Where Two Paths Meet

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter story.

Warning: Book 1-6 spoilers

A/N: Thank you to those who reviewed. I especially want to thank Usha88 and the anonymous reviewers who have not given up on me and my terrible updating!

Chapter 3: Friend or Foe?

Ginny opened her eyes gingerly, as she awoke from a troubled sleep.

She had tried to stay awake but her aching body and blinding tiredness made it impossible for her to keep her eyes open and she had soon fallen asleep, only to be attacked by vicious nightmares that left her feeling cold and afraid.

She sat up rubbing her side slightly where the cruciatus curse still faintly burned. She never wanted to have that curse placed on her again; it was a pain beyond pain and left you feeling weak and feverish.

Sighing to herself, Ginny looked around her cell and could still not find any genius idea to get her out. The iron door was her only escape and without a wand, Ginny had no hope in breaking through it.

“How am I ever going to get out of this?” Ginny said out loud to no one in particular, her heart dropping painfully with the helplessness of her situation.

Suddenly the door opened, casting a warm light to fill the dank room. Severus Snape swept into the room, robes billowing behind him, his black eyes scanning the cell until they rested on Ginny's huddled form in the corner.

Ginny watched as his black eyes widened in astonishment, while he shut the door behind him with a flick of his wand.

“Ginny Weasley?” He said incredulously, one of his hands automatically reaching up to his temples as if to calm himself.

Ginny stared at him in horror, as she stood up and leant against the wall for support.

The last time she had seen Snape was when he was escaping with Malfoy after killing Dumbledore in her fifth year. She had always despised the man but knowing that he had double crossed them and then killed Dumbledore made her loath the very sight of him. Anger and resentment burned within her, giving her the courage that had seemed to vanish with her fear in being captured.

“Are you the one going to kill me like you did Dumbledore!” Ginny yelled furiously, her fists clenched painfully at her sides.

“No I am not and if you know what's good for you, you will quieten down your voice, Miss Weasley” Snape snapped, his black eyes narrowing in warning.

Ginny glared daggers at him, while he stared dangerously back. Though she wanted nothing more than to strangle the man before her, she realised he was not going to hurt her.

Intrigued at this sudden revelation, she stared at him expectantly. “What do you want then?” She asked curiously, as she allowed herself to come closer so as to get a better look.

“I need to know what you saw in the crystal ball. You don't have to tell me. Just let me use Legimens on you” He said smoothly, his arms folding in protection against her scrutiny.

“How can I trust you?” Ginny asked suspiciously. She wasn't ready to hand her life over to this man just yet.

“Please, we don't have much time.” Snape said in a rush, his very manner seemed almost panicked. “The Dark Lord is already beginning to suspect me. I don't have time to explain anything… please just trust me!” Snape pleaded.

Ginny could only gape at him. She had never heard Snape plead with anyone and yet here he was begging her to trust him. He was either a very good actor or he was actually sincere in his words. Right now Ginny wanted to believe the latter.

“Okay” she said quietly, “What do I have to do?”

“Just look into my eyes and try not to blink. It helps if you think about what you saw in the vision.”

Ginny placed the images of the vision firmly in her mind and watched as Snape raised his wand in a smooth movement, his eyes boring into her own. She tired hard not to blink, but blinking seemed to be unimportant as a peaceful feeling swept over her mind, almost as if she were dreamily fading into nothing.

Images of the vision swam before her eyes in a methodical process. Once all the vision had been seen, Ginny felt her mind returning back to herself and her own vision clearing from the dreamy state it had fallen into.

Snape was staring at her curiously, his sallow face taking on a thoughtful expression, as he frowned.

“You really are a seer then.” He said more to himself.

Ginny merely looked at him, not knowing what to say. Voldemort had thought she was a seer and now Snape did too. She didn't know what to think, only knowing that somehow the dreams and visions she was seeing were not her imagination playing tricks on her. They were real.

“Take this” Snape said putting a letter in Ginny's hand. “That should explain everything you need to know.”

“But I'm going to be killed” Ginny said stupidly. She still could not see how she was going to be able to escape. Even if Snape was trying to help her, he was only one man in a building full of Death Eaters.

Snape sighed impatiently and looked at her with an odd look in his eyes. “You do realise what you saw in that vision, don't you?”

“Yes” Ginny said quietly, her eyes lowering in embarrassment; she hated how Snape always made her feel like a five year old who couldn't think for itself.

“The serpent represents Voldemort; the shadow in the sky is his power over the Wizarding world. The lion is Harry and the Dragon…is Draco Malfoy.”

“Exactly.”

Ginny looked up, slightly surprised from the impressed tone in his voice.

“In order for Potter to defeat Voldemort, Draco must realise his destiny. You can help him do this. It is your task and it won't be easy.”

Ginny laughed at the absurdity of the situation. “Malfoy hates me, what makes you think he will listen to me?”

“Because it is your destiny, just as much as it is his.” Snape said simply, his eyes clearly reflecting his desire to have her not interrupt with such silly excuses. “Now we must hurry. Bellatrix will be back any minute to get you. I managed to fob her off, but she's not stupid, she'll realise I'm not supposed to be here.”

“But-”

“Everything you need is in that letter” Snape interrupted, waving a hand impatiently at the parchment in her hands.

“But-”

“Ahhh, Snape. Getting her ready I suppose?” Bellatrix sneered from the doorway. Her arms were folded in a relaxed manner, as she leant on the doorframe, her dark eyes glittering with satisfaction.

“Bella.” Snape said pulling himself together, his expression closing abruptly.

Ginny's heart pounded painfully in her chest, as she stared at the twisted woman before her. She hadn't even heard the door open and wondered how bellatrix had managed to sneak in so unobtrusively.

Clutching the letter in her fist she looked back at Snape. There was a worried look in his eyes that could not be disguised, even by his calmly spoken words.

“Your little trick was quite amusing, Snape but I'm not fooled so easily.”

“Really I thought you were” Snape mocked, as he watched Bellatrix snake towards him.

Bellatrix snarled and brought out her wand, her dark eyes lighting with anger. “You've mocked me long enough Severus. I've had my suspicions and finally today you have proved me right.”

“Oh and what were these suspicions?” Snape asked softly, eyeing the wand in her hand with a wary look.

“You've been betraying us.” Bellatrix practically whispered, her hand taking a firmer grip on the wand.

Snape stared at her calculatingly, his eyes frowning with faint curiousity. “I'm in your hands, Bellatrix. You could have me killed right now…Why are you hesitating?”

Bellatrix looked from Snape to Ginny, her wand still pointing dangerously towards them. She seemed to hesitate and then her eyes lowered as she seemed to slip away from the intimidating woman she portrayed.

“I…I want to help Cissy.” She said quietly. “I made Narcissa go into hiding for her own safety and all she can think about is Draco.”

Bellatrix's eyes snapped back towards Snape with a determined expression. “I know you're keeping him safe, Severus. After you killed Dumbledore the Dark Lord swore he would kill Draco for disobeying him and it was you that saved him.”

Snape did nothing to admit she was right, merely watched her with that same curious, yet calculating look.

Bellatrix sighed and put her wand down. “I want to help my family. I have strived to be a loyal servant to the Dark Lord but I do not want to see my sister hurt.”

Ginny stared at Bellatrix as though seeing her for the first time. This woman who had tortured her and murdered several people; the woman who put Neville's parents into insanity, all in the name of the Voldemort, was actually betraying her master to help her family.

Ginny realised that even Death eaters love their families. Though they may appear as heartless and evil, they still could love and feel pain too.

“What do you want me to do?” Snape asked Bellatrix seriously, his body visibly relaxing now that he had perceived Bellatrix was no longer a threat.

“Help Draco.”

“You realise you are putting yourself in danger doing this Bellatrix?” Snape said softly, as if he really were worried about her. Ginny remembered Sirius saying Snape and Bellatrix had used to be friends at school.

“I know.” Bellatrix answered, her voice taking on a harsh tone to hide the fear Ginny knew she was feeling.

“Then you will have to let the girl go. She is the only one who can help Draco now.”

“The girl?” Bellatrix said curiously, turning to look at Ginny, her dark eyes narrowing slightly.

Ginny backed away instinctively.

“Why else would I be here?” Snape said annoyed. “She had a vision about Draco. He is going to be the Dragon Rider, Bellatrix”

Bellatrix gasped, her eyes widening in surprise, as her jaw dropped. “Draco is? Then he will-”

“Yes he will help defeat Voldemort.” Snape cut in. “I know you do not like to hear this, Bella but it has to be done. Voldemort has torn your family apart. You have the chance to help put your family back together, if you just help me with this.”

Bellatrix closed her mouth and nodded. She glanced at Ginny, as though steeling herself to the task. “What do you want me to do, Severus?”

“Help me get her out of here without being caught. Do you have her wand?” Snape asked, as he moved towards her.

“Her wand was broken. Severus, you know getting her out of here will be next to impossible.”

“It's a risk we have to take. Our lives are nothing to hers. If she is killed, all hope is lost. Draco needs her.” Snape said forcefully.

“Then I guess we have no choice,” Bellatrix said slowly, resigning herself to the task before her.

Snape nodded at bellatrix and stared at her Ginny. “You understand what we are going to do.”

Ginny felt like she was watching a tennis match, as her eyes switched from side to side. She knew both Snape and Bellatrix were risking their lives for her but she still couldn't help but feel suspicious of Bellatrix's motives. The woman had cursed her only just last night.

“Yes” Ginny said to Snape to show she understood. It wasn't like she hadmuch choice in the matter anyway.

“Good then we have to go now.” Snape said firmly, as he moved towards the door and gestured for them to follow.

Bellatrix opened the door, her wand once again ready for any sign of danger. The man who usually guarded the door had left.

“Seems Macnair has left early…. Strange.” she said, frowning to herself.

Snape looked around cautiously. “No time to be worrying, we have to get her out of her before the Dark Lord notices anything”.

Ginny and Snape followed Bellatrix as she led them quickly through the maze-like corridors. They passed a group of Death Eaters who stopped walking and looked back at them suspiciously.

“What are you doing with her?” A man said in a gruff voice.

“Taking her to be questioned” Bellatrix said calmly her hand clenching slightly by her side.

“The Dark Lord doesn't want to be disturbed right now; he wanted her to be left in the cell.”

“Yes well he changed his mind” Snape snapped, as he too gripped his wand as though to reassure himself.

Ginny stood there watching the Death Eaters argue. One of the men was fingering his wand and was trying to lift his wand as though he were about to curse someone. His eyes were locked on Snape.

“Watch out!” Ginny yelled, as the Death Eater sent a jet of purple light towards Snape.

He blocked it just in time and pushed Ginny away from the fight.

“Get her out of here Bella!” Snape yelled but Bellatrix was already fighting the other Death Eaters. Ginny made to run but was stopped by a curse hitting her in the back by some Death Eaters that had come running out of a door, attracted by the shouts.

Ginny stumbled to the floor with a loud thud. She could feel a burning pain surging through her back where the curse had hit and felt hot tears prickling at her eyes.

Someone wrenched her off the floor by her arm, clutching her to them in a death grip. Screams and curses were echoing through the hallways. A confusion of shouts and bodies pressed around Ginny making her feel dizzy and disorientated.

The person who had grabbed her was now pulling her through the tangle of bodies. Ginny felt someone pull her foot and stumbled forward. The person how had been holding her arm pulled her hard off the ground and practically dragged her away from the confusion.

Ginny chanced a look up and saw Bellatrix's long black hair sweeping behind her, as she pulled Ginny forcefully by the wrist towards a door.

Bellatrix wrenched open the door, as curses flew past them just missing Ginny's face. Bellatrix thrust Ginny forcefully through the door, sending Ginny sprawling onto the ground.

The birds were chirping in the distance, as sunlight blinded Ginny from the sky. Allowing her eyes to adjust to the light, Ginny looked up at Bellatrix who was breathing hard, her eyes closing to try and catch her breath.

“Thank you.” Ginny said slowly as she stood up off the muddy ground.

“Don't thank me girl. I'm not doing this for you.” Bellatrix spat, as she stepped away from the door.

Ginny nodded and looked behind Bellatrix as Snape ran forward towards them, throwing curses randomly behind him as he ran. He was badly injured and his breathing was coming in sharp gasps.

“Take this. It's the directions to find Draco.” Snape panted, as he held out another piece of parchment.

Ginny took the parchment and frowned at Snape in confusion. “Why are you doing this for me? You know you're going to die because you've helped me.” It was a statement more then a question.

Snape exchanged a glance with Bellatrix and then looked back at Ginny. His expression had once again closed off from Ginny's scrutiny. “There are too many reasons; all you need to know right now is in that letter.”

Ginny opened her mouth to speak when the door swung open and three death eaters came out, clad in black robes.

“Avada Kedavra!” One shouted aiming at Ginny. It seemed an age as the green light soared towards her in a fluid motion. In horror, Ginny watched as Snape blocked the spell with his body and collapsed to the ground, his eyes staring blankly up at them all. His wand rolled forwards towards Ginny and stopped at her foot. She looked up and saw Bellatrix casting jets of red light at the Death Eaters. One fell and Bellatrix let out a triumphant laugh.

“Come now Macnair, you can do better then that!” she taunted as she dodged another killing curse.

Ginny stooped down and grabbed Snape's wand. The other Death Eater had somehow got behind Ginny and sent a jet of purple flame at her. It hit her in the stomach and she fell forward gasping.

Raising her head she glared at the Death Eater. “Stupefy!” She yelled aiming Snape's wand at him. He fell with a dull clunk and was still.

Bellatrix knocked out the remaining Death Eater and looked at Ginny. “Take this broom,” She said enlarging a broom from her cloak. “I know you can't apparate to the place where he is.”

Ginny nodded and grabbed the long wooden broom from Bellatrix. Kicking off from the ground she flew into the air, feeling the wind beating against her skin. Looking down, she saw Bellatrix disappear with a loud crack.

Ginny suddenly felt very strange. Bellatrix had saved her and so had Snape but now Snape was dead and Bellatrix was probably going to be caught. It was very hard to betray Voldemort and live to tell.

Ginny realised she still had the letter and note tightly enclosed in her hand. Pulling the note out she looked down at the parchment. It said: “Follow the owl and you will find him.”

Ginny stared at the words completely confused. “There is no owl,” She said out loud to herself, her brow creasing in irritation.

To her utter amazement the note turned into a snowy owl, which began to soar away across the dense forest. Ginny quickly gathered her wits together and followed the owl on the broom before she lost sight of it.

The blue sky slowly faded into a dull grey, until it was an ominous black that shadowed her, as she flew. The white owl still flew tirelessly before her but Ginny was finding it more and more difficult to keep up with the bird.

Her body felt stiff and her stomach and back where throbbing where the curses had hit her. She tried to keep her eyes open, as the snowy owl seemed to fade in and out of focus but the heaviness was descending over her and in horror, Ginny realised she was no longer holding onto her broom.

Falling gracefully through the air, her crimson hair dancing in the wind, she hit the ground with a soft thud and closed her eyes, inwardly thanking whatever had softened her fall so that she didn't break any bones.

Ginny tried to move but found she had hurt her leg when she had fallen of the broom.

Opening her eyes she saw the broom splintered and lying in two on the ground a few feet from her. The owl had gone and Ginny lay helplessly on the muddy ground, steadily losing whatever hope she still had in making it to wherever Malfoy was.

Raindrops began to fall softly on her cheeks leaving tear marks as they sketched her face.

“I can't give up.” Ginny said firmly to herself, as she struggled to get herself up.

Though her body was aching and weak from hunger, Ginny could not allow herself to die here. If she didn't find Draco, all would be lost and then Harry would be killed by Volemort. She couldn't let her pain get in the way of her quest.

Get up now, Ginny. Everyone is counting on you!

Ginny stood shakily on her feet and wiped the hair out of her eyes. Taking slow painful steps, she began to walk along the muddy path. She didn't care that the owl had gone. She only knew that the fate of the Wizarding world lay on her shoulders, and she had to find Draco no matter what.

The rain began to pound down on Ginny stinging her cheek. She stumbled along the track and saw a house coming into sight. Smoke was rising from the chimney and the lights in the house were shining out like beacons through the mist.

Ginny struggled to the door and knocked loudly three times.

“Please someone answer.” She whispered desperately, as she waited in the pouring rain.

The door opened and a pale, blond haired young man of seventeen looked out at her.

Ginny saw his grey eyes widen in surprise as he saw Ginny standing at the door. Ginny knew she must look terrible but she didn't care.

Slowly she smiled, as her body visibly relaxed.

“Finally I found you.” She sighed, before collapsing into his arms out of sheer exhaustion.

A/n: My Beta is busy at the moment but I decided to put this chapter out anyway. Again, I apologise for typos, strange sentencing etc etc.