Disclaimer: JK Rowling is a fabulous author…who incidentally owns what I am writing off of.
***
In the End
Nightmarish Dreaming
“Couldn’t you stay, at least until Halloween is over?”
Harry smiled sorrowfully. “You know that I would do anything in the world to be here with you. Hogwarts is my home. But, “and it tore at his heart when he saw Ginny wince, “we’ve stayed here longer than we anticipated, which could mess up all of our plans. We need to get to Godric’s Hollow, at least before October ends.”
Harry and Ginny were sitting together in a scarlet lounge chair in the Room of Requirement. The two of them snuck up while everyone was still in the Great Hall eating breakfast and Hermione was in the library catching up on some last minute reading. The trio had been at Hogwarts for over three weeks, living in Gryffindor dormitory. But as comfortable as they were, they knew that they had to leave right away, and that they couldn’t hold off their departure forever.
Ginny, sitting on Harry’s lap, took his hand into hers. She could sense his anxiety and his fear, like a jolt of feeling rushing into her soul.
“I know,” she admitted. “I just don’t want to see the three of you go, especially you. It was…making Hogwarts feel like home again.”
Harry didn’t know what to say. He merely brushed aside a strand of her hair obscuring her left eye. He kissed her cheek gently.
After moments of silence, Ginny whispered, “Just make sure that you write at least every week.”
Harry chuckled. “Everyday.”
Ginny turned around and looked him boldly in the eye.
“Harry Potter, don’t make any promises that you can’t keep.” Then she softened her stare with a faint smile tickling her lips. “I know that you’ll be busy with things much more important than writing to me. But as long as I receive one letter a week, I’ll know that you’re fine.”
Harry returned the bold, smoldering stare, slightly tightening his grasp on her hand. “I promise you, Ginny, that I will write you everyday. That is what you can count on.”
Ginny furrowed her brow for a moment, and then sank back into Harry.
“Fine. Then make it two letters a week.”
Harry, knowing that Ginny had won the battle, said, somewhat stubbornly, “Fine.”
***
It was a dark room. In fact, there was probably no light at all except for the candle hanging from the ceiling. And even that was beginning to be taken over by the darkness, its flame slowly dying out.
But in its weak light, it revealed a throne-like seat in the middle of the black room. It seemed as though the throne was made up entirely of monstrous sliver serpents piled up on top of one another, tangled and ominous. Their eyes were made of oval emeralds casting a faded green hue to the floor below. The colors were oddly familiar, as though seen somewhere else before…
Suddenly, the room erupted with black smoke. But it disappeared almost as fast as it came. When the smoke cleared, a hooded figure remained, sitting on top of the throne. Its face could not be seen, but red slits behind the hood glowed like embers. Skeletal, white arms slithered out of the sleeves while one hand held a sharp wand. When it breathed, it made a dangerously rasping sound, like a branch scraping against a wall.
“Come in,” Lord Voldemort said venomously.
A door appeared out of the darkness. It opened and a blond teenager walked in. He was pale in the face and was terrified to be in the room. His clothing was ragged and torn; he appeared to have traveled for a long time. He shivered more and more as he came closer to the overlord before him.
“Get on your knees,” Voldemort ordered lazily.
The boy did as he was told and fell to the ground immediately. He took a fleeting glance at Voldemort’s wand, but then kept his stare fixed firmly on the ground, afraid to look the other in the eye.
Voldemort could sense this.
“You will not look me in the eye? Hmm, no matter. Bella, bring her in!”
Out of the shadows stepped Bellatrix Lestrange. Her eyes glimmered in the darkness and her black hair perfectly blended with the black all around her. She had a cruel smile painted on her face as she dragged in her arms a chained blond woman, bruised and muzzled. The woman moaned and wailed in terror as her eyes went from Lord Voldemort to the boy.
“Nicely done, Bella. I shall reward you…you have brought your sister, your own flesh and blood, to me. Nicely done…”
“Only for you, my lord,” Bella said.
“Now back away from Narcissa as I talk to her myself. Go!”
Bellatrix backed away until she was fully engulfed in the darkness.
“Narcissa,” Voldemort said, “You know why I have brought you here.”
She moaned, but Voldemort took no notice.
“I sent Lucius on a simple mission, yet he failed me. He is dead now, of course.”
Narcissa opened her eyes wide in terror.
“Now, it seems as though both your men have disappointed me. Your son has failed me, as well. Oh yes! “ Dumbledore may be dead, but he was not killed by him has I ordered.
“So, I have brought you here for one purpose only before you, as well, are finished. You are here to witness the death of your son…and the end to the Malfoy line.”
Both mother and son screamed in horror. They did not notice that Voldemort was already lifting his wand and pointing it at the pale, blond boy.
“Avada Kedavra!” Voldemort cried.
Once the momentary flash of green light was lifted, the room returned to darkness. The boy was found to be dead in a great mound on the floor.
Narcissa did not stop screaming. Tears swelled in her eyes and fell down in shimmering streams. As she stared in shock at her son’s unmoving corpse, she continued to weep from behind her muzzle.
Voldemort turned his attention to Narcissa. In another flash of green light, she fell to the ground as well, dead.
Soon after, another man strode into the room. He was cleaner looking except for the fact that his long black hair was slicked back with grease. Unlike the others, he walked in much more confident. He took a look at the two bodies on the floor and merely kept walking. He looked at the Dark Lord directly in the eye, unafraid.
Voldemort’s red eyes flickered from behind the hood. “They had to be killed, Snape. You of all my Death Eaters know best what happens to those who disappoint me…”
The man named Snape bowed respectfully. “Of course, my master. I understand completely.” But there was a flicker of resentment in his beady eyes.
“Though you have returned to me only recently, it is time for you to embark on yet another mission for me. Surely, you are prepared for this one was well? After all, it is quite simple.”
“Yes, my master.”
“Good. Now, bring them to me alive. They must be, otherwise he will not come here.”
Snape nodded.
“I understand this, my lord. Do you wish for me to get the girl at the school as well? He is quite fond of her, after all.”
“No! I have no further use of Dumbledore’s rotting school. No, let it be. We needn’t trespass again so soon.
“Now go!”
Snape twirled on his heel and left.
Harry woke up, his scar bursting with pain.
A/N: I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, though most of it was in the dream (and italicized). And for those of you who hoped that Malfoy would be snuffed out...well, this is for you. For all you who didn't...you can hope that JKR doesn't. *** Also, I am very sorry if I have upset you in anyway because of this chapter's length. Thankfully (or not for some of you), I will be going on a temporary, and most likely short, hiatus. These first five chapters were prewritten a while ago, and now, I have to write more chapters. In the meantime, you may submit MORE reviews, constructively criticizing.