(sequel to Where Two Paths Meets)Fate had brought them together, and now fate has torn them apart. Ginny refuses to believe this is the end, and once again she finds herself going on a quest that will take her beyond the very boundaries of the world...
From the Unofficial Portkey Archive: https://portkey-archive.org/story/7428/
Disclaimer: I did not create any of the Harry Potter storyline, or characters. These ideas belong to the fabulous JKR, which we all must pay credit for the wonderful world she has created.
Warning: Though this story will contain no sexually explicit material, there will be graphic violence that may offend some people. I will be leaving the rating at PG13, but if any of you feel that it needs to be made higher, I will increase the rating.
A/n: Well, after all the formalities, I am very excited to tell you all that this is the first chapter to my sequel of “Where Two Paths Meet“. It may be short, but these chapters will not all be this way, I promise!
I don’t normally do this, but I feel like this song really fits this story. I’m posting the lyrics just for you to keep in mind as you read. It’s Within Temptation’s “Somewhere” and is a very beautiful song.
Lost in the darkness, hoping for a sign
Instead there is only silence,
Can't you hear my screams...?
Never stop hoping,
Need to know where you are
But one thing 's for sure,
You're always in my heart.
I'll find you somewhere
I'll keep on trying until my dying day
I just need to know whatever has happened,
The Truth will free my soul.
Lost in the darkness, try to find your way home
I want to embrace you and never let you go home
Almost hope you're in heaven so no one can hurt your soul...
Living in agony 'cause I just do not know
Where you are
I'll find you somewhere
I'll keep on trying until my dying day
I just need to know whatever has happened,
The Truth will free my soul.
Wherever you are, I won't stop searching.
Whatever it takes, I need to know.
I'll find you somewhere
I'll keep on trying until my dying day
I just need to know whatever has happened,
The Truth will free my soul.
He’s Alive
…We have all seen the signs that point to magic declining. Spells are weakening, and even our own magical abilities are being sapped, but researchers have been unable to pinpoint as to what is causing magic to decline. Could this be the reason for the increase in Squibs? Are we indeed coming to the end of the magical world? Some would suggest…
Ginny placed the Daily Prophet down on the little wooden desk and sighed. Tiredly she wiped at her eyes and stared out the window. She could see the autumn leaves desperately clinging to the trees as winter’s chill crept in to blow them away. The sound of the waves could be heard crashing against the shore in the distance, and she could see the black storm clouds stretching their fingers over the sky to block out the pale, autumn sun. It was going to be a rough night tonight.
Hugging her robe to her petite body, Ginny stood up and walked over to the kitchen. She picked up the cup of hot chocolate, watching as the steam swirled into the cold air. Shivering slightly, Ginny blew on the hot drink. More than anything she wished she could conjure a fire, but she wasn’t sure if she could risk it. Merlin knew what horrible effects would happen after the strange magic decline. Sighing to herself, Ginny sipped her drink and gazed about the tidy house. It was cosy, quite small, but it suited her for now. She had wanted to get away from all the hustle and bustle from town, and with the help of a few dear friends, she was able to get this house. Sometimes she missed being able to visit her friends whenever she liked, but the peace and quiet was a nice change. It felt good to be away from all the memories; memories that even now hurt her…
Four years ago Ginny had helped stop the most evil wizard of their time. Voldemort had been defeated, and the Wizarding World had once again become a place of hope and new life. Ginny had thought it was too good to be true, and she had been right. About a year after Voldemort’s defeat, it had become apparent that there was an increase in the amount of Squibs being born. Certain magical barriers had begun to weaken, and even spells were less powerful. Three years from then, no magical children were being born and not a single spell could be trusted. Magic was dying, and Ginny feared that something sinister was at hand, though she, just like everyone else, was at a loss of what to do about it.
Ginny glanced up from her musing as someone knocked at the door. Smiling to herself, Ginny placed her cup down on the bench and walked over to the door, a large grin forming on her face as she opened it to see a familiar woman with bushy, brown hair and warm, honey-brown eyes.
“Hermione,” Ginny exclaimed happily, pulling her friend into a hug. She chuckled slightly and tapped Hermione’s swollen stomach. “It’s getting hard to hug you with this baby taking all the room.”
Hermione laughed as they broke away. “Yeah, only a few more months to go too. I think Harry is more excited than I am though.”
Ginny smiled and led Hermione into the house. “Do you want something to drink?”
Hermione shook her head, taking a seat, her eyes automatically following Ginny as she took her drink off the bench and sat down.
“So how have you been? I heard you quit your job,” Hermione said in a conversational voice, her eyes betraying the concern she felt. Ginny inwardly sighed. She had found it difficult to move on since the end of the war, going from one job to the next, from one town to another. Not only had she lost many dear friends, but also someone very important to her had gone missing that day. She refused to believe he was dead, and perhaps it was that which stopped her from fully moving on. She was constantly waiting for the day when she would catch a glimpse of him or hear a whisper of his name, but nothing had been seen or heard of him for four years. Many people believed him to be dead, but she just couldn’t accept it. He was out there somewhere; she just knew it.
Shaking her head slightly, Ginny smiled at Hermione. “It’s nothing. I just needed a change; that’s all.” Hermione frowned but said nothing, merely giving a single nod. Ginny was glad that Hermione did not push the conversation and inwardly sighed with relief.
“So, when are Ron and Harry going to come around?” Ginny asked as she settled herself more comfortably on the chair. “I’ve been trying to decide what to make for dinner, but it will help if I know how long I’ve got.”
Hermione smiled, rubbing her stomach fondly. “I think they said they’ll be here in a couple of hours. I told Ron he should bring Luna along too, but he said he didn’t want to cause any inconvenience on your part.”
Ginny grinned. “So they are dating now then?”
Hermione nodded, laughing lightly. “Oh yes, he finally got the courage to ask her out, even though we all knew how madly in love they were with each other.”
Ginny smiled to herself, her eyes gazing past Hermione to stare out the window again at the storm clouds. She frowned slightly, her eyes narrowing. For a minute she had thought she had seen something flying in the sky.
“Ginny?” Hermione said, startling Ginny from her musings. “What are you staring at?”
Ginny looked at Hermione with a blank expression and then looked back out the window; there was nothing there. She frowned again to herself, figuring she had probably imagined the outline in the sky.
“It’s nothing. I think I’m just tired or something; it’s been a rough day.”
Hermione nodded sympathetically and looked at her with a kindly expression. “How about you go have a lie down, and I’ll get this dinner started.”
“Oh no, Hermione, you can’t-“ Ginny began but fell silent at Hermione’s firm expression. If there was one thing Ginny knew about her friend, it was not to disagree with her. Hermione had the uncanny ability to make people do what she said, but Ginny knew it was more to do with the fact that she would nag until you finally gave in.
“I’m sure I can handle cooking a simple dinner, Ginny,” Hermione said with a laugh. “You look worn out, and I’m sure you want to have some energy to greet the others. Just leave this to me.”
“Thanks, Hermione,” Ginny said with an appreciative smile and stood up, placing her empty cup on the bench. She really was tired and decided that maybe a small nap wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Hermione nodded and gave her a small push towards the door. “You just take all the time you like; I’ll have things ready in no time.”
Ginny opened the door to her room and walked in, closing the door behind her. She gazed about the small, tidy room, seeing the portraits of her family and friends waving at her from the dressing table. She sighed and started to walk towards the bed, when suddenly a strange buzzing noise echoed in her brain. She held a hand to her head, gasping slightly as the buzzing increased. Black dots swarmed before her eyes, and as she took a step forward, Ginny found herself falling speedily towards the wooden floor, her eyes closing as her brain drifted into a familiar sensation she had not felt in years…
The darkness seemed almost suffocating it was so thick. Ginny couldn’t see anything, but then suddenly flames erupted around her, lighting the dark room. A man no older than twenty-one at the most was walking towards the flames, his pale-blond hair lighting up by the hot fire. He turned towards her, his familiar, grey eyes widening as he saw the swarm of mist-like creatures moving towards him.
“They’re coming!” he shouted loudly. A woman more painfully beautiful than any other woman she had seen walked forward confidently. Her long, lustrous, black hair reflected the flames dancing around them, her fierce, violet eyes narrowing with an intense expression.
“Leave these ones to me,” the woman said in a determined voice, holding up one elegant hand as she smiled cruelly at the creatures. “Die,” the woman said softly, allowing a ball of pure energy to form at her palm. The magic was so powerful that Ginny could feel every hair on her skin tingling. She watched as the ball of energy blasted right through the creatures, turning them into black dust before her eyes.
“Now let’s get that sword before he sends more,” the woman said harshly and quickly walked forward, her elegant, deep-purple dress flowing out behind her. The man nodded and followed her, his grey eyes glancing around cautiously as they headed up some steps.
Ginny followed up the steps and stopped, watching as the man ran forward to the stone pedestal, an expression of horror on his face.
“It’s broken,” the man said in a defeated voice.
“What do you mean it is broken?” the woman snapped irritably. “It can’t be broken.”
Ginny walked up the rest off the steps, passing through the man and the woman as if she were simply a ghost. She stared at the pedestal, seeing the strange symbols scratched into the stone. In the middle of the pedestal rested a sword with a blade of the deepest red, almost like blood itself. The sword stopped half way, however, where the blade had been snapped in half, the rest of it lying in fragments on the stone pedestal. She could see the black hilt with a snarling dragon, and pieces of red metal everywhere.
“I see you’ve found it,” another man’s voice spoke. Ginny turned around and saw a man with long silver hair, his eyes a cold mercury colour. “You’ve spent years looking for this,” he continued. “But now you see what a waste of time that has been. You’ll always be trapped here, but I will soon be free. Free from this rotting prison of darkness.”
“This isn’t a game, Loki,” the woman said in a cold voice. “Kashera will not let you get away with this.”
“Kashera is dead,” Loki said dispassionately, a small smile gracing his cold features, making him look more sinister than ever. “And soon the world of Light will belong to me.”
“Ginny! Ginny, are you alright?”
Ginny sat up groggily, gasping slightly as she touched her head where a large bump was throbbing. She looked around and noticed Harry, Hermione, and Ron all staring at her with identical expressions of concern. She felt sick, like she was about to vomit, and there was a loud ringing in her head, but she knew she was supposed to be remembering something, only she couldn’t remember what. Something about a dream…no, a vision…
“You fainted,” Hermione said gently, her honey-brown eyes frowning slightly. “Gave me quite a fright actually.”
Ginny frowned, not really paying attention to them as she tried to remember the details of her vision, for she knew it was a vision. There had been a beautiful woman who she was sure she had seen before, but she could not remember where. There was also a man- a man with silver hair and mercury eyes- and someone else, but who?
“Ginny?”
“I’m sorry,” Ginny said in a distant voice. “I just-” She gasped as she realised who she had seen in her vision. It was Draco. There was no way it couldn’t have been. She had seen Draco, but she did not recognise the place where he was at all. Tears sprang to her eyes, a small smile coming to her lips as she realised she had finally found him. This was no dream where he was coming back to her; this was a vision, and that could only mean he was alive.
“Why are you crying?” Ron said in surprise. Ginny brought her tear-filled chestnut eyes to his, a broad smile on her face.
“He’s alive, Ron,” Ginny said with a watery laugh, her heart feeling like it was about to burst with joy. “He’s alive.”
Disclaimer: I did not create any of the Harry Potter storyline, or characters. These ideas belong to the fabulous JKR, which we all must pay credit for the wonderful world she has created.
Warning: Though this story will contain no sexually explicit material, there will be graphic violence that may offend some people. I will be leaving the rating at PG13, but if any of you feel that it needs to be made higher, I will increase the rating.
A/n: Thank you for the reviews, and I am so sorry I left this so long.
Be prepared for a lot of explanations in this chapter. I’m just setting up the stage for this fanfic, so if you are confused you can ask me to clarify things in reviews and I will see what I can do.
The Realm of Shadows
Draco collapsed against the cold floor, a loud groan escaping from his lips. How could this have happened? Three years he had spent looking for this sword and now that he had finally found it they could no longer use it. His last hope in escaping from this place, his last hope in ever seeing Ginny again, it was gone- shattered like the crimson shards scattered around him. He felt tears stinging his eyes but he was too disappointed to wipe them away. It was like he had lost Ginny all over again, and now he was always going to be stuck in this hell with only the memory of her enchanting face to haunt him.
“Oh, is the little Dragon Rider upset?” Loki mocked, his cold eyes lighting up with amusement. “Afraid you’ll never see your girlfriend again? That is if she still is your girlfriend…” Loki continued with a small smile, one pale finger tapping his chin knowingly. Draco looked up at him, his hands clenching into fists as he felt his anger boiling.
“It’s been four years, hasn’t it?” Loki asked with a sly smile. “She’s surely moved on by now; probably forgotten all about you...”
“SHUTUP!” Draco shouted as he stood up furiously. He pulled out a dagger from his cloak and ran towards Loki, his face screwed up with rage as he slashed at the tall, silver-haired man. “Shutup! shutup! shutup!!” he repeated with each slash.
Loki laughed as the dagger slashed harmlessly through his body as if he were a mere holographic image. Draco stared at him in surprise wondering how it was possible that his blade was doing nothing.
“Don’t waste your strength, boy,” Loki admonished with another laugh. “You didn’t honestly think that I would come to see you in person?”
Draco glared at him, breathing heavily as he tried to catch his breath. “Enough of these games!” He spat back angrily, sick to death of being toyed with. “I’m coming for you, Loki, and when I do you’d better make sure you’re ready.”
“And what are you going to kill me with?” Loki asked with another small smile, his eyes filled with scorn. “Your little dagger?”
“Enough.” Medea snapped coldly, her violet eyes flashing with annoyance. “Arguing with him is futile, Draco; he’s just getting amusement from watching you get angry.” She turned her haughty gaze to Loki, her beautiful face reflecting the contempt she felt for him. “Save your smug smiles for another day, Loki; no matter what you think, you won’t get away with this. I for one will not allow you to continue this harebrained scheme of yours, and I doubt you will succeed anyway. Every plan of yours has failed so far, so what makes you think this one will work?”
Loki smiled in amusement and walked forward, his hand reaching out to stroke her pale cheek almost lovingly. “Because I’ve already won, Medea. The shadow magic is leaking into the Realm of Light from the hole created by the sword of souls and nothing can stop it. By destroying the sword I have ensured that hole will remain, until eventually the shadows will take over the world of Light and the barrier will be no more.”
“Do you really think this will work?” Medea demanded coldly, completely unmoved by his affection. “Don’t you remember why the barriers were made? The world of Light will be destroyed if you let the shadows take over- that was why Kashera sealed the shadow off in the first place. You’re a fool if you think that I will support what you are doing.”
Loki pulled his hand away from her face, his mercury eyes gleaming dangerously. “What good will it do you to fight against me, Medea? Vincent is dead, Julien and Byleist are dead- even Kashera is dead! Do you wish to join them? Do you wish to experience the bitter taste of death? You who feared death so much you sacrificed your life in becoming a guardian so you could become immortal?”
“I’ve been dead for a nearly five hundred years,” Medea replied in a low voice, her eyes glimmering slightly. “You’ve taken everything from me: my life, my home, and my love... Now you just expect me to forget all that and join you so that you can destroy more people’s lives?” She walked forward angrily, tears spilling from her beautiful eyes. “You’ve killed so many people and for what? What is the point in all this mindless destruction? Do you not see what you have done?”
“I’m tired of being a slave!” Loki shouted furiously, finally losing his cool amusement. “I’ve sacrificed my whole life to be a guardian of this world, and what have I received in return? Nothing! I have nothing!”
He glared at her as he paced up and down, his silver eyes flashing with a rage so dark it seemed to fill the whole room.
“I was the one who had to stay behind and guard the barrier from inside the shadows. While you all were taken into the light, it was me who was forced to stay behind and live in this prison of darkness. There was no one here for me, no one but the filthy shadows...”
“Loki…” Medea said in a strained voice, but Loki ignored her as he continued to pace up and down still muttering feverishly.
“Kashera gave me a sword to use as a weapon- she said it was called Oblivion’s Wrath, and that with it I would be able to stop the creatures from coming through the barrier- but she didn’t tell me the price I would have to pay for using it. I had unimaginable powers at my disposal because of the sword, but every time I used it I felt like a part of myself was dying. The more times I used the it, the more I felt dead...”
Draco stared at Loki in horror, knowing exactly how he felt. It had been much the same for him when he would use the Sword of Souls to summon the army. It was as if a small part of his soul had died…
“Finally I realised what was happening,” Loki continued with a dark expression in his eyes. “The sword had been forged using the very magic that had destroyed our world. Shadow magic is destructive; it feeds on magic and souls, and it was feeding on mine. That sword was killing me, and so in my fear I tried to destroy it but it was too late... The sword had claimed my soul and because of it I am now trapped in this place- trapped with the very creatures I had sworn to destroy…”
“So that is why you want to link the worlds again.” Medea said in understanding. “You can’t leave the Shadow Realm because your soul depends on it for survival.”
“Then how were you in our world four years ago?” Draco asked with a frown. If Loki could not survive in their world, how was it even possible for him to be there?
Loki smiled slightly, “Because you allowed me to. Every time a Dragon Rider calls the Sword of Souls from this world the portals open between the barriers, and because of the shadow magic that lingers in the sword, I am able to move about the Realm of Light for a brief period of time. Kashera hadn’t been expecting that little development, so every time a new Dragon Rider was chosen I would leave and continue my plots for revenge, and now I am finally going to succeed...”
“Why can’t you just let it go, Loki?” Medea entreated, her exquisite face filled with sorrow. “Please just let it go... You’ve killed Kashera; you’ve killed everyone who has opposed you. Why must you destroy the only good thing left in this world too? Those people are innocent…”
“You’re starting to sound like Kashera,” Loki muttered with disgust. “She said the same thing before I killed her.” He laughed coldly, but there were faint traces of tears in his eyes, which Draco found odd.
“She begged me to spare the world of Light- told me that she would do anything for me if I would just leave the world of Light alone, but I can’t do that…” he raised his eyes to them, the silvery depths filling with tears. “I can’t die in this place. I want to be free; I want to live in the Light again...”
“The shadows will destroy the Light, Loki, and you know it.” Medea responded sadly. “Once that barrier falls there will be no beauty left in that world. You will only be exchanging one prison for another and dragging down every other person with you…”
“Then so be it,” Loki hissed. “If I must die in darkness, then so shall everyone else.”
“You’re immortal, you cannot die.” Medea exclaimed impatiently.
Loki laughed bitterly and walked away from them, a harsh expression on his face. “That is where you are wrong, Medea… Kashera was the one who gave us the powers to guard the barriers. She gave us immortal life so that we would always live to guard the portals, but now that she is dead our powers that she gave us are gone. Why do you think that you have lost your ability as a seer?”
“I…I thought it was just this place...” Medea said quietly.
“No, Medea, we are but mere mortals now,” Loki replied in a hard voice, his rage once more coming back. “We no longer have the powers we used to, and I in my eagerness to get revenge made it happen. She always seems to get the last laugh but not this time. I’ll destroy the world she tried so hard to protect. I’ll kill every last one of those pathetic humans and the filth that call themselves wizards and witches. I’ll kill them all!”
“You’re insane,” Medea whispered in horror.
“Do not presume to lecture me, Medea,” Loki spat coldly. “You and Vincent were no better with your power-hungry plots to rule the world. Remember that it was I who killed you because of your greed, and if I hadn’t done it Kashera would have.”
“She would not have killed us.” Medea defended.
Loki laughed loudly at that, his eyes narrowing cruelly. “Do you think she really cared about you or anyone else for that matter? She used us all! This boy is just another countless example of her unfeeling manipulation. She gave him a sword that would kill him just so he could save a world that only tries to destroy itself.”
He stared at them both with a hate-filled glare, the absolute fury he felt towards Kashera and the world of Light shining through those unforgiving eyes. “Why are we dying for these people? Why do we suffer for Kashera’s precious world of Light? They do not even appreciate the world they were given. They sit there killing each other and trying to destroy what we have given our lives to protect. We are dying for nothing, and I refuse to let this go on any longer. I will destroy their ungrateful lives and end this insanity! I will be the world’s liberator…”
Draco frowned to himself as Loki continued to talk, not really sure what to think or what to say. He could appreciate Loki’s bitter feelings for he too had been trapped in the Shadow Realm because of the sword that Kashera had given him, but to kill everyone? Medea was right: that was just insane. There were so many innocent people in the world, so many good people; it was unfair to destroy all of them simply because people like Voldemort were power-hungry.
“You are both trapped in here with me as well,” Loki continued, a mad expression on his face. “You have both suffered because of Kashera, so you must understand my sentiments. Why not join with me? Together we can bring justice back to the worlds. With the Sword of Judgement on our side, we shall cut down those disgusting animals that live in the world of Light and finally be free from the bonds Kashera has placed us in.”
“This isn’t right, Loki,” Medea retorted angrily, shaking her beautiful head in disappointment. “If you want to destroy the world you’ll be doing it alone, but know this: I will use all of my powers to stop you, for I will not let you destroy the world I have fought so hard to protect… ”
“And you, Dragon Rider? Will you fight against me too?” Loki asked with a sneer, as he turned away from Medea to stare at Draco.
“No matter what you may think, Loki, the world of Light is not worthless…” Draco said softly. “I won’t let you destroy it…”
“Then fight me if you must,” Loki declared harshly, “But I will not give up. I will never stop until the last human takes their final breath; I promise you that...”
Draco watched as Loki’s image vanished into black smoke and sighed. He placed his head in his hands wondering what he could possibly do now. It was all very well for him to say that he would fight against Loki but he had no way to do it. He had no wand, no sword- just a small dagger that was nothing more than a bit of steel. He had no true power anymore; he was useless, weak…
A hand grasped his shoulder and he looked up in surprise to see Medea looking down at him sympathetically, her violet eyes glistening with tears. She was so beautiful, almost unnaturally so, and it still seemed to amaze him when he looked at her.
“Do not give up yet, Draco,” she said comfortingly, her elegant fingers giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “I opened that prison you had been trapped in so that I could help you escape from here to stop this madness and reunite with your love, and I plan to keep that promise. The sword that could have freed your soul from this world may be broken but we must not lose faith. We can do this! I have a plan, but I am going to need your help to do it.”
Draco frowned slightly, his eyes gazing at her curiously. “What do you have in mind?”
“The Sword of Judgement is the last of the magic swords. It’s a beautiful sword made completely of gold with a single emerald in the hilt. Its powers are not all known to me, but I know enough to see that it does not work the same way that the Sword of Souls and Oblivion’s Wrath did. Byleist, Loki’s brother, wielded the sword while he was alive- that was until Loki murdered him and stole the sword, which is why I need your help.”
“Why?” Draco asked perplexed. What possible help could he be to Medea? She was far more powerful than he…
“Because only those from Orexis’s bloodline can wield the swords.” Medea explained with a meaningful look at him. “Why do you think Vincent was so intent on trying to get you to join his side when he found you? He could not have used the sword the same way you can; to him it would have just been a piece of metal, but you, Draco, you can command the magic inside.”
“What are you trying to say?” Draco asked apprehensively. He had a feeling that whatever Medea was about to disclose to him was not what he wanted to hear.
“You are the descendant of Byleist, Loki and Helbindi’s brother. Shadow magic runs through your veins, for they are the three sons of Orexis, the true creator of shadow. It is this link to Orexis which allowed you to use the Sword of Souls, but because you are only part shadow, the power of the sword still slowly destroyed you, just as it did Loki.”
Draco’s eyes widened as he stared at her, a horrible sickening feeling twisting in his stomach. He was one of them. He was a descendant of the person who was causing this destruction…
“The three swords were created with shadow magic by Helbindi for his use in the great war: Oblivion’s Wrath, the sword that would use the purest of shadow magic to bring everything back to nothing; the Sword of Souls, a sword which can summon an army of shadow warriors and control people’s souls, and finally the Sword of Judgment, a sword which can destroy anything and can never be defeated if the wielder believes justice is on their side...”
“Then how did Kashera get the swords if they belonged to Helbindi? And why would Helbindi create swords that would eventually kill him?” Draco asked curiously.
“Helbindi was different to his brothers. He was the son of Creuca, the Queen of the Dusks, while Loki and Byleist were born from a different mother- a human mother… Helbindi alone could not be affected by Shadow magic because he was so immersed in it himself, but even with his great powers he could not save himself or his father from being defeated by Kashera and her warriors. She took the swords and decided to use them for her own purposes, but I am unsure if she knew the sword she gave Loki would kill him or not...”
Medea frowned to herself, her violet eyes shifting to her hands in thought. “I have lived for thousands of years and even now I do not understand the mind of Kashera. She was greater than any person I have met, but her ways were often unclear to me. I cannot believe that she would let Loki kill her so easily. There must be something that she knew that we do not, which is why you must help me with this. Even with all his power Loki could not have killed Kashera, and she would not have allowed herself to die for nothing- not even to take away his immortality. She must have had a plan, and I think we are the ones who need to carry it out, or at least try anyway.”
“Right.” Draco agreed. “But even if I can use the sword because of Byleist’s blood, there’s still the problem that Loki has it, and you heard him yourself; I think he’s pretty sure that justice is on his side.”
“Leave Loki to me. If what he says about losing his power is true, than I should be able to distract him enough for you to get that sword off him. All you have to do is claim yourself as its master with your blood and the sword will listen to you. Loki will be weak then, for he does not have the destructive magic in him that I do; he relies on magic swords for offence, so that will be our chance to kill him.”
“And the hole in the portal?”
Medea sighed tiredly and gazed at him through her strange, violet eyes. “I do not know how to seal the portal, but we can still try.”
Draco nodded his head in agreement and stood up, a determined expression on his face. He may have no weapon, and he may be stuck in this Realm of Shadows with only a half-dead sorceress for company, but he wasn’t going to give up on the world of Light yet. He had to fight, if not for himself than for every innocent person dying in the world because of his ancestors. Medea was right: they had to try….
A/n: Sorry if there are typos. I haven’t had my beta read over this, and I wrote this at midnight, lol.
Disclaimer: I did not create any of the Harry Potter storyline, or characters. These ideas belong to the fabulous JKR, which we all must pay credit for the wonderful world she has created.
Warning: Though this story will contain no sexually explicit material, there will be graphic violence that may offend some people. I will be leaving the rating at PG13, but if any of you feel that it needs to be made higher, I will increase the rating.
A/n: Thank you for the reviews, and again I apologise for the long wait. Be prepared for more explanations in this chapter, but hopefully it will be all action from here….
Unexpected Visitors
After Ginny’s rather wild exclamation, everyone had gone into frenzy. Hermione was asking questions at a record speed, while Ron and Harry seemed to not be able to stop themselves from making objections at every second breath Hermione took. Ginny had tried to answer their questions the best she could, but now she was not paying attention to them much at all, for her heart was still swelling with immense relief and joy to know that Draco was alive. She had always wondered, always hoped, but now…. now she knew….
“Where are you going?” Ron asked in surprise, as Ginny suddenly stood up, moving towards the door in a rather trance-like manner. She paused, her brain finally registering his voice, and turned to him, her eyes still glimmering with tears.
“I’m going to find Draco.”
“But Ginny, you don’t even know if what you saw was real.” Harry said reasonably.
Ginny just shook her head, clutching her hands to her chest, her eyes meeting Harry’s emerald ones with an earnest expression. “You don’t have to believe me, Harry, but I know what I saw was real. It’s almost like I’ve been waiting for something like this to happen…”
She sighed, wiping the tears from her eyes, seeing their saddened and disbelieving faces. They thought she was insane, and they had good reason to. It had been four years, and there was not even a whisper of his name…. The last time they had seen him was when he had been sucked into the sword….
“I’m not crazy,” she defended against the unspoken words. “I know what I saw and I’m not going to wait around while he’s in trouble. I’m going to find him.”
“But you don’t even know where he is!” Ron objected.
“I don’t care!!” Ginny retorted, losing her temper now. Didn’t they understand that she needed this? In her heart she had been dead for four years, and now that she had finally found her reason to live again they were going to take it away from her? “I’m not a child anymore. I can do what I want!”
“Right, with that attitude you’re really grown up,” Ron snapped back.
They glared at each other, and although Ginny knew he was just worried, she couldn’t handle this. Not now…
“I’m going for a walk,” she said stiffly, storming towards the door.
“Ginny, wait,” Hermione said desperately, but Ginny ignored her as she opened the door roughly and slammed it shut behind her. She practically ran out of the house before they could stop her and bring up more excuses and objections. She knew it was real, she just knew….
Thunder growled in the distance as Ginny left the house. She walked quickly into the looming darkness towards the sound of the crashing waves, the harsh wind whipping at her face and tangling her flaming red hair. She wrapped her arms around herself, huddling against the cool night as rain started falling in fat droplets down her. Shivering slightly, she just continued to walk, her eyes burning with tears, her throat constricting painfully.
“He is alive,” she whispered over and over to herself as she walked down to the sandy shore, her eyes falling on the monstrous waves crashing and raging in a stormy battle with the obsidian rocks. She stopped walking and stared out into the stormy seas.
“Draco,” she whispered shakily, shivering in the cool night as she stared at the black sea before her with its swollen waves threatening her with their ferocity. “I know you’re out there…” Tears slipped down her cheeks, tracing her care-worn face. “Beyond these waves, beyond these stormy skies… I can see you now, standing on my opposite shore looking out into the ocean just as I am now, knowing that past those waves I am waiting for you, just as you are waiting for me.” She closed her eyes, a shaky smile coming to her lips. “We just need to close the distance….”
The wind slashed against her, the rain coming down more sharply now, slicing painfully into her skin. Thunder growled again and a fork of lightening struck the dark night, tearing the black clouds with a streak of blinding white. In that moment a strange outline flittered across the shadowy sky, much like what she had seen earlier that day. Her eyes narrowing slightly, she watched as the shadow grew larger. Whatever the shadowy outline was, it was coming closer very quickly.
She took a step back, her hand automatically going to grab her wand out of habit but it was not there. She made a strangled noise in her throat, her heart quickening with fear, feeling paralysed with the sudden realisation that she was in a very horrible situation. Her mind was frantically commanding her legs to move, and it was with great relief that she found the sickly fear that had been numbing her body lift so she could run.
Turning her face back while still running, she screamed as she saw the figure closing in on her at a very alarming speed. She let out a yelp as her foot connected with a piece of driftwood, sending her crashing to the wet sand. She sat up quickly, ignoring the pain that was burning her skin, and turned her face to see where the figure was, but nothing was there. Frowning for a moment, she pushed herself back up to her feet before turning around and let out a terrified scream. There, standing mere inches away from her was a very deadly looking black dragon, its yellow eyes watching her intently.
Clutching her racing heart, Ginny just gazed back at the dragon, completely frozen.
“Why do you scream and run from me?” The dragon said in a calm, familiar voice. “Do you not remember me?”
Ginny paused, a frown coming to her lips. She stepped forward, gazing at the dragon and slowly started to recognise the familiar graceful wings, the warm yellow eyes, and that soothing, dragon smile.
“Neeya?” Ginny said incredulously. “Is it really you?”
Neeya smiled and nodded, “Indeed it is, Ginevra. It has been a long time since I have last seen you. You have grown a great deal.”
Ginny felt tears come to her eyes again and rushed forward, throwing her arms around Neeya’s scaly neck. The last time she had seen her friend was when Draco had gone missing. Ginny had gotten furious with her friend for not telling her what would happen to Draco, but now she had realised that Neeya had just been as upset as Ginny. She had known the whole time that Draco would not stay once he had completed his mission, and Ginny had never understood the dragon’s sadness. Now…. now she understood.
“I’m sorry.” Ginny whispered. “I’m sorry I got angry at you, Neeya…”
“Do not shed your tears for the past, Ginevra,” Neeya said in her deep, soothing voice. “This is not the time to reminisce. I’m sure you must know that….”
Ginny nodded her head, sniffling slightly as she pulled away from Neeya. “What’s going on?”
Neeya sighed. “There is much we need to talk about, but we should do it somewhere else. The Shadows could be watching us at this very moment, and we don’t need Loki’s spies knowing anymore than they should.”
“We can go back to my house,” Ginny said quickly. “It’s just up the road.”
Neeya nodded, and to Ginny’s complete surprise started glowing a pearly white.
“What are you doi-” She began, and then broke off as Neeya started changing before her very eyes. The large elegant wings folded back, her long, graceful tail shrinking, as her body twisted and shrunk. The dragon form slowly faded until Ginny found herself staring at a very tall woman with dark tan skin, warm, animalistic eyes, and long black hair that was tied back in a plait.
“But you’re-”
“A human, yes,” Neeya replied calmly, a slow smile curving her full lips. It reminded Ginny of the dragon smile she loved. “Xaiya is dead… I have taken her place as the leader of the dragon clan.”
“So you were given the power to turn into a human?” Ginny asked curiously.
Neeya nodded. “Yes, all of Xaiya’s powers were passed on to me, but we must hurry to your home. I am afraid that we are risking a great deal by standing out in the open here. The Shadow warriors have been on my trail ever since I left Erenia to look for you.”
Ginny nodded to show she understood and quickly led Neeya back up the shore to where the yellow lights in her house shone through the rain splattered windows like beckoning beacons. Ron and the others would still be in there, but right now that didn’t matter; what mattered was finding out what Neeya knew so she could help Draco. He was the only thing she cared about now.
Opening the door, she gestured for Neeya to follow and entered the house. Immediately she was accosted by Ron, Hermione and Harry, but they all fell silent when Neeya’s tall frame entered the room.
“Who is this?” Hermione asked nervously, staring up at Neeya’s imposing form. Even as a human she looked dangerous, and her yellow eyes, although warm, still held the dangerous glint.
“Relax,” Ginny said quickly. “It’s Neeya.”
“The dragon?” Ron asked open-mouthed.
Neeya chuckled, “Yes, Ronald, the dragon.” She closed the door behind her, wiping some of the rain droplets from her white cloak. “But now is not the time for reunions. I have much to tell…”
The three others frowned, but Ginny just continued to stare at Neeya. “Please, tell me everything.”
Neeya nodded her head, silent for a moment as she gathered her thoughts. “You must know that the magic of this world is dying.”
All four of them nodded their heads. “Yes,” Hermione said softly. “The researchers cannot understand what is causing it...”
“That’s because it’s not from this world,” Neeya responded calmly. “There is a hole in the barrier that connects the world of Light from the world of Shadows. The magic that is alive in the Shadow Realm leaks through this hole and destroys all magic in this world. It feeds on light magic, and if left unchecked will destroy everything….”
“What is this Realm of Shadows, and how did the hole even get there?” Harry asked with a frown. Ginny, having been wondering the same thing turned to Neeya, a curious expression on her face.
Neeya sighed, “Four years ago you defeated a man named Voldemort, but you used the Shadow army to do it…’
“They were from the world of Shadows, weren’t they?” Hermione said softly, quickly putting two and two together.”
Neeya nodded her head. “Yes. The sword of souls works as a key to the portal. It open and closes it, but something happened when the soldiers were called back to their world. Something went wrong, and though I have my suspicions, I am unsure of what actually happened.”
“You think something stopped the portal from fully closing?” Hermione asked.
Neeya shook her head. “Not something- someone…. Loki was in that battle, and though I saw Draco stab him, I know he is not dead…. It is very possible that he meddled with the magic that closes the portal, allowing the magic to leak through, as well as his shadow warriors….”
“And what will happen to this world if this hole isn’t closed?”
“In the Old War, Kashera sealed off the shadow to create the world of Light and protect her people. Now, however, the barrier she made is falling apart. That hole is becoming bigger with each passing day, and eventually the barrier will be no more. Every person in this world will be consumed by the shadows once that barrier falls. Loki could survive in the Shadow Realm because he was made immortal by Kashera’s magic, the only magic that can fight the power of the Shadows. We, however, will simply fade into nothing and become the very shadows that killed us. We rely on our lesser magic to survive, and it is our magic that the shadow feeds on. Even your muggles will die, for every living thing in the world of Light has magic inside them.”
“So what do we do then?” Ron asked.
“’We’ must do nothing. It is Ginny who holds the key to stopping the Shadows.”
“Me?” Ginny said in surprise, feeling all their gazes turning to her. It was just like four years ago when she had found out she was destined to guide Draco to becoming the Dragon Rider, only this time it was even more surreal… “But what can I do?”
“You have the pendants, don’t you?” Neeya asked her.
Ginny nodded her head, knowing instantly what Neeya was talking about. She reached inside her robe and pulled out two pendants: one a pale blue that was shaped into a tear, the other a crimson red that had a tear indentation in it. Ginny knew that they were to be combined, but she had never tried uniting the pendants, afraid of what might happen….
“Those pendants are filled with Kashera’s magic. They will help you in the Shadow Realm, for the magic that you use here will be swallowed whole once you enter that dark place. You were always the one who was supposed to use them, and now is the time to do it. You have a great destiny ahead of you, Ginevra, if you are willing to follow it….”
“But what am I supposed to do?” Ginny asked earnestly. She had no idea how to even use the pendants, let alone get to the Shadow Realm.
“Destroy the Shadow Realm.” Neeya answered, her eyes glinting in the flame light so that they looked like they were on fire.
Ginny just stared at her, unable to believe what she was being asked to do. How could you possibly destroy a world? “But how? And if it was so easy to destroy a world, why did no one ever do this before? Why didn’t Kashera just destroy the Shadow Realm instead of just sealing it off?”
Neeya frowned, “I don’t know… Kashera… well, she had strange methods… She must have had her reasons for doing what she did though… As for how to destroy the world, you simply have to break the core.”
“The core?”
“Every world has a core- think of it as a life force. It’s where the magic of the world gathers and fuels all the living things that live on that world. The Shadow World’s core is deep in the heart of the Realm, in the old Kingdom of the Dusks. Destroy that, and you will destroy the shadow magic that is fuelling the world. Once the shadow magic is dead, the world itself will die, and the portals that connect these worlds will be destroyed, as will the hole…”
“You make it sound so easy,” Ginny said with a shaky laugh. She was suddenly feeling very overwhelmed, but she knew she had to do this. It couldn’t just be a coincidence that she had seen a vision of Draco and Loki, and now this happens...
“There is someone else who wishes to speak to you too,” Neeya said in her deep voice. “I will call her now…”
Ginny frowned and watched curiously as Neeya pulled out a small object that looked like a box. She whispered something and the box glowed a pearly white for a moment before turning to ash in her hands. A second later there was an odd rushing of air, and they all jumped back in surprise (except for Neeya) as a familiar woman appeared in the middle of the room.
“Lucretia,” Ginny said in surprise, instantly recognising the beautiful woman with familiar grey eyes- eyes that were just like Draco’s….
“Ginevra,” she said with a small smile, and then looked to Neeya, giving her a business-like nod. “Thank you Neeya; I am glad you found her.”
“What are you doing here?” Ginny asked, feeling just a little apprehensive. Even though Xaiya had explained that Lucretia had had no choice but to give her the crimson rose, she was still a little wary of the woman.
“I had a vision,” Lucretia said softly, her grey eyes glinting in the soft firelight. “You see unlike you Ginevra, I was a born a seer, and as such I will only have visions about one person. That is what seers do; they see visions about the same person their whole lives, no matter how trivial or important that person may be.”
Ginny just frowned. “So what did you see?”
“You,” Lucretia said softly. “I’ve always seen you.”
Ginny let out a small breath, gazing at Lucretia in surprise and curiosity. “You see visions about me?”
She could see Ron, Harry and Hermione all looking rather stunned at this information, but none of them said anything. Neeya gave her a reassuring smile, and Ginny couldn’t help but feel comforted. Her eyes flicked back to Lucretia’s, meeting those warm, grey eyes.
“Yes, Ginevra; you are the one I see in my visions…” She reached into her blue robes and pulled out a wand. “You know that our magic is dying, but I think I still might be able to show you this. I’m going to give you a memory; it is the memory of my vision.”
Ginny just nodded her head, unsure of what to expect. “Alright.”
“Good girl,” Lucretia said with a small smile, and then took a deep breath, raising the wand to her temple where Ginny could see a silvery strand of thought clinging to the wood as she pulled her wand away. Silently she passed it into Ginny’s thoughts, and as Ginny closed her eyes the vision washed over her…
She stared up at the great stone doors, her heart thudding uncomfortably. Someone was shadowed next to her, blurred from her vision, but it was the person in front of her that caught her attention. He was standing tall, his shoulder-length blond hair blowing in a non-existent wind, his grey eyes looking down at her, a gleaming gold sword in his hand with a single emerald in the hilt. Their eyes meet and she found herself being sucked into those grey eyes, spinning and swirling into a grey vortex, images and thoughts flashing so fast before her that she couldn’t make anything of it out….
Suddenly everything stopped and she was standing in the middle of a dark room staring at herself, only she looked different… Her skin was glowing faintly, her hair streaming out behind her, golden threads mixed in the fiery red. She had her arms spread wide as golden and white lights collided with an electrical frenzy around her. A pendant was glowing at her neck, a blood red stone with what looked like a tear pressed into the middle, as a strange humming sound issued from it. Light burst forth from the pendant, spreading right over her body until she was encased in a barrier of light. Her eyes flashed with sudden golden glow, her hair changing to a pure white; even her clothes were changing to white by the extremity of the light surrounding her...
Ginny looked around, wondering what was happening and saw a whole army of shadowy figures racing towards her. She watched in horror as the vision version of herself gathered balls of energy at her fingers before sending them flying towards the shadowy creatures. Black dust flew everywhere as the radiant light that came forth from her fingers extinguished the creatures. More creatures came, but every time the vision version of herself would call forth more magic, killing them over and over again…
It was then that Ginny noticed there was someone else in the room; it looked like the same person who had been by her before, though they were still blurred, almost distorted. She narrowed her eyes slightly, watching as the person walked up to the vision-Ginny, stopping just behind her. She knew the person said something, but she heard nothing, simply watching as her vision-self turned around, a slightly surprised expression on her face. The shadowed person brought up their arm, something clutched in their hand, and Ginny moved closer to get a better look, but before she could really figure out what was in their hand, the person had rammed whatever it was into Ginny’s chest. The vision-self screamed just as Ginny herself screamed, watching in horror as the other Ginny fell to the ground clutching her chest, the light that had built around her dying until she was just the same red haired, brown-eyed girl, gasping and choking on the crimson blood that was spilling out of her mouth. The shadowed person said something quickly before running off, the army of shadows looming up towards where the vision-Ginny lay now that she was no longer fighting them off.
“No!” Ginny screamed, running over to her own body. She watched the crimson staining through her clothes, her hands falling away from the wound, stained with her own blood. “No,” she repeated again, shakily placing her hand against her cold, dying face. Their eyes meet, and as Ginny stared into those clouded, chestnut eyes, the shadowy creatures closing in around them, she felt the vision distorting and crumbling away…
Taking a deep breath, tears burning her eyes, she looked up at Lucretia. “Why did you show me this?”
Lucretia gazed at her steadily. “Because I want you to change the future.”
“How?” Ginny said desperately, feeling suddenly very afraid. She had just watched herself die…. “How can I change it?”
“What’s going on?” Ron said suddenly. “What did she see?”
Lucretia ignored Ron, keeping her gaze locked on Ginny’s as she moved closer, saying to her so that no one else can hear. “I cannot tell you how to change it, for I do not know who the person is, or when they will try to hurt you. All I know is that they will try to kill you. I was hoping that you knowing this would stop it from happening.”
Ginny frowned, “But what if I don’t realise in time?”
Lucretia sighed. “That is a chance you will have to take if you want to do this. You always have a choice. You can stay home and forget about what you know and have seen, or you can go to the Shadow Realm. Either way, if you do not change your future when the chance is given to you, you will die- whether it be by the magic of the shadows, or by the person who will betray you….”
Ginny looked down, taking shaky breaths. She had just seen her own death. She had watched as someone close to her had betrayed and killed her, but she didn’t know who… It frightened her to think that she could be going to her death, but knowing what she knew there was no way she could just forget about it. This was her chance to make things right- this was her chance to help Draco…
“I’m still going.” She said softly, meeting Lucretia’s beautiful face.
The older woman smiled sadly, a tear slipping down her eyes. “I thought you would…”
“Well then I’m going too.” Ron declared loudly, taking a step forward, his blue eyes meeting Ginny’s face. “There’s no way I’m letting you go into that creepy place alone.”
“She will not be alone,” Neeya said calmly. “I shall be going as well to protect her the best I can.”
Ginny smiled gratefully at Neeya, but then turned her gaze to Ron. “You can’t go Ron. What about Luna? Please just stay with Harry and Hermione, for me?”
“I’m not having a baby like them,” Ron said quickly, gesturing to Harry and Hermione. “And Luna will just have to handle it because there is no way I am letting you go without me.”
Ginny went to open her mouth to argue but Lucretia cut in, her eyes watching Ron with an odd expression. “He must go with you. You will need his help in the end…. I can feel it….”
Ron looked at triumphant at that, but Ginny still felt worried. She stared at Lucretia, who simply nodded at her, as if to say ‘this is the right thing.’
“Very well.” Ginny sighed in agreement. “But you know that your magic will be useless in there?”
Ron nodded. “I know.”
“It won’t just be your magic either,” Neeya said softly. “The longer you spend in the Shadow Realm, the stronger its hold on you becomes. As soon as you enter that place your spirit will begin to decay. It will kill you if you stay there long enough. Do you understand?”
Ron swallowed hard. “I understand.”
“Then it is settled. The three of us will go to the Shadow Realm.” Neeya said firmly, turning to look at Ginny.
Hermione looked at Ginny, her eyes filling with tears. “Please be careful, Ginny. I wish I could come and help you, but I…”
“I know,” Ginny said softly, pulling her into a hug. “I’ll be fine though…”
Hermione nodded, giving her a small smile and moved on to hug Ron, while Ginny turned to see Harry watching her seriously. He walked over and pulled her into a brotherly hug, just holding her close.
“Be careful, Ginny. This isn’t like last time…”
“I know,” Ginny whispered, clutching him tight. “But I have to do this.”
He just nodded his head to show he understood.
Pulling herself away from him, she turned to Lucretia. “Is there anything else I must know?”
“There is someone you must meet before you go to the Shadow Realm,” Lucretia answered. “I can take you to her now if you like.”
“Alright…” Ginny said softly. “Where is she?”
“At my house…” Lucretia replied. “She’s been in hiding with her sister, but she has something very important to give you. Come, we can take a portkey there. Our magic has not died so much yet that it won’t work…”
Ginny, Ron and Neeya all stepped forward, each placing their fingers on the small bottle that Lucretia had pulled out of her robe. Ginny looked up and met Harry and Hermione’s worried gazes, giving them a small smile briefly before she felt the world spinning around her as the portkey activated, taking her speedily to France and the mystery woman…
A/N: This chapter hasn’t been Beta’d, so sorry for typos, etc.