MetaFic

"If you grow any more, we're not going to fit under this cloak," Ginny whispered, trying not to giggle.

"Then stop wiggling up against me, or we're both going to have problems," Harry hissed softly.

"I can't help it, there's not exactly a lot of room under here."

"Focus on Snape," Harry said.

"Way to kill the mood, Potter."

"Eyes on the prize, Weasley."

Ginny stifled another giggle. She was sure it was giddiness, brought on not only by being pressed impossibly close to Harry under his invisibility cloak but also by the fact that they were sneaking about in Hogwarts in broad daylight.

"Let's stop here," Harry said.

"Why?

"Because I can hear Flitwick whistling. I'm hoping he's heading for wherever the professor's rooms are."

Ginny went very still for several seconds. "You mean you don't know where the professor's wing is?"

"No. I thought we could follow whatever professors were still here over the summer. I'd use the Marauder's Map, but I gave it to Ron."

"I can't believe Fred and George didn’t tell you," said Ginny.

"Tell me what?"

"Where the professor's private rooms are."

Harry paused for a moment, allowing Professor Flitwick, who was humming merrily, to pass by.

"And do you know where their rooms are?"

"Of course."

"Then lead on, my lady," Harry laughed softly.

Ginny guided him toward a part of the castle Harry had never been in before. She turned down a short corridor and then stopped at a portrait of a man wearing Italian renaissance clothing and holding a lute. Ginny softly hissed out the Hogwarts Motto, and the portrait swung open. They walked down a brightly lit corridor, pausing once when they heard loud and interesting noises coming from behind the door with Madam Hooch's name on it. At the end of the long hall, around a dimly lit corner, they found the door marked 'Severus Snape, Potions Master.'

"Do you think he's inside?" Ginny whispered.

"Probably hanging upside down from the rafters."

"Harry, you know as well as I do that Snape's no vampire, despite the impression he tries to give."

"Yeah, well, he's still a creature of the night," Harry hissed. "Are you ready?"

Ginny reached out with her wand and tapped the lock.

As the door slid open they slipped inside, and Harry quietly shut the door behind him. They both peered from under the cloak, and then Ginny nodded and started down a short hallway. They found themselves facing an open oak door. Both teens peeked around it.

There, lying on his back, wrapped in his black robes, a scowl across his face, slept the Potions Master.

Harry nudged Ginny forward. They stepped up to the bed, and Ginny reached from under the cloak and placed a letter written by Harry on the table. Harry took out his wand, touched his temple with it, and softly muttered an incantation. He pointed the wand at Snape, and a dark brown mist emitted from the end of the wand and drifted toward the sleeping Potions Master. As Snape inhaled, the mist disappeared up his nose. Harry tapped Ginny's shoulder, and the two started to back away; their mission was done.

***

Albus Dumbledore sat in his office, reading the various dispatches from his agents. He reached for his cup of tea.

A house elf appeared in his office with a small pop. "Headmaster! Headmaster!"

Dumbledore looked over his glasses at the elf. "Yes, Flinty?"

"You must come quickly! Something terrible is happening to Master Snape!”

Dumbledore swung into action immediately, moving effortlessly through the halls of the castle, past the stonework and into the very heart of the building. He stepped out of the wall near the door to Snape's private rooms. Inside he could hear screaming. Dumbledore pushed the door open. He had feared that someday the Dark Lord might break past Severus' defenses; it seemed that today was that day.

Dumbledore found Snape thrashing violently in his bed, covered in sweat and screaming himself hoarse. He heard the bustle of the other professors behind him, coming to see what the emergency was.

"Madam Hooch, if you would be so kind as to fetch Poppy."

The Flight Mistress nodded and, straightening her hastily donned clothing, started for the infirmary.

"What is it, Albus?" McGonagall asked.

Albus Dumbledore's eyes noted the letter on the nightstand just as Madam Pomfrey entered the room. She took a good look at Snape's struggles and then reached over and grabbed a pitcher of water. She flung the contents on him, and he stilled.

"Poppy?" Dumbledore asked.

"I need room to work. Someone's cast a powerful memory transfer on him."

Dumbledore casually scooped up the note. "Keep me informed, Poppy," said Dumbledore, stepping out of the rooms with McGonagall close behind.

Dumbledore opened the note.

Snape,

Harry

Dumbledore turned to McGonagall. "Mr. Potter has been here. Please search the castle and grounds in case he is still about."

"At once," McGonagall said. She bustled off with a troubled look on her face.

"Harry," Dumbledore whispered, "what's happening to you?"

***
Harry and Ginny sat in the Shrieking Shack and collected their wits. Neither had counted on how quickly a search for them would be organized, and they had been forced to work hard to stay hidden and escape the castle undetected. It had taken them an entire day of moving carefully and cautiously to get this far. They planned to stop at the shack for only a few minutes, just enough to catch their breaths, and then they would be off to their next chosen hideout, using the cover of darkness to hide their flight.

Neither had spoken much since Harry cast the memory transfer spell on Snape. Neither was feeling like celebrating. They both understood that it was something that had to be done, but it was not necessarily something they drew pleasure from.

Harry turned to Ginny, preparing to ask her if she was ready to fly for the coast.

His world exploded in pain.

***
Ginny Weasley threw herself on top of her boyfriend, who was currently thrashing around on the floor. She watched in horror as his scar turned an angry red and started to ooze blood.

A wave of nausea hit her as she felt a presence she had not encountered since her first year.

***
Lord Voldemort gasped and strained, trying to break past the Potter boy's newfound mental defenses. Where had the boy learned such techniques? Voldemort made another push, trying to possess Harry as he had done earlier that year. He felt a third party's mental powers join Potter’s.

Lord Voldemort blinked in surprise.

"My lord?" Bellatrix LeStrange whispered. 'How may I aid you?"

Voldemort pointed his wand at her. "I need you," he hissed and cast a spell, slowly draining Bellatrix of her power.

She closed her eyes and smiled, basking in her Master's spell.

***
"I can't keep him out for much longer, Gin!" Harry hissed. "You need to get out of here."

"I'm not leaving!"

"I don’t want him to hurt you if he possesses me," Harry gasped.

Ginny Weasley took his face in her hands and held him steady. "Fight him!"

"I can't!"

Harry's Occlumency shields collapsed.

***
Lord Voldemort found himself looking at a red-haired girl who, according to Lucius Malfoy, had almost brought his mortal body back by writing in his diary. A slow smile crossed his face at her horrified look. "Hello, Ginevra," he laughed.
***

Ginny almost recoiled in shock, but then she gathered her composure. She could still feel Harry inside, no matter if this monster was controlling his body.

She narrowed her eyes and stayed on top of Harry's body, pinning him to the floor. "Leave him alone, Tom."

***
Harry Potter struggled within his own mind, trying to take control of his body back from the Dark Lord. He watched Ginny Weasley confront her worst nightmare. Tom Riddle was controlling his body. He could only imagine what she was feeling.

Then he could feel it.

***
Lord Voldemort redoubled his efforts to keep control of Harry, but his grip was slipping. The boy's defenses were snapping back into place, and the girl was feeding him power.

***
"Listen to me, Harry. I know you're in there. I need you to come back to me."

"He's — mine now — and soon you shall be — as well," Voldemort said.

***
"Ginny!" Harry's mind called out.

"I — I love you too, Ginny."

Harry felt another explosion of pain.

***
Three hundred miles away, Voldemort's physical body arched in pain and the Dark Lord opened his mouth in a wordless scream. He sat up from his place on the bed and looked over at the exhausted woman next to him. He checked her for a pulse and found one. He was pleased; Bellatrix was his most trusted aide.

Lord Voldemort took three steadying breaths. He would not be able to destroy Potter from afar. He would have to do it in person. Voldemort closed his eyes and then picked up his wand and called his Death Eaters to him.

He knew where Potter was hiding. He would go kill him the old-fashioned way.

With a curse.

***
Ginny Weasley helped steady her boyfriend as he tried to sit up.

"He knows where we are," Harry whispered.

"Then we need to leave," Ginny said, steering them toward the door. She reached into Harry's cloak, withdrew the shrunken Heart Shaft Four, and re-sized it.

"Ginny, how long would it take for word to get out if I did underage magic?" asked Harry.

"What?"

"How long would it take?"

"Fifteen minutes, maybe. Probably less, since I'm sure everyone's looking for you."

Harry took the masking spell off himself.

"What are you doing?" Ginny asked.

"Voldemort's coming here to find me. I thought I'd do something to get the Ministry's attention."

Ginny smiled at him.

Harry cast a simple light spell and climbed up on the broom.

"I'll do the flying," Ginny said.

Harry nodded agreement. He was still feeling odd and sick after his encounter with Voldemort. "I'll try not to fall off."

"You do that."

They heard a series of soft pops. Ginny kicked off and pointed the broom toward the forest, flying low and fast in the darkness.

They had just reached the edge of the trees when they heard the first startled yells and the sounds of battle. Ginny steered the broom away from the conflict.