The Beginning of The End

Author's note: For the sake of this story, it has already been established that Harry is the Heir of Gryffindor. Also, for the sake of this story, Sirius' name has been cleared; however, Harry was unable to live with him seeing as they were both targets of Voldemort. That's all for now. Enjoy! :D

Reminder: Hermione is Head Girl and Justin is Head Boy. Just in case you forgot... ;-)

Chapter Sixteen

Waiting

Harry didn't know what he expected to see upon entering the hospital wing, but indeed he hadn't expected Ginny to look so... normal. She was propped on several pillows into an almost sitting position; her eyes were closed and her chest rose up and down gently with each breath she took.

Snape was taking Ginny's pulse, his narrowed eyes focused on a pocket watch he was holding high in his other hand. Ron sat beside Ginny on the bed, his hand on her shoulder. He looked more pale than Ginny.

"Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said gently, gesturing to a chair that was positioned at the foot of the bed. Saying nothing, Ron allowed himself to be lead to the chair and Dumbledore sat down where Ron had been sitting. Harry wouldn't have been able to sit if someone had forced him so he simply stood where he was at the foot of the next bed and tried not to focus on Ginny's face.

At last, Snape looked up and nodded to Dumbledore. "She's there. Proceed quickly."

"Can you hear me...?" Dumbledore asked Ginny in a low voice.

Ginny's eyes remained closed, but her head tilted ever so slightly. "Yes." Her voice sounded very week, almost far away. Ron caught Harry's eye and they exchanged the briefest of looks.

Dumbledore continued. "I need you share some information with me. I need you to access the information you received while writing in a diary once belonging to a person by the name of Tom Riddle. Can you see that?"

There was a long pause and then, "Yes." It was that same lifeless voice she'd answered with before. Harry almost shivered. It wasn't Ginny's voice at all.

"Tell me all you know of a passage you once traveled down upon Tom Riddle's instructions, a passage that you opened with magic by roaming through the dungeons. Where is this passage located?"

"It's hidden."

"Where?" Dumbledore asked calmly.

"I don't know."

"Where can you access it from?"

She turned her head slightly and whispered in a low, trance-like voice. "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? 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!"

She stopped then and Dumbledore leaned forward. "What happens after you tap the stone?"

"The stone opens," she said. She wasn't whispering anymore and even though her voice still sounded fairly vague, it was much more normal sounding than when she was quoting what Riddle had wrote to her.

"Then what happens?" Dumbledore persisted.

"The stone opens and there is a another passageway. It's dark. It's long. There is no end to it." She paused and then began whispering dully again. "This passageway, Ginny, is one of my greatest accomplishments."

"What else of the passage?" Dumbledore asked calmly.

There was a long pause and for a brief moment it looked as though Ginny's entire body was positioned in thought. Then a second later she looked relaxed again and she spoke in the exact same monotone whisper. "This passageway, Ginny, is one of my greatest accomplishments."

"Do you know anything else of the passage?"

"This passageway, Ginny, is one of my greatest accomplishments."

Dumbledore nodded and sat back, running a hand down his face.

"She doesn't know anything else about it, Headmaster," said Snape in a low voice.

"I know, Severus."

Harry took the moment to let out his breath. He felt pain in his hands and realized that his knuckles were cramped from clenching his fists.

"Besides the dungeon passage and the Chamber of Secrets, is there any other secret location on Hogwarts grounds which Tom Riddle forced you to travel?"

Silence.

Dumbledore repeated the question loudly and it looked to Harry as if Ginny was in that same deep thought she'd been in a minute ago--her entire body was frozen, tensed-- but this time she didn't relax.

Dumbledore stood very suddenly and Snape, seemingly reading his mind, grabbed an iron goblet on the bedside table. Before Harry had registered anything, Dumbledore was holding Ginny's head upright while Snape forced the liquid down her throat.

"Finite Sopor!" Dumbledore cried, pointing his wand at Ginny's temple. Ginny's head still slumped against Dumbledore's palm and Snape move forward again with the potion and, gripping Ginny`s chin forcefully, tilted the goblet back again. The thin foam of the potion dripped down the sides of her mouth.

"Finite Sopor!"

Nothing.

Harry's eyes darted to Ron who had let out a strangled cry. A crazed sort of fear gripped his heart and suddenly, everything seemed to stand still. Dumbledore was saying something to Snape and Snape was once again, pouring the potion down Ginny's throat--but it was all happening in slow motion. There was a harsh screeching sound--Ron shot to his feet and the chair scraped the floor. Harry blinked quickly and had to physically force himself to loosen his fists again. He wanted to run out of the room.

"Finite Sopor!"

Still nothing. The liquid spilled from her mouth down her neck and soaked the collar of her dressing robe, but Ginny still didn't move.

"Finite Sopor!"

But then--

"Ginny," Ron whispered.

She was choking and gasping, her chest heaving up and down unnaturally. She looked like she had been underneath water for too long and was getting her first breath of air. Snape placed the goblet on the table and pressed his fingers to her neck, holding up the pocket watch again. As the seconds ticked by, Ginny's breathing became shallower.

"Her pulse is normal," Snape announced and he tucked the pocket watch inside his robes.

"Is she okay?" Ron asked hoarsely.

Snape looked at him. "She'll be fine."

Harry allowed himself to breath and had to sit less his legs give way. Dumbledore removed some of the pillows and laid Ginny's head down very gently. She clutched the pillow with her hand, still breathing in sharp gasps. Ron sank down next to her and smoothed her hair from her face.

"She'll be asleep for awhile," Dumbledore said. "It's nothing to worry about. There was no damage done to her. She would not be breathing if there had been."

Madam Pomfrey came over at once.

"Mr. Weasley is to stay, Poppy. Harry," Dumbledore said, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry tore his eyes from Ginny and saw that Dumbledore had gathered his quill. "You need to come with me."

Harry nodded, filled with gratitude to have the excuse to leave--he wanted to get as far away from here as he could.

~*~

Later on that day, Harry found himself inside the Great Hall, having a late lunch. Dumbledore had insisted upon it and since the entire school had already been escorted to and from the Great Hall for their lunch, the Hall was quite deserted.

Dumbledore had called in his team directly after they'd left the hospital wing. Having Sirius and Lupin there was quite a relief and they had all gone into the dungeons where the secret passageway was located. They opened the first passage through the brown stone and stepped into the room exactly as Ginny had described. However, when each of them touched the round stone in the center of the room, exactly nothing happened. Lupin and Professor Figg, along with a few of the Aurors spent hours performing many kinds of Revealing Charms to discover the type of magic used in the room, but it was to no avail; the stone stayed in solid form.

And so after four hours of staring at a round piece of stone, Harry was relieved to be dismissed. He had no idea what this passage was for and for once he didn't want to analyze what it could mean. That was why the experts were here.

He heard footsteps in the hall and looked up to see Hermione walking towards him.

"Dumbledore said you'd be here," she said breathlessly, sliding into the seat across from him. "I am so hungry. I've barely eaten a thing all day; Justin and I have been supervising the common rooms."

She began to heap food onto a plate and Harry leaned forward. "What been going on out there? I mean with the school and everything? Where is everyone?"

"In the common rooms, of course," she said thickly, chewing a piece of bread. She closed her eyes and sighed. "This is good." Then she took a long sip of juice. "I've just been to see Ginny."

Harry lifted his eyes. "How is she?"

"She's okay. She hasn't woken up yet, but Ron is with her and Dumbledore says she'll be fine. He didn't really discuss what happened with me, but I gather it wasn't very helpful."

Harry sighed. "Well, she didn't say much more than what she'd written down from her last dream, but they were able to get the location of this... passage thing. Anyway--"

"Well, then it was very helpful, wasn't it? Even if it wasn't earth-shattering information, it was still very helpful. Have you been practicing with the Dark Mark?"

Harry dropped his fork and stared at her in confusion. "What?"

"Dumbledore said--you know, you're supposed to look at it now, right?"

"Yeah--when did he tell you all this?"

"Justin and I had a brief meeting with him a little while ago. Right before I went to see Ginny. He took me aside and said that you and I should go outside and look at it--he doesn't want you to do it alone."

Harry nodded and rubbed his eyes. He was getting a headache and it had nothing to do with his scar.

"Anyway, about the Dark Mark. You have to practice looking at it; it's the only thing you can do right now. So I've come up with a strategy. Here's what I think--"

"Hermione?" Harry interrupted her suddenly.

"Hmm?"

"Can we ... not talk about all of this for maybe five minutes? Just five minutes okay?"

Hermione pressed her lips together and Harry almost jumped in fright at how much she reminded him of McGonagall. Then she sobered.

"Okay. I understand, Harry. Go ahead and eat, we'll talk about it after lunch."

Harry wondered how long he could stretch out eating his lunch.

~*~

Looking at the Dark Mark was not fun to say the least. Harry spent nearly two hours outside with Hermione. Hermione's "strategy" had been fairly simple. She and Harry would walk around the lake and Harry was to look up at the mark every ten steps, the length of time he would spend looking at it increasing steadily. At first he only needed to look at it for five seconds and then the time doubled. After two hours he was staring at the bloody thing for three whole minutes and his scar was burning beyond belief. He didn't pass out, though. Every time he felt himself slip, he focused even harder, trying to put something else in his mind. It barely worked, but trying kept him focused--something he'd been very worried about.

After two hours, Hermione needed to get back to her Head Girl duties, so Harry decided to take a break from looking at it. As he walked up to Gryffindor Tower, he passed the stairway leading to the hospital wing and paused. He wanted to go there and see how Ginny was... but something had him continuing up to Gryffindor Tower. There wasn't anything he could do for Ginny besides make her worry. Her part in this terrible ordeal was over... and he felt a terrifying jolt every time he thought about the sacrifice she'd almost had to make.

The common room was packed. Nearly every single Gryffindor was piled in there--all the chairs and sofas were occupied and many people lounged on the floor. Some were involved in card games or Gobstone games and some were just talking. The air was thick with tension and green light flooded through the corner window onto the window seat, which was the only empty place to sit in the entire room. Harry passed Dean, Seamus and Neville who were playing a game of Exploding Snap.

"Join us, Harry?" Dean asked, glancing up. The others looked at him and Harry could see the worry in their eyes, but they tried to look as casual as if they were asking him for a game at any old time. The alternative, going up to the dormitory seemed very bleak, so Harry shrugged a shoulder and said,

"Alright."

After a while, Professor McGonagall. came into the room to escort everyone to dinner and since Harry had eaten only a short time ago, the Professor allowed him to stay in the common room. He was just beginning to wonder if he should go down to dinner if only for the company when the portrait hole swung open and Ron climbed inside.

"I was just about to go to dinner, but I thought I'd come up here to tell you that Ginny's woken up."

Harry lowered his eyes back to the book he had open across his lap. "How is she?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

"She's okay. What are you doing?"

Harry glanced up at the annoyance in Ron's voice. "I'm reading."

"Like hell."

Harry lifted his eyes. "What's wrong?"

Ron crossed his arms. "What are you doing? Seriously."

"I'm reading. You know, between you and Hermione, I'm about to go mad!"

"Why haven't you been to check on her?"

Harry looked away. "I've been busy," he said at last.

"Busy reading?" Ron retorted.

Harry slammed his book shut. "Not anymore, apparently."

"Well?" Ron pushed.

"Well, what?" Harry very nearly exploded. "What are you on about?"

"Are you going to go down there?"

Harry blew out a breath. "I can't. I have things I need to do."

"Like what?"

"Like... practice looking at the Dark Mark," he spat. "Like thinking about what the hell I'm supposed to do when I pass out trying to face Voldemort. That sort of thing."

To Harry's absolute frustration, Ron rolled his eyes. "You want to lie to yourself, fine. You want to lie to me, fine, but don't drag my sister into it."

"This isn't about Ginny."

"Right," said Ron sarcastically.

"Look, what do want from me? What--? Just tell me and get it over with, won't you?"

"I want you to go and see her!" Ron retorted. "She asked about you--she's worried about you and you're sitting up here reading?"

"Well, she shouldn't be," Harry said, trying to shake the guilt away.

"It's too late now."

No it wasn't.

"Look I should never have... her role in this finished now... she shouldn't have to be involved anymore. It's not right, so I'm just going to... what?" he asked, startled at the way Ron was looking at him. His eyes were narrowed and he looked ready to kill.

"You're just going to... what, Harry?" he asked in a low voice. "Stop... talking to her?"

Harry looked away. "It's probably for the best that I do."

"You're right," said Ron softly. "You are going mad."

"I don't want to talk about this right now--"

"She knows what you're trying to do--"

"I'm going upstairs."

"Harry--"

But Harry didn't let him finish, he slammed the door and stormed up the stairs.

~*~

When Ginny awoke, she immediately squinted at the bright light harassing her eyes. She wanted to sit up, but her head was still a bit cloudy, so she turned to see if there were any other patients in the wing. Nope... it was only her in the large, spotless room... just as she'd been alone a couple of hours ago when she'd woken up in the middle of the night, desperately wanting someone to talk to... and just as a few hours before that when Ron had finally left, his eyelids drooping.

Ginny had found many ways to occupy her time during last night. She'd counted the number of windows and candles in the room. Then she'd counted the number of beds and realized with mild surprise that there were the same number of beds as there were windows. She counted the wooden arches on the ceiling, the number of paintings on the wall. She'd met and spoken with the woman who lived the in the painting just next to her bedside. Her name was named Mary and she was planning to attend a ball in a painting of a French Ballroom located on the fifth floor.

After Mary had left for the ball, Ginny had been left alone to go over everything that had transpired that day, to play out in her mind, the information everyone had given her about what was transpiring in the school.

When Ginny had first woken up from the potion, she'd bombarded everyone she could with questions of whether or not she'd been helpful. Her inquiries, however, weren't answered as fast they were asked. Madam Pomfrey didn't know anything at all because she hadn't been in the room during the process. Ron avoided any questions she had on the events of the Venenum Sopor by telling her that it was all "fine" and that she'd been "a great help." Ginny had gotten the feeling that Ron wasn't comfortable talking about the subject.

So Ginny had asked him all the other questions she had. What was going on inside the school? What everyone was doing with the absence of lessons? How was Hermione managing her Head Girl duties? And the one she wanted answered most of all: How was Harry dealing with everything? To these questions, Ron answered rather thoroughly--except to the question on Harry.

"Harry's fine," he'd said. "He always deals with everything his own way."

And that's all she'd heard from Ron on the subject of Harry.

Hermione had been a bit more substantial, although her visit had been short-lived as she was very busy with Dumbledore's instructions. She'd said that Harry was "okay," that he was supposed to look at the Dark Mark as a sort of practice. Hermione had also explained that Dumbledore had suggested she go outside with him after lunch as he didn't want Harry doing it on his own.

"I wish I knew more, Gin," Hermione had said. "But the truth is, I haven't seen him all day."

Just then Madam Pomfrey came bustling through the door and Ginny lifted her head in hopes that it was a visitor. She lay back down when she saw her.

"How are you, dear?" she asked Ginny, feeling her forehead and taking her pulse.

"I'm doing better. Much better. Madam Pomfrey, when will I be able to leave?"

"Not for a while, dear. Your brother was here earlier this morning--you were still asleep."

"Oh." Ginny was disappointed that she missed him. "Well, what time is it now?"

"Half past noon," the nurse said absentmindedly, using a strange magical instrument to take Ginny's blood pressure.

"Noon? I can't believe I slept so--" she was cut off when Madam Pomfrey shoved a wooden stick in her mouth to gouge her fever.

"Everything's normal," she informed her cheerfully.

Ginny sat up a little and looked at her hopefully. "So I'll be able to leave much sooner, right?"

"I'm afraid not, dear. You can't do anything strenuous. You'll be very weak for a while, possibly a few weeks."

"A few weeks? I can't stay here that long, Madam Pomfrey. Please-- I promise I won't do anything strenuous."

"I'm sorry dear. Try and sleep now; it'll do you good." And she left.

Ginny slumped back into her pillow and groaned. She would be much better off on the sofa in the common room surrounded by her friends and being able to discuss everything than laying here alone in bed. She would be getting the same rest as she was now and her friends would be a nice diversion to help her not worry so much. Being alone only made her think the worst and worry herself over every little thing. She'd spent the better part of the night in a cold sweat thinking about that day at the lake when Harry had opened that letter and the Dark Mark had risen out. It was floating over the castle now. The war was coming to Hogwarts and they were all right in the middle of it.

It was comforting to know that Hogwarts was still the safest place to be, but it wasn't so comforting when Ginny thought about her family. If Hogwarts was the safest, even with Voldemort targeting it, then what must it be like out there, without any protection? She couldn't imagine waking up without knowing Albus Dumbledore was right there.

Ginny closed her eyes and thought about Harry. She feared for him... and for herself. She feared losing him and she knew that was selfish, but she didn't care. He could die, she'd told herself once, but refused to think it again. There was no way to prepare herself for that... no way.

It didn't help that Harry hadn't been to see her at all. She knew he was probably very busy, but she had a sinking feeling why he hadn't even sent her a message or stopped by for at least five minutes. She knew how he worked and she knew he'd been there when Dumbledore had questioned her under the influence of the Venenum Sopor. He was wallowing in his stupid guilt and if she weren't lying in a bed, she would march up to him and tell him to stop this nonsense and talk to her. Perhaps she would even start a fight about it. But then she told herself, that was Harry. He always closed up inside his guilt and she needed to bring him back to reality--but she couldn't do that because she was stuck in a hospital bed.

Just when Ginny had started counting the number of stones surrounding each window, Hermione poked her head inside the door. "Awake?"

"Yes!" Ginny said excitedly, struggling to sit up. The movement left her a bit breathless, and her head began swimming slightly, but she didn't care. She was more thrilled to see Hermione at that moment than ever.

"How are you?" she smiled at Ginny as she plopped down onto the side of the bed.

"Oh, I'm fine. Much better. What's going on out there? Any change?"

"Not really. The Aurors are still trying to access whatever it is they discovered, but Dumbledore's being really vague about the entire thing. And Harry--" she broke off and looked a bit awkward.

"What? What about Harry?" Ginny asked. "Please, Hermione, tell me what's going on with him. Ron won't tell me anything, and Harry hasn't even been by--please. I have to know what's going on out there and... and how he's doing."

Hermione nodded, understanding in her eyes. "He's okay," she said in a low voice. "He's handling everything like he always does--you know--"

"Keeping it all to himself?" Ginny asked quietly.

"Yeah," Hermione sighed. "But we walked around outside yesterday so he could look at the Dark Mark and he didn't pass out. It actually went very well."

"Really?" she asked, glad to hear anything that resembled good news.

"Yep."

Ginny sighed. "But other than that, I mean to say, is he... okay?"

Hermione bit her lip. "I won't lie to you--he's having a hard time of it. But he said that Dumbledore told him he has complete faith in him, so... I trust Dumbledore knows what he's talking about."

Ginny smiled despite herself at Hermione's attempt at a joke.

Just then the door opened and Ron came through. Ginny sat up a little more--and her eyes lit up when she saw what he was holding in his hands. It was an ugly pair of brown fuzzy socks.

A grin tugging at the corner of his mouth, Ron tossed the balled pair at her and she caught it.

"Thank you," she whispered, smiling happily and throwing off her covers to pull them on her feet.

"I don't get it," Hermione said peering at Ginny oddly. "Why are you happy he's giving you his socks?"

"Because she's insane," Ron quipped.

"Because they are the best second hand clothes in the entire family--and the only second hand clothes I can wear--at least from my own family and not some shop. They're the softest, fuzziest socks ever because they've been worn so many times. See?" She stuck out her foot and Hermione felt the socks.

"Oooh! Can I have a pair?" she asked, turning to Ron.

"Ha!" said Ron.

"Sorry, Hermione," Ginny said, sitting up more. "This is the first time he's let me wear them, and I beg him daily."

"And she steals them hourly," Ron retorted. But he was still smirking.

Ginny shot him a look. "Like you count your socks."

"Watch it, or I'll take them back with no regret."

"Oh, you'd regret it alright," Ginny said.

"That settles it. I've changed my mind," said Ron, grabbing Ginny's foot.

"Don't. I'm sick," she said in the overly pathetic voice she used so many times on her brothers. It sounded extra convincing this time since her voice was already a bit hoarse from the potion.

"That may work with Bill, but not with me," he said. But he threw her foot back onto the bed, sock still on.

"Don't!" Hermione scolded him, then gasped when she looked at her watch. "I've got to go! Justin is waiting. We're supposed to brief the common rooms. I'll be back, Gin," Hermione said to her and she squeezed her foot before rushing out.

"Bye," Ginny said and turned back to Ron. Suddenly, she felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. "Woah," she said, putting a hand up to her head.

"What's wrong?" Ron asked, his face going pale. "Do you want me to get--"

"No, no, don't get Madam Pomfrey; I'm fine. I'm just... I probably shouldn't be sitting up so much."

"You should be asleep," Ron snapped as he awkwardly helped her lay down. "And not awake entertaining people."

"Entertain?" she asked weekly, laying her head onto the pillow and loving the coldness of it against her cheek. "It was only Hermione."

"Still--yesterday all your little friends were coming in and out of here; it's too much, Ginny."

"You sound like Madam Pomfrey, Ron. Or worse--Mum."

"I'm just trying to make sure your okay," he said furiously. "Is that so terrible?"

"No," she said looking up at him as he tucked the covers around her. Her head was still spinning and her limbs were starting to hurt and suddenly she felt another kind of ache that was so much more devastating. Her Mum didn't sound too bad at all.

"Madam Pomfrey said I wasn't well, but I didn't believe her. I want to leave, Ron."

"Look, Gin, it's not much better out there, believe me. Everyone's sitting around acting like someone's died; nobody talks or does much."

"No," she whispered. "I meant I want to leave and go home. I want Mum." Her eyes filled with tears. It was a culmination of spending the entire night up worrying alone and hurting something terrible every time she thought about her family. She wiped furiously at her eyes--the crying was making her head pound.

"I know," Ron whispered. "I want to go home, too, but... I don't know how safe it is there."

"Don't say that. It's safe. Mum and Dad--"

"Can take care of themselves, but not everyone. They can't take care of everyone and from what it says in the paper... it's gotten really bad out there."

"D'you think... d'you think everyone is... okay?" she asked in a small voice.

Ron nodded. "Sure they are. We'd have heard something. Dumbledore would tell us if... well, he wouldn't keep anything from us."

Ginny nodded. "I s'pose your right. Don't you wish we were all together right now? I feel like... I feel like something is about to happen--we know it is--and here we are, all alone."

"We're not... exactly alone," Ron said. "I mean, at least... at least we're together, you know?"

Ginny stared up at him and then began to nod. "Yeah." It hit her suddenly what all this must be like for Ron. He probably felt like he had to take care of her in the absence of their parents. And she could tell he felt as though he wasn't doing a very good job of it. They stared at each other for a long minute before Ginny smiled a little and wiggled her feet. "Thanks for the socks."

Ron smirked and got up from his chair to sit on the edge of her bed. "Anytime."

"I don't have to steal them anymore, because I'm keeping these," she said, burrowing her head further into the pillow.

"I figured as much."

"I'll probably wear them out," she said, lifting her foot to look at the sock again. It was hideously ugly, but she'd never

been so happy to own something in her whole life. She giggled suddenly when she thought about something. "Remember when I used to steal them when they were still Bill's? I was about six and they came all the way up to my thighs."

"Mum went around saying her only daughter wanted to be a boy. She was so devastated."

She laughed and then, out of nowhere, yawned loudly. They both laughed.

"Wonder where that came from," she joked.

"You're tired. You should sleep, Ginny."

"I don't want to sleep," she said grumpily and killed her point by yawning again.

"Looks like you don't have a choice," Ron said, lifting brow.

"Okay, but you have to promise to use your Divination experience to know exactly when I wake up so you'll come back and talk to me," she said, giving up and closing her eyes. It felt really good.

"I'll do one better," he said and flopped down onto the next bed. "I'll already be here. It'd save me the trouble."

" `Kay," she mumbled and drifted off.

And indeed, Ron stayed. When she woke up later on, he was still there, now reading a comic that he'd brought to Ginny yesterday. They talked some more--he told her that Hermione had stopped by to brief him on everything. There was still no change with the Aurors and Harry was with them trying to find ways to open this passageway. When she asked if Harry had stopped by, Ron couldn't meet her eyes and told her that he hadn't. But she hadn't expected him to.

Ron left only to eat dinner, and then he was back and Ginny almost hugged him when she saw what he had brought her this time. It was her sketchbook and pencils. Ron let her draw him and they had a good laugh while she did. Hermione came in to visit again and Ginny wound up sketching the both of them making funny faces at each other. The laughter felt good.

They didn't speak about the war once.

When nightfall came, Madam Pomfrey ushered Ron and Hermione out and Ginny was left alone. After sleeping so much during the day, she wasn't very tired. She turned over on her side, hugged her pillow and tried not to worry. But it all flooded into her mind, every single fear.

After a while, she heard the door to the hospital wing open and when she turned over she felt almost weak from relief. It was Harry and he was standing there looking like he was lost.

"I scared you...?" he asked quietly.

"No," she whispered. "No, it's okay." She started to sit up, but he shook his head.

"Don't. Don't get up, you should... you should be resting. I shouldn't be here."

"Don't leave," she said quickly. "Please."

He finally lifted his eyes to hers and Ginny felt a tug on her heart upon seeing that they were completely cautious.

"I got permission to come. I can't stay long, I just..."

"I'm glad you're here, Harry."

He nodded and sat down in the chair beside her bed, pulling his knees in so that they didn't touch the side of the mattress. He looked as if he were afraid she might break if he got any closer.

"How are you feeling, then?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm okay. I just get tired is all. And I hate being here alone, it makes me worry."

He shook his head. "You shouldn't be worrying--"

"How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, but, Ginny--"
"Don't say I shouldn't be worrying. What else am I to do?"

He dragged a hand down his face. "Your part in all of this is over with, Ginny. You don't have to -"

"Over with?" she whispered. "How can you say that?"

"Because it's the truth. It is," he said firmly when she shook her head.

"Harry, nothing is over for me... for anyone. We're all in this together and I can't see why you don't understand that."

He looked away and Ginny pressed on.

"I know why you haven't come to see me and I think its rubbish. We're all in danger, and it's not because we're close to you."

He shook his head and went to interrupt her, but she cut him off.

"Don't. I know what you're going to say, and you're wrong. You can't save everyone."

Harry sat back in his chair, staring out the window and his green eyes looked very bright all of a sudden. He started to say something, but broke off, his eyes darting every which way. He let out a long breath.

"I'm scared," he said in a very low voice. "I'm scared of dying." It was as if he was realizing his fear out loud. "And I'm scared of what that will mean to everyone else. If I die, then... that means he'll win." He paused. "My scar is killing me," he said at last. "It's killing me. I don't know how I'm here right now and not lying unconscious somewhere."

She lifted a brow. "The Dark Mark helped you. Who would have thought?"

He laughed a humorless laugh and looked down. "That's what Dumbledore said. It is ironic, isn't it?"

She took a steadying breath. "Did you look at it today?"

Harry nodded. "Lupin went with me. Gave me some tips, you know."

Ginny's lips quirked. "I'll bet you were sorry Hermione didn't join you."

Harry looked up and saw her smirk. "She's driving me insane," he said at last.

Ginny smiled. "She means well."

"Oh, I know. But honestly, I don't know how Ron hasn't murdered her yet," he whispered, playing with the blanket on the side of her bed.

"I don't think he knows either."

Harry nodded and they sat in silence for a while until, out of the blue, he asked incredulously, "Are those his socks?"

She blinked and looked down at her foot, which was sticking out of the blanket. She held it up.

"Yeah. He gave them to me."

Harry looked at her, and his eyes weren't so flat anymore--they were tinged with humor. "And you accepted them, because...?"

She wanted to keep the smile on his face so she elaborated and went into the entire story, not leaving anything out and telling more than was necessary. When it was done, Harry actually laughed.

"You ran around with Bill's socks on? Why?"

"I don't know. I just loved them. Bill thought it was cute, so he bought me a pair for Christmas once. They were huge

and ugly, and covered in little orange fuzz balls. It drove Mum mad, and that only encouraged him. It was the best Christmas present I've ever gotten to this day."

"What happened to them?"

"Fred used them to store his dungbombs in."

"And that was the end of that."

"Oh, yes," she said and again, without warning, she yawned.

"You need to sleep. I should go," he said immediately.

She was about to protest, but found she didn't have the energy. "Can I ask you a favor?"

He leaned forward. "Sure, anything."

"Can you stay until I fall asleep? I hate being in here alone."

There was a change in his eyes...they softened somehow. "Yeah, sure."

"Thank you," she whispered. Their eyes locked. She didn't know how she knew it, but Ginny knew that Harry was feeling the same things she was. He looked down then, sliding his chair a bit closer to toy with her fingers.

Ginny sighed softly and felt her eyelids begin to droop as Harry's fingertips traced small circles over her knuckles. She allowed her eyes to shut. But then the door creaked open and they both jumped. It was Madam Pomfrey and she was rushing towards them.

"Remus Lupin is waiting for you out there," she said briskly to Harry. "You're to report to Dumbledore's office immediately."

Ginny sat up as Harry shot to his feet.

"What's happened?" she asked, climbing out of bed clumsily.

"All I know is that we need to evacuate the students onto the grounds. Now. You'll need a dressing robe," she said, hurrying to a closet.

Ginny looked at Harry and the answer was there in his face. Tears of protest filled her eyes. She wasn't ready for this... not yet. She grabbed his hand and nearly gasped when he squeezed hers so tightly. His eyes were filled with fear and they burned into hers. She felt like her fingers were about to break as she stared back at him.

Madam Pomfrey rushed back with her robe. "You have to go. Go. Remus Lupin is waiting for you just outside," she said to Harry.

She helped Ginny into the robe as Harry started to walk backwards.

"Bye," he said.

She couldn't say it, so she nodded her head and tried to look reassuring, but when he turned around and started walking away, she panicked.

"Bye," she called to him.

Harry turned and when he did, Ginny saw that his eyes had changed. They were darker now and radiating with resolve.

"I'll see you later, then," he said quietly.

Ginny nodded, staring at him and feeling a thrill of confidence that she couldn't explain when Harry pushed through the doors. They slammed closed, echoing in the darkened room and Ginny squeezed her eyes tight before allowing Madam Pomfrey to lead her out.

To Be Continued

The Hidden Tower