For Your Love

Chapter 23 - Darkness

Harry's eyes flicked to the windows of the library, searching the skies. He had been alert and watchful all day, but it was already evening and there was still no sign of Hedwig.

"What are you looking for?" Ginny asked, sitting beside him.

"What? Nothing," Harry replied, turning to her. He noted the concerned look in her eyes and reached under the table to find her hand, giving it a squeeze. "It's nothing," he repeated with a soft smile.

"Hi, Ginny, is now a good time?" Neville Longbottom approached their table with an armful of books, looking expectantly at Ginny.

"Sure," she smiled. She turned to Harry. "Neville is going to help me with my Herbology assignment. I've fallen a bit behind."

"Oh," Harry nodded.

Neville sat down, and soon he and Ginny had their heads bent together in deep conversation while Harry continued to fidget and glance at the windows.

"Gin," he said finally, "you'll be alright here for a few minutes, won't you?"

Ginny looked up, alarmed. "Why? Where are you going?"

"I need to run back to the common room for a minute." He lowered his voice and leaned in to her ear. "Stay here, alright? Stay with Neville."

Ginny nodded and watched as Harry jogged quickly out of sight. Turning back to her textbook, she tried to concentrate on what Neville was saying, but an apprehension settled in her stomach. After a few minutes, the words on the page blurred and she began to feel nauseous.

"Ginny, are you alright?" Neville asked. Her face had gone pale and her breathing was shallow.

"Yes," she said, taking a deep breath. "Yes, I'm fine."

"Okay," Neville said, uncertain if he should press her further. "So, the yarrow root can be used to..."

But the sound of Neville's voice was replaced by a rushing in her ears, and her mind became clouded as she felt her body stand even though she had not intended to.

"Actually, Neville," she said in a strained voice, "I'm not feeling very well. I think I'm going to go up to the hospital wing."

"Yes, maybe you should," he agreed. "You don't look very well. I'll go with you." He made to stand, but she held up her hand.

"No, no. I can make it alright. You just stay here. Stay here and when Harry comes back, tell him I've gone to see Madam Pomfrey. Can you do that?"

"Are you sure? I don't mind..." he offered.

"No, Neville, please," Ginny said, grasping the tops of the chairs for support as she made her way around the table. "Please, just tell Harry."

Neville frowned. "Alright," he said reluctantly.

Ginny stumbled out of the library and down the corridor. "Tom, what are you doing?" she gasped, struggling to regain control of her body.

There was no answer as her feet carried her involuntarily down the stairs and out the front doors of the castle. When she reached the underground dock, she untied one of the boats with shaky hands, trying valiantly to stop what she was doing.

"Tom, it's still light out," she pleaded. "Someone will see. Harry will see. He'll find me."

"Yes," Tom said finally. "I'm sure he will."

As she glided out of the ivy curtain onto the lake, she gulped in breaths of air. "Why are you doing this? Why control me now?"

"The time has come," Tom said. "I've let you have your freedom for long enough. You think now that you have Potter's insipid declarations of love, that you no longer need me or what I have to offer you," he hissed, causing a shiver to run up Ginny's spine. "But now you will see that the choice was never yours in the first place."

* * *

Ron sat in the common room with his eyes trained on the windows, tapping a quill against his notebook in a constant rhythm.

"Ron, you have got to stop that," Hermione said, running a nervous hand over her forehead. "That tapping is like dripping water. It's driving me mad."

"Where is she?" he said, ignoring Hermione and pacing over to the window, opening it to look out. "She should be here by now."

"Maybe Charlie wasn't able to harvest the blood on such short notice," she said, coming to stand beside him at the window.

"He'll do it," Ron said forcefully. "If he knows it will help Ginny, he'll do it."

At that moment, Harry burst into the common room, hurrying over to them. "Is Hedwig back?" he asked anxiously.

Ron shook his head.

"Damn," Harry cursed. "I left Ginny in the library with Neville because I thought she might have come straight here."

"Harry," Hermione said, pulling him aside and lowering her voice. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"What do you mean?" he asked with impatience.

She bit her lip and twisted her hands together. "This dragon's blood thing... well... it's risky. If we get it and if we can get Ginny to drink it without Tom knowing what's going on, it may be a real shock to her system. I'm worried that even with the dragon's blood, her powers may not be strong enough to overcome him on her own." She put a soft hand on his arm. "I just want you to be prepared. This isn't going to be easy and if it doesn't work, it could do her real harm."

Harry looked her steadfastly in the eye and swallowed hard. "She can do it, Hermione. This has to work, because I...she's..." His voice became strained, and he paused before adding, "She's stronger than you think."

Hermione noted a new spark of emotion behind his words and fixed him with a thoughtful gaze. "Especially when she has you by her side. And she does, now, doesn't she. You've finally wised up."

Harry gave her a small smile. "Yeah, looks like I have."

Hermione's face broke into a wide grin and her eyes became suddenly bright, but Harry was saved from further embarrassment by Ron exclaiming, "She's here!"

They turned and rushed to the window to see Harry's snowy white owl soaring toward them in the twilight with a small package tied to her leg.

"Good girl, Hedwig," Harry breathed, reaching his arm out the window, providing a perch for her to land on. Pulling her inside, he reached for the string to untie the package from her leg, but she nipped at his fingers hard. "Ow!" He snatched his hand away from her. "What was that for?"

Hermione peered more closely at the bird, then suppressed a grin. "It's addressed to Ron," she said.

Hedwig hooted in agreement and held her leg out for Ron, who flushed with surprise and mumbled, "Sorry," to Harry as he untied the string. He unrolled the tightly wrapped scroll of parchment to reveal a small leather bag containing one glass vial of dark, green liquid.

"I don't believe it," Hermione whispered, fingering the vial gently as Ron passed it to her.

"Dragon's blood is green?" Harry asked, prompting Hermione to tut at his ignorance as Ron read the parchment.

Ron,

Blimey, who would've thought you'd be the brains of the family? Dragon's blood will definitely enhance the strength of Ginny's powers. I can't believe I didn't think of it. Just remember, the sooner you can give it to her, the better. I've taken this from our strongest Horntail and broken about ten dragon-handler rules in the process. But if it will help her, it's all yours. Keep me posted.

Charlie

"Brilliant," Ron smiled, shaking his head in disbelief that his idea had actually worked.

"Come on," Harry said, taking the vial and striding toward the portrait hole.

"Harry!" Hermione called, rushing after him. "You're not going to give this to her in the middle of the library are you?"

"I don't know. Let's just get to her first."

The three reached the library in under a minute and arrived at the table to find Neville silently packing up his books.

"Where's Ginny?" Harry asked, looking frantically around the room.

"Oh, Harry!" Neville exclaimed. "I was just about to come find you. Ginny went up to the hospital wing. She said she wasn't feeling well, and she looked really pale. I offered to go with her, but she told me to stay here and wait for you."

"She what?" Ron snapped as Harry brought his hands to his face.

"Did... did I do something wrong?" Neville asked, crestfallen at the looks on their faces.

"No, Neville," Hermione said quickly. "We're just worried about her is all. Thank you for letting us know," she said and hurried out after Harry and Ron again.

Down the corridors they flew, up the twisting staircases, through a tapestry, and finally to the hospital wing where they banged on the door and tried to catch their breath as Madam Pomfrey bustled across the ward toward them.

"Great heavens, what has gotten into you three?" the matron asked, pushing the door open and letting them stumble inside.

"We're looking for Ginny," Harry panted. "Ginny Weasley."

"Well, I'm afraid she's not here, Mr. Potter," Madam Pomfrey frowned.

"You mean she's already left?" Ron asked, flushed.

"On the contrary, Mr. Weasley. I haven't seen your sister in my ward since she came to me for a headache potion a few days ago. Although by the looks of it, you three may need a Calming Draught before long. Is Miss Weasley in need of assistance?"

"Um, we're not sure," Hermione answered, stalling for time. "But thank you, Madam Pomfrey. We'll let you know if we need anything."

They exited the hospital wing and stopped in the corridor outside, not sure what to do next.

Ron turned to Harry, beginning to panic. "She lied to Neville? Why would she do that?"

Harry shook his head, a feeling of dread settling over him. "I think I know where she's gone."

"You do? Where?" Ron asked.

"Someplace she told me about once."

"Well, let's go," Ron urged.

"No," Harry said. "I think you two should search the castle just to be sure. Hermione," he asked, turning to her, "do you know how to send messages the way the Order does?"

"Yes," she nodded, "with my Patronus. Professor Dumbledore showed me how to do it when I became Head Girl."

"Alright. If you find Ginny first, send me a message and I'll come straight back. Understand?"

She nodded and Harry took off down the stairs clutching the small leather pouch in his hand, his robes flying behind him.

Ron turned to Hermione, bewildered. "You can send messages using a Patronus?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Yes, now come on."

"No one ever told me that," he grumbled, following her.

"Don't whinge about it."

"I'm not, it'd just be nice to know these things."

Hermione shook her head and smiled to herself. "Silly git."

* * *

Harry guided his broom along the shore of the lake, flying low near the path that he and Ginny had followed on their walk when she had pointed in the direction of the cave. Passing the point of the turnstile border, he skimmed up above the treeline, searching the grounds below for any sign of life.

The trees were dense and the night black. He flew like a hawk, making several passes up and down the hillside until he spotted, very faintly, a glow in the darkness. It may have been a trick of his eyes, but he gripped his broom handle tighter and descended toward it, not caring what he might find as long as he could bring Ginny back safely.

The glow grew brighter as he set down on the forest floor, rustling leaves as his feet hit the ground. He hadn't paid it much attention, but his scar had been prickling the nearer he came to the cave, and now, as he stood mere feet away from the opening, it deepened into a persistent ache. He reached up and rubbed it just as a male voice came from somewhere inside the cave.

"Ah, he is here at last."

Startled, Harry flattened himself against the rocks. Had he been seen? Ginny had said that Tom could take physical form here, and he knew that they were well outside the wards over the Hogwarts grounds. What was it about this place? Had Tom somehow forced Ginny to put a spell up around it which allowed him to show himself to her?

Breathing heavily, Harry took his wand and muttered a simple revealing spell, but the tip shone green, indicating that there were no external wards protecting the cave. Inching toward the entrance, he held his wand in front of him, ready to fire off a curse at any second, when he was halted by the same voice, now speaking directly to him.

"Harry," it said leeringly. "There's really no use in continuing to skulk about out there. Won't you come in and join us?"

"Harry, no!" he heard Ginny's voice shout before it was abruptly cut off.

"Riddle!" Harry called sharply. "If you hurt her, you'll only hurt yourself, too. It's me you want. I won't let you take her as well."

"That may be true," Tom replied confidently, "but this girl of yours, Harry. She can be so very... useful. I think I will keep her a bit longer. Unless, of course, you intend to take her from me? But I am sure you are also aware that if you hurt me, you will only hurt her as well. It seems we are at an impasse," he said with a touch of amusement in his voice.

There was a pause and Harry crept as close as he could to the opening while still remaining in shadow. If he craned his neck, he could just make out the silhouettes of what he presumed was Tom Riddle standing near the far wall with Ginny cowered on the ground behind him. He could hear her crying and his heart wrenched.

"Ginny," he called, "are you okay?"

"Harry!" she sobbed. "I'm trying. I'm trying to hold on, but I can't. He forced me to come here. I didn't want to!"

"Ginny, you've got to stay awake. Do you hear me?" Harry said fervently. "You've got to try and force him out from within yourself. It's the only way, I can't do this for you. Please. Please try." He choked on his words and had to regain his composure. He knew how difficult it was to face Voldemort alone, to feel that hopelessness and fear. But to watch the one he loved trying to do it in his place was a hundred times worse.

"I can't, Harry. I don't know how."

"Yes, you do," he said forcefully, hoping to snap her out of her fear. "You told me so yourself. It's the same power that I have over him, Gin. You have it, too. We have it together. I love you, and if that means coming in there and sacrificing myself to keep you safe, then I'll do it."

"No!" she screamed.

"Yes!" Tom crowed in triumph. "Didn't I tell you, Ginny? Love... it is the ultimate weakness! That one would give up themselves, their very life for another! Why, it is the worst kind of cowardice imaginable."

"Ginny, don't listen to him!" Harry yelled. "You've been letting him feed you his hatred and lies all this time, but now you have to push back."

And then, Harry steeled himself to say the words that had to come next. He felt sick at the knowledge that he must say them, but he had to make Ginny understand that love alone wasn't enough to save her from Tom.

It had taken him a long time to fully understand the true meaning of Dumbledore's words, that it was not only his ability to love others, but to love them above his own self that was the true power that Voldemort knew not. If love was all it took, then his mother had died in vain. It was not merely her love, but her willingness to sacrifice herself for him that had made all the difference.

"Ginny," he said, his voice shaking. "Do you love me?" He heard Tom give a derisive snort, but waited anxiously for her answer.

"Yes, Harry, you know I do," she said through her tears.

"Do you love me enough to give up yourself for me?" The tears were now streaming down his own face as well. "Would you... die for me?"

She heaved another sob and Harry saw the shadow of Tom turn and point a wand at her. Although it couldn't have been his own wand, Harry realized. He must have taken Ginny's. "Well, Ginevra, would you?" he asked, his voice full of contempt. "Would you die for Harry Potter? Tell me. I would be happy to oblige."

The air became eerily still as they waited for her answer. Harry could hear nothing but the blood rushing through his veins until at last the sound of her hushed whisper reached his ears.

"Yes."

Harry couldn't stand it any longer. He had to be with her, had to see her face and feel her touch so that no matter what happened now, they would be together. Clutching the dragon's blood tightly in one hand and raising his wand with the other, he emerged slowly into the faint light of the cave.

At the sight of him, Ginny let out a strangled cry of relief while Tom hissed with delight. Harry moved steadily around the perimeter of the cave, never taking his eyes off Tom, until he was standing directly in front of Ginny, shielding her from Tom's sight.

"Ginny," he spoke, struggling to keep his voice calm. "You can do this. Your bond with him, your Legilicor bond, it has to be broken and only you can do it."

"I've tried, Harry, I've tried," she said, exhausted. "He's too strong."

"This display is very touching," Tom said coldly, "but my patience with your little game is running thin. Your mudblood mother's sacrifice may have been enough to save you once, Harry, but the crush of a schoolgirl? Come, even you must see how foolish it is to put your life into such feeble hands. It would be much more merciful for me to just kill you and end this charade."

Harry tried to ignore Tom's prattle and stay focused on Ginny, even as he kept his wand fixed on the boy in front of him. "For me, Gin. Do it for me. Focus on what you know in your heart and feed those feelings to him until he's so full of them, he can't bear the weight of it. Here," he said, dangling the leather pouch behind him where she could see it. "Take this, it will help you."

"What is it?" she said in a shaky voice.

"Trust me," he said, turning his head for the briefest second to look at her. "Drink it, it will give you the strength you need to do this."

Tom laughed. "What, another Angelica Potion? You and those high and mighty friends of yours think you'll have better luck the second time around? Well then, Ginny, drink up! And we will show him just how deeply we are bound together."

Ginny felt Tom release his hold on her body and she frantically slid the vial out of the pouch and pulled out the stopper. She already trusted Harry with her life; there was nothing to stop her from trusting him with this as well. She reached up and grasped his free hand in hers, holding it tightly as she tipped the vial up to her lips and downed the thick liquid in one swallow. It tasted bitter and metallic, but she immediately felt a shudder throughout her entire body and the world began to spin away around her.

She did not know that Harry had tightened his grip on her hand when he felt it go limp, nor did she see the panic in his eyes as he crouched on the ground beside her, still trying to keep his wand trained on Riddle. The only thing she knew was that her mind was clearer than it had ever been before. From deep within her trance, she opened her eyes and was surrounded by a light so intense, it blinded, strengthened, and comforted her all at once.

She had seen the light once before, when she had tried to overthrow Tom on the lakeshore. She had grasped at it feebly then, hanging onto it for dear life. But now, it surrounded her like an army of Patronuses, ready to do battle at her command.

Just beyond the circle of light, darkness surrounded her like a wolf circling its prey. She pushed into it, remembering Harry's words, feeling him with her. The darkness growled at her, prowling for an opening in the circle. She could feel its hatred, its greed, but she was not consumed by it. Instead, she waited.

"We have become one," the darkness said. "Even while others would try to force us apart, you still come to me. You know that you cannot truly live without me."

"No," Ginny said in an ethereal voice. "Even with all my protections, I cannot live with you. Neither of us can truly live while the other survives," she spoke, echoing the prophecy that had, until now, spoken only of Harry and Lord Voldemort. "I'm sorry, Tom. But I would rather die in Harry's place than to share a cursed life with you."

Ginny spread her arms wide, releasing the light around her, which stampeded into the darkness, trampling it underfoot until there was nothing left.

A scream echoed through the cave. Harry's wand clattered to the floor as he put his arms around Ginny, holding her limp body.

"No," he cried into her hair. "No, Ginny. Please wake up. Please be alright." He looked into her face, but her cheeks had lost their red glow and her lips had begun to turn blue.

Through watery eyes he watched as a slow smile spread across Tom's face. An anger spread through him like fire, and he lowered Ginny gently to the floor before picking up his wand and pointing it once again at Riddle. His mind raced; the dragon's blood hadn't worked, and Ginny was going to die if he didn't do something. He had no choice but to curse Tom himself, and he didn't care about the consequences.

He opened his mouth, but before he could utter a word, Tom's smile fell and his face contorted in pain. A faint light began to glow from within him, working its way out through his fingers, his chest, his eyes, until it was so bright that it illuminated the cave. Tom cried out in anguish as Harry shielded his eyes, the light temporarily blinding him. And then, just as suddenly, it was gone and the cave was still.

Harry looked instinctively around at Ginny, his eyes adjusting once more to the dark. He crouched beside her and felt her face. It was warm, and he nearly collapsed with relief.

"Ginny, you did it. You did it!" He barked out a laugh. "He's gone, he's..."

It was then that Harry noticed Ginny's hands. The empty vial was clutched in one hand, but in her other was... her wand. The sight of it brought Harry up short. Her wand? Then whose wand had Tom been holding all this time?

"Harry," a raspy voice said from the darkness. "I have to admit I didn't think she had it in her. I've only recently become acquainted with her, you understand, but I can see why my former self found such value in her. She is a challenge."

Harry squinted, his breathing becoming heavy, his scar burning in earnest now. He clutched his wand tightly; he knew that voice.

Suddenly, a single light flared in the darkness, illuminating the place where Tom had disappeared moments before. Harry's eyes focused on a bald head with skin so thin, he could see the veins pulsing underneath, and snakelike features spreading into a wide, serpentine grin. Tom Riddle had gone, but in his place stood...

"Voldemort." Harry whispered the name with contempt.

"That's Lord Voldemort to you," the Dark Lord hissed angrily. He was hunched over slightly as if he had received a terrible blow, but little by little, he straightened until he was at his full, formidable height. He glared ominously at Harry. "Dumbledore still hasn't taught you any manners I see."

"So it was you?" Harry said, rising shakily to his feet. "You were behind this the whole time?"

Voldemort gave a raspy laugh. "Why, no! In fact, if it hadn't been for you, I might not have been alerted to the renewed presence of my former self at all. I really must thank you, Harry." He made a little bow of the sort that he liked to taunt Harry with, holding his wand outstretched in mock deference. "Not only have you introduced me to this charming girl, but now I will have the pleasure of watching you both die. Together. How tragically romantic."

He pointed his wand sharply at Harry and said, "Crucio!" Harry sank to his knees as his insides writhed, his mouth opening in a silent scream as the Unforgivable Curse ripped through him. But it was released after only a moment and he fought through the pain to stand again. He would not allow Voldemort to render him helpless.

"What do you mean me? Where've you been, you snake?" Harry ground out through clenched teeth. "Off killing helpless Muggle-borns, too afraid to come after me while Dumbledore is still at Hogwarts?" The Dark Lord seethed and pointed his wand again at Harry, but he plowed on. "I even called out to you to come and find me, to end this once and for all, but you did nothing!"

"Yes, so you did!" Voldemort paused and pretended to consider this. "Imagine my surprise to realize that after months of not being able to penetrate that thick head of yours, suddenly there you were, granting me an open invitation! I slithered around in your mind on a few occasions. All without your knowledge of course," he added off-handedly, for there was never any question that his powers were superior to Harry's in every way.

"And then," he continued, "oh yes, I remember it so well. You were dreaming, and as we both know, your mind is an open book when you sleep." He paused, taking great pleasure in the look on Harry's face as he frantically tried to recall which dream Voldemort was referring to.

"You haven't seen into my dreams since I was fifteen. I made that mistake once, but I would know if you had done it again."

"Would you?" Voldemort asked, feigning surprise. "Yes, I suppose you might after all. But she wouldn't." He pointed his wand now at Ginny's still form on the floor. "At first I thought, perhaps, just another of your mundane teenage fantasies. I watched your dream as you followed this girl across a lake, trying desperately to save her, as you are wont to do," he said mockingly. "But then, there was something else. Something that felt oddly...familiar. And do you know what it was, Harry? Do you? It was myself!"

The force of Voldemort's statement hit Harry like a leaden weight as the sinister wizard nearly laughed at the irony of it. The darkness that had overtaken them in his dream, that had prevented him from reaching Ginny, it had been Voldemort!

The Dark Lord spoke faster now, eager to tell his story. "A younger, lesser version of myself, of course, one I had not seen in many years. I was aware that my diary fallen into the hands of Ginny Weasley some years ago by way of Wormtail. He is always so eager to share information with me, you see. But Lucius told me the book had been destroyed. By you no less, for which he paid dearly, I can assure you. But I should have known that my spirit would never have left the girl so easily.

"Well, of course, once I and my former self were reunited in your dream, I was able to use our shared power over your little friend to great advantage. I began establishing my own connection with the young Tom Riddle, finally persuading him to lure her out here where we could meet, face to face. And what greater conquest could there be not only to conquer the thorn in my side, but to obtain the loyalty of the daughter of Arthur Weasley and soulmate of Harry Potter in the process? Really, Harry, it was too good an opportunity to pass up. Surely even you can see the allure of having someone so beautiful and yet so impressionable at your side."

Harry felt like he would vomit at the thought of Voldemort using Ginny to get to him again.

"Why lure her out here? Why not come to the castle yourself?" Harry taunted.

"Dumbledore may have kept me from coming onto Hogwarts' grounds with his reinforced wards, but that hardly left me without options. So, I found a place where I could Apparate to: a cave just beyond the border but still well within reach for a resourceful girl and a small boat. It's quite ingenious, don't you think?" he asked, looking around at the dank, earthen room.

Harry had heard enough. The moment he'd been waiting for for seven years had finally come, and he would not let it go on one moment longer. He raised his wand with a fire in his eyes, but the Dark Lord sent him flying into the wall with a mere flick of his wrist. He landed in a heap on the ground, clutching his side.

"First things first, Harry," Voldemort said calmly, pointing his wand at Ginny. Harry scrambled to her side intending to throw himself over her, but Voldemort merely said, "Ennervate," and Ginny opened her eyes, gasping for breath. "I prefer my prey to be conscious. After all, the kill is the most exciting part of the hunt."

"Ginny!" was all that Harry managed to get out as he flung himself over her. A jet of green light split the air. Ginny screamed. And everything went black.