Never Again!

"Oh my God!"

"Holy shit!"

"Dear Merlin!"

"Sweet Hades!"

A string of curses continued running through my head that I was thankful no one but me could hear.

I knew that Dumbledore would eventually know that I was still alive. It hadn't occurred to me though that he would know before I had even returned to England.

"Damn! Should I just floo straight to him?" I thought.

"Who was the letter from, Mum?" Lizz asked.

"Huh? What?" I said, absentmindedly.

"Molly, who was the owl from?" Grace asked sharply.

"Oh, Grace...always asking the tough questions," I thought to myself.

I regarded Grace warily. She was reporter at heart, always digging for a story, and here was the story of the year: Ginny Weasley was still alive! Could I trust her with my secret? I decided that I had to. She was my closest friend, and if I couldn't trust her, whom could I trust?

"Grace, you should really sit down," I began. She raised her eyebrow in question, but did as I asked. Once again, I was telling the story of what had happened to my family and how I had ended up in the States. When I had finally finished, Grace looked at me, stunned. She already knew all about the Weasley murders, it had been in the U.S. edition of the Prophet also, but now she was finding out that her best friend was a girl who was supposed to have been murdered.

"So...you're, in fact, Ginny Weasley?" she asked slowly.

I nodded, and then told her that the owl was from Albus Dumbledore, asking me to meet him.

"Should I do it?" I asked, craving her advice. She looked at me thoughtfully.

"Well, I understand that you're hesitant to see him, but he could help you," she replied. She was right, of course. Still feeling somewhat reluctant, I decided it would be for the best to go to him. I grabbed some floopowder and threw it into the fire.

"Grace...watch Lizz for me," I said as I stepped into the fire. "Hogwarts - the Headmaster's office!" I shouted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-Dumbledore's P.O.V.-

The fire in my fireplace turned green; my heart skipped a beat. "Could it be that she didn't die in the attack after all?" I thought to myself.

A moment later, a petite young woman stepped out of the fireplace. Her blood-red hair flowed in waves just past her shoulders. Her eyes were a warm brown color with specks of gold in them. She was positively radiant, a classic beauty. She looked around my office apprehensively and finally her eyes rested upon me. Peering over my half-moon spectacles, I noticed her stiffen. After a moment of silence, I spoke to her.

"Would you like some tea? Or perhaps a lemon drop?" I asked her.

She relaxed slightly, a wry smile on her face.

"Even though your hair is a bit whiter, I see that you are ever the same, Professor Dumbledore."

-Ginny's P.O.V.-

I stood staring at Dumbledore. Thought it was good to see a familiar face again, I couldn't help but feel resentful, even a bit angry. Dumbledore was the one who said that my family would be safe from any attacks. How could the Death Eaters have gotten through the wards at the Burrow so easily? As I heard him offer me a lemon drop, I knew that he had not changed.

"Even though your hair is a bit whiter, I see that you are ever the same, Professor Dumbledore."

"Am I then correct in assuming that you are Ginevra Molly Weasley, who went missing three months ago and was presumed dead?"

"Well...he has lost a bit of his tact," I thought. "I'd better tell him the truth. That is why I came here after all."

"Yes, that's correct," I said softly. Dumbledore stood up and walked over to me swiftly. He pulled me into a crushing hug; I was completely caught off guard.

"Maybe he has lost some of his marbles over the past few months," I thought.

"Um, Professor Dumbledore...I'm glad to see you too, but this isn't necessary," I choked out.

Dumbledore pulled back and smiled at me. He then asked where I had been all this time. I told him about Tom's attack at the Burrow, that I had ended up in America, found a job and had lived there since. I also told him that I had adopted Lizz.

"She's still a bit shy around new people, but she's coming around," I said as I explained to Dumbledore how Lizz had come into my life and all the hardships she had faced.

He nodded, acknowledging that he had heard me. "Now that Lizz will be attending Hogwarts, you will need a place to live here in England, correct?" he asked. I nodded. His eyes lit up and he rubbed his hands together.

"Wonderful! As I recall, you were quite the talented witch at Potions. It just so happens that Professor Snape is looking for a second apprentice to become a Potions Mistress or Master."

I sat looking at Dumbledore, taken aback. Did he want me to...?

"You want me to...?"

"To become the apprentice, yes, Miss Weasley."

My mind reeled. Could I really do that, could I come back to Hogwarts? I was on summer holiday when Tom attacked so I hadn't even finished my seventh year. This could be my only chance to find a decent job in England where I could be close to Lizz. That clinched it.

"I'll do it," I said firmly. Dumbledore nodded his head, smiling. We both remained silent for a few moments. I watched the Headmaster closely; he looked as thought he was deep in thought. Finally, he spoke.

"Miss Weasley, there is one more thing that I must tell you."

"What is it?" I asked. I couldn't think what more he could possibly have to tell me. He had only known I was alive for the last ten minutes.

He stood up and walked to his bookcase and he motioned for me to follow. As we both stood next to the bookcase, he drew his wand and muttered an incantation and the bookcase transformed into a door. He then pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to me. It read:

The entrance to the Order of the Phoenix Headquarters can be found
at Hogwarts Castle in the Headmaster's Office behind the tall bookcase.

As soon as I finished reading the note, there was a flash of bright light. I looked up; the door before me was now open. Dumbledore walked through the doorway and I cautiously followed. We were heading down a long corridor; it was eerie and the air was frigid. "I wonder where we're going," I thought to myself as we turned down a few more side passages. I was sure that at that point I couldn't have found my way back even if my life depended on it.

"Professor, where are you taking me?" I asked, becoming irritated. I had no idea where I was and I didn't like that feeling.

Silence.

"He ignored me! Damn headmaster..."

Finally, we reached another door. Dumbledore rang the doorbell a few times. At first, I heard nothing but the sound of our breathing, but then I could hear footsteps followed by the sound of the door being unlocked. The door swung open and I couldn't believe my eyes.

"Oh my God!"

"Holy shit!"

"Dear Merlin!"

"Sweet Hades!"