Ginny’s breath came in short gasps as the torturing curse was lifted for the fourth time in the quarter hour. “That is for the brunette whispering to her friend in the back there!” Wormtail shouted. Ginny clawed at the stone floor, the only thing worse than the pain the curse caused, was being relieved of it, and still have the stinging shots of pain ring out at the slightest movement.
That had been the fourth time she was tortured because a Hogwarts student had failed to follow the orders of Death Eaters. She looked up and around the Great Hall. She, along with Wormtail and Voldemort, were on the platform usually reserved for the teacher’s dining table. Students sat along the two sides of the hall, packed as close to the walls as possible, as Death Eaters walked up and down the length of the hall, wands raised.
All the students and Professor’s had been disarmed and were told to wait patiently and quietly for their hero Harry Potter to come to his death. It hadn’t happened the way she thought it would. She hadn’t expected Voldemort to so willingly dispose of her. But, he said it himself, he would still be as powerful as ever.
Her eyelids grew heavy, and despite any attempt to keep them open, they closed. She felt herself flatten closer to the floor. She heard gasps and shouts, she attempted to open her eyes, but everything was fuzzy and moving in and out of focus. She saw three figures walking towards the front…it had to be them.
She felt long, cold fingers grasp her arm and force her to stand. She stumbled to her feet but swayed horribly, falling more than once despite the firm grasp Voldemort had on her. What resulted was her dangling weakly from his hold. “Welcome Potter…I’m glad you were able to make it to Ginny’s departing party!” His voice rang through the now completely silent room. “Let’s make sure your sidekicks don’t spoil our fun…”
Two Death Eaters leapt out from the crowd towards Ron and Hermione, they both backed away quickly. “It’s alright,” Harry said. “Do what he wants…” Ron and Hermione reluctantly dropped their wands on the floor. They were aggressively shoved to the sides, joining the students.
“I’m glad to see you realize you’re quite out numbered…” Voldemort sneered.
“This is between you and me Tom. Let everyone go…let Ginny go…” Harry said, and his voice carried much more than he ever thought was possible in this situation.
Voldemort laughed, more than one person cringed. “Let everyone go?! But, they want to stay. We need witnesses for this epic final battle everyone is waiting for. People need to see, all these years, you’ve been praised for your luck and assistance from greater wizards! I’m going to destroy you, in front of all your friends, to prove any doubts of my greatness! And I most certainly will not let this one go…I’m going to kill her first,” He let go of Ginny’s arm, and without his support, she fell to the ground in a heap.
Harry took a step forward out of instinct. “Hold it Potter! Another step and she’s done.”
“Listen. You don’t want to kill her…” Harry spoke without thinking. He had to create time. Ginny had to look at him.
“Why not?” Voldemort asked.
Look at me. Harry thought. Look at me, Ginny. “Because I will kill you if you kill her. But I can’t if you don’t.”
Ginny’s head suddenly snapped up, and she locked eyes with Harry before speaking, “Harry, you know what you have to do!” her voice was strained and barely able to carry to where he stood.
Voldemort sneered. “She wants to die, Potter! She thinks you’ll be able to defeat me once she’s dead!” he laughed.
“She’s right. Not only will you have destroyed your last link to life…but you’ll have ignited the power I hold…the power the prophecy mentions. You remember the prophecy right?” Harry mocked, twirling his wand in his hand. Voldemort noticed. “Maybe you should think twice before chancing your last hope to conquer death. You kill Ginny, and you risk me beating you again…”
“YOU NEVER BEAT ME!” Voldemort’s scream echoed through the hall, many people cowered, some gasped, Hermione grabbed Ron’s arm. Harry held his ground.
Harry shrugged, “Not yet. But, believe me. You kill her…and I will.”
Voldemort glared, “Fine. I’ll kill you first. Then her,” he stepped forward.
Ginny clawed herself to her feet. “No!” she yelled.
Voldemort laughed as she gained the strength to run to Harry. “Yes…go say goodbye…”
She fell into Harry’s arms, “Harry, fighting him now will be worthless…not as long as I’m alive…you know it!” she cried into his shoulder.
“I’m growing impatient Potter…I want to duel you…I want to kill you!”
“Gin,” Harry whispered, staring at Voldemort, pacing at the front of the hall. “Gin…I love you. You know that right? That I love you more than anything.” She nodded, her head buried in the crook of his neck. Her hand had found a tuft of hair at the back of his head, and she ran her fingers through it, holding on to it softly.
“I love you too.” She whispered. The two held each other, listening as students and professors were unable to hold back sobs.
Harry nodded, swallowing hard. “You know I’ll never forgive myself for this…right?”
Ginny gasped, pulling herself away from him slightly, but still close enough that he could support the weight she couldn’t hold up herself. Their eyes locked, and she was shocked to see the change in his eyes. He was no longer unwilling to follow her plan. “You’ve finally understood this is the only way.” she whispered.
He didn’t answer, but instead, pulled her close, kissing the top of her forehead. “I love you. And I’m so…so, sorry…”
“It’s okay. Harry…its okay…” she answered. Harry let her go and took several steps backwards. She swayed on the spot, and fell to the ground without his support. After breaking her fall with her arms, she turned into a sitting position, facing Harry. “Do it!”
Harry raised his wand toward her. He heard an intake of breath from the crowd, he heard Hermione whisper “oh my god.” He saw Voldemort look from Harry to Ginny and back to him, and as Voldemort began walking forward, raising his own wand, Harry took a deep breath.
He locked eyes with Ginny again, and with any ounce of love he had within him, he said, “Avada Kedavra!” There was a blinding green light, there were screams, and the room felt like it had started fire.
Harry stared at the now limp form of Ginny. He rushed forward, she wasn’t moving. “Ginny?” he shook her gently, turning her over. She didn’t respond.
He heard Voldemort above him. “Well, I must say I didn’t think you had it in you…” Harry leapt from the ground, backing away from Voldemort quickly. Soon they were circling each other. “You have nothing left.”
“Neither do you,” Harry answered.
“Wrong! I have magical power you will never have!” Voldemort shouted. “Expelliarmus!” He was too fast for Harry, who was still rattled by Ginny’s lifeless body. As Harry’s wand slipped through his fingers and flew towards Voldemort, Voldemort’s wand whipped through the air, and an orange beam raced towards Harry.
He held his arms up, trying to block whatever spell was about to hit him, but his eyes flew to Ginny…he had killed her. The beam hit him, and he flew backwards, hitting the ground hard. Voldemort laughed. “Crucio!” Harry writhed in pain. When he came to, it was to see Voldemort, standing across the hall.
Harry rolled over, gasping for air. He couldn’t do it. He had killed Ginny. He wanted to be sick even thinking about it. She was gone. He couldn’t do wandless magic, not when he was so emotionally drained. It was hopeless. He was going to be murdered in front of the entire school, in front of Ron and Hermione. And the worst part, he wasn’t that sorry about it. At least soon he’d be with Ginny…
It was painless. In fact, whatever had just happened, it felt good. She was warm, there wasn’t a stinging pain running through her bones anymore, and everything was clean and clear. She looked around. Where had she just been? Where was she now? She couldn’t remember anything, only that she wasn’t where she was supposed to be. Everything in her world had turned white, and not just any white. It was a radiating white, a bright white, but without being blinding. It was hard to distinguish objects, but she thought she saw four long tables…and in the front of the room, another. She narrowed her eyes as she realized it: she was in the Great Hall of Hogwarts.
She jumped at the sound of a male voice. When she turned, it was to see the young Tom Riddle, looking like he had down in the Chamber. He wasn’t dressed in school robes however, but instead in robes of the same bright white color as everything around her. His eyes were wild with anger and he charged her.
For some reason, she had no fear. She knew he couldn’t harm her in this place. She looked down and away from him, and saw that she was also wearing long flowing robes. “Where are we?” she asked, as he slowed when he came close to her.
“Silly, stupid, girl!” he breathed. “You have no idea do you?”
“No,” Ginny answered simply, “That would be why I asked.”
“We are between two worlds. Awaiting placement,” Tom said, taking a seat on a bench. Ginny looked around. Was she dead? She shook her head, trying to remember. “Your lover killed you.”
Ginny snapped her head towards Tom, “What? Harry? He would never…”
“Oh, my dear…but he did…” he laughed. “You are between the real world,” he waved his hands around, “The real Great Hall, where he killed you,” he added, “and the Great Beyond.” He said in a mockingly mystical voice.
Ginny took several steps back. Harry wouldn’t kill her. Why would she even think about believing Tom Riddle? “It’s not true…” she whispered.
“Good Evening,” a voice rang through the hall. An old wizard moved forward, wearing crisp grey robes. His hair was wiry, and looked as if it hadn’t been combed in a thousand years. “It’s not very often we have two souls waiting in the same place at the same time! You must have been killed near exactly the same time!”
Ginny stared, amazed, at the man as he pulled out a clipboard. Tom Riddle, pulled himself off the bench. “I am dead?” she said, more to herself than anyone else.
The old man hadn’t heard her. “Let’s see…two souls in one…that doesn’t make any sense…” he continued to read the paper, following along with his finger, “There must be an expla”a…a Horcrux!” His head snapped up. “Inside a living person!? Well…one of you is a very evil person indeed!”
Tom laughed, Ginny moved forward, “Please, sir. What is happening? Am I really dead?”
“I’m guessing you are the poor soul that this one latched onto?” he pointed aggressively at Tom. Ginny nodded. “Well, that is unfortunate. But, we don’t have much time. There is an order to these things, and although I’m not used to dealing with two at once…it looks like I must.” He cleared his throat. “Now, on this night, in the Great Hall of Hogwarts, one Harry James Potter cast the Unforgivable Curse Avada Kedavra on the souls of Tom Morvollo Riddle and Ginerva Molly Weasley.”
Ginny shook her head. Why would he kill her? Why?
“We’ll start with you,” the man addressed Riddle, “You are stuck between these two worlds because you were ripped from it by an evil act, an unforgivable one. Can you find it in your heart, to forgive the young boy who did it?”
Riddle’s eyes narrowed. “Yes. I forgive him.” He sneered. Ginny watched as the old man made a check on his parchment. Suddenly, the Great Hall doors flung open, and a wind burst through the hall. Ginny’s hair flew all around her as the wind howled. You could barely see it, but as it enveloped Tom, it darkened. He screamed in fright, and soon the wind became so dark, she could no longer see Tom. Then, as quickly as it came, the wind died. When she opened her eyes, he was gone.
“He has been taken to the afterlife. Which side of it, I can only guess. We can tell when the victim’s of death do not tell the truth. Only few, mostly the evil ones, try to ‘trick the system’ if you will. He most likely assumed that if he forgave the young boy, his soul would stay intact in the real world.”
Ginny shook her head. This was happening. Harry had killed her…and soon she was going to be asked if she forgave him. How could she if she didn’t understand the circumstances. The old man had been shocked Tom and her were there at once. Why? He seemed offended about something called a Horcrux. What was it?
The old man spoke to her. She could only half listen as her mind reeled. “Young lady, I must ask. You are stuck between these two worlds because you were ripped from it by an evil act,” Ginny shook her head. She could remember very little, but one thing was clear, and that was Harry. Harry was not evil. He loved her. He would never kill her for an evil purpose. “An unforgivable one,” the man continued. “Can you find it in your heart, to forgive the young boy who did it?”
Ginny looked at the old man. She may not believe that Harry had performed such an act, but if he had, it wasn’t meant to be evil…and he must have had some reason…a noble one. Only such extraordinary circumstances could lead him to do such a thing. She loved him…and he loved her. However much it hurt her that she had been separated…she couldn’t be angry with him. “No.” She said clearly.
“Pardon?” the old man stammered, quickly staring at his parchment.
“I…I don’t forgive him.” She said. “How could I forgive someone for killing me?”
“That…that is your truthful answer?” the old man wheezed, looking wildly at his clipboard.
Ginny nodded. “I may not understand what happened…the circumstances…but I know he had a reason to kill me. I know it. And if Harry thought it necessary enough that I should not be alive…living in his world with him…then, then as much as it hurts, as much as I want to be with him…I must believe he made the right choice. So…so, you see, if forgiving him means I go back…I can’t. He had a reason to perform such an evil act, he had a reason to kill me. I can’t go back. I don’t forgive him.” Ginny said bravely.
The old man stared at her in amazement. “Never, never in all my years. And you’re so young.”
Ginny suddenly became aware that her bones had started to sting. Her heart, she realized, clenched within her chest…until that point, it hadn’t moved once. She seemed to be struggling to breathe. Her lungs constricted for what felt like the first time. She wanted to cry out. She had thought death was supposed to be painless. She looked wildly around. The old man in grey was disappearing…and the Great Hall was losing its brightness. Muted, swirls of color were forming around the objects barely visible before.
Harry opened his eyes to look at her again. He’d be with her soon. When his eyes rested on her, he saw the slightest of movements under the pile of robes. Her hand was moving. He saw her chest rising…she was breathing.
“I’m going to kill you now, Harry Potter.” Voldemort said loudly. Harry heard students yelling. He heard Ron and Hermione shouting for him to fight. He stood, his eyes still locked on the ever so slightly moving body of Ginny. Was he imagining it?
Voldemort had his back to her, so he didn’t see when she sat straight up, and looked straight at Harry. “Prepare to meet death.” Voldemort raised his wand.
Harry hardly noticed. He was staring only at Ginny, his heart had erupted completely out of his chest. She was alive. “Avada…” Harry turned to see Voldemort’s wand cutting through the air. “Kedavra!”
The green light raced towards him, and this time, when he raised his arms, he knew he’d be able to block it. He knew because he had never felt so powerful, so hopeful, he’d never felt so much love, so much energy within him. A silver web appeared around him, the green beam bounced easily off and turned back the way it came.
Voldemort’s eyes widened in shock as the curse hit him square in the chest, sending him flying backwards. When he hit the stone floor, he didn’t move.
The room was silent, everyone stared at the body of Voldemort, everyone but Harry and Ginny, who could only look at each other. Harry moved forward slowly, then knelt beside her. “You killed me?” she said with a smirk.
He shook his head, clearly not able to joke. “I thought I lost you there,” he said.
“You almost did…” she said quietly. He nodded, then leaned forward to kiss her. He pulled away when he heard curses being cast. He looked over his shoulder and watched a sea of wizards, led by Lupin, storm into the hall, disarming and dueling with the Death Eaters, all standing stunned at the fall of their Dark Lord.
“Come on,” Harry said, pulling Ginny up with him. “Let’s go.” He waved Ron and Hermione over to him. Hermione rushed forward, throwing herself around him. Ron took over supporting Ginny, as Harry had been mauled over by Hermione.
“Harry!” Lupin rushed forward. “Harry…what’s happened…is that…is that…” his eyes fell on the black robes of Voldemort.
Harry nodded. “Yeah, that would be Voldemort. He should be dead. But I’d go double check. Might want to get some Auror’s here…get all these Death Eaters to Azkaban. We’re going to get out of here.” Harry took Ginny’s hand. Lupin nodded, moving slowly towards Voldemort.
As they walked the length of the Great Hall, students whispered in awe. “He killed him”…”He killed her!”…”She came back from the dead!”
“Think of the headlines tomorrow…” Ron said.
“Harry,” Ginny tugged on his robes. Harry squeezed back and looked down at her. “It’s over…that was the end.”
He shook his head. “No…it’s just beginning. My life, I can finally start it. And there is no one I would rather have walking by my side through it than you.”
Ginny beamed up at him and together, Ron and Hermione in their wake, left the Great Hall and the buzz of the downfall of the Dark Lord by the wonderful Harry Potter behind.
A Second Prophecy by wilbur
Chapter Endnotes: THAT'S IT! THE END OF MY STORY! ALL DONE!!
Please review. Depending on how many people read this and comment, I'll decide if I want to continue with this storyline or put up one of my other stories on MugglenetFanFiction!