Lost in Darkness

"Lost in Darkness"

First one foot, then the other. Tom was forcing her body to move, but Ginny decided not to make it easy for him. Her carriage was as jerky as a puppet on strings. She found herself reviewing every old tale about the little things people did when they were under the Imperius Curse in hopes of attracting attention. Of course, in most of the stories no one noticed until it was too late - but there were a lucky few who chanced across family members that saw something was amiss. Ginny counted herself fortunate that she had four brothers at Hogwarts. She hoped Percy were on patrol.

Oh, Tom's voice teased her ear like a fly buzzing too close. You want your precious brother to die? The Basilisk does not discriminate - it is a tool - only I can do that.

Behind her eyes Ginny saw each one of her brothers lying still as statues on the unforgiving stone floor. The blankness in their faces greater somehow than the petrified students in the Hospital Wing. The pictures blurred and reformed into the grief stricken faces of her parents.

I can kill them all, Ginny.

"I won't let you," she whispered. Her voice was rough and hoarse as though she had a cold.

The reply was mocking. You can't even save yourself.

It would have been easy to believe him. She might have stopped fighting, but a flash of red caught her eye. Percy was crossing the corridor ahead of her. He was lost in his own thoughts and did not notice her.

He's been visiting that Mudblood girlfriend of his, Tom mused, disgust threading itself through his words. And to think - I once thought him the Gryffindor most like myself.

"Percy," Ginny hissed coldly, "is nothing like you."

She could almost see Tom's lips curl into a hard smile. Isn't he? Hogwarts Prefect - probably HeadBoy next year. Handsome, top student, with an eye for power. I was like that once.

"Percy has a soul."

What is a soul, little girl? Tell me, for I do not know.

"I refuse to debate philosophy with a mere memory."

Memories can be dangerous things. I took Granger and Clearwater away from you and your brothers. Now I'm taking you. Poor Prefect Percy - his girlfriend, his little brother's friend, and now his sister. I imagine he'll take it all quite personally.

Ginny swallowed hard. Percy did take his perceived failures hard. He had a tendency to blame himself for things beyond his control.

Perhaps I'm doing Percy a favour.

Ginny was about to reply when someone else entered the hall: a Ravenclaw girl called Luna Lovegood. Her family lived near the Weasleys. Being the only young witches around, the two girls often played together. After Ron left for Hogwarts, she'd been Ginny's only friend.

Luna stopped and stared at her. "Are you all right?"

I could kill her, you know I could. Unless you want me to perform the Killing Curse through you, answer her quickly.

"Just tired."

Luna tilted her head to study Ginny. "Other people find you strange."

Ginny nodded. It was easier than speaking with Tom poised to filter her words or to use her lips to utter a spell that would end Luna's life.

"I have that difficulty as well," Luna replied serenely.

"I've noticed."

"You walk differently," Luna noted. "It doesn't suit you. Of course you might think differently."

"I'll make a note of it," Ginny said. She started to walk on, feeling Luna's eyes bore into her back. Every fibre of her being hoped Luna made the connection and found Percy or a teacher.

The cynical little voice at the back of her mind - the one that did not belong to Tom - reminded her that Luna was very accepting of strange behaviour. And its not as though I suddenly started to act odd either, Ginny thought. It was hard to trace the exact influence of the diary and when it began to feel like a burning brand.

Don't worry little Ginny, Tom mocked as he forced her into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Its almost over.

Part of her feared the end; another part welcomed it. It was the second that shook her the most.