The Heart Asks Darkness First

CHAPTER NINE - LITTLE IMPULSE

The next morning, the seventh-year Gryffindors and Slytherins were just leaving Double Potions when Ginny ran up to the trio. "Harry, I need to speak to you. Alone."

The others all exchanged glances. Harry turned back to her. "What about, Ginny?"

The younger girl bit her lip. "I...I´m in trouble. And...I think you´re the only one who can help me."

Harry sighed. "Okay. But only quickly. I have to meet Cho."

As the pair walked off, Hermione and Ron heard a quiet voice mutter, "Fool!"

They turned around to see Malfoy glaring at Ginny´s back. Hermione asked, "Who´s a fool, Malfoy?"

"Potter." Malfoy looked at Hermione. "He´s a fool to trust that little Weasel. She´s under Riddle´s power now, everything she does will be for him."

Ron glared threateningly at him. "Stop messing about, Malfoy! I won´t have you say things like that about my sister."

"Fine." The Slytherin brushed past the two Gryffindors. "Just...when you´re saddling up to rescue Potter, let me know. I´ve got my own bone to pick with Riddle."

As Malfoy walked away, Ron turned to Hermione. "What do you think he meant by that?"

Hermione shrugged. "I don´t know. All the same, I know I´ll feel a lot happier when Harry gets back."

~GW~ ~TR~

Harry was beginning to get suspicious. Ginny had led him all the way from the dungeons to outside in total silence. He decided to speak up. "Ginny, what-"

"Ssh!" Ginny turned to look at him. "I can´t tell you here. People might hear."

Harry shook his head. "Look, Ginny I-"

"Okay!" Ginny stopped by the lake, a little irritated. "Look, you know what it´s like to have part of Voldermort inside you, don´t you?"

Harry looked at her in stunned silence. Ginny nodded. "See, didn´t think you´d want to discuss it here." She turned and started for the Forest again. Harry followed her, eager to think that Ginny really did want him to help her. As they reached the edge of the Forest, he asked, "Is this far enough?"

Ginny shook her head. "Can we just go inside? I´d feel happier."

Harry shrugged. "I guess so."

As soon as he stepped into the first clearing, Harry knew something was amiss. He had felt a sensation pass through him, as though he were walking through magical energy. He turned to Ginny. "Okay, what-"

"So, Harry. Dear, sweet, misled Ginny managed to get you here." Tom´s voice almost laughed as he stepped into the clearing. Harry glanced from him to Ginny. "What does he mean?"

Tom laughed. "Do you think she would have brought you here if she really knew?" He shot a glance at her. "Although thinking about it...since I´m the only person she has..."

"Ginny, how can you think that?" Harry tried to appeal to the Ginny he had known. "How can you think you don´t have anyone when Ron is trying his hardest to protect you? All of us are."

"Yeah, but then you´d rather I stayed out of the way while you all have fun." Ginny moved next to Tom. "At least now I have someone who actually wants to know me."

Harry turned his glance to Tom. "So Ginny brought me here because of you? What would you want with me?"

"Actually," another chillingly familiar voice cut in, "she brought you here for me."

~GW~ ~TR~

Hermione was sat in the library, alone. Ron had decided to go for a walk in order to calm himself down. Closing the book she was reading, Hermione reached for her Coercion book. Ginny had said that there was nothing in there, but Hermione decided she should look anyway. As she flipped through the pages, she was interrupted by Cho tapping her shoulder. "Um, Hermione?"

"Cho, hi! Is everything okay?"

"Actually, no. I was wondering if you´d seen Harry. He was supposed to meet me an hour ago, but-"

"Sorry Cho, but last I saw of him was just after Potions. Ginny asked to speak to him, so they went off somewhere."

"I see." Cho flopped into the chair opposite Hermione. "Well I´m sure he´s alright with her."

Just then, Hermione flipped over another page. A very clear rip mark told her that something was amiss. She paled as she whispered, "How dare she?"

"What is it Hermione?"

Hermione showed Cho the book. "There´s a page missing. And I bet I know who took it too."

"So there was something on that page that Ginny didn´t want you to see?" Cho sounded worried. "Why would she-"

"To protect Tom." Hermione pushed the book away from her, clearly annoyed. "She knew that whatever happened to Malfoy was on that page so she decided to stop us seeing it."

As the two girls talked, Ron walked in. "Hey girls. Have you seen Harry?"

Hermione shook her head. "Cho´s been looking for him too. But hey, look what your sister did!"

Ron sat down next to Hermione. "So that was the page we wanted then?"

Hermione nodded, still fuming. Ron stroked her hair. "It´s okay, Herm. We´ll get you another book."

Cho sighed. "I´m gonna go look for Harry again. I´ll see you later."

~GW~ ~TR~

Harry´s eyes slowly flickered open. For a second, he thought that it had all been a nightmare - Voldermort couldn´t be in the Forest. As he came to, however, the surroundings did nothing to confirm this. On the contrary, being surrounded by trees and bushes was a sure sign that he hadn´t been dreaming.

Tom and Voldermort both watched as Harry woke up. The older incarnation smiled thinly. "So Mr Potter, after three years we finally meet again face to face. I must admit, I´m impressed by the Weasley girl."

"Ginny!" Harry immediately sat up. "Where is she?"

"Don´t worry about her." Tom sneered at Harry. "She´s safe enough."

Voldermort knelt down next to Harry. "See, her intentions may have been innocent. But could she really have expected me not to realise that my younger self was in existence?"

"You see Harry, she may have tried to bind me to her, but there was a stronger bond waiting for me even then." Tom laughed. "Not that Malfoy could have known that."

Harry looked more closely at him. "So...Ginny never meant anything to you?"

"Of course she did!" Tom returned. "How could anyone that dependant on me not mean anything?"

Voldermort glanced at his younger self. "By the way, nice attempt at Severus. So tempting to give him a call."

"Surely he´ll know we´re here by now anyway?" Tom questioned. "What about Malfoy junior?"

Voldermort shook his head. "He´s due to be given to me in the summer. If he and his father don´t flee or go insane before that."

Harry listened to their conversation, a little afraid. "Wha-what do you mean?"

"Plenty of time for that, my dear boy." Voldermort sneered. "It´s not like we´re going anywhere."

~GW~ ~TR~

Dinner at the Gryffindor table that evening was a strained affair. Ginny had returned in an attempt not to arouse suspicion, but Hermione was still incredibly cold to her. Ron seemed torn between siding with his sister or his girlfriend, but seemed to have settled on Hermione. Everyone seemed to be wondering where Harry was - Ginny almost wanted to confess, but decided against it.

Hermione glanced up at the teacher´s table. "Snape doesn´t look too happy."

Ron followed her gaze. "Looks like something´s bothering him. I wonder what."

"You mean you don´t know?" Malfoy´s voice cut in. "I´d have thought it was obvious."

Hermione glared at him. "Will you stop with the riddles already?"

"Hey, there´s only one Riddle I want a shot at," Malfoy returned. "What´s the matter, Granger? Something happen to one of your precious books?"

He risked a sideways glance at Ginny - the redhead was staring at her plate, trying not to look too guilty. Hermione´s eyes narrowed. "As a matter of fact, Malfoy, something did happen. More to the point, Harry´s missing."

"Ah yes. I was wondering how long it would be before you worried." Malfoy smirked. "Good luck finding him."

He moved to leave the hall. He hoped he had done enough - he hoped he had the Gryffindors sussed enough to know how to play them. As he walked down the corridor, he smiled at the sound of footsteps following him. Stopping, but not turning around, he said "Thought that would get you."

"Stop fooling around, Malfoy." Ron still couldn´t hide his hatred for the Slytherin.

Malfoy turned to face them. He was not entirely surprised to see Cho with them. He sighed. "I know where they are - or at least, I think I do."

"So why aren´t you telling us?" Ron was barely controlling his anger.

Draco turned to face him. "I´m coming with you."

"I don´t bloody well think so!" Ron turned to Hermione. "Maybe we should find him ourselves?"

"Don´t be so quick to dismiss him Ron." Hermione turned to Draco. "Look Malfoy, I don´t know why you suddenly want to help us, but we´d be grateful if you could."

Draco couldn´t help but sneer. "I´m not helping you. I have my own grudges against Voldermort. Both generations."

It took a moment for this last comment to sink in. Finally Hermione spoke up. "Both generations? What do you mean?"

Malfoy sneered. "You mean you don´t know, Granger? Think about it - there´s only one thing that can make Snape that twitchy."

Horrified realisation dawned on the trio as Hermione whispered "The Dark Mark."