Harry Potter and the Year After

Chapter Forty-one: Upon the Altar

Chapter 41: Upon the Altar

"Just one puff," said Ginny.

"What does it do?" Harry eyed the pipe curiously.

"It makes you spiritual."

"Spiritual? Spiritual how?"

She stepped forward, pressed up against him so he was pinned between her and the tree and then held the pipe up to his lips.

Gazing down at her, he took a drag from the pipe. Immediately, he felt calmer. He felt happy.

"Do you hear that?" Ginny asked, her eyes twinkling like Ron's would on Christmas.

"What?"

"Do you hear that?" she asked, giggling.

"No... wait, yes I do." He heard a crowd of people laughing and talking. There were people singing songs together. There was a party somewhere in the woods. He took her free hand in his and led her deeper into the forest. "Let's find them."

"Yeah, let's find them," Ginny said, giggling again. She started skipping. Harry glanced back and smiled at her. His vision wasn't blurry anymore even though she still had his glasses.

Soon they were in the clearing where Harry had come to die. They stopped on the edge of the clearing and watched the gathering, arm-in-arm.

In the middle of the clearing, there was a huge stone table, like an altar, raised up on a natural mound of earth. Harry guessed it was at least as wide as he was tall.

All around, probably a hundred or so people were drinking and eating and dancing and making music with medieval-looking harps and lutes.

"It's a party," Ginny said, whispering. Harry felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise up. They weren't safe. They needed to leave.

"Gin, let's go," Harry said firmly, taking her hand again and trying to pull her away.

"No, Harry. Come on," Ginny said, pulling against him. But then, they both stopped because everything else stopped. Everyone in the gathering turned and looked at Harry and Ginny.

"They see us. We weren't invited," Harry said quietly. Ginny seemed frightened but Harry could tell that she was trying not to show it.

"It's fine," Ginny said, finally pulling her hand from Harry's.

Then an older man from near the altar said, "The Stag and the Maiden are here! Let them come forward."

Harry and Ginny didn't move. But then hands were on them, a lot of hands. Harry and Ginny were pushed forward toward the altar. Ginny fought against them, so four men picked her up and placed her upon the altar.

"Transform into your Animagus form, Stag," the man near the altar commanded to Harry.

"Er, I think you have me mistaken with someone else," Harry said, not wanting to mention that maybe the man thought he was his father, James, somehow. He reflexively reached up toward Ginny and tried to pry her away from the men holding her down to the stone. But of course he wouldn't be able to get her away. Not without magic. She met his eyes and clenched her teeth.

He reached into his back pocket but his wand was gone.

"Onto the altar, Stag," the man commanded. And then, Harry had transformed into a Stag, like his father's Animagus form. He had no idea when or how it happened. Could someone else make you transform? How would he ever become human again?

When Harry tried to fight off the hands that were pushing him up to the altar, he reared up onto his hind legs and bucked their hands away. Then, with his antlers, he pushed the men away from Ginny. She was ghost white and wide-eyed.

Harry jumped up onto the altar and stood next to Ginny.

Instead of being frightened by him, they all applauded and made cat-calls and hollered.

"Good, good," the man said.

The four men came back up to Ginny and started tearing and pulling at her clothes. Harry tried to antler them away but it was no use. There were too many. Ginny started screaming for them to stop...

And then, Harry was flat on his back in the center of the clearing. He opened his eyes and saw that he was naked and human. Next to him, Ginny was also naked. And she was unconscious.

"Ginny!" Harry called in a whisper, shaking her awake. "Ginny, wake up!"

She only moaned a little.

"Wake up Ginny!"

Her eyes flew open. For a second, he remembered her as she was in the Chamber of Secrets after she woke up from Riddle's Diary.

"Oh Merlin, Harry," she said, sitting up and noticing that she was naked. She hugged herself. "I'm sorry... I didn't know."

"It's okay," he said reflexively. He stood and helped her up. She shivered and re-crossed her arms over her bare chest. It was already getting dark this deep in the woods. They needed to find their clothes soon if they were going to find them tonight.

Harry took her hand in his and led her back the way they'd come. He found his wand and trousers first. Before he even put his trousers back on, he took his wand out.

"Accio Ginny's clothes in the forest," Harry said, and then, "Accio my clothes in the forest." The clothes all came flying toward them. They dressed quietly as darkness continued to encroach on them. Silently, she handed him his glasses and he shoved them onto his face.

"Do you have your wand?" Harry asked her once he was dressed.

"Yes."

"Lumos," Harry said, and then he looked down and saw Ginny's Hogwarts: A History book lying a few feet away. He picked it up and tucked it under his arm. Then, he grabbed her hand and, with the same arm that was carrying her book, he led the way with his wand light.

They didn't speak until they were out of the forest again and half way around the lake back near the castle. It was dusk. Harry wondered if it was still dinner time.

"I'm so sorry Harry. I thought it was safer than that."

"If you'd been trying to hurt me, you wouldn't have done it too," Harry said kindly. He leaned over and kissed her hair, which was thoroughly dirty and even had leaves in it.

"What was that? Do you think it was real?" Ginny asked him.

"I have no idea what that was. But I'll definitely never be doing Hush again."

"Neither will I," Ginny said, "I'm just relieved that I did it with you and not someone else."

"Yeah," Harry said. But then he started wondering. "Where did you get that stuff anyway?"

"You'll just be angry if I tell you."

Harry glanced at her. "So Seamus then? Or Dean? Or Draco? Which of your little boyfriends should I be jealous of now?"

Ginny didn't say anything.

When they came back inside, the Great Hall was emptying out. They watched as the remains of dessert vanished from the tables.

"Well." Harry looked down at Ginny and she looked up at him. "Sorry. It's not your fault you're so pretty."

She rolled her eyes and then reached up to his hair, "You have twigs all through your hair."

"So do you," he said.He couldn't help but smile at her. "Come on, I have an idea."