The Devil's Stratagem

The Devil's Stratagem Chapter Three: Breakthroughs

Far beyond the rising sun - I ride the winds of fate

Prepared to go where my heart belongs - back to the past again

As I'm moving on I see things to come,

I see fears and I hear laughter

Curiosity, coming over me,

What is destined and what will happen

And I see the lies and I hear the cries

And the marching of the people

As they go to war, heaven knows what for -

God I think I've had enough now

-Gamma Ray 'Tribute to the Past'

***

"What in the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" Hermione's signature voice scowled quietly as she marched over to Ginny and the cart.

"I was just coming to see if there was anything else..." Ginny lied, her eyes darting to the left.

"My arse you were. I swear, if Ron wasn't one of my closest friends..."

Ginny's eyes narrowed as she cut her off. "You used to be my friend too, once upon a time, unless you just happened to forget."

Hermione faltered, her eyes immediately softening. "Gin, you know I didn't mean it like that."

"The hell you didn't. You just think of me as some little girl to push around, someone who you can dump all of your feelings on and then not listen to after you've had your way. Then again, you've always been closer to my brother and Harry, haven't you? Though, you could never figure out which damn bloke you wanted."

Hermione's eyes began to tear and her hand flew to Ginny's shoulder, gripping it tightly. "I didn't mean it..."

"Yes, you did. And you stopped liking me because I stood in the way of you're getting one of your precious boys. You stopped talking to me because I was the only one who could talk to Harry and know what was going on in his mind. You didn't like me because I could do something better than you; and it hurt you even worse because I could fix him like you could never even dream of." Ginny lurched away from Hermione's grasp.

The two girls stood there, staring at each other for a long time. Ginny's gaze seemed to be poisoned; though she looked relieved. She had finally gotten it out; she had finally let it all go. Hermione, on the other hand, looked simply horrible. Her eyes were all red, her hair seemed to be escaping its do, and silent tears leaked down her cheek. Clearly, something had hit home.

Finally breaking the silence, Hermione took a deep breath. "Look, Virginia." The two words seemed to cut into Ginny. She knew what Hermione was about to do, and prepared herself, but before anything else could be said, the attendance bell from the west wing began to ring noisily about the store. Ginny wished the bells hadn't been charmed to ring through out the entire place, but it didn't seem to matter much anymore.

The redhead sighed. "I'll get that, but it's my last time doing anything here. After this, I'm gone. I quit." Hermione nodded, trotting off to her office, slamming the door behind her. Ginny could have sworn she muttered 'good' under her breath, but she didn't care anymore. She simply didn't care.

Ginny grumbled as she walked towards the wing in which she just came from. I bet it's that prat who put all those books in my cart... she growled to herself as her feet began to stomp, rather than pad lightly, on the floor. Her mind began reeling with thoughts of what she was going to do to the little bugger, imagining what they looked like.

I bet it's a bloke...

she told herself. Only a bloke would have the nerve to do that. He probably thinks that he's just brilliant with all of his little shenanigans, making me do all this extra work and getting fired. Bet he's blond too, they do tend to lack in the brain department. He probably didn't even know he was doing something wrong. Well, I'll just have to teach him the difference between right and wrong...

Her thoughts immediately stopped as a tall, blond man stood at the tiny attendance desk. His porcelain finger lingered on the bell, but he slowly took it off, his eyes flicking to her. He seemed to be taking her in, his eyes raking up and down her body. She felt as if she were naked as he looked at her for mere amusement.

She brought her arms up to her chest, crossing them protectively around her body. One of her hands began moving up and down her upper arm out of nervousness. She bit her bottom lip; her eyes becoming like those of a doe. They stood in silence for a moment, neither daring to say a word.

She took advantage of their silence, letting herself get a proper look at him. He stood fairly tall, though he wasn't lanky like Ron. Pride seemed to radiate off of him, which was most likely a result from his excellent posture. His robes looked as if they were imported and very expensive, though, in her opinion, it paid off.

They clutched to his body in just the right place and didn't in the spots that wouldn't have flattered him. His blond hair was smoothed back from what looked like a result from multiple times of running hands through it. The hair seemed to be trained to lie in the way it sat. She marveled at how his hair stayed in place, and then noticed that his hair had been tucked behind his ears. She quietly chuckled to herself.

His facial features were sharp and to the point. His nose protruded from his face, making a clean point at the tip. His eyes seemed soft, but as she looked closer, they appeared to be dangerous. It was an illusion that played with her eyes. They looked like a giant trap that would lure you in and then cut you off. Involuntarily, she shivered.

Diverting her eyes from his face, they fell on his shoes. They were polished and rounded at the tips. They seemed to lace up past his ankle, so she guessed they were boots. Surprisingly, not a speck of dirt was on them. It looked like they were taken special care of every day, polished and placed into a glass box.

In truth, it wouldn't have surprised her if they were, in fact, polished daily and put in a box for safekeeping. The man looked like he could afford anything and everything. She snorted to herself, meditating on how she wished she had that luxury. Reminding herself that she was soon going to be cut off from any luxuries if she didn't go home and start looking for a new job soon, she cleared her throat.

"May I help you?" she asked, unintentionally staring at him. Finally realizing that she was staring at him, she blinked, hoping to lose the deer-in-the-headlights look that she often acquired when gawking at people.

He let out a soft, yet deep and maniacal sounding, chuckle. "Yes, you may."

The words he said next caught Ginny off-guard and made her clutch at her heart in shock. He didn't mumble them either, so there was no mistaking it. "I would like to find a book on enchanted crosses."

She coughed. "Pardon?"

"I. Would. Like. A. Book. On. Enchanted. Crosses." He enunciated each word perfectly so there was absolutely no mistaking it.

Ginny stood in the same spot, flabbergasted for a moment. What could he want with a book on enchanted crosses? Perhaps, it was just a coincidence; perhaps he had a collection on crosses and just happened to have an enchanted one and wanted to look up on it... but what if it was the cross from her dreams that he had. She shook her head, asking him to follow her.

She wove them in and out of aisles of bookshelves. As they walked, she decided to not show him the books by Dolamitrus and resolved to keep his information to herself. So, she walked into the aisle that she had first been to that day. Her hand traced the 'L's until she found the author she was looking for.

She pulled out a book titled Enchanted Gems and blew the dust off of it. Then, she handed it to him. He looked at it for a moment, deciding that it should do fairly well. Sweeping the book into the crook of his arm, he looked at her expectantly.

"Er- now you go to the front desk and check it out..." she mumbled, confused as to what he was waiting for.

He sniffed pompously at her. "But there's a line."

"Yes, and you get to wait on it!" she exclaimed with mock joy, pumping her hand in the air. The fake grin that was plastered to her face slowly fell upon his unchanging expression.

"You seem to not understand. I don't wait on lines."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Well, it looks like today is going to be your first time! Now that's a cause for celebration! Why don't you go do it so we can throw you a big party?" He was getting frustrating and she needed to get home.

He narrowed his now-icy eyes at her. "You will come and check me out personally."

"I most certainly will not!" she stated, furrowing her brow. Who does he think he is? She asked herself, a feeling of disgust coming over her.

"You will," he took a menacing step towards her. "Or this won't turn out so humdrum and pretty."

She looked at him, barely able to control the laughter that was fighting to come out of her. His serious face was that of something you would see on a Muggle television show. His face was all scrunched up, his nose sticking out farther than any normal nose.... "If you'll excuse me, I have places to go, people to see..." Ginny stepped away from him, and began to walk down the aisle.

"Well, switch that around and then it'll sound fine." He sneered at her back.

She stopped, turning around. "Excuse me?" An angry flush rose to her face. Who does he think he is anyway, saying these things to me...?

"Well, you are a Weasley, correct?" He smiled when her eyes grew wide, taking it for a yes. "Then how else would you get money... aren't all the Weasley women just common whores?"

Anger began to boil in Ginny's veins. She could feel enraged warmth spreading across her entire body. She felt as if she was on fire, and she looked it. Her face was blood red, the freckles disappearing into the color that had taken over her face. Something snapped in her head, a light bulb came on if you will.

"You're Malfoy...!"

"Nicely spotted. Now, come check out this book for me." He grinned his horrible grin, trying to win her over with his smooth eyes.

"Absolutely not. Do you really think that I would do anything for you after that?" She snorted as he nodded. "Well, you have another thing coming to you."

With that, she turned sharply on her heel, marching out of the aisle. She could feel his eyes upon her, but she ducked into the 'D' section and grabbed the book she had been determined to hide from him.

She knew he was confused, and she felt like an idiot. She carried on, marching towards the front desk. Ginny waved her arm, shouting Hermione's name to get her attention. The brunette looked up and Ginny could still tell she was furious.

"I'm going to take this book home!" she screeched, stomping towards the door. Before she could push the door open, someone tripped, colliding into her.

It seemed as if she fell in slow motion. The person who had toppled over her let out a horrified yelp. Ginny soon found that the person was a he, for he landed on top of her, his face coming quite close to hers.

His chocolate curls clouded her vision for a moment as she lay on the floor. He remained on top of her; it seemed as if he was catching his breath. Ginny squeaked under him, hoping that he would get the signal to get off of her.

Apparently, he did. "Right-o, sorry," he mumbled, standing up and extending his hand to her. She took it, and he helped her up nicely. He didn't jerk her up, and he didn't let his hand just hang there limp; it was nice to see someone knew what they were doing now-a-days.

She laughed at herself. It was silly to be thinking about how a hand up is. Ginny shook her head, rolling her eyes at herself. Noticing that she still hadn't gotten her book, the chocolate haired man reached down and picked her book up for her. He let his eyes linger on the title and author for a moment before giving it to her.

"Here you go m'lady," he placed the book in her hands after he had finished looking at it. She accepted it, letting her eyes linger on him for a moment.

"Thank you," she mumbled, nodding at him, before dashing out of the library's doors.

Her shoes clicked on the streets a bit noisily. Ginny seemed to be walking in a cloud, for she didn't notice it when she smacked into a blond woman who was walking her dog. The woman shot her an annoyed glance before continuing on her way.

Today was too... odd.

She mused, quickening her pace. Her walking faster caused the ticks of her feet against the concrete to become louder and more frequent. The sound snapped her from her daze. She immediately stopped in the middle of the sidewalk.

"Oh, fucker!" she cursed at herself, realizing that she was walking Muggle streets. Fortunately, there was a deserted alley way to her right. She dashed inside, taking her wand out of her pocket. With a loud bang, she was gone.

***

A blue ball made its way down the hill, but stopped upon the outskirts of a dark building. A little boy with raven-black hair ran after the ball, closely followed by a friend of his. The friend, who was practically shaking, called out to his friend. "Just leave it Caius! It's cursed anyway... this place is haunted, not even the sun shines on it!"

Indeed, the boy was right. The setting sun's rays seemed to shine on everything but that solitary castle. It sat in a gloomy way at the foot of a small hill. It was a shadowy place that no one liked to visit.

Looking up at the looming castle, the raven-haired boy thought better of retrieving his ball. After he turned to his friend, they shared a quick nod and immediately spurted away.

Everything on the outside signaled that the owners of the castle were dark and loved isolation. A small moat that ran around the outsides was as dark and muddy as the earth itself. The villagers were convinced that inside the moat there lay quicksand and many dangerous creatures from faraway lands.

The gates, which were just beyond the moat, were rusted and it seemed to be crusted over with a black filth. It was said that tiny spikes littered the gates, and if you so much as touched the gate your hand would be mutilated into thousands of little pieces. It was evident that they were once taken proper care of, but those days were long gone.

The lord of the castle never came out, and no one ever came in. Some town folk swore there was no one there, but others insisted that there was someone there, but he wouldn't ever come out. The people of the town called the lord of the castle 'the bat', though he did not seem to care.

Sometimes, at night, he would stick his head out of his window and observe everything, just simply watch the people. Normally, he would bring his head back in and laugh at their petty ways and their slovenly ideals, but not today. He was apprehensive and waiting for someone.

"Where in the bloody hell is he?" he sneered under his breath, wiping a tendril of hair away from his face. He was pacing the floor of the room, his boots snapping on the ground with every step. His face was narrowed, his brow furrowed deeply. He didn't like waiting, and swore to teach his companion a lesson.

A loud bang echoed from down the hall. A smile crept across his face as he sat himself down in the large chair by the crackling fire. He seemed to be pleased, in a cruel kind of way. A rasping knock came from the door. He grunted from his chair, signaling for his companion's entrance.

A gust of cold wind entered the room, filling it with an intense aura. The man's quick strides brought him next to the chair within moments. The lord of the castle looked up, staring at his companion.

A black cloak covered his shoulders, the hood doing the same with his head. The only thing that seemed to stand out from beneath all of the black was a pair of swirling eyes. He stood with a refined kind of stance, his back rigid with perfect posture. His hands lay at his sides, his feet just apart so they were in line with his shoulders.

He turned his head, looking down at the lord in the chair. "You sent for me?"

"Well, obviously," the lord snarled, staring deeply into the fire that had begun to die down. Not even fires lasted long in the castle. He looked back at the man standing next to him. "Did you find anything?"

The man who was standing casted his head aside, his gaze falling on the circular rug that sat tattered and dusty on the floor in front of the door. He seemed to be thinking of what he was going to say, mulling around ideas in his head. He was quickly diverted from them and brought back to reality when the lord coughed in his chair.

"Shall I get you something for that?" he asked, placing his hand on the lord's arm. The lord shook his head, looking expectantly at him.

"I found some things..." he sighed, casting his eyes to the rug again. The lord urged him to go on. "I found a woman who resembles the one you described to me."

The lord's eyes widened. "Are you sure?" he asked and his companion nodded his head. Still unsure of his companion's judgement, he spat at him. "Describe her to me."

"She was kind of short and not exactly skinny, but not exactly fat. Flowing red hair and honey brown eyes. She seemed very anxious to go about her business and had a thumping kind of stride."

"Yes, yes!" the lord cried from his seat. "What else? There must be more! Did you see the cross?" He seemed to be dancing in the chair with glee.

"No, sir. There was no cross. There was nothing else." The man seemed to shiver beneath his cloak. He slowly inched away from the chair.

"WHAT?" the lord roared, jumping out of his chair. With two strides, he was directly in front of his companion. His hands wrapped themselves around the neck of the cloak. Picking him up in the air, he spat in his face. "You good for nothing, useless, stupid prat! I told you to find out everything and what do you give me?" He picked him up further in the air, preparing to toss him to the floor. "You give me a description, a BLOODY description!" With that, the companion was thrown to the floor. A cracking noise echoed throughout the room, which overpowered the sounds of the man's whimpering for a moment.

"You will find more," he kicked him in the ribs, causing him to roll over. "Do you hear me, you bleeding bastard?" Another hit, but this time to his face.

The man's eyes opened just enough so he could squint at the lord towering above him. "You were the one who made me a bastard," he groaned as he let his head rest on the cold, cobblestone floor.

It seemed as if the lord wasn't listening. "Find me more..." he sneered quietly, much like a whisper, though it was more dangerous. "Are you sure you know nothing else?"

The man nodded his head, slowly standing up. "I know a little more, but it was more for me than you," he cackled, standing up, much like an ape. His knees were slanted inwards, his arms hanging down in front of him. His hunched over back protruded outwards, giving him a rather grotesque look. His hair fell over his forward bent face, though one would not be able to decipher the color since the shadows of the room made it so it was all the colors.

The lord narrowed his eyes, walking over to him. "Yes?" The man flinched, waiting for a blow, but it did not come. He slightly relaxed.

"She checked out a book from the library. It was titled, The Importance of Ancient Gems, by Dolamitrus. That's all I know, I swear..."

The lord looked at his companion as he folded his hands behind his back. He began to pace the floor. "Do you even understand how vital it is that I get this cross?" He looked at his companion, who was sitting in the chair which sat next to his own. Not eliciting a response from him, he began talking again. "I suppose not. Let me put it this way, if I can get my hands on that cross, I can have and rule anything and everything."

He stopped at the corner of the room, rolling his head so it cracked. "If I get this cross all shall be mine, and we want everything to be mine, don't we?" His companion nodded his head. "Good, finally an intelligent response. My forefather of many years ago had the cross in his grasp, but he let it slip away. He let the pastor take it with her into the afterlife."

He seemed to chuckle to himself. "I shall not make that same mistake. I shall not let anyone take it away from me before I can use its proper power. My dear servant," He let his finger touch the bottom of his companion's chin. "You will help me rise to power, won't you? You will help me find, and kill Eliana's second..." His companion nodded, wrenching his head from the lord's finger.

"Good."

***

The same sunset reflected in the window of a tiny flat. It was just as beautiful as it was at the castle, but here, it did not hide from anything. The same pinks and purples painted the sky so that it was full of pastels, setting all of the surrounding buildings aglow.

A honey colored eye wrenched itself from the window and placed itself back on the book that lay on Ginny's lap. It was the same leather-bound book that she took from the library. Looking down at it, she began to read again.

Some crosses were normal, but there were rumors of one cross that held certain powers. It was said that this cross could be the destruction of the world, the cause of Armageddon, the apocalypse.

Ginny gasped, not even realizing that she had found something useful. She blinked for a moment, rereading the text to make sure she had read right, making sure it wasn't simply her mind playing tricks on her. Finding that the book did, in fact, say what she had thought, she began to read more eagerly.

This cross was said to be held in care of pastor, Eliana, the first female pastor for the Protestant church. She was brave to hold such an item of power, and many came to attack her for her precious gift.

Her demise came when the Catholic Church sent men out to murder her. It was not custom to have female pastors. They did not like that a woman held so much power, and looked to acquire it from her. She died an unruly death and the cross seemed to disappear with her life. This tale is generally believed as a myth.

Ginny tore her eyes away from the book, knowing there was nothing else worth reading in it. Suddenly, she felt cold. Letting her hands run up and down her arms to warm them, she looked out the window and saw that the sun had now set and darkness was falling over the sky.

Getting up from the window seat, she left the book and trotted into the bathroom. She turned her faucet on hot and pulled the drain down so there was a small pool of warm water in the sink. Feeling that there was enough water, she turned the faucet off and plunged her hands into the water.

Cupping a pool of water in her hands, she lifted them up and splashed the water onto her face. She let out a soothed 'ah' upon feeling warmth spread through her again and pulled the drain up so the rest of the water could disappear down the sink. She lingered in the bathroom for a moment, watching as the water slowly sank into the depths of the pipes.

Deciding that she should do something useful, she trotted into the kitchen and grabbed 'the Daily Prophet' off of the counter. She stumbled into her room, swearing at a random hair clip on the floor, and plopped herself on her bed.

"Now, let us see what Ginny can be..." she mumbled to herself, opening the paper to the 'wanted adds' section. The first add that caught her eye made her jump a bit, the requirements looked a bit strange.

Looking for a female receptionist. She must be talented, yet good-looking, and flexible with her legs. Must also be handy with a can of cheese whiz and like the Muggle candy Kit-Kats.

Ginny looked at it skeptically, her eyebrow rising into the depths of her forehead. She couldn't help but think certain rude remarks about the person seeking help. Coughing, she let her eyes move on to the next add. 'Writer for the Quibbler needed' was enough to make her eyes jump to the next.

Apprentice teacher needed at Emeline's Academy. Preferred if applicant is a master of the arts. Pay to be discussed at interview.

"Well, that's not exactly appealing!" Ginny grumbled, turning her eyes to the next column. And so it went, Ginny made remarks about each job, none seemed to be good enough for her tastes. Griping, she tossed the paper aside, standing up to get a glass of orange juice.

As she was walking, she let her mind wander to why she let herself say such things to Hermione. In all reality, Hermione was right. Hermione was always right. Ginny snarled, stopping in her tracks right outside the doorframe to her room. She had forgotten what she was going to get.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, she stood for a moment, racking her brain for what she had wanted. Not remembering, she walked back into her room. Sliding into bed, she prepared to go to sleep. Pulling the covers up over her, she waved her hand around aimlessly in the air. The lights turned off. Seeing that they were off, she rolled over in her bed, placing one arm under the pillow.

Just before her eyes were about to close, she spotted a piece of paper sticking out from beneath her dresser. Thinking about how she was a slob and would get it in the morning, she rolled over. The thought of the paper lying there nagged her as she tried to go to sleep.

"Fine!" she shouted at herself. Rolling to the side of the bed, she let her torso fall to the floor, one hand supporting her hanging body, the other searching blindly for the piece of paper. She bit her half hanging out tongue in concentration as her hand soon came closer and closer to the paper. Finally, her fingers grasped it.

Pushing herself back up onto her bed, she opened the crumpled paper. Her eyes grew wide, the Italian phrase staring her straight in the face. Ginny did not scream, nor did she move; it was as if she were in a trance.

Slowly, her room began to fade into obscurity, something strange replacing it. She was standing outside a temple from somewhere faraway. She blinked, turning around only to see thousands upon thousands of Muggles and wizards alike marching closer and closer to the temple. The Muggles were armed with their guns, and the wizards their wands. Ginny blinked, looking down at herself. Her body was simply a transparent veil, but it did not scare her, it simply peaked her curiosity.

This curiosity compelling her, she walked into the temple. There, she saw a figure, but that was all she could see. It was as if its entire body was being blurred from her sight. All that was in plain sight was the cross from her dreams. It was slung about the neck of the figure, but somehow it did not seem right. She turned, and saw a body resembling hers lying motionless on the floor. She looked as if she had been lying there for a long time. It was then that she screamed.

Torn from her vision, she dropped the paper, crumbling it into a ball. Tears welled up in her eyes as she did so, her mouth forming a frail line. She threw the paper aside and curled up into a ball on her bed.

She burried her head in her knees, her hair falling over her as if its purpose was to protect her. Her body slightly shook as tears poured down her cheeks. Through her ragged sobs, she asked the air a single question. "Why?"

Her cat jumped onto the bed and curled up next to her, purring loudly. Ginny lifted her head, her tear-stricken face forming a smile. Sighing, she let her hand rub the cat's head. It lifted it's head slightly, it's bright, green eyes staring up at her owner.

A thunderous crash made them both jump in the bed. Ginny looked at the cat, her heart racing in her chest. "What in Merlin's name..." The crash was followed by a soft pitter-pat of feet on the floor. Ginny could instantly tell that there was no human in her house.

She scrambled over to a desk to the left of the door where her quill and parchment sat. Taking in a deep breath, she gathered her thoughts. Another crash propelled her to write.

Harry,

I feel like I'm two, asking you for help, but I really need you to come over. Now.

-Gin

She folded the letter and handed it to her cat. The cat blinked at her momentarily, but took the letter in her jaw and slunk out of the cracked open window. Looking back at her nearly open door, she bit her bottom lip in fright.

She grabbed her wand from her bedside table and turned towards the door. Perhaps it was only a small thing; she could surely take care of a small creature, couldn't she? Ginny wanted to know what it was at the very least. Her hand began to shake as she raised the wand straight in front of her. She was aiming it, but it was not a perfect aim. Getting outside of her room, she closed the door very quietly. She began to tiptoe again.

Her heart began to thump loudly and she wished it would quiet itself for it was intensifying her fear, but it did not. It simply grew louder and louder. Stepping from the hall and into the kitchen, that was when she saw what it was.

Dead skin hung rotting from its naked body, tiny horns protruding from its skull. Its feet were small, but the long toes with razor-sharp claws made them big enough. Bony fingers cracked themselves, the sound echoing throughout the house. The color of its skin was that of blood. It was a demon.

Ginny gulped. The demon's ears twitched, suddenly flattening to the back of its head. It then turned its head; its yellow eyes staring straight at her. It opened its mouth to smile, small fangs showing themselves. Its eyes narrowed, the tiny pupils turning into slits. The rotten smell that hung about the air grew stronger as it smiled, it's nostrils flaring. An insane kind of greed sparkled in the corner of the yellowness that was its eye. Ginny suddenly wished that she had waited for Harry.

"Give it to me Eliana, GIVE IT TO ME!" It screamed lunging at her.