*The greatest thing you’ll ever learn,
Is just to love, and be loved in return…*
A day had passed, the only thing keeping Ginny going being Dumbledore’s half-promise to try and bring Harry back from wherever he was. That morning, the Daily Prophet had published an article stating that the Ministry and the Order were still arguing over how to handle the situation, but that was all she knew. She wished that they would just hurry up and decide, so that she could either sink deeper into self-pity, or see Harry again… finally.
That we would live the years together.
But there are dreams that can not be,
And there are storms we can not weather.*
At last, as she, Ron and Hermione sat together in the common room that evening, there came word from the Ministry. An owl delivered a letter to them from Professor Dumbledore:
‘After much discussion and many untidy arguments, I have finally managed to get the Ministry to decide what they are to do. Unfortunately, this meant disclosing the Prophecy, but when they heard it, it swayed them to their decision. After all, we have no chance at all without Harry, so you will be pleased to hear that he will be coming back, but at a terrible risk. If everything goes as planned, Harry will be handed back to us at midnight tonight, and we will strive to keep the Ministry under our control. However, this is not keeping our end of the bargain, so another battle is inevitable.
I would be lying if I said that this plan was foolproof, and you must understand that anything could happen.
Albus Dumbledore.’
Ginny didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“He’s coming back,” she breathed.
Her face broke into a smile with the slow realisation of what they had just read.
“HE’S COMING BACK!” she cried, and she jumped onto her chair and over the back, landing heavily on the floor behind it.
Ron did the same, and they started to dance around the common room together, much to the surprise of the other Gryffindors.
“He’s coming back, he’s coming back, he’s coming back!” they sang raucously.
“Come on, Hermione!” said Ron. “Harry’s coming home!”
Hermione had not got up, and was looking anxious.
“Why aren’t you celebrating?” asked Ginny.
“Oh “ I am, it’s really great, it’s just “ “
She paused, biting down on her lip, as if trying to stop herself from saying something.
“It’s just what?” asked Ron.
“Well, Harry might be coming back, but what if we don’t manage to hold the Ministry?” answered Hermione. “It will be even worse than the last time Voldemort had power! The Dark Side will actually rule the wizarding world! Do you not see how terrible that would be?”
Ginny didn’t want to think about that possibility. She wanted to stay on the high that she had just got, to keep that happy feeling which she hadn’t felt in weeks.
“But “ it’s quite unlikely that we’ll lose,” said Ron, hesitantly.
“Not really,” said Hermione. “I bet the Death Eaters have been planning this for months. They’ll have it all worked out.”
Ginny slumped back into her chair.
“Oh God, sorry Gin,” Hermione continued. “I shouldn’t be so pessimistic.”
“No, you’re right,” replied Ginny. “I shouldn’t get my hopes up too high. We’ll probably never see Harry again, and be ruled by Voldemort for the rest of our lives.”
She stared into the dancing flames of the fire unblinkingly, her eyes stinging from the heat, until she heard a strange, stifled sound, and turned to see Hermione with tears rolling down her cheeks.
“Hermione!” said Ginny, getting up to put her arm around her. “Hey, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to “ “
Ginny gave Ron a pleading look as Hermione broke down into sobs, shaking manically with tides of anguish.
“No, I’m just being silly,” she wailed. “I’m fine “ really I am. Harry will be “ will be “ “
But she didn’t seem to be able to say the words, and instead she shuddered violently again. Ginny signalled to Ron for some help.
“What am I supposed to do?” he hissed in Ginny’s ear.
“Just “ hold her,” she replied, and he took her place.
The sobbing turned to weeping, and Ginny began to feel awful for bringing it on in the first place.
“He’ll come back, Hermione,” she told her. “We’ll see him tomorrow, and everything will go back to normal.”
“And what if he doesn’t?” Hermione stuttered. “I don’t think I could cope if the Ministry was taken.”
Ginny sighed and sank back into her chair, having run dry of things to say. She could tell that this was going to be a long night…
He could feel the sun burning the back of his neck as he walked down the quiet lane. When he reached the ivy-covered cottage, he knocked heartily on the door and waited for an answer.
“Coming!” he heard a cheery, still familiar voice cry from inside the house.
The door opened, and a young woman with a lot of brown hair stood grinning on the threshold.
“Harry!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly. “We knew you’d be here some time soon!”
She pulled away, but now she was no longer a young woman, but a red-headed man of around the same age.
“Good to see you,” he said, also smiling. “Come in, she’s inside.”
Harry stepped through the little door, and found himself in a room he knew only too well. It was the kitchen of The Burrow, and a beautiful woman of about twenty-five was sitting in her normal seat at the table. The man had disappeared now, so they were alone together, just as Harry had always imagined they would be for this meeting. The woman looked up, and, saying nothing, she got up, walked over to him, then embraced him lovingly.
“I had no idea it would be so long until I saw you again,” whispered Harry through her velvety red hair, breathing her in. “I had started to think that I would never escape.”
She pulled away from him and looked him in the eye, her expression suddenly pitiful.
“Harry, you didn’t escape,” she explained sympathetically, “you’re dead.”
The room faded fast, then she started to disappear with it, the last thing to go being those sorrowful brown eyes…
He woke suddenly, and found that his heart was beating madly in his throat and his body was hot and clammy. He could still see Ginny’s eyes in the darkness in front of him, and her last words were ringing around his head, haunting him.
“You’re dead.”
Was that really how all this would end? Surviving pointlessly here for ten, agonising years, then dying “ completely alone, completely helpless?
So different from this hell I’m living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed.*
A familiar scraping sound brought him out of his reverie, but this time, there was no pain, just a voice:
“Out,” it said. “Now.”
It was almost midnight, and the common room clock seemed to be ticking at five times its usual volume. Ron and Hermione were still sitting together in the armchair, and Ginny was curled up at the end of the sofa, her body begging for sleep but her mind wide awake. Five minutes until midnight… four… three… She shut her eyes and listened to the seconds pass… two minutes… one minute… tick… tick…
Midnight was about to strike, and Ginny watched as the second hand reached twelve. Three… two… one… BANG. The whole castle seemed to shake, and all three of them sat up with a jolt.
“What the hell was that?” asked Ron.
Ginny ran to the window and looked out over the dark grounds. There were people running about at the edge of the forest, and she could hear their shouts echoing around the castle walls. She flung the window open and her eagle-eyes searched the black grass, until she saw… Harry.
“They’re down there!” she cried. “Come on!”
“Ginny, wait!” called Ron as Ginny ran to the portrait hole. “It’s dangerous down there! There could be Death Eaters, or “ !”
Ginny ignored him and kept running all the way to the stone steps leading up to the castle, where she stopped to watch what was happening. She heard Dumbledore yell something, then a piercing, deadly voice shriek out over the lake:
“It’s too late, Albus,” said Voldemort. “Your trusty helpers may have rescued the boy, but I have won the battle. The Ministry of Magic is mine, and you shall all suffer consequently.”
Another bang , and he was gone.
Harry stumbled and fell to the ground. He felt weak and nauseous. They were under the rule of Voldemort, the darkest wizard to exist in over a hundred years.
“Harry, we must get inside the castle,” said Dumbledore’s voice gently. “There are people who want to see you.”
After days of loneliness, he was finally going to see his friends again, and… Ginny.
“Harry!”
He heard her cry ring across the grounds to him. It sounded like phoenix song. He looked up and saw her running towards him, her brilliant long hair flying out behind her. Ron and Hermione were silhouetted against the light of the Entrance Hall, and Harry smiled; always there. He got to his feet just in time, and Ginny flung her arms around him. Harry suddenly felt strength pulse through his limbs; his body felt alive, his heart awoken once more from its tedious sleep.
“Oh, Ginny,” he stuttered. “I’m so sorry. I tried to get out, I tried to reach you, but it was impossible “ “
He was cut short as Ginny pressed her finger to his lips.
“You’re here now,” she whispered. “That’s all that matters.”
She took her finger away and replaced it with her lips. Harry wanted to vanish inside her kiss, to disappear within her love and never return to the harsh reality which now faced the world…
In a life where nothing seems real
I have found you,
I have found you.
In a world that’s moving too fast.
In a world where nothing can last
I will hold you,
I will hold you.
Our lives will change when tomorrow comes.
Tonight our hearts drown the distant drums
And we have music alright
Tearing the night.
A song played on a solo saxophone.
A crazy sound,
A lonely sound,
A cry that tells us love goes on and on.
Played on a solo saxophone
It’s telling me to hold you tight and dance
like it’s the last night of the world.*
Harry pulled her in close, ignoring the voices telling them that everyone else was heading inside.
“I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you too,” she replied, wanting to smile at this moment but not finding the strength knowing what was ahead.
There’s a place where life still has worth.
I will take you,
I’ll go with you.
You won’t believe all the things you’ll see.
I know ‘cause you’ll see them all with me.
If we’re together well then we’ll hear it again,
A song played on a solo saxophone.
A crazy sound,
A lonely sound,
A cry that tells us love goes on and on.
Played on a solo saxophone
It’s telling me to hold you tight and dance
like it’s the last night of the world.
Dreams were all I ever knew.
Dreams you won’t need when I’m through.
Anywhere we may be,
I will sing with you our song.*
As they stood there in each other’s arms, both knew that they would remember this moment forever, because life from now on was going to be very different…
like it’s the last night of the world…*
A/N: Oh my god, I can't believe that's it... withdrawal symptoms already kicking in...
If the same thing is happening to you, read the sequel! It's called 'I'll Always Be With You...'
Thank you so much to all the reviewers and people who have stuck with this story right from the very beginning. Arrabella Weasley, Huskers, muggle4ever... the list goes on and I can not name you all, but I thank you til the end of time! You have kept me writing and stopped me thinking that I am crap! Thanks also to my best friend Rachel, who read my first chapter like the day that I wrote it (her birthday actually) and to Alice who is also very lovely. I love you all!
Disclaimer: The quote at the start of this chapter is from "Nature Boy" by Eden Ahbez, originally sung by Nat King Cole. I have also used "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables (see disclaimer on Chapter 12). The song at the end of this chapter is "Last Night of the World" from Miss Saigon, written by Alain Boublil. I did not write these songs - I am merely using them in my story. Oh yes, and Harry Potter belongs to JKRowling... and that's that... oh my god...