I don't own anything in the Harry Potter Universe. I would like Andrea (Ravensgryff) to moderate this chapter, please.
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Harry awoke feeling awful. His arms and legs felt as if they were encased in granite. His eyes refused to open and his head throbbed with every intake of breath. Slowly, his addled brain began to function. He concentrated on little things. He tried to move but nothing would respond. He attempted to reconstruct the events that had brought him to this place, but his mind was still too jumbled to make sense of anything yet, except the pain in his back and a desperate sense of loss that he couldn’t explain.
Voices broke the silence.
“I think he may be waking up.”
“How can you tell? He looks just the same as he has for the past four days.”
Four days? Have I been here that long? Harry wondered.
“His breathing is different; I don’t know, it seems like he’s breathing less deeply. Maybe that means he is waking up.” Harry recognized the voice to be male but couldn’t wrap his mind around whose it was.
“Any news on--”
“No,” came from a third voice. Harry thought this voice sounded angry but also dreadfully sad. “Sorry, it’s just been a terribly difficult few days.”
“That’s fine, Arthur,” a fourth male voice sounded.
Arthur? Do I know Arthur?
Harry listened as the conversation died away for several long minutes. Finally, he made another attempt to open his eyes. He was surprised that this time his eyelids obeyed the request, and his surroundings became visible to him”blurry, but visible nonetheless. As he opened his eyes, he also noticed his mind becoming clearer.
“What happened?” Harry groaned, gently turning his head to see the four men sitting around his bedside. He noticed a shock of blurry red hair, a man with a strange blue circle on his face, approximately where his eye should be. Two figures stood behind them and Harry couldn’t see anything distinctive about them.
“Harry, you’re awake,” Mr. Weasley said, rising from his seat.
“We were expecting you to sort that out for us there, Mr. Potter,” Moody’s gravely voice sounded from the other side of the bed.
Mr. Weasley stepped closer to the head of the bed and handed Harry his glasses. Grateful, Harry placed them on his nose and the world immediately cleared up for him. He noticed Remus and Abe standing behind Moody. All the adults wore sad, tired expressions. Then Harry noticed Mr. Weasley’s face. He had never seen it so haggard-looking. Days of stubble had formed on his chin; worry lines etched his normally jovial features. This was a shell of the man he had met years ago in the Burrow. Harry couldn’t look him in the eye.
“So, Potter, do you mind telling us what happened?” Moody interjected, as Arthur retook his seat.
“I don’t really know. I was in the Great Hall. We had been talking about …” Harry’s eyes began to rove the ceiling as he racked his brain for the information. “We were talking about Potions, and my marks not being good enough. I had to get my old Potions book.” As the memories began to come, Harry’s eyes grew wide in shock and fear. He finally remembered the last thing he’d seen: Ginny killing Tom Riddle, and collapsing herself. “Where’s Ginny?” he asked frantically.
It didn’t seem possible, but Arthur grew more sombre and pale at the mention of his daughter’s name. “She’s in another room, Harry. Please tell us what happened to you both.”
“Where did you find us?” Harry asked, his fear for Ginny growing by the moment.
“You were in the Room of Requirement. Ron said you and Ginny just fell unconscious in there. He didn’t know why. Tonks and I happened to be in the school and we found you both lying on the floor. You were clutching Ginny’s shoulder and she was holding this.” Remus produced a large leather-bound book from under his robes. “Where did you find this book, Harry?”
“I need to know if Ginny’s all right first!” Harry exclaimed.
Remus placed a comforting hand on Arthur’s arm and gave a weak smile. “She’s unconscious and has been for the last four days, just like you.”
Relief washed over Harry, but before he could speak, he heard a voice in his head.
Harry?
It was Ginny’s voice.
Ginny? You contact me? Are you awake”are you all right? Harry thought.
Yeah, I am really weak, though. I woke up a few minutes ago and I heard you. Are you all right?
I am now.
“Harry, are you all right? What’s going on?” Remus asked.
“Ginny’s awake,” Harry responded with a small grin. “She woke up at the same time I did.”
As Harry leaned back on his bed, feeling exhausted again, the door to the other part of the Hospital Wing slammed open. Ron rushed through smiling broadly. “Ginny’s awake!”
“We know,” Abe said with a slight smile.
Ron then looked over at the bed and noticed for the first time that Harry was awake as well. “Harry’s awake!”
“We know that too,” Remus interjected with a smile.
“I have to tell mum and Hermione and Ginny!” Ron shouted, already heading for the door.
“Should we tell him that they already know?” Abe asked Harry, with a knowing smile.
“No, he can use the run; it will be good for his conditioning for Quidditch.” Harry smiled at Abe, although he wasn’t sure what Abe was grinning for.
“Could we please get back to what in the bloody hell Harry and Ginny were doing unconscious in the Room of Requirement and what this book has to do with it?” Moody growled from his seat.
Harry stared at the book for several seconds, trying to decide how much to say. Finally, he decided that it was time to explain what he had been doing: The mission to find the Horcruxes and destroy them, so he could then defeat Voldemort.
“This is going to be a long story, and I don’t want to tell it twice. Could we talk about it with everyone gathered?” Harry questioned. “Could Bill check the book, and see if there are any curses left on it?”
Moody nodded in agreement, although he looked very put out by not finding out what was going on immediately.
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Two hours later, Harry and his five companions, along with Bill, Charlie, Moody, Abe, Remus, Tonks, Arthur and Molly all sat in a private section of the Hospital Wing. Professor McGonagall had arranged the private setting, Harry sat in one bed while Ginny sat in another.
Harry looked nervously around the room at all the adults waiting for him to explain what he had been doing for the past six months. Finally, after receiving an encouraging nod from Ron and thoughts from Ginny, Harry began.
“I really need to begin with the Prophecy,” he began, and proceeded to explain his role in the eventual destruction of Lord Voldemort. This revelation elicited tears from Mrs. Weasley, and a small smile from Remus, who seemed to have already guessed this much on his own.
Harry then told them about the cave and revealed the existence of the Horcruxes. The group of adults all seemed overwhelmed by this new piece of information. He told them about the goblet of Hufflepuff, although he didn’t explain how he had left school by himself to get it. The locket, the snake, the diary, the ring, and finally the book; he told them what they were and how he and the rest of his friends had destroyed them”all based on the orders Albus Dumbledore had left in his will.
“The book belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw. I saw it in a portrait of her that hangs in the Ravenclaw common room,” Harry finally concluded, after talking for nearly two hours. It was a testament to the seriousness of Harry’s mission that no one batted an eye when Harry said he had been in the Ravenclaw common room. “I don’t know what the book is about, but since Voldemort liked to use objects of significance to make his Horcruxes, I guess it doesn’t really matter.”
Hermione cleared her throat. “Actually, Harry, this book has more significance than you think. The runes on the front, the title of the book, are translated ‘Deathly Hallows’. That is a term for Horcruxes that was in use when Ravenclaw was alive. She and Slytherin worked on the book together, before he left the school.”
It never ceased to amaze Harry how much information his friend had at her fingertips.
“So Slytherin literally wrote the book on Horcruxes,” Neville commented from a chair next to Luna.
“It would appear so,” Hermione responded.
“But what happened when Ginny grabbed the book? Why were you two unconscious for so long?” Mrs. Weasley asked, looking pale.
“I think I can answer that for you, mum,” Bill responded, standing up. “I checked the book for curses, as Harry asked, and I found the remnants of a Mind-Trapping Curse. It was really well done, too. Basically, this curse traps whoever activates it in their own mind, holding them there until the curse is released. I ran across one in Egypt”killed one of my co-workers since we couldn’t figure out how to undo the curse.”
At these words, Mrs. Weasley’s eyes brimmed with tears as she moved to sit by Ginny, placing a protective arm around her shoulder.
Bill continued, “Actually, it’s amazing that you two woke up at all. I’ve never heard of someone managing to get themselves out of a Mind Trap Curse like that one. Harry, how did you manage it?”
Harry immediately flushed and looked down at his pillow. “It wasn’t me.”
“What do you mean, it wasn’t you?” Ron asked. “You had to have done something to break that curse. I mean, if you didn’t break it, then who did?”
Hermione emphatically cleared her throat at Ron, but he didn’t get the hint. It wasn’t until Ginny had smacked him on the head that he realized that he had completely discounted the idea of her breaking the curse.
“Ginny broke the curse,” Harry said, not smiling; the memory of how she had broken it was still fresh in his mind. He was overjoyed that she was alive and well, but furious that she would take such a risk.
“How did you manage it, Ginny?” Neville asked.
“I don’t know, I guess I just did what I had to do,” she replied cryptically.
The room stood in silence for a moment but when it was evident that Ginny would offer no more details, the conversation turned back to Harry.
“How did you end up in the curse as well, Harry?” Remus asked. “Ginny touched the book, correct?”
Abe stepped forward and began to speak. “I think I see how that happened. Those traps, they’re designed to respond to the magical energy of a witch or wizard and trap them in their own mind. It’s simple, really: Harry was grabbing Ginny’s shoulder when she touched the book; the spell activated and pulled them both into Ginny’s mind.”
The room seemed shocked by the level of intellect displayed by the Hog’s Head bartender. He must have noticed the surprised stares, for he angrily responded, “Just because Albus told anyone who would listen that I couldn’t read, doesn’t make it true.” He sat back in his chair with a huff. The room grew silent again for several seconds.
“So now you think all the Horcruxes are destroyed?” Bill asked.
Harry nodded. “Professor Dumbledore thought that Voldemort would only create six Horcruxes since seven is a very powerful magical number. We’ve destroyed the six Horcruxes; the piece of Voldemort’s soul that is still in him makes seven parts.”
“So where do we go from here?” Bill inquired.
“I have no idea, other than that I have to confront Voldemort.”
“We have to confront Voldemort!” Luna stated bitterly. The airiness was gone and her eyes blazed with a passion that Harry had never noticed before. He didn’t like the look.
Yet another life mangled by Voldemort, he thought.
Luna’s comment seemed to end that portion of the conversation. They all remained silent for a minute, a silence that was finally broken by the door clanging open and Madam Pomfrey bustling into the room. “Everyone out! I’ve been more than generous, but these two need their rest.”
Harry was grateful for the interruption. The truth was that he was still feeling the effects of his and Ginny’s ordeal, and some sleep would be very helpful. The adults bid their goodbyes, as well as Ron, Hermione, Neville and Luna. Ginny was taken to another part of the Hospital Wing, leaving Harry in bed alone in the dark room.
He raised his mental walls, expecting to talk to Ginny about a few things before they went to sleep. He noticed, however, that she was already asleep and dreaming a wonderful dream. He withdrew his focus, not wanting to impinge on her privacy any more than he already had, and quickly fell asleep.
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More than a week passed before Harry, Ginny and the others had a chance to talk about the mind trap. Harry and Ginny had so much work to catch up on, that it seemed they would never have a chance to talk. It turned out to be one of the hardest weeks in Harry’s life. He was still angry at Ginny for her actions, but he also felt a wave of guilt every time he looked at Ron, and a wave of embarrassment whenever he saw Hermione. He noticed that Luna wasn’t speaking to anyone, but often looked pale and withdrawn. She looked as if she may never recover from the loss of her father.
Neville too was having a difficult week. He had taken it upon himself to help Luna through her time of mourning, and Parvati was having a hard time coping with his decision.
Ron, Hermione and Ginny could all tell something was wrong with Harry’s mood, but none were willing to broach the subject.
Finally, on Saturday evening, the group sat down in the Room of Requirement to discuss the previous week’s events. Moody, upon finding out what exactly Ravenclaw’s book was, wanted it placed at the Ministry for safekeeping, but Harry and the rest would have none of that. The book resided in McGonagall’s office until they were ready to deal with it. Now they thought they were ready; the book sat on the table in front of them, and they quickly destroyed the soul within it. Harry felt very weak afterward, but did not pass out like last time.
Once Harry had recovered, they retook their seats at the table. Everyone wanted to discuss the mind trap, but no one wanted to start the conversation. The tension in the room was thick, and after several minutes of silence, Hermione began, “So, Harry, are you going to tell us what happened when you two were …erm...trapped?”
Harry turned slightly red, and did not meet Hermione’s glance. Instead, he looked at Ron, and felt a new rush of guilt for his perceived betrayal. He quickly felt his anger begin to rise. “No, Hermione, I don’t think so.”
“But you have to tell us, it may help us to know what to expect if, I don’t know, if something like this happens again,” Hermione interjected.
“It’s all right, Harry, we can tell them,” Ginny urged him, sympathetically.
A week’s worth of bad feelings boiled over as Harry quickly stood, shouting, “Tell them what, Ginny? Tell them that you had to relive the terrifying experience in the Chamber, and I couldn’t do anything to help you?” He was pacing the floor at this point. “Or maybe I should start with how Riddle tried to manipulate you by making Hermione and me kiss.” His arms began to flail. “Perhaps I’ll tell them about how you fired the killing curse at Riddle, knowing that it could kill you too. So tell me, Ginny, what exactly I should start with?”
Harry’s outburst elicited varied responses from his friends. Ron had turned a deep shade of red, upon hearing that, somehow, Harry and Hermione had kissed. Neville was shocked into silence, while Luna seemed to have barely noticed. Ginny was on her feet now, glaring at her boyfriend, almost as red as Ron, but it was Hermione’s response that caught Harry’s attention. She didn’t seem embarrassed or even concerned. It was difficult to tell what exactly she was thinking. She looked neutral.
Pondering this, however, would have to wait for later, as Ginny unleashed a furious response. “Well, first, Harry, I would tell them that I wasn’t so terrified of the Chamber that Tom would able to win. Secondly, I would tell them that Tom failed to use past”DID YOU HEAR THAT, HARRY”past jealousies, to manipulate me, and I was able to break the Imperius Curse! Maybe I would explain to them that you don’t have to be the hero all the time, and that you can’t fix everything and take care of everyone.” She threw her hands up in exasperation, then looked at Hermione. “I told you he was upset about this.”
Hermione nodded, but didn’t speak. Ron still looked red as his gaze shifted from Harry to Ginny and back again. Harry wasn’t prepared for Ginny’s angry outburst, but this only fuelled his own anger as he said, “Do you have any idea what you almost did!?”
Harry was about to continue, but Ginny cut him off. “Of course I do, Harry. Why is it always acceptable for you to do great acts of noble sacrifice, but the minute I do it, you’re jumping down my throat!?”
“It’s not the same thing!”
“It is. You can sacrifice yourself and be the hero but I can’t. I can’t give up something to help you!”
“YOU COULD HAVE DIED!”
“THERE ARE WORSE THINGS THAN DEATH!”
This last sentence echoed in Harry’s mind. They were Ginny’s words but they were also Dumbledore’s. Harry realized instantly he was wrong. He visibly deflated and retook his seat. “I’m sorry,” he barely whispered.
“You should be,” Ginny replied coolly. She sat down and folded her arms across her chest, refusing to look directly at Harry.
“What do you mean she could have been killed?” Ron finally managed.
“And you kissed Hermione?” Neville questioned.
Harry’s shoulders sagged from emotional fatigue, but he decided it was time to tell them the whole story. He told them what took place in the mind trap. When he was finished, everyone seemed to understand what Harry and Ginny were arguing about. Ron and Neville thought it was reckless for Ginny to take such a risk and said as much. Hermione agreed with Ginny, that she did what was needed. Luna seemed to not have an opinion on the subject. Harry sat quietly, watching Ginny, who was staunchly refusing to look at him.
After several seconds of silence, Luna spoke up. “Did you know that by killing him you would be released from the trap?” Everyone was a little surprised to hear her speak, since she had hardly done so since her return.
“I had an idea, I guess,” Ginny began. “I was pretty sure that Harry would be all right. That he would be removed from the trap, even if I wasn’t.”
“How did you know that?” Harry asked, tentatively.
Ginny, still not looking at Harry, shook her head. “Because I study. When you told us about the cup, and how Voldemort trapped you, I started owling Bill, about different ways of charming something and making it a trap. He told me about the Mind Trap Curse weeks ago.”
Harry simply nodded in understanding, her coolness towards him making him feel worse and worse. “How did you get over being in the Chamber? It was hard on me being in there again; I can’t imagine it didn’t affect you.”
At this, Ginny seemed to soften. She turned and looked at Harry. “It was Dumbledore.” This was not the answer the group expected. She continued, “The year after all that happened, Professor Dumbledore called me into his office. He said he wanted to talk to me about what had happened. I had basically just shut it all out, but he didn’t want me to do that. He said, ‘You need to deal with this, and putting it aside will not make it go away.’ So we talked a lot about what happened and what it meant. He made me realize that I wasn’t weak, and that it took great courage to fight against Tom, to throw the diary away the first time.
I didn’t really believe him, until I was standing there in the Chamber again. I realized that I was truly not afraid of that anymore, and so Tom had no real power over me. I guess that’s why the Imperius Curse didn’t work on me.”
The others nodded in agreement and seemed surprised to hear this bit of information about Ginny. None of them knew about her talks with Dumbledore or her struggle to get over the events of her first year. Harry felt a surge of pride in the strength of this girl he cared so much for.
Seemingly by unspoken agreement, the group began to leave. Hermione grabbed the book, which was charred around the edges and still smoking a little, as she left the table. Ron smiled and shook his head as he followed. “Leave no book behind, huh?” She smiled back but said nothing.
Harry and Ginny were the last at the table, and as they started to leave, Harry spoke, “So you were willing to die to help me?”
Ginny’s features softened and a smile broke across her face. “Dumbledore told me about a saying from a very wise man. ‘Greater love has no one than this: that someone lays down his life for his friends.’ I didn’t really understand it when he told me that, but when we were standing there, and you were kissing Hermione, I could almost hear him saying it again. So, I decided to do what I needed to do to save you.”
Harry was astonished. He had known for a long time that he may have to sacrifice himself to save the wizarding world from Voldemort. The idea, however, that Ginny would give up her life for his was more than he could grasp. “I love you, Ginny.”
Her eyes welled with tears as for the first time she said out loud, “I love you, Harry.”
They embraced and for a while, all was as it should have been in the world.
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A/N: No cliff hanger but some wonderful fluff for you as we close this chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it. Major thanks to cableguysmom and Kerrbear for their pre-beta work. Huge thanks to Ginny Guerra and JenC for there efforts making this chapter polished and ready. Thanks ladies, I could not do it without you.
Up next, we find out what is happening with Percy and Harry confronts his old enemy.