The Beginning of The End

Chapter Thirteen

April Showers

"Break the connection. Break it. NOW."

Remus Lupin's harshly spoken words hazed through Harry's mind and with all the strength he could gather Harry yanked his wand from the connection. Reality was upon them all--Harry sighed with frustration, Snape muttered harsh words and Dumbledore rubbed his eyes behind his glasses. The dementor hadn't the time to advance on anyone before the Aurors had it bound by very strong patronus'. The negative effects of the dementor ever present, Harry slumped into a chair and took a deep shaking breath, pressing the palm of his hand to the burning in his scar. With the busy schedule he kept, Harry didn't have much time to reflect on the fact that his scar had been a dull ache in the center of his head for the past few months. But it was something else to remind of everything.

He knew that Snape's accusing black eyes were on him and he didn't care. Harry was sick and tired of Snape taking everything out on him--he needed to get over it. Harry was also sick and tired of being in the horrible, musty room every morning. In January it had only been a few mornings per week. However, since Dumbledore's research had become more involved in the past few months, they had increased the number of session to six per week. This meant that nearly every morning from the crack of dawn, Harry was away from Hogwarts until around nine, in which time Harry would return to the castle and begin his day of lessons. He was worn out. And he thought he'd been sleep deprived before.

The Professors were required to give him special lenience where his schoolwork was concerned. Hermione helped him catch up best she could, but the fact remained that Harry simply couldn't concentrate on his studies very much. He reasoned that it wasn't as bad as it could be--the training was a lesson on magic in itself. But Harry couldn't help thinking that it wasn't fair--he wanted to be studying Conjuring Charms and Self-Transfiguration like everyone else. Those things would aid him in life--Harry didn't want to think about using what he was learning every morning with a damn dementor.

Creating the protection shield on the eight floor of Hogwarts, with wands pointed at nothing had been easy enough. However, nothing could have prepared Harry for dealing with the dementor. He hadn't fainted in the past few months, but in the beginning, he couldn't get through one session without passing out from hearing his mother's voice and seeing Cedric's dead body on the ground next to him. Building the protection against the dementor was a gradual process, as the dementor's strength started very strong and slowly diminished until it evaporated. This process usually took hours--something Dumbledore hadn't fully counted on and they hadn't destroyed any dementors at all. The slightest preoccupation on either Harry's, Dumbledore's, or Snape's part would cause the connection to falter, in which case they would need to begin again. This was the case at that very moment.

"Sorry," Harry mumbled, wiping sweat off his face. "We can begin again now, I'm ready."

"As soon as you're ready, Potter..." Snape said with sarcasm. Harry didn't need to look up to know that Sirius had opened his mouth to tell Snape off--it was an everyday occurrence, one that Harry was tiring of very quickly as well. However, Dumbledore spoke before anyone else could, informing them that they were done for the day. Harry sighed inwardly with relief and thought about getting back to school--even Transfiguration seemed like a gift.

Harry, Dumbledore and Sirius walked up to the school together as they usually did. Snape had never taken the journey with them--Harry didn't ask too many questions about that. However, before Harry could start climbing the stairs to Gryffindor Tower, Sirius placed a hand on his shoulder.

"There's something we need to talk about, Harry. Something you need to know..."

"What is it?" Harry asked in a monotone voice. Bad news again... he wasn't too surprised that he didn't fear what Sirius was going to tell him; he felt number than anything anymore.

Sirius glanced down the deserted corridor and took a deep breath.

"Draco Malfoy was pulled out of Hogwarts last week."

It was the very last thing Harry would have expected to hear.

"Why? His father...?"

"Lucius Malfoy took him out of school... because of something Malfoy did. Or didn't do as the case is."

"What?"

Sirius let out another breath. "Draco has been learning from his father and Voldemort over the past years. Summers, Holidays, anytime where he's been away from Hogwarts. Anyway, there was a massive plan a while ago to kidnap Hogwarts students in the beginning of the year... Malfoy, along with several other students who are unknown to us were supposed to execute it--create a scenario where many Muggleborn students would be alone in Hogsmeade during the huge attack... But Malfoy didn't do it--he messed up, or didn't follow through--and he was a key figure, which is why everything failed. He was punished over Christmas, by his father and Voldemort something terrible I imagine. But he was given another chance--another chance to prove himself." Sirius paused and his eyes darted away from Harry.

Harry's stomach had turned over since hearing that Muggleborns had been involved and he watched Sirius wearily. "What...?"

"It was... Voldemort wanted Hermione, Harry."

Harry tried to swallow, but found he couldn't. "What happened...?"

"Nobody knows--but Draco didn't deliver again. It was supposed to happen just a few weeks ago. The plan was very complicated and involved some kind of serious dark magic--"

"How do you know this? How-"

"We know, Harry. We know."

"Because of Snape? He told Dumbledore all this, he...?"

"We know, Harry," Sirius said firmly. "We know it's fact."

Harry let out a breath. "Because of me. It's all because of me-"

"Lower your voice. It's not because of you, Harry! It's because of him. Him. Not you."

"He wants me--and he can't get to me, so he--"

"It's not you," Sirius repeated, placing his hands on Harry's shoulders and giving him a shake. "It's him. Him."

Harry shook him off. "I have to get to class."

"Harry--"

"No. Don't tell me it's not my fault, it is. Hermione wouldn't be a target if Voldemort didn't want to get to me--"

"Hermione was supposed to be kidnapped ages ago, when the plan got squashed--not because she's friends with you, because of her parentage, Harry. She is a target, she's Muggleborn and she'll tell you the same thing--"

"I have to get to class. I'm behind enough as it is."

"Harry--"

"I'll see you tomorrow," Harry said irritably and pushed through the portrait hole to change his clothes, thinking how in the world he was going to tell Ron about this.

A thought occurred to him suddenly, a thought that made his breath catch in his throat. What if Ron blamed him? He had every right to, of course, and Harry would completely understand--Hermione and Ron were... and Ron had every right to want to protect her and make sure that she was safe, no matter how great the sacrifice. Harry felt sick all of a sudden, but he made his resolve. He would just have to stay away from them from now on. That was all... he would stay away until this war was over... if it would ever end at all...

Ron and Hermione were waiting for him at the entrance to the class.

"How did it go, Harry?" Hermione asked under her breath as she always did after a session.

"Okay," he said, pretending to be occupied with his homework. "The usual."

"You sure?" Ron asked, eyeing him.

Harry didn't get a chance to speak any further because McGonagal entered the classroom and began the lesson.

During class, Harry glanced at Hermione who was sitting in the row next to him and felt for the first time unable to talk to her. He had no idea how to tell her, no idea how to even start to explain. Perhaps he could tell Ron first. Harry nodded. That would be better, and then perhaps Ron would take it upon himself to tell Hermione...

He spent the day going back and forth with himself, unable to shake the guilt. He'd always known in the back of his mind that one day his friends would pay dearly for being close to him. After all, Cedric had paid for simply being next to him and Harry felt cold dread at the though of Hermione or Ron losing their lives because they were simply next to him.

Harry had to wait until after dinner when Hermione had taken her usual trip up to the library. It was then that he dragged Ron into a deserted corner in the Gryffindor common room and related to him everything Sirius had told Harry.

After Harry was finished, both he and Ron stared at floor for what seemed like hours. And then, Ron spoke.

"Why, Harry?"

Harry swallowed and braced himself. "It's because of me... they wanted to get to me..."

"No," Ron interrupted and looked up, his face pale. "Why didn't he do it?"

Harry stared at him. "You mean Malfoy?"

"Yeah. I mean... he had the chance to... and he left her alone. Why? What's he trying to pull?"

Harry shook his head. "I--I don't know. I don't know, maybe... maybe he was too afraid--"
Ron cut him off by swearing loudly. "I don't want to hear any maybes, Harry! Why didn't he do it? There has to be a

reason, there has to be--"

"I don't think there is," Harry said honestly. "He didn't go through with this twice in a row, Ron... twice. I mean if he'd messed up once, then he should have able to deliver the second time, right?'

"No," Ron was weakly. "No... he had to have messed it up, because if he didn't..."

"What?"

Ron's face was suddenly a mask of fury. "Don't you see, Harry? If he chose not to do it, then she's--she's indebted to him! He spared her; he saved her life and now--no. No, she will not be indebted to Malfoy; I won't have it. NO."

"Look, it isn't as concrete as that, Ron. It's complicated, it's..." But Ron was right. No matter how they looked at, Draco had saved her life. Unless it had been a mistake... but something told Harry that it wasn't a blunder of Malfoy's. Something from the memory of Lucius and Draco in Knockturn Alley years ago caused Harry to feel that Draco Malfoy's issues weren't as black and white as Harry had believed.

"Look," Harry said, in a choked voice. "We don't have to worry about Malfoy right now--he's gone. But I've been thinking it's best if we keep our distance, you know?"

Ron nodded dully, and then looked up in confusion. "Keep our distance from who? Malfoy?"

"No, I mean, us. I probably shouldn't... you know."

But Ron's brows were drawn together in perplexity. "What? Harry, what the hell are you mumbling about?"

Harry sighed in frustration. "I'm going to stay away from you two for a while. It's for the best."

Ron looked up and realization dawned on his face. "Don't be a prat," he said impatiently.

"I'm serious," Harry began, but Ron cut him off.

"No, you're not. Look, we have to tell Hermione. Perhaps we should go to the library now."

"Don't pretend like I didn't say what I said," Harry said irritably.

"If you'd said anything worthwhile I wouldn't."

"Dammit, Ron--"

"Shut up, Harry, alright? On to the actual problem, please."

Harry sighed angrily and was about to tell him off when the portrait hole opened and Harry looked over. He saw long red hair and knew it was Ginny. Harry's breath caught as she stood there looking around for her friends and spotting him. She gave him a little smile and Harry returned it, suddenly very glad to see her. She didn't join them, but when she sat down in the opposite corner of the room, she continued to smile at him for a minute before turning to her friends.

It was the routine they had. Nearly every night for the past few months Harry and Ginny sat in opposite ends of the common room with their own friends, doing their own things. And after a while, after the room cleared, Ginny would get up and join Harry on the sofa. And they would sit together, sometimes for hours, sometimes for a few minutes if Harry was too tired. Sometimes he wouldn't go up to bed at all and Ginny would sit with him until it was time for him to leave to meet Dumbledore and Sirius for training. Harry had told her what he was doing to fight Voldemort and Ginny had listened. Just listened. And it was only recently that Harry started thinking about their time together during the day... while he was training, during class, between classes when he'd see her in the corridors. The impatience to get to that sofa and sit with her would be all he could think about sometimes.

His thoughts broke away when the portrait hole opened yet again and Hermione stepped inside, her arms full of books as usual. She spotted them and hurried over and Harry felt his breath catch for the second time. They would have to tell her now.

"Hey," she smiled breathlessly. "I've finished that Potions essay. Did you want to see my notes, Harry?"

"That's okay," he said, not meeting her eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked him and turned to Ron. "Has something happened?"

Ron glanced at Harry, who couldn't look at either of them. He wished Ron would tell her and get it done with.

"Come on," Ron said and Harry looked up to realize he was talking to Hermione. "Let's take a walk... you and I, come on." Ron stood and held out his hand for her.

Hermione looked with frightened eyes from Ron to Harry. "What is it? Tell me now."

"Come on, I will. Let's go."

Her worried eyes on Harry, Hermione shook her head. "Whatever it is, tell me now. Harry."

Harry let out a long breath and shook his head. "Sit down, Ron. Hermione..." He told her everything, his eyes focused on the floor, his hands folded into fists. Afterwards, there was a very long silence between the three of them and after a while, Harry felt that he had to speak.

"I'm sorry. It's my fault. I was telling Ron that maybe we should--"

"Shut up," came Hermione's voice fiercely.

Harry looked up in surprise. "If I ever here you say that again, Harry, I don't know what I'll do," she choked. She wiped at her eyes, which were suddenly brimming with tears. "I have to... go upstairs now."

Harry and Ron both stood up when she did.

"Hermione," Ron began, but she stopped him.

"I'll be okay. I just need to think... and be alone."

They watched her walk to the girl's staircase and he and Ron sat down again--they didn't speak much and Harry could tell that Ron didn't want to talk about it. They sat in silence and Harry found himself think of Hermione's words... why did they insist on him being around? Why could they see if he kept his distance, maybe--?

"I'm going up," Ron said. "You coming?"

Harry's eyes darted to Ginny and back. "I'm going to stay here for a while."

Ron looked at Harry for a minute before nodding his head. "Fine."

After Ron left, Harry sighed heavily. Ron didn't exactly know that Harry and Ginny spent most nights talking and Harry wasn't sure exactly how to deal with that. He didn't have to think about it for too long because Ginny came over very quickly and sat down on the sofa with him.

"Has something happened?" she asked quietly.

Harry turned to look at her and saw that her eyes were full of worry--she must have noticed the tension. Harry let out a long breath and looked down, suddenly wanting her hand. She knew and lifted it to find his and their fingers locked easily. He told Ginny everything and found it so much easier to say the words while he could watch his hand in hers.

When he was done, Ginny's eyes were even more troubled than they had been. Harry suddenly wished that they were somewhere else--back at the Burrow during the summer, walking in Hogsmeade on a Saturday afternoon, anywhere but here.

She sighed softly and shifted so that her shoulder touched his. "It's not your fault, Harry. You know it isn't."

"If I wasn't friends with her, this never would have happened."

"So in other words, when you became friends with Hermione, you could foresee this happening and you became her friend anyway?"

Harry sighed and shook his head. "I shouldn't have stayed friends with them after... Cedric... He died because of me, and you can't deny that, can you?" He looked at her and her brown eyes were so troubled.

"No... but you didn't kill him, Harry. Voldemort did."

"I as good as did and now Hermione could have..."

"But Hermione didn't."

"She could have--"

"But she didn't. Hermione's okay and she doesn't blame you and neither would Cedric. Right?"

Harry was still looking at her eyes. "I s'pose."

Ginny nodded and after a few seconds, laid her head on his shoulder. She'd never done that before; the only physical contact they'd ever shared was hand holding. The little ache inside him grew--but it felt better than it had and he turned his head slightly to be closer to her. He could smell her hair and again had that insane wish that they were somewhere else... in a different time even. The things Ginny had said didn't change anything, the truth was still the truth, but somehow, inside, it wasn't so painful.

The next thing Harry knew was that he was being awoken by the beeping alarm coming from his watch. He frowned thinking that something was wrong... something was different and it took a minute for him to realize that he wasn't in his bed and that he was sitting up. He opened his eyes to find himself inside the common room and when he shifted he felt a pressure against his shoulder. He looked down to see bright red hair against the black of his robes.

Ginny was asleep, her face pressed into the crook of his arm, her breathing steady. He swallowed the huge lump in his throat and stared at her for a minute before she moved slightly and made a little noise. Harry realized with a jolt that his alarm was still beeping and Ginny was laying on his watch arm.

"Ginny," he whispered. "Ginny, wake up."

Her eyes flew open and for a minute they looked quite dazed until she sat up and looked all around in confusion. "Harry...?"

"Yeah... we must have fallen asleep. Are you okay?" he asked awkwardly.

She sat up and shoved her hair out of her face. "Yeah, I...what is that noise?" she whispered is confusion and Harry immediately pressed the alarm button on his watch. Ginny was rubbing at her eyes, and Harry couldn't tell if her face was red from sleep or if she was blushing.

"Sorry..." he mumbled, his own face growing warm. "I shouldn't have fallen asleep... I..."

"What time is it?" she asked throatily.

He looked at his watch and felt huge disappointment sweep over him. "It's four in the morning. I have to be in the entrance hall in fifteen minutes."

Ginny sighed and they sat for a moment in silence before Ginny spoke.

"You should be able to have a good night's sleep."

The statement was said so fiercely, Harry looked at her in surprise. Her face was set and her eyes were angry and it was all on his behalf.

"I wouldn't be able to sleep anyways," he said, almost trying to reassure her.

Ginny shook her head. "Still..."

Harry felt a surge of gratitude to her and thought about many, many things he wanted to say to her just then. But it was all unclear so he simply told her that she should get to bed.

"At least one of us can get some sleep."

She smiled feebly and as they walked to the staircase together, Ginny cast a look out the window. "It's raining."

Harry glanced over and for a brief minute they stared at the rain beating down onto the lake in the early morning air. Then Ginny sighed again.

"I hope it's not too bad today, Harry."

She was talking about the dementor. "Thanks."

" `Night," she said and slipped into the girls' staircase.

After Ginny had disappeared, Harry blew out a breath and stood where he was for a few seconds before finally turning around and heading for the boys' staircase to change his clothes.

~*~

Dear Tom,

I don't know what's going on, I think I'm in trouble. Strange things are happening all over the school and I think I might be involved. I'm so scared, I have nobody to talk to, nobody cares except Percy and I can't tell him. Oh, I just want to go home and never come back here again. What's happening, Tom, am I going crazy?

Ginny, of course you're not going crazy. You're a good girl, you would never do anything wrong! You're a good girl, Ginny, a good girl. What are you, Ginny?

A good girl . . . but I think I'm not myself-

What are you, Ginny??

A- A good girl.

That's right. A good girl. Now, Ginny be a good girl and do something for me. Will you be a good girl and do something for Tom?

Um... sure, Tom. But-

That's a good girl! You must remember this carefully, Ginny, word for word and do exactly as Tom tells you. Okay?

Yes, Tom.

Go down into the dungeons, take the east corridor as far as you can. You'll come to a hidden door that you can only see by the brown piece of stone at the bottom of the gray stone wall. Understand that Ginny, the brown piece of stone. Tap the brown stone with your wand and say Alohomora! Do you understand, Ginny?

Yes

After you open the door, walk down the passage until you find yourself in a large room. Walk twenty-eight steps into the room and you should be standing on a completely round piece of stone. Tap the stone with your wand, Ginny, and say Alohomora! After you say that, I want you to write to me and tell me what you see, Ginny. Do you understand, Ginny?

Yes, Tom, I understand

Do you understand, Ginny?

Yes, Tom, I understand

Now... Tell me what you see, Ginny...

I see... Oh, no, what is this, Tom, what is this? It's opening, the stone is opening... what is this?

Ginny, Tell me what you see. Hurry, now Ginny, you don't want to get caught, do you? You'll be in big trouble and then you won't be a good girl anymore... tell me what you see Ginny.

I-I...don't want to look down there... I don't want to know what's down there...

TELL ME, GINNY! NOW!

No.... I won't... I won't...

Ginny sobbed into her pillow and turned over and over in bed, tears mixed with sweat pouring down her face as she fought with herself. "No... I don't want to see... No..."

"Ginny... Ginny, wake up..." was the terrified voice of Ginny's friend, Sarah Murphy.

Ginny's eyes flung open and she jumped a mile when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Sarah..."

Sarah's big blue eyes filled with tears. "Are you okay?"

A dungeon... and a secret passage... a stone opening... The visions danced through her head and suddenly, Ginny remembered. "Sarah," she gasped, shooting up in bed. "Get me a quill... and some parchment... hurry..."

Ginny scrambled out of bed, tripping on the velvet bed curtains and ran over to the desk. As soon as she had the quill in her hand, she began writing as furiously as she could, trying to keep the lingering scenes from the dream in her head. As horrible as the memories were, it felt almost wonderful to write them down... as if she was extracting them from her subconscious. When she had almost a page of messy handwriting, Ginny stopped and let herself breath. She realized that her friends were watching her and that Sarah was sitting on Ginny's bed, tears pouring down her face.

"I'm okay," she assured them, wondering if she even knew what she was saying. "I'm fine, I just need to see Dumbledore. I have to..." She looked for the first time at her watch on the bedside table and saw that it was about seven o'clock in the morning... Dumbledore would still be at the training, she realized and her mind fell on Harry. She needed to tell Harry... she needed for him to know. And then she thought of someone else and she grabbed her dressing gown from her bedpost and pulled it on with shaking hands. Ginny tried to give her friends a reassuring look before opening the door and rushing to the seventh year boys dormitory.

She hesitated slightly at the door before knocking loudly, her other hand gripping her parchment.

"Who is it?" she heard someone call and it sounded like Dean Thomas.

"It's Ginny," she called. "Is Ron there?"

She heard muffled talking and suddenly the door in front of her was being wrenched open. Ron stood there in his pajamas, his red hair sticking up in all directions and his eyes wild looking. "Ginny, what's the matter?"

"I have to talk to you," she blurted. "Now."

Ron stared from her tear-streaked face to the parchment she was gripping with shaking hands. His face went pale. "What is it?"

They went down to the empty common room and Ginny told Ron everything, from her dream on Halloween night to Harry convincing her to go to Dumbledore to what Dumbledore had told her to do should she have another one. Ron sat in silence for a minute before blurting out,

"Harry knew about this?"

"I told him not to say anything to you," Ginny said wearily.

Ron was silent for a long time. "So instead of coming to me, you went to Harry," he said quietly.

She shifted uncomfortably. "It's not like that. Harry was outside that morning, I told you. I wouldn't have gone to him on my own, he found me and he asked me if I was okay."

Ron looked as though he wanted to say something else on that matter, but instead he changed the subject. "Why does Dumbledore want you to write the dreams down? What good is it supposed to do?"

She shrugged. "He didn't really say. I dunno... I just did as he asked."

Ron took the parchment from her again and read it over. He puffed out a breath. "Is this supposed to mean something, this dungeon, this passage? Nobody else knows about this... is that what it is?"

Ginny watched him wearily. "I don't know, I... I really don't know. I have to see Dumbledore now to tell him."

Ron gave a bitter laugh. "Perfect, just perfect." Then he shook his head. "Dumbledore's not in the castle right now, Ginny. It's complicated, but he won't be back until about nine."

Ginny bit her lip and said nothing to the fact that Ron didn't know that she knew about the training. She didn't blame Harry for not telling Ron but she wished that it didn't have to be so difficult. She wished that Ron would understand, but Ginny knew her brother. As innocent as her relationship with Harry was, Ron would not have an easy time understanding. Harry confided in her... he told her things he hadn't told Ron or Hermione. And Ginny knew that Ron wouldn't care for that.

Ginny realized that they'd been sitting in silence so she looked up to find Ron watching at her carefully.

"I s'pose you knew that, though," he said in a low voice.

Ginny straitened slightly. "I--"

"You don't have to pretend, Ginny. I'm not stupid, you know."

It was on the tip of her tongue to make a joke about it, but she just couldn't. He spoke as if he knew a great deal about this... as if he had thought about it. And even though Ginny had heard a bitter edge to his voice, she could tell that he was hurt.

Ginny had no idea what to say, but her thoughts were interrupted when the portrait hole flung open. Harry stepped inside and stopped short when he saw Ginny and Ron sitting there. His tired eyes looked from Ginny to Ron to the parchment Ron was still holding. Ginny decided she'd better break the tension before it started and simply stated to Harry,

"I had another dream. Same thing as last time, but I wrote down everything just like Dumbledore said."

Harry glanced at Ron who had the parchment and back at Ginny. She knew he was torn as to what to do, she knew he wanted to read what she'd written, to ask her to tell him about it, and if she was okay. But he wouldn't do that with Ron there.

He didn't need to. Ginny watched as Ron, his eyes on Harry's, held out the parchment to him. Harry took a careful step towards them, took the parchment from Ron and sat down in the chair across from them. Ginny felt a hand clutch her heart and she wanted to either burst into tears or throw her arms around her brother for putting his pride aside.

After reading it several times, Harry looked up. "We should go to Dumbledore. Right now."

Ginny nodded and Ron spoke. "We were waiting for you to come back."

"Let's go now," Ginny said, standing up. "I want to show Dumbledore right now so that we can see if--"

She broke off as the door to the girls' staircase flew open and Hermione rushed inside the common room. Her face was pale and her breathing irregular. Both Ron and Harry shot to their feet.

"What is it?" Harry asked, gripping his wand.

Hermione shook her head violently and ran to one of the tall windows to peer out. "I think I saw... I saw...no," she groaned and raced to the portrait hole.

"What?!" Ron and Harry demanded, running after her. Ginny's eyes darted to the window and then ran after them. Hermione didn't stop running and she was too breathless to speak, but they followed her and wound up outside the castle and on the grounds where it was now drizzling. Ginny had never felt so scared in her life as she ran after Hermione, with both Harry and Ron on either side of her.

"Miss Granger, stop!" came a voice from behind them and Ginny turned to see Professor Dumbledore rushing down the slope of hill. Hermione, Ron and Harry stopped running as well to watch Dumbledore hurrying forward. The she heard Harry give a startled cry and Ginny turned back.

Approaching the castle from across the grounds was a large figure and it was moving steadily, carrying something in its huge arms. Ginny felt cold dread sweep over her as she recognized who it was: Madame Maxime. Ginny looked from the giant lady to Dumbledore and back again. Ginny felt cold dread sweep through her...the thing in Madame Maxime's arms was a large moleskin coat... one Ginny recognized immediately and her eyes darted to Madame Maxime's solemn face as the lady reached out and handed Hagrid's coat to Dumbledore.

"No," Harry whispered.

The last thing Ginny saw before tears blurred her own vision was the stricken look on Dumbledore's face.

To Be Continued...