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Remember | ||||||
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Category: Alternate Universe Characters:Harry/Ginny Genres: Drama, Romance Warnings: Intimate Sexual Situations, Violence Story is Complete Rating: R Reviews: 410 Summary: The summer after the Chamber of Secrets was hard on everyone. How come no one can remember what happened? Prior to starting his seventh year at Hogwarts, Harry realizes he is missing some memories from his second year. Together with Remus Lupin, Harry sets out to discover what happened. He hopes to find out about that pretty red head he has been dreaming about as well. Hitcount: Story Total: 353580; Chapter Total: 10927 Awards: View Trophy Room Author's Notes: Thanks to my awesome Beta - Jennyelf!! |
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Harry felt his head slam back against a stone wall as they landed. Lucius dropped Harry and caught him with a Stunner before Harry could react. After Harry fell, the blond wizard approached him cautiously. When Harry didn’t move, Lucius grabbed Harry’s wand and tossed it to Bellatrix. Looking down at Harry, he felt the hatred well inside him. Lucius lashed out, kicking Harry in the head, chest, and stomach. He smiled in satisfaction when he heard the cracking of ribs. Bellatrix watched dispassionately as Lucius vented his rage on the boy who killed his son. “Lucius, you can’t kill him,” Bellatrix reminded him. Lucius looked up at her with hatred in his eyes, unfazed. She further reminded him, “It is for our Lord to kill him, not you.” With one final stomp on Harry’s wand hand crushing his fingers, Lucius left Harry in the cell and slammed the door. “Have you summoned our Lord?” “Yes,” Bellatrix replied, “he is approaching.” _________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ____ Ginny jumped over the barricade onto the dance floor from which her husband had disappeared. Remus caught her as she slid to a stop beside him, staring at the spot where Harry had been. Bill hurried over to the barricade and helped Fleur to her feet. “Are you okay?” Fleur nodded and scanned her new husband. “Bill, you have been hurt.” She saw blood was flowing from several cuts to his arms and chest. “I’m okay. What about everyone else?” Bill responded. Bill and Ron pulled the tables that had formed the barricade away, revealing the children still huddled together and the three injured fighters. “Are you kids okay?” Bill asked gently. Nathan nodded. “We’re okay. Ginny got us over here behind the tables.” Bill nodded and handed them his bell. “This should work now. It will take you to a safe place and you can find your parents.” Looking at Aimée, he added, “Can you go with them?” Aimee nodded and activated the Portkey. As Bill had surmised, the spell blocking the Portkeys had been lifted when the Death Eaters left. Turning to the injured fighters, Bill was relieved to see them all still breathing. Hermione looked as if she had been stunned, while both Kingsley and Charlie were obviously injured. “Ennervate,” Bill murmured, casting the spell on Hermione. Hermione started to stir. “Hermione.” Ron helped her to sit up. “Are you okay?” Hermione nodded. “I’m okay. What happened?” Bill knelt down next to her. “Harry was taken by Malfoy and Bellatrix.” Looking over at Ron and Fleur, Bill asked, “Can you two take these three? Tap your Portkey and say injury and it will take you to the Hogwarts infirmary.” Ron gestured towards Ginny, who was sobbing in Remus’s arms. “What about…” Bill shook his head. “We need to regroup. We will join you at Hogwarts as soon as possible.” Ron nodded and he and Fleur Portkeyed to Hogwarts with the injured. Tonks cast binding spells on the unconscious Death Eaters. She smiled as she pulled off their masks to reveal Rookwood, Mulciber, and Wormtail. “Remus,” she called. “We’ve got Wormtail.” Remus handed Ginny off to her oldest brother and walked over to join Tonks. He looked down at the unconscious body of one of his former best friends. Remus could summon none of the friendship or brotherhood he had felt for Peter in their school days; instead all he felt was anger and hatred towards the man who had single-handedly destroyed their friends. Remus turned away in disgust, “Are you taking them in?” Tonks nodded. “Kingsley and I told Robards we were following up on a lead, just not that we were at the wedding. I’ll take them in and join you at Hogwarts.” Remus pulled her into a quick embrace. “Don’t tell them about Harry.” Tonks kissed him and replied, “Don’t worry.” HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPH PHPHP Madam Pomfrey bustled over and levitated Kingsley and Charlie into beds. She looked at the other three. “Were any of you injured?” “Hermione was Stunned,” Ron volunteered. Hermione glared at him while Madam Pomfrey assessed her. “You should be fine, Miss Granger. I’ll let you go, but if you have a headache or any nausea, I want you back here right away.” Hermione, Ron, and Fleur stepped out of her way while she bustled around Charlie and Kingsley. “Mr. Weasley.” Ron turned to see Professor McGonagall entering the infirmary. “What happened?” “Death Eaters attacked,” Ron paused before adding, “They got Harry.” “What?!” Professor Dumbledore entered the infirmary with a look of shock and horror on his face. “How did that happen?” “Death Eaters attacked. Most of the guests got away, but then the Death Eaters blocked the Portkeys. We were fighting them, but they really just wanted to get to Harry.” Ron swallowed heavily before continuing. “He was amazing. He ended up fighting Malfoy and Bellatrix. Malfoy had him under the Cruciatus and then they just disappeared with him.” Professor McGonagall swallowed heavily. “Who is here?” “Hermione was hit by a Stunner and Kingsley and Charlie were injured,” Ron replied. Professor Dumbledore nodded. “Where is your sister?” “She’s still at the Burrow. Remus and Bill are with her,” Ron answered. “Why don’t you come down and join us? Your parents and many of the other wedding guests are in the Great Hall,” Professor McGonagall said. Ron looked back towards the beds. Professor McGonagall followed his gaze. “Madam Pomfrey will let us know when we can see them.” Without another word, Hermione, Ron, and Fleur followed the Professors down to the Great Hall. “Ron!” Ron turned and was engulfed in a heartfelt hug by his mother. “Mum, I’m okay,” Ron mumbled. HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP HPHPHPHPHP Ginny pulled out of her oldest brother’s arms and stared in disbelief at the spot her husband had been taken from. Turning to Bill, she demanded, “What happened?” Bill already had his wand out and was performing a detection charm. Remus also started performing a detection charm. Bill’s face fell. “Someone betrayed us.” Remus nodded. “The wards were taken down, not ripped apart.” “How?” Ginny asked. “I thought the invitations were charmed and the protective wards were in place.” “I’m not sure,” Bill replied. “I think someone must have told one of the Death Eaters when and where the wedding was to take place. That would get them here in a way that the wards wouldn’t have activated. They had time to hide and take down the wards and put up their own Anti-Portkey and Anti-Apparition wards.” Ginny closed her eyes. “This is what Harry was afraid of.” “Ginny,” Bill started. “Everyone else should be at Hogwarts now. Let’s go there and we can decide what to do next.” Ginny nodded. “There’s nothing more we can do here.” Bill and Remus each took one of Ginny’s arms and Bill activated the Portkey to Hogwarts. HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPH PHPHPHPHP Tonks Apparated directly into the holding cells as per Ministry protocol. She secured Wormtail, Rookwood, and Mulciber in the cells. The Auror on duty, Dawlish, hurried down to the holding cells. “Tonks!” he exclaimed. “What is going on here? Where’s Kingsley? I thought he was with you.” “We were at Bill Weasley’s wedding and Death Eaters attacked. These are the ones who were left after it was over,” Tonks explained. “Kingsley was injured, but he should recover.” “Is he at St. Mungo’s?” Dawlish asked sharply. “I didn’t get notified of an Auror being taken into St. Mungo’s.” Tonks shook her head. “No, I believe he was taken to Hogwarts. Charlie Weasley and Hermione Granger were also injured. I believe Professor Dumbledore helped evacuate the wounded, so they ended up at Hogwarts.” Tonks bit her lip and hoped Dumbledore would back up her wild story. Dawlish eyed her suspiciously, but nodded. “Okay. I want your report filled out before you leave.” Dawlish walked over to the holding cells. “Who did you bring in?” “Rookwood, Mulciber, and Peter Pettigrew,” Tonks replied. “Peter Pettigrew?” Dawlish exclaimed. “But…he died years ago. Sirius Black killed him.” Tonks glared at him. “Sirius did not kill anyone. Peter Pettigrew is the one who betrayed James and Lily Potter to Voldemort. When Sirius went to confront Pettigrew, Pettigrew blew up the street and killed all those Muggles so he could escape and frame Sirius.” Dawlish’s face showed his shock. “So what was Sirius doing when he was killed here?” “He was here for Harry,” Tonks replied. “Professor Dumbledore explained it all to Fudge and then he told my mother and me as Sirius’s closest relatives.” Tonks waited another few minutes to see if Dawlish had any more questions and then asked, “Can I go, sir?” He nodded absently. “Yes, complete your report and you are free to go.” HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP HPHPHP Ginny spun away from her brother as they arrived at Hogwarts. She scanned the room looking for the rest of her family. With a sigh of relief, she spotted her father across the room with his brother getting the children settled. “Ginny!” Ginny turned to see her mother approaching her. “Do not come near me right now, Mother!” Molly stopped short. “What’s wrong?” “What’s wrong? WHAT’S WRONG?” Ginny yelled. “MY HUSBAND WAS CAPTURED BY DEATH EATERS AND YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS WRONG?” Molly looked shocked. “And how is that my fault?” “HOW IS THAT YOUR FAULT? MAYBE IF YOU WERE A LITTLE NICER TO HIM!” Ginny yelled. Taking a deep breath, she continued. “You made him feel like unwelcome. You invited another man into be his wife’s date. How could you do that, Mother?” She continued without letting her mother answer. “You understand what his childhood was like. He was never treated like he was a worthwhile human being. You just completely reinforced that, like he wasn’t good enough to be my husband, like he wasn’t good enough to be part of our family.” Arthur approached the women in his life very carefully. “Molly, why don’t you go check on Charlie?” Molly turned to her husband slowly. She nodded. “I will be back.” Arthur turned to his daughter. He held out his arms and Ginny threw herself in her father’s arms. “They took him, Daddy. They took him and I can’t feel him very well,” Ginny cried. Arthur held his daughter running one hand down her hair. He exchanged a puzzled glance with Remus and Bill over Ginny’s head. They each shook their head. They didn’t know what she meant either. When Ginny had calmed slightly, Arthur pulled back. “Can we go talk about this, love?” Ginny nodded and wiped her eyes with the handkerchief her father handed her. She slipped her hand into her father’s and let him lead her to one of the empty classrooms. Remus and Bill gathered the twins, Ron, Hermione, and Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore. When everyone had gathered, Bill explained what they had found at the Burrow. Professor Dumbledore sighed. “Do you have any idea who may have betrayed you?” Ginny glared at the headmaster. “Who cares about that now? What are we going to do about Harry?” “Mrs. Potter, I am not discounting Harry. He is, of course, our number one priority, but we need to know if there is an ongoing risk. We need to know if this person is still in contact with the Death Eaters,” Dumbledore explained. Bill intervened before Ginny could respond. “We didn’t even send the invitations out until this morning. The guests at the party the night before had prior knowledge. Either Fleur or I hand-delivered the invitations to all of our guests.” “So if one of your guests betrayed you, it was most likely a guest from the first night,” Professor Dumbledore summarized. “Who was invited to the party?” Professor McGonagall asked. Bill grabbed a piece of parchment, jotted down a list of names and handed it to the professor. She and Professor Dumbledore scanned the list. Professor McGonagall sighed. “I would like to be able to eliminate some of these names.” Hermione looked over the list. “Harry taught almost half of these people in the D.A. I don’t really think that any of them would betray him.” “Why would anyone want to betray Harry?” Ginny asked, speaking up for the first time. Remus turned sharply. “That’s true. Who would want to betray Harry?” Ginny gasped. “Luc.” “What?” Arthur turned to Ginny. “Luc was acting really strange yesterday,” Ginny replied. “He was acting like we had never broken up. He actually was doing that when I was at their house earlier in the summer.” Her voice became scornful. “Of course Mum didn’t help at all. She fed into his delusion that he was escorting me to the wedding. She made it quite clear that she didn’t like Harry.” Professor Dumbledore looked over at the twins. “Would you mind finding Monsieur Fournier, please Mr. Weasley?” The twins were uncharacteristically serious when they left the room. “We will find him.” Arthur walked over to Ginny. “Sweetheart, I know your mother has things to answer for, but believe me she never wanted Harry hurt.” “No,” Ginny replied angrily, “she just wanted him out of my life.” “Ginny,” Remus started cautiously, “you said something about not being able to feel Harry very well. What did you mean by that?” Ginny looked down at her hands and played with her wedding rings. She was trying to decide what to say. She and Harry had decided not to say anything about their ‘abilities’ but if those abilities could help find him. Ginny looked up. “I’ll talk only to Remus, Bill, and Hermione.” The others exchanged glances and filed out of the room. Arthur paused and kissed his daughter. “It will work out. I’m not sure how, but it will work out.” After the others left, Ginny turned towards Remus, Bill and Hermione. “Harry and I discovered that we can…we sense what the other is feeling,” Ginny explained. “The day that I discovered the Horcrux, Harry was somehow able to find me.” Hermione looked interested. “How do you mean?” “I don’t know if I can explain it, but that day Harry could feel that I was upset and he was able to Apparate right to where I was,” Ginny explained. Her voice quavered as she continued, “We had planned to… explore this ability, but we hadn’t gotten around to it yet. I can’t Apparate, so…” “Ginny, can you sense him now?” Remus asked urgently. Ginny tried to stop the tears from falling. “No, that’s what I meant. I can’t really sense him. I’m only getting flashes from him.” “When you say you are getting flashes from him, can you tell where he is?” Bill asked. “No. I think maybe he’s not conscious,” Ginny replied. “All I can sense is pain.” HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP HPHPHPHP Lucius Malfoy went down on one knee before his Master, his sister-in-law, Bellatrix Lestrange on her knees next to him. Rudolpus and Rabastan Lestrange knelt behind them with Crabbe and Nott closer to the door. Voldemort surveyed his most loyal servants in front of him. In his high cold voice, he asked, “You have the boy?” “Yes, my Lord,” Lucius replied, “he is in one of the cells below.” “Excellent,” Voldemort replied. “This may erase some of the failures you have suffered recently.” Lucius did not respond. He knew to argue with the Dark Lord would be suicide. “Is he conscious?” Voldemort asked. “No, my Lord,” Lucius answered smoothly. “I had to use the Cruciatus to subdue him and I stunned him when we arrived.” Voldemort nodded. “What of the others?” Lucius and Bellatrix shared a brief look. “I’m sorry, my Lord, the others?” “Yes, Lucius,” Voldemort answered coldly. “Potter’s friends and his wife, what of them?” “We focused on capturing Potter, my Lord,” Lucius answered. “Wormtail and the others were supposed to kill or capture some of the blood traitors. When we left, Wormtail had been captured by Bella’s niece.” Voldemort turned toward one of the Death Eaters hiding in the shadows. “I trust they will be out soon.” Bowing, the masked Death Eater nodded. “Yes, my Lord. They will be released tomorrow.” Voldemort turned back to Lucius. “Harry Potter has vexed me sorely in the past. His luck and willingness to let others die for him has aided him in the past. It is no longer enough to merely kill him. He will endure a week of torture before his very public death next week. If we are able to get our hands on his wife, that will make it all the better.” Lucius smiled. “Yes, my Lord. It would be my pleasure.” HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP HPHPHPHPHPHP George and Fred had checked the Great Hall, but there was no sign of Luc. George spotted Aimée sitting with Gabrielle at one of the tables. “Aimée,” George approached his sister’s best friend, “have you seen your brother?” “No,” she replied, “not since the reception. He’s okay, isn’t he?” “Yeah, he’s fine,” George replied. “We just had some questions for him.” Aimée eyed him suspiciously. “What sort of questions?” George sat down on the bench next to her. “Aimée, someone betrayed us to the Death Eaters. We think it must have been someone who was at the house on Friday.” “So, you think it might have been Luc?” Aimée questioned. “Do you think it might have been?” George parried. Aimée bit back her initial response that no, of course, her brother couldn’t have done this. She started thinking about Luc’s attitude over the past year, how he had changed and become more and more obsessed with Ginny. She looked up at Ginny older brother. “I don’t know.” George nodded. He didn’t want to press her. “Was Luc sitting with you at the reception?” “For a while,” she replied, “but not the whole time.” “Okay,” George stood up. “Thanks. If you see him, please let me or one of my brothers know.” Aimée reached out for his arm. “Is Ginny okay?” George looked down. “I don’t know. She seems to be okay, but we need to get Harry back.” Bill left his sister and headed up to the Infirmary. When he arrived, Madam Pomfrey was finishing up with his brother. “Mr. Weasley,” the medi-witch started scanning him as he entered the hospital wing, “are you okay?” Madam Pomfrey shook her head. “Please remove your dress robes, Mr. Weasley.” Bill decided it would be easier to acquiesce than argue. He pulled off his dress robes and unbuttoned his shirt. As Madam Pomfrey fussed over him, he asked, “How is my brother?” “He has three broken ribs as well as some cuts and bruises, but he will be fine. I’ve treated him for worse injuries after a Quidditch match. Before you ask, Mr. Shacklebolt sustained a concussion, but he too will recover.” Bill nodded as he looked around the hospital wing. “I thought my mother would be up here. Have you seen her?” Madam Pomfrey nodded as she handed him two vials of potions. “She was up here. She just left a few minutes ago.” Bill eyed the vials distastefully before throwing them back. He sputtered for a moment. “Ugh, what was that?” Madam Pomfrey smirked. “A clotting potion and blood replenishing potion. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.” Bill walked over to Charlie’s bedside. He was still sleeping. He nodded to Madam Pomfrey. “I’ll be back later. If my mother runs into my sister, it will not be good.” “Mr. Weasley, is there any word about Mr. Potter?” the medi-witch asked as Bill was about to leave. “Not yet,” he replied. HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP HPHPHPHP George looked over at his twin. “Any sign of him?” Fred shook his head. “Paige saw him here at Hogwarts, but no one has seen him in a while.” The twins turned to see their sister coming down the hall. George walked up and gave her a hug. “Ginny, we haven’t found him yet, but we think he’s still here,” George said. “Harry has a map of Hogwarts that might be able to help us,” Fred continued. “It’s probably in his school trunk,” George added. “Can we go look?” Ginny looked silently from one brother to the other before saying, “Sure, if it will help.” George kissed his sister on the cheek. “We’ll be back soon.” Fred and George hurried down to the Great Hall. “Professor McGonagall,” Fred called out, “can we use the Floo in your office?” Professor McGonagall eyed them for a moment. “Why, Mr. Weasley?” “We need to get to Harry’s house,” George explained. “He has something that might be able to help us find Luc.” “Have you spoken to your sister?” she asked suspiciously. “Yes, Professor,” Fred answered. “She said it was fine.” “The password is Heather,” Professor McGonagall said at length. HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPH PHPHP All Harry could feel was pain. His chest was burning and each breath he took in caused a searing pain. His head hurt and his hand felt mangled and broken. Harry tried to concentrate enough to clear his head, but he couldn’t. His stomach roiled and churned. He rolled slightly and vomited on the stone floor. “What’s wrong, little bitty Potter? Are you sick?” Harry froze. He knew that voice. Before he could react, he felt hands lifting him and slamming him against the stone floor. He felt the Full Body Bind Curse hit him, freezing him in place. He struggled to open his eyes. They felt swollen shut. He managed to open them a crack. He could see the blurry forms of several people around him. As one person came closer, he recognized Bellatrix Lestrange. He felt her cold hands on his face. She was close enough that Harry could see her nod to someone behind her. He felt strong arms grab him from behind and pry his mouth open. Harry panicked. He couldn’t move. He tried pushing out with his magic, but he couldn’t focus. Bellatrix laughed at his attempts to struggle. She held a vial of emerald green smoking potion in front of him and poured it down his throat. Harry tried to spit it out, but the Body Bind Curse prevented him. Before he could even process what was happening, another vial of smoking potion was poured down his throat. Harry felt the hands behind him release him. Harry felt a heat scorching down his throat and burning a hole in his stomach. He tried with everything in him to vomit up the potions, but the curse held him fast. Bellatrix watching his struggles with obvious enjoyment. “Would you like to know what you were given?” Harry tried to glare at her, but as his eyes were still almost swollen shut, it did not have the hope for effect. “The first one was a…special potion that Severus designed before he met his untimely end. It…shall we say enhances the pain. The second potion was hard to find. I searched long and hard to find it just for you, Potter. Four doses will rend you completely sterile.” Bellatrix laughed as she watched the implications filter through Harry’s pain-soaked brain. “You tried to end the Malfoy line. I thought I would repay the favor. Before you die, I want you to know that there is no possibility of the Potter Line continuing. The Malfoy line, on the other hand…my sister is pregnant. You have not ended the Malfoy line.” Bellatrix stepped back. “Crucio!” Harry felt the Body Bind Curse release as the white hot knives of the Cruciatus Curse hit. He vaguely heard the sound of other voices joining in, throwing not only torture curses, but Bludgeoning and Cutting curses as well. Before he lost consciousness, Harry felt the snap of his right arm breaking. HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPH P Fleur stood at the edge of the Black Lake watching the giant squid glide just under the surface. “Fleur.” She turned to see her new husband standing a few feet away. She ran into his waiting arms. “Are you okay, mon amour?” she asked tenderly. Bill nodded as he wrapped his arms around her. “How about you, love?” “This started out as one of the best days of my life…and it’s descended into…a nightmare,” Fleur replied. She leaned up and kissed him deeply. “I feel so badly for Ginny, but I can’t help but be happy that we are finally married.” Bill smiled. “I know. I feel…horrible, but one of the first things I thought was why did this have to happen on my wedding day.” He reached down for Fleur’s hand and led her over to his favorite tree on the edge of the lake. He sat under the tree and pulled Fleur down on his lap. “Do they know anything else?” Fleur asked. Bill sighed. “No.” He explained what Ginny had shared. “So she can’t sense him very well right now? Does that mean…” Fleur trailed off, not wanting to complete the thought. “I don’t know,” Bill admitted. “No one really knows much about soul bonds. Ginny thinks he is unconscious or in pain.” Fleur nodded and snuggled into her husband’s arms. “So what are we going to do?” Bill glanced down at Fleur. “What do you mean?” Fleur smiled up at him. “Obviously we can’t go on our honeymoon now. What are we going to do?” Bill stared at his wife for a moment before a smiled broke across his face. “Minerva told me our quarters were almost done. How would you like to spend your wedding night surrounded by my crazy family, worrying about my brother, sister, and brother-in-law, and then retire to our incomplete new home?” Fleur gave him an angelic smile. “That sounds perfect.” HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPH PHPHPHPHPHPHPHP Ginny woke with a start early the next morning. She was sleeping in her and Harry’s bed in one of his t-shirts. Her father had asked her to stay with the rest of the family at Hogwarts, but Ginny was determined — she was going to sleep in her own bed. Ginny buried her face in Harry’s pillow and inhaled his scent. She tried not to cry. She hated feeling weak and out of control. Ginny reached out with her magic and tried to sense Harry. Five minutes later, Ginny could feel the familiar feel of Harry’s magic. The power behind it was so weak that Ginny could hardly detect it. Try as she might, Ginny could get no sense of where he might be. Ginny dragged herself out of bed, tiptoeing around the camp beds set up by her two best friends. Ginny jumped into the shower. HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP HPHPHP “Ginny,” Hermione called softly. Ginny turned from where she was staring out the window. “I’m here, Hermione.” Hermione walked up and hugged her friend. Ginny relaxed into her embrace. “Once Aimée wakes up, do you want to head over to Hogwarts for breakfast?” Ginny nodded absently. Hermione studied her friend with concern, unsure of what to say. The flash of the Floo announced the arrival of one of the twins. Hermione studied him carefully. “Good morning, George.” He flashed her a quick smile. “Good morning, ladies. Good job, Hermione.” Ginny threw a confused look at her brother. “What did Hermione do?” Hermione blushed. “I’ve always had a hard time telling your brothers apart, so I’ve been watching them to see if I could tell them apart.” Ginny turned to see Aimée coming down the stairs. “Good morning.” Aimée gave Ginny a one armed hug and greeted the others. Turning to George, she asked, “Have you found my brother yet?” George shook his head. “Not yet.” “Why don’t you just use the map?” Hermione asked. Ginny looked up. “What map?” George threw Hermione a nasty look. “The one I borrowed from you last night.” Ginny nodded and explained the plan to Aimée. Hermione sent an apologetic look at George. He leaned over and whispered to her, “Do you want everyone to know about the map?” “Do you really think Harry would keep it a secret from her?” she hissed back. “Are you ready to go?” Ginny asked. As they entered the Great Hall, Ginny smiled to see Charlie sitting at the Gryffindor table. She hugged her brother tightly. Pulling back, she asked, “Are you okay?” Charlie kissed her on the top of the head. “I’m fine. How are you holding up?” Ginny felt her face crumple, but took a deep breath. “I’m okay. We just need to get him back.” HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP HPHPHPHPHPHP Remus felt restless. The full moon was rapidly approaching. He roamed the grounds at Hogwarts, feeling more alone than he had in a long time. He approached the Whomping Willow and froze the branches to access the Shrieking Shack. The wizard made his way down the tunnel and emerged in the safe haven of his school years. He made his way past the upstairs bedroom where years before Harry, Hermione and Ron had confronted Sirius. The next room was another bedroom, this one covered with pictures and sketches. He smiled as he traced the initials J.P + L.E. in a heart. It had been during their 7th year at Hogwarts that James had carved that into the wall. James had been over the moon when Lily had finally agreed to go out with him. His smile fell as he thought of James and Lily’s son. Remus collapsed into a heap on the floor. He buried his face in his arms and finally broke down. He sobbed for Harry, for Ginny and even a little for James and Lily, but he also sobbed for himself. He loved Harry like a son. They had become so close over the past two years. Remus had lost so many friends to the war against Voldemort. He couldn’t bear it if he lost Harry as well. HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPH PHPHPHPHPHPHPHP Harry drifted back to consciousness, his whole body aching. Each breath he took in felt as though it was dragged into his lungs over a field of broken glass. His eyes were still swollen and he thought his jaw might be broken. Drawing on the hours he had spent injured as a child in the cupboard, Harry took inventory of his injuries. He thought most of his ribs were broken, his right arm and hand were broken, which didn’t even cover the bruises and cuts scattered all over his body. His nerve endings felt as though they were on fire. The multiple torture curses still sent spasms arching across them. The sound of a key in the lock caught his attention. “Mr. Potter,” the cool drawl of Lucius’s voice grated on Harry’s consciousness, “I understand you had a nice visit with my lovely sister-in-law yesterday.” Harry tried to retort, but the hours of screaming under torture had ravaged his throat. He had to settle for glaring through the slits his eyes would open. “I believe she shared my happy news with you,” Lucius continued. Harry gathered his magic and sent Lucius flying across the cell. Before Harry could capitalise on this, he was hit from the other side by a Bludgeoning Curse. He hit the wall and felt another Full Body Bind Curse hit him. “Lucius,” a voice laughed, “you can’t even handle an unarmed teenager.” As Harry lay on the hard cold stone floor, he saw Antonin Dolohov walk into his line of sight. “He is hardly a helpless child,” Lucius replied angrily as he walked over and kicked Harry in the stomach. Strong arms reached from behind Harry and threw him on the thin cot in the corner of the room. Lucius held another two vials of potion in front of Harry. “We are here for your daily potions, Potter.” Lucius took great pleasure in pouring the vials down his throat. Harry once again lost consciousness as the two senior Death Eaters took great pleasure in torturing him. HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP HP George spotted Luc on the Marauder’s Map hiding near the dungeons late in the afternoon on the day after the wedding. He signaled to his brothers and they all slipped out of the Great Hall. “Where is he?” Bill asked tensely. “Dungeons near the Slytherin common room,” Fred replied as he spread the Marauder’s Map out in front of his brothers. Bill and Charlie exchanged a bemused glance as George and Ron focused in on the area in question. “What the bloody hell is this?” Charlie asked. “The Marauder’s Map,” Remus answered as he walked over and joined the brothers. Fred pointed out Luc’s hiding spot and the possible escape routes. In the end, it only took the Weasley brothers a couple of minutes to subdue Luc. Looking a little worse for wear with a bruise blooming on his cheek, Luc was led into the Great Hall. Ginny was sitting with her best friends and her father when Luc entered with his escorts, his hands tied roughly behind his back. Ginny rocketed to her feet and strode over to her ex-boyfriend. “Why?” she asked. He stared past her, ignoring her. Bill reached out and smacked him on the back of the head, hard. “My sister asked you a question.” Luc glared at the Weasley brothers for a moment. He turned back to Ginny and stared down at her. “What the hell were you doing with him?” “He is my husband,” Ginny replied heatedly, “no matter who doesn’t approve. Harry and I are married.” Luc smirked down at her. “Not for much longer, I’m sure.” Ginny felt a surge of anger. As her oldest brother had taught her, Ginny grabbed his upper arms and smashed her knee up into his groin as hard as she could. Luc moaned and bent double, but Ginny did not let up. She reached out and pulled up his usually impeccable hair and punched him in the face. Bill stifled a laugh as he watched his baby sister beat up on her ex-boyfriend. “Mrs. Potter.” Ginny turned to see Professor Dumbledore in the entryway behind her. “As much as Monsieur Fournier deserves whatever vengeance you might visit upon him,” Albus said, “we need some answers from him.” He nodded to the Weasley brothers who forced Luc into a space at the Slytherin table. Hestia Jones handed Albus a vial of clear fluid. Ginny recognized the Veritaserum and settled back to watch. Luc’s eyes took on a glazed look as the Veritaserum took effect. Albus started the questioning. “To whom did you give the location of the wedding?” Luc laughed. “I didn’t catch her name. She said that she wanted Potter gone and it would benefit me as well.” “What did she look like?” “She was tall and thin. She had beautiful long black hair and dark eyes,” Luc replied. “Bellatrix Lestrange,” one of the onlookers murmured. “Why did you help her?” Albus asked. “Ginny should be with me,” Luc answered. “I spent over a year cultivating that relationship. I let her break up with me, but it was only a temporary break.” Ginny turned her head in disgust. How could she have spent a whole year with him? “Where is Mr. Potter being held?” Albus asked. “I don’t know,” Luc replied. “All she said was his death would be big and public.” HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP HPHPHPHPHPHP Molly was sitting in the Gryffindor common room. She was working on her annual Christmas jumpers. The soothing routine of knitting calmed her slightly, but Molly’s mind was turning over the events of the past few days. She felt slightly ashamed of her behavior, especially in light of Luc’s betrayal. Ginny had not spoken to her mother since she had arrived at the castle. Molly was afraid to approach her daughter at this point. Molly had not intended to make Harry feel as if he wasn’t good enough for Ginny. She just thought Ginny was too young to be married. Arthur entered the common room and smiled at his wife. He walked over and kissed her gently. “How are you doing, dearest?” Molly looked up at the love of her life. “What have I done, Arthur?” Arthur sat down next to her and reached out for her hand. “Molly, you need to accept Harry and Ginny’s marriage.” “No, hear me out,” he said, when she seemed like she may interrupt. “We made a mistake four years ago by not listening to our daughter. I know they are young, but we were dating when we were their age. I know we didn’t marry at their age, but Molly, they have a soul bond. Can you imagine? “They are so connected and they love each other so much,” Arthur continued. “You need to accept this and make peace with her.” Molly looked down at her hands. “I…I know. I just wanted for her to be able to enjoy her school years. She shouldn’t have to deal with this prophecy.” Molly looked up at Arthur with tears in her eyes. “I’m scared, Arthur. I lost my brothers to You-Know-Who. I don’t want to lose my daughter to him.” Arthur pulled her into his arms. “I know, love. I don’t want to lose her either, but we can’t stop her from living her life.” HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP HPHPHPHP Ginny looked beseechingly at her oldest brother. “Please, Bill. I know you can teach me.” Bill looked across the table at his sister. “Firefly, I can teach you, but learning to Apparate takes time.” Fleur had been silently watching the conversation. “I think you should teach her. Even if she doesn’t learn right away, she needs to know.” Bill looked between his wife and sister. He shook his head in defeat. “Okay, Ginny. After breakfast, I will talk to Professor Dumbledore. He will need to make arrangement to lift the Anti-Apparition wards.” In the early afternoon, Ginny joined Hermione in the Gryffindor common room. Hermione smiled slightly at the disgruntled look on Ginny’s face. “How did the Apparition lessons go?” “Horrible!” Ginny burst out. “I am absolute rubbish at Apparating. Harry makes it look so easy. I thought I’d be able to pick it up in no time.” “Ginny,” Hermione began. “You made progress today. You’ll get it.” “I need to know now,” Ginny snapped at Hermione. “I don’t have time to learn slowly.” Ginny looked over at her friend, tears shimmering in her eyes. “He’s been gone for 3 days. I am only getting flashes of him. How long before they decide to kill him? I need to know how to Apparate, so that if I can figure out where he is…” Ginny trailed off as the tears that had been gathering in her eyes started falling. HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP HPHPHPHPHP Harry squinted against the bright light as Dolohov slammed him back against the wall. Harry struggled against the familiar feel of the Body Bind Curse as it pinned him up against the wall. A crash drew Harry’s attention to the entrance to the dungeons and he watched a group of robed and masked Death Eaters enter. “Potter,” Bellatrix called out, “we have a present for you.” Harry felt his heart stop when the Death Eaters parted to reveal a small struggling figure in the center. It was his wife. |
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