SEPTEMBER 20th, 1997
Harry sat outside in the grass, knees tucked up against his chest, watching the breeze make little waves further away in the field. It was just a little after lunchtime, and Malfoy had agreed to meet them at five o'clock for his first "check in." True to his word, the four of them had been able to stay in the remains of this Muggle village undisturbed; Malfoy had not ratted them out to the Death Eaters, and apparently his parents were unaware of this place.
Inside the tent, Kathleen was singing; if Harry had to guess, she was probably doing the dishes, washing up after lunch. He smiled in spite of himself; after their encounter with Malfoy, Kathleen was almost a different person— lighter, happier in a way that Harry had never seen her. It was refreshing.
It had been incredibly stressful to watch Malfoy work on her memories, not knowing what the consequences would be, and though it had taken a long time, Kathleen had hugged him afterwards, shocking everyone, including Malfoy himself. She had said her head felt lighter, and it came through in her behavior— she practically floated when she walked now, and she smiled much more easily.
Harry wished that their encounter with Malfoy had had the same impact on him.
He sighed and rested his chin on his knees, Malfoy's stern, worried face swimming in his mind's eye. A black spot inside his aura. What could that mean?
He told you what it means, a nasty voice whispered. You just don't want to believe it.
His mind flashed on Dumbledore, on his refusal to meet his eyes after Sirius's death so long ago, on his comments that, if he was not mistaken, Voldemort had unwittingly given Harry some of his power that night in Godric's Hollow.
Maybe that was what the spot was. Some Dark magic maybe, something that explained why he could speak Parseltongue, and not...
Not a piece of Tom Riddle's soul.
Memories of the Chamber came to mind, of the sixteen year old Riddle remarking on the strange similarities between them, how they even looked something alike.How much effect did souls have on the body?
That was stupid though. Everyone he knew told him that he was the spitting image of his father, except for his mother's eyes. He looked like his parents because of simple genetics, and really, he and Riddle didn't look thatmuch alike...
He sighed again. What would it mean if he didhave a piece of Voldemort's soul inside him? Would that mean that he himself was a Horcrux? If that was the case, that would mean—
"Hey."
Harry looked over his shoulder and saw Ron approaching him.
"Hey."
"Can I sit with you?"
"Sure, if you want."
Ron sat down next to him, mimicking his posture. For a long moment, neither of them said anything, and instead just took comfort in the other's presence.
"So," Ron said with a sigh. "Malfoy, huh?"
"Yep. Apparently so."
"Part of me still can't believe it."
"I know. I couldn't either when I heard him talking to Zabini. But him even knowing about the soul split is proof, right? You-Know-Who would never tell him that. And then everything with Ginny..."
"Yeah." Ron was quiet for a moment, then said, "It's going to be weird to see her again. After everything."
He said it with such certainty, like he had no doubt in his mind that he would, in fact, see Ginny again.
"Yeah," Harry said after a minute, an uncomfortable knot twisting in his stomach. "Yeah, it will be."
"Do you think she's been able to find out anything about where the cup—"
The loud crackof Apparition cut Ron off, and Malfoy appeared on the other side of their protective enchantments in a panic.
"That can't be good," Harry said. "He's way early."
"Potter!" Malfoy bellowed. "Potter, get out here now! Potter! I swear to Merlin—"
Harry scrambled to his feet and hurried out of the protective barrier, wand in hand, Ron right behind him. If Malfoy was double-crossing them somehow, he wanted to be ready.
"What's wrong?"
He had never seen Malfoy this panicked, and that was saying something. His eyes were so wide that the whites were clearly visible, and his robes were disheveled.
"I don't have time to explain everything— You-Know-Who is gathering up all the Horcruxes, right now.The diadem is at Hogwarts— I don't know where— but you have to go there right now and destroy it. That's his last stop, Ginny said. I don't know how much time you have, you have to go quickly!"
Harry was frozen for a split second before he nodded firmly.
"We're on it. What about Ginny—"
"She's with him! I have to go—"
"You can't just drop this in our lap and then leave!" Ron protested. "We have no idea what we're walking into—"
Malfoy snarled just as Hermione and Kathleen came out of the tent.
"Listen to me. There is no time.I've been here too long already. The diadem is at Hogwarts. Get there, and find it, and destroy it."
"Hogwarts is brimming with Death Eaters—" Hermione started, and Malfoy snarled again.
"Fucking look!"
He pointed his wand at his head and pulled out a wisp of memory. He twisted it in the same spiral motion Harry had seen Hermione use, and the wisp enlarged enough for them to see Ginny glowing with unearthly light, holding a spectral sword in her hand as she faced off against a being made entirely of shadow. Voldemort stood behind her, looking enraptured.
"He knows it's a weapon. He's getting the Horcruxes. You have to go.And so do I."
With a crack, he Disapparated, leaving the four of them dumbfounded.
"What do we—" Hermione started, looking uncertain, but Harry interrupted her.
"Pack up the tent, quickly. We'll enter through Hogsmeade— take the secret passage. We'll use Disillusionment charms if we have to, or else the cloak. We have to hurry."
SEPTEMBER 20th, 1997
Ginny lounged in the window seat, reading a book and letting herself enjoy the late morning sunlight. Draco would be checking in with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Kathleen this afternoon, and while she didn't have any meaningful updates to provide, she tried not to let herself feel too discouraged. She had, very indirectly, gotten to talk to all of them through Draco, and now they were all working together, all six of them— seven if you counted Zabini, eight if you counted Luna. She and Draco finally weren't alone.
That was a good thing, wasn't it?
Good in the sense that they had more sources of information, and more hands to accomplish things with. Less good in the sense that Ginny felt an immense amount of pressure to keep them all out of danger as much as possible. She was the one responsible for tracking down leads on the Horcruxes— a strange word, but that was what Draco said they were called— and so she would also be responsible for sending the rest of them into potential danger. She couldn't afford to make mistakes. She hadn't been able to all along, but more people meant more opportunities for something to go wrong, more opportunities for someone to get hurt.
But, as Draco routinely told her, she could only do so much. She had dreamed of Tom once in the last three days, last night, and he had shown her how he had learned the location of Ravenclaw's diadem from the Grey Lady, and how he had tracked it to the very same stretch of remote Albanian forest that he had shown her so many times before. Again, she hadn't dared ask more directly about what he had done with it afterward, counting herself lucky that he was continuing to trust her at all. Although, really, it wasn't trust— as far as he knew, Ginny was completely isolated in this room, with no access to magic, and would remain that way indefinitely. He only trusted her because he felt confident there was no way she could break that trust.
She marveled, as she often did, at what a blessing the bridge was. Without it... she would be entirely trapped, even if she had somehow been able to gain the second sight on her own. Without Draco, You-Know-Who would triumph for certain. Did Draco realize that? How important he was? Sometimes Ginny thought not... he talked about himself like he was just along for the ride, just there to help her, but he was just as instrumental as she was. They both mattered.
Her mind drifted back to last night's dream. The end had been... strange. The dreams were often strange, in one way or another, but this one had been different. Tom had looked like he was about to tell her something, multiple times, and then cut himself off. If Ginny allowed herself some wishful thinking, she imagined he had been going to tell her a Horcrux location, but that didn't seem right. Whenever they talked about the Horcruxes, Tom was guarded... tense. At the end of the dream, he had seemed... excited? Like he was looking forward to something. His cheeks had been flushed, his eyes dancing, and he couldn't stop a genuine smile from crossing his face right as the dream ended.
Ginny didn't want to know what that meant, and, when she found herself thinking about it too much, she again reminded herself that she could only do what she could do. It would be easy to drive herself mad analyzing every single micro-expression, every casual turn of phrase, to find some hidden meaning. Maybe it meant something, maybe it didn't, but Ginny didn't have any way of knowing what it didmean, at least not at the moment.
Perhaps she would dream of him again tonight. If these first two dreams indicated a pattern, he was showing her the locations of where he had found the items to begin with. She arguably knew all of their origins now except Nagini... maybe he would just skip over that and show her something more related to the present instead.
Or maybe she would be able to figure out if he knew about Harry.
Her stomach clenched. That was going to be a problem. Part of her hoped that Draco was mistaken, maybe confused about what he had seen, but if he wasn't... what on earth would that mean for them? It seemed as though Ginny couldn't activate the gem's power until she was actually in a position to kill Voldemort... and if Harry was still alive, with Voldemort's soul still inside him...
The wall rippled, and Voldemort stepped through, and Ginny quickly refocused on her book, suddenly paranoid that he would hear her thoughts despite the bridge's protection. The holes in his energy were like beacons calling her attention. She had to ignore them.
"Good morning," he said, his voice carefully casual as the wall returned to normal.
"Good morning," she replied, trying to keep her tone light. "I haven't had a visitor in a while now. What's the occasion?"
The smile on his face could mean nothing good. "I have a surprise for you."
"Oh?" she asked, ignoring the anxiety in her stomach as she closed her book. "Another gift?"
"Not exactly."
The anxiety intensified, and Ginny found herself gripping the blanket in her lap. "Then I'm not sure I understand. My lord."
"Why don't you come downstairs and I'll show you?"
Downstairs. She hadn't left this room in close to two weeks now, not since Cordelia had arrived here with the Mulcibers. She bit back a frown. Their deal had been that she would stay here, alone, or be in his presence, and he was going to go downstairs with her... that wasn't necessarily suspicious, was it?
She supposed it didn't matter either way; she wasn't getting out of the situation. She stood up, pushing the lap blanket aside, and the room summoned shoes for her.
"Give me just a second then."
She started slipping on the shoes, and she watched out of the corner of her eye as he walked further into the room to observe her most recent painting— the Gryffindor dormitory. He ran one long finger down the middle of it, feeling the paint, observing the cluster of four-poster beds and the distant view of the Quidditch Pitch through the tiny window.
"Which bed was yours?" he asked.
Ginny swallowed. "Upper left."
"Mm." He looked at it for a little while longer, then brought his gaze back to her as she stood up. "Let's go, little saint. Destiny awaits."
The door returned, and Ginny tried not to panic about what those words might mean. Destiny awaits?
Hey, Draco said. Don't panic, but the Dark Lord has summoned a few of us here, me included. Not sure what for. My Occlumency is in place.
He's bringing me downstairs right now, she replied, her alarm growing. He didn't give any indication for why he summoned you?
No,Draco said, sounding concerned.
Who else is down there?
Bellatrix, Dolohov, Avery, and Nott— our Nott. A weird mix, now that I think about it.
Hopefully it's nothing, Ginny said, not believing it. I'm assuming I'll see you in a couple of minutes.
"What are you thinking about?" Voldemort asked, not looking back at her as he walked down the hall.
"Nothing, my lord," she said, keeping her tone even. "Wondering what this surprise is going to be."
"You'll like part of it."
Implying she wouldn't like part of it. Ginny's stomach clenched.
"I've..."
"You've what, little saint?"
"Been being good," she said in a small voice, feeling stupid but vulnerable at the same time. He had agreed that if she obeyed him, things would keep going as they had been— safe, in other words.
He looked back over his shoulder at her. "Of course you have been. This isn't a punishment. Just the next step in the journey."
What the hell did that mean?
Ginny said nothing as they descended the stairs, fighting to keep her breathing even. The next step in the journey. His journey? His journey with what? Killing Harry?
"So nervous all of a sudden," he said, and she could hear the smirk in his voice. "Your isolation has made you paranoid. Maybe I should bring you out more often."
Ginny stayed quiet as they walked toward the ballroom, fighting nausea as she recalled all of the terrible things that had happened in this room. The last time she had been in here, he had spared Cordelia's life, just as he had promised. Maybe today would be like that— nothing heinous at all.
But if that was the case, why were the other Death Eaters here? Why was Draco here, when he had been sent away?
With a wave of his hand, Voldemort opened the double doors, and the group of five Death Eaters bowed in his direction.
"At ease," he said in a bored voice, the doors closing again behind them. Ginny carefully avoided making eye contact with Draco as they walked deeper into the room. She started to walk toward the dais, but Voldemort stopped short, in front of the group.
"I've chosen you all to be here today," Voldemort said, looking at each of them in turn, "because you've proven yourself to me in the recent past. I can count on you to do what must be done."
Ginny gulped. That description didn't seem to apply to Draco, not recently anyway. Was Voldemort lying?
"We are, if I'm not mistaken, going to witness something extraordinary. Ginny, go sit down— I'm not quite ready for you yet."
"Yes my lord," she said faintly, wiping her palms on her robes as she hesitantly turned her back on the group and walked toward the dais.
"Whatever you need, my lord," she heard Bellatrix say in a breathy voice. "We are your most humble servants."
"Oh yes, I have a specific use for you in mind, Bellatrix."
Bellatrix actually laughed in delight, and Ginny fought off a spark of anger, tamping it down. Bellatrix was a murdering psychopath, but getting angry about it here wouldn't serve her purposes.
"Now back up— I need to set our scene."
Ginny knelt down on the pillow on the dais, and she watched the five Death Eaters back up toward one side of the room. She bit her lip. This, whatever it was, was new. What could he be planning?
Voldemort paced around the center of the room, apparently measuring something.
"I took a trip recently," he said, his eyes on his work. "To the Department of Mysteries. It's truly incredible what magical innovation can come up with, don't you think?"
The Death Eaters mumbled bland agreement, and Ginny's mind began to race, trying to think of what he could have been looking for. Something about a prophecy maybe? Or something else?
"They experiment, of course, but they also research," he continued, pacing in a slightly larger, concentric circle than he had before. "We are not the first, it seems, to discover that our world is one among many."
Fuck.
Ginny could feel Draco's rising panic, and she pushed the image of the clear blue sky toward him. They couldn't panic here.
Try to relax,she sent quickly, and she felt his panic lessen.
"Their work has unfortunately been only theoretical, as they lacked the ability to actually test their theories—" he glanced back at Ginny, a nasty grin on his face, "— but I have to say, their research materials were quite... edifying. We'll be making history this morning."
The Death Eaters rightfully looked nervous. The last time they had been involved in anything to do with portals or other worlds had not ended well for any of them. Still, they wisely said nothing as Voldemort continued to pace.
What is he doing? Draco sent. Measuring something?
Looks like it. But I don't see anything special about that area, do you?
No.
Ginny focused on the second sight, looking for any signs of anything unusual. The sprites weren't here today. It was remarkable, really, how much the space looked like how it had when she had drank Trelawney's potion— the air, if she focused on it, had that same wavy quality, though she thankfully still had the presence of mind to know who and where she was. It was the sight without the complete altered state of consciousness— much more manageable.
There was nothing. The room was unremarkable. What was he doing?
She didn't have to wait much longer to find out. He pulled out the Elder Wand, murmured a spell quietly enough that she couldn't hear it, and a vial appeared in his hand. Ginny bit back a gasp. The vial had some kind of black powder in it, and she was sure it looked perfectly ordinary to anyone other than her and Draco, but with the sight... she could see how the energy in the air stagnated around the vial, how the waves seemed to bend back away from it, like the dust was repelling the very world around it.
"Ginny, come here," he said softly. "I'm ready for you now."
What is that? Draco asked urgently. Have you seen anything like that before? With Alys, maybe?
No, Ginny said as she slowly stood up and descended the dais stairs. Never. Nothing with Morgana?
No.
She worked to keep her face as neutral as she could— she should have no apparent reason to be alarmed by a vial of dust, after all. She couldn't look suspicious.
"Kneel." He pointed at a nondescript spot on the ground, maybe a couple feet from him, and, taking a deep breath, Ginny knelt. The calming sound of the sea filled her mind, and she made herself relax her shoulders; Draco was with her.
He uncorked the vial, dipped the Elder Wand into it, and then began to draw a symbol— not one Ginny recognized. The symbol took shape on the ground next to her, drawn in what looked like black sand. He took a couple of steps to his right, then drew another symbol, and it too placed itself on the ground. He circled her, continuing his work, and the symbols took shape around her in a ring. They were almost like runes, but nothing Ginny had ever seen before.
Taking a gamble, she said, "What magic is this, my lord?"
"You dare interrupt him—" Bellatrix started, but Voldemort held up a hand to silence her.
"Protection, according to the Unspeakables," he said.
"Protection from what?"
He glanced up at her, a smirk on his face. "From things more powerful than wizards."
Ginny swallowed. "Like..."
"Like what we saw before. Yes."
She glanced down, and noticed that while she was on the inside of the circle, he was on the outside.
His smirk widened. "Forgive me. Seeing as you're immortal, and you were under no threat last time... the protection is for the rest of us. But don't worry. I'm not abandoning you. Stay there— don't move."
He took several long steps back, away from the circle, and began to draw more runes.
"My lord—" she started.
"Be quiet."
She stopped speaking, biting her lip, and glanced at Draco. He was, for all appearances, Draco the Death Eater, but she could feel his pounding heart from here.
Maybe it will be different because I have the second sight now, she sent to him. I might have more control.
This is incredibly dangerous.
She gnawed at her lip. I know. I'll protect you, I swear.
It's not me I'm worried about, he snapped, and she flinched away from his harsh tone. His haughty expression softened just the slightest bit. Sorry. I just... we're very out of control here. He holds all the cards.
Which just means we have to play the cards we're dealt,Ginny said firmly, returning her gaze to Voldemort.
He had drawn a much bigger ring around the one she was already in, though he was on the inside of this one. Ginny glanced at the symbols, trying to understand them, trying to see if she recognized them from anywhere.
"The Unspeakables didn't note down their source," he said, answering her thought and making her tense. "I tried looking in all kinds of languages, but found nothing. Either these symbols are entirely made up, or... perhaps they have an otherworldly origin."
He glanced at Ginny, and she swallowed.
"Let's hope you're not the only one who's ever had contact with the other side, hmm?"
"Why do you want to open another portal?" she blurted. "It went so badly last time— for everyone."
"And I have learned from those mistakes. This time will be different."
"What are you hoping to gain?" she asked, ignoring Bellatrix's mutterings about insolence.
"We can talk about that in a minute. You're going to help me with something."
Help him with something? She couldn't do that. She would have to... fake it, maybe. Act oblivious, act confused. But, she realized with a sinking feeling in her stomach, he would see right through it.
"Yes, little saint. No clever sabotages— I've thought that through."
"What do you mean?"
He had started drawing another ring, in between the two he had already drawn. He stood in between her ring and this new ring as he worked— one thin line of symbols separating them.
"You'll see in a moment. Patience."
Ginny squirmed but stayed kneeling as he finished this third and final ring.
"You see? I'm right here. You aren't alone."
That absolutely did not make her feel any better, and he knew it; he laughed before pressing the tip of the Elder Wand to his left arm.
"Mulciber. Jugson. Get Greyback and bring the others."
Greyback the werewolf? Ginny's palms began to sweat. Voldemort didn't typically call for him, though she knew that he had been one of the ones to oversee Draco's "training."
They waited for a long minute, maybe close to two, in palpably tense silence, before the double doors opened, and Ginny screamed, already halfway to her feet.
"On your knees, saint," Voldemort snapped. "Or else you're about to be very unhappy."
Ginny dropped to her knees, her whole body shaking. Mulciber, Jugson, and Greyback had brought her family here. Their wrists were tied behind their backs, and they had what looked like pillowcases over their heads, but she recognized them in an instant.
"Bellatrix, I trust you can assist with our prisoners," Voldemort said, malice dripping from his voice as the three men guided the Weasleys toward the others.
"With pleasure, my lord!"
"Why are they here?" Ginny demanded desperately. "I didn't do anything wrong."
"No, you didn't, but there's no better incentive to get you to obey. Do as I ask, and they'll be perfectly safe." With a wave of his wand, he removed their face coverings, and the Weasleys began screaming through their gags, stumbling forward to try to reach Ginny. Bellatrix quickly jumped into action, pushing them back with a Knockback Jinx.
"Welcome, Weasley family," Voldemort said, mockingly inclining his head towards them. "You're in for quite a show this morning. I know Ginny's been downplaying just how specialshe really is in your quaint little visits, so this might be a shock for you, but rest assured— she'll be just fine."
Her family was shouting, but she couldn't hear what they were saying through their gags. She made eye contact with George, whose eyes were so wide that she could clearly see their whites as he tried to reach for her.
"Now, Ginny, I hope you're prepared to help me. This will be new territory for both of us, but I trust that we can figure it out together. But wait, I almost forgot something." He pointed his wand at the outside of the outermost circle, and a human skull appeared on the ground, making the Weasleys yell even louder. He pointed again, and another skull appeared next to that one, and then another one, and so it kept going until they she and Voldemort were surrounded by a ring of human skulls.
"Ethically obtained, not to worry," he said with a casual shrug, a smirk on his face. "There's a graveyard not far from here."
"Why skulls?" she asked in a shaky voice.
"To represent Death, of course."
She took a steadying breath, wiping her palms on her knees. "What do you need my help with?"
"A couple of things. First— I've made some modifications to Severus's potion. We're going to test it out. If it works as intended, you won't lose awareness after taking it, and it should last for at least a little longer. Once we see that that is successful, you're going to open a portal for me, but this won't be like last time. You're going to call someone, or something, through that we can all hear and understand, right here on the ground. And then— I'm going to get some questions answered, about the nature of the powers that lie beyond this plane. It will be up to you to ensure that things go smoothly. If they do, your family will be just fine. Maybe I'll even let them stay for dinner." He laughed. "If you disobey me, or try to sabotage my efforts, or don't sufficiently control your... otherworldly friends, then I'm afraid Bellatrix has my full permission to deal with your family as she sees fit."
"You know I can't control it," Ginny said desperately, tears coming to her eyes. "You saw my memories from last time. I couldn't have stopped it if I wanted to."
"You weren't fully in your right mind last time, and you had no specific incentive to behave. For your family's sake, you'll just have to tread very carefully."
"Please, I can't—"
"Stop your whining," he snapped, sounding more impatient than he had with her in a long time. "Perhaps Bellatrix is right— maybe I've been too indulgent with you, if this is how you behave when I give you a command."
"I'm sorry, please," she begged. "Don't hurt my family."
"Behave, and she won't."
She looked at Draco, whose face was impassive.
Please protect them as much as you can. If not from Bellatrix, then from whatever happens with the portal.
Soothing ocean waves washed toward her.
"He won't save you, little saint. Look at how he stands there, waiting for orders from his master. Isn't that right, Draco?"
"I am your loyal servant, my lord," he said, echoing Bellatrix's words and making her beam.
Voldemort smirked. "Of course you are. Keep an eye on your potential in-laws now— don't let them misbehave."
"Yes my lord."
Fred, at that moment, swung his body toward Draco, apparently attempting to headbutt him.
"Stop!" Ginny yelled. "Stop, stop. Don't fight. Please. I can't protect you if you fight."
Mum had tears in her eyes, and Ginny looked at her, willing her to be brave.
I'll take care of them,Draco whispered to her, and her heart ached.
She looked back at Voldemort. "Even if I remember who I am, I can't control who comes through the portal, or what they're going to do."
"The markings will help, but you're just going to have to try your best. Stand up."
She stood, fighting the shakiness of her legs, and he conjured a chalice— not unlike Hufflepuff's cup.
"Made especially for you," he said with a smirk, handing it to her over the innermost circle boundary.
She took it, fighting the urge to pour it out, and looked inside. It certainly looked the same as the potion Snape had made.
"It looks the same, but I promise you, it's been altered. You'll be in control this time. Drink. Now."
Great Queen, please protect me.
She drank from the chalice, ignoring her family's muffled yells, and made herself down the whole thing. What effect was this going to have on her when she already had the second sight? Would that make it not work somehow? That would mean her family was in danger—
She needn't have worried. Before she had even finished drinking it, her whole body began to glow with golden light, just like it had in the Flutterby dream. Her eyes, she could feel, were glowing. The world grew marginally more intense, but it was much more manageable than it had been the first time— perhaps, in part, because she was already used to the second sight.
She felt the familiar sensation of dropping into... something,of a pulse of power radiating out from her, through the room.
"Do you remember who you are?" Voldemort asked, slightly breathless, his eyes wide.
Ginny nodded.
"And do you remember who I am?"
She nodded again.
"Good." He waved his wand, and the chalice vanished out of her hand. "Now— you're going to open a portal, right here inside the circle you're in. On the ground this time, not up in the air. I want you to bring something through that I can hear and understand, and then we'll... talk. You are not to leave your circle under any circumstances. Do you understand?"
"Yes," she said, and her voice seemed to reverberate through the air. She watched it go, a little strand of light, bouncing along the waves of invisible energy throughout the room. The Death Eaters looked at each other, nerves evident.
"Then get moving, little saint. Don't keep me waiting."
She turned around, looking back at the center of her circle. She didn't know how to summon a portal, and she didn't see the sprites. Could she call them?
"Hello," she said, looking around. "I... I hope you can hear me. I need your help. I need to open a portal. Can you help me one more time?"
At first, nothing happened. Then, one by one, the sprites winked into existence, inside her circle.
I can see them,Draco sent to her in wonder.
"Human lady?" one asked in a concerned voice. "What are you doing? Why are you in a cage?"
Ginny winced.
"Hello. I need your help— like last time."
The sprites seemed to glance from her to Voldemort behind her and back again.
"He looks scary."
"He is," Ginny agreed, not sure what else to say. "But I'm not, am I?"
"No. You're nice."
Ginny smiled at them— they were really very sweet. "Thank you. So can you help me? I need to open a portal— right here." She pointed right in front of her, inside the circle. "Not up high like last time, that was too scary. I can't fly normally, I have to be on the ground." Her heart twisted, remembering Draco's drunken ramblings. "And... I know he looks scary, but he's my... friend. Can you bring someone we can both see and understand? He can't see you right now, but he could see... the wolf, from before. He could see it, but not hear it. Do you know anyone like that?"
The sprites looked at each other, uncertain. They huddled in close, and a swishing sound that Ginny soon realized were their whispers met her ears.
"Human lady is sure this is what she wants?" they asked.
No. Not at all. But she didn't see any way out of it. Even now, Bellatrix had her wand pressed up against Fleur's throat, and Greyback held onto Charlie's arms, locking him in place. She couldn't access the gem's full light— she could feel even from here that it was closed off, deep within her. She couldn't attack Voldemort while parts of his soul still lived elsewhere.
"Yes," she said. "Please help me, quickly."
"I don't want to stick around for this—" one of them started, but they were promptly hushed by the others. Ginny's stomach clenched.
"Do you see the ripple, human lady?"
"I see lots of ripples."
"No, the rippleyone."
Ginny frowned, looking. The air rippled like it always did, just layers of—
There. There, right in the center, was a rift in the pattern— a swirl rather than a wave.
"I see it."
"Pull it open."
Ginny's frown deepened, but, her heart in her throat, she took a couple of steps forward, grabbed onto the swirl of air, and pulled it apart.
"Good luck, human lady!" one sprite said before it promptly disappeared. Its brethren soon followed, all except one. It seemed to hesitate for a moment before floating towards her.
"Be careful, human lady," it said before coming up to her cheek and doing what Ginny supposed was the equivalent of a cheek kiss before disappearing.
The swirl had begun to glow the familiar blue-green that Ginny now knew indicated planar travel. It swirled bigger and bigger, opening up onto the same rolling hills Ginny had seen before. What had Alys called this place? The center of a wheel?
"Very good," Voldemort whispered urgently behind her. "Now call them forward."
The sprites had disappeared, but no one had come through the portal— it was just hanging open. She saw no one.
Fighting the urge to call for Alys, Ginny said, "Hello? Is anyone there? I need your help—"
The ground shook beneath her, and a worried murmur went through the Death Eaters.
"Stay in your positions," Voldemort snapped. "The markings will hold it."
Ginny opened her mouth to call out again, but at that moment, a shadow stepped through the portal. This shadow was not a wolf; it had the vague shape of a man, but Ginny knew deep in her core that this thing, whatever it was, had never been human. It stepped through the portal, and the gateway closed behind it, leaving it here in the circle with her. Her family was yelling, and Voldemort waved his wand furiously in their direction, silencing them.
The shadow sniffed the air, visibly lifting its head in her direction. Ginny resisted the urge to run.
"Well, well," it said, its voice silky and seductive; Ginny could practically see the grin on its featureless face. "The Mother hasbeen busy."
The Mother! Alys had called the Morrigan that.
Oh no, oh no, oh no—
Don't panic,Draco said, though she could sense he was panicking too.
She could feel Voldemort's impatient stare behind her. She cleared her throat.
"Um. Hello. I'm—"
"I know who you are," it interrupted, taking a step towards her. "And you shouldn't be so quick to give your name to strangers, Elentiya."
Oh. No.
"Right," she said breathlessly. "Then in that case, I'm hoping you can help me."
"Me, help you?" It took another languid, predatory step towards her, and she could definitely feel it smiling at her now. "What an unusual day this is. How can I help you, Elentiya?"
"My, um. My friend has some questions for you."
It looked past her, toward Voldemort, and she could feel its energy turn scathing. "Your friend," it repeated.
"Yes."
"What does your… friend… want to know?"
"I want to know how travel between the worlds works," Voldemort demanded, his voice sharp; if Ginny wasn't mistaken, she sensed a hint of tension, maybe a hint of fear. "How many worlds are there?"
The shadow shrugged nonchalantly. "As few as eleven and as many as twenty-six, depending on who and when you ask."
Sensing Voldemort's growing irritation, Ginny said, "Please don't speak in riddles. I... we need to understand. How many worlds are there?"
"It's not a riddle, for those with ears to hear and eyes to see." It looked from her and then to Voldemort before walking towards them, close enough that Ginny held her breath. "Does your friend—"
It cut itself off, hissing in pain. It had stepped on the markings, which glowed when the shadow made contact with them, steaming as if they burned. It moved back inside the circle, toward the middle, and Ginny could sense its frustration.
"Why do you allow them to cage you, Elentiya?"
"What's that you're calling her?" Voldemort said sharply.
The shadow paid him no attention.
"I... I can't help it," she said after a moment, sensing that it would know if she lied. "I have to protect my family from getting hurt. I have to obey."
It tilted its head, confused. "No you don't. Just kill them all," it said, as though it were obvious.
A murmur of tense whispering rustled through the Death Eaters.
"I... I don't know how," she whispered, and she felt Voldemort grow still more tense behind her.
"Bellatrix."
"Do you really not know what you are?" the shadow asked, curiosity and incredulity in its voice as it took a step towards her again.
Fleur screamed, and then Ginny screamed, momentarily burying her face in her hands.
"Please, please stop," she cried. "I just have to ask you these questions and you have to answer them, please."
The shadow chuckled, apparently unsympathetic to her fear, before turning around and pacing toward the other side of the circle.
"Ask away then, Elentiya, and I shall answer."
"What is Elentiya?" Voldemort demanded.
Draco, I think this might end badly. Be ready to run. Take one of my family with you if you can, but if you can't... save yourself.
I'm not leaving without you.
"It doesn't translate particularly well into the human tongue," the shadow said in a bored voice, its arms crossed behind its back, looking out at the room around it. "It might best be called spirit that cannot be broken,but even that is a poor translation."
"It's a title?"
"Indeed," the shadow said in that same bored voice.
"A title for who?" Voldemort asked, greed in his voice.
"For her, obviously."
Ginny flinched. "Please—"
"Don't get upset, Elentiya. He does not know what he asks. Mortals never do— I thought the Mother had abandoned this place long ago, given it up as a lost cause. Imagine my surprise to be called upon like this and then thrown into a binding circle. Not the best way to make friends."
"We don't mean to offend you," Ginny said quickly. "I'm sorry." She glanced back at Voldemort, who looked at her expectantly, and her stomach dropped. What could she ask that wouldn't absolutely ruin what secrecy they had left?
"What is the purpose of this title?" Voldemort asked when she didn't say anything.
"Its purpose?" the shadow repeated. "It denotes the Mother's chosen. The guardian of the realm, such as it is." It gestured vaguely at the room around them, disdain evident in its voice. "It is, as you say, a title— an honorific."
"The Mother? Meaning Death?" Voldemort demanded.
The shadow laughed. "If you want to be crude, yes, though that is a gross understatement of Her scope." It paced around the edge of the circle, glaring at the markings. "Ask your next question, friend of Elentiya. I grow impatient."
"So the Mother is a god. Are you?"
The shadow laughed again, loudly enough that it echoed off of the walls of the ballroom. "The worlds are not split into mortals and gods, no. Gods are rare. But they are not the only ones with power. Hence the need for a brave and noble champion, to defend the weak." It nodded its chin in Ginny's direction.
"You asked her if she knows what she is, and you refer to as this champion, this guardian of the realm.A guardian against what? How does she guard the realm?"
The shadow looked at them and smiled. "A guardian against the only threat there ever is," it said softly. "Against decay and destruction and entropy. The war is fought, across lifetimes, across worlds, and still the battle rages on— endless. As for how she guards the realm… well…" It smirked. "You can see it right in front of you."
"The light? But how—"
"The light protects her, so that she may protect others."
"She is a little girl. How does she protect anyone?" Voldemort said with a sneer.
The shadow laughed again. "I forget how little humans know. She's been blessed by a god— her light contains more power than you or I will ever taste."
"It can be used as a weapon?" Voldemort said breathlessly.
No, no, no, no—
"Certainly, if she wills it."
"Show me," he said, and Ginny knew he was speaking directly to her.
Draco, get ready to run.
"I don't know how," she whispered.
The shadow tilted its head. "You are a strange choice for a champion." It sniffed the air again. "And you're mortalunderneath it all? Oh but this is delicious." It walked closer to her, and Ginny took an involuntary step back, gasping as the markings burned her feet. She was just as trapped as the shadow was. She quickly stepped back inside the circle, desperately trying to think of what to do. She reached down for the light, begging it to release, but it was like it was behind a wall she couldn't break, no matter how hard she pushed against it.
"All worlds have their champion, Elentiya," it whispered, stopping less than a foot away from her. "But perhaps you haven't realized your full potential yet." It lifted its hand out to its side, and a snarling, writhing black mass floated up out of the floor, taking shape into a four-legged, vaguely canine monster. Black ichor dripped from its fangs, its dark eyes unseeing as it pawed the ground— waiting for its master's command.
"Show us," the shadow whispered, and the skulls surrounding them all echoed its words, over and over again, their teeth clacking and their disparate voices creating a cacophony of sound in the room. "Show us, Lady of Light. Show us, Queen of Queens. Show us, Champion of Death—"
Draco yelled something, but she couldn't hear what it was. The shadow had dropped its hand, which was apparently all that was holding the beast back. It lunged at her, and Ginny screamed, and then it was like her mind went blank. Without thinking, without deciding anything at all, a glowing, spectral sword appeared in her hand, and as the lunging beast flew towards her, maw gaping, Ginny swung the sword.
The beast vaporized instantly, disappearing as though it had never been as soon as the sword made contact with it. Breathing hard, not entirely able to believe what had just happened, Ginny looked down and saw that the symbols on the ground had all disappeared— had she vaporized them too?
The shadow was gone as well, apparently released from its hold, but she heard its laugh echo throughout the room.
"My brethren send their regards, Ginny Weasley."
Her light was fading. The sword flashed weakly a few times in her hands before disappearing. Suddenly exhausted, she dropped to her knees, and the light subsided.
Ginny, are you alright? Draco asked urgently. That was… incredible.
Yes, but Draco, he knows, he knows…
"Get up," Voldemort hissed, storming over to her and yanking her to her feet by her hair, making her cry out. "So. It's not just immortality after all." He pulled on her hair, tilting her head back, making her look at him. "You've been holding out on me, it seems— whether you knew it or not."
"No, please—"
"No more games," he said, yanking harder on her hair. "If you are to be this supposed champion,you will fight for me, not anyone else. A holy warrior, is that it?" He sneered, but he couldn't entirely hide the fear in his eyes.
He knows I'm a threat to him,she sent to Draco.
But he can't kill you.
"I've coddled you these past two months, waiting for you to yield, but my waiting is over. You yield today, completely." His brow furrowed as he stared at her, apparently thinking over something.
"I'm not disobeying you—" Ginny started.
"Not disobeying me is not enough. Not with power like that. If I cannot yet wield it myself, then I will wield it through you. You are mine to command. Mine." He yanked harder on her hair, and Ginny closed her eyes against the pain.
"Yes, yours, yours," she agreed, trying to get him to stop.
"You're lying," he whispered. "But it doesn't matter. We've passed the point of me asking for permission. Bellatrix— hold her."
Bellatrix let go of Fleur and hurried over to grab Ginny as he tossed her away and began to pace.
"I had wanted to wait," he murmured, talking to himself as he walked back and forth. "Wanted to be sure. But fate seems to think I'm done waiting."
He stopped walking, seeming to come to a decision, and took a deep breath. "I am the greatest sorcerer in the world," he continued, as though convincing himself. "There is nothing beyond my reach."
"All hail the Dark Lord!" Bellatrix said reverently, and the other Death Eaters echoed her… all except Draco. He stood there, frozen.
You need to keep playing along, Ginny urged. Please, please, please…
Voldemort waved the Elder Wand, not paying the group any attention at all, and two massive cauldrons appeared in the center of the room. They looked to be filled with some lavender-colored potion.
"As it happens, none of you were present for my rebirthing two and a half years ago," he said. "You're in luck that you get a second chance— this will not be the same, but, from the outside view, very much like it."
Ginny felt Bellatrix grow tense behind her. "My lord?"
"Fate makes its demands, Bellatrix, and we all must answer them. I cannot complete the work I must do in this body. So I have forged another."
Bellatrix gasped, and the other Death Eaters murmured amongst themselves. Her family was still under a Silencing spell— Ginny made eye contact with each of them, silently urging them to run as soon as they got the chance. She didn't see how it would be possible, but they had to make it out, they had to—
"Pay attention, little saint," Voldemort said, and she turned back to him. "You're quite the collector of titles, apparently, but forgive me if I continue to use this one. It is… preciousto me."
Ginny cringed, and he smiled.
"Sometimes the future catches up to us before we even realize it," he said before turning away from her and looking first in one cauldron, then the other. He frowned before waving the Elder Wand at the leftmost cauldron, which began to glow as the liquid inside swirled, as though stirred by an invisible spoon. He pointed the wand at the other cauldron, which glowed and swirled in the opposite direction.
He watched it for a moment, and Ginny realized he was stalling. He had told her months ago now that he had been trying to do this, trying to swap bodies, and she felt certain watching him that he hadn't intended on doing it today. He wasn't sure it was going to work.
Ginny. We have to get out of here.
I don't think we can.
We have to. I have to get you out. He's going to—
I know. We'll figure it out.
We'll figure it out? he demanded. What the hell does that mean?
I don't know, Ginny said, desperate. I can't access the light, I already tried.
Voldemort stood straighter and seemed to come to a decision. He looked back at Ginny, smiled, and then waved his wand. The tiger-striped flower appeared before him, floating in the air.
"I assume you remember this."
I can't cut your family's ropes fast enough for them to disarm the others, not before the Dark Lord sees.
Ginny watched, frozen, as Voldemort took the Elder Wand and waved it across his own palm, grimacing in pain as a cut appeared and welled up with bright red blood. He put his hand over the flower, dripping blood onto its petals.
"Alchemical processes work by using that which is sympathetic to something else," he said. "Like calls to like."
He healed his hand, then plucked a blood-stained petal off of the flower and dropped it into the leftmost cauldron, which flashed and smoked for a moment before returning to its rhythmic swirl. He then took another petal and dropped it in the other cauldron, which had a similar reaction.
Ginny, tell me what you want me to do.
Protect my family. Don't let them get hurt.
I mean about getting you out!he bellowed, making her flinch.
Voldemort hesitated for a moment, then ate the remaining flower. His aura pulsed, making Ginny whimper, and he took a deep, steadying breath.
"Bellatrix. Dolohov. Keep the situation here under control. I will be back momentarily."
"Yes my lord," they murmured, though Ginny could feel Bellatrix's tension through her grip.
Voldemort levitated up over the left cauldron, hesitated for the briefest moment, then dropped into it.
"If he dies because of this, it'll be your fault, you little whore," Bellatrix hissed in her ear, tightening her grip.
Ginny glared at the cauldron, fighting back against her fear. "Good," she whispered, making Bellatrix dig her wand into her neck.
Bill broke forward at that moment, stumbling toward Ginny and Bellatrix, but Dolohov Stunned him, knocking him to the ground, making Mum and Fleur both scream.
"Maybe I'll finish what I started," Greyback said with a nasty smile, walking toward the unconscious Bill. "Got rushed last time."
"No!" Ginny yelled, making him look up at her. "They're on the list. You can't hurt them."
"I don't think the Dark Lord cares about your list anymore, little girl—"
Greyback stopped speaking, his eyes growing wide as the glow from the cauldrons intensified. Columns of pale lavender light shot up from each of them, and out of the cauldrons floated two unconscious bodies. The left one clearly had Voldemort's aura, while the one on the right had no aura at all, as though it were merely an object. As the group watched, dumbstruck, vines began to sprout from Voldemort's chest, curling and reaching in the air. His aura pulsed like a heartbeat and the vines curled toward the right, toward the other body.
"Merlin," Nott whispered, equal parts horrified and mesmerized.
"Stay in your positions!" Bellatrix screeched, pulling Ginny closer to her. "Behold the power of our lord!"
Ginny!
When you get out of here, join Harry and the others. Hunt for the other Horcruxes. I'm sorry I couldn't figure out where they are, but you'll just have to work together.
I'm not leaving you here!
Draco had not broken his cover, but his face was flushed as he stood at attention, his eyes lighter than she normally saw them here.
Either all hell breaks loose and you have to run for it— hopefully with my family— or he maintains order and more than likely dismisses you. Go to Harry then. Tell them I'm sorry.
Stop it! Stop talking like I'm going to leave you. I'm not. I'm not.
Draco, I think you might have to.
The vines had connected to the other body, the lavender glow of the potion's magic all around them, and within their glow, she could see what she soon realized was blood pumping from one body to the other, like the vines were veins. Slowly but steadily, his aura drained away, left to right, along the vines. Unless something she couldn't see went wrong, Lord Voldemort would have a new body very soon.
I can't leave you.A tear dripped down his face, though he did not wipe it away.
You won't ever really leave me. We have this, right here. Remember?
She visualized the sea, the dull roar of the water, the repetition of the tides, and pushed it toward him along the bridge.
Nothing will ever take this, she assured him. Nothing.
The lavender glow intensified as the last bits of the aura— of Voldemort's soul— left his body and found purchase in a new one. It flashed, bright enough that Ginny had to close her eyes, and she heard a splash of something falling into the cauldron. She blinked, trying to clear her vision, and Bellatrix gasped, her grip growing slack on Ginny's arms.
"My lord," she murmured, reverence and shock in her voice.
"Hello Bellatrix," Voldemort said in the voice of Tom Riddle, and Ginny's blood ran cold. She had not heard that voice outside of her own head in five years.
Her vision came into focus, her adrenaline kicking into high gear, and at the sight of him standing there smirking at her, she kicked Bellatrix in the shin just as she had done months ago. Bellatrix snarled and tightened her hold, unwilling to be made a fool of a second time.
"It's alright, Bellatrix. You can let her go."
"M-my lord," Dolohov stuttered, eyes wide. "Is… is that really you?"
Voldemort laughed before waving his hand, summoning the Elder Wand out of the cauldron. "Yes, Dolohov. Only Ginny has seen this form before— from my younger years. But it's more appropriate for what lies ahead."
Bellatrix, true to orders, had let go of Ginny's arms. Some logical part of her knew that she needed to stay here, or else her family would pay the price, but seeing him brought to life in the form that had haunted her nightmares for years pushed logic thoroughly out the window. She bolted, running without even a destination in mind, her brain fuzzy, but she didn't get far. He spoke no incantation, but he must have used the wand, for she flew backwards through the air faster than she could blink, landing right in front of him. He grabbed onto her shoulders, holding her in place.
"Don't be afraid," he said, the familiarity of his voice making Ginny's hair stand on end. "We're going on a little trip. First to the beach, and then to Hogwarts, just like you've been wanting. Won't that be nice?"
"Please—"
"Bellatrix," he said, ignoring her and looking toward his most trusted lieutenant. "I need you to fetch for me that which I entrusted you with long ago. Bring it here, and show it to no one. I will meet you back here shortly. The rest of you— keep an eye on our guests. They're not safe just yet."
Protect them,she willed in Draco's direction, her heart pounding.
Ginny—no!
His words cut off as Voldemort tightened his grip on her arms and Apparated them away.
She waited for her feet to touch down on solid ground, but it didn't happen. The air was no longer compressing her, they had arrived somewhere, but they were midair, far above a stormy sea. Ginny screamed, sure she was about to plummet into the ocean, but Voldemort caught her, scooping her into his arms.
"You really thought I was going to let you fall?" he said with a smirk. "Why would I do that, after everything?"
"Wh-why are we so high up?"
"This place can't be Apparated into. You wanted to know the story behind my mother's locket, Ginny— you're about to see the next part."
Her heartbeat quickened as he moved through the air, carrying them toward the cliffside. He was taking her to the Horcruxes.
Her mind quickly did the math. Not counting Harry, he should assume he had four remaining— Nagini, the locket, the cup, and the diadem. He knew where Nagini was, and this place had apparently held the locket. That meant Bellatrix had one and Hogwarts held the other? Either of those could count as plain sight, technically…
They approached a crack in the cliff, a small cave entrance that looked impossible to navigate to from the ground. He moved closer, and Ginny felt a wave of magic wash over her as they entered the cave. He set her down, though her legs were shaky.
"Watch your step."
"You hid your mother's locket here? Why?" Ginny asked in horror.
"This is merely the antechamber." He reached out, fast as a snake, and grabbed her wrist. She cried out as he waved the wand over her palm, slashing it open before smearing it on the cave wall.
"Hope you don't mind," he said sardonically. "I've already sliced my hand once today."
She whimpered at the thick feel of Dark magic in the air as the wall disappeared, revealing a deeper cave within, and he smiled at her.
"Does that hurt?" he asked in a mocking, baby voice. "Here, let me make it better." With another wave of his wand, her palm healed itself, and he let go of her wrist.
"Why are you taking me here?" she asked shakily, rubbing her palm.
"You remember how you felt in the vault, don't you? The weight these objects carried. You could barely keep your head up. They'll hold a… similar power here, out in the physical world. You'll hold them, just like you did in the dream, and you'll yield to me at last. Even now, Bellatrix fetches Hufflepuff's cup, and once we have the diadem… well, then we'll go back home and not leave Macnair's side until he's able to transfer your tattoo to me. He was very close the last time I spoke with him— who knows what progress he's made since then?"
Ginny's mind felt blank as she tried to steady her breathing. The Horcruxes… and then the tattoo…
He stepped closer to her and tipped her chin up.
"We're going to change the world, you and I," he whispered. "And if you are to be a queen, you're going to be my queen."
He kissed her then, pressing his cold lips to hers, and Ginny stood still, frozen. This was it. It was all over. Her nightmare come to life—
Ginny.
Draco's voice, soft as a whisper.
Ginny, I love you. Ginny, I believe in you. You're so brave, and so strong— not because of the gem or the Morrigan or any of the rest of it. Because of you. You're strong because of your heart, not because of anyone or anything else. You love fiercely and fight just as hard, and if I'm honest, you glowed for me long before the events of Godric's Hollow. You taught me that anything's possible if you've got enough nerve, and wherever you are, I want you to remember that now. I love you.
Ginny's gaze hardened, Voldemort's lips still pressed to hers.
The diadem is at Hogwarts, she sent to Draco. He'll discover very soon that the locket is gone. Tell the others. Destroy it before we get there. It's now or never. I love you.
Voldemort broke away from the kiss, breathing hard, and Ginny looked down at the ground, fighting the remnants of her fear. She wasn't going down without a fight, not like this. And if he wanted her to hold the Horcruxes… well, putting them all in one convenient location sure would work well for Harry's plans.
"Come," he said after a moment. "Stay out of the water."
He turned away from her and walked deeper inside the cave, and Ginny followed, dreading the moment that he would realize the locket was missing.
They were standing at the edge of a great black lake, so vast that Ginny could not make out the distant banks, in a cavern so high that the ceiling, too, was out of sight. A misty greenish light shone far away in what looked like the middle of the lake; it was reflected in the completely still water below. The greenish glow was the only thing that broke the otherwise velvety blackness.
There was a small boat floating at the edge of the water. Voldemort gestured for her to get in.
"What's wrong with the water?" she asked in a quiet voice as he held the boat still for her to step into.
"A couple hundred Inferi."
Ginny gasped, making the boat sway as she stepped into it, and he grabbed tightly onto her arm.
"They won't bother you if you don't touch the water. Now sit down."
Ginny did, facing away from the glow, her heart pounding as she imagined the mass of corpses lying dormant beneath them. Voldemort stepped into the boat across from her and sat down, and the boat began to move across the lake, causing barely a ripple in its still surface.
"Don't be afraid," he whispered, his eyes on her face. "It won't hurt."
"What's going to happen to my family?"
"If you behave, they'll go back to the home I've made for them."
"And if I don't?"
"I think you know what happens if you don't."
Ginny's gaze hardened, and he smirked at her.
Soon enough, the boat reached its destination, beaching itself on a tiny island where a glowing pedestal stood. At Voldemort's nod, Ginny stood up and walked onto the island. It was eerily quiet— no signs of life, no hint of a breeze, not even the sound of water dripping.
Voldemort approached the basin, a triumphant smile on his face, a smile which promptly turned to a snarl of rage when he looked inside the pedestal's basin and found it empty.
"It's not here," he said, clutching the edges of the basin, staring into the water inside. "It's not here!"
His bellow echoed off of the cavern walls as he flung his arm out and a blast of red light flew out of the Elder Wand, shattering against the far wall of the cavern.
"How can it not be here? The enchantments… who could have possibly known?"
Ginny held very still, heart pounding, and then he turned his furious gaze to her. She flew forward, closing the distance between them, and he gripped her face in his hands. She flinched as she felt the claws of his Legilimency digging into her brain, sharp and careless in their frantic search.
"Please, I don't know anything, I don't know anything—" she cried, tears welling up in her eyes.
Anything she knew about the locket, she had learned from Draco on the bridge. He couldn't see, he shouldn't see—
"No," he said after a long moment, his voice impossibly cold. "You don't."
He dropped her face, and Ginny took a shaky breath. Her relief was short-lived, however, as he grabbed her up in his arms and began to levitate, racing over the lake. This close to him, she could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He was panicked. He was going to check the others.
Draco, please hurry.
SEPTEMBER 20th, 1997
The Dark Lord and Ginny Disapparated, and Draco's head felt full of static. He had taken her away. He had managed to change bodies, against all odds, and he had taken her away.
Bellatrix, her face unusually pale, Disapparated as well, leaving him with Dolohov, Nott, Avery, Mulciber, Greyback, and Jugson, along with the Weasleys.
He needed to protect them, but how the hell could he do that here? He knew he could beat Nott in a duel, and Greyback was more brawn than brains, but adding Dolohov to the mix complicated things significantly, and the others, while not particularly remarkable wizards as far as he knew, worsened Draco's odds. He winced, remembering his thoughts about a four on one fight and how unfair it was— this would be orders of magnitude harder than that.
It wouldn't be six on one if he could get the Weasleys untied. But they didn't have their wands— that was the problem. They would have to tackle the others and take their wands, which given their numbers could maybework but it was a hell of a risk, one that would result in their certain death if it went badly. Did he dare risk it? The consequences were so impossibly high. But Ginny had been taken away—
"Back against the wall," Dolohov snapped, waving his wand at the Weasleys, who glared at him but obeyed. "I don't want any trouble out of you lot. The Dark Lord wants you alive, but I can think of plenty of spells that don't involve killing you, understand?"
"Aren't you a pretty thing?" Greyback said to Fleur, taking a step closer to her. "Maybe you and your blood traitor husband should have matching scars, eh?"
Bill was still unconscious on the ground. Fleur snarled at Greyback through her gag, but Greyback only laughed.
"Maybe when the Dark Lord gets back, and he's satisfied with his own business, I'll ask him if I can play with you. I do like it when they fight back."
Nott looked like he was going to be sick. Could Draco count on him? He wasn't sure, not at all.
Where was Ginny? What had Voldemort said? The beach, and then Hogwarts? What on earth could he want with the beach?
His heart ached, and he closed his eyes, intoning Ginny's name across the bridge, across theirbeach. He told her everything he longed to tell her, everything he thought but didn't always say, every last, desperate wish in his heart that she could be safe, that she could fight back.
At first, only silence answered, and his chest tightened. Could she still hear him, wherever she was? What if it was blocked somehow—
The diadem is at Hogwarts. He'll discover very soon that the locket is gone. Tell the others. Destroy it before we get there. It's now or never. I love you.
His eyes snapped open. Bellatrix was still gone, apparently to fetch Hufflepuff's cup. He had to get to Potter without being detected.
He glanced around at the other Death Eaters— at Nott, who looked ill, at Jugson, who looked bored, at Avery and Mulciber, who looked sullen, at Greyback, who was eyeing Fleur, and at Dolohov, who was pacing in front of the angry, terrified Weasleys, observing them each in turn.
Ginny was right. It was now or never. Bellatrix would be back any moment, and she would see right through him. He took a gamble.
He grasped his left arm, grunting in pain, and then Disapparated, praying that they would surmise the Dark Lord had summoned him, perhaps to control Ginny through the tattoo.
He landed in the remains of Alys's village, already yelling.
"Potter! Potter, get out here now! Potter! I swear to Merlin—"
He rapidly told them what he needed them to do once they emerged from the protective enchantments, though they were frustratingly slow on the uptake, and in under two minutes, he Disapparated again, back to the Dark Lord's headquarters, breathing hard.
The other Death Eaters looked at him, confused.
"Duty calls," he said with a carefully casual shrug. "It was quick— just a few necessary words."
They appeared satisfied and looked away, though Nott looked positively green at this point.
Bellatrix returned in that moment, face flushed, and Draco breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't returned a moment too soon.
"The Dark Lord hasn't returned?" she asked.
"No, not yet," Draco responded, eager to jump back into playing his role and hopefully quash any lingering suspicions from the others. "He had multiple places he said he was going to. It might take some time."
"Mm." Bellatrix nodded, looking uncharacteristically unsure of herself. She wasn't holding the cup, but then, he hadtold her not to show anyone else. She paced, not unlike her lord, eyeing the Weasleys every few minutes.
Draco did the math again. Nine against seven, except only one of the nine had a wand. Maybe a coordinated attack could work to overwhelm them, even though the Weasleys' hands were literally tied, but how the hell was he going to communicate that to the Weasleys andget them to trust him?
Bill was still unconscious. Draco looked at Charlie, who glared menacingly at him.
Wait. Could he perform Legilimency non-verbally? Charlie was looking right at him. This would be harder than what he had done with Potter and the others, but desperate times called for desperate measures, didn't they? He had been able to speak to Nott through Legilimency, and he didn't need to have a long conversation...
He took a deep breath and cast his consciousness toward Charlie, whose eyes widened.
Don't react. We're going to overwhelm them— take their wands— but we'll only get one chance. Wait for my signal. Nod if you understand.
Charlie stared at him for a long moment before giving a curt nod that he passed off as adjusting his stance.
One down, seven to go, or six, if Bill didn't wake up soon.
He looked from Charlie to Percy and sent the same message. Percy grew pale, but nodded. That was two.
Twins or parents next?
One glance at Fred told him parents should be next. He looked to Mr. Weasley, and sent the same message. Mr. Weasley stared at him with the same intensity Ginny had so many times, long enough that Draco visibly gulped, and then nodded.
Three down. That was good. How, exactly, they were going to take the wands, he wasn't sure yet, but for an on the fly plan, this wasn't shaping up too horribly.
He looked to Mrs. Weasley, but before he could communicate to her, a loud cracksounded and an absolutely furious Voldemort Apparated into the room, holding Ginny in his arms.
"Bellatrix," he snarled. "The cup. Now."
"Of course, my lord!"
Bellatrix's cheeks were flushed as she waved her wand, summoning a golden chalice into view. A dark miasma lurked within it— a piece of Voldemort's soul.
Voldemort looked markedly relieved at the sight. She walked toward him to give him the cup, but he summoned it out of her hand before she could reach him and immediately pressed it into Ginny's grasp.
"Draco."
"Yes, my lord?"
"Repeat after me. You are not allowed to let go of this cup unless the Dark Lord gives you permission."
It's okay,she sent, though she sounded stricken.
"You are not allowed to let go of this cup unless the Dark Lord gives you permission."
I'm going to get your family out. Potter knows about the diadem— they're on their way.
Ginny looked pale, but he could hear the relief in her words. Thank you, Draco.
Voldemort spoke in Parseltongue, momentarily closing his eyes, and though Nagini was not in the room, perhaps the nature of her being a Horcrux allowed her to hear him anyway, for soon he waved his wand to open the double doors and Nagini slithered forward.
"Is there... is there anything we can do to help you, my lord?" Bellatrix murmured as he levitated Nagini onto his shoulders.
"I have one more stop to make," he said, his voice soft. Ginny cringed away from Nagini, whose head rested near her shoulders, and Draco fought the urge to rip her right out of his arms. His mind flashed on the hallucination he had had, and his breath grew short—
It's going to be a fight, Ginny whispered faintly. If Harry is at Hogwarts. All the Horcruxes will be in one place. It ends today.
"You may accompany us, Bellatrix. You, out of all others, have served me most faithfully."
Bellatrix bowed as low as Draco had ever seen her before hesitantly walking forward.
"The rest of you, stay here. We will return shortly."