Drifting

Chapter 11: The Official Start of the War

"I think we're going somewhere.

We're on to something good here.

Out of mind, out of state.

Trying to keep my head on straight.

I think we're going somewhere.

We're on to something good here.

There's only one thing left to do.

Drop all I have and go with you-"

Relient K, Pressing On

~*~

There was a deafening silence that followed the scream. Ginny's head fell into the crook between Harry's neck and shoulder. She began to sob quietly.

"Ginny..." Harry trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"It was horrible, Harry," Ginny choked out after a few moments. "V-Voldemort came and he...he..."

Ginny couldn't even bring herself to say it. She began to cry again, shaking against Harry's body.

"Gin, you know I'm no good at comforting crying females. It couldn't have been that bad," Harry swore inwardly, wishing he could believe his own words.

Ginny sniffed and hugged Harry tightly. "I don't want you to die," she whispered.

Harry raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I'm not going anywhere."

"But Voldemort's going to come. I saw... He's coming to attack your house. Y-your cousin... he took... he took..."

At this point, Harry's concern had grown into a mix of extreme sadness and anger. He already knew what Ginny was going to say.

"Dudley. He took Dudley," he supplied tonelessly.

Ginny's grip tightened on Harry's arm. "Your Uncle had just left with you Aunt. V-V-Voldemort came right after."

Harry didn't react to the statement. His mind had gone into overload, screaming profanities at the bastard who called himself Lord Voldemort. He hoped Voldemort could hear him. He wasn't about to let anything happen to his last living relatives.

He remembered Sirius' earlier words. All I know is that their visions always come true. There's no changing what happens in a vision. Harry knew that he never cared much for his relatives but that didn't mean he wanted them dead.

"I'm really sorry, Harry," Ginny said softly as she moved off him.

She held out her hand, which Harry gladly accepted, hoisting himself off the floor. He looked at her blankly.

"Should we tell Dumbledore?"

Ginny nodded. "I think we should."

Harry led the way down the stairs to the fireplace. He grabbed a handful of Floo Powder from the stash he had and threw it in the fireplace, calling out, "Number 12 Grimmauld Place."

He poked his head into the fire and couldn't see anyone around.

"Er, is anyone there?"

Snape appeared in the doorway to the room where the fireplace was.

"We're having a very important meeting right now, if you'd care to stop back later," he sneered.

Before Snape could get out the door Harry called out to him.

"Professor, is Headmaster here?"

Snape wheeled around. "Yes, Potter," he spat. "As I've already said, we're in a meeting-"

"But this is really important!" Ginny yelled, pushing Harry out of the way as she stuck her head in the fire.

"Severus, what is it?" Mrs. Weasley asked as she came out of the meeting room.

Her eyes widened as she saw Ginny. She rushed to the fire, knocking into Snape as she passed.

"Ginny, dear, what's wrong?"

Ginny gulped. "Er, Harry has something he wants to tell you."

"What do I have to tell your mum? Oh yeah," he said in the background as Ginny jabbed him in the ribs. "I got Ginny pregnant and we're dropping out of Hogwarts so we can travel to China."

Molly's jaw dropped. Ginny slapped Harry hard on the cheek and then kissed the spot quickly.

"Now is not the time to be sarcastically funny, Harry," she murmured.

"Then tell your mum already! You're the one who saw the bloody attack not me!"

"So what? It's about your family!" Ginny retorted.

Harry hung his head. "Ginny saw Voldemort attacking my house and my family," he whispered.

"What, Harry? I couldn't hear you," Mrs. Weasley said.

Harry looked up and Molly could see the tears that ran down his cheeks.

"My cousin is going to be abducted by Voldemort!" he yelled in a very strangled voice.

All of a sudden, his head disappeared from the fire. Severus and Molly heard a door slam a few seconds later.

"Keep it down up there, boy!" Vernon shouted.

"Leave me alone!" Harry shouted.

Ginny turned back to face her mother. "I saw Voldemort attacking Privet Drive. No one was there except for Dudley. I saw Voldemort disappear with him. I didn't see Harry anywhere."

Molly gasped. Severus inhaled sharply and turned back to the meeting room. In a few moments Dumbledore had appeared.

"Miss Weasley, would you care to recount for me what you saw?" he asked.

Ginny nodded and told him what happened in full detail, adding things that she hadn't told anyone before.

"So, Bellatrix was able to lure Dudley outside the wards of the house and Voldemort Apparated in and snatched him; vanishing instantly," Dumbledore said in confirmation when she was done. "You could also see the date on the newspaper Dudley was holding. What was it?"

Ginny struggled to remember. "The eighteenth, I think."

"Tomorrow," Mrs. Weasley whispered as she turned to Dumbledore. "Is there any way we can stop the attack?"

Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "A Seer's vision will always come true. Miss Weasley, I suggest you try to comfort Harry. He may have reached his breaking point."

Ginny nodded, her eyes teary.

"I'll be contacting you again shortly with plans. Please bring Harry along when you do."

Ginny nodded and fled. Her mother looked worriedly at Dumbledore.

"I can't believe these children have to go through this at such a young age."

Dumbledore sighed. "Everyone makes sacrifices in war, Molly. A normal childhood is one of those things."

~*~

Ginny raced up the stairs and rammed the door open to Harry's room. She found him staring blankly at her, as if he didn't know where he was or why he was there.

"Why me?" he moaned.

Ginny sat down on the bed and wrapped her arms around Harry. She pulled him in until she was squeezing him so tight he could barely breathe.

"Gin," he gasped, trying to pry her arms off of him.

Ginny laughed in spite of herself. Her grip loosened and Harry sat up again, drawing his knees up to his chest. He gave a few weak chuckles before letting his forehead crash onto his kneecaps.

"What did Dumbledore have to say?"

Ginny's last laugh caught in her throat. She sighed, moving behind Harry to massage his shoulders.

"He said that there's nothing we can do to stop it from happening-"

Harry flinched and his shoulders sagged lower.

"But that doesn't mean we can't save Dudley."

Harry shook his head. "Unless Dumbledore has some idea of where Voldemort's hiding, we're out of luck."

Ginny sighed. "Dumbledore's going to contact us a little later. I'm sure by then he'll have a plan."

Harry jumped up suddenly and paced the room. Ginny stood up slowly and watched him.

"I wish there was something I could do!" he ground out in frustration.

Ginny caught him by his upper arm as he turned around. "Don't hurt yourself over this, Harry. I know that we'll find some way to save Dudley."

Harry slipped his arms around her waist as Ginny's arms snaked their way around him.

"I'll believe anything you say," he whispered.

~*~

Remus Lupin paced the room in a state of almost panic. Harry's cousin was going to be attacked and nobody knew where Harry was going to be at the time.

Dumbledore was sitting in his chair at the head of the table. His hands were clasped tightly in his lap. He was beginning to look older and frailer with every passing moment. The war was taking a toll on him and it had barely begun.

Snape was standing against the wall. His eyes were closed. Apparently the man was deep in thought of a battle plan for saving Dudley.

Molly was shaking slightly in Arthur's arms. Remus could understand the position she was in. A boy who was nearly part of her family was going to have his cousin abducted and it was her only daughter who had witnessed the attack.

There were many other occupants of the Order of the Phoenix who were standing or sitting in various places around the room. They all stared at Dumbledore intently, waiting for him to announce the plan.

After a few minutes of excruciating silence, Snape's eyes snapped open.

"I have a plan," he announced.

Everyone's eyes locked on Snape.

"Let me run it by Albus first," he snapped.

The onlookers tore their eyes from the Potions Master. Dumbledore turned his head to face Severus when he reached his side.

"We're going to have to let them take the boy."

There were several gasps from the people who sat close enough to hear. Dumbledore stayed silent, allowing Snape to continue.

"I'm afraid that we're going to have to rely on you and Potter for this. I know where Voldemort is hiding out. He's in the house by the graveyard that Potter was taken to at the end of the Triwizard Tournament. There are a few weak wards placed around it. Those can be broken with ease. There is a particularly strong one, that can only be broken by two very powerful wizards-"

Dumbledore held up a hand. "You're saying this as if we can get Harry to unlock his powers before tomorrow."

Snape swallowed and said confidently, "I'm nearly positive we can."

~*~

Half an hour later, Snape and Dumbledore were standing before Harry in his room because of that statement. Dumbledore had previously added a few extra wards around the house and magic was now undetectable inside.

Ginny sat on the edge of the bed grasping Harry's hand tightly in hers. Harry was slightly behind her, sitting cross-legged and glaring at both men.

"What do you want, besides telling me that there's no way to save Dudley," Harry snapped.

Snape looked to Dumbledore to explain.

"There might be a way. However, it will only work if you agree to try it."

Ginny squeezed Harry's hand hard.

"Ow! Gin, stop it, that hurts!"

Ginny blushed faintly and dropped his hand.

Harry looked up at Dumbledore. "Whatever it takes. I'm not losing any more family."

"In the letter I sent out to you, Miss Weasley, Mr. Malfoy, and Miss Zabini, I mentioned that you all had the Mark of the Phoenix. Have you ever wondered why you couldn't see the mark?"

Both Harry and Ginny nodded.

"That is because you have yet to perform magic that can only be done if you have the mark. Once you have done so, the mark will appear on your right wrist."

Snape turned to Ginny and took up the conversation.

"You are a Seer, correct?"

"Yes."

"Have you ever tried to See without waiting for a vision to come to you?"

Ginny glanced at Harry for help. Harry shrugged, having never paid attention in Divination.

"No," she said, sounding uneasy.

Snape sighed. "More work to do," he muttered.

Harry shot him a glare. "Get on with it or leave."

Snape's eyebrows shot up and his lips curled into a sneer. He eyed Harry with a superior look.

"Ten points from Gryffindor for your tongue, Potter."

"Er, Professor, I hate to inform you, but we're not at Hogwarts and therefore you can't take points from me."

Snape's expression turned to one of loathing. Harry smirked before turning away and staring out the window. Dumbledore smiled with that familiar twinkle in his eyes. Ginny's shoulders shook with silent laughter.

"Severus, would you care to instruct Miss Weasley on how to open her mind to the future?" Dumbledore asked, getting everyone back on track.

With his eyes narrowed, Snape turned to Ginny. Immediately her shoulders stopped shaking. She seemed to shrink under his gaze.

"Let all your thoughts and feelings go. Empty your mind."

Ginny nodded as she did so.

"Empty? Good. Now this next part requires quite a bit of willpower. If you're anywhere near as headstrong as Potter is then I assume you'll have no problem with this."

Everyone turned to look at Harry. His knees were drawn up to his chest and he was still staring out the window. He didn't seem to have heard his own name.

"Let him be," Dumbledore said softly. "We'll bring him back when we need him."

"All right then, Miss Weasley, if your mind is emptied, will yourself to see into the future. Focus on the date and or the person you want to see."

No one moved while Ginny attempted to see ahead. She could feel her mind pushing out. Soon she was absorbed into the tunnel again.

Instead of being thrown to the end like she normally was, Ginny was stopped. There was a door on her right side. It seemed to call to her and before she knew it, she had passed through it.

What she had wanted to see was right in front of her and it was set in motion as soon as she stepped into the room.

She saw her head in the fire and realized that she must be either at home or at Grimmauld Place and was only talking to Harry. Harry was pleading with Dudley to get him to go with him to Grimmauld Place. Ginny understood that she was there to pull the two of them through.

After a few minutes arguing, Dudley stamped his foot down and flat out refused to go. Harry looked on the verge of tears.

"It's your own life at stake. Don't you want to live?" he cried desperately.

"I don't know what goes on in that freaky mind of yours, but I'm in no danger. Why don't you just go and leave me alone?" Dudley answered angrily.

"You're going to die, damn it. You're going to die and you don't fucking care. Just like you Dudley."

Harry spun on his heel and stormed towards the fireplace, where Ginny pulled him through. As soon as she had sat him down, he began to cry brokenly.

"I can't believe those were the last words I'm ever going to say to him," he choked.

"They aren't the last. The plan will work, I'm sure of it..."

That was the last Ginny could hear as she was sucked back through the door and out of her vision.

She opened her eyes, expecting to be in Harry's arms as she normally was after a vision. This time, the only thing she felt around her was his bed. Ginny let a quiet moan slip out in disappointment but Harry didn't seem to hear it.

"Were you able to accomplish it?" Snape demanded, getting right down to the point.

"Yes, sir," Ginny replied, sitting up. "I saw Harry trying to convince Dudley to come with him to Grimmauld Place. When Dudley refused to come many times Harry's temper broke and he left his cousin there. I pulled him through the fire and a few seconds later he started crying because he thought Dudley would die. I told him that the plan would work." She looked up confused. "What plan was I talking about? Do you have a plan?"

"We'll tell you after we determine one more thing," Dumbledore reassured her. "Could you get Harry back for us?"

Ginny nodded and called his name a few times. When he didn't respond, she raised her hand and slapped him hard on the cheek.

His eyes dimly registered her in front of him. All of a sudden he jumped, rubbing his cheek. Harry seemed to realize that there were three other people in the room with him and they wanted his attention.

"Sorry," he said quickly. "I suppose I just got lost in thought."

Dumbledore nodded in understanding.

"Harry, look at the mark on Ginny's right wrist."

Harry obeyed. The mark that had settled itself on Ginny's wrist looked like a tattoo. There were two ovals that came from either side of a tiny circle. At the end of the oval, the lines kept going for a little bit, forming the first half of a second oval before stopping. From the top of the middle circle, one line went straight up and it split into two, which curved outwards. The same thing came out of the bottom of the circle, too.

"That, Harry, is the Mark of the Phoenix. In a few minutes, you'll have the same mark," Dumbledore said.

"What do I have to do?" Harry asked.

"Think of a simple spell, like Petrificus Totalus. Then hold out your right hand and point it at me. Say the spell and focus your magic so it will come out of your hand."

Harry glanced at the Professor, mildly confused.

"How can you make magic come out of your hand?"

"A wand is only for wizards to channel their magic. That's why many children will do magic without meaning to. They don't have a wand to control their powers. Wizards with the Mark of the Phoenix however, do not need a wand to channel and control their powers. They can do wandless magic. Now focus on the spell and say it. I should be under a full body bind when you are done."

Harry nodded and gulped, "Petrificus Totalus."

Just as predicted, the spell shot right from Harry's hand. Dumbledore fell to the floor, his arms and legs locked in place. Harry looked at Dumbledore in shock; his hand began to shake slightly. Snape took the spell off of Dumbledore, and the older man stood up.

"Excellent. There should be the mark on your wrist as well."

Harry looked down and sure enough, he had the same mark imprinted on his wrist.

"Now our plan will work. Severus, I'm sure by now that Harry has enough power to assist me in breaking through the wards."

Snape nodded and turned to the teenagers. He cleared his throat. Both teens looked up at him.

"We have a plan for saving your cousin, Potter. I know what the wards are around Voldemort's hideout; the house right outside the graveyard you were taken to in your fourth year."

He paused for a moment as Harry shuddered at the memory.

"Two very strong wizards are needed to break the wards. Naturally Albus would be one of the two but you are the second. The fact that you were able to perform a spell correctly and on your first try, without a wand, proves that you are a very strong wizard indeed. Most wizards struggle with wandless magic for a long time before they can get a spell right.

"You will go with Albus to the Dark Lord's hideout and break the wards with him. You will be under an invisibility spell and you will find your cousin while Albus holds off any Death Eaters that may attack. When you have your cousin, you must turn him invisible too and make your way back to Dumbledore so he can get you two out. There will be Order members there for backup. Understand?"

Harry nodded slowly. "I'll do it."

"We'll contact you tomorrow morning before the attack about the final plans and procedure," Snape added.

Harry nodded again.

"Thanks," he said. "I don't know many people who would save my cousin. It really means a lot. I don't want to lose anyone else."

Dumbledore laid his hand on Harry's shoulder and squeezed it in reassurance.

"Everything will be just fine, Harry."

~~**~~