War and Passion

Chapter 3
The Death of a Childhood

*Flashback*

Harry sat leaning against a tree, looking out to the lake that was nestled in the forest behind the Burrow. He had been thrilled when Dumbledore had finally let him come here. The Dursleys had been unbearable, especially after everything that had happened in forth year. The Burrow was busting at the seams with people. Both Bill and Charlie had moved back home this summer. Charlie had quit his job in Romania and Bill had transferred to the Gringott’s Branch in London. Harry assumed it was because of Voldemort’s return to power. Something that had plagued him constantly since the Triwizard Tournament a few months ago. However, for the first time this summer, Voldemort wasn’t the first thing on his mind. No, Harry had walked out to the lake for some peace, to think about something much different. He was out here to think about Ginny Weasley.

Ginny has been wonderful these past weeks. Harry had been surprised to discover how easy it was to talk to her. She understood him in a way others didn’t. It had come as quite a shock to him when he found himself viewing Ginny in a completely different light. In fact, the past few days he found himself thinking about nothing but Ginny. When Harry looked at her, his chest hurt. He wanted to be with her every second. Ron, noticing this, had asked Harry about it today. He didn’t know what to say. So here he was trying to figure out what exactly he felt for his best friend’s sister.

“Here you are.” Harry was pulled from his thoughts as Ginny came walking up over the hill. She had a muggle dress on and her ponytail swayed as she walked.

“We started to worry, Ron sent me to come look for you.”

“I was just thinking.” Harry looked at her as she sat down next to him her eyes full of concern.

“What were you thinking about?”

“Nothing drastic, I’m just trying to figure out a few things. I didn’t mean to worry you.” He watched her lips as she broke in to a small smile. God, he wanted to kiss her. “So, Ron sent you, huh. Why, didn’t he just come look for me himself?”

“He said you might have a few things to talk with me about.” Harry could smack Ron. He seemed to think the whole idea of Harry having a crush on his little sister was rather funny.

Harry glanced over at her and allowed himself the luxury of really looking at her. Her long auburn hair seem to glimmer like new copper in the sunlight. Freckles played across her nose and he noticed that they were splattered across her shoulders and chest. She was tall and slim, but curved in all the right places. He had known sometime ago that Ginny would grow up to be beautiful, he just never realized how much it was going to affect him when it started to happen.

“So?” Ginny questioned him. She had a puzzled look on her face and Harry realized she had noticed him staring. He knew he was blushing and turned away from her.

“So, what?”

“What do you need to talk to me about?” He looked back at her and he noticed that her cheeks were pink too.

“I don’t know, I just..... Well, Ron seems to have this idea. I mean, I think that....I mean, I don’t know what I mean.” He was stuttering. How embarrassing could it get? He knew she had a crush on him sometime ago, but did she feel the same now? He wasn’t sure he was willing to risk the embarrassment.

Ginny watched Harry flounder over his words. He looked almost helpless sitting there. His messy black hair blowing in the wind. She could see her reflection in his glasses as green eyes looked at her in near agony.

The last couple of weeks had been like a dream come true for her. It had started one night a couple of days after he had arrived at her house. She was up reading and Harry had come downstairs because he couldn’t sleep. After a few awkward moments they had started to talk. They had spent hours since then talking. Ginny’s idea of Harry had changed a lot in the past days. She had always saw him as a hero. It was surprising to find out that she had never really seen him as a real person. As she listened to him talk about all the painful things he had experienced in his life, her heart had broken for him. He had also told her about a lot of other things. The feeling he had about coming to Hogwarts, flying for the first time, winning the Quidditch Cup. He may still be a hero to her, but now he was so much more. Ginny no longer had a crush on Harry Potter. Ginny was madly in love with him.

He had been staring at her a few moments before. She watched as his eyes glanced from her face down her body. Ginny may not know a lot, but he looked like he enjoyed what he was looking at. She had watched the color flood his cheeks when he realized that he was staring. Now, he was sitting here trying to tell her something. He looked away from her and Ginny was afraid he might not say it. He was so good at keeping secrets, she may never found out what he wanted to say. It was simply too much to risk for Ginny. She had to know. She wasn’t going to let him get away with keeping their feelings secret.

“Harry, look at me.” She put her hand on his shoulder and made him turn to her.

“I don’t know what your trying to tell me, but there is something I want you to know.” He looked very serious and almost worried as she spoke.

“I care about you. These past few weeks, I’ve discovered part of who you really are. I want to know more about who you are, much more.” He was still looking at her confused. “Harry, do you understand what I am trying to tell you?”

“I think so.”

He was just staring at her. God, she had been wrong. Now, everything was ruined. Then suddenly his knuckles rose to her cheek and brushed it gently. His hand drifted softly to her shoulder. Then, as if in slow motion, he lowered his head and kissed her. Their lips barely touched, but Ginny gasped at the surge of fire that ran through her. As he pulled away, Ginny slid her arms around his neck. His hands held her face. For a long moment they stayed like this. The wonder of what they were feeling mirrored in each others eyes. Then Ginny felt his body relax. He pulled her face close to his and Ginny’s eyes drifted shut as his lips molded to hers, his tongue pressing them open. She felt, rather than heard a low moan escape him.

Something seemed to seep deep in to Harry’s body. It demanded a response. His arms slid down to her shoulders and without even realizing he was doing it, he had her pressed against the soft grass. Their lips met again and again. He laid half way over her, her body arched against him. Hunger and yearning raced thorough his veins. Harry was overwhelmed with sensation. He felt like he had waited a million years just have her in his arms. When the madness threatened to consume him, he broke away and stared down at her. She looked as dazed as he felt. Her eyes opened slightly and her breathing was heavy. In that instant Harry figured out exactly what he felt for her.

“I Love you, Ginny.” Her eyes flew open.

“Really?” She said, amazed. Harry just nodded. He was finding it hard to breath.

“I Love you, too,” she whispered as she pulled his mouth back to hers.

The next week for Harry was the best of his life. Being in love seems to make all the world’s problems all right. He was surprised at how well all the Weasleys seemed to be taking his and Ginny’s new relationship. Her brothers were, overall very happy for them. Plus, it provided hours of teasing entertainment at both his and Ginny’s expense. Although, he had gotten the “hurt her and I’ll kill you” speech from everyone last one of them. Mr. Wesley also sat Harry down and explained that he trusted him. “Remember that if you ever find yourself stepping out of line,” he had said in the most serious of tones.

It was Mr. Weasley’s speech that was giving Harry the most trouble. When he was away from Ginny it made all the sense in the world. However, the second he and Ginny found themselves alone, it proved much more difficult to implement. It took all the restraint Harry had, to stop when things got heated. A part of Harry understood that their reaction to each other was extreme. He didn’t think that most couples their age were dealing with the almost overwhelming passion they found in each others arms. Harry was at times glad for the distraction that the six Weasley brothers provided. Having a house full of over protective brothers made it much more difficult to find time alone.

Since school was only a week away they found themselves at Diagon Alley late one afternoon. Harry and Ginny walked hand in hand as they listened to Ron and Hermione argue over where to go next.

“I think we should go and get our books now. What if they run out?” Hermione had been dying to get her books since they had met her there two hours earlier.

“They’re not going to run out. The school notifies them about how many to order. You know that. I think your making up excuses to drag us in there. I say we get the books last, since they are the heaviest. I don’t want to lug them all day.” Ron crossed his arms over his chest as he said this, stopping to glare at Hermione.

“Look, why don’t we split up. You and Harry can go to Zonko’s and Ginny and I will head up to the bookstore. You can meet us there when your done.”

“I am sure Ginny will want to go with Harry. Those two have been glued at the hip all week.” Ron glared back at the two of them as he said this.

“Were right here, so don’t talk like we can’t hear you.” Ginny sounded more then annoyed with her brother. “Honesty, I don’t know how you put up with those two arguing all the time. I would have gone mad years ago,” Ginny said in a low tone to Harry.

“You learn to live with it,” Harry shrugged.

“We can *hear* you,” Ron yelled, looking a little annoyed himself.

“I’ll go with Ron, you go with Hermione. I think we could all use a break,” Harry said to Ginny. He hadn’t spent much time with Ron since he had discovered Ginny. Ron was starting to get really snippy about it.

“But Mum told us to stick together,” Ginny argued.

“No one is going to be alone. You and Hermione, me and Harry. See, we’re sticking together.” Ron apparently liked Hermione’s idea.

“I don’t think that’s what she meant,” Ginny said facing off with her brother.

“I hadn't thought about that. We should stick together,” Hermione interjected.

Harry was fed up. “Everything will be fine. We will meet you two at the bookstore in a few minutes,” Harry said in a tone that bordered no argument. Everyone agreed and Harry found himself walking towards the joke shop with Ron.

As they were about to enter the shop they heard commotion coming from around the corner. Several people were screaming. Harry heard the distinct pop of people Apparating away.

“What the hell,” Ron said next to Harry as he turned to see what was going on. Harry turned too.

What Harry saw made his heart drop. Over twenty Death Eaters coming down the street straight towards them. People were Apparating away as fast as they could. Harry was struck by almost dumb terror. It was like one of those dreams, when you want to run but can’t. He saw in slow motion, one of them raise their arm, pointing to where he and Ron stood. Suddenly, his mind moved very fast.

“Shit Ron! Run!”

Ron didn’t need any encouragement, he took off with Harry right behind him. They had only run a short distance before they started to hear the pops of Apparating Wizards. In an instant they were completely surrounded by Death Eaters. Harry didn’t even have a chance to draw his wand before he was stunned. A split second before the blackness overcame him he heard Ron fall beside him.

The shock of having cold water thrown at him woke Harry out of his stunned induced sleep.

“Wake up!” someone yelled in face.

Harry blinked several times, his eyes trying to adjust to the darkness. Nighttime must have come while he was out. He felt like he couldn’t breath. The reason for this became apparent as he looked down at at the magical binding holding him to a pillar erected in the middle of a dimly lit room. Two Death Eaters stood in front of him. Their masks looked surreal in the candle light. Then it came back to him in a rush. He looked around and discovered Ron sputtering over the cold water that had been tossed at him as well. He was bound the same way as Harry to another pillar about twenty feet away from him.

Harry turned back to look at the Death Eaters. They walked to the corner of the room talking in hushed tones. Their voices muffled by the masks. The candle light flickered off the black cloaks and hooded faces. Harry wondered which ones they were. Had they been there the night he had narrowly escaped Voldemort? His mind worked mercilessly trying to figure out a plan of action but his thought process was being crippled by fear. ‘Kill the Spare. Those words repeated in his mind and Harry almost retched. Would he have to look into Ron’s cold lifeless eyes, as he had Cedric’s? As he fought with the demon’s in his head the Death Eaters glided towards him, their cloaks swishing as they walked, their wands drawn and ready.

“Are you awake yet, boy?” At this the Death Eater to the right kicked him hard and Harry groaned.

He walked over and kicked Ron the same way. Harry heard him swear in a low voice. Harry turned back to look at Ron. Even in the candle light he looked pale as a ghost. Harry could see his freckles standing out like beacons across his white skin. Ron stared back at him, a look utter terror on his face. He was sure it mirrored his own. Harry looked back at the two dark hooded figures. ‘Kill the spare’ still chanting in his mind.

“Where’s your fearless leader?” Harry stated, sounding far braver then he felt. He had learned that Voldemort and his followers fed off others weakness. He was not about about to give them the satisfaction.

“It’s not your concern. He has left instructions on what's to be done to you. That’s all you need to know for now.” The Death Eater paced in front of Harry as he spoke. “Now, first things first. I think a little reminder is in order. Perhaps you have forgotten.” Harry knew what was coming and tried to prepare himself.

“CRUCIO!”

It was like white fire was burning him from the inside out. The pain was so intense he couldn’t think or focus on anything but the burning. It felt like every cell in his body had just exploded. He wasn’t even aware of how loudly he was screaming. When the pain finally stopped it took a while for his screams to die out. He was trying to breath, made doubly hard by the bindings holding him. The first sound he heard once the pain faded was Ron’s voice.

“YOU FUCKERS, STOP!!!” Ron was yelling it at the top of his lungs. It sounded like he had being yelling such things for a while. Harry’s head had slumped forward, he lifted it slightly to look at Ron. He was struggling with all his might against the bindings. His face, once pale, was now a brilliant red.

The Death Eaters totally ignored Ron, both laughing at Harry. One came forward and put his hand under Harry’s chin. He jerked away.

“That hurts doesn’t it?” He pulled up a chair and sat in front of Harry.

“This can be very easy on you, Harry. You simply have to convince us that you have seen the error of your ways. Tell me your ready to join us.” He was leaning back against the chair, his arms folded in front of him.

“Why would you want me to join you? I thought the goal was to have me dead.” Harry’s voice was very raspy as he spoke but he lifted his head and looked directly at the Death Eaters mask.

“Well, lets just say our Master thinks you could be useful. You have a lot of the talents he looks for in his new recruits.”

“Never! You might as well kill me now,” Harry hissed at him.

“Harry, Shut up!” Ron yelled as he still struggled.

“I‘m sorry to hear that,” The Death Eater said as he raised his wand. Ron’s shouts filled Harry’s ears a moment before he felt the pain of the Cruciatus Curse burst through him once again.

It was sometime later that Harry finally passed out from the pain of having the Cruciatus Curse repeatedly thrown at him. He had no idea how long he’d been out before they threw another bucket of cold water on him.

“You are proving to be most difficult.” He seemed irritated as he said this. “I think that another course of action is in order.” Harry watched as the leader of the two walked towards Ron. He pushed his fellow Death Eater out of the way as he leaned down.

“How would you like to help your friend make his decision?” he said inches from Ron’s face.

“FUCK OFF!” Ron yelled at him. Harry’s blood felt like ice in his veins. They were going to use Ron against him.

“Okay, okay. . . I’ll do it. Just leave him alone,” Harry said frantically. He would do anything to spare Ron the agony he’d been going through.

“I would love to believe you, Harry, I really would. However, I don’t think you have been fully convinced.” Harry didn’t have a chance to answer before he heard Ron’s screams echo through the room. Harry fought against his bindings, his screams blending with Ron’s. The tears he’d been unwilling to shed for himself were now running freely down his face as he desperately begged them to leave Ron alone.

It seemed like an eternity before he dropped his wand and freed Ron from his prison of pain. Ron’s head fell forward. He was taking in huge gasps of air. When his breathing had calmed somewhat he lifted his head slowly and let it fall back against the post. His eyes opened wide staring off to a place only Ron could see. Then as the cold laughter of the Death Eaters filled the air Ron turned his gaze at Harry. His eyes held the realization of a pain only those who have felt the Cruciatus curse could know.

“Now, I want you to tell your friend why he should join us,” the leader said leaning down to look at Ron.

Ron gaze drifted back to the mask that was glaring back at him, cold and expressionless.

“No!”

His voice was horse but fierce as he said it. His usual flare for colorful phrases forgotten. Four years of friendship flashed in Harry’s mind as he heard Ron utter the word that would doom him. A friendship so strong that his best friend was willing to condemn himself to a fate worse than death, rather than see Harry become a Death Eater.

Harry listened to his captors talk. After hours of alternating between receiving the curse himself and listening in horror as Ron got hit, he had finally slipped into an unconscious state not even cold water could have brought him out of. Now, unmercifully, he was awake. His whole body ached in a way that he couldn’t possibly describe. It was like he’d gotten so use to the pain that he felt it continually. Harry risked a glance at Ron. His head hung down, shoulders slumped forward. He was fairly certain that he was just unconscious. Harry had watched him pass out several times that night. He learned to look for the signs of Ron’s shoulders rising slightly proving that he was still breathing. Harry was brought out of his troubled thoughts as voices filtered through his muddled brain once again.

“He said he would do it. Hell, he begged us to let him do it.” The words sounded very far off to Harry. It took all his effort to understand what they even meant.

“He said that to save his friend. He doesn’t mean it. He would just kill himself the first chance he got. We need to totally break him.”

“I don’t think either one can take much more. I think that they are both starting to loose their minds. What good would he be if he’s insane?”

“I agree, he can’t take the curse anymore. We’ll be lucky if it hasn’t already affected him beyond repair. We have to use a different method.”

“Like what?”

“Give me your knife.”

Harry heard water running after that. He knew they were going to try to wake him and he closed his eyes. In a few minutes he felt the shock as water drenched him. He was almost glad for it. The cold water seemed to shake him out of his stupor a little bit. He heard Ron coughing next to him as they woke him up.

“Make sure he’s watching,” the leader of the two called from somewhere near Ron. The other one grabbed Harry’s head and turned his to face towards Ron. Harry would of thought he couldn’t feel anymore fear. He was dead wrong. The leader had a hold Ron’s hair pushing his head against the poll. He had a large hunting knife pressed to Ron’s throat. Ron was simply glaring at him, silently daring him to do it.

“Are you willing to die for your friend, brave Gryffindor,” the leader spat at Ron. Ron didn’t say a word, just continued to stare into the mask just inches from his face. When he didn’t get a response the Death Eater pulled his knife away from Ron’s throat. In one quick motion he ran the knife across Ron’s cheek. In seconds half of Ron’s face was covered in blood.

“Fuck,” Ron hissed through his teeth as he closed his eyes against the pain.

“Now, I asked you a question, I want an answer. Are you willing to die for your friend?” he said, holding the knife out in front of Ron when he opened his eyes.

Ron stared at the knife, red with his blood. Even from a distance Harry could see the utter loathing on his best friends face as he looked back up at the Death Eater. Ron swallowed hard then turned to look at Harry. His face showed no fear of Death. In fact, Harry was sure he welcomed it. His eyes only showed a flicker of sorrow before he turned back to the man who would murder him in a few seconds and said one word.

“Yes.”

In that moment Harry knew that they were really going to kill Ron. An anger unlike anything he’d felt before manifested into an unimaginable fury. Pure adrenaline ran through his body. He could feel an energy raging and boiling inside him. Harry’s bindings broke free with such force that the Death Eater holding his head was thrown across the room. Harry didn’t stop to notice what happened to him as he jumped up. He was acting on an instinct he didn’t know he had. The power flowed through him so strongly that he had to release it. He raised his hand and a flash of blinding light shot out of it. Ron’s bindings broke free and the Death Eater next to him flew several feet away. Ron just looked down at himself then back up at Harry in total shock. As the leader started to move, Ron sprang to his feet. He seemed to be running on the same sort of adrenaline Harry was. Ron grabbed the knife that had fallen next to him. The Death Eater stood at the same time Ron straightened back up. Harry watched as a slow smile crossed Ron’s lips. Suddenly, Ron was in front of the man who had caused them both such agony. Harry watched his best friend raise the knife in a defensive position. The Death Eater stood very still, as if weighing his opponent. Harry realized that Ron, young and thin, pale and bloody, didn’t look very intimidating, even with a huge blood soaked knife in his hand. The Death Eater’s laughter filled the room. It was the same laugh each of them had heard after the effects of the curse had died down, they heard it dozens of times. Harry could tell that it was this man’s cold mocking laugh that was Ron’s undoing. Without the slightest hesitation Ron’s arm raised up and plunged the knife right into the Death Eaters heart. After a startled breath he fell to the floor, dead. The Death Eater had never imagined that Ron was capable of such an action. Ron’s hand went up to his face and touched his injured cheek. He held his hand up and looked at his crimson fingers then glanced at the man he had just killed on the floor. He stood like that for only a few second before he shook off whatever thoughts he’d been having.

“Lets get out of here,” Ron said as he turned back towards Harry.

The survival instinct that had allowed them to get free was starting to wear off. Harry realized that he was in real danger of passing out again. He then remembered that the other Death Eater was still unaccounted for. He looked around the room and spotted his crumpled form lying on the floor close to the fireplace. He walked over and saw a large pool of blood beneath the man’s head. Harry leaned down to get a closer look. He must of struck his head on the corner of the fireplace. Harry noticed his lack of breathing.

“Dead,” Ron announced from behind him, his voice still very low and raspy.

Harry turned to look at him. Ron’s face held no emotion. It hit Harry that he too felt no real emotion over the man’s death. He and Ron had each killed someone tonight and neither of them cared. He wondered exactly how much those cruses had really effected them. More importantly, how long would it last? As he pondered the extent of their mental injuries he began to waver and leaned against the fireplace for support. He would have to think about his mental stability later.

“How do we get out of here? I don’t think either one of us are up to walking.” Harry’s voice was just as harsh and broken as Ron’s.

“Floo.” Ron pointed at the fireplace to a small jar that sat on top of it. Ron stepped over the dead man and grabbed the container. He took a pinch then handed it to Harry. Ron was having a hard time. It looked like he was using every ounce of energy he had just to remain standing.

“I’ll go first.” He took a deep breath as he threw the powder into the fire. It turned green as Ron stepped inside it. “The Burrow,” he croaked.

Harry did the same a moment later. The second he knew he was heading towards safety the adrenaline rush disappeared completely. He felt the full force of everything he had experienced the same moment he fell out of the Burrow’s fireplace. Ron lay in a heap in front of him. Harry heard screaming coming from somewhere and saw a sea of orange heads the second before he collapsed on top of Ron.

Harry could hear Ron yelling. There were hands holding him down as he fought to help him.

“Leave me the hell alone!”

Harry tried to fight harder against the hands that held him. He struggled for a while before he began to hear other voices besides Ron’s.

“Harry, stop it. Look at me. Open your eyes. God damn it! I’m trying to help you, stop fighting!” Harry knew that voice, but it couldn’t be. He stopped struggling and opened his eyes slightly.

“Sirius?” His Godfathers face swam before him. He looked more worn and haggard than he had ever seen him.

“Oh God, Harry can you see me?” Sirius leaned closer. Even without his glasses, Harry could see the tears on his face.

“Yes. Why....why are you...” Harry was finding it very hard to speak. His throat hurt right along with the rest of him.

“I’m fine......you’re at the Burrow. You’re safe.” Sirius put a hand on Harry’s shoulder

Harry thought about what Sirius said. Safe, he knew that was very important. He was just having a hard time remembering exactly what he was suppose to be safe from. He was at the Burrow. That was important too. Harry tried to remember why he felt such a warm happy feeling when he heard that word.

“Ginny?” Harry questioned. The Burrow was where Ginny was.

Sirius smiled softly “She’s fine....Her mother slipped some sleeping potion into hers and Hermione’s drinks. They were both very upset.”

“Why....were they....upset?” Each word was very hard to pronounce for him.

“Harry, do you remember anything?” Sirius soft smile changed into a very worried frown.

Harry was trying to remember. He knew that something terrible had happened. He remembered Ron screaming.

“Ron!” Harry was trying to jump up again. Two sets of hands held him down.

“Harry....Harry! Ron’s here. They’re calming him down. He’s here,” Harry relaxed slightly, turning his face to the other person who had just spoke. Professor Lupin’s blurry face came into view. Harry was getting sick of not seeing anything.

“Glasses?” Why was it so hard to talk? His voice sounded very strange.

Someone either Sirius or Professor Lupin slipped his glasses onto his face. Each of them came into much sharper focus. They both looked terrible. They were unshaven and looked sleep deprived. Both their eyes were red and blood shot. Harry knew that his suspicions of something awful were true. He closed his eyes trying to remember what had happened. The image of Ron with a knife to his throat was the only thing he could come up with. He began to look around the room for Ron. He found him laying in a bed across from him. Harry took in the orange walls and realized they were in Ron’s room. Bill and Charlie were holding him down. Mrs. Weasley was leaning over him talking softly. The twins stood at the foot of the bed wearing identical looks of concern. As Harry watched, Ron seemed to struggle less against his brothers. Looking back and forth between Bill and Charlie. Harry could see a huge white bandage covering half of Ron’s face. As Ron looked up at his Mum, some sort of realization seemed to click. Harry could see him figuring something out. Ron’s hand went up to touch the bandage on his face. Then almost frantically he began to look around the room fighting against his brothers again. He stopped when his eyes found Harry. In that room packed full of worried people their eyes locked. It was then that the memories flooded into Harry again, so many painful things so quickly that Harry let out a half sob against it. He shut his eyes to block them.

“Harry...it’s okay. You’ll be okay.” Pained and beaten pools of green opened to look at Sirius. His face full of worry for his godson as he tried to calm him.

“No Sirius, I won’t.”

“Yes, Harry you will. I know you don’t think so right now, but you will be okay. You’re made of pretty strong stuff. The fact that you’re not lying at St. Mungo’s in a coma proves that,” Sirius answered back; his hand still on Harry’s shoulder. Professor Lupin had pulled up a chair and sat next to where Sirius stood.

“Why would I be in St. Mungo’s?” Harry knew the answer to his own question he just wanted to see how much Sirius knew.

“We all have a pretty good idea what happens when Death Eaters capture someone. Considering you were gone for almost fifteen hours, we all thought we’d be visiting you two in the Magical Maladies ward for the next twenty years.” Sirius face was very grim indeed when he said this.

“It seemed like longer.” Harry’s voice still hurt him but he was feeling stronger. He must have been sleeping for a while.

“I’m sure it seemed like a lifetime. How did you two get away? I don’t know of anyone who could go through what you two obviously did and still manage to escape?” Sirius glanced at Ron who was now talking calmly to his Mother.

“It’s hard to explain.”

“Well, the Ministry is tracing the Floo network. So maybe they will catch someone.” Sirius’ face was hard with controlled anger as he spoke.

“They won’t catch anyone,” Ron said from his bed. He had apparently heard the last part of Harry’s and Sirius’ conversation. The room went very silent after Ron’s announcement. Everyone waiting for an explanation

When one was not forth coming Professor Lupin spoke from his seat beside Harry. “And why is that Ron?”

Everyone including Harry looked at Ron to see what he would say.

“There’s no one to catch that isn’t already dead!” Ron spat out the last word. His voice held pure hatred when he said it.

“And how did they die?”

Everyone waited with baited breath.

“We killed them.”

A collective gasp filled the room. Harry could feel everyone looking back and forth between he and Ron. Mrs. Weasley let out a strangled sob.

Charlie was the first to speak “Are you sure they’re dead?”

“Positive.” Ron gave the impression of something close to pride as he answered.

“How....How did you...” One of the twins stuttered

He was interrupted by a voice at the door.

“I think that, Mr. Weasley, is an explanation for another time.”

Harry turned to look at Professor Dumbledore as he spoke. Harry saw a strange sadness in his eyes that he had never seen before. Behind him stood the rest of the Weasleys and Hermione. From the look on their faces he could tell that they had heard everything. Harry saw Ginny standing there, peering out at him from behind Dumbledore. Percy had a hold of her shoulders like he’d been holding her back. Harry felt a sadness at that moment that he would never forget. Ginny knew he was a murderer.

“Now, I think that there are a few people who would like to see Ron and Harry. Perhaps, we could give them a few moments alone,” Dumbledore continued. Percy let go of Ginny as Dumbledore stepped aside. She and Hermione ran in.

“Oh, Harry!” Ginny cried as she collapsed on to his chest crying.

Harry felt nothing but her presence for a moment. He was not even aware of Dumbledore ushering people out of the room. Harry ran his hand through her hair as she cried. By the time she stopped, she and Hermione were the only two people in the room with Harry and Ron. She looked up at him. Her eyes puffy and swollen from a nighttime of crying. She reminded him of everything perfect and beautiful in the world. Harry could tell that she didn’t condemn him for what Ron had revealed. Her eyes held nothing but love and concern for him.

“We...we thought that,” she cried as she reached up to touch his face.

“Let’s not talk about it right now” Harry whispered as he placed his hand over hers on his cheek. She nodded then stood up. She looked over at Ron who was trying to calm Hermione down. He was was rubbing her back as she cried into his shoulder.

Ron broke into a smile as he looked over Hermione, at his sister.

“I was wondering when you were going to remember that I’m your brother.” Hermione pulled away as Ron spoke to look over at Harry. The girls passed each other as they crossed to the opposite bed.

“Harry, I’m so sorry. If I didn’t have that stupid idea none of this would have happened,” Hermione sobbed as she leaned down to hug him. Harry saw Ginny fall on her brother and start to cry again.

“Don’t say that. None of this is your fault.” Harry was rubbing her back the same way Ron had. It took a while to calm both girls down. Eventually, Ginny sat in the chair Professor Lupin had vacated and Hermione sat in another chair fussing over Ron.

“You need to have that healed. Madam Pomfrey is coming by later. It needs to be healed right away. It could scar,” Hermione was lecturing.

“I don’t want it healed. I don’t care if it scars.” Ron’s temporary light mood brought on by the arrival of Hermione and Ginny was replaced by the coldness that had set in since they had been kidnapped.

“Oh, but Ron, it could get infected,” Hermione said as she ran a soothing hand through his hair.

“I don’t care! I want it there....OKAY!” he yelled at Hermione. She pulled her hand away and looked at him in horror.

Ron sighed and tried to get a hold of himself. “Look, I’m tired and sore. Don’t get mad. I just don’t want it healed. It would be like pretending it never happened. I don’t want to EVER forget that it happened,” Ron said passionately then laid his head back down and closed his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Ron. Look, I think we’ll leave and let you guys get some sleep. You must be tired.” Hermione ran her hand over his uninjured cheek as she said this. Ron simply nodded, his eyes still closed.

Harry turned to look at Ginny. Her red hair was glowing in the dying sunlight that filtered into Ron’s room. She was looking at her brother in concern. Like Hermione, she didn’t really understand what had happened. Ginny didn’t know that Ron was changed forever. Harry felt a crippling guilt. Ron was a different person because of his friendship with him. He wore the badges of pain that no fifteen year old should ever have to wear. He would never again be innocent or naive. Ron’s childhood had died in a room that held two dead Death Eaters.

As Ginny turned to look at Harry he felt his heart break. Her confused and worried look spoke of someone who would never really understand true evil. She radiated a good so pure she almost glowed with it. He knew it was too late to save Ron. The damage was already done. Harry would have to bare that guilt forever. Ginny leaned down and touched her lips to his. He pulled her closer and kissed her with the passion of a man who would never again know her comfort. It was the hardest thing Harry would ever do. He was going to protect her the only way he knew how. He was going to let her go.

Ginny pulled away. As she stood up her fingers touched her lips in wonder. Harry closed his eyes. She stopped and ran a hand tenderly through his hair placing one more soft kiss on his temple. Then she turned and walked out the door with Hermione. She never knew that when she left the room that day, she took a part of Harry’s soul with her.