**THIS CHAPTER RE-EDITED AND EXPANDED May2011** The morning sun was streaming through the window, adding warmth to the otherwise stale and empty office. Empty except for one desk, where a young man was asleep on a pile of papers, his glasses pressing into his cheek and his black hair as messy as always...

**THIS CHAPTER RE-EDITED 7/13/07** Harry took Ginny to his flat while the Aurors went back to her place to go over it again. Arriving with a pop outside of his door, Harry kept his arm securely around her while he began lowering the wards...

The evening of the banquet, Harry stood in the kitchen waiting for Ginny to finish getting ready. He pulled on the collar of his dress robes. He’d only had them on for about ten minutes and he was already uncomfortable...

“Gin,” Su called down the hall at St. Mungo’s. “Patient in number four!” The elderly nurse was leaning precariously over her desk, waving a chart in the air as she tried to catch Ginny’s attention...

Any passing Muggle probably wouldn’t notice the small castle perched precariously on a hill in a forsaken corner of Scotland. It appeared to be nothing more than a crumbling ruin, forgotten and half hidden by large trees and thick ivy...

Molly Weasley sat in her den in silence, her lips pursed together in worry as she waited for news of the meeting. Staring unseeingly into the crackling fire in front of her, she nervously tapped her finger on the worn armrest of her wingback chair...

Morning dawned slowly, the sun creeping lazily over the windowsill until its warm light spilled onto the floor. Inching across the hardwood, it eventually meandered up the side of the bed and across the two forms asleep under the covers...

Sitting on the sofa in the Burrow, Hermione bounced her knee up and down anxiously as she stared at the books piled on the table in front of her. She’d already read them. She knew there was nothing in them that would help, but she couldn’t fathom just sitting by and doing nothing...

Malfoy’s bedroom was dark, the only light coming from the many candles positioned on his bedside tables. The flames flickered as vanilla scented wax rolled slowly down the sides to pool across the wood...

When Hermione awoke, the hospital room was dark. The steady beeps coming from the three heart-monitoring orbs were the only audible sounds as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes...

Arthur stood at the sink, his hands trembling as he struggled to wash the dishes without breaking them. His vision swam with tears as he swirled the sponge around and around in circles against the plate he held...