Bill almost ran into Ginny who was doubled over in the middle of the tunnel, her arms holding her sides tightly. “Ginny? What’s wrong?”
Ginny waved her hand at him but wouldn’t look up. Bill glanced over his shoulder to see where Harry was and stopped still. He looked up. He didn’t even have to hear it. He knew. He was trained to know.
“Bill?” Remus asked.
Bill glanced around. He glanced up. They couldn’t go back up. It would take too long to move the stone. Damn it. All he could see were tunnels. Wait “ archway “ farther down.
It took a moment for Nathan to realize what he was hearing, too - then feeling. Anna had described it once, in the middle of the night. She had dreamt of her parents. She had woken up screaming, her hands clawing at the blankets which had somehow managed to cover her face. Now, he felt the earth shift, trying to right itself against an intruding force. Nathan felt the vibrations travel up his legs, into his stomach and wrap around his heart.
“GO! NOW! THERE!” Bill bellowed, directing his wand down the tunnel. A bright white string of light shot from the tip of his wand to an opening several meters down. “SHIELD CHARMS!”
Harry grabbed Ginny’s hand and pulled her with him, flinging her before him into the alcove. Ron and Hermione fell into them. Bill shoved Fleur and Luna ahead of him and pointed his wand up, shouting, ”Contego!” Electric light buzzed as a shielding force formed over the group, strengthening as each wand was added.
Nathan slammed into the wall as the first chunk of earth fell. He felt Remus and Tonks ram into him and raise their wands. Together, they shouted, ”Testudo!” Shimmering light from each of their wands spread, stretching and interlocking, like the shell of a tortoise. Nathan’s arm ached as he felt the tunnel collapsing, pressing into the magic protecting them. Through the haze and dust, he saw a shimmer “ another shield and prayed it was Fred, George and Percy.
The quake lasted only seconds, but it seemed an eternity. The noise faded with the tremors and the tunnel was filled an eerie, heavy silence.
“Cover your mouths,” Bill said, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket. Ripping it in two, he handed half to Fleur who wrapped it over her mouth. “It won’t be perfect, but until we can clear the air a bit, it beats breathing in all the dirt.”
Bill kept his wand up while the others lowered theirs. Harry, Ron and Neville dug out their handkerchiefs. With a wave of her wand, Hermione enlarged them all and sliced them down the middle. One by one, they all tied them around their faces, leaving only their eyes showing.
Harry helped Ginny tie hers. “Are you alright?” he asked softly.
Ginny nodded, her eyes meeting his over her handkerchief. “I’m alright. He just “ he’s getting to me.”
“I’m sorry,” Harry whispered, wrapping his arms around her for a quick hug.
“Don’t be,” Ginny said against his chest. “It’s not your fault.” Stepping back, her eyes smiled at Harry. “It’s a good look for you,” her voice muffled behind her mask.
“We look like we’re ready to rob a bank,” Harry commented dryly.
“As if the goblins wouldn’t notice us sneaking in looking like this,” Ron replied sarcastically.
Hermione chuckled and patted Harry’s arm. “I got it.”
“Thanks,” Harry said.
Bill held his breath as he lowered his wand and slipped it between his knees. Fleur tied the other half of his handkerchief over his mouth. Pulling his wand back up, he lit it and held it out. They were looking at a dead end.
“Damn,” Bill muttered.
“Fred? George? Tonks?” Hermione called out.
“They can’t hear you through that,” Bill said heavily.
“What do you mean they can’t hear us? Do you mean they’re ““
“No, Hermione,” Bill said quickly as he realized she thought he meant they were buried. “I mean sound won’t carry through that.”
“Don’t you have some spell that will blast that away? How do we know they’re alright? They might be hurt!” Ron argued. “You’re the tomb raider. Can’t you fix this?”
“No, Ron, I can’t,” Bill explained quietly. “When we go into excavate tombs, we’ve already spent hours making detailed plans to avoid things like this. I don’t know what is holding these tunnels together ““
“There aren’t any spells you can do to see what “ “
“Ron, when tunnels collapse, it is not a good thing,” Fleur observed softly.
“I know that!” Ron snapped.
“Ron, listen to me,” Bill placed his hands on Ron’s shoulders. “Once a tunnel collapses, the chances that it will collapse again increase. To put additional magic into this space, be it even for the purpose of structural integrity, could mean bringing down some rather large stones that are much better looking resting on top of the ground.”
Ron blinked above his handkerchief. Slowly he nodded.
“I’m sorry, Ron,” Bill said quietly.
Harry cleared his scratchy throat. “Do we have the map?”
Bill swore as he searched the ground by his feet. “My pack is over there. No, we don’t have a map!”
“Bill,” Hermione said quietly, “with a cave-in like this, would it have done us much good?”
Bill rubbed the back of his neck in frustration. “No “ no, at this stage, probably not. It’s just my pack had other things in it “ things that could help us -”
Ginny stepped forward and placed her hand on Bill’s arm. “Bill, we’re in this together,” she said softly. Bill looked down into Ginny’s eyes. “We’re in this together,” she repeated.
Bill glanced around at the eyes all looking back at him and he realized they were looking at him with confidence and determination, not anxiety and desperation. Bill exhaled. “Right,” he nodded. “Well, at this time, we need to figure out how to get out of here.”
“What about Anna?” Hermione asked solemnly.
Bill’s eyes flickered to the landslide. “My responsibility is to get you out of here,” he answered. “Anna understands that.”
“Will you come back?” Ginny asked.
Without hesitation, Bill nodded. “If it’s safe, of course.”
Harry stepped into the tunnel and squinted into the darkness. “Can I light my wand, Bill?”
“Oh, yeah, that shouldn’t be a problem,” Bill answered. “The magic we’re worried about are the spells that might muck with wards placed around here. A lit wand shouldn’t do anything.”
“Harry?” Ginny asked. Harry stood still as stone, his lit wand by his side. “Harry, are you alright?”
“Do you hear it, Ginny?” Harry asked, staring forward.
Ginny listened carefully and shook her head. Harry reached out for her hand and wove his fingers with his. She closed her eyes and saw the ribbons, bright, colorful and singing. Singing? Ginny sucked in her breath and opened her eyes, searching the tunnel. Despite the notes ringing in her ears, she was unable to differentiate anything in the blackness. Then the dark began to move and change color. Luna hummed behind her. Mesmerized the group watched as the black turned to red and gold.
Gracefully, Fawkes landed gently on the ground and dropped a bundle at Harry’s feet.
Harry knelt next to the Phoenix and placed his hand on his head, stroking his feathers.
“Hello, old friend,” Harry greeted him quietly. “How did you get here?”
Fawkes leaned his head against Harry’s arm. An overwhelming sense of sadness flowed into Harry before the Phoenix lifted his head and the emotion ebbed. Harry looked into Fawkes’ eyes with concern. Fawkes blinked back and shook his head, as if to say, Not now. Later. Harry understood.
Ginny knelt next to Harry and smiled gently at the Phoenix. “It’s time, isn’t it?” she said softly.
Harry nodded. Reaching out, he touched the ragged, worn Sorting Hat. As his fingers closed around it, he felt the circlet, hard and heavy with the weight of their circle.
“We need to get above ground,” Fleur said.
“We need to finish the circlet,” Harry contradicted.
“You can do that up top,” Bill commanded.
“No,” Ginny shook her head. “No - here, now. Dumbledore said we’d know when and it’s when.”
“Look, Ginny, if the tunnels have collapsed, Voldemort might also be trapped down here. He might already be dead ““
“He’s not,” Ginny whispered, rubbing her heart.
Bill met Ginny’s gaze. His eyes begged her to let him get them all to safety. Ginny stared back. Her eyes brimmed with stubborn certainty. Bill sighed. “Do it quickly “ do it well, but do it quickly.”
“Thanks, Bill,” Ginny said and gave him a quick hug.
“What do we do?” Ron asked as he rubbed his hands together.
“Ron, I don’t think we do anything,” Hermione touched his arm. “We’ve done our part. This is up to Harry and Ginny.”
“Oh, right,” Ron flushed beneath his bandana.
“We’ll just be a minute,” Ginny said over her shoulder as she followed Harry a little way down the tunnel. A breeze brushed by her cheek. Ginny glanced over her shoulder.
“Harry?” Ginny whispered.
“Yeah?”
“Why is Fawkes following us?”
Harry stopped and glanced down at his feet. Fawkes stood, his back to them, his head turning from side to side.
“Is he guarding us?” Ginny asked.
“I think he is,” Harry nodded, reaching into the Sorting Hat.
“Why?”
Slowly, Harry pulled the circlet out. “If I had to guess, he’s here to make sure we’re safe while we do this and then show us the way out.”
“How do you think he got here?” Ginny asked.
Harry shrugged. “He’s Dumbledore’s Phoenix.”
“Explains a lot, doesn’t it,” Ginny grinned.
“Yeah, it does,” Harry answered and gently placed the hat on the ground and rested the circlet on the palms of his hands. “So, do you have your stone?”
Ginny dug into her pocket and pulled out a small bundle wrapped in a hair ribbon. Harry dug into his pocket and pulled out a sock.
“You kept your ruby in a sock?” Ginny asked incredulously.
“It was a clean sock,” Harry defended himself as he unfolded the elastic back and popped the stone into his hand.
Ginny giggled. “Sorry, this isn’t the time to laugh ““
Harry grinned. “I like it when you laugh. Ready?”
Ginny nodded. “Yeah, ready.”
Harry placed the circlet on top of the Sorting Hat, cleared his throat and held his wand over the ruby in his palm.
“Within this circlet, I bestow the power of July’s ruby, to protect my bond, Ginevra Molly Weasley. This stone represents all my love for you.” Harry’s voice was husky with emotion as he flicked his wand over the ruby. “Sero Compago.“
Harry picked the ruby up off his palm and held it to the circlet. A bath of red light washed over the walls of the tunnel as it joined the other stones.
Ginny breathed on her diamond and polished it slightly on the hem of her jumper.
“Show off,” Harry whispered.
Ginny winked at him. “Within this circlet, I bestow the power of August’s diamond. This stone contains all colors of our bond. It represents my love for you, Harry James Potter.” Ginny held her wand over the diamond. ”Sero Compago.”
A rainbow of light shot from the center of the diamond and painted the walls with color. The shades soaked into the soil while the diamond flashed white and bright as it filled its spot.
Harry held up his hand. Ginny placed her palm against his and closed her eyes. She smiled inwardly, warmth chasing the chill from her bones as Harry’s love coursed through her veins. She felt Harry squeeze her hand. She opened her eyes and looked into Harry’s. Together, with their free hands, they touched their wands to the circlet.
”Circino Amplexor.”
The circlet glowed, the gold strengthening as it molded to the stones. The gems themselves shone from within, not a flashy sparkle, more like a burning as the powers bestowed into this circle of love melted together. The glowing became stronger, brighter. Ginny gasped as a shot of electric light beamed upward, followed up another and another. The beams reflected off the ceiling of the tunnel. She instinctively stepped closer to Harry and looked up. The web was more than light. It was love.
“Mum? Dad?” Harry blinked. “Gin? Do you see them, too?” he asked in a hushed whisper.
Ginny nodded, her eyes fastened on the silvery image of Catarina who reached out to another translucent being. Ginny sucked in her breath and her heart constricted at the sight of Albus Dumbledore joining hands with her mentor. Dumbledore’s image smiled down upon them, his eyes twinkled over his spectacles even in his ghostlike form.
“It is time,” he confirmed and stretched out his hand to grab hold of several strands of light.
“I love you, both,” Lily said as she collected a few more.
“You will be fine,” James assured them and gathered several strands for himself.
“You have all of this inside you “ inside both of you,” Catarina spoke and fished the last strands of light out of the air.
The transparent figures began to weave the strands of protection and love together, their own love joining with the powers bestowed upon the circlet by the living. Harry had the urge to stand up on his tip toes to see if he could touch them. As he watched, Harry realized his heart tugged him upward, but it was anchored in the woman standing beside him. His place was here. Harry wrapped Ginny in his arms and pressed her against him. He didn’t have to close his eyes to know their bond was there. He could feel it throughout his entire body.
The lights wove together before their eyes to form one solitary light. Lily met Harry’s eyes one last time and smiled before her essence dissipated along with James who nodded good-bye. Catarina raised her hand in a small wave, and Dumbledore cast them a solemn look before evaporating. The single strand of light hung suspended momentarily in the cave air before it was sucked down into itself, a trail of emptiness left in its wake. The circlet rested, quiet and full, on the Sorting Hat.
Harry and Ginny held on tightly to each other as the cave returned to normal. Harry felt Ginny shake against him. He leaned back to look down at her.
“Hey, you alright?” he asked softly.
Ginny looked up, her eyes glistening. She nodded. “Yeah, I’m “ I’m fine. I just never thought I’d see any of them again.”
Harry cupped her face between his hands and lifted her lips to his. “I know what you mean. But you know what?”
“What?” Ginny murmured.
“I realized something watching them up there,” Harry said. “In my first year, I sat in front of the Mirror of Erised and was shown my heart’s greatest wish which was my parents “ to be a family with my mum and dad. I know if I were to stand in front of the Mirror of Erised today, I would see you. It’s not that I don’t miss them. It’s just that you are my greatest wish. Without you, I would be nothing.”
“Oh, Harry, don’t do that,” Ginny sniffled and swiped at her eyes with her sleeve. “Don’t make me cry.”
Harry grinned and tightened his hug. He placed a kiss on her forehead.
“I love you, Harry,” Ginny said softly as she rested her cheek on Harry’s shoulder.
“I love you, too, Ginny,” Harry said.
“And as much as I love standing here like this, I think we best get going,” Ginny said softly.
Harry sighed. “I think you’re right,” he agreed quietly.
Reluctantly stepping out of Harry’s arms, Ginny held out the ribbon that her diamond had been wrapped in. “Here. You can use that to fasten the circlet to your belt.”
“Oh, well, thanks,” he said and took the ribbon, “but what about “ huh,” Harry stopped as he searched the ground for the Sorting Hat. “It’s gone.”
“Probably back in Dumbledore’s office already,” Bill commented quietly. “Is it done?”
Harry took Ginny’s hand and met her eyes. She smiled. Harry squeezed her hand and turned to Bill. “We’re ready.”
“Oy!” Ron exclaimed ducking as Fawkes swooped down, parting the group as he flew through to land on Harry’s shoulder. The Phoenix looked at them all expectantly.
“I think Fawkes is ready, too,” Neville commented.
Bill cocked his head to the side and studied Fawkes. Fawkes stared back at him and once again, Bill recognized a force, greater than himself, working to guide him and his companions. He bowed his head in respect to the Phoenix. In turn, Fawkes turned and showed Bill his tail feathers.
“Well, that’s just plain rude,” Ron said indignantly.
“Ron,” Hermione sighed, “I think Fawkes is telling us to touch his tail feathers.”
“Oh,” Ron said. “Right. Sorry, Fawkes,” Ron apologized and stepped forward. He touched a feather gently along with the rest of the group.
With a flash of fire, they were gone.
+++++
“Hey “ ow! Nathan! Take down this damn shield, will you?” Fred rubbed his nose under the handkerchief he held up to it. “I ran right into it. Might have broken my nose.”
“No great loss, that,” George commented from behind him. “Everybody knows I’m the better looking one anyway.”
“No need to ask if the two of you are alright,” Tonks observed as she lowered her wand. “Percy?”
“Sore,” Percy struggled to his feet. He winced as he began brushing dirt off the front of his robes. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I think we are,” Tonks answered stepping into the tunnel. “Remus?”
“I’m fine. Nathan?”
Nathan lowered his wand and the last bit of the shield disappeared with a ‘Pop!’. Silently, he stepped past Tonks and Remus to take a look at the landslide. Something crunched under foot. Nathan stepped aside and reached down to pick up the map, covered with dirt, a large foot print now in the middle.
Wordlessly, he looked at Percy, his eyes filled with apologies. Percy leaned against the tunnel wall and reached out for the parchment. “I enjoyed working for the Ministry,” he replied in a rather far off sounding voice.
“You know, it’s not like it’s worth anything now,” Tonks said comfortingly.
“Yeah,” Fred plucked the map out of Percy’s hand and wadded it up. “Look at this way, you just helped clean out some over stuffed filing cabinets without being asked.”
“That shows foresight and initiative,” George nodded. “Very impressive.”
“A job well done, I’d say,” Fred agreed. “Care to do the honors?” he asked, holding the bunched up parchment out.
Percy’s hand shook as he inhaled deeply and raised his wand. ”Incendio.”
“Congratulations, Percy,” Fred dropped the burning ball to the ground. “You have just destroyed stolen Ministry property. We’re very proud.”
“Perhaps we should offer him a job?” George eyed his older brother up and down.
“He does have potential,” Fred mused.
“Alright, you two, if you’re done interviewing, we need to figure out what we’re doing,” Tonks said and looked at Nathan who was examining the loose dirt. “Nathan?”
“I’ve got to find Anna,” he said quietly.
“Nathan,” Remus said quietly, “you do realize ““
“She’s alive, Remus,” Nathan said firmly, rubbing his thumb over his wedding band.
“Very well,” Remus nodded. “Is there anyway we can find out the state of the others?”
Tonks ran a hand through her spiked hair and sighed. “They’re in good hands “ each others’.”
“Yes, but isn’t there anything we can try?” Percy asked.
“I’m not sure what kinds of wards protect these tunnels,” Tonks admitted. “I don’t want to make things worse by adding additional spell work that won’t mix well with what is left here. I’m sorry, Percy.”
Percy nodded sadly. “I understand.”
“Hey! Here’s Bill’s pack,” Fred knelt down and flipped it open. “Light, anyone?”
Fred fished out an illumination disc and held his wand to it. ”Illumino.”
Fred tossed it on the ground and the tunnel began to glow bright blue. He stood up and grinned. “Best invent “ Percy!”
All eyes turned to Percy who was wobbling a bit on his feet. Tonks lit her wand and held it up to Percy’s face. Blood had begun to trickle down his cheek. Gently, Tonks turned Percy’s head.
“Bloody hell, Percy,” she exclaimed. “You’ve got “ well, it’s not pretty.”
“My head hurts,” Percy said, sounding a little dazed.
“Yes, I can see why it would,” Remus said as he inspected the back of Percy’s skull. “I’m guessing you hit it against something.”
“He can’t stay,” Tonks said. “He needs help.”
“We need to get him to one of the burial chambers or one of the other entrances,” Nathan directed.
“Any idea which way we go to do that?” Fred asked.
“Well, to the right is dirt and to the left is tunnel,” George commented. “I vote left.”
“Good choice,” Tonks commented. She lit her wand.
“It is our only choice,” Nathan said.
“At least we still have choices,” Tonks noted before stopping suddenly and covering her mouth under her handkerchief with her hand. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. I wasn’t ““
“Tonks,” Nathan squeezed her shoulder, “she’s alive. The others are alive. No one will be able to convince me otherwise as long as we’re still alive.”
“Thanks, Nathan,” Tonks said and lowered her hand.
“It’s still warm, Tonks.” Nathan held up his left hand. “I intend to make sure it stays warm for many, many more years.”
“Then let’s go,” Fred said, slinging Bill’s pack over his shoulder.
“Percy, can you walk?” Remus asked.
“My legs work,” Percy said a little confused, “I just have a bit of a headache…”
“Yeah, I assume you do,” George said. With a grunt, he wrapped his arm around Percy’s waist and pulled Percy’s arm across his shoulders. “All set?”
“All set,” Percy echoed in a disjointed voice.
“Let’s go, then” Nathan said.
+++++
A/N - Many, many thanks, too, to my betas Anya and wvchemteach and my mod, bogus7.
Happy Reading!