Harry Potter and the Illimitable Key

{Chapter 7 ~ Evil}

This can't be happening. This can't be happening. I kept repeating to myself in my head. Unfortunately, everything was happening. All at once. Ginny had been cursed, Luna had disappeared, my father's book is a fake. Everything was turning upside down. I had no idea what to do now. Do I tell someone else and endanger them? Or do I keep going alone and find Luna myself? So many questions were circling in my head. I felt a headache coming on so I lay down in my bed and closed my eyes.

"Harry? Harry? Oh thank goodness you're okay, I thought Ginny had taken you. I've been searching for you all over the house," a voice said at the door.

I opened one eye and sighed. That voice was way too familiar.

"Ron, I have something I need to tell you. It's about Ginny."

"What, have you been cursed too?" Ron had started backing away.

"No, it's about Ginny's curse. I know why she's cursed."

"Why?"

"I stole a book from the restricted section this morning at the library. It's written by my father. At the end there was a note, saying, whoever who touch this book, a curse will be placed on one of their loved ones. The curse was placed on Ginny and it will take six months until her heart becomes as dark as possible and she will bring chaos to this world. When the Wizarding World has been destroyed, she will continue on to the Muggle World."

"Harry, why did you take that stupid book? This is your fault she's become evil," Ron sobbed as he lied on my bed.

"I know and I'm sorry. I will do anything and everything to ensure she turns back to her normal self."

"Okay good, I will help you then."

"No you can't, I told Luna about this and..." I trailed off.

"And what? Come on, spit it out!" Ron yelled.

"She's been taken by Ginny," I sighed.

"What? Luna got involved and she got taken?" Ron shouted at me.

He looked pretty mad for a Ron. I vowed I would do anything to free Ginny from this horrible curse and fight till the end. Ron is going to kill me when I cure Ginny, I thought.

"So this is why you mustn't help me. It's just one of those things I have to do alone," I sighed.

"I'm helping you whether you like it or not. Besides, I'm Ginny's brother, I think she'd expect me to help save her," Ron smiled stubbornly.

"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you," I huffed, "Luna told me an old legend about a wizard long ago who knew a special potion to cure these types of people. It was the only cure. She said the potion recipe had been passed down to his younger generations but nobody knew of this special remedy. She suggested that we use a time travel spell from my father's book since it's called 'Old Spells for Time Travel'. About an hour ago Luna was taken though and Ginny took my father's book and left me a fake one in its place," I told him reluctantly.

"So let's go find this book! I'm pretty sure Hermione knows a spell to track things down!" Ron said excitedly.

I could tell he desperately wanted Hermione to join him. So I agreed in a condition where he would let only Hermione to perform talented spells. We shook on it and went to find Hermione.

We arrived at the library, sensing this would be the place we would find her.

"Hermione?" we both called aloud.

Everyone shushed us, since we were in the library. I could hear Ron grumble a few times, obviously libraries weren't really his thing. We split up to search for her.

"Hermione?" I whispered.

"Harry? What are you doing here?"

I turned around. Hermione was sitting at a desk with a pile of about fifteen books beside her. They all had a title to associate with wands. She must be doing extra research, I thought.

"Harry! Come sit down," she whispered from where she was sitting.

She patted the seat next to her.

"Wait, this should be coming from both of us," I whispered back.

"Both? Who else is with you?" she enquired suspiciously.

"Don't worry, it's only Ron," I reassured her.

As I walked over to find Ron, I somehow got distracted or I was in a trance because the next minute, I was in the restricted area. But I could hear Hermione whispering to me loudly through the bars. Bars! There never used to be bars here. I started to panic because I knew something wasn't right.

"Harry! Are you okay?" Hermione started talking in a normal voice.

She was totally disobeying the library rules, which was a big step for her, being Hermione of course.

"Harry!"

"Huh, what? Oh, yeah," I stammered.

"Harry, you have to get out of there!"

"What?" I shouted at the top of my voice.

"Harry! What's gotten into you?" she exclaimed.

I really didn't know what had gotten into me. I felt like I was under some sort of curse or I was being controlled by some evil spirit. I felt like I had a change of heart. A bit like my body was yelling at me to stop but my heart already knew what I was going to do.

"Harry! Talk to me!" Hermione was now yelling at the top of her voice.

I could see a crowd had now formed around Hermione, staring at me. I could tell they were wondering what was happening. I would have to thank Hermione for the crowd later on, I thought. I raised my hands and chanted.

Oh come, great snake, and bring your many.

Oh come, great snake, and kill at any.

I laughed evilly and Apparated back to The Burrow.