Dark Queen

Dark Queen

Chapter 1: Blocking All Thought

He went again tonight. He's been going every night for the past week now. Not that I am worried, I know why and where he goes. But it makes me restless all the same. Sitting all alone in the cold, dark house. The clock ticking on endlessly, tick, tick, tick. Every soft sound growing louder, until the clocks' tick's become unbearable, huge bangs, and the soft rustle of the trees outside sounding like evil whispers; He won't come. Gone forever. Gone.

I shut my eyes, blocking all thought. I knew trying to think of other things wouldn't help. I knew nothing would help. Harry had to do this. And I had to be patient and support him. But he was in danger. We all were.

He was paler than usual as he kissed me briefly and went out that late November afternoon. 'Don't wait for me,' he had said. But I always did; I had to make sure he was alright. He grabbed his wand off the kitchen table and stuffed it roughly in the pocket of his robes. He gave my hand a light squeeze and then walked out, shutting the door behind him.

The familiar feeling settled inside my stomach, as heavy as lead and as dark as night. The feeling of horror and sorrow; of fright and determination. But worst of all, the terrifying feeling of never seeing Harry again. Of waiting endlessly in the dark house and him never coming.

I walked into the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face, erasing the sticky trails my tears had made when dried. My vivid red hair hung loose, the ends getting wet. I was not going to behave like I had this week. I was not going to sit, trembling, waiting for news. I was not going to pace the room, hovering like a frightened bird between whether I should go to bed or grab my cloak and head after him. I had already made up my mind, and decided on the latter.

Quickly, as if I had practiced this for months, I got dressed and grabbed my wand, putting it securely under my black robes which contrasted greatly with my hair. I seized the small house key and put it in the lock, looking over my shoulder apprehensively, as if scared I was being watched. Taking one last look around the room and hoping nothing looked suspicious, I took a deep breath and stepped out, locking the door behind me. The key glowed golden for an instant, then turned jet black, sealing the keyhole magically. I sighed heavily, then nodding in renewed determination, turned around and headed out into the night.

~*~

My every breath rose in mist before me; my footsteps echoed loudly on the wet pavement. I drew my cloak even more tightly around myself as the cold air closed in around me. I wished that we could use magic to travel; walking through unfamiliar muggle streets frightened me. The dark corner which I feared He may lurk, the bare yellow light of the streetlamps casting long, grotesque shadows down the road, and me, all alone near these disturbing features.

But we couldn't use the floo network or even apparation; I knew that if we did, we could be tracked down. We would be caught. And Harry would have to pay the price of my foolishness again.

It started raining heavily, every drop stinging like bullets on my skin. I quickened my pace down the alleyway, panting slightly. A car alarm went off somewhere down the street, making me jump. I paused for a while near a heavily graffitiied wall, my breath coming in short, ragged gasps, my face pale and clammy.

My eyes grew wide as I saw a deformed shadow, limping towards me and growing larger. Not even daring to scream, I turned and ran; ran as fast as I could the rest of the way, never looking back.

~*~

Slipping and sliding in my heeled boots, I half walked, half ran up the road. Panting, I finally reached it, and concentrated hard: The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. Number twelve appeared, pushing the houses on either side of it and looking eerie in the rain. I ran up to the porch and knocked urgently.

'Name?' asked a hoarse voice from the other side of the door. I hesitated, then opened my mouth.

'G- Ginevra Potter?' I said warily.

The door opened with a creak and I saw Neville Longbottom, pointing his wand at me. 'Harry?' he called over his shoulder into the gloomy hallway. There was soft yellow light coming from a room on the left, its flickering quality proving it was candle light. Harry emerged from this room, green eyes widening as he spotted me, my hair dark, wet and matted onto my pale face.

'Ginny!' he whispered, pulling me inside and removing my wet cloak. 'What are you doing here?'

'I- I had to come,' I stammered.

Harry helped me into the room, where I was greeted by Ron, Remus Lupin, Fred, my mum, and Hermione, who leaned over her bulging tummy to give me a hug.

'How is he? I asked Hermione, patting her round front.

'Fine, fine. Perfectly content, bashing my body all day long,' she said, rolling her eyes and smiling. I smiled, too.

Mum put a steaming bowl of tomato soup in front of me. 'Drink that up, honey, it'll warm you,' she said, now starting to put chicken and salad on my plate.

'Later mum!' I said, pushing it away. 'I wanted to talk to you, Harry,' I said, looking over at his expression which looked like he knew I hadn't come all the way here to check on Hermione or have dinner.

Harry bent down to whisper something in Remus' ear. He nodded and Harry took my hand, leading me across the severed elf heads (Kreacher's was there too) and up the stairs. He led me into a room, one which I recalled as the room Hermione and I had stayed in during the summer of my fourth year. He shut the door behind him and sat next to me.

'What's wrong?' he asked seriously. 'Tell me.'

I sighed and looked into his emerald eyes. 'Harry, you can't just expect me to sit at home after what happened,' I said. He looked extremely taken aback.

'Please Ginny, stop dwelling on the past,' he answered slowly

'How can I? It haunts me. I think of it day and night, I can't get the image out of my head! You, lying down, as if dead and I- I...' my voice trailed away as I fought down a sob. Harry held me in his arms.

'It wasn't your fault; it wasn't anybody's fault. Just try and forget it alright?'

'I- I can't!' I finally broke, letting go of all self control as the tears came. Harry cupped my chin and looked into my eyes. 'I promise, I'll never leave you,' he said.

'How can you promise that?' I snapped. I was angry at him; angry because he was too brave, angry because he was too optimistic. But deep down, I knew very well that the only person I was angry at was myself.

'Because we won't let that happen again. We are better prepared. What happened was an accident,' Harry answered patiently.

'Yes it was an accident. Caused by me. And it was going to cost you your life!'

'Stop being so dramatic,' Harry whispered, stroking my hair. 'It's not like I haven't faced death before. I'm getting quite used to it.'

'It's just that- I couldn't bear it if you got hurt because of a blunder of my own.' He kissed me softly. Outside, there was an ear- splitting crash of thunder and a dazzling fork of lightning.

'You'd better stay here tonight,' he said, opening the door. I'll send Dobby up with your dry clothes. Good thing you forgot them here the other day,' he grinned. I smiled weakly too, and said goodnight.

When I was changed and was lying between the comfy sheets, my gaze lingered to the storm outside. Rain was pouring down in torrents, and I jumped awake every time there was a particularly loud clap of thunder. Harry didn't come up next to me. Feeling restless, I reluctantly turned over and closed my eyes, forcing myself to an uneasy sleep.

Chapter 2: The Wrong Choice?

Sunlight was pouring into the room from the dusty window as I opened my eyes slowly. As I stretched, there was a soft knock on the door. 'Yes?' I called, standing up and covering my lace nightie with the duvet. Dobby's pencil- shaped nose poked around the door.

'Your clothes Miss!' he squeaked and put my freshly laundered black robes on the bed.

'Thanks Dobby,' I answered, tying my hair up. 'Do you know where Harry is?'

'Sir is downstairs at the meeting!' The elf bowed low and retreated.

I dressed at top speed and rushed downstairs. There were low murmurs coming from the dining room, the rustle of parchment and the occasional clatter of a knife or fork could be heard as well. Fred had arrived too, and was now scratching his head and studying a map.

'Good morning,' I muttered randomly, and picked a seat next to my brother. Harry looked questioningly into my eyes, but I smiled and, pretending everything was normal, took a stack of pancakes from Hermione. Harry still had a disbelieving expression as he bent over to talk to Ron.

'Has there been any news from the Association?'

Ron shook his head. 'Not a single owl.'

'Why are they refusing to keep in touch though?'

'I don't know. We should have sent someone to see what happened. Maybe they were found?'

'Just incase, don't send any more owls. If they were caught, we would be giving information directly to the enemy's hands,' Harry said worriedly, taking a gulp of tea.

'You mean the old members of the D.A.?' I cut in.

Hermione nodded. 'We need all the help we can get, but we haven't had any news from them for five days.'

'Has Voldemort put any of his plans into action yet?' I asked anxiously.

'Not yet,' answered Remus. 'But it's only a matter of time now, with Dumbledore gone...' the entire table was silent for a few minutes, trying to digest the harsh fact that Dumbledore was dead.

Fred broke the silence. 'Well, I'd best be off,' he said, getting up. 'I left George and Alicia to take care of the shop, and I have to drop by the Ministry; dad said he would schedule a meeting for all the Aurors in the Ministry's employment for today.'

'I'll come with you,' said Ron, getting up. 'Hermione, you have to rest today,' he added as his wife made to stand.

'I'm just pregnant you know, not disabled,' said Hermione, frowning, but she sat back down anyway.

It was quite an uneventful day. Hermione, mum, and I helped around the house while Harry and the other members of the Order sat talking and going over plans, the table littered with parchment, quills, diagrams and coffee mugs.

~*~

'Will you go again tonight?' I asked Harry quietly as well all got up from the dinner table. Harry shook his head. 'We can't act without help from the Association, it would be too risky. We have to back out for a while, maybe one or two days.'

'That's not much.'

Harry held my hands. 'I can't stay with you forever, Ginny. But I told you I'd never leave you.'

'Should we go home then?' I asked.

'Yeah, might as well,' he answered, standing up and grabbing his keys.

We hardly talked as we drove back home. The storm had lessened, but it was still raining heavily. The dirty gutters on the streets were overflowing, just as my heart was overflowing with too many complex and mixed emotions. I looked over at Harry once or twice. His eyes were wide and glassy; it was obvious his mind was elsewhere. I looked back down at my lap.

We drove into our garage and he turned off the engine. The sound of the rain doubled in volume. We got up and, still not saying anything to each other, went into the house. The familiar smell of the new sofas and coffee hit me as we entered. Everything was how I had left it; the half drunk coke on the table and the magazines on the floor which I had tried to distract myself with.

Harry sat and held a sharp black quill between his fingers, a piece of parchment in front of him. I sat next to the window, peering through the misty glass out into the dull night. For a few minutes the only thing disturbing the silence was the spitting of the burning candle and the howl of the wind outside. I took a deep breath and sat down my mug of tea.

'I'm going out,' I announced suddenly.

Harry looked up, startled. 'Where?'

I shrugged. 'I fancy a walk.'

Harry stood up extremely fast. 'You can't be serious. You know our situation. You know how dangerous it is.'

I looked at him coolly. 'So it's because I can't look after myself, is it?'

'Of course not- '

'Then what?' I asked.

'Ginny, you know how it is... I'm just scared for you, that's all,' he said uncomfortably.

'Look Harry, I'll be fine, alright? Just for a few minutes, let me be alone. You know, think things over,' I said, putting my shoes on.

'Ginny- NO! Don't you understand? He can turn something like just a quick walk into his advantage! We can't give him any reason to harm you, me or anyone in the Order!' Harry burst out.

I turned around to face him. 'The Order. Right. It's always about the Order isn't it? Nothing we do, think or say should affect the Order's progress in any way. Is that what you call a life?' I shouted out.

A stunned silence followed. Harry gritted his teeth, staying calm. 'You know I don't have a choice,' he said slowly.

'Well, I had a choice. But I threw it away, just to be with you!'

'So now you're regretting that you chose to be with me?' Harry said, his temper, as always, getting the better of him.

'Maybe I am!' I shot back, throwing my cloak around my shoulders and heading out. Harry panicked.

'Ginny? Oh come on...' But I had already stepped out, slamming the door behind me.

~*~

I walked fast, heart thumping frantically in unison with my footsteps. I hated it; I hated having to live so cautiously, hardly able to do anything that normal people do. I hadn't minded at first, because it meant that I could be with Harry, but now, it was starting to feel unbearable.

The wind blew fiercely, making my eyes water, though it could have been because I was crying; I didn't know, nor did I care. The moon weaved in and out of the black clouds. Starting to feel slightly guilty for shouting at Harry like that, I turned back.

After all, it wasn't Harry's fault. He couldn't help being the only one who could kill Voldemort. He hadn't wanted to be The Boy Who Lived. He had told me all about it, how every night he wished he could have died the night his parents did so he didn't have to be a murderer at the end, how he had to endure so much emotional pain all because of a prophecy.

Not seeing where I was going, not concentrating on anything except these harsh facts, I tripped and fell, cursing as my hands stung and started to bleed. I dusted them off, trying to clear the cuts.

I realized way too late that someone had apparated behind me in a swish of their black cloak. I realized too late that he had covered my mouth to muffle my scream. All I did was catch a last glimpse of cold, grey eyes through the hole of his mask, then all I saw was black...

~

They had already disappeared when the moonlight threw the dark street into plain view.

Chapter 3: Taken Advantage

I woke to the sounds of low murmurs. The dark room slid in and out of focus. But I could, blearily, make out many people in black cloaks, all masked. Realization of what had happened and what they were hit me so fast that I gasped and sat bolt upright.

My robes were dirty, as if I had been pulled along the floor, but I hugged them to myself all the same. The Death Eater closest to me turned, having heard my gasp, and pulled his mask off. My eyes grew wide as I looked into the face of Draco Malfoy.

As he reached out a finger to touch my face, I winced and backed away into the black wall, as far from him as possible. His silver eyes seemed to look at me with pity and sadness, not mockery and triumph as I had expected. The next second I believed I had imagined it; the sad shadow disappeared, and he looked brisk and serious.

He stood and said something to the Death Eater behind him; I recognized him as Lucius Malfoy by the long, blond- white hair spilling out of his hood. He turned to me.

'Welcome, Mrs. Potter,' he said slowly, taking off his mask. He smirked down at me. 'Lord Voldemort is anxious to see you,' he added, laughing softly in my ear. I nearly let out a sob escape my lips, but then stopped. I wasn't going to act like this. I wasn't going to be weak and beg. Harry never had. And I wouldn't either.

'He is not my Lord,' I said defiantly, staring back into his eyes.

He didn't look intimidated though. 'You'll find that could change, Mrs. Potter,' he smirked. 'When he arrives, you may see.'

'I am already here.'

The cold, high voice echoed in the room, so cold that I felt it in my very heart. All the Death Eaters fell to their knees at once. 'Master, master...' they muttered, standing back and clearing his view of me.

Nothing could have prepared me for seeing what I saw next. Lord Voldemort emerged out of the crowd of black cloaks, scarlet eyes boring into mine. His face was white, his fingers long and frail- looking. Only now did I truly understand how brave Harry must be. I, having never seen him in his true form, felt more helpless than I ever had. It was a good thing I was sitting on the floor; my legs felt shaky. As he opened his mouth to speak, every syllable cut through me like freezing cold knives.

'My dear Ginny- we meet again.' I felt my whole body shaking, my throat constricted. Flashes and flashes of memories flood through me, each one causing me to breath deeper and my head to spin, until I was laying down on the ground, wishing it would all stop. The dairy. The petrified people. Blood on my hands. Waking up in the Chamber, seeing Harry dying from poison. I had only been 11 then, but I felt an increase in my fright, even though 12 years had passed.

I closed my eyes, wishing it would all go away. Voldemort laughed seeing me breaking down. 'Too intimidating in this form, am I? Very well...' I let out another gasp as Tom Riddle, now a man, stood in his place.

'Do you remember me now?' he asked, smiling, reaching for my hand. His grip was cold as ice but for some reason it felt soothing, numbing, and I didn't pull away. 'You do, don't you?' he said slowly. I nodded silently. 'Good,' he said, standing up. 'No need to lock her up with the rest. Just bind her and put her in a separate room. She's my guest, not my prisoner,' he laughed, the Death Eaters along with him.

Suddenly the dazed feeling in me broke away and was replaced by uncontrollable rage. 'Wait! WAIT! Why are you doing this to me? I am of no use to you!' I shouted, hitting Lucius Malfoy who was trying to approach me, wand in his hand. 'Let me go! Let me go you bastards!' I made to stand up but found ropes round my wrists. Letting out a cry of frustration, I fell back down, straining to free myself.

Voldemort laughed, turning back into his actual form. He clicked his white fingers, and a scarf wound around my mouth, nearly obstructing my breathing, let alone my speech.

'No use?' he asked, reaching into his robes. 'Oh you will find that you are very useful to us. We do need someone to give this Veritaserum to, for example,' he said, pulling out a glass phial with clear liquid. At this I strained against the ropes more, the harsh material cutting into my hands. He nodded once to Lucius Malfoy, and then disappeared with a swish of his cloak.

Malfoy came closer to me and laughed in my ear. I wasn't afraid of him. I aimed a kick at him which caught him on his knee. He let out a grunt in agony, then slapped me sharply across my face. I let out a cry into the scarf, my eyes watering in pain. 'Get up you whore!' he spat, pulling me up roughly from my hair. My eyes watered more, but I didn't cry.

He led me through a series of dark corridors, no windows or doors visible. There were flickering torches on the walls, but they were far from inviting. The fire burning in them was a blackish- blue, and only added more murkiness to the atmosphere.

Every time I slowed down, feeling reluctant to go through pitch black hallways I was being led through, I felt Lucius Malfoy push me forward, sometimes causing my to fall heavily. At last, when we came to a halt in front of a black door, my robes were grey with dust from the floors.

The door clicked open, and he shoved me roughly inside. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, I thought, as I looked around the room I was supposed to stay in.

It was small, but the walls were a clean white in contrast to the black tunnels leading here. There was a table with a small mirror on the wall, and a window, even though it had bars on it. The bed was old and the duvet was black, but it looked thick and soft.

Malfoy flicked his wand and the ropes and scarf disappeared, his expression looking like he very much would have liked to keep them there. Rubbing the feeling back into my arms, I walked over to the window.

'You should be grateful that the Dark Lord spared your pathetic life,' Lucius said darkly. 'But if you try to escape, we will kill you. So I wouldn't even try,' he leered.

'You're a coward then,' I answered, continuing to look outside. He slammed the door shut and locked it magically.

I couldn't run away alright. All around was just unending, steely grey sea, stretching far until the horizon. I was in Azkaban.

Chapter 4: The Reality of it All

The day passed without much incident. I didn't have anything to do, and the Death Eaters certainly didn't provide anything for entertainment. They were even wary when I asked to be let out to go to the toilet. Lucius was gone, no doubt on some mission for Voldemort, so Draco was guarding me. He was silent and aggressive at first, but when he entered my room in the afternoon, he looked depressed and distracted.

'What's wrong?' I asked. Even though he was a Death Eater and I couldn't care less for them, he seemed okay, and he had treated me fairly.

'Why should you care?' he shot back, checking the room with a spell for anything I could have hidden to help me out. He came and did this every three hours, which was pathetic, I thought, because they knew I hadn't brought anything with me last night.

'Sorry for being civilized,' I said, just about had enough. 'I must have forgotten for a moment that you are a cold- hearted Death Eater. Do you mind if I don't act terrified? I'm tired, you see.'

He let out a snarl. 'Don't call me that ever again!' he shouted angrily. He must have had a disagreement with his father or something, I thought, and shrugged.

'Whatever. It's kind of hard to stop yourself when you have a hood on and the Dark Mark engraved on your arm,' I answered and turned to the window. 'Just do what you want and go away, Malfoy, because I have enough reasons to be depressed for. I don't need you to shout at me and increase my misery further,' I said, gazing out to the brilliant sunset from behind the metal bars.

For once, he actually shut up. The he took a deep breath. 'Lord Voldemort invited you to have dinner with him tonight, at eight o' clock sharp. Make sure you look presentable. I will come to take you to the dining room at seven- forty five.' He pointed his wand at the bed and an emerald green robe appeared, which had leaves embroidered on the edges with thin gold thread.

He pointed again, and a make- up bag materialized.

'Don't bother,' I said. 'I'm not coming.' He shrugged. 'Do what you think is right. But if he's angry then he will give you the Veritaserum, and I doubt that you'll be able to stop yourself telling him every detail of your friends' headquarters.'

I laughed. 'As if he will ever be able to catch Harry,' my throat felt constricted as I thought of him, so my next words came out croakily. 'He has more power than Voldemort ever can,' I said, looking away so he couldn't see my tears.

Draco sighed. 'Yeah, I guess Potter would have enough brains to escape, but what about the rest? He wouldn't try and save you alone.'

I bit my lip. Arrogant and disdainful as he was, he was still right about this. It wasn't worth the risk. 'Okay I'll come,' I said quickly. He turned and exited, shutting and locking the door behind him.

~*~

I slowly stepped out of my ragged and dirty robes. I slipped into the new ones; they felt soft like velvet and fitted snugly. A little too snugly, I thought, but it was the only thing I had, so I had to make do with it. I pulled and smoothed here and there so I wasn't outlined too outrageously.

I didn't care too much about the make up, I just put on blush and concealer since I looked very pale and clammy. I just slapped on some eyeliner and lip-gloss, not even bothering about anything else. I pulled a comb through my hair and sat on the bed, waiting for Draco, since I didn't have a watch.

He entered a few minutes later, looking very bad tempered as he slammed the door shut behind him once more.

'Are you ready?' he asked. I nodded. He raised an eyebrow. 'You haven't made much of an effort.'

'Do you think I care about looking good at the moment?' I gritted my teeth.

He shrugged. 'How can I know? Women like looking good.'

I snorted. 'Well I'm not that type of woman then. What do you expect me to do, flutter my eyelashes at Voldemort or something? He's not exactly prince charming in that disgusting form. How can a person do that to themselves?'

'Well he's not really a 'person' is he? Come on, we'll be late.'

He conjured chains which wrapped themselves around my wrists. I winced. 'Can't you make them a little looser? This is torture, it's tight enough to cut my blood circulation.' He shook his head. 'Sorry I can't. Don't worry, you'll live with it.'

He led me through many more dark passages, but they were different than the ones I had gone through last night. There were cells on either side; prisoners must have been kept here when Azkaban was still under the Ministry's power. I could still feel the cold essence of the Dementors and, judging by Draco's shudder, he could too.

Suddenly Draco grabbed my chains and pushed me on his other side. But I had already seen what he wanted to keep me from. My friends were in one of the cells. The members of the Association. Parvati, Justin, Susan, Dean and Luna. They didn't see me. They were all lying down, their eyes closed, except for Susan, who had her face in her arms.

'Oh my god!' I gasped. Draco placed a firm hand on my shoulder and stirred me around a corner and away from the terrifying sight. 'W- What happened to them? Are they alright?' I asked Draco frantically. He put a hand to his lips, trying to calm me down.

'They're fine, don't worry. But...uh...' his voice trailed away and he swallowed.

'What about the others?' I asked.

'Well we couldn't catch all of them, so most of them are probably back wherever Potters headquarters are,' he started, and I let out a sigh of relief. 'That's about all the ones we caught. But there were three more who were in there, too...' he cleared his throat. 'Come on, let's go down.' He headed for a staircase.

I pulled him back. 'Please, please tell me. What happened?' I asked, my voice trembling. He looked at me with sad and sorry eyes.

'Two of them died in the struggle; Cho Chang and Padma Patil. And the third, Lavender Finnigan, killed herself after my father raped her,' Draco answered, his head bowed.

'Oh G- God,' I choked, sobs fighting to escape my throat.

Draco looked up. 'You have nothing to worry about Ginny. He told all the Death Eaters that we should treat you well. No one is allowed to lay a finger on you. You are lucky to be favored so much by the Dark Lord.'

I wavered between relief and horror. It was good to know that Voldemort would kill anyone who touched me or hurt me, but it was equally terrifying that he was the only one who could do these things to me whenever he liked.

Harry, where are you? I thought as we headed down slowly. I need you more than anyone now.

~*~

The atmosphere at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place was tense and horrified that night. Hermione plunked down the sixth mug of coffee in front of Harry, who was gazing into the fire, emerald eyes unblinking and glassy. Ron moved closer to him.

'Harry,' he started tentatively, 'It's alright. We're going to find a way of saving her. I just know we will,' he said, but his voice broke over the last few words and he turned away to hide his face.

Harry kept on gazing into the flames, dancing and licking the edges of the fireplace. 'My fault...' he muttered, 'all my fault...'

Hermione looked at him sternly, or as sternly as she could with red and puffy eyes. 'Stop blaming yourself, this wasn't anyone's fault. If Voldemort hadn't acted last night, he still would have sooner or later. This had to happen. Wasn't it you, Harry, who was saying how prepared we are for this day? Well, it has come,' she said, resting her hand on her friend's shoulder, 'and this is our chance to defeat him.'

She wobbled over to the oven, lighting it with a prod of her wand. 'If we could get in contact with Ginny secretly, she could tell us many things. We could form a strong plan depending on what she tells us, and then we could act.'

Ron cut in hurriedly. 'But Hermione, you aren't to take part in this, the baby will come in a few weeks, and I won't let you charge on a mission when what you need is rest -'

'Yes, Ron, yes, I know,' Hermione sighed. 'Stop worrying, I told you I will stay at Headquarters and keep you updated on what's happening, okay? Just stop fussing.'

Ron shook his head. 'But Hermione, you know as well as I do that-'

'Anyway Harry,' she said loudly, dolling beef into both their plates, 'it would be safer and smarter to go along with this instead of just barge in and demand her back.'

'How are we going to do this?' Harry asked, sounding as if all hope was gone.

Hermione took her seat. Her voice didn't shake anymore; it was brisk and determined. 'Firstly, we need to contact everyone in the Order and let them know about what happened. If they can't help us, no one can.'

The most subdued dinner ever eaten in Grimmauld Place followed her statement.

Chapter 5: Giving In

When I was finally led down the stone steps, a huge dining room came into view, but, like the rest of the prison, it was far from inviting. The walls were black with ancient symbols and figures carved on them, the torches on the walls burning a sickly yellow. A giant chandelier hung from the ceiling, burning the same yellow, and the cobwebs hanging from it were so thick that they almost seemed opaque.

Death Eaters were already sitting at the long table, which had three empty seats; Draco scowled as he saw his seat at the farthest edge, away from the main conversation.

The other empty ones were right at the other end, one of them huge and grand, obviously Voldemorts, and the other (my stomach tightened) on the grand chairs' right hand side, which must be mine. Draco didn't know how lucky he was.

Draco leaned into my ear. 'Don't worry. Just sit still and control your anger. If Voldemort ask you a question, answer him fast; don't raise your voice or swear, even though I know it's difficult not to...' He glanced around quickly, making sure we weren't being overheard. 'You don't have to answer the Death Eaters, in fact, you can get angry at them, he'll probably find it amusing watching you get so frustrated.' He rolled his eyes in disgust, gave my hand a squeeze and went to take his seat.

As I took my seat, the cold wind blew through the room, and I knew what to expect when I, very reluctantly, turned to face my left. He was Tom Riddle once more, and was looking at me absorbedly, dark grey eyes so intense that I felt afraid to look away. They searched my soul, my mind, my very heart. I felt my heart quiver, but not in fear. It was something else...

He was so close to me, so close, that I could almost feel him, and his skin wasn't ice, it was warm. His eyes showed triumph, then uncontrollable hunger, then something I couldn't tell. It was almost as if the soul behind the eyes had suddenly departed- and left nothing but its dark shadow behind.

He didn't utter a single word through the entire dinner. I have no idea why but for some reason, I found this rather mesmerizing, compelling, and even slightly... seductive. Powerfully seductive. But I don't think he had put a spell on me- I think I was feeling this with my own free will. This was what was making it scary.

He stood up silently after the meal, and all the Death Eaters stood up with him. He gave them permission to leave. Draco came to get me, but Tom Riddle stopped him. 'She is my guest tonight. You don't need to tie her,' he said to him, and Draco bowed and retreated, not even daring to catch my eye.

This didn't sound good. But what choice did I have? Obey or die. That was what I learned ever since I came here. The same rule applied to all the Death Eaters. I wasn't an exception, however favored I may be.

'Come, Ginny,' he said slowly, putting his arm on my waist and firmly taking me out of the dining room through a separate door. He led me up many stone steps and along so many passages which looked the same that I could never find my way back down to my room, even if I did manage to escape.

I should have remembered that he was an excellent Legilimens. 'Now, don't have such thoughts,' he said, putting a strand of hair behind my ear. 'I won't harm you. But don't try to escape. You couldn't manage it even if you did have a wand, which I might add you don't.'

I scowled. 'Yes, I noticed. No thanks to your group of dogs.'

He laughed softly. 'Yes, I agree my Death Eaters are getting surprisingly stupid. I do need smarter servants.'

By this time we had reached a statue in what I recalled the 25th passageway. But, I noticed, this was by far the grandest corridor in the building. The statue was a huge snake twisted around a sword, made of black marble.

Riddle hissed at it; and I gave an involuntary shudder. I had always got unusually uneasy whenever Harry spoke Parseltongue, but hearing it from Voldemort was much worse.

The snake slithered to life; it unwound itself from the sword and a door appeared behind it. He took my hand and led me resolutely inside.

It was a magnificent room; carvings and painting all around he high walls, but none of them were colourful or cheerful of course. Thin, jet- black candles were lit everywhere, but the flame wasn't yellow, it was blood- red. A huge fireplace was at the farthest wall, the incredible marble mantelpiece overcrowded with books on immortality, dark sorcery, Salazar Slytherin, Unforgivable Curses and History of the Dark Arts. He had obviously had a one- track mind in his youth. At least the huge fire made the room warm and a little bit more comfortable.

Suddenly I felt his breath on my shoulder. I jumped away, but he gripped my wrists tightly. I winced.

He looked puzzled. 'Why are you afraid, Ginny? Remember when you confided your deepest secrets to me? We were such good friends. You had depended on me then. Why change now?'

I pulled away, disgusted. 'Why? Well, it sure will take me some time to think of a few reasons. Oh yeah, here's an important one: you making everyone's life hell because you want to take over the world? Oh yeah, and you making my life hell by trying to murder the one I love?' I spat.

He raised an amused eyebrow. 'You really love Harry Potter then, do you?' He asked mockingly.

I held my head up high. 'Of course I do. I always have.'

Tom Riddle shook his head, tutting. 'Ah, Ginny. If only you didn't have this weakness which many do. If only I could have made you believe in my philosophy right from the start. There is no good and evil, Ginny. There is only power. Very few are strong enough to seek it; the rest are weak, blinded by what they call love.' He walked to the fireplace, staring at the flames.

'Love is nothing but a device; a device which makes people pathetic and stupid, blind to the dangers of being frail. But look at me, my dear Ginny, I have never believed in love. And look where this advantage has got me!' He opened his arms wide, smiling. 'It has given me full control over the world. It has made me the strongest wizard ever known. It has made me Lord Voldemort.'

I bit my lip, staring at the ground. I couldn't admit this to anyone, ever, that I believed he had a point. He was standing there magnificently, showing no empty space inside of him which was longing for love or being jealous of people who loved. He truly didn't care for being so heartless; in fact, as he said, it had done him good. And perhaps... it would do me good too?

He walked closer and closer to me, face half in shadow. He held me powerfully in his arms, his fingers numbing me as he touched my skin. I stayed where I was willingly, and when he took me to his bedroom, I went freely enough.

~*~

'Something terrible has happened. I know it!' Harry paced the room, trying to ignore the mumbles coming from the other side of the door. They had called nearly all the members of the Order, and the meeting was about to start. Ron and Harry were in the kitchen, helping Hermione making tea for all the members. Harry was fretting more than helping.

'Look, Harry, please, please be calm,' mumbled Hermione, pulling endless mugs and spoons out of a cupboard. 'Stop thinking of the worst. Ginny's not stupid; she'd have enough sense to keep her head down and not do anything to make them angry. I just hope those guys have figured out where she has been taken,' she said, nodding to the door, where the mumbles were becoming more persistent.

Ron depressively poured boiling water into cups. 'Yeah, she's right. I know it's hard, but we just have to bear it. I mean, do you think I'm all thrilled because the darkest wizard in the world has kidnapped my little sister? For all we know, anything could have happened to her. What if she's being tortured?' Ron's face became pale under his freckles. 'What if they killed her?'

Harry's eyes grew wide as saucers. Hermione sighed. 'That's tactful, Ron.'

'We have to face the facts s- sooner or later,' he shook.

'Yes I know, but you don't have to rub it in everyone's face. Look, we will g- aarrghh!!!' she suddenly doubled over, clutching her tummy. Ron and Harry both ran over to her. 'I'm fine, fine,' Hermione said, leaning on the table. 'It's just kicking that's all.'

'Aarrgh!' She shouted again, gasping. 'I- I think it's coming!' Her eyes grew wide.

What little colour there was in Ron's face left it. 'Oh no... Harry.... we have to go!'

'No no!' said Hermione, sitting down and breathing heavily. 'I'll be fine in a minute. Besides, they're all waiting, we can't cancel the meeting.'

But as Hermione let out another scream, Ron pulled her upright. 'Oh yes we can!' And with that, they both disapparated.

Harry ran into the meeting room, uttered a quick explanation and apology to the surprised faces, then hurriedly disappeared after them.

Chapter 6: Facing your Fears

I couldn't breathe! I was gazing down, helplessly, trying to keep conscious. I was gazing down at three bleary faces, which I could make out as Ron, Hermione and Harry's. Lord Voldemort showered spells down onto them. Oh please NO! Hermione, my greatest friend! Fell heavily, blood all over her face. I screamed and cried into the scarf. I must help them, must help!

Ron was next, oh Ron, my brother, my closest brother, he yelled as he was thrown of his feet and fell next to his wife, neck at an odd angle. I struggled and gasped, now sobbing into the scarf, straining against the ropes which dug into my arms.

Harry tried to fight, my brave Harry, but Voldemort gave one whip of his wand and a black flame flew through the air, cutting Harry's chest deeply. I screamed my heart out in agony as he fell onto his back, the floor around him staining a dark red. He was gone! My love, my one love, he was lying there, face blank and expressionless, I was above him, tied, helpless. I let down all my friends. I couldn't save them! They had done so much for me; I hadn't even been able to stop Voldemort.

I was sobbing uncontrollably, my sight blurred, my hearing completely distorted. All I could hear was his scream, my Harry's scream, combined by my own as he fell. I cried and gasped into the scarf, but it wasn't there!

I was standing next to Voldemort, and my face was no longer wet from tears...I was laughing, laughing down at the gruesome scene below us. My Lord had defeated the boy at last. The Dark side had won the final battle! My Lord handed me Salazar Slytherin's dagger, a magical one which killed as soon as it made contact. This was an honor reserved only for me.

I walked down from the dais with the dagger in my hand, slashing away at Ron and Hermione's bodies. Was that their names? I could hardly remember. Who cared anyway? They were all the same, mudbloods and traitors, weaklings who were so engulfed in what they thought was 'good'. I cut the girls hair, ripped the boys face, then turned to Harry Potter. I smiled and gripped the dagger even tighter, lifting it to the air. As I sank my arm down at his chest, someone suddenly screamed, louder and louder! It was I who was screaming, staring at the bloody dagger in horror, staring at by beloved Harry's face- What was I doing? There was blood all over me; all over...the smell of it engulfed me as my stomach lurched... I screamed and screamed...

I sat up in the darkness, my throat constricted by my pillow, the sheets tangled all around me. Leaning over the bed, I was violently sick, my whole body quivering. I put a shaking hand up to my damp forehead, sighing in relief as I lay back down. It had been the worst nightmare I had ever experienced. I still couldn't get the image out of my head. Harry, lying down, blood all over him...flashes and flashes of the dream were pounding through my head, but they were getting fainter and fainter... it didn't seem to matter anymore.... I reached out my hand to the side of the bed, searching for Tom...he wasn't there... the sheets were empty. Yet they had slept here...maybe he was with the Death Eaters...perhaps they spied on the Order at night?

The Order! My mind felt weird, as if a patch of light was shining through the fog which was in it. I wondered what the Order was doing now. They'd be really worried about me; maybe they're planning on how to save me from this place....But- what if they couldn't? I guess I would stay here forever. I suppose that wouldn't be too bad. I mean, look at the respect I had here! More than a dozen Death Eaters on my command! No one back in the Order had really cared what I had to say, no one took my opinion into consideration. They treated me as if I was this uneducated fool of a girl, after the accident I caused...served them right too! I'm glad I had stirred them up a little bit... maybe they'd care now...

I sat up again, muttering 'Incendici.' The beautiful red candles lit up. Tom had gone somewhere in a hurry obviously, because his sheets were flung into the corner of the bed. I stood up, searching for my dinner clothes, suddenly shivering since I was naked. I couldn't find them anywhere, but instead, I found a short red nightgown, made of such fine silk and soft velvet that it felt like rippling water in my hands. I was treated like royalty here. Who would give that up?

I walked barefoot to the huge window at the end of the room. A tiny patch of moonlight was reflecting onto the soft carpet, outside the millions of stars were making the sea below it sparkle as if there were diamonds sewn on it. The darkness outside was consuming, but stunning as well. I felt like I wanted to be lost in it.

'Striking isn't it?' asked a soft voice from behind me. I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. I felt him.

'Yes,' I agreed.

'It seems dull next to your beauty,' he said, pulling my hair off my shoulders to trail kisses up my neck. I threw my head back. I knew better than to ask were he had been.

~*~

Ron rushed through the glass to the emergency section of St. Mungo's, supporting Hermione. Harry ran up to the front desk, breathless. Not waiting for an explanation, the nurse pointed to a door which had 'Maternity Ward' written in glowing yellow light. Two woman Healers in blue robes came out, one of them came forward to get Hermione ready, and one of them helped remove Ron's grip on her. Harry took Ron firmly and sat him down in the soft couches put outside the room. He was looking paler than Hermione as he watched her being led into the room.

A few minutes later a Healer emerged. 'It's alright, an operation isn't needed. She's going to give a natural birth,' she smiled at Ron who didn't look any less terrified.

'So can I be with her?' he asked shakily.

'Of course, but only if you're up to it,' she said, eyeing Ron's pale face. Ron nodded defiantly, wiping his brow. 'Sure, I'm fine,' he said, standing up to walk to the door. Harry stood up with him, but the Healer put out a hand. 'I'm sorry, Mr. Potter, but its family only.'

'But I'm the child's godfather!' Harry protested. 'I'm like their brother.'

The Healer shook her head firmly. 'I'm sorry, but it's the hospital's policy, and I can't overrule it.'

Harry paced back and forth outside the door, hoping everything was alright. There were faint footsteps coming from the end of the corridor. Neville and Seamus came hurrying up to Harry, arms full of presents for the baby. 'Did we miss it?' Neville asked breathlessly, dumping the colourful parcels onto a sofa.

'No, no,' Harry said, trying to peer through the keyhole. 'They just went in a few minutes ago.' He straightened up and looked at the Seamus, whose face couldn't be anymore different than Neville's. He was pale and tired, looking like he hadn't slept for days. 'Is there any news from Lavender, Seamus? Or any of the others?' Harry asked in an undertone. He nodded and swallowed with difficulty.

'I questioned and questioned Colin Creevy, since he was the only one who had seen what happened, but he says he doesn't know if Lavender's alive or not. He said that he only saw them taking her and the others. According to all our tracking work, they are in Azkaban. He also said that- that two had died in the struggle.' His voice broke over the last few words and he sat down on one of the sofas, holding his forehead. He quickly stood back up. 'I'm sorry Harry, acting like this. I know it's just as hard for you.' He sighed. 'At least we know where they are, maybe Ginny is there too?'

'Maybe,' mumbled Harry, looking down. The last thing he wanted now was to be reminded of it. Which was stupid, he thought to himself, since he was always thinking about it anyway. Day and night, all the time. He tried to kid himself that Ginny will be there, waiting for him in their flat, flaming hair and blue eyes, a grateful smile for getting back safely. He knew this was childish, but what could he do? She didn't know how much she meant to Harry. I should have told her, Harry thought. I should have told her every day how much I loved her. Then she wouldn't have gotten angry with me. She wouldn't have gone out that night. She would be standing with me right now, both of us waiting in the hospital together.

A loud scream which was coming from the other side of the door punctured Harry's thoughts. The three of them stood up fast, trying to peer through the keyhole to find what was going on

~*~

Harry, Neville and Seamus were all pacing frantically as the screaming heard from the ward grew louder until Neville broke their silence. 'She's fine, isn't she?' he asked. 'I mean, all pregnant women go through the same thing, right?'

Harry shrugged as another cry was heard from the door. 'I guess, though I'm not sure...' his next words were drowned by the shout which came from the other end of the corridor. 'Harry! Harry!' Hannah Longbottom was rushing towards them with papers in her hand. She stopped when she reached them, out of breath.

'Hannah? What are you doing here? I thought you said you were staying at Headquarters today,' said Neville looking questioningly at her.

'I was, but I had to come. Remus found out where Ginny is- she's in Azkaban, same as the other members of the Association. But she isn't held prisoner, like the others are. That's all we know for now, but he said it's enough to establish a strong plan.' She said, waving the papers.

'You go back to Grimmauld Place, and tell them we'll be there as soon as we can,' he said quickly to her, and she walked back down the ward.

Harry turned to face the closed door in front of them, not really seeing it at all. Ginny was found, but in the worst place possible. Azkaban was the base of the Death Eaters. Who knows what they might be doing to her? But I will go there before they can lay a finger on Ginny, he though defiantly. She is more important to me than life itself. And if I have to start the second war for her, so be it.

Chapter 7: My Separate Past

'Now, my dear Ginny,' he murmured into my ear, his cold breath on my shoulder, 'you remember my instructions?'

I nodded. 'Yes I do.'

'And you will follow them?'

'I...' my voice trailed away as I thought about it. I wasn't sure I wanted to, but, I mean, what could happen? No one would know, my lord would make sure I was safe too. Then what was I waiting for? '...will,' I finished determinedly.

Tom smirked, walking slowly around me, looking me up from head to toe. 'I hope I can trust you with this. My servants did want the job, you know,' he said, indicating with one hand to the back of the room, where Lucius Malfoy, Macnair, and Nott stood scowling. 'But, I decided that this would be a good lesson for you, and I could see whether you really are loyal to me or not, and whether you have put all your business with Potter behind you. I'm glad you are willing to change your ideals and actions. You have not a care about Potter anymore, do you?' He demanded, scarlet eyes boring into my mind, trying to sense my truth and lies.

I swallowed. My eyes watered, which was what they did whenever I thought about Harry nowadays. But all that seemed far away from me, a past of mine which I shouldn't be connected to again, a past which I didn't care about. What I was doing was right, and the side which Hermione, Ron, Harry and all the others had picked was the losing side. Why should I give up this chance to be favored by the Lord for unimportant things like the Order? 'I do not care about them anymore, my lord,' I said.

He tilted his head to one side, raising a thin eyebrow. 'So if I asked you to kill Potter now, would you?'

'I- I ...w-would,' I mumbled to my shoes.

'You answer me directly when I ask you a question, Ginny,' he said piercingly.

'I would,' I repeated, forcing myself to look at his face. He stared for a while.

'You still have a flicker of doubt. I hope that will disappear after this mission. Now you may go,' he said, turning away from me. 'Bella?' he called sharply. Bellatrix Lestrange emerged form one corner, shadows falling over her heavily hooded eyes.

'I want you to go with her. When she completes the mission, bring her back as fast as you can. If she can't, then bring her back directly to my room, I will have to talk to her. If she breaks down and reveals any of our secrets to anyone, kill the person who she told and bring her here where she will pay the consequences.'

Bellatrix gave a short bow and grabbed my wrist harshly, pulling me along. Tom threw a spell at her and she winced, letting go of me. 'She is still my guest,' he snapped. 'Treat her with respect, or I shall treat you with none.'

Bellatrix bowed again sourly, apologizing, and showed me to a cage covered with glass. Clearly losing the position of Voldemort's most favored one had hit her hard.

'What are we doing?' I asked, stepping inside as she shut the glass door.

'Secrecy chamber,' she muttered. 'Stops the Ministry tracking us when we apparate.'

I gazed into the dark room, catching a last glimpse of Tom, his eyes flashing at me before the room disappeared. I felt his voice echo in my head- I will be waiting for you again tonight.

~*~

We appeared with a small pop in a corner of a room, softly lit with candle light. Bellatrix pulled me into the shadows. 'You are to do what the Dark Lord told you, and do it as fast as you can. He has given you 2 hours before the Secrecy Chamber shuts off,' she looked around furtively, 'be careful,' and with that, she disappeared.

I cautiously peered into the room from behind a big cupboard. Everything looked vaguely familiar... It was Grimmauld Place! And sitting looking depressed at the scrubbed table was Hermione, Ron, Lupin and -my heart skipped a beat- Harry! I was all set to run to them, but I thought how odd it would look if I jumped out from behind the kitchen cupboard.

I apparated as quietly as I could to the front door. There were leaves flying around fiercely, but the cold wind made me feel better, since I hadn't been outdoors for days. I wondered what I should say... maybe it would be easier to just tell Harry what had really happened, in private?

'Oh!' I gasped, clutching my neck. Hot pain seared up where my lord had put the Dark Mark. Mine was different from the other Death eaters- it was a skull with a wilted flower and a sword. He always knew what I was thinking. I heard his voice echo in my head once more- You are bound to me, Ginny. You cannot go back to them, remember? Now hurry!

I knocked on the door in what seemed an exhausted way. It creaked open, and a blue eye peeked round, growing wide as it saw me. There were voices coming from the other side, then one of them was sharp and clear- 'Who is it? Open it, Ron!' I hurriedly messed up my hair and made my breathing fast and gasping. The door opened, and it was Harry.

'Ginny! He shouted, all set to throw his arms around me, but Lupin put out an arm to stop him. 'Careful,' he said, eyeing me with distrust.

Harry tried to push him aside. 'It's Ginny, Remus! Are you okay, love? Did they hurt you? How did you escape?' Remus pulled out his wand, pointing it at me.

'Harry, no,' he said slowly.

'What are you talking about?' snapped Harry. 'Tell him Ginny, you're alright, aren't you?'

I nodded, putting on an 'in love' voice. 'Oh Harry, I thought I may never see you again!' I pretended to sob into my arms. 'Remus, I know you may not believe me, but they didn't put a spell on me...I- I found a broom somewhere in the place where they kept me, I flew for days, I had given up all hope!' I wailed.

I pair of chocolate- brown eyes poked from behind them. 'G- Ginny? Is it really you?' I recognized Hermione's voice.

'Yes Hermione, I managed to escape!' I cried, putting on a wobbly smile of relief. Hermione smiled back, though a little formally. Her eyes narrowed and showed skepticism. I panicked. My mission had barely begun, and they were suspicious already.

Remus took a step forward. 'Here, Ginny, let me help you inside.' He still held his wand. I backed away. Suddenly I felt hate. Such powerful hate erupted within me that I reached out and knocked Remus's wand out of his hand, and started shouting.

'Get away from me! Don't touch me! Get away! Leave me alone, I have a better life than this, and it's mine alone! He protects me, and you can't destroy him, ever! He will destroy you all!' I screamed and screamed, backing away onto the street.

I saw Hermione's shocked face, Ron's looking scared and Remus's arm held out to protect them all. From me. Me. Suddenly it became unbearable as I saw Harry's face, as if in slow motion. It was heavy with betrayal and disappointment. His eyes seemed to look at me questioningly. Why, Ginny, why? Why did you do this to us, to me? I loved you, they said. I loved you more than anything. But you never did.

I breathed deeply, backing away from it all, clutching my face, horrified. What have I done? WHAT HAVE I DONE? It rang over and over and over in my head. Everywhere was spinning. I clutched my mind, trying to shake it clear but I could get the image of Harry out of my head. He was distraught. I had betrayed them all... how could I do this to them, to myself?

Suddenly I felt cold and firm hands gripping me. I looked up to see Bellatrix's face. She was saying something, pulling me upright, but I couldn't hear, nor could I speak. I felt everything dissolve and knew she was apparating us back...Back to where I was bound to...Back to where all my troubles seemed to wash away... I let out a sigh of relief and closed my eyes. Two tears slid down my cold cheeks before I could wipe them, a mere tribute to the past I had left then and there.

Chapter 8: A Chance for Power

'I won't believe it. I can't,' Harry muttered, running both hands through his hair.

Ron silently kept on sipping his tea. Hermione sighed as she turned a page of Ancient Runes throughout History, absentmindedly waving her wand at the pram which magically rocked her son to sleep.

It was Remus who broke the silence. 'Don't blame yourself Harry. She was bewitched. She wouldn't act like this from her own free will.'

Harry didn't seem to take in a word of what he said. 'The thing on her neck... something like a Dark Mark. Did you see it?'

Hermione nodded gradually and set down her book. She walked over slowly to check on her baby, then poured herself some tea as well.

Harry looked from one to another. 'Well? Say something! What do we do now? How do we get her back?'

Remus looked uneasy. 'Well...Harry, you see, if Voldemort does have her mind, then it would be too risky for us to let her come back to the Order. He could use Ginny to spy on us.'

Harry slammed his fist onto the table. 'So we're going to leave her there to die, is that it?'

'Harry, no...'

'That's what you're trying to tell me, I know! But I won't, Remus! I'm sick of this life, do you hear me? She was sick of it too, or else she wouldn't have given in to him so easily!'

Hermione got up to quickly cast a silence bubble around her son so he wouldn't wake up if Harry carried on. He did.

'I don't care if Voldemort finds all our plans; I don't care if he destroys our headquarters, I will get Ginny back. I will go alone if I need to!' he shouted, grabbing his coat and Firebolt.

Ron stood up extremely fast. 'You won't go alone,' he said hoarsely. He hadn't spoken much for days. 'I'm coming,' he grabbed his broom and followed Harry out the door.

Leaves crunched under their feet as they walked to the other side of the street. Remus ran out the door. 'What are you doing?' he asked frantically. 'Harry, Ron we have to get a plan ready first, you can't just fly to Azkaban...'

'Watch me,' said Harry, kicking off like a bullet into the starlit sky.

Hermione ran out to the street, pushing past a shocked Remus and grabbing onto Ron. He turned to face her. 'Don't come after us, Hermione. Please,' he added, seeing the familiar look of stubbornness on her face. 'Stay in Grimmauld Place. Send help after us in the morning.'

He saw the anger in her eyes. 'I have to help, Hermione, she's my sister. We have to save Harry from his misery.' With that, he kicked off and flew away. Hermione watched silently, until the two became only tiny moving specks in the distance.

~*~

I felt a jolt and fell to the ground. As I opened my eyes slowly, the dark room came into focus. I heard low murmurs, and then I felt someone pull me roughly upright. I lifted my head unwillingly to gaze into Tom's face.

'So you failed then?' He said coldly, nodding over at Bellatrix who stood, an eyebrow raised, in the corner.

I pulled myself out of his grip. 'No, my lord,' I said, gritting my teeth. 'I have completed my task. I have found out that I don't care about Potter anymore. I couldn't care less. I would help you kill them even, if you could forgive me,' I added, bowing slightly.

Tom's frown turned into a triumphant smirk. 'Very well then, my dear Ginevra, you have done well, even though you didn't get the information I wanted.' He said, waving a hand to dismiss all the Death Eaters in the room. Bellatrix gave me a contemptuous look and departed through a stone wall. Tom took my hand and led me up the stairs. 'I am glad you have come to your senses. You have no affection for him anymore, do you? No love?' He sneered.

'Everything I have is yours now, Tom,' I answered, holding my head high. There would be no going back now, I knew that. I didn't want to go back either. This was what I had chosen, and it was the correct thing to choose.

We had reached his room by now; he hissed again at the black serpent and it unwound. I entered once more. I stood on the red bearskin rug, not sure what to do, biting my lip.

Tom walked over to his fireplace and lit the red candles. The shadows moving across his face made him look more sinister than ever. 'Come,' he said softly. I walked over to him. He brushed my hair off my wet face, not softly though. He did it possessively. I knew he would, I had learned that night. He made love gently, but always possessively, always constantly reminding me that I now belonged to him and him alone. If I dared be with someone else... well, I already knew the consequence of that. It was worse than death, as he had said.

Tom pulled my lips towards his. 'What's on your mind, my Dark Queen?'

'Nothing but you, Tom.'

He stroked my hair. 'You're fiery...beautiful,' he said seductively.

'Thank you, my Lord. It is more than I deserve.'

'Oh no,' he said, pulling me into his bedroom. 'You do deserve it Ginny. You have given your life to me. And whether I'm Tom Riddle or Lord Voldemort I always reward those who sacrifice things for me. You, Ginny, you have sacrificed your freedom.'

'But willingly, my Lord,' I answered as he led me towards the four poster bed which was now covered in silk black sheets. Long, thin black candles were lit all around it, just outside the black silk drapes which were hung down from the top of the bed. There was an intricately carved desk; and a lacy blue nightgown lay beside dark red robes which had velvet and jewels sewn around the edges.

Tom slowly sat me down onto a magnificent sofa. 'Your reward is a choice Ginny. A choice many would die for. Look around you. All this, including more power than you have ever dreamed of, could be yours if you want it right this instant,' he said, holding my hand. 'I will own you, however, but that does not mean I will mistreat you. You will have the highest authority over all my servants, except for me, of course. You will take care of everything and order the Death Eaters when I am elsewhere. You will fight alongside me in battle. You will be my Queen. Do you accept it?'

I knew that refusing wasn't really an option. I took a deep breath. 'Yes, my Lord. I will be your Queen.'

He kissed me triumphantly. I lay back into the soft cushions, a part of me still knowing that I had made a terrible mistake.

Chapter 9: I Am His

I woke with a start as Tom entered the room, slamming the door behind him. He ran hurriedly to a huge desk, magically unlocking it, and grabbing a few papers from inside it.

'What's wrong?' I asked, standing up and putting a silk black nightgown on.

He didn't stop to look at me; he was going through the papers furiously. 'They are coming for you,' he smiled, not a trace of panic in his voice.

'I'm not going with them!' I protested, walking over to him. 'I don't have a life back there anymore. You won't give me to them!'

'Ginevra don't raise your voice at me. However equal we are you may think, you are in my command like many. I can take everything you have, even your life, without blinking,' he answered patronizingly. Then his voice softened as if there nothing had happened. 'Now, do you really think I will give you to them? You are going to fight against them alongside me, like I said. In fact, I may even have an extremely important part for you.'

I looked down, obeying. I wasn't comfortable with the fact that I rarely had a say in these decisions. But he would protect me; he was the most powerful wizard in the world. I nodded and sat back down on the bed, blocking the little voice in my mind, which was still repeatedly reminding me that Harry was just as powerful, brave, and strong, perhaps even more so.

The Dark side's victory strongly depended on me though, and I liked that importance. If I hadn't told Voldemort all the Order's plans, we may have lost this war. I smiled to myself at the feeling with was seeping through me, a feeling of immense power, control and respect, things I had never gained in the Order. I was satisfied with my position, even though it meant I had to give in to servitude for my Lord once in a while.

~*~

'We need to fly west from here!' shouted Ron, pulling his broomstick to the right direction.

Harry just managed to hear his voice over the whoosh of the wind in his ear. He turned left, both of them keeping close together so as not move outside of their magical invisibility boundary. Harry was so exhausted he was about to slip off his ice cold Firebolt and into the steely grey sea below. They had been flying, nonstop, for a whole day. The only thought that kept him going was the thought of Ginny, saving her from her own mind, and bringing her back to him.

They flew on, until the magnificent red sun set in front of them, until the sky turned a deep dark blue, the millions of stars reflecting so perfectly onto the water that they could no longer tell where the sky ended and where the sea began.

'Do you see it yet?' Harry shouted over at Ron, unfreezing his jaw. Ron shivered in the cold sea breeze.

'Not yet,' he answered, 'but we should be there by n-'

He swiftly stopped. Harry felt why. An odd, eerie rumble was vibrating from the sea, and suddenly they found themselves gripping onto their brooms as a force pulled them lower and lower...

'Whoa...what's happening?' Ron shouted, alarmed.

Harry gritted his teeth and held onto the broom, his knuckles white. 'I don't know!' he shouted back, watching Ron struggle like him. As they were pulled down to the sea, a huge, black fortress appeared; Azkaban. The force, whatever it was, pulled them towards one of the windows. They both stumbled in, coughing and standing up gingerly from the dusty floor.

Harry looked up to see Voldemort, standing straight, mouth curled into a triumphant smirk.

'You...' Harry spluttered furiously, trying to stand up. 'You tricked us...' He and Ron reached for their wands.

At once, with a loud swish, Voldemort's twelve Death Eaters emerged out of the shadows and pulled out their wands, pointing them steadily at them both. Harry squinted in the darkness. There were thirteen.

His wand fell to the floor with a loud clatter as he recognized who it was.

~*~

I saw Harry, face confused but angry, as though caught in a spotlight. Then he looked in my direction. Even though I was wearing a mask and a black gown with my hood up, he still recognized me. His eyes grew wide as he looked into mine, pleading with me; come back Ginny, come back to me, don't do this to yourself...

But I was lost too deep; I knew I couldn't back out. I didn't want to anyway. My place was here, beside my Lord. Harry and my paths were separate. He had picked the weak side, the losing side. While I was given a big chance to escape from that failure. Then why was I still standing unsurely, even pitying Harry and my brother? They deserved it. They deserved whatever fate my Lord had in store for them.

Harry's voice punctured my thoughts. 'Let her go, Voldemort! I will not leave her for you to kill.'

Tom raised an eyebrow. 'Now, Potter, do you think if I was meaning to kill her, I would still keep her alive? No, Ginny has seen the error of her ways, and she has proven her loyalty to me. She is now my queen, whom you should respect like me.'

Harry violently pointed his wand at him. 'You're lying. A pathetic excuse to make me give in to you. And I'm not leaving until you give her to me, understand? Don't try and trick me again, Voldemort, because I have seen those tricks when I was a kid. You couldn't even kill me then. Think you're going to kill me now?' he asked fiercely.

'Ah, but I'm not lying,' Tom answered, turning to me. 'Tell him, Ginevra.'

My voice shook a little, but I tried to keep it emotionless. 'I am his, Harry. It's my choice. I no longer belong with you all anymore.' I looked into his eyes. 'I'm not who you think I am. I have changed now, for the Dark Side. And you have all picked death,' I finished triumphantly.

'Then they will not die alone,' said a voice from behind them.

Chapter 10: Ending All Misery

Hermione stepped out of the shadows, a small crowd of people behind her. I vaguely recognized them as members of the Order. There were all looking defiantly at us, but every once in a while they're eyes flickered over at me, shocked at what they were seeing.

Tom laughed, raising his wand at them all. 'You really think a group of weak fools will stop me, Mudblood girl?'

'Yes, in fact, I do,' answered Hermione, raising her own wand. Her arm was shaking violently but her voice was stubborn. All the members of the Order did as well.

'Well, maybe I should make myself clearer then,' said Tom, aiming at George Weasley and shouting, 'Avada Kedavra!' George crumpled to the floor, lying motionlessly. Fred and Ron uttered angry cries, but didn't dare move towards Voldemort. I smiled. They were powerless against us.

Tom laughed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Remus Lupin mutter some words and aim his wand at Tom. Throwing myself in front of my Lord, I shouted, 'Protego!' Green light bounced of my shield and back to him, where he fell, killed from his own spell.

Voldemort had stopped laughing. He gave a swift nod to his Death Eaters, took my hand and led me on top of a raised area.

The Death Eaters started showering spells onto the members of the Order at once. Caught by surprise, many of them fell to the floor. But the rest ventured forward fighting fiercely. I could just make out Fred Weasley and Neville, falling to the floor as a spell from Bellatrix hit them both. I couldn't see much, it was all a tangle of bodies, a mixture of screams and spells and painful cries.

My Lord smiled down at the scene, clicking his fingers. At once the Death eaters stopped and retreated, leaving a scene unlike any other. There were many bodies on the floor, some obviously dead, others severely injured, barely standing up.

The only ones left upright were Harry and Ron. Ron limped over to Hermione, who was lying on the floor, breathing hard, a deep cut across her face. She still stood up shakily, and three of them walked up towards us.

'Well well, the wondrous trio has survived as always,' sneered Tom.

Harry wiped blood off his face, looking angrier than I had ever seen him. 'Shut up Voldemort. What are you trying to do? What use is there to kill all my friends? It's me you want, isn't it!'

'Oh but you see, Potter, I do like watching you suffer. It weakens you, and strengthens me,' Tom answered, winding his arms around my waist and pulling me close. Even though his eyes tried to show no emotion, Harry looked away, a tear cutting a trial through the dirt on his face.

'You see Potter, since I don't have that emotion which made that tear, I have no weaknesses,' he answered.

Harry wiped his face and gritted his teeth. 'I am not weak,' he answered, full of hatred.

Tom smirked. 'Prove it, Potter,' he said, pointing his wand Hermione. She was thrown off her feet with a strangled cry, and fell in a heap, a trickle of dark blood growing large from underneath her chestnut curls.

Ron let out a deep breath, dropping his wand and running over to her. Tom made a fierce slashing movement with his wand, and a purple flame shot out of it, going through Ron's back. He let out a yell and fell next to Hermione, skidding on the floor.

Harry was breathing deeply, gripping his wand, forcing himself not to look away as my Lord killed his two best friends in front of his eyes.

'Looking strong is simple in such a situation, Potter. But I can feel you're dying inside,' said Tom, scarlet eyes flashing. Harry gasped and held his scar.

'That's not what you'd call pain. How about if I increase it a little?' Tom asked, 'Crucio!'

I watched him thrash, smiling to myself. I had felt scared before; scared that I may weaken as I watched Harry suffer, but I actually liked it. He deserved what he got, and that was death. How dare he speak like that to the Dark Lord?

Harry lay limp on the floor as Tom turned to me. He handed me a beautiful dagger, silver, with emeralds set at the hilt. It felt cold and heavy in my hand. I already knew what to do.

I walked down the dais, as if in slow motion, as if wading through water. Harry's eyes grew wide as he saw me approaching him. He was gasping, nearly unable to take breaths. 'G- Ginny,' he choked.

'I don't love you anymore, Harry,' I said, raising the dagger. He stared at me, numb with despair and disappointment. Then he fell back, looking distraught, giving up all of his will to live. With one quick movement, I ended his misery.

It was over. All of it was over. I stood up slowly, and presented the dagger back to my Lord. He smiled at me, and I smiled back, showing that I was his Dark Queen and that I was loyal to him forever. Then we walked on, towards a new world where we were powerful and respected together, a world where the darkness ruled.