Disclaimer: JK Rowling made up this brilliant world, not me!
Harry slammed into the Burrow’s kitchen floor, knocking the wind out of his lungs. He couldn’t believe how close that horrendous encounter had been. Harry slowly breathed in and out, letting his lungs fill up with air. He kept his eyes closed, not daring to see how his family had fared. Trepidation was filling him as thoughts of a soulless James and Ginny crossed his mind. He tightened his hold on both his family members but still did not crack open his eyes. Ginny was still alive; he seemed to know that her soul had not been taken. James, however, seemed to be rather quiet and still. Harry groaned, trying to muster up enough strength to fight through his terror. Just as Harry began to fear the worst for James, he heard his son’s familiar pterodactyl-like scream. Of course! Whenever James is mad he starts out really quiet as if he is trying to control himself and then he lets his temper blow. thought Harry as relief for his son flooded through him. James’ screams continued to get louder.
“What is making that racket? The ghoul doesn’t even sound this loud! If it is another owl delivering ads then I’ll”” Harry heard his mother-in-law break off in mid-sentence as she reached the noisy culprit.
“James, is that your silly screeching? Why are you”HEAVEN HELP US! WHAT HAPPENED? HARRY? GINNY? SAY SOMETHING!” screeched Mrs. Weasley as James started shouting louder than a banshee. “ARTHUR! GET DOWN HERE!”
Harry opened his eyes to a slit, moaning as he went. He felt drained. Exhaustion, worry, and fear threatened to overtake him. Fear, especially, seemed to be weighing in his stomach. Harry once again heard stomping coming his way, but this time it seemed to come from the garage. He tried opening his eyes again, but his strength failed him as he fought to stay conscious. James continued to screech.
“I hear you, James!” Harry felt someone reach down hurriedly to take James from him. Resisting just a little bit, he felt Mrs. Weasley gently yank his arm away from his only son. “Harry, let go. It’s me! What in heavens happened? Why are you just”oh, no, Ginny!” cried Mrs. Weasley suddenly as she caught a better view of her daughter.
“Molly, what is it? I’m in the middle of examining a plug! Is that James who you are holding?” asked Mr. Weasley, confused. Suddenly, Harry heard a gasp from Mr. Weasley. “WHAT HAPPENED TO GINNY AND HARRY?”
“They just appeared like this! Arthur, look at Ginny! We have to get them to St. Mungo’s quickly!” cried Mrs. Weasley as she started to bounce James up and down in an attempt to calm him.
Harry finally opened his eyes a crack, just enough to see the limp figure of his wife. He glanced at her and gasped. Ginny looked older than her years. Her usually bright and flaming red hair had turned dull and dead-looking. Harry looked at his beloved wife’s face. It was covered by her now wispy hair. His hand shakily reached up and gently brushed the hair away, so that Ginny’s face could now be seen. Harry’s breath caught in his throat. Ginny’s skin was pale”a white color so intense that even the ghosts couldn’t have matched it. Her eyes were closed, and a grimace was planted on her lips. Harry’s eyes moved down Ginny’s limp frame stopping at her wand arm. Blackened as though burned, it hung limply at her side. Harry watched with helplessness as Ginny, barely breathing, started to shiver. Harry’s vision blurred with tears as he watched his true love struggling to stay alive.
“Harry, we need to get all of you to St. Mungo’s. Then you can talk about what happened,” murmured Mrs. Weasley softly.
Harry looked up to see his mother-in-law looking at him with concern. He nodded, wiping his tears as he slowly stood up.
“We’ll Apparate there.” said Mr. Weasley in a shaking voice. “Let’s g-go.”
Without a word, Harry lifted Ginny up in his arms and with a CRACK arrived at the hospital. James and his grandparents immediately followed the pair. Curious eyes started to stare at the newly arrived family. Whispers of that’s Harry Potter, the one to defeat He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named , followed Harry’s ears, but Harry quickly blocked them out. He also ignored the typical stares that he had gotten ever since he was eleven. Harry darted up to the witch at the desk and whispered so no one could hear him. “My wife needs to see a Healer now.” The witch took one look at the lifeless form in Harry Potter’s arms and, with widened eyes, waved her wand. A team of Healers appeared immediately and, looking around, spotted the injured woman.
“It looks like some serious spell damage.” commented one Healer who supported a rather big nose. The other Healers around him agreed as they examined Ginny.
“How did this happen?” demanded a different Healer. Harry opened his mouth to explain but was interrupted.
“I bet he cursed her. Were you two fighting over a Chocolate Frog or something?” asked another Healer with a smirk. The Healers around him sniggered as they continued to examine Ginny in Harry’s arms.
Mr. Weasley looked up in shock as he heard the pompous Healer’s words. He watched his son-in-law’s face turn red with anger.
“Oh, I guess you could say I cursed her, but that must have been after Bellatrix Lestrange tried to kill us. Or it could have been after the Dementors tried to suck out our souls. Or it could have been after barely escaping those wretched creatures because all of our transportation routes were cut off, thanks to Bellatrix. I guess since Ginny was already cursed and injured by then that I must have cursed her while she was unconscious. Is that what you mean by saying I cursed her?” questioned Harry in low dangerous voice. The Healers’ eyes widened, and they immediately looked up to see Harry’s fuming face. Glancing at his scar, realization hit them, and they suddenly all looked terrified.
“Y-You’re Harry P-Potter. Y-You defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named,” stammered the Healer in shock.
“Obviously,” remarked Harry sarcastically. “Now, unlike you, I have a wife in mortal danger, so I would suggest that we move along so that you can cure her.”
“Right away, Mr. Potter. She’ll have our complete attention,” said another Healer walking up behind her fellow colleagues. “I’ll take her from here.” The Healer conjured a stretcher out of thin air and motioned for Harry to set Ginny down upon it. Harry gently placed his wife upon it.
“Be strong, Ginny. I need you. James needs you.” Harry whispered before straightening up. Then, with that, the team of Healers wheeled Ginny away leaving Harry standing alone in the waiting room.
Molly Weasley watched from a distance. She struggled to hold back tears that were forming in her eyes as she thought of her only daughter in mortal danger. Molly gently bounced James up and down, glad for something to keep her occupied. She looked down on her grandson to see him peering around St. Mungo’s. James is the spitting image of his father with his dazzling green eyes and untidy black hair. thought Mrs. Weasley He could have been just like him if not for his personality. James has Ginny's temper and fiery spirit. I can't wait to see Ginny and Harry see him off at the platform in ten years. But thinking of Ginny and especially a future that may never come, brought more tears to Molly’s eyes. Ginny and Harry should have been safe, now that You-Know-Who has been defeated. No more deadly danger should have entered their lives. Molly thought angrily. She noticed her son-in-law slump down in a chair and put his head in his hands after Ginny was levitated to her appropriate room. Harry should not have to go through this; he’s had enough pain to last him a lifetime! He is going to think that this is his fault. He is going to hide his feelings inside of himself and wave everyone away just like he always does. Well, I can’t let him to do that for once. Making Harry open up was one thing that Ginny was always so good at. She was there when Harry needed her most, and Harry was there when Ginny needed him. Oh, Ginny, please be all right. I need you, James needs you, but most of all, Harry needs you. Mrs. Weasley watched Harry for a little longer, letting him contemplate the terrifying morning.
***
Harry put his head in his hands as the nightmarish event flashed through his mind. The Dementors about to place that fatal kiss. Ginny lifeless. Ginny looking like she was dying. Harry couldn’t get the picture of Ginny out of his head. He kept recalling the nightmare while the guilt was slowly choking him. If only I hadn’t left the room. Why did I make Ginny take the Floo powder first? Harry thought guiltily. You had to get her out of the house quickly, in case Bellatrix was there. That is why she had to go first. A voice of reason echoed in his head. Harry blatantly ignored the reasoning. I should have known Bellatrix wouldn’t have just come into the house to look things over. She would have put a curse on everything in sight, just to make us suffer. That is why the information spell was placed above James’ cradle. She wanted information on our transportation routes and secret Auror stuff. Why didn’t I check every nook and cranny for dark magic? I should have known Bellatrix was up to something. I acted on instinct instead of like the Auror I am. Bellatrix has tortured and killed countless others for crying out loud! Why would we be any different? I should have been more cautious. I should have hidden Ginny and James away right after James was born. Harry thought, though not for the first time. The voice of reason came back telling him that Ginny, however, wouldn’t have gone for such an idea. Harry though once again brushed the good sense aside. I caused Ginny’s injury because of my lack of thinking. It’s entirely my fault!
“Harry, I know what you are thinking, and it’s not your fault,” a voice softly said, interrupting his guilt-ridden thoughts. Harry glanced up to see Mrs. Weasley peering down on him with worry. James was in her arms. Harry’s stomach lurched again with guilt. He hadn’t thought once about how James was feeling. Mrs. Weasley seemed to interpret his thoughts and kept on speaking. “Don’t be guilty if you haven’t thought about James either. He has been fine. Trust me. I’m sure you would have known if James was in a temper. He seems to have been given both Ginny’s and your stubborn attitudes. You know he wouldn’t have been quiet if he was bored or mad.” Mrs. Weasley smiled.
Harry looked up into her smiling face and couldn’t help but realize that she was right. James wouldn’t have been quiet if he was in one of his moods. He has his mother’s loud voice, thought Harry with a snort. Thinking of Ginny wiped the smile right off Harry’s face.
“Harry, it is not your fault. You can talk to me about it. Don’t hide your feelings. I’m here for you now just like I always have been,” soothed Mrs. Weasley as soon as she saw Harry start to frown.
“I should have never have left Ginny’s side!” cried Harry in frustration. With that Harry told Mrs. Weasley the entire story starting from the terror of losing James to the Dementor attack. “I should have never have just left her unprotected,” continued Harry. “I noticed the Floo powder on the outskirts of the barrier. I know that she must have stuck her wand arm out causing the flesh to become blackened and burnt.” Mrs. Weasley had tears in her eyes once more as Harry paused for a breath. “Blackened, burned…” murmured Harry. “Ginny’s arm was burnt just like” HERMIONE! I NEED HERMIONE, NOW!” Harry bolted out of his chair while continuing to talk. “I have to go Mrs. Weasley; its Ginny’s only chance. Please watch over my family.” Harry looked straight into Mrs. Weasley’s eyes as he said this.
“I’ll guard them with my life,” answered Molly Weasley.
“You’re the best, Mrs. Weasley. I know you will look after James and Ginny. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Giving both his mother-in-law and son a quick kiss, Harry Apparated leaving Mrs. Weasley slightly confused.
***
Meanwhile in the hospital room, the Healers were in chaos. Potions were whisked out, trying to revive the young redhead. Wands were now spinning with spells and random incantations were heard. The Healers however were staring to grow desperate. Nothing they were doing was helping. Mrs. Potter’s hair was still dead looking, her arm still burnt, and her coma-like state still untouched. Even their most complex spells and potions were not succeeding in the slightest.
“This curse is no ordinary curse!” shouted one Healer as he forced another potion down Ginny’s throat.
“Only dark magic could have placed Mrs. Potter in this state! This is definitely not a simple curse that Mr. Potter would have put on his wife,” said another Healer giving the Healer to his right a meaningful glance. The Healer blushed, but he stayed quiet and continued to work.
“We need to move her to the Critical Care Ward,” another Healer put in as Ginny started to shiver violently. With that, Ginny was pushed to another ward with more waiting Healers ready to take charge.
***
“Harry! What are you doing here?” cried Hermione joyfully as Harry materialized in front of her. Ron stuck his head in the room upon hearing his best friend’s name.
“Hey, mate,” greeted Ron as he tried to hold two squirming identical children.
“I don’t have time”Ginny and I have been attacked…” began Harry. There was an intake of breath from Hermione. “Ginny is hovering between life and death, and you are Ginny’s only chance, Hermione.”
“My baby sister…” Ron said weakly before setting down his twins so that they could play.
“Hermione, Ginny has been hit with the same curse Dumbledore was hit with. It was the curse surrounding Marvolo’s ring. Do you remember it?”
Hermione nodded immediately while Ron took a minute to figure it out before comprehension dawned on him, and he then nodded.
“To cure it Dumbledore stated that had it not been for his own prodigious skill and Professor Snape’s timely action when he returned to Hogwarts, desperately injured, he might have not lived to tell the tale. Well, so far Ginny has the burnt hand and is scarcely breathing. She needs help fast.
“Where do we come in?” asked Ron confused.
“Hermione, I need you to make the potion that saved Professor Dumbledore.”
“Do you have the ingredients? How did you find this information out?” interrupted Hermione.
“When we were researching Horcruxes and protection spells, I came across a dark curse while reading one of the books at 12 Grimmauld Place. It was a curse so evil that only the most wicked of the wicked could actually perform it. You had to feel hatred, cruelty, and anger to cast it. I kept reading and researching it finally finding out that this curse could be used as a protection device. I realized that this curse was the spell protecting Marvolo’s ring.” Harry explained in one breath.
“That was the book you were hiding from us in Grimmauld Place!” remembered Hermione. “You said it was a Quidditch book, but it wasn’t! Why didn’t you tell us?”
“One reason was because I didn’t think it was that important at the time. Voldemort had already used it once for guarding his Horcrux, so he wouldn’t be foolish enough to use it again. The main reason was because the book would also randomly curse you with a cutting hex, so I didn’t want that jinx to inflict upon you guys because I knew you would want to read it…” Harry trailed off.
“THAT IS WHERE YOU GOT ALL THOSE CUTS AT GRIMMAULD PLACE?” screeched Hermione. “YOU SAID IT WAS AN ACCIDENT FROM FALLING OFF YOUR BROOM OR THAT YOU TRIPPED OVER YOUR FEET! I KNEW SOMETHING WAS FISHY, BUT I DIDN’T WANT TO PRESSURE YOU!”
“I didn’t want to worry you guys…” Harry began.
“HARRY, YOU PRAT! WE’RE YOUR FRIENDS! YOU SHOULDN’T BE KEEPING STUFF FROM US!” yelled Hermione once more.
“It’s over and done with!” cried Harry interrupting Hermione’s coming lecture. “Let me keep explaining!”
“Fine,” huffed Hermione while Ron just sat there quietly watching his wife fume.
“Anyways, the curse would cause such pain and destruction that it would eventually kill the cursed person after about two to three weeks. It was a slow and painful death. I realized after continuing to read that Dumbledore had this curse placed on him. Trying to find the cure was near impossible, but I finally achieved it. Dumbledore said it was his own skill that saved him, and I realized that that skill was love. It was that simple. The opposite of enmity and cruelty is love. The potion that Snape used though took a lot of guesswork until I found a note. When we went to Hogwarts that one time to visit everyone, I went down into Snape’s dungeon. There in a dusty old cabinet hidden behind many enchantments was Snape’s Pensieve. I found out there was only one memory in it. It was a memory of Snape writing a note that listed the ingredients. I couldn’t believe my luck. The writing was hard to read, but I finally accomplished it. Hermione, here it is.” Harry took out a crumpled piece of paper and held it out so Hermione could see. Harry’s handwriting filled the page with the ingredients.
One drop of dragon blood mixed with one drop of giant blood. Thestral blood and troll blood need to be added every five minutes until the potion is complete. Doxy venom should be put in and stirred with the rest of the contents. Finally mix both the cursed one's blood with the curser’s blood and drop them in. When a dark cloud of smoke starts to fill the room the potion needs to simmer for seven minutes and then can be taken.
“Those are the most complex ingredients I have ever seen! Where did Snape get them all?” exclaimed Hermione.
“Actually they are quite simple if you think about it. The dragon blood would have come from Charlie or even in Snape’s own potions. The giant blood would have come from Grawp and the Thestral blood would have come from Hagrid’s Thestrals. Now the troll blood, I’m just guessing , but there was a troll in the chambers guarding the Sorcerer’s Stone, so it might have come from there. Fred and George experiment with Doxy poison, so Snape must have gotten some or even stolen some from them. The cursed one’s blood would be Dumbledore obviously, and at the time, I had trouble with the curser’s blood. The more I thought about it though I realized that they couldn’t have gotten Voldemort’s blood, so they would have to use a person with the same blood Voldemort has. That would be me. Somehow they must have gotten my blood and completed the potion,” Harry said.
“My head is spinning,” complained Ron.
“That is one nasty potion. All that blood, ugh," shuddered Hermione.
“You can do though can’t you, Hermione? I mean, this is Ginny’s only chance. No Healer is going to be able to cure her, and no Healer would be able to understand how to make this potion. I can’t let Ginny die… I can’t! She’s so weak, and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to her.” At this, Harry broke down, letting out all of his grief and fear. Both Ron and Hermione ran over to console him.
“Harry, you’re not alone. We’ll help you through this. You know we won’t let Ginny go without a fight,” whispered Hermione.
“We’ll get through this, mate, together, just like we always have,” consoled Ron. Harry started to smile through his tears.
“I knew I could count on you guys,” Harry whispered back.
“What did you think we would do? Let Ginny die?” tsked Hermione. Harry smiled sheepishly.
“Harry, about the ingredients… How are you going to get Bellatrix’s blood?” asked Ron. Hermione watched as Harry set his jaw in hatred
“I’ll get it any way I can, no matter what the cost,” Harry answered angrily.
“Is there anyone who would know information about her?” asked Hermione rather timidly. Harry thought for a moment until an idea formed in his brain.
“Yes,” he growled. “I’ll be back from Azkaban as soon as can. It’ll take about four hours at the most.”
“We’ll be waiting.” answered Ron. With a nod, Harry turned on his heel and Apparated.
***
Mrs. Weasley was sitting in the waiting room chair. James was growing restless, and she decided that going to the Burrow would be the best for both of them. “Arthur, James needs to rest. I’m going home, but if anything changes, and I mean anything, you better come home right away to get us,” said Mrs. Weasley sternly.
“I promise I will dear. I’m going to stay here until tomorrow morning though. Then I’ll have to go to work, so I won’t be back at the house until late tomorrow night. Is that all right?” asked Mr. Weasley.
“Fine, fine. James and I will be waiting. We probably won’t come back to St. Mungo’s until Harry comes home. That could be anytime seeing Harry didn’t fill me in on where he was going. It was so peculiar how he left. I mean, he suddenly looked as if a light bulb came on in his head, and then he just left. Anyways, I don’t want James to get too upset when he realizes that he is stuck with me for a while. The Burrow would be the best place for him because he will recognize it.”
“It’s a great idea, honey. I’ll see you later, okay? And Molly, don’t worry about Ginny. She’s tough. She’ll be fine.”
“I know. You’re right. She is tough. Well, love you, Arthur.”
“Love you too, Molly.” Then both James and Molly Weasley were gone
*Quote from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (page 503)
**When the trio was researching the horcruxes, Harry would randomly appear with wide gashes on his arms. He claimed to have a different accident each time...(This is in my account of book seven everyone!)
A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews! Keep them coming! :)