Search:

SIYE Time:2:16 on 29th March 2024
SIYE Login: no


A Chance Encounter
By Gin110881

- Text Size +

Category: Alternate Universe
Characters:Harry/Ginny
Genres: Action/Adventure
Warnings: None
Story is Complete
Rating: G
Reviews: 40
Summary: They met by chance, both on the run from the Dark Lord's henchmen, and she helped him to do what fate had destined him to do.
** Harry never went to Hogwarts **
Hitcount: Story Total: 9114; Chapter Total: 1132







ChapterPrinter
StoryPrinter



Lying on his bed, Harry was staring at the vial with Dumbledore's memory in his hand. Ever since Ginny had gone to the library to read this ancient copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, he was shifting the vial indecisively from one hand to the other, doubting he was ready to watch the memory.

Somehow he had the bad feeling he wouldn't like this memory. Why hadn't Dumbledore shown him that memory sooner, when they had gone through all of the memories about Voldemort? If it was something Dumbledore didn't want to show him personally, it couldn't be good, could it?

But whatever it was, it was important enough to Dumbledore that he ought to watch the memory. Why wait any longer?

Glancing over at the desk where the Pensieve was sitting, Harry nodded to himself. The sooner he started, the sooner he was done. Taking a deep breath, Harry stood up and fumbled with the cork to open the vial. When he finally succeeded, he poured the liquid into the wide basin and watched the silvery-white threads of memory swirling around in the basin until they were evenly dispersed.

Before he changed his mind, Harry dived into the memory. Falling upside down in sunlight, his feet landed on the stone floor of Dumbledore's office. As usual, Dumbledore was sitting at his desk. Across from him, a man with long black hair and a hooked nose sat on one of the chairs. The man's hair was shiny as if it had been rubbed with an overdose of grease.

Clearly, the two men were in a heated discussion, so Harry listened...

"Believe me, Severus. I worry less about myself than about the boy's random victims. If you want to save Draco from the rage of Voldemort, there is only one way."

Harry had never seen the man Dumbledore had called Severus, but from his looks, he could only be the Potions Professor, Snape.

Snape raised his eyebrows and taunted, "Do you intend to let Draco kill you?"

"Certainly not. You have to kill me, Severus," said Dumbledore, and when Snape just stared at him in disbelief, he added, "It's the only way. Swear to me that you'll kill me when I ask you."

The scenery changed a bit. Evidently, it was dark outside, and Dumbledore was dressed in a night sky blue robe while Snape still looked the same as before. Probably, he only owned that one robe.

"Severus, you have to help Harry if he needs help."

"I don't even know the boy." Snape stared at Dumbledore, slowly shaking his head. "Black was always pretty careful to keep him away from me. I should be grateful to him for that."

"You swore to help Lily's son." The headmaster gave the man a piercing look.

"He won't trust me, especially when he knows I killed you, Dumbledore."

"I'll think of something," replied the headmaster.

The scene changed again. The same two men stood in front of Dumbledore's desk, and the headmaster was talking urgently to Snape.

"I'm sure that, in the night Voldemort tried to kill Harry, the night when Lily threw her own life between them like a shield, the killing curse rebounded on Voldemort. In the process, a fragment of Voldemort's soul blasted off and clung to the only living soul in the room. Ever since that night, this part of Voldemort lived in Harry, and it gives him the power to talk to snakes and this strange connection to Voldemort's mind that Harry never really understood. I'm not sure if Voldemort himself understands it yet. But as long as this soul fragment is linked to Harry, Voldemort cannot die."

"So does the boy ... the boy has to die?" Asked Snape calmly.

"And Voldemort himself has to do it, Severus. That is crucial."

Harry stared at the two men, unable to follow their conversation any longer.

If Dumbledore was right, he was a Horcrux.

Dumbledore was right. He was a Horcrux.

Suddenly, so many things made sense. It was the reason he could talk to snakes - and it was the reason he could see through Voldemort's eyes in his nightmares - and the reason his scar always burned so badly when Voldemort was around.

The Pensieve threw him out when the memory was over. Seconds later, he was back, standing in front of the desk in Sirius' room. Unable to move, Harry stared at the silvery-white substance in the Pensieve, the substance that had just delivered his death sentence.

Still trying to process what he'd just seen, Harry threw himself on the chair. With his elbows on the desk, he pushed up his glasses and rested his face in his palms. He closed his eyes and tried to focus.

Why did Dumbledore expect him to trust Snape? Snape of all people who had killed Dumbledore. Stop, Harry thought. Snape had followed Dumbledore's orders to kill him. But none of that made any sense. Why did Dumbledore want Snape to kill him? Was Dumbledore a Horcrux, too? Why hadn't Dumbledore explained all of this to him when he had planned his death so carefully? Questions about questions, and there was only one clear thing. He was a Horcrux, so he had to die for Voldemort to die, and someone else had to defeat him.

What had changed for Harry? Not that much, he thought. He would volunteer to face Voldemort so that Sirius would get free. But instead of fighting him and most likely dying in the process, he would die of free will.

Crestfallen, Harry got up and launched himself on the bed. All afternoon he pondered his options, only to find out that he had no other choice.

It was already getting dark in the room when Ginny knocked and switched on the light.

Harry turned sideways, not in the mood to talk to people. Silently he hoped that Ginny would go back to the library if he didn't speak.

"What's wrong with you?" asked Ginny. "You didn't eat all day. I made us some sandwiches and tea."

"Thanks," Harry muttered but didn't turn around. "I'm not hungry."

Without speaking a further word, Ginny started rummaging around the room. Just when Harry was hoping she would leave him alone, she said, "Is it that memory you were watching?"

"Hmm," Harry growled.

"What was the memory about?" Ginny asked and sat down on the bed next to Harry.

So much for being left alone, Harry thought. What should he tell her? He certainly wasn't going to tell her he was a Horcrux. He didn't want her to look at him with pity in her eyes - or even disgust. No, that was his problem. His problem alone.

The vague feeling of owing Ginny an answer made him blurt out, "I'm going to die."

"You will what?" Ginny asked, staring at Harry with wide eyes. "I don't think I understood you correctly."

"You got me right," Harry replied. "Dumbledore told me."

"What the hell did he tell you?" Ginny didn't give up.

"That I'm going to die and that...Dumbledore made Snape swear to kill him if he asked him." At Ginny's incredulous look, he said, "Don't ask me why. Sometimes Dumbledore moves in mysterious ways."

"I'm sure you just got something wrong," Ginny said. "There is always a way. Living with my older brothers, I've learned pretty early that anything is possible if you got enough nerve."

Harry had to smile to himself. Ginny's optimism was boundless. He sat up and reached for his glasses, which still hung askew on his head. Pushing them back on his nose, he saw the plate of sandwiches on the sideboard. "I think I'm a little hungry now," he said, thanking Ginny as she handed him the plate.

Chewing, Harry gave Ginny a wry smile. He felt sorry for being so rude to her. She hadn't done anything to him and just wanted to help.

Ginny returned his smile. "By the way, I trust you, and I'm sure you will win against Tom."

"Yeah, maybe," said Harry, grabbing another sandwich.

"How did you escape? Back then. When he kidnapped you to be resurrected."

"Oh, that," said Harry, running a hand through his hair. "I was lucky then. They kidnapped me with a portkey, and when I touched it again, it brought me back." Harry shook his head. "Whoever made the portkey must have been punished by Voldemort for not making it a one-way portkey."

"You always need a little luck in life," Ginny explained. "By the way, I read the book, most of it anyway, and I think Dumbledore gave you the book because of the story about the Three Brothers."

"Why that?" Harry asked, curious. Why did Dumbledore give him a storybook if he thought he was going to die?

Ginny told him the short version of the story. When she'd finished, Harry nodded thoughtfully. "I see. You saw my Invisibility Cloak and Dumbledore's wand, and now you think they're the ones from this fairy tale."

"Exactly," said Ginny. "That was the only reference to you I could find in the book."

"But isn't that a fairy tale? How should it help me?" Harry asked, already guessing the answer when he asked the question.

"Maybe because Dumbledore said everything in the chest will help you?" Ginny replied with a mischievous grin. "And this obviously includes the book. Otherwise, it wouldn't be there."

"Okay, okay," said Harry, raising his hands. "Let's assume for a moment that we understand Dumbledore, which I already doubted several times today. Then I have the Invisibility Cloak here," Harry pointed at his robe, which was hanging over a chair and had the cloak in its pocket. "And then I have the wand that's there on the desk. Dumbledore said I won it when I beat him. That also fits this story. But what about the stone? I don't have it, and I have no clue where it is."

"Maybe we will still find it," Ginny replied.

"Maybe," Harry replied, getting up to take another look at the things Dumbledore left for him. But there was nothing that looked even remotely like a stone. His eyes fell briefly on the Snitch, but he shook his head. No, it wasn't a stone.

As he turned around, Harry noticed Ginny watching him. Her eyes shone, and she had a smile on her face. He couldn't take his eyes off her lips. Apparently, she was so deep in thought she didn't even notice that Harry returned her gaze.

Amazed, Harry was started to realize that he liked Ginny. A lot. No one had ever gotten him out of his sulkiness as easily as she, not even Sirius.

He'd never asked a girl out and didn't know how to do it, but the longer he looked at her, the more he wanted it. He'd never felt like this before.

But ... after everything Dumbledore had shown him today, he just wasn't allowed to ask Ginny out, was he?

Ginny blushed slightly when she met Harry's gaze. Raising her eyebrows, she asked, "What's wrong, Potter?"

"Nothing," Harry replied. After all the brooding today, he felt a bit drained. "I'm a bit tired."

"Admit it! You are looking forward to sharing the bed with me again." Ginny gave him a cheeky grin.

Such a tiny little bit, Harry had to agree with her and wished he could admit it.
Reviews 40
ChapterPrinter
StoryPrinter




../back
‘! Go To Top ‘!

Sink Into Your Eyes is hosted by Grey Media Internet Services. HARRY POTTER, characters, names and related characters are trademarks of Warner Bros. TM & © 2001-2006. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R. Note the opinions on this site are those made by the owners. All stories(fanfiction) are owned by the author and are subject to copyright law under transformative use. Authors on this site take no compensation for their works. This site © 2003-2006 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Special thanks to: Aredhel, Kaz, Michelle, and Jeco for all the hard work on SIYE 1.0 and to Marta for the wonderful artwork.
Featured Artwork © 2003-2006 by Yethro.
Design and code © 2006 by SteveD3(AdminQ)
Additional coding © 2008 by melkior and Bear