Slip, Recover, Laugh, Let It Go

After he had recovered, Ginny decided it was best they left, and went home. They thanked the kindly little cabin that had given them shelter, then set off.

The blizzard was wild as it had been a few days ago. They bowed their heads, holding hands so they wouldn't lose each other, for they couldn't see even a foot in front of them. They exchanged no words, all energy put towards getting home in one piece.

Harry suddenly knew, somehow, that something was wrong. He stopped dead in his tracks, listening for something that was not a sound. Ginny looked over at him, shot him a questioning look. He didn't know why, but something was not right.

Abruptly, something hit him so hard he was knocked off his feet. Ginny was thrown as well. Harry tried to hold on to her hand, but it slipped from his grasp. He jumped back up, staring wildly around. He saw a black shadow floating over something lying in the snow. He ran towards it, his heart pounding.

The shadow was hovering over Ginny's body. She had been thrown hard, and was now lying face up, her hair spread all around her, like an angel's halo. She was gasping for breath. She seemed to be in pain; when Harry pulled her to her feet, she clutched at her chest.

"Are you...?"

"HARRY!"

Her eyes suddenly widened as she stared over his shoulder. Harry whipped around and saw nothing. The shadow had vanished, but Harry though he had caught a glimpse of it sliding past her... or into her.

"Ginny? Ginny, what's wrong?"

"No!" Ginny screamed the word as though her life depended on it, still staring fixedly, horrified, at something Harry could not see. She began to shake violently, and tried to walk towards whatever it was. Harry held her back; he didn't know what was going on but had a very bad feeling about letting her walk blindly to an invisible something. She didn't seem to notice him.

"No! No, please! Harry! No..."

"I'm right here, Ginny, I'm right here! Ginny, talk to me!"

He looked into her eyes; they were blank and glassy, and not their usual sparkling brown either. They had turned the darkest of blacks.

"Please, please, I'll do anything, anything! Don't, don't, not him, not Harry!"

Her words brought to mind his mother's last words, Not Harry! A bolt of pure terror shot up his spine. Ginny had stopped shaking. Suddenly her eyes closed, and she collapsed, going limp in his arms. He called her name, trying to get a response. It was as if she had been possessed.

"Ginny? GINNY!"

He saw something black rise from her fingertips, but the moment he looked closer, it had sunk back into her skin. Was Voldemort possessing her? Was she cursed? What was going on?

"Ginny? Ginny, wake up, wake up!"

Harry shook her gently; her head lolled about helplessly. She looked like she was...

"GINNY! NO!"

Again, he saw a black shadow begin to reluctantly rise from her as he frantically tried to revive her, but then it sunk back in the moment he paused. He pulled out his wand. Ennervate! Nothing happened. Harry looked around for help, someone... anyone... He was becoming desperate, still hanging onto Ginny's limp form. She couldn't be...

Ginny, no!

After standing there for what seemed like an hour, Harry began to realize the truth: she was gone.