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Chapter 18:- Letters from Ginny

**
A/N: I'll like to thank Malehorntaildragon for his help so of his idea's created parts to this chapter, thanks.

**

Molly stood still as the noise of the battle died down. Her wand was still held uselessly at her side as she watched the people around start to move. She could quite clearly see Ron and Hermione move forward slowly still looking for danger but moving towards Ginny and the rest. Her motherly instinct was telling her to forget everything and rush over there yet she still stood rooted to the spot.

She had been professing to anyone and everyone that her children were too young to get involved with the coming war. In fact she was trying everything to make sure the twins were not used at all by the Order even though they were members, but what she had just witnessed was making her rethink. The control that both Ron and Ginny had shown with their spell work was better than virtually any adult that she had seen outside of trained Auror's. They had stood there and attacked and defended like they knew exactly what they were doing, not once did they look frightened or in danger.

As she took a tentative step forward she knew that he reasons for protecting the children were fast going away. They may be young, they may be inexperienced but they knew what to do and they did far better than she ever could have. As she neared the hole in the shop she saw that all of the teenagers were trying to help the adults that were still crowded behind the counter. They all looked calm and were moving with purpose eventually Ginny spotted her.

"Oh Mum! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean too I just had to help." Sobbed Ginny as her mum ran towards her towards her and flinging her arms around her in a big hug.

"Hush now dear. It's alright."

"I couldn't let them get hurt." Replied Ginny in a determined voice, she hated disobeying her mother but she just had to fight.

"I know, I know."

Answered Molly holding her daughter close, she looked up to see Ron standing close. He still had his wand out and looked every inch the man. Hermione, Luna and Gabrielle were still moving around the floor helping people but Molly really only had eyes for her own family.

"We should get back home." Said Molly

"I know I should have run. You told us, told me but ...but."

"It's alright you did fine." Patted Molly not knowing what else to say. She should have admonished her for doing what she had just done but couldn't. Whatever she had previously thought Ginny and Ron had just proved that they could look after themselves.

**

Harry closed the shed door slowly hopefully putting the day behind him. He had been trapped inside the bank for hours before they had been allowed to leave. As soon as they did Remus had apparated the pair of them back to Privet Drive. Remus had said that he was going to go over the Burrow to check that everyone was alright but Harry already knew. His magic was telling him that they were safe.

He took off his coat and hung it up before sitting and stretching out on the sleeping bag. The day for him had been hard, harder than he thought it would be. But the most shocking was what Remus had told him about how popular he was soon to become. Rolling onto his side he pulled the book Gabrielle had given him to read closer, but before he even opened it he knew that he wouldn't be able to read it. So not bothering he replaced it and looked up into the ceiling.

He was safe here and he was almost sure that the protection was back for the house yet he remained. Here he was safe yet relatively isolated soon he would have to move, safety was no longer going to be his priority, soon he would have to act and for that he need a different place. His mind instantly told him of where he needed to go yet he didn't want to face it. The grief of Sirius was still to be let out and if he went to that house it would come.

Sitting up slowly he pulled his trunk close and started to look through it. There were many items present but he knew the one he was after. Slowly extracting the broken shards of glass he looked at the reflection. Harry just continued to look at his reflected face as the evening drew close and the light started to fade. Eventually he returned the shard to the trunk and closed his eyes not wanting the dreams to come.

**

Arthur sat down in the same chair again. He had been summoned yet again to sit before the Law Enforcement panel. The attack on Olivander's was just about twenty four hours old but he had to defend his children for use of magic outside of school, again.

"Arthur it would like to say it's nice to see you again but I had hopped that after the last meeting I would not be seeing you again over a similar matter."

"I know Mr Goldstien but they just happened to be there."

"Happened to be there! That is really no excuse, but very well we had better start. I would like to open this review about the happenings on Monday 28th July in Diagon Alley. The purpose of this review is to establish the facts of the matter as they pertain to the use of magic by underage wizards. Those present are myself, Peter Goldstien Chairman, Melanie Wortball and Brian Strump. Also present is Arthur Weasley Head of the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects and Lawrence Lovegood editor of The Quibbler."

"Ok then Arthur would you care to explain what happened this time?"

"Well as you know Mr Chairman my Children were caught in the middle of the attack in Diagon Ally yesterday, they immediately saw that they would have to defend themselves and those around them from harm and used magic as the only reasonable form of defence."

"Mr Lovegood, have you anything too add?"

"No I find it improper to be here when the Ministry is Training Hit-Elves, in secret, to use wands. If Elves are to be given wands then why should children not be able to defend themselves against them?"

"Well...um...yes." stammered Goldstine before continuing.

"Ok we all know that Miss G Weasley and Miss L Lovegood prevented not only injury to a number of witches and wizards with their actions, but also further damage to a valuable building. We also recognise that without the swift and decisive action of Mr R Weasley and Miss H Granger that attack could have lasted much longer and would have caused even more damage. But I would like to strenuously remind you that the Law is there for all our safety and blatant disregard of the law will put us in danger. So unless there are any further questions from the panel I will close this review."

The two other members shook there head and the absurdity of this review as they both thought that the children were heroes.

"Very well then, this review is now officially closed and Arthur I really do not want to see you here again this summer."

**

Ginny watched Gabrielle climb into the fireplace once more. She was feeling more and more frustrated at watching her go off to Harry everyday yet her mum wouldn't let her go. She trusted Gabrielle with Harry but she really did want to see him again, it had been embarrassing to hear Gabrielle tell Harry about her love for him but now that it was done she just want to go to him to truly see if he loved her.

Knowing that the only way that she was going to see him anytime soon would be for her to get him here she realised that his birthday was going to be the best chance that she had. Walking into the kitchen she found her mum, she was still sitting on one of the dinning chairs looking closely out of the window. Ginny had to sympathise a little with Ron and Hermione because with her mother watching over them there was little that the pair could do.

"Mum I do you mind if we have a party for Harry."

"Don't we normally?"

"Yes but I thought it would be nice for him to have some of this other friends around as well."

"How many?"

"Just a few." replied Ginny knowing the more crowded that the Burrows would be the easier it would be to drag Harry off some place for a quiet word or even something more.

"Well I don't know, will he want it?"

"I'm sure mum; he's alone at that house all day without anybody. Getting out would be great for him."

"Ok then..." tentatively replied Molly looking at her daughter closely.

Ginny smile a bright smile before dashing out of the room and up to her bedroom to start writing the invites. Her mind was suddenly a whirl at all the plans that it had running thought it. Whatever happened she was going to make sure that she got Harry alone for at least a minute.

**

Draco straightened himself up as he descended the stairs. He had come down here a few days ago but the magical power of the place slightly concerned him. He had tried to read more and more in his father's journals about this place the only conclusion was that it was the reason the mansion was built here. Little was actually mentioned but he got the impression that his father had spent most of his time down here and the magic of the place was tied to his blood.

As he stepped off the last step the deep dark corridor stretched before him. It still looked very frightening to him. He didn't know why but something about this place worried him. He took a few paces forward and as soon as he passed the first torch holder, it instantly lit up and bathed the area in light. Surprisingly the light didn't stretch the full length of the corridor it stopped and the next torch.

He took another step forward and felt a barrier in front of him. He raised his hand slightly and felt the resistant in his arm. Bracing himself for some form of attack he waited. When nothing came he moved forward once more. As soon as his body touched the barrier he felt the magic part and the next set of torches lit up. He could now see a single wide strip of plush carpet that ran the full length of the corridor. There was now enough light to illuminate wooden doors along either side of the corridor.

From the outside the doors looked old and thick yet they seemed to be in perfect condition. He walked up to the first one and slowly pulled it open. Two braziers lit the room immediately when the door was opened. Draco saw that it was small library with its own reading desk. Its size was nothing compared to the main house library but the book titles were not what normal people would read. As he looked at the titles and felt himself blanch slightly. Controlling the Mind, Controlling the body: A Study of using pain to control, Pleasures of Flesh: A text helping you get the most out of skin stripping. Children: a Parents weakness and how they are to be used in control. On and on went the titles most of them concerning controlling people and inflicting pain.

He walked over to the desk and sat down, the small candle lit as he sat and he realised more and more that this basement was infused with so much magic that it could rival Hogwarts. There was a book left open on the desk and he started to read it. The descriptions of the differing ways to control a woman through sex and pain first spiked an interest and aroused him, but as he read more and more he didn't know if he could actually do any of the things that it required. Closing the book he noticed the title, Woman the Pleasure for Rulers.

Leaving the room he closed the door and noticed the lights when out as soon as the room was closed. He crossed to the opposite door and pulled it open, the room was furnished as a small dinning room, it would only seat two and the walls were lined with pictures. As he closed the door he realised that his farther had set up this place as a private domain one only he or his descendants could enter, he wasn't therefore surprised to find the next room fitted out as a nice sitting room complete with fire but it was the one after that that caused a little shock. It was simply decorated and it just contained a single bed. The largest bed Draco had ever seen it could easily accommodate three people.

Closing this last room he looked down what was left, the darkness was more intense and he could hardly see anything, he thought he saw a glimpse or two of more doors. Starting forward he felt another barrier in front of him. It was harder this time than the last but it too parted for him, but no light penetrated this time. Quickly searching he found an old torch using his wand he lit the end and surveyed this new section. He could see slight traces of water running down the walls and the floor was not covered in the plush carpet like the other half of the corridor and rooms. His nose also detected a number of differing aromas, none of them pleasant.

He smiled to himself because he'd been right that there were in fact some doors in this area as well. The first four were all close together and were identical, dark and thick looking. It didn't take Draco much thought to know that these were cells. As he pushed the first door open the chains on the wall and the blood marks on the ground all told there own story.

There were only two rooms left that he could see and he was a little freighted at what he would find. The smell almost told him what he would find when he opened the next door. As he pulled the door open and let the light wash in, he saw the simple wooden table in the centre of the room. Around the walls were various instruments all of them looked painful. Not even bothering to enter the room he quickly closed the door knowing by the smell, how ever much he didn't want too know, that the room had seen recent usage.

Opening the last door he already knew what he was going to find, like the previous one the smell told him, but it was a smell he was used too. Pushing open the door he looked into a complete potions laboratory. Thinking nothing more he started to close the door until he saw some of the ingredients lining the walls. There would be no way that those ingredients would have been allowed in school. He saw jar after jar of dangerous or illegal creatures, whatever was brewed in this room was defiantly not going to be on any school syllabus.

Slowly retracing his steps he returned to the sitting room he had found and thought about everything that he had seen. He had expected some sort of private room or such like but not the complete area he had found. His father or someone had set up the dungeon as a retreat. He shivered slightly at the thought that Voldemort cold have been using the rooms to hideout in. The good news he thought was that at least he now had a place he could plan and hide away from everybody in the house. It was almost the safest he had felt in a long time.

**

Harry's looked up sharply at the small knock on the shed door. He looked at his watch and saw that it was a few minutes to two. Silently cursing himself for losing track of time he got up and opened the door to see Gabrielle standing there. It was the first time that she had been early but the pleasure of seeing her drove away any annoyance that he felt.

"You're early?" he questioned automatically.

"Well Ginny asked me to deliver a letter for her. She said that I should wait for a reply so I thought you might need time to read it before today's lesson."

Gabrielle brought out a small envelope from within her coat and handed it to Harry. He took it and looked at the front. The neat handwriting reminded him slightly of Hermione.

"Would you ...um...like to come in." he asked Gabrielle as he continued to turn the letter over.

"No it's alright I'll wait under the tree."

Gabrielle smiled once and the then turned and silently left Harry with the letter.

He slowly opened the envelope and pulled out the letter and started to read.

Dear Harry,

It's been too long since you've had a true day off. You have been pushing very hard to learn what Gabrielle is teaching yet you need time to have fun Harry. As you know we are, as normal, planning on giving you a birthday party here. So this is to invite you to your own party. I know you may not like it but I've invited some of the others from the DA to join us. It will be good for all of us to get together at least once and your birthday is as good a time as any.

So think of this and the joy that you will bring to me and the rest when you turn up. Mum, Ron and Hermione are just dying to see you again, so please, please come.

Tell Gabrielle your answer.

Love


Ginny


Harry closed the letter. He had expected a letter from her earlier than this and in fact was quiet saddened at its contents, it seemed so bland so non Ginny like that he wondered if it really was from her.

He placed the letter back into his truck as he thought about the party. It would be nice to see his friends again. Even thought he knew he was doing it for the best he really did miss seeing Ron's face or Hermione nagging at the pair of them. He the realised that this party was precisely something he had to be careful about. He was a target and if Voldemort wanted to attack him then his birthday party was the perfect place.

With sadness in his heart he walked up to Gabrielle. He had to decline not because he wanted to but because of his friends how could he look any of them in the eye if the got injured at his party.

"Gabrielle could you tell Ginny....Thanks but no, I'm fine really and a quiet day here would be a better for me anyway. Could you also tell her to say sorry to the rest but I will visit everyone soon."

Gabrielle smiled a bright smile and shook her head slightly.

Harry lowered himself to his normal position before asking.

"What are you smiling at?"

"Ginny."

"Ginny?"

"I think she knows you better than you think. Here read this." Replied Gabrielle pulling a second letter out of her coat.

Harry saw that the letter was in the same hand writing as the first. He opened it and started to read and tried to suppress a smile as he did so.


Harry,

As you are reading this I take it that you didn't understand the first letter. I'll try and put it in better terms for you. Birthday Party, The Burrow, you will be there even if I have to get Ron and Hermione to drag you there. We want, I want, to see you, refusal is not an option.

Remus has been told to pick you up and he's looking forward to it. So should you!

Now tell Gabrielle that you will be coming.

A slightly annoyed, but still yours.


Ginny

P.S. Please come Harry even if it's just for a little while we all want to see you.


"Ok...Ok...Gabrielle tell her that I'm coming." Replied Harry shaking his head. This letter was slightly more of what he had expected.

"Good I didn't want to have to pull out the third letter."

"What you have another one!"

"No." laughed Gabrielle at the look on Harry face.

"So where do we begin today."

"I'll like you to continue yesterday's lessons. I know that the attack on the alley was still on your mind yesterday then but today you've had yet another day to calm down and so you can proceed more easily."

Harry closed his eyes and quickly centred himself. He knew he was getting quicker and quicker at it. He still lost track of time occasionally but not many times now. As he opened his eyes he could now clearly see the dome protecting the house and garden and to him it looked almost solid. The runes were easy to read but he didn't understand them at all but he continued to watch the colours dance across the dome as it gave him a sense of security to know what it was.

"Ok Harry do you feel any different than before."

"No I feel about the same, warm comfortable."

"I want you to now focus inwards not outwards."

He pulled his perception closer and closer and then like a switch he stopped feeling the warm comfortable feelings it was like suddenly he could feel his own emotions but magnified and yet separate. He could still see the dome and the runes but now he could feel himself.

"It's weird."

"What?" asked Gabrielle quietly.

"It's like I can feel my emotions but they are stronger but not attached to me."

"Brilliant!" chirped Gabrielle clearly happy.

"What?"

"Don't lose your focus." Harry nodded as he felt his concentration slipping.

"Why are you so happy?"

"This is what I've been waiting you to feel all this time."

"So what now?" Asked Harry with and expectant voice.

"Now that you can feel yourself you should be able to feel when I try and connect to you."

"Ok." Replied Harry waiting to see what would transpire.

Gabrielle focused herself. She had been very careful about her connection especially after what had happened previously. She quickly found the ribbon that was connected as just looked at it with a wishful expression she yearned just to let go and follow it into Harry. Sighing slightly she felt her focus travel carefully along the connection she wanted to feel Harry's emotions. Instantly she felt them flooding back to her, they weren't as powerful as they have been but she could still feel the grief and sorrow but there was more there. She just let her self explore Harry for a moment to see if he could sense anything.

Harry continued to lie on the ground and feel his own emotions. Then it was like someone had barged passed him, he felt his consciousness being moved aside. He didn't know what it was but as he examined it he suddenly felt that he was no longer alone in his own mind.

"You've found me." Said Gabrielle suddenly.

"Yes I feel something is in here with me."

"Yes I know, your emotions have suddenly changed, don't panic it's only me." Cautioned Gabrielle not full knowing how Harry might react.

"This is really weird I can sense you and feel you move my consciousness around, it's very unnerving."

"Ok I'll withdraw now."

Harry once more felt a slight push as Gabrielle withdrew and knew that his emotions were once more his own.

"Ok now I want you to try and block me."

"Um...How?"

"The same way I keep my emotions under control. I want you to use your magic to create a dome around your emotions."

"Like the one around the house."

"Yes if you like. Create a dome, force your magic into making it solid, and make it so that nothing can pass."

The instructions to Harry didn't make a lot a sense but he tried it anyway. He could still see the dome around the house and so creating one around himself was a little easier. He forced his magic into it to see if it made any difference and waited.

Gabrielle looked at Harry as he tried to create the dome. She understood how difficult it sounded because when she tried the only instructions she found were in one book and that was old. For her it had taken nearly two days to do it but she hopped that with Harry's greater power and with her helping he would be able to accomplish it today. A she watched she saw when he had succeeded. His face almost instantly lost all trace of emotion, the worry and stress lines that had marked his brow disappeared, he for once looked content. He had actually done it in only an hour or so, far less time than she thought it would take and had to smile to herself.

"I...I think I'm done."

"I know."

"How?"

"Your expression had changed; your face has softened slightly." Replied Gabrielle not realising that she was staring at his face. He now looked far more beautiful to her than he had ever been. She could feel her body's instant response. She had been able to suppress most of her emotions for the lessons but now spending so much time close to Harry and just looking at him was having an effect on her.

Closing her eyes suddenly to calm herself she tried once more to connect to Harry. She could sense a little from Harry but nothing exact, as she tried harder she felt herself hit a wall. It wasn't painful or anything it was just there stopping her from probing deeper.

"I felt that." Called Harry.

"Yes you have stopped me. I can sense a little but nothing exact."

"Is that good?"

"Yes it's excellent, what I want you to do for the rest of the lesson is to practice putting up and taking down the dome. You will find that when you are under great stress or strong emotions that you will find it harder for you to do."

"Like the other day with Uncle Vernon."

"Yes." demurely replied Gabrielle dropping her head at the thought of what she had done.

"Will this stop someone reading my mind?" asked Harry thinking about his failed Occumancy lessons.

"It should do if you modify the dome. At the moment you are blocking your emotions but you should be able to do the same to block any external influence, for instance the Veela powers or possible even a nymphs or sirens. That is what this technique is designed for, but I found that for me it was much easier than anything that I could come up with."

Harry couldn't suppress the smile after months of lessons with Snape he had just stopped an attack on his mind with only one lesson from Gabrielle. This girl was truly amazing.

**

Ginny looked at the compiled letters in front of her. She had spent most of the day contacting Harry's friends to see if they would come to a party and now it looked like that most of them had said yes. She hadn't been able to invite everyone that Harry knew but at least he would have a lot of people here, she just hopped that her letters would convince Harry to come. She would have hated to write to all of these people again and tell them no. The only surprise was that she hadn't received a reply from Susan. Something didn't feel right to her about that. In the very least she had expected Susan to write to her asking to pass a message onto Harry but she had received nothing from the girl.

As she entered the kitchen she saw that her mum was still sitting in her normal place looking out across the garden. In the distance she could see Ron and Hermione sitting on a blanket both reading books. Seeing Ron not running around was little bit of a surprise but seeing him quietly reading made her understand that Hermione meant more to Ron that virtually anything else.

"You got the replies then?" asked Molly.

"Yes mum, they've all said yes."

"Well that's good but you are going to have to help me. I don't want to do all of the work on my own."

"Of course mum I said that I would help."

"Ok we had better start cooking then!" said Molly slowly standing up and rolling her sleeves up.

Ginny suspected that for the rest of today and some of tomorrow this is all that she would be doing, but it was worth it just to see Harry again.

**

Voldemort studied the fire closely as he leaned forward in his chair. He always liked fire, the way it devoured anything that came close so that it could survive. He felt that it symbolised him in a little way, he didn't mind devouring people as long as he got his way.

"Tell me the answer." He called out without turning. He had been questioning Olivander for the past hour. He had yet to resort to force but the old man still didn't give him the answer he wanted, soon he was going to have to make him talk.

"I d d d...don't know." Pleaded the man behind him

Voldemort got to his feet and walked round the chair. Olivander was cringing on the floor. He looked worn but yet undamaged, soon that would change. The only other occupant in the room was Nagini she was curled up in the corner but her black eyes were focused closely on the Wandmaker.

Squatting down in front on the man Voldemort raised his wand.

"You know that I can make you scream. You know that I can delve deep into your mind to pull your very innermost thoughts to the surface. Just tell me what I need to know."

"B b b b...but I don't know the answer. There is nothing special about the wand. It just shares the same core as yours."

"The same core?"

"Yes...yes a Phoenix feather from the same bird."

"But why would that cause my wand to fail?"

"I don't know!"

Voldemort glanced sideways. He wanted this Wandmaker alive, at least until he made a replacement wand for him and so was reluctant to do too much damage.

"Nagini come here." He commanded.

The snake instantly slithered over and started to circle the pair.

"Now Olivander I want you to tell me everything you know about wands and wand cores. I especially want to know about mine and Harry's. If I think your not telling me everything I'll let Nagini feed. Understand?"

At the sound of her own name the snake stopped her slithering and looked at the old man as if sizing him up.

Olivander nodded his acceptance of what he was being asked.

**

Several hours later Voldemort walked out of his study. He had much to think on and much to plan. Olivander had been most forthcoming with his information but still had not told him the answers he needed. As expected his faithful servants were waiting for him.

"Did you get what you needed my Lord?" asked Wormtail straight away.

"No he doesn't have the answer or is unwilling to give it to me."

"Shall I ..."started Bellatrix but stopped when Voldemort looked at her.

She had always been fine at getting information out of people, especially men. Yet Voldemort still need Olivander alive and functional.

"No not yet Bellatrix, later I will personally pull it from his own mind and if he resists so much the better. But now he has job to do."

"Of course my lord, what's job is that?" asked Bellatrix.

Voldemort ignored the question and looked at the rest. He was still trying to plan how he was going to use the newly acquired information. As his eyes rested on Snape the picture formed and he knew the start. With a tight smile he turned back to Bellatrix.

"You're going on a trip for me."

"Of course." She instantly replied.

"I need you to find a Dragon."

"A dragon?"

"Yes a special Dragon, a Horntail I believe living in Romania."

"Is...is that all." Stammered Bellatrix she had seen at close hand what a dragon could do to a person and didn't look forward to seeking one out.

"No this Dragon is a female and it's kept on the reserve. I want you to find the dragon that Harry faced. Once you have done that report back to me."

"Of course my Lord, I'll leave right away."

"No you'll leave after tomorrows done." Bellatrix bowed and waited she didn't know what Voldemort meant but it wasn't good to argue. .

"Snape have you found her!"

"No my Lord, we believe that she is now staying with the Weasley's." Replied Snape waiting for the curse to hit him.

Voldemort continued to look at the potion master, was he deliberately failing to find the girl for some reason or was she truly hidden well.

"Crabbe I hope you've found what I asked you to seek."

"Yes, they're not identical but they are close." Replied the gruff voice.

"Very well we had better prepare then."

Bellatrix looked round the small group, was she the only one that didn't know what was happening?

"Prepare for what?" she asked fearing retribution.

"Simple my dear Bellatrix. Tomorrow is Harry Potter's birthday. I've missed most of them up to now so I think that I had better get him a present, one I think that I'll enjoy greatly."

**