Brothers. But how can it be real? How can this be happening?
The figure, who she now knew was Death, gestured at one of the three men. He looked to be the youngest of the lot. He reminded her of someone, but she couldn't quite place who. He stepped forward, gave her a small smile, and moved his hand as if he were tossing her something.
A vision appeared in the air in front of Ginny, between her and the portal. It was the Astronomy Tower, the level right below the viewing deck. She and Kathleen had been there just a few hours before. She noticed movement on the floor and quickly realized that it was Harry's Invisibility Cloak flapping around, but Harry was nowhere nearby. In fact, the place was deserted.
"Harry?" she called. Maybe he was just out of sight. Had this somehow been Dumbledore's plan all along, for some mad reason?
No one responded, but the cloak fluttered upward, closer and closer, before sliding out of the vision. It too was wrapped in that bluish-green light, holding it aloft. Once the cloak slipped through, the vision disappeared.
"I don't understand," she told Death. Death did not reply, but instead gestured to another figure to come forward. She thought this one looked rather sad. He stepped forward and made a similar tossing gesture to her.
Same as before, a vision appeared, this time of Dumbledore's office. There was a Golden Snitch sitting on his desk and it was rattling around, just like the cloak had done.
"Professor?" Ginny called. "Professor, can you hear me? It's Ginny Weasley!"
No one responded. The Snitch rattled violently before bursting open, making Ginny gasp. A ring floated up out of it, one she had never seen before. Just like the cloak, it floated up to the edge of the vision before passing through, held up by light, before the office vanished.
Death gestured for the final brother to come forward. He was taller than the others and had an arrogant look of disdain on his face. She held her breath as he made the same tossing gesture as his brothers.
Ginny screamed when she saw the last vision. Albus Dumbledore lay at the foot of the Astronomy Tower, his limbs bent at odd angles, his pale blue eyes unseeing.
"No!" Ginny yelled. "It can't be true! Professor Dumbledore, wake up!" She struggled against the light holding her up, needing to get to him, but she couldn't move. Dumbledore's wand, held loosely in his hand, wobbled for a moment before flying through the vision. The vision slowly disappeared, as though it sensed Ginny's furious desire to reach through and grab her beloved teacher.
For just a moment, the three items - the cloak, the ring, and the wand - all floated harmlessly in front of Ginny. The portal started to close.
"Incarcerous!"
Ropes shot out of the air and wrapped tightly around Ginny's entire body as high, cold laughter filled the air. Shocked, she dropped her wand and it tumbled away.
"No!" she yelled again as she looked down to see Lord Voldemort himself on the ground beneath her, surrounded by half a dozen Death Eaters.
"Accio Elder Wand!" he called. Dumbledore's wand wobbled once more, but it was like the bluish-green light was losing its power. The portal was closing. The wand wobbled more sharply before flying out of the light and down to the ground.
Dumbledore's broken body flashed in her mind as Ginny's eyes filled with tears. This is all my fault. It was a trap. It was a trap and I fell for it, and now he has the wand and Dumbledore is... Dumbledore is...
"Help me!" she screamed at the otherworldly figures, who were watching the scene through the portal. "Help me, please!"
This is all my fault. I'm the reason Harry is going to die. This can't be happening. It's my fault.
"Accio Resurrection Stone!"
The ring offered no resistance at all. It flew right to Voldemort, who laughed again.
"Don't let them do this!" Ginny yelled. She looked pleadingly at the youngest brother, who had tears in his eyes. "Please, help me please!"
"Quiet, girl! Accio Invisibility Cloak!"
The cloak was barely held by the light at this point, and once the spell was cast, it fluttered to the ground almost forlornly.
"I'm begging you, please, please," Ginny cried, her voice growing hoarse. The youngest brother turned to Death and held out his hand, like he was asking for something. The portal was more than halfway closed now. Voldemort and the Death Eaters were gleeful below as he shot the Dark Mark into the sky.
Death looked at the youngest brother for a long moment before reaching up to the point on its cloak where it was clasped shut. The spectral hand removed a rectangular gem that Ginny hadn't noticed before, glowing with golden light, and pressed it into the youngest brother's hand.
"Now I am truly Master of Death!" Voldemort shouted. "Albus Dumbledore is dead, and Harry Potter is no match for me! The world is mine for the taking!"
The youngest brother moved forward, his eyes brimming with tears.
He looks like Harry, Ginny realized with a shock. Like an older version of Harry. The same messy hair. The same kind eyes.
He held the glowing gem in his hand as he made eye contact with her. He appeared unable to speak, but it was like he was trying to tell her something anyway. The portal was smaller now, framing his face almost like a painting.
"Please," she murmured, her whole body shaking. Without a word, he tossed the gem through the portal.
Time seemed to slow. The gem spun gracefully through the air, turning a few times as it arced toward her, before landing right inside Ginny's chest.
It was like the whole world exploded. Golden light filled her vision as Ginny's body arched backward. But it wasn't just light around her, it was inside her. Golden light burst through every cell of her body, so strong and bright that she felt she was being consumed by it. She couldn't even yell - it was like for that moment, her whole body was light.
As quickly as it began, it ended. The light subsided, and Ginny crashed to the ground. The portal was gone.
"Finite Incantatem," Voldemort hissed, sounding much less triumphant now as he walked towards her. The ropes disappeared. "We meet again, Ginny Weasley. I would thank you for your assistance in my great victory, but it appears you have stolen something from me."
"I didn't steal anything," Ginny choked out, rising on shaky legs.
"Don't be stupid, girl. You fulfilled a prophecy for me tonight, and it was very clear - all shall be given. I have the wand, the stone, and the cloak, but it seems Death was feeling a little extra generous this evening. Give me the gem."
Ginny looked around at the advancing Death Eaters, realizing she was surrounded. She had never been successful at wandless magic before, but if there was ever a time for it, it was now.
"Accio wand!" she called, willing her wand to come to her. Voldemort laughed.
"You think to take on all of us at once, I suppose? There's that stupid Gryffindor courage. Come now, I don't wish to kill you. We're old friends, you and I. Give me that gem, and you'll live. I have a place for you in my new world, Ginny, a place of honor. None of this would have been possible without your cooperation."
"Never," Ginny replied fiercely, balling her hands into fists. She couldn't run, she couldn't fight, but she could refuse to give in, until her last breath. Maybe this was her punishment - to die for unleashing an unchecked Lord Voldemort into the world.
"Very well," said Lord Voldemort coldly. "Avada Kedavra."
Green light shot toward Ginny and she braced herself, waiting for everything to end. But it didn't hit her. The Killing Curse came close, but when it was barely an inch from her skin, golden light erupted from Ginny's body in a protective sphere which harmlessly absorbed the energy of the spell.
"What is this magic?" Voldemort cried, dismayed now. The Death Eaters drew their wands and moved into a fighting stance, panicked by their master's uncertainty.
"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort tried again, but the same thing happened - just before the moment of impact, a spherical shield of golden light blocked the curse's effect.
Not giving herself time to question it, Ginny turned around and ran. She had only made it a handful of feet when Voldemort yelled, "Crucio!"
Pain like she had never experienced, like she had never even imagined, filled every fiber of her being. Ginny screamed and collapsed, writhing on the ground in agony. It was like her blood was boiling, like every nerve had turned to a razor-sharp knife, like she was being torn limb from limb-
And then it stopped. Ginny let out a strangled sob, panting on the ground.
"Take her," Voldemort hissed. "We must leave this place."
A voice that she belatedly recognized as belonging to Lucius Malfoy called "Stupefy!" and then Ginny knew no more.
Draco fired curse after curse at Nymphadora Tonks, spells which she returned with equal vigor. He didn't have even a second to think, he could only react. He, Gibbon, Rowle, and Yaxley were in a stand-off with Tonks, Lupin, and Longbottom of all people. The corridor leading to the Astronomy Tower was complete chaos. Someone's errant spell had hit a wall, shattering the stone and filling the ground with debris.
"Impedimenta!" he cried, pushing Tonks back several feet. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Snape ascending the tower stairs with Bellatrix, Greyback, and the Carrow twins at his back. It wouldn't be long now.
"Stupefy!"
Draco narrowly dodged out of the way of the spell - Ron Weasley had clambered through the debris and was headed straight for Draco. Tonks turned to look and Draco took the opportunity to shout, "Petrificus Totalus!"
The curse found its mark. His cousin fell over, rigid. Fury bloomed on Weasley's face, his lip contorted into a snarl.
"You bastard! Stupefy!"
"Protego!" This one was closer; Draco felt the edge of the spell scrape by his shield.
Alright, don't panic. Fighting is as much of a mental game as a physical one. What do you know about Weasley?
"What's wrong, Weasley?" he asked with a sneer. "Shouldn't you be protecting your Mudblood girlfriend? Don't see her around anywhere."
"Expelliarmus!" Weasley yelled, but as Draco predicted, his aim went wild in his anger, allowing Draco to aim a well-timed Leg-Locker Curse at him.
"Crucio!" Rowle screamed at Lupin, who barely dodged out of the way, returning the blow with a vehement "Bombarda!"
"Expelliarmus!" Draco cried, taking advantage of the chaos as Weasley's wand flew out of his hand. His enemy temporarily incapacitated, he stopped to take a breath. Longbottom was on the ground and not moving, and Tonks wasn't getting up without a counterspell. A little further back, he could see one of the older Weasley brothers on the floor, blood pooling around him. He had seen Greyback attack him earlier in the fight, all vicious growls and snapping teeth.
At that moment, the door to the Astronomy Tower burst open.
"It's over, time to go!" Snape yelled, a crowing Greyback hot on his heels. A cold and terrible thrill ran down Draco's spine. That meant that Dumbledore really was-
"SNAPE!"
A furious Harry Potter bolted down the stairs after them, his face twisted in anguish. Greyback snarled and lunged at him, knocking him down.
"Let's go," Snape hissed as he grabbed Draco's forearm, pulling him away from the scene. A gleeful Bellatrix was cackling ahead of them as she blasted a suit of armor, making it explode. His mind a little fuzzy all of a sudden, Draco followed Snape, running as he had never run in his life.
They needed to get to the front gates, which felt like an impossible distance from here. Then they would be able to Apparate away. Mother was waiting for him...
They ran down the stairs, taking them two at a time. Students cowered in the corridors, screaming, but Draco and Snape paid them no mind. The mission was done, it was over, and now they just needed to survive-
But the Order wasn't shooting to kill, Draco realized. Admittedly, neither had he, but through the entire battle, he hadn't seen them fire off a single lethal blow. It was all stunners and blasting spells, meant to slow down or injure but not to kill... Letting that knowledge fuel him, he started to run faster, his wand held up with a Protego ready on his lips. They weren't trying to kill him, which gave him an advantage.
Bellatrix blasted open the Gryffindor House points hourglass on her way through the Entrance Hall, kicking open the front doors with one foot. The gate was in sight.
It's almost over. It's almost over. I'm going home. I'm going home, Mother-
"Impedimenta!" Potter cried, knocking over Alecto Carrow. Draco spared a glance over his shoulder at the two of them. He had never seen Potter like this, so filled with rage. How the bloody hell had he caught up to them so fast?
Ahead of them, Hagrid was outside of his hut, apparently in an attempt to stop them. Gibbon split off from the group, running straight at the half-giant. The Death Eaters had been given instruction that, provided the mission was a success, they were to prioritize getting Snape and Draco off the grounds, which Draco had never been more grateful for.
"Cruci-"
"Run, Draco!" Snape commanded, turning on his heels to face Potter. Draco didn't need telling twice. He flinched as Hagrid's hut exploded in flames, a mighty roar echoing as Hagrid attacked Gibbon. The gate was getting closer and closer. Soon, so soon, it would all be over.
Potter was throwing curse after curse at Snape, but none seemed to land. Instead, Snape was screaming at him, something about a Half-Blood Prince...
He had reached the gate. Someone, probably Bellatrix, had made it through before them - the gate was hanging open, swinging slightly on its hinges. He wasn't being pursued now; none of the Order had been stupid enough to follow them outside except for Potter. Just a few feet more and he would be safe.
He had been able to Apparate several times in his lessons, but he had never Apparated nearly this far before. His stomach twisted as he imagined splinching himself and-
No. You've won. You've done everything asked of you. There's no space for fear now.
He was through the gate. He looked back at the chaos of the Hogwarts grounds and realized that this was likely the last time he was ever going to see the place that had been like a second home to him for the past six years.
"I guess this is goodbye," he whispered, the fire from Hagrid's hut casting odd shadows on the stone walls of the castle. "I'm sorry."
He willed every bit of himself to focus on Malfoy Manor before turning on his heel and Disapparating. Everything went black, there was pressure on all sides, he couldn't breathe, this was just like his panic attack-
And then he was there, outside the gates. His whole body started shaking, from exhaustion or relief or adrenaline, he wasn't sure. He stumbled forward, the magic of the gates allowing him to pass through effortlessly. The lights were on. Mother was waiting for him.
Indeed, he was barely halfway up the gravel drive when the front door opened and his mother came rushing out. Relief like he couldn't have imagined flooded his body. He was home.
"Draco! Draco, are you hurt?" she cried as she wrapped him in a tight embrace.
"No, Mother," he said, his voice weary as he put his arms around her. She kissed his head again and again, murmuring "my boy" over and over. He tightened his embrace, the image of her dead body from his nightmares emblazoned in his mind. She was safe. She was alive, she was safe, she was here, and nothing was going to take that away from him, nothing, nothing-
He realized with a start that he was crying, and so was she. This moment had seemed so far away, so impossible, for so long. The tension from an entire year fell from his body as he sobbed and his mother ran her hand over his head just as she had since he was a little boy.
"It's over, darling," she said. "It's over. Come inside now, let's wait for your father." Slowly, she released her grip on him, lingering a moment to run a hand along his cheek, wiping his tears, before grabbing his hand to lead him inside.
"Tilly, fetch tea for us please," his mother said as they entered the foyer, Tilly standing at attention by the stairs.
"Welcome home, Master Draco! Tilly is glad you are back. Tilly will fetch tea right away, Mistress!" Tilly beamed at him before Disapparating.
Narcissa guided him to the drawing room, where the curtains were thrown wide open with a clear view of the front lawn. She had seen him approach, had been waiting for him. As they would now wait for Lucius.
"It's done, then?" his mother asked quietly as she settled herself on the settee. Tilly Apparated into the room, a tea tray held aloft.
"Yes, it's done," he replied as Tilly placed the tea tray on the coffee table and began pouring them both a cup. He collapsed into an armchair and realized with a shock that the one in the Room of Requirement was more comfortable.
He would never be in the Room again. He would miss it. Would it miss him too, or would it be glad to be rid of the one ultimately responsible for Albus Dumbledore's death?
He shook his head, pushing the thought away. What a stupid thing to worry about.
"Was anyone on our side hurt?"
"Not seriously, I don't think," he said as he picked up his teacup, which Tilly had graciously already added sugar to, and took a sip. "A couple of the Order sustained injuries, but I'm not sure if anyone... if they-"
Narcissa nodded curtly to show she understood. "Good. That's good. All thanks to your careful planning, of course."
Draco doubted that his plans had anything to do with the casualty count, no matter how carefully laid they had been, but he appreciated her for saying it nonetheless. He had grown up on a diet of regular praise and admiration, and no one knew quite how to give it like his mother did.
They sipped their tea in silence for a little while, Draco's hands shaking a bit. Inevitably, his mind turned to Ginny and the terror she must be feeling right now. What was happening in Godric's Hollow? He could only imagine. No amount of research or planning could fill in the gaps of Trelawney's last prophecy, cryptic as it was. He had written a ritual in the journal that approximated her words as best he could, but it was all guesswork. What if Ginny got there and couldn't get it to work? Would she be punished? It wouldn't be her fault. She would be following his faulty instructions at that point. Would the Dark Lord understand, or would one or both of them be blamed?
"Relax, darling. Your father will be home soon."
Draco forced his shoulders to drop. "You're right, of course. It's just... surreal to be here, after everything."
"I can imagine. Once your father is here, you can rest, and take all day tomorrow to just relax. Maybe I can play the piano for you, and afterward we can go for a walk in the gardens?"
"I'd like that."
They drank their tea in more comfortable silence now, Draco trying very hard to not let his mind wander too far. Whatever was happening out there, he had no way to know, and no way to change anything, but his father was there. Lucius would make sure everything turned out alright.
Time slipped away, so much so that Tilly returned to refill the teapot. Draco frowned as he walked to the long, arched windows and leaned his arm against the frame. Where was his father? What was taking so long?
"Maybe the Dark Lord required an audience after the fact," his mother suggested. A perfectly reasonable suggestion, really. He supposed his mother had much more experience waiting at home for his father than he did. Perhaps she was used to such things. But her firm grip on her teacup, the tightness around her mouth, hinted at the truth. She was just as worried as he was.
At that moment, Lucius Malfoy passed through the gates. He looked exhausted, and he was alone.
Why is he alone? Draco thought in alarm. He and his mother hurried out of the drawing room and out the front door. Lucius stopped halfway down the drive, just as Draco had done hours before. He embraced Narcissa tightly and kissed the top of her head before extending his arm to pull Draco in as well.
"You're alright, you're both alright," his mother sobbed, overcome at this point.
"Shh, yes, Cissy, we're both alright," Lucius soothed. "We're home."
After a moment, he pulled back and sighed at the obvious question in Draco's eyes.
"Tonight was a success for the Dark Lord, but there were some...complications," he said.
Draco's stomach dropped. "Is Ginny dead?" he blurted.
"No, she's not dead," his father said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "But I'm actually afraid it might be a good deal worse than that. I was delayed in returning due to the...fallout. Come, let's go inside and I'll tell you what happened."
Draco stumbled wordlessly behind his parents into the house, his whole body numb.
Ginny was floating. Wherever she was, she was floating. Which was really strange, because she didn't seem to have a body. Her consciousness was here, somehow, wherever here was, but the rest of her was...somewhere else. Somewhere she knew she didn't like very much.
It was nighttime in this place, but the moon was in a different phase. It had been nearly full before, and here it was barely a sliver. She was outside, sort of. There was a forest not too far from where she was floating, but she was directly above a half-collapsed, burning building surrounded by beautiful, manicured lawns. It had clearly once been a stately, massive structure - like a manor home, or at least what Ginny imagined them to look like. Thick plumes of smoke filled the air, the flames rising higher and higher as though trying to touch the stars above.
How had the fire started? Was anyone here?
As though the mere thought was enough to bring her consciousness to action, Ginny floated downwards, through the collapsed upper stories and down toward the ground level. The plaster of the walls had partially melted away here, revealing thick wooden beams, one of which had fallen into this room, taking the better part of the exterior wall with it.
There was a body on the floor. It was a young woman, maybe ten years older than Ginny, and she lay on her back, her hands clasped over her chest like a corpse at a funeral. She was beautiful, her dark brown curls splayed behind her head like some kind of halo. Her white dress was incredibly old-fashioned, like something out of the Middle Ages, and would have been pretty if it hadn't been stained with blood all down the front.
Was this this woman's funeral pyre? But why would someone burn down an entire mansion for it? Did she need help?
She hovered above the woman for a moment, uncertain, before the woman's eyes flew open and stared right at Ginny. Her eyes glowed with golden light.
With a gasp, Ginny woke up, trying and failing to sit up. She was bound to a table, strapped down across her arms and legs. She was in an unfamiliar, dark room.
"You're finally awake."
Ginny froze at the sound of Voldemort's voice from somewhere behind her line of sight. He laughed quietly, relishing her fear, and stepped out of the shadows to stand near her head.
Like prey caught in a trap it knew it couldn't escape, Ginny thrashed on the table, kicking uselessly at the bindings.
"Be still. I'm not going to kill you. Or should I say, I can't kill you?" He laughed again, no humor in it this time, before tipping her chin up with one long finger, red eyes meeting brown.
"What gift did Death give you, Ginny Weasley?"
Ginny arched her back and screamed as Voldemort plunged into her mind, his ruthless barrage sharper than any knife.
Author's Note: I think I'm at a hyperfixation point! Almost 15k in 48 hours is...wild, but there you go! The plot thickens. We've officially hit the climax of "Act I." How will our characters get themselves out of this predicament, I wonder? And what's up with this whole gem business? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Next update will still be soon, but definitely won't be tomorrow LOL.
Part of this chapter is a very loose adaptation of Chapters 27, The Lightning-Struck Tower, and 28, The Flight of the Prince, from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.