Heir Of Voldemort

Set several weeks after ch. 10

Notes: Yes, yes, this is turning into a little epic. As with all my other semi-epics, I honestly didn´t mean for this to happen. So, we´re heading towards the final straight of chapters now and, if I keep going at this rate, I should have it totally finished before it gets close to November. (Bloody addictive thing...).

Anyway, dear old Voldemort is still being mean, nasty and so on in the wizarding world and, on the Hellmouth, things aren´t about to get any easier for our heroine and her demon-worshipping love-interest.

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"It's getting worse again."

"So you´ve finally decided to come and see me," Standing with his back to her, Ethan didn´t look around.

"Ethan, we can´t go on like this," He sensed her approaching, gritting his teeth. "We have to help each other...please..." One small hand touched his back and a shiver ran through him. "Ethan..."

"Cass..." He slowly turned, looking down at her. "I´m sorry. I told you that when I left and I tell you again. I´m sorry," His hands came up to cup her face and he studied her intently. She looked far older and more tired than he had seen her.

"I know..." She bowed her head slightly, the smudges of darkness beneath her eyes deepening into dark pools of shadow. "I-I just was so afraid that something would happen to Alex..."

The wizard lifted her chin and gently kissed her forehead, then her lips. "You know I´ll never let that happen, Cass."

"Yes...I know..." Her dark eyes closed briefly, then she opened them again. "Ethan, I-I don´t know if you´ve heard about what has been happening around here..." He could see weariness and grief in her face. "Can I...could I sit down?"

Motioning her towards the bed that took much of the motel room´s floor, yellowish light slanting through the blinds and casting odd shadows on her face, he remained standing by the desk.

"That vampire...the one the Slayer was seeing..."

"The one with a soul?" Cassandra nodded. "What about him?"

Her small hands squeezed between her knees, the knuckles white, she lifted haunted eyes to him. "He lost his soul," she whispered hoarsely. "One of the most notorious vampires to walk the earth..."

"Buggeration..." Ethan muttered, dragging the rickety chair over to the bed and sitting down.

"That´s an understatement," the blonde witch said stiffly. "And it gets worse than that, already...Ripper´s girlfriend, that pretty teacher..." Ethan´s eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. "She was a gypsy...descendant of the gypsies who cursed him..."

"Let me guess," the wizard´s voice was hard. "Angelus found out?"

His lover nodded, a long silence between them before she got the words out. "Found out, killed her and left her body in Ripper´s bed for him to find."

Ethan´s head rocked back on his shoulders. "Damn..." he whispered, shaking his head wearily from side-to-side. "Poor Rupes... and I thought him having to deal with me was a bad thing," He brought his face back to hers. "At least he isn´t going to bother with your boy." Cassandra´s face said otherwise. "Cass?"

"Ethan, this vampire...he´s been bound to his soul for a century...he wants to make up for what he´s missed...make up for lost time...a hundred years of evil in one long burst..." the witch´s voice was brittle. "I think he might be the one to give Voldemort enough power to tip the balance in his favour."

Green eyes widened. "No..."

"I think so," Cassandra muttered, rocking slightly on the edge of the bed, her eyes downcast. "He´s strong, he´s dangerous and the Slayer can´t kill him, despite what he is... she loves him. That´s how he lost it...his soul..."

"But maybe we..."

Cassandra shook her head in the negative. "Ethan, he´s got a vampire seer. They know things before they happen. We wouldn´t have a chance, even if we risked using magic. Angelus willingly works with large packs of vampires and we can´t fight more than one vampire each, at a time."

"Meaning that we´re up shit creek without a paddle?"

"Unless she can somehow bring herself to kill him, the...thing wearing her lover`s face..." Brown eyes met green. "I doubt she can, but we can hope..."

Ethan reached down and took Cassandra´s shaking hands between his. "Cass, luv, you´re always going on about how tough the little bint is. If she can cope with Ripper as a watcher and your boy as a friend, she´ll be fine."

"She has to be the one to destroy him," Cassandra slid forward, into Ethan´s waiting arms, stinging tears spilling down her face. "Only the purity of what her love for him was can blot out whatever evil he´s planning."

Ethan sighed, holding her against him. "Then we better just hope she loves the man enough to kill him before he damns himself even more."

Nodding, Cassandra just nestled closer to Ethan, letting him embrace her and shield her from the world outside, his warmth and gentle arms the one thing that meant as much to her as her son.

***

The Great Hall was ringing with chatter for once.

Christmas and winter had both come and gone and things seemed to be improving for the pupils still in the school. No pupils had disappeared in almost five months and no dark activity seemed to be happening close to them.

The Professors had discussed in depth the possibility of letting a few of the pupils - who had been starting to get snippy with being cooped up for so long - outside for a brief stroll in groups, in the Spring-awoken, under the protection of Professors Hagrid and Lupin.

It had finally been agreed upon and Harry Potter had been in one of the first groups to go out, his argument being that if Voldemort wanted to snatch anyone, it would be him, so if he came back safe, then others could go too.

The third group had just departed, while Hermione and Ron just returned, looking rosy-cheeked and laughing. There was something invigorating about being in the fresh air after so long indoors.

"It´s amazing out there, isn´t it?" Harry smiled as they approached the thick, squashy red chairs that stood near one of the fireplaces. Fawkes was perched on the arm of the chair, cooing contently as Harry stroked his feathers.

"Its never looked better! Everything starting to bloom again..." Hermione settled down in the chair next to him, chattering excitedly about everything she had seen, the tip of her nose crimson. "And I was just thinking about how sad it would be if the school had to close and no one ever saw how beautiful it was..."

The somber tone returned.

"There has to be something that can stop You-Know-Who," Ron murmured, looking up at the misty windows.

Hermione nodded. "If I could only go to the library and...Harry, what on earth is Fawkes doing?"

Fawkes was clicking his beak on one of Harry´s buttons, tugging at the small, round object. "What is it?" Harry asked. The phoenix tapped at the button again, giving it a significant jerk. "Yes, it opens," Unfastening his shirt to reveal his T-shirt, he yelled in surprise as the Phoenix stuck his head through the gap. "Fawkes!"

Tugging his head back out, Fawkes blinked up at him, Harry´s wand held securely in his beak.

"Give it back, Fawkes," In response, the Phoenix fluttered away from Harry to land on the arm of the seat next to Hermione, raising a foot to grasp the wand, so he could free his beak. "Fawkes," getting to his feet, Harry started towards Hermione´s chair.

The Phoenix lifted the wand in front of his face with his foot and looked like he was studying the wood. Then, he did a surprising thing.

Opening his gleaming beak, he warbled a long, sustained, painfully beautiful note that held in the air long after his beak closed, the sound penetrating the skulls of the trio of teenage wizards.

Hermione gasped, staring at the phoenix. "Harry! Look!"

A visible aura of soft gold light had shimmered into view around the flame-coloured bird and the slim wand it was holding. Spreading from Fawkes, the light rippled outwards, until the phoenix shone blindingly.

"What´s doing that?" Ron asked cautiously.

Hermione seemed dazzled. "I´ve read about this," Ron made a face that suggested he wasn´t at all surprised. "Sometimes when a powerful mystical creature meets a wand with a core that belonged to something similar, it can create a kind of magic far more powerful than the wand alone, especially if the magical creature supports the user of the wand."

Harry was hit by a sudden revelation.

"Of course!"

"Eh?"

Hurrying across the room, Harry held out an arm, which the phoenix climbed onto with remarkable ease, considering it had one foot to support itself. "I should have remembered about this sooner. I mean, Ollivander and Dumbledore both thought it was important."

"Harry," Hermione was looking at him in confusion. "Would you mind telling us what you´re talking about?"

"Fawkes! He´s the phoenix that provided the core for my wand."

"So that´s why he´s glowing?"

Hermione nodded eagerly. "I always wanted to see what the power-flow looked like. After all, the illustrations are never quite adequate."

"No, listen!" Harry interrupted. "It´s more than that. Fawkes can help us to protect the school!" Ron and Hermione exchanged looks that clearly stated that neither of them was seeing the significance of what he had said. "He didn´t just give the core to my wand. He gave two tail feathers. One was in my wand and the other was in You-Know-Who´s!"

"EVERYONE!" Professor McGonagall´s magnified voice boomed in the Great Hall before Hermione could even comment on this, all thoughts of the wands and cores rushing from their heads as the Head Mistress hurried in. "Remain where you are. Do not leave the Great Hall under any circumstances!"

"What the hell...?" Ron started to ask, but wished he hadn´t when McGonagall started towards him, her mouth a straight line.

"Weasley," her voice shook and Ron met the Head Mistress´ eyes. He seemed to see something there that his friends didn´t, his eyes screwing up and his mouth opening and shutting wordlessly. He shook his head mutely, his hand groping out for Harry´s arm, as he crumpled to the floor. "I...I´m sorry, Weasley."

"Wh-what is it?" Hermione´s voice was a feeble squeak.

McGonagall´s nostrils flared as if she was trying to get enough air to speak, her lips twitching. Her eyes looked moist, hands clenched by her sides. "Death Eaters," Cut into short fragments, her sentences were spat out. "Attacked the group. Ginny and Percy were taken..."

Hermione clapped her hands to her mouth, tears brimming up. "No...oh God...no... oh, Ron... " Reaching out, she locked her arms around her friend, shaking her head up at the Head Mistress.

"Lupin. He and Hagrid were with them. And the others," the Head Mistress said tersely. "They tried to fight. Outnumbered..." She released a quavering breath. "It was too quick. We couldn´t have stopped them."

Harry, one arm around Ron´s shoulders, stared searchingly at her. "What about Hagrid and Lupin? And the others?"

"They should be all right," she said quietly. "Ronald?"

"Not again..." Ron mumbled weakly. "Not again..." Professor McGonagall knelt and placed a shaking hand on his shoulder. She couldn´t find words to say. Ron shook his head, lowering his face, still whispering like a mantra. "Not again...not again..."

***

"If it isn´t the illusive Miss Weasley."

The calm, chilling voice was the first thing that pervaded Ginny´s senses, her vision slowly fading back in from the black that seemed to have swallowed her, her body trembling as a face came into focus.

"No..."

Voldemort smiled down at her. "Hello, my dear."

"NO!" Jerking upright, despite the pain that burned right through her skull, Ginny scrambled backwards across the floor, away from the snake-like face of the Dark Lord, colliding with the wall on the far side of the chamber.

"Come now, Ginny, there´s no need to be afraid of me," His smile was enough to say she should be screaming in terror. Ginny obliged, an ear-splitting shriek echoing off the walls and ceiling.

A simple wave of the wand muted her, leaving her pressed back against the wall, terrified eyes fixed on Voldemort.

It was at that moment that she realised that she wasn´t the only one on the floor.

Percy lay like a limp rag-doll cast to one side, his glasses broken, his mouth sagging open, blood trickling from his nostrils. He looked like he had been on the receiving end of several hexes.

Before she could move to prevent them from getting him, screaming wordlessly to her brother, two Death Eaters grabbed the unconscious body of Percy and dragged him out of sight.

"I give you a choice, my dear," Voldemort turned to her. "You can resume your former position of your own accord," She shook her head frantically. "And save your brother´s life in the process, or I can take you by force, or by the Imperio curse."

The words that the witch spat silently at him caused the Dark Lord to chuckle. "My, my," he murmured, approaching her. "I didn´t know that your vocabulary was quite so expansive, my dear girl."

A colourful line of miming followed.

The furious hand gestures that accompanied the litany of muted bad language more than adequately detailed exactly what she thought of him, the tears streaming down her pale face.

"That´s all very well, my dear, but I shall remove the silencing charm and you shall give me your answer," He motioned to the black drapes, through which Percy had been dragged. "Your body for your brother´s life, or your body and his death."

Ginny gasped as the spell lifted from her. "How...how do I know you won´t just kill him?" she croaked. She almost added that she knew what he had done to the mother of his Heir´s family.

"When I can torture him for so much longer?"

"No!" her voice rasping from the spell, she held up a hand. "No torture!"

"You intend to stop me?"

"Please...don´t hurt him..."

"And what, pray, is to stop me?"

Tearful, but defiant, Ginny staggered to her feet. Her face had gone from white to green, her legs shaking beneath her, but she still managed to walk across the floor to stand in front of Voldemort.

Looking like she would collapse to the floor at a word, her shaking hands rose to his face, bringing his head down to her level and pressing her lips against his, the first time she done so with his own features on display.

Dropping back, she stared up at him, eyes shining with desperate hope and shame, a rather intoxicating combination in one so young.

Voldemort gazed down at her for a long moment, then made a gesture to one of the masked figures around the room. "Lock the boy up below," he said. "Keep him where we can get him easily."

Several of the Death Eaters scrambled to obey.

Turning back to the girl, he unfurled his hand. "Come," The word was softly spoken but had an underlying threat as hard as diamond.

Unresisting, Ginny Weasley shuffled her icy feet and miserably followed her new Master through the drapes to his chambers, to the one place that had haunted her nightmares since the year before.

***

The warmth of the Spring night air was almost unbearable, Cassandra tossing and turning in the bed beside her potion-dosed husband. Sheets wadded around her damp thighs and she jerked upright, gasping.

"Ginny!"

Panting, she threw aside the white sheets covering her, shaking violently. Swinging out of the bed, her feet came down on the rough carpet of the floor and she staggered towards the bathroom, her hands groping along the wall in the dark.

One hand fumbled against the bathroom wall, finding the switch in time for the witch to stumble into the room, falling to her knees as a surge of vomit erupted from her lips, splattering on the gleaming white bowl.

Sinking back on her heels, her face flushed, she peeled matted tendrils of sweat-soaked blonde hair away from her cheeks. Tears stung in her eyes, her hands pushing through her hair and twisting the wavy mass agonisingly around her fingers, as the hard, dry sobs came.

It had been so vivid...

So real...

Sinking against the cold bathtub, unfeeling of it´s chill, Cassandra´s nails bit into her scalp, her sobs quieting to a violent shaking that tore through her body fiercely, as she tried to muffle the horror...the awareness that Ginny was once again Voldemort´s.

Her knees pulled up against her chest, she hugged them tightly, pressing her cheeks against the bony caps until she could feel the inside of her cheeks grinding against her teeth, bloody flavour filling her mouth.

Pressing her eyes tightly shut, she could still see what the dream had revealed to her, felt the touches plied to Ginny´s body by those cruel, invasive hands that she had been so familiar with herself, so many years ago.

Only now...now, it didn´t feel so long ago.

It felt as if she had just escaped him all over again, the feelings of shame and self-loathing burning like acid in her stomach, even though it was no longer her body that he violated.

Scrambling to her feet, shaking fitfully, she stumbled back to her room, grabbing her invisibility cloak and wand and running out, down the staircase.

Pulling the silky cloak around her, uncaring of the fact that her feet were bare and she was only clad in a nightshirt, she yanked the front door open and raced out into the California night.

The streets of Sunnydale were strangely quiet, which was never a good thing.

Cassandra ran as fast as she could, her feet beating rapidly on the pavement, the skin scraped raw by gravel and broken glass, but she didn´t plan on stopping until she reached her destination.

Unfortunately, she hit a snag.

Or, in this case, a vampiress.

The raven-haired creature, garbed in dark velvets and lace, grabbed at her as she ran past a clump of trees, unseen, the vampiress senses apparently more acute than the Witch realised.

Shrieking, she was yanked backwards.

The hood covering her head was pulled back off her face, the vampiress´ face close to hers, a bony arm locked around Cassandra´s neck, the only thing preventing her from falling or fleeing.

Huge blue-grey eyes gleamed eerily in the haunting, alabaster face, long, silken curls of dark hair bobbing around the vampire woman´s long, slim neck. Ruby lips parted in a gasp of wonder.

"One of power," the vampiress murmured, her other hand drifting over Cassandra´s face, not quite touching the skin. "Your skin...it hums such happily sad songs to me... smelling of sunshine and bitter rain..." A chilly tongue ran up her cheek, catching the tears that had fallen. Cassandra shuddered. "Such bitter rain..."

"L-let me go."

Whimpering, the woman pouted at her. "But if puppy let´s the kitten go, what is the puppy meant to eat up?" Snake-like, the vampire´s head oscillated from side-to-side, coming closer to Cassandra´s face.

The witch´s hands fumbled through her robes, trying to find her wand. "I said," she gasped, the arm on her throat cutting off her breath. "Let go of me!"

Vague, strangely feline eyes finally stared straight into Cassandra´s brown eyes and the vampiress released her, uttering a high-pitched shriek. "No!" Backing away, her hands raised to shield her face, the vampire whimpered pitifully. "Oh, Dark Lady... forgive me...I did not know!"

Sprawled on the grass, half-covered by her invisibility cloak, one leg, a hand and her head visible, Cassandra stared at the woman with confusion and fear. What the hell had just happened?

"What are you wailing about this time, Dru?" A tall, dark figure prowled out of the shadows nearby, his striking, angular face more than familiar to the half-visible witch, who frantically struggled to conceal herself, but it was too late.

Angelus descended on her, his hands locking onto her hidden arms and jerking her close to him, the cloak falling from her body, pressing her hard against his leather-clad chest, the smell of death and blood heavy on him.

He towered over a head taller than her, his hair alone giving him at least a couple of inches of benefit, his body feeling like solid muscle through the black silk and leather that he wore.

"You got me a pretty one this time, Dru," He leered at the terrified witch. "Small, blonde and dumb. Just the way I like `em."

"Leave this place...we must leave...run and jump, all away!" The vampiress moaned, grabbing at his arm and pulling him back, forcing him to release one of the witch´s bruising arms. "She is the Dark mother, my Angel...the mate of the snake-beast...we cannot have her...we cannot..."

"Dark lady?" His brown eyes - tinted with gold - surveyed her. "Doesn´t look dark to me. Bet she´ll taste delicious anyway," His forehead shifted, his eyes melding into solid yellow, his teeth lengthening into fangs. "Won´t you?"

"Sss! Bad daddy! Bad!" The vampiress´ claw-like nails slashed him across the cheek and - this time - he dropped Cassandra, who froze with fear at the sight of two of the Scourge of Europe fighting over her.

The night suddenly seemed so much colder that it had when she had fled the house, the moon clear above them. Her nightshirt had torn a little, slipping off her shoulder, the long fabric bunched up around her thighs.

"What the hell did you do that for?" His anger turned on his female companion.

"Fools rush, my Angel. Hoppity hop, they rush!" The woman´s demon had come to the fore, her gold eyes meeting his angrily. "Touch not the dark one´s lady or when the day comes, you shall receive such a beating as never there was! Smack!" She clapped her stick-like hands together for emphasis. "And fun shall there be none!"

The large male vampire growled at her. She met it with a growl of her own. "You´re insane," he snapped savagely.

"With the little birdies singing la la la!" she responded, baring her fangs. "You shall not have my lady!" Much to Cassandra´s fright, the vampiress glided towards her and held out a hand. "Come, sweet lamb," She said, looking hurt when the witch backed away from her. "I won´t harm you, sweet lamb!"

Bending, Drusilla caught Cassandra´s arms and helped her to her feet. She cocked her head, her fanged mouth opening in a smile, something as frightening as a savage snarl for the witch.

"Wh-what are you going to do to me?" Cassandra shivered at the cold touch of the vampire on her skin.

"Sh...sh..." A cold fingertip touched her lips. "We prepare, dark little lady. The drum bangs louder and louder and when the trumpet calls, the doors will open!" The witch tried not to cringe when the vampiress bent close and touched the Dark Mark on her shoulder. "His hold on you is strong, lady...his mark sings of your strength... your power tingles in you..."

"V-Voldemort´s mark?" Stammering the name, Cassandra saw both Drusilla and Angelus flinch at the word.

"You speak his name," Drusilla hissed, sounding almost...reverent? "By any other name as sweet, lady. A name to be feared. Call him but a rose..." Brown eyes stared at the vampire. "We ready for him, lady, we sleep and make hay and make ready..."

"You what?"

The demon woman rolled her head on her neck. "He knows, lady...when we shall knock, he shall await the opening of the door..."

"V-very good," Forcing a shaky smile, Cassandra nodded. "Now, if I may..."

"Flights of naughty angels stray onto your path, lady...we will whisk them away into the dark!" The slender vampiress clicked her fingers, loud in the silent street. "It´s just like magic!" Turning, she crooked her finger at Angelus. "We shall dance and sing with our sweet lamb!"

"Meaning?" The dark vampire was studying Cassandra with suspicion.

"She is dancing to see the one who has lost his mark in times near," Drusilla sing-songed. "She cannot dance alone, my angel! We shall help her to fly to his marred arms and there, shall the sweet lamb be in the fold!"

Angelus looked like he was about to protest. He looked at Cassandra suspiciously and she hoped he wouldn´t recognise her. "Tell me one thing," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Why do you say his name so easily?"

"H-his name?"

"His."

"Vol...?" A cold fingertip silenced her again, Drusilla shaking her head, eyes wide with fear.

"We mustn´t poke the snake with a stick, until we know that he won´t bite us!" she exclaimed fearfully, making snapping motions with her hands. "My Angel, you are nosing into our lamb´s secrets! Leave her be, or he will have you!"

Angelus seemed to accept whatever the vampiress´ crazy ramble meant and nodded, still glowering at the witch. "So, where are you going, witch?" he demanded in a soft growl, that suggested he didn´t intend on being as lenient with her, if he ever caught her alone.

"H-Highway Motel."

Much to her confusion and uncertain fear, the insane vampiress insisted that she and Angelus escort Cassandra all the way to the Motel, chasing off several demons who tried to approach, and waiting at the door until Ethan opened it.

He looked from one vampire to the other, then at Cassandra. "I think you have some explaining to do, luv," He remarked quietly.

"Sing happy songs, sweet lamb," Drusilla cooed, placing a kiss on Cassandra´s pale cheek. "No more bitter rain shall fall now! He won´t be found and you can dance and sing and be joyous!"

"Thank you for that, Drusilla," Watching as the two vampires melted away into the darkness, the woman still chanting happily to herself, Cassandra stepped across the thresh hold and shut the door firmly behind her.

"So are you going to explain what the hell that was about?" Ethan demanded, as she loosed her invisibility cloak and let it fell off her shoulders. Only then did he see her bloodied feet and dirty nightshirt. "Bloody hell, Cass! What happened?"

Before she could answer, he had her scooped her up in his arms, carried her across the dim room, placed on the bed and was treating her feet. She lay back, enjoying the care for once, her eyes closing.

"So, are you going to tell me what happened anytime this millennium?" he asked as he cleaned the open sores gently.

Cassandra opened her eyes and smiled at him, then she started to laugh. It wasn´t just a regular, Cassandra-styled chuckle, but a full-blown cathartic belly laugh that shook her right down to her scratched toes.

"What?" He demanded. "You´ve not gone and caught froot-loops lack-of-sanity thing, have you?"

Shaking her head, her laughter gradually calming to steady giggles, she wiped her eyes with the heel of her grubby hands. "No...no...nothing like that," she giggled a little more. "I...I just realised that I was about to say I had a funny night..."

Ethan´s brow rose. "A funny night?" he echoed.

Another burst of giggles erupted from her. "Oh God...I shouldn´t be laughing, I really shouldn´t..." she gasped, clutching her sides. "But I-I...I had an armed escort... the Scourge of Europe...baby-sitting me...calling me sweet lamb and-and-and treating me like I was priceless..."

Ethan just stared at her and said one more time, "A funny night?"

***

"Are-are you all right, Percy?"

It was a stupid question, but the girl didn´t know what else to ask.

Ginny had been permitted to leave her richly-decorated `chambers´ for a brief visit to her brother´s confinement cell, thick, black robes clutched around her shoulders to cover the scant nightwear that had been provided for her.

When she had entered the prison where her brother lay, huddled, on a threadbare mattress, his clothes in tatters, dirt streaking his face and body, she had wanted to weep, but she bit on the inside of her lip to try and hide her pain and grief.

She couldn´t and wouldn´t show she was weak, not in front of them. Not in front of him. Not in front of her elder brother. She had to be strong and make him think that things were all right...

Black stone made up three of the walls, slime and mould oozing down the square blocks of darkness. There was no real light, save for a flickering, greenish torch outside of the cell.

Hazy brown eyes looked in her direction. "G-Ginny?" Falling off the mattress, he scrabbled across the floor towards her, reaching through the narrow bars that lined the fourth wall of his cell to grab her hands. "Oh, Ginny...I´m sorry...this is my fault..."

"No, Percy, no!" Kneeling down on the black stone, she slid a hand through the bars to touch his face. Voldemort had kept his word and Percy wasn´t physically marked, although he looked absolutely terrified. "It wasn´t any of our faults...it was him..."

Her brother stared at her sightlessly, his hand shaking in hers, his face cold. "Why us?" he asked, his voice sinking to a breath. "What did we do to him? Why would he want to harm us?"

"Harm you?" Ginny shuddered as Voldemort´s silken voice rippled around them. "I would not class your imprisonment as harm, young Weasley." The girl flinched as rough lips touched her neck. "You sister, on the other hand..."

Managing to jerk himself upright, Percy grabbed at the bars. "What have you d-d-done to her?" he demanded.

"It doesn´t matter," she whispered. "It´s all right, Percy."

"How very noble of you, little girl," Voldemort hissed against her neck, his fingers gripping her skin bruisingly. "Come. You have seen your brother. It is enough that he is alive." She was dragged roughly to her feet and steered towards the door.

"Ginny!"

She glanced back at her brother, his arm stretching out to her through the bars of his cage. "I´ll come back and see you, Percy!" she called, trying to squirm free of the Dark Lord, who forcefully navigated her towards the door. "I promise!"

Above her, she heard Voldemort chuckle cruelly and she felt sick.

Something told her she was never going to see her brother in that cell again.