They watched the Lynx dissolve into wisps of silver. She was still holding Fred and George’s hands… they’d been dancing.





Screams erupted everywhere as realisation kicked in. Ginny’s eyes shot around the wedding’s dance floor as witches and wizards disapparated in fear. The protective spells around the Burrow had broken. They were no longer safe.





She felt George’s hand slip out of hers and she was pushed roughly into Fred as groups of people pushed through the crowd, horrified expressions daunting their faces. Fred wrapped an arm around her and held her close protectively.





Ginny wriggled free of his grasp and darted through the crowd, Fred’s panicked shouts echoing in her ears. Dark figures with cloaks and masks were apparating everywhere, but Ginny had no time for them.





‘Petrificus Totalus!’ She pointed her wand at the closest Death Eater and watched him fall to the ground, completely immobilized.





Ginny kicked off her shoes and ran on through the crowd. He was going to leave, and she may never see him again. Her red hair was lashing around her face, unruly.





“Ron! Ron!” Ginny heard Hermione’s voice, half sobbing, yell from her right. Harry stood beside her, gripping her arm, a set expression on his face. Of course, he was ‘Cousin Barney’ today, but he was still Harry underneath.





Ron shot out of nowhere at the same time a Death Eater aimed a curse in Ginny’s direction. She turned to watch Ron shout ‘Protego!’ deflecting the spell, and giving Ginny a firm look. She understood it to mean that he was leaving, indefinitely.





She felt her eyes brim with tears and one roll down her cheek. Ron squeezed her hand briefly before dashing towards Hermione and gripping her arm. Ginny watched the three turn on the spot, and then they were gone.





She felt, more than heard, a presence behind her and turned so quickly the Death Eater had no time to react. ‘Stupefy!’ The blonde woman fell, stunned. Ginny stared down at Narcissa Black and felt nothing but pity.





The battle was still raging around her; she looked up and saw the twins battling three Death Eaters. Another, that Ginny recognized as Nott was making his way silently behind George. He raised his wand, but Ginny had sent the Conjunctivis Curse at him. He staggered backwards, hands over his eyes, and tripped over a body, slamming his head on a rock on the ground. He was unconscious.





Briefly Ginny hoped the body didn’t belong to their side, and aimed another curse at one of the two Death Eaters fighting Bill and Fleur.





---------------------------------------------------------------------





"The others - everyone at the wedding-"





"We can't worry about that now," whispered Hermione. "It's you they're after, Harry, and we'll just put everyone in even more danger by going back."





"She's right," said Ron, who seemed to know that Harry was about to argue, even if he could not see his face. "Most of the Order was there, they'll look after everyone."





Harry nodded, then remembered that they could not see him, and said, "Yeah." But he thought of Ginny and fear bubbled like acid in his stomach.





----------------------------------------------------------------------





‘Diffindo!’


Ginny felt her dress rip open, and blood trickling down her back. She turned in fury. ‘Duro!’ she spat, and watched Rodolphus Lestrange turn to stone, shock still etched on his face. Ginny's back was warm with blood. The cut was deep, but she didn't care. She could feel a bruise forming on the side of her face where someone had elbowed her in the rush to leave the horrible wedding scene.





A shot of green light shot past Ginny’s left ear and she turned to stun the offender. Bellatrix Lestrange blocked it carelessly. “Little girl, why haven’t you run?” she taunted.





“Wouldn't want to miss the party, would I?” Ginny smirked, raising her wand.





Bellatrix narrowed her eyes and raised her wand. “Do you not fear death?” she asked the fiery redhead standing determinedly before her.





Ginny laughed, “I fear death as much as I fear you and Voldemort.” She smiled as Bellatrix gasped in fury at her mention of his name. “Which is not at all,” Ginny whispered.





‘Imperio!’ Bellatrix shrieked.





Ginny stood her ground, trying desperately to fight the Imperius Curse that had been placed upon her. She would not succumb to Bellatrix’ control.





“Bow to the Dark Lord’s power, little girl! We’ll see how brave you really are!” she laughed, a high-pitched, evil laugh.





Ginny felt herself begin to bend at the waist and then stopped. She thought of her family, fighting behind her. They would never submit themselves to Voldemort or his followers. George had lost and ear, and Mad-Eye was dead, but they’d fought bravely. Hedwig was dead too, she remembered. A careless death. A meaningless death. That was what the world was full of just now. Meaningless deaths.





She thought of Ron and Hermione. Her brother, and best friend, who had left, she knew, to help save the wizarding world. She thought of the DA, and the night in the Ministry in her fourth year. She remembered Sirius falling through the veil, and Ron being nearly strangled to death. She thought back to last year, Dumbledore’s death, and Fenrir Greyback’s attack on Bill. She thought of Lupin, bitten by Greyback as a child and forced into a werewolf’s life of exile as a result. She thought of Neville Longbottom’s parents, who’d been tortured into insanity by the very Death Eater that was now trying to control Ginny.





She thought of Harry. Of Harry and the Prophecy. He was the only one in the end who could stop it all. His bravery and strength was more than she herself could ever imagine. She recalled his story, parents murdered by Voldemort when he was only a year old… They’d been members of the Order of The Pheonix as well. Harry had gone through far more than anyone in the magical world could begin to imagine. Ginny loved him, as she had since before Hogwarts. Harry had set off on his final journey to hunt and kill Voldemort, knowing he might never return. Ginny blinked back tears.





All these people, her friends, her family… all victims of Dark Magic. All brave, all strong…she would not let them down.





‘PROTEGO!’ Ginny screamed through the magic that was binding her.





Bellatrix let out a yelp and dropped her wand, as if she’d been stung.





Ginny stole her chance. ‘Stupefy!’ She watched Bellatrix fall to the ground, fury etched in her once-pretty face. ‘Incarcerous!’ Ginny added, and ropes bound their way around the Death Eater’s body.





She stood silently, her shoulders shaking. Ginny was exhausted from fighting the Imperius Curse, but she told herself to be strong. Harry would be facing more than a simple unforgivable curse.





Suddenly, she received a hard blow to the back of the head. Knocked to the ground, she rolled over onto her back, and pointing her wand up at the offender with two hands, 'Incendio!' she bellowed.





The Death Eater, Avery, raised an arm to block the spell, consequently setting his cloak on fire. He yelped in agony, but managed "Aguamenti!' to put out the fire and counter Ginny's spell. He returned a menacing gaze to her flashing brown eyes.





'Cruc-'


'LANGLOCK!'





Avery's tongue rolled back in his mouth. He was unable to say the spell out loud, but Ginny knew that he would perform a curse non-verbally very soon. She stunned him before he had the chance.





Ginny became very aware of the grass and dirt that were now edging their way inside the gash on her back, and she rose to her feet, wincing slightly at the pain.





There were five death eaters closing in on Ginny's mother and father. "Mum..." Ginny whispered before summoning the last of her energy and screaming 'REDUCTO!'





She watched as the five Death Eaters were thrown backwards by the force of the spell. She'd nailed that one in the DA meetings, Ginny thought to herself.





She noted that another Death Eater was running towards her, wand raised at the ready, and that they didn't look happy. But Ginny's vision was blurring, and she raised her wand half heartedly, knowing she would have no aim.





'Obscuro!' Ginny heard Charlie's voice shout as he shot the blindfold spell at the Death Eater before Stunning him, and everything went black.

“Anything?” a woman’s voice snapped.

“Nothing…” the man growled, “No trace of his being here… I suppose the Dark Lord was mistaken-”

“The Dark Lord is never mistaken, Yaxley!” the woman said, scathingly.

“Bella. We will find him. We will find him, and the Dark Lord will kill him. Just as planned.” Rodolphus Lestrange walked out of the shadow near the bottom of the winding staircase at The Burrow, his voice sliding through the air like poison in such a warm home.

His eyes lingered on the small redhead sprawled on the patched couch. Mud was smeared across her face, and her fingernails were broken and bore a mixture of dirt and blood. Her dress was ripped across the back, he knew, being the one who had slashed it with the cutting curse. The bloodstain on the couch was now brown and hard. The corners of his mouth turned up into a wicked smile.


Bellatrix chewed on the tip of her blood red fingernail. She too, was examining the young girl on the couch. She would remain under this spell, until it was time for her to be questioned. The Death Eater chose to disregard the fact that a sixth year had successfully resisted her Imperius Curse, stunned and bound her single-handedly.

Bellatrix’ gaze left the occupant of the ratty old couch, and swept the interior of the house. The fireplace, charred and ancient looking, sat across from the ratty furniture. An old record player, which looked horribly second-hand, sat silently in the far corner of the room. A clock, with each hand representing a member of the family, was placed on the wall. Every hand was currently pointing to Mortal Peril. Bellatrix smiled.


A shriek echoed down the staircase from one of the bedrooms and Bellatrix’ smile widened. The little redhead’s mother and father, of course, were being interrogated in a different room.

Pop.

“Mulciber,” Rodolphus greeted, “News?”

“None,” the Death Eater grunted, “Blew up the house, though,” he grinned like a schoolboy.

Bellatrix rolled her eyes and turned back to the patched couch, “We have more important things to be doing than destroying houses, Mulciber. The Dark Lord will not be pleased.”

With a flick of her wand, the occupant of the couch awoke with a start. The girl sat up slowly and pulled her red hair out of her eyes.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

“What did you see?” Ron asked, advancing on Harry. “Did you see him at my place?”

“No, I just felt anger �“ he’s really angry-”

“But that could be at The Burrow,” said Ron loudly. “What else? Didn’t you see anything? Was he cursing someone?”

“No, I just felt anger �“ I couldn’t tell-”

------------------------------------------------------------------------

She was in her own house, Ginny noted. She was sitting on the couch her parents had bought even before the twins were born. She looked fondly at the patchwork and blinked when she noticed the bloodstain. The pain returned, washing over her and she winced.

The Death Eaters before her were smiling. Bellatrix Lestrange twirled her wand between her long fingers, the sleeve of her robes sliding down her arm. Smiling, Ginny took note of the purple bruises around the Death Eater’s wrist.

The grin melted off Bellatrix’ face, “What could you possibly be smiling about, girl?” she snapped at Ginny.

“I was wondering which of your friends got you out of your… situation.”

Ginny raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, amused at the woman’s apparent embarrassment.

Bellatrix seemed to fight furiously with her facial features before settling into a dark scowl. Her black eyes flashing dangerously, she snarled, “Harry Potter.”

“Pardon?” Ginny asked, indifferently, although her heart had leapt at his name.

“Harry Potter was here, was he not?” the Death Eater sneered, her grip tightening on her wand.

Ginny smiled, “Why would Harry waste his days at The Burrow when the fate of the wizarding world rests on his shoulders alone? The days are numbered, Bellatrix - for both sides.”

“Hogwarts. Will he be returning to Hogwarts for his Seventh Year?”

Ginny raised her chin, determinedly, and stared back at Bellatrix in silence.

“Will he be returning to Hogwarts?!” Bellatrix spat, near hysterics. Ginny remained silent, smiling now.

Rodolphus placed a hand on Bellatrix’ shoulder and raised his wand to just below Ginny’s ribs. “There are ways, Bella…” he trailed, in a barely audible whisper.

He turned to Ginny, “Now, girl, tell us what you know of Harry Potter or suffer the consequences.” He flicked his wand.

Ginny’s left hand flew to the right side of her stomach as a slash was cut in her dress. An angry red scratch was now visible on her fair skin. She looked up at Bellatrix, her anger flaring, “Do you always have your husband save your sorry ass?”

The woman’s eyes flashed and widened in rage, but Rodolphus held out an arm. He flicked his wand once more without lowering it.

Ginny gasped in pain and looked down. She watched as a gash formed slowly where her dress had ripped. Blood trickled down to her waist and she balled her hands into fists, raising her eyes to meet Rodolphus’ in determination. She would not scream. She would not yell for help, or cry out in pain. She would not give them the satisfaction.

“Now,” Rodolphus tried again, quietly, “Will Harry Potter be returning to Hogwarts?”

Ginny kept her stony expression, biting down hard on her tongue to distract herself from the pain on her torso. She clasped her hands in her lap and sat, silent.

“That’s quite alright, I am a patient man… I will wait…” Ginny watched Rodolphus slide his wand slowly to the right, and felt the gash on her stomach follow suit. She felt her muscled contracting and screaming in protest. How much blood would she lose tonight?

Bellatrix let out an impatient huff. “I think I’ll go pay a visit to my dear sister, Andromeda,” she grinned wickedly before disapparating.

Rodolphus lifted his wand, completing the gash, and Ginny kept herself from letting out a sigh of relief. She felt the blood drip onto her arm.

“Did you hear that, girl?” Rodolphus taunted, starting a new gash, this time on Ginny’s leg, “Your dear friend Nymphadora won’t be seeing her parents any time soon by the sounds of things…”

The gash was sliding down her leg now, deeper than the last, but not quite as deep as the one on her back. Ginny bit down harder on her tongue.

Suddenly the gash stopped travelling. Rodolphus’ pulled his left sleeve up and scowled at his Dark Mark. He shot one last loathing look at Ginny. “I’ll see you again, blood traitor,” he said scathingly before disapparating.

Ginny let out a cry of pain and the tears cascaded down her face. At least a half dozen more pops sounded from rooms upstairs, the sound of Death Eaters disapparating. Relief flooded Ginny as she cried, holding her stomach.


Fred and George bolted down the stairs, both looking white as sheets, but otherwise unharmed. Ginny smiled at them half-heartedly through her tears. They were okay.

“Ginny, you’re going to be okay.” Fred took her hand and kneeled beside her, his face etched with worry.

“I’m going to get Mum.” George turned on his heel and dashed back up the winding staircase three steps at a time.

Ginny squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the pain as best she could. Seconds later, she heard several people pounding down the stairs. She let out a tense sigh.

Ginny opened her eyes. Molly Weasley was already at her daughter’s side, healing her wounds and conjuring medicinal potions. Mr. Weasley, Bill, Fleur, Charlie, Tonks and Lupin were gathered around the couch as well.

“You’re very brave, Ginny,” Tonks whispered through tears of her own. Lupin wrapped his arm around her shoulders and nodded his grim agreement to Ginny.

“Ginny? You can squeeze my hand, okay? Try to distract yourself from the pain,” Fred offered gallantly.

Ginny smiled at him gratefully and squeezed. Fred screwed up his face and looked at George.

“What?” George asked incredulously.

“Her grip’s like Mum’s!”

Mrs. Weasley glowered at Fred, who wilted under her gaze, but Ginny giggled.

“They’ve left, haven’t they?” Charlie noted, more than asked.

Ginny nodded, tears spilling down her cheeks again, for an entirely different type of pain.

Fleur was stroking Ginny’s red hair affectionately. “’E would be so proud, Ginny. Really. You ‘ave been magnificent…”

Mr. Weasley stood and swished his wand grimly, a silvery substance shooting out the window.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Family safe, do not reply, we are being watched.”

The Patronus dissolved into nothingness. Ron let out a noise between a whimper and a groan and dropped on to the sofa: Hermione joined him, gripping his arm.

“They’re all right, they’re all right!” she whispered, and Ron half laughed and hugged her.

“Harry,” he said over Hermione’s shoulder, “I-”

“It’s not a problem,” said Harry, sickened by the pain in his head. “It’s your family, ‘course you’re worried. I’d feel the same way.” He thought of Ginny. “I do feel the same way.”