Rating:
R
House:
Schnoogle
Characters:
Draco Malfoy
Genres:
General Romance
Era:
Multiple Eras
Spoilers:
Philosopher's Stone Chamber of Secrets Prizoner of Azkaban Goblet of Fire Order of the Phoenix
Stats:
Published: 12/31/2003
Updated: 04/18/2004
Words: 181,191
Chapters: 46
Hits: 99,765

Harry Potter and Unexpected Beginnings

dan's girl62

Story Summary:
The summer after OoTP, Harry discovers he has control of his connection with Voldemort, and uses it to his advantage. With the help of his friends, and an unexpected joining of their team, Harry and the gang return to school for their 6th year and go in search of a way to defeat Voldemort. However, when teenage hormones set in, can Harry find room in his heart to love, or will he reject her based on fear of a prophecy that dictates his future...or lack thereof. Rated R for future chapters.

Chapter 36

Posted:
03/15/2004
Hits:
1,666


Chapter thirty-six

Harry and Ginny laid together on a couch in the common room. They had arrived some time ago, allowing Ron and Hermione to use the Room of Requirement. Neither of them wanted to go to bed and weren't ready to say good night. Harry nuzzled his nose in the soft fragrant hair of the girl wrapped securely in his arms. He sighed contently. He hadn't realized just how comfortable or relaxed he felt when he was with her until recently. It just felt right holding her and no matter how bad or strenuous the day had been, even with extra lessons with Snape, he could always count on feeling at home in her arms.

"Harry," she said softly, tingling as he leaned down kissing her neck. "What was the key for?" Harry chuckled in her ear.

"Do you really want to see?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Please?" she asked, turning in his arms.

"Give me a minute," he told her with a smile, kissing her briefly as he hurried up to his room. Ginny laid there on the couch, smiling. She couldn't remember ever feeling so happy. This simple, somewhat shy young man, was the only thing she needed in life to make her feel complete. In her mind, nothing could ever go wrong and nothing would ever change her heart. Ginny stretched deeply, her arms above her head and her eyes shut tightly. She was about to sit up when she felt something warm against her breast, like a tender caress. She opened her eyes, but didn't see anything. The pressure continued and she smiled, knowing exactly what or rather who, it was.

"Do you really think you can hide from me, under that thing?" she asked, moaning at the tender massaging motion against her thin blouse.

"I can try," Harry's voice replied, as the hood to his invisibility cloak was pushed away.

"You're impossible, Harry Potter. Irresistible, but impossible." Harry chuckled, reaching from beneath his cloak and pulling her up by the hand.

"Ready to see what your Valentine's present opens?" Ginny nodded with a smile, slipping beneath the cloak with him. They stepped quietly out the portrait hole and down the stairs, Harry led her toward the Whomping Willow.

"Where are we going?" she asked, huffing slightly from having to keep pace with his longer stride.

"You'll see," he smiled and then pulled her down to the cold grass. They crawled together toward the knot in the tree and pushed it, just as the tree began to sense a presence, its branches swinging in the night air. Harry raised his wand, whispering the word "lumos" and watching as the end lit in a soft light. He led Ginny through the opening in the trunk, removing the cloak and then stood up - to a crouching position below the small confines - and walked for several long minutes in silence. The air inside the cavern was filled with stirred up dust, cobwebs clinging to their faces and hair and their strained to see around the dimly lit surroundings. Harry stepped up to a sealed door and turned to the girl beside him.

"Do you have the key?" he asked, holding his hand up and taking the golden object she handed him. He raised the key to his wand and touched it with the glowing tip. "Ave regnare" he said, watching as it began to glow amber, then slipped it into the metal lock. The door immediately unlocked and he stepped aside to allow the young woman to enter. Ginny smiled as he slipped the key back into her hand and walked with her into the dusty room beyond. Harry led her through the deserted, broken furnishings of the many small rooms and up the stairs to another closed door. He smiled wickedly to her as he pushed it open, allowing her to enter first.

Inside was a room very unlike the rest of the house. The walls were a crisp, clean white, with elegant gold colored wallpaper halfway up them. Along the top of the walls were delicately etched moldings and along one entire wall stood a massive stone fireplace, already glowing with warm inviting flames. In the center of the room was a large four-poster bed, complete with a warm comforter of red and gold and matching drapes hung from all four ends. Several large overstuffed pillows lined the headboard and were strung out in front of the fire. Several candles lined the walls and mantle, illuminating the room in a soft glow. A small table sat on either side of the bed, draped with matching cloths of gold and red and covering the deeply varnished floor was a large, gold braided rug. Ginny gasped when she saw this. Even their hiding place in the Room of Requirements didn't look this elegant.

"How did you do all of this?" she asked him, walking to the bed and sitting on the side with a bounce.

"I have a confession to make," he told her, stepping up and taking her hand. "I'm a wizard. I believe in magic and have the ability to cast many unusual spells."

"Really?" Ginny asked with a raised eyebrow. "Then you might as well know, I'm a witch and if you don't stop being such a smart arse, I'll hex you into next week." Harry smiled, kissing her hands.

"You do realize that's impossible even magically?"

"That won't stop me from trying," she smiled back, a little too sweetly to be sincere. "So where are we, anyway?"

"We're in the Shrieking Shack. Remus used it while he was in school and Ron, Hermione and I discovered it in our third year, when Sirius escaped prison. Dumbledore had it sealed shortly after that and I stumbled across the key when I was practicing my Occlumency lessons with Snape. He's not as good at hiding his thoughts as he would like to pretend. He didn't even know I'd seen his memories of him helping Dumbledore seal the shack, or hiding the key in his desk drawer."

"How'd you get it without his knowing?" Harry sat on the bed next to her, his face taking on a very serious expression.

"Something strange happened one night, when I was practicing with him," he began in a quiet tone. "I saw his thoughts, I saw things he apparently didn't think I'd be able to see, so he didn't bother using the pensive to remove them. I saw him as a teenager and I saw him when he was a Death Eater. I saw the woman he loved. She was really beautiful. When Dumbledore told me he had lost his one true love, a part of me thought it was my mum, especially since she helped him study so much. But this girl was extraordinary. She had long dark hair and large blue eyes and she was tall and slender. Not anything I'd expect to fall for the old greasy git. Anyway, after I saw the memory, I was afraid I'd get cursed three times over and thought about my escaping the dungeons, when I noticed Snape wasn't moving. It was as if he was frozen or something he didn't blink or breathe. It only lasted a couple of minutes, but he didn't remember anything, not my seeing the memory, not his lack of movement, nothing. I tried it again a couple more times and each time it was the same thing but his freezing lasted longer. That was when I saw his memory of helping Dumbledore seal the shack and hide the key, so I took it without his knowing about it."

"Harry, do you know what you did?" Ginny asked in a surprised tone. "You used the 'lapis gelu' spell."

"The what?"

"The 'lapis gelu' spell. It's a very powerful and very difficult protection spell, where one uses their mind in which to freeze their subject as hard as stone. It's never exactly been outlawed, but it is on the list of Dangerous Spells, Hexes and Curses and it's among the Ministry's most guarded spells. It can freeze a person indefinitely if done correctly. How long did you say it lasted?"

"Just a couple of minutes the first time but the last time I used it, it lasted over ten minutes. That's how I was able to look for the key without getting caught."

"Harry, this is incredible but where did you learn it? It's very dark magic."

"I don't know, it just happened. Why would I know it, Ginny?"

"I don't know, but you really need to tell Dumbledore." Harry stood and paced to the fireplace, looking into the flames. Right now he wished he could speak with Sirius, he would be able to explain what happened and how he knew such an advanced, complicated spell. Ginny sensed his feelings and walked up behind him, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"I don't know how I did it, Ginny," he said softly. "It just happened."

"We'll tell Hermione tomorrow. I'm sure she'll have an answer." Harry turned and looked at the concern in the honey brown eyes that stared at him.

"Do you think I'm evil?" he asked, watching the shocked expression encase her delicate features.

"I would never think you were evil, Harry. There has to be a simple explanation, like maybe...I know, Snape used to be a Death Eater, right? He must have known the spell and when you were reading his mind, you picked it out without knowing. You must have used it against him, without any knowledge of it."

"It's possible, I suppose," he said unconvinced.

Harry look, I know you are anything but evil. You may have wicked thoughts sometimes, like setting aside a room in a forbidden shack so we can be alone, but other than that, you're perfectly wonderful. Now relax and show me what it is you planned for the rest of our holiday." Harry smiled, taking her in his arms. He did love her and as long as he had her support and confidence, he was sure he could never do anything wrong.

Without thinking about it further, Harry lifted Ginny in his arms, carried her to the bed and laid her on the covers. He kissed her lips in an act so tender, she could feel herself becoming hot and tingly all over. As he slid his tongue into her mouth to deepen their contact, his hands found their way down the front of her robes, which he quickly removed. He reached beneath the hem of her dress she had worn since her brothers' party, pulling it up her thighs as he trailed his fingers gently along the tender flesh, feeling the goose bumps rise beneath his touch. Ginny shivered in anticipation and moaned as he broke his lips away, kissing a hot path down her neck. Within minutes, he had her out of her clothing and lying beneath his eager explorations. He knew what it took to excite her and found his own desires raising to heights that matched hers. As his lips trailed down to the spot he knew would be her undoing, he managed to unfasten his pants and kick them off and pulling his shirt across his head, leaving them laying in a heap on the floor. This was how he had planned this night for over a week, ever since he discovered the spell Dumbledore had placed on the shack. He had imagined making love to her in a room so distant from the school, that she wouldn't consider anything but him. And somehow the thought that Dumbledore always knew what his students did and where, made him less than anxious to be in the castle right now. He didn't want to think about being watched, or even know that anyone was aware of what they were doing. He wanted to be completely free to explore and tease her as they had done back at Grimmauld Place and maybe allow her to vocalize her own desires as loudly as she wished, make the towns people of Hogsmeade think the Shrieking Shack was once again haunted.

Ginny stirred against the warmth that surrounded her. She loved waking up in Harry's arms and smiled as she snuggled closer to him, then further beneath the warm blankets. Harry's chest rumbled slightly as he chuckled, sensing her waking up.

"About time," he said softly. "I thought I'd have to carry you back to the castle like this." He gently ran a hand down her naked back to her hips, where he slowly caressed them.

"I don't want to wake up," she complained, tossing a long slender leg across his. "Can't we stay here forever?"

"That's fine by me, but what happens when the whole wizarding world comes looking for us? You don't think anyone is going to let the new Minister of Magic's daughter go missing without a full fledged search party, do you? Not to mention what you brothers will do when they find us like this. Percy still wants to send me to the gallows."

"Don't be silly, Percy would never lift a finger to harm you. He's not that strong and besides he'd have to go through me and I know he's not that brave."

"You are absolutely wonderful, do you know that?" he whispered as he began kissing her cheek, rolling her onto her back again.

"I know it," she answered with a smirk. "I know you'd never accept anything but the best. After all, look at this elegant room it's obvious you're used to being spoiled."

"Oh really? And just whom would you accuse of spoiling me? Surely not any of my relatives."

"Nope, just me," she whispered, wrapping her arms and legs around him. Harry chuckled, kissing her neck and ear. He didn't really seem to care right now that it was dawn outside, or that they had to return to Hogwart's before breakfast. All he cared about was having her in his arms, feeling the soft beat of her heart beneath his lips, hearing the scraping at the door. Harry sat up instantly, his hand reaching for his wand he had tucked under his pillow as he retrieved his glasses from the bedside table and put them on. Ginny looked alarmed by his actions and followed suit recovering her wand from the inside of her robes lying on the floor beside her.

Harry slowly slid out of bed, grabbing his pants and pulling them over his legs as he made his way silently to the door, where the soft scratching continued. He glanced back to Ginny, seeing her already wrapped in her robes and standing beside the bed ready for whatever was outside that door. He reached for the handle and taking a deep breath, pulled it open with a hard jerk. There was nothing there, but then Harry noticed the object close to the ground scurrying inside the room. He pointed his wand at it and shouted, "stupefy", then bent down and picked up the unconscious object by the tail. He looked at the skinny rat with narrowed eyes, his jaw set as he saw the silver front paw. Angrily, Harry tossed the rodent across the room, to land hard on the floor by the fireplace, his wand raised again and watched as ropes flew from the end, binding the rat tightly.

"Harry, what is it?" Ginny asked, stepping to his side.

"Wormtail," Harry answered, anger tinting every word. "He's the one who betrayed my parents to Voldemort, sent Sirius to prison for a crime he didn't commit and killed Cedric Diggory the night he helped his master regain his power."

"Why's he here?"

"Probably trying to sneak into the castle, to help his lord and master find a way in." The rat began to regain consciousness as Harry spoke, struggling against the ropes that bound him. Harry stepped over to him, picking him up once again by the tail.

"If you weren't a wizard, I'd throw you into the fire and let you burn in hell," Harry said as the rat tried to squirm free.

"Harry, let him loose," Ginny told him. "He can't go anywhere, we've got him covered, but we need to find out what he's doing here." Harry reluctantly unbound the rat, dropping him roughly to the floor and watched as it transformed from Ron's once beloved pet to the sniveling form of his parents once trusted friend. The silver arm Voldemort had conjured for him, after severing his own to make the potion that brought him back, glistened in the candlelight. He looked much older than Harry remembered and much thinner. His head was bald, except for a few stray hairs that didn't know any better. His eyes were sunken into his skull and his skin hugged his bones tightly, revealing the thin bones of his real hand, arm, neck and face.

"What are you doing here, traitor?" Harry snarled, his wand rose to the man's chest.

"I've come to speak with you," the man squeaked in an almost rat like voice. "I've come to warn you."

"Liar," Harry snapped, his wand rising to the man's head. "Why would you want to warn me? You helped bring Voldemort back to power, you betrayed your own kind, you killed my parents."

"You have to listen to me," Wormtail insisted. "I know you have no reason to trust me, but I am in your debt Harry. You saved my life and regardless of all that I've done, I must repay that debt."

"Then make it quick, before I call for Dumbledore and have you arrested."

"The Dark Lord is not happy about Weasley's appointment," Wormtail began. "He knows the Ministry is under heavy guard, but he is determined to learn the secrets."

"What secrets?"

"He wants the charms and spells that protect Hogwart's. He wants Dumbledore. He has a very loyal spy inside the Ministry, who has been trying to find the spells used to protect the castle."

"Why does he want the school?"

"There is a secret hidden within, a secret that he knows will bring an end to the war and bring him back to full power."

"What kind of secret?"

"Only he and Dumbledore know, but it is something that the Dark Lord fears above all else. It is said to contain great powers and secrets among the ages."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"All I know is that he's been concentrating all his energy on getting the counter spells for the school. If he gets them, there will be no end to the horrors he can release. This secret he seeks is said to be more powerful than even Dumbledore and he is insanely obsessed to find it." Wormtail cringed at the thought of how his master had been acting the last few weeks.

"He doesn't sleep, he barely eats and he stays alive out of hatred and the venom of his pet snake. Narissa Malfoy was believed to know what the secret was, but took it to the grave with her, if she did. Now he demands satisfaction. He demands the knowledge hidden within the castle walls." Harry stared at the man for a moment, disgust and anger biting into his soul as he tried to contain them.

"He won't get in," Harry said. "Who is this spy of his at the Ministry?"

"I only know that is someone trusted and thought highly of. There is one more thing, Harry, something that could bring about a deadly complication."

"More than you've already told me?"

"Bellatrix LaStrange is with child."

"So? What do I care?"

"The child belongs to the Dark Lord." Wormtail paused, watching as the knowledge began to sink in with the young man. He could still remember how thrilled his master had been when he learned that the spell he had used to inseminate her had worked. "It will not be normal. The Dark Lord is kept alive by Nagini's venom and her blood runs through his veins. He used that blood to create the embryo implanted in Bellatrix. He has predicted the child will be his heir in both the Slytherin kingdom as well as the wizarding world. It cannot be born. It will be the downfall of all wizards everywhere."

"Why are you telling me? What am I supposed to do? Walk into his lair and ask Bellatrix to abort it?"

"No, but be warned, Harry. It will come to birth and when it does, even the Dark Lord will not be its match. Its powers will be greater than any seen before. It must be stopped from being born."

"Tell me where he is," demanded Harry, watching the little man shrivel back in fear. "Where's he hiding?"

"He is at the one place his father always found refuge...that is all I can tell you. A spell was placed on all of us so that if we dare tell anyone of his location, our tongues would swell up and strangle us. I cannot say directly, you will just have to search the records Harry. You will find him."

"You know we can't let you go?" Ginny told the little man who smiled bitterly. "We have to turn you over to the Ministry."

"That will never happen, Miss Weasley," he said. "My life is already worthless, but I will not die in the Ministry of Magic or any prison known to wizard kind. I will be back, Harry," the man said, turning to look at Harry. "When the time comes, you will need all the supporters you can find. I will be ready to help you then." Harry frowned, his eyes narrowing on the little man who vanished with a loud pop before they could react.

Harry looked at the spot where Wormtail had stood. He had to get to Dumbledore and tell him what he had been told, but more than anything, he wanted to find Voldemort, to stop Bellatrix from bearing his child and stop him from getting to Hogwart's. He had already lost his parents and his godfather to the acts of that creature, he wasn't going to loose his home as well.


Author notes: Thank you again to "D" for all your hard work, support and listening to a rambling, bumbling idiot! For everyone else, please continue to R/R. I LOVE hearing what you have to say.