Will You Ever Return to Me?

Interlude.

July 2001, Azkaban cemetery.

Famous since he was one year old for somehow destroying the powers of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and thereby ending the first war, even more praised for destroying that dark wizard permanently and ending his reign of terror, and more recently, infamous due to his highly publicized trial for the murder of Draco Malfoy, apparently as a result of jealousy over Malfoy's wife, Harry Potter, age 21, died today in Azkaban prison, where he was serving a life sentence for said murder.

-start of the lead article of the Daily Prophet, July 31, 2001

Criminals who died in Azkaban rarely had anyone come to their funerals, which tended to be quick affairs, so that sometimes they were over by the time the notified relatives arrived--if they did. This one had a number of attendees, however. One of them was a short witch with long red hair. She watched the coffin lowered into the ground, and cried.

"I loved you, Harry," she whispered.

"Well, you've got a funny way of showing it," a voice said from behind.

She turned. Ron and Hermione stood there, glaring at her. Hermione had a small baby in her arms.

"Ron, I--"

"We didn't come here to talk to you," he cut her off.

Ginny looked as if she was hit. "You don't--"

Ron drew his wand. "You drove him to this. Don't even think you have an excuse." There was fire in his eyes, and it was obvious that Hermione, even though she was a bit occupied with the baby, agreed with her husband's every word.

"Damn it!" Ginny swore, and ran past them. She needed to be alone... she had no idea what really happened to her...

"Greetings, Mrs. Malfoy."

The voice jarred her. She turned, and saw a short, stocky man, about forty, with shortly cropped dark brown hair.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"A genius," he replied. He spoke with an American accent he was unsuccessfully trying to hide.

"What do you want?"

"You, of course."

Ginny couldn't believe her ears. "What?"

"Oh. That's not what I mean. I do have a girlfriend, and I prefer older women, anyway. I mean I want you to work for us."

"And what is this 'us'?"

"Sorry, Mrs. Malfoy. You can find that out only if you join."

"And why should I?"

"Come on, Mrs. Malfoy. Your family wants nothing to do with you. Your so-called friends left you because they disapproved of your marriage. You lost the man you loved--"

"Just who are you referring to with that last one?"

"The late Mr. Malfoy, of course."

"I loved Harry."

"Nonsense, Mrs. Malfoy. That is your name, isn't it? Not Mrs. Potter?"
"I married--"

"Mr. Malfoy. And Mr. Potter was the one to ruin--"

This angered Ginny to such an extent that it shocked even her. "Now look here, mister. I have no idea who you are, why you've been prying into my life, but that stops now. And--"

The man went for his wand, and Ginny, reacting without thinking, hit him with a hex. The man stumbled, rubbing his sore chest.

"Last chance to come with me and enjoy a meaningful life, Mrs. Malfoy."

"I am not inclined to trust someone who won't even give me his name," she replied.

"My name's Alan Hund," he said.

"That tells me nothing."

"It's the nature of our organization. If you join, you will have the details. Perhaps more than you wish to know."

"And if I don't?"

"Then... you already know too much. A Memory--"

Ginny raised her wand to block it. The man whipped out his wand and fired a curse at her. She stumbled despite throwing up the shield in time. This man was powerful.

She tried to stun him, but missed. The man glared at her, but spoke instead of continuing the duel. "You'll regret this, Mrs. Malfoy."

"Oh, I'm sure," she said. "By the way, it's Miss Weasley."

The man said nothing before Disapparating. Ginny stood in silence, thinking. If she felt confused before meeting the mysterious Alan Hund, it was nothing to how she felt now.

Unfortunately, Hund was right in one aspect. She had neither friends nor family to whom she could turn for answers. She was on her own.