Harry Potter: The Boy Who Lived

Chapter Twenty-Two - Last Ditch Effort

Chapter Twenty-Two: Last Ditch Effort

Harry hesitated for only a moment after Luna's admission. He searched his mind for any indication that Ginny still lived. Seconds later, having found no sign of her alive and well, Harry looked to Luna.

“What?” he asked, the tears threatening to spill over, yet his eyes filling with hope.

“Go to her,” Luna instructed. “We’ll clean up here.”

“Where do I go?” Harry hated the way his voice sounded whiny, as if he were a young child begging for treats he had been denied.

“Look into your heart,” Luna commanded, “and see beyond the pain. I know you can feel it. You felt it when you first touched the earrings, didn’t you? Her life depends on you. Stop hesitating and go to her.”

How could Luna possibly know about the earrings? She couldn't. Unless... “You saw?” he asked hopefully.

“Go to her,” Luna shouted. “You’re wasting time.”

Harry disappeared, his insides trembling with fear, and reappeared in the one place Harry knew Ginny would go when she was in trouble. The one place she had felt the love that was so overpowering she couldn't contain it. Harry knew that Ginny felt that the Burrow was the one place she felt protected above all else. Harry also knew that Ginny knew that the Burrow had been destroyed. Harry could think of only one other place that Ginny would go.

Despite the informal relationship Harry enjoyed with Tom, the barkeep at the Leaky Cauldron, Harry didn't think it was the best idea to Apparate in unannounced. He appeared in the alley behind the Leaky Cauldron in his Phoenix form, making sure that no one was there, before transforming. He entered the Leaky Cauldron through the back door, and paused only to nod at Tom, before starting up the stairs to the room he and Ginny had shared on the night of their honeymoon. His heart racing with fear, Harry tore up the stairs. He threw caution to the wind, and ignoring the violent pounding in his chest, threw open the door to the room.

The door slammed against the wall creating an odd feeling in the pit of Harry's stomach. The room appeared to be empty and Ginny was nowhere to be found. Harry's heart sank, the butterflies in his stomach fluttered behind his rib cage.

"Now what do I do?" he sobbed. "I was sure she would be here. Ginny, come home!”

An intense light filled the room. Harry raised his hand to shield his eyes, but it was useless. Harry didn't think that Fred and George's Peruvian instant darkness powder could have blocked out the light that emanated from Ginny's body. She stood before him in all her glory, glowing brighter than the midday sun. Her horn glistened in the radiance of her opalescent coat. She shook her head ever so slightly and her mane tumbled over her muscular shoulders. Her tail switched back and forth creating a soft scratching sound each time it hit the wall.

Harry had no idea what to do, so he did the first thing that came to his mind. He sent a message back to Hermione, Ron, Luna, and Neville to let them know that Ginny was okay. After sending the message, Harry tried to assess if Ginny was hurt. She appeared to be unharmed, but seemed to be stuck in her Unicorn body. Now that he had found her, Harry understood why he couldn't sense Ginny when he'd tried before. Ginny couldn't be found. He couldn't sense her because she wasn't there.

He approached the Unicorn, as if it were a wild animal and not his true love, keeping his breathing level and his pace slow. The Unicorn started to shimmer out when he got within a few paces of her body. Harry instantly backed up and started to murmur softly. He couldn't think of anything to say, nothing of importance anyway, nothing that would bring her back. So, he talked about random things. Harry felt removed from his body and his voice seemed as if it were coming from a Muggle radio. He heard himself talking about the reasons he loved Quidditch, which reminded him of the game of Quidditch they had played in the paddock. Talking about the game reminded Harry of Charlie and Bill. He wasn't sure that Ginny knew they were still alive. He found himself reliving the final moments of the battle as he told Ginny what had happened after she'd gone into her trance.