taking control

Chapter 26: Fight or Flight

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After rounding the corner, Harry continued to sprint forward and vaulted over the balcony. As he leapt into the air, he transformed and pumped his wings, rising higher and higher. He soared through the halls towards the Owlery, paying no mind to the few students he passed in the halls. He breathed a sigh of relief as he felt his owl senses kick in, telling him exactly which way he needed to go to get to Ginny. Wherever she was, she was still traceable, and that was a very good sign. Knowing, however, who had most likely taken her, that would not be the case for long. As he entered the Owlery, he beat his wings and flew out of the high windows where the other owls came and went at their leisure, not pausing for even a moment. As he burst out into the night sky, he caught a white blur in his peripheral vision.

Hedwig, Harry mentally called. I'm in a hurry. Ginny's been taken. I have to get her back.

I will fly with you, Hedwig replied.

Nothing more was said. Harry set a brutal pace, not wanting to lose a second. He needed to find Ginny before it was too late. Hedwig, for her part, seemed to understand his need for silence and flew along silently behind him. Every moment felt like an eternity as Harry pushed himself single-mindedly forward. He gave little consideration to what would happen when he found her. He would deal with that when he got there. His only thought was to find Ginny.

On and on he flew. Miles and miles of land passed underneath him, but he took no notice of the distance. His owl senses told him to keep flying forward. The muscles in his wings were numb as he continued to push himself faster and harder, but he never even considered stopping or slowing down. He would not rest until he had found her and brought her to safety.

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It took a few seconds for Harry's words to process in Ron's brain, but once they did, he took off at full speed after Harry. As he rounded the corner, his gaze swept up and down the large room with several moving staircases, but Harry was nowhere to be found. After a moment's hesitation, Ron sprinted down the staircase in front of him. If he knew Harry, he was either heading towards the exit or Dumbledore's office.

Choosing quickly, he decided to check the entrance hall first. If Harry was in fact aiming to leave on his own, Ron did not want to miss the opportunity to catch up to him. When he arrived, though, there was no sign of Harry. Panting at the exertion, Ron immediately changed course for the Headmaster's office when a voice brought him to a halt.

"Mr. Weasley, what are you doing?"

Never before had Ron been so happy to hear the sharp tone of his Head of House. Spinning around, he spotted her walking briskly towards him from across the entrance hall. "Pro-fessor," he wheezed, struggling to talk as his lungs gasped for air. "Ginny – she – gone. Harry – after her."

"Breathe, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall admonished. "I can't understand a word of what you are saying."

Ron took a few seconds to breathe deeply before repeating himself. "Ginny was taken, and Harry's gone after her."

The colour drained from the professor's face. "Taken? How?"

Ron shook his head. "I wasn't there. Harry said it was a Portkey."

"And where is Mr. Potter?" she demanded, narrowing her eyes.

Ron unconsciously took a step back. "I don't know. He ran off, and I tried to follow him, but I don't know where he went. He said he was going to bring her back."

"Come with me," she stated, striding past Ron at a brisk pace. "Quickly now."

Ron's long legged strides hurriedly caught up to his Head of House, recognising immediately that she was headed exactly where he intended to go. They shortly arrived outside the entrance to Dumbledore's office. The professor spoke the password, and he followed her onto the staircase right as it began moving. Without bothering to knock, Professor McGonagall pushed open the door and strode inside, Ron following behind. The Headmaster and his guest both turned to look at the new arrivals.