Lost Persephone

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Prologue:

"Captive"

Cold. Gray. Blank.

Dark.

A low moan came from the figure that lay on the stone slab in the middle of the room. Red hair contrasted against the gray strip that suspended the figure off the stone floor. A narrow strip of moonlight, from a tiny iron barred window, fell across the soft features of this young woman's face. Her long, dark lashes flickered and dark brown eyes opened once, then twice.

Her eyes moved from side to side as she lay on her back, beautiful brown orbs alive with confusion, recognition, and then panic. With a deep intake of breath, she sat up in one movement before pain seared up her spine and she lay back down with a thud, her breathing sharp and shallow.

Calm down, Ginny. You have to calm down. There was no one else in the room--that was a good sign for now at least. With every breath she inhaled a sharp twinge went through her chest, making her almost positive that she had at least one broken rib. She had absolutely no idea how long she had been here--or wherever here was, for that fact. The last few hours of her consciousness flashed in spurts before her eyes.

A large boom outside Hogwarts castle. The screams of the students as the stone walls of the castle began to crack and glass of the windows blew in. The rush of all the students and teachers as they ran to get out the doors of the breaking castle.

The Death Eaters, their silver masks glittering, and him--He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named--lined up beside the lake. The Order of the Phoenix's magic shield that surrounded all the students as they huddled together outside the castle. Numerous Slytherins and their loyalty to the Dark Side, led by Draco Malfoy, as they went against the Order, joining their parents on the opposite side.

Harry--brave Harry--and the march of Dumbledore's Army.

There had been so many black figures, just so many, as they swarmed around those loyal to Dumbledore--Students vs. Students. She could still see the stricken and fearful look on Dumbledore's face as Harry led them across the grounds towards their opponents. Brave Harry-

Calm down, Virginia! Breathing was really becoming difficult now as she lay there on the table. What had happened to Harry and the others? There had been so much green light! But she couldn't stay here!

"Ugh!" Ginny moaned as she pushed herself up into a half-sitting, half-laying down position. She could feel her heartbeat, wild and erratic, against her rib cage (the ribs that weren't broken). There was no door out of this room, just solid stone block. She peered towards the barred window, high up on the wall. Too high up to even try to get out, she thought with a fleeting flash of dread. Just as she turned to gaze and search the chamber for another means of escape, a familiar creak of a door came to her ears.

She turned her head sharply to see a door appear out of the wall and a burst of bright light as a figure stepped into the room.

*******

"Really! What am I going to do with you two?" Ginny looked up over her Transfiguration text at the trio across from her. Harry and Ron sat on the plush red couch, wearing identical innocent grins as they looked up at Hermione who stood towering over them, hands on her hips. "If you haven't forgotten, we have N.E.W.T.'s at the end of this year!"

Ron looked down at the table in front of them where at least ten different books and stacks of parchment lay, all of it their homework. "Believe me, we haven't forgotten."

"I wish Snape would," Harry muttered as he looked down at the foot long scroll of parchment (Describe the aspects of Veritaserum--include its effects on non-wizard species) of which he still had four more inches to go. "This is ridiculous."

"Glad I was able to drop it for sixth year," Ron said, smirking at Harry who simply scowled. Ginny watched as Hermione blew a piece of hair out of her face and saw Harry reach for her hand, pulling her down to the seat beside him and Ginny felt a twinge of jealousy as he out his arm around her, hauling her close. Her head rested on his shoulder.

"Relax, Hermione," Harry muttered, threading his fingers through hers. "One of these days you're going to do a damage to yourself."

"And us too," Ron muttered. Hermione shot him a nasty look from over Harry when a big bang rocked the castle, making the Gryffindor common room shake violently.

Ginny, eyes wide, clutched her book tightly to her chest as screams echoed through the room. Harry had jumped to his feet the moment the common room had stopped shaking. Ron sat clutching the edge of the couch as Hermione got shakily to her feet, staring around at the now silent common room before turning to Harry.

"Harry," she said, voice shaking slightly. "What's going-" Another bang, this one louder and stronger than the first. Ginny could feel the armchair shudder underneath her.

"He's here," Harry said softly below the screams and anyone in hearing range turned to look at him. His hand went up and rubbed his scar. "I can feel him."

Another scream came and they all turned to look at the outside wall. The window blew out, shattering anyone near it with glass shards and a huge crack splintered through the middle of the wall horizontally, bits of stone and dust falling on the people below.

Harry turned to look at Hermione, then Ron, then at Ginny, his green eyes piercing into her. "We need to get everyone out of the castle. Check the dormitories!" He screamed above all the shouting and pushing. "Evacuate the tower!"

There was a mad dash for the portrait hole and Ron and Hermione dashed up their respective stairwells, checking for any stragglers. Just as Ginny was about to follow Hermione a hand grabbed her arm.

"Help me get everyone out of the common room," Harry yelled over the commotion. "Lead them outside!"

Ginny had never been more crunched in her life but she forced her way through to the portrait hole. "Follow me!" she called over the noise and she led them all, running very fast, down the hall.

They met Professor McGonagall on the stairs leading to the Entrance Halls. She was very white and shaking. Seeing Ginny in the lead she barked, "Take them outside! The other teachers are waiting!" before she dashed up the stairs and headed in the direction of the Gryffindor common room.

Professor Sinistra was holding the double doors open and she pointed outside, apparently too shocked to speak. Pieces of stone from the ceiling kept falling onto their heads and Ginny lead them all out the doors, hands protecting her fiery head.

Hagrid led them up against the castle wall, eyes panicked. Looking around Hagrid she saw Dumbledore, wand at ready, running down the stone steps of the castle as the last of the students filed out of the school. A sudden hush fell over all of them and Ginny felt movement beside her. She turned to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione, all of whom were very white, watch as mist began to rise above the lake.

Out of the mist came shadows--many shadows, all cloaked in black with silver masks--and they glided almost to a halt about fifty yards in front of the teachers who all stood at the ready. There was at least seventy or more Death Eaters, Ginny noticed in her numb state of mind, as they all lined up in rows of fifteen or so. The night was so clear she could almost make out their eyes behind their masks, watching and waiting for their orders. She felt Harry stiffen on her left and felt the chill that swept over all the students as He arrived.

Tall with pale hands and a nose like a snake's, Lord Voldemort walked out of the shadows, his large scarlet eyes scanning the sight in front of him with cruel amusement. And then he spoke in a voice, high, cold voice, like silk.

"Ah, Hogwarts," he said lazily, his eyes gazing over the castle in mock admiration, "It has been a long time, yes, a long time indeed." His voice had gotten softer as he spoke and then it happened--he looked over to where they were standing. He gazed at Harry and his mouth began to curl. But then he turned his head and Ginny found herself looking straight into the eyes of Lord Voldemort.

Her insides froze as he stared and watched as his twisted smile widened. He was about to open his mouth when Dumbledore spoke.

"What is it that you want, Tom?" Dumbledore called clearly above the quiet of the students. Sobs were the only thing that could be heard from the students but even they were stifled. All students from the four houses were completely still, too afraid to move.

Tom.

Tom Riddle.

Ginny felt her insides tighten up. He was here. Tom was back. She had known Voldemort had been Tom Marvolo Riddle before. Dumbledore had explained a great deal to her after her experience in the Chamber of Secrets. But to be staring at Tom again right now--

"Do you really have to ask, Dumbledore?" Voldemort called back lazily. "Actually I've come to set free some loyal souls and tie up a few," his eyes glowed and he paused, "loose ends."

"Loose ends?" Mad-Eye Moody barked out. The Order of the Phoenixwas here as well, Ginny noticed for the first time. All of them were standing there--her mother, father, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George--the whole lot, they were here. Had they been there the whole time? "What loose ends?"

"Our loose ends," came a familiar, cold, drawling voice from the pack of students.

Draco Malfoy followed by all the Slytherins from fourth to seventh year stepped into view. A smirk was evident on his face and everyone stared in horror and disbelief as they walked straight across the grounds and lined up in front of the Death Eaters: their parents. There was an evil glint in each of their eyes.

"Are you going to attack me now, Dumbledore?" Voldemort called with amusement even more evident in his voice than before. "Will you risk killing children?" Voldemort smiled wide at the hardened look on Dumbledore's face and the fury behind his blue eyes that did not twinkle. "Where is your army now, Dumbledore? I have mine, as you can see. Where is yours?"

"Here," came a strong voice and Voldemort whipped around to see who spoke. Ginny felt movement to her left as Harry Potter, standing tall and proud, stepped away from the crowd of student and out into view. "Dumbledore's army is right here."

More movement came from Ginny's side as Ron and Hermione joined Harry and after a moment's pause, Ginny felt her feet move foreword too. And she wasn't alone.

Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Lavender Brown, Parvati and Padma Patil all stepped foreword behind Harry. Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs, from fifth year and up all walked and stood behind Harry. Ginny watched as Voldemort's eyes widened in delight as the students gathered together.

"Let's go," Harry said and Ginny caught the looks of horror over all the adults' faces--saw the appalling look on Dumbledore's face as they marched then ran forward straight at the Death Eaters. She barely saw some of the adults call and run after them. She would not forget that look of absolute horror on her mother's face anytime soon.

I'm sorry, Mum.

There were flashes of light everywhere, Ginny picked up as she stunned a fifth year Slytherin, then ducked to block an attack from a large Death Eater that had advanced on her. Red, white, green--the thought of what green light meant made her stomach queasy--all around.

"Stupefy!" she shot at the nearest Death Eater, hitting him or her in the back. Then all of a sudden she was shoved and saw that a seventh year Ravenclaw had tripped and knocked into her.

"Sorry," he muttered before jumping after a seventh year Slytherin. Before Ginny could regain her balance something hit her hard in the chest and she fell backwards onto the grass. The night swam in and out of focus as a masked figure leaned over her. It lifted up its mask and Lucius Malfoy's face came into view.

"Well look what we have here," he said with a cruel smile and then everything went black.