The Power Within

The Power Within

Chapter 1: A Mysterious Feeling

"Hey, Gin," Ron called from downstairs, startling Ginny and causing her to spill ink all over her Potions essay. She picked up her things and stormed down the stairs, nearly running into Ron who had started to come up them.

"What is it now Ron?" she inquired, while holding up the soiled parchment for him to see.

"Look what you've done! This is Snape's essay, and I only had half a foot left, you moron!" she screamed.

"Ginny, there is absolutely no way I did that from all the way downstairs, and you know it!" he retorted.

"Maybe you didn't do it physically, but that horrible noise that seems to emanate from your throat did the job. Great Merlin, you're loud enough to wake the dead sometimes! What did you want anyway?" she asked.

"I was wondering if you would fancy losing a game of chess to me, I've already beat Hermione six times, and I am itching for a change in tactics; she plays the exact same way every time, did you know that?" he babbled.

"No, Ron, I didn't know that bit of useless information. Now, If you'll excuse me, I have to see if anyone in this household can undo this mess," she snapped while pushing past him.

"Sorry I asked! I don't know what is under your skin lately, but..." Ron made a sound like and upset cat that sent Ginny fuming. She stomped down every last stair and arrived in the parlor.

"What was all that about?" asked Hermione, peering over the top of her book.

"Ron startled me, and I spilled ink all over my potions essay," Ginny replied, seeming to have calmed a little. She laid her wet parchment on an empty table and threw herself on the couch, her chest heaving with a huge sigh.

"Are you alright?" inquired Hermione. "You seem to be down a lot lately, and Ron keeps reminding himself to avoid you in fear of losing his head."

"I'm trying to be fine, Hermione, I really am, but it's difficult to be here knowing that this is the only place we have," she explained.

"I know how you feel, I didn't like being dragged from my house and told I couldn't go back. But I try not to think about it, I just take it day by day, hour by hour, you know." Hermione sighed.

Ginny's mind wandered back to the events of the week that followed their arrival at Number 12. The Daily Prophet had arrived announcing the first of many deaths. They had all been connected in one simple way; all the victims had been muggle-borns. All the deaths had been older ministry workers, but the Order had met and decided it best to organize a secret committee devoted to a muggle-born protection program. Muggle-Borns all over Europe were being "R&R'd" (rescued and relocated), as the Order liked to call it. Hermione had been the first of many missions. Mr. Weasley and Remus had rushed to her house early one morning to collect her. They had informed her parents of the danger to their daughter and brought her here. She was taking it well, Ginny thought, better than Ginny herself. But, then again, she had only been forced to take up temporary residence here; she hadn't lost her home to the government monsters.

Ginny sighed again and began to tug at a loose string on the arm of the sofa. Hermione had taken to reading her book again, and Ron had come back down to pack up his chess pieces.

'Why doesn't he show it?' Ginny thought.

Not once since they arrived had Ginny seen the tears that she had seen when they left the Burrow. Not once had he shown any sign of desperation. All he had done was sit and laugh with Remus, talk to Hermione and write to Harry. Was that who he was being strong for? Harry? Did he not want his best friend to hear his pain? It was true, Harry had a lot to deal with, and it was understandable that Ron wouldn't want to add to that burden, but Harry wasn't here with them right now, and yet Ron still showed nothing. Did Harry even know? She didn't think that Ron would conveniently forget to leave out that bit, but it did seem strange that Harry hadn't even tried to give them any money. Normally, Harry was always trying to get the Weasleys to accept his donations, but they never did. And now when they needed it most he didn't come through. Or had he? Had he offered generously and been turned down again? Ginny shook this from her mind and stood up to find someone who could fix the ink stain on her essay.

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Ginny wandered down the upstairs hall looking for her mother. She heard a noise coming from inside the library and peeked her head inside. Spotting Remus, she slipped inside and sat in the chair by the fireplace. After several moments she cleared her throat to get Remus' attention. His shoulders hopped a little and then her turned around and fixed his gaze on Ginny.

"Oh, hello, Ginny, you scared me a little bit there," he said.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "Professor Lupin, I..."

"Ginny," he interrupted, "how many times must I tell you to call me Remus, we are not in the classroom and I am no longer your teacher." He smiled at her.

"Okay, Remus, I was wondering if you could fix this," she said, holding out the parchment for him to examine.

He took it in his hands, flipped it over, then took his wand and muttered something. Ginny watched on as the ink stain cleared, leaving her essay seemingly untouched.

"There you go, easy," he said as he handed the parchment back to her.

"Thanks!" she said. "I really wish I could just tap my wand and make things better by myself during the holidays."

"You'll be there soon enough," came his muffled reply. Ginny looked up from her parchment and stifled a laugh when she saw Remus. He was digging in a large box and was buried headfirst up to his waist.

"What's in there?" she asked.

Remus emerged and looked sadly at her.

"Some of Sirius' things, he didn't have a will so I am trying to divide things up the way I think he might have."

"Oh," she whispered.

She hugged her arms close to her body and shivered. She couldn't bear to think about that night. She never would have thought that Sirius would die. He had been so strong and fast with his wand; she couldn't imagine him not being able to block a curse. But that's what had happened. She had tried to wish it out of her mind, but every time her ankle twinged she thought about it. The night that had brought them all together, she doubted that she would ever be apart from the five people that had been with her that night, no matter what Ron would like to say about it.

"Have you talked to Harry lately?" Remus asked.

"Me? No, I don't really write to Harry much, if ever. I've wanted to but I thought it best just to leave him to himself, plus I don't know what I'd say," she replied.

Remus nodded and went back to digging in the box.

Ginny just sat in silence for a minute before asking the question that had been on her mind all summer.

"Have you talked to him? How's he handling it?" she asked quickly.

Remus forfeited his digging once again and looked down at her.

"I have talked to him, and he says he's fine, but I know he's lying. He tells me about how Ron and Hermione write to him; by the way he talks I think they are avoiding it. That's not what he needs though; he needs someone to talk to, someone who can understand what has happened, and someone that will listen. Right now he's holding everything inside, trying to please everyone by bottling up his trouble," Remus explained.

Ginny felt tears fighting toward the surface. She had been like that once, and she still was. She had never had anyone to talk to about her experience. All she had done was bottle everything up and tell people she was fine and that she didn't want to talk about it. But it had been a lie; she had desperately wanted somebody, anybody to talk to.

"I think you need to talk to him, Ginny," Remus said, interrupting Ginny's thoughts. "Just write to him and ask how he's handling everything, let him know that you're there for him if he ever wants to talk about it."

Ginny nodded. Remus took a long look at her and then went back to his work.

When he came back up Ginny saw a leather cord that he had clutched in his hand.

"Do you want this Ginny?" he asked, holding out the cord which Ginny could now see was attached to a gold medallion with and engraving of a sword on it. "James gave it to Sirius a little while after Harry was born, Sirius wore it all the time as far as I can recall."

"Shouldn't you give it to Harry?" Ginny asked slowly.

"No, I think you should have it. You can decide what to do with it, but I think that Sirius would have wanted you to have something. Besides, Harry gets this," he said while gesturing to the building that surrounded him.

"Okay, I guess I could take it, for Sirius," she said. Ginny reached out and took the medallion out of Remus' outstretched palm, and slipped it over her head. When she did, she felt a strange sensation within her chest, almost as if there were two hearts beating within one.

'Strange,' she thought, 'definitely strange."

"What does it do?" she asked curiously.

"I don't know, neither James or Sirius would ever tell me. They always insisted it was just jewelry, but I think it is more than that, much more than that," he related.

Ginny sat alone with her thoughts for a while before Remus lifted the box and left the room.

She slipped the medallion around her neck and gazed down at the engraved gold. It shone so brilliantly, and gave her a strange feeling. Whatever it was, she knew there was a powerful magic contained in its core just waiting to be discovered.