Lost and Found

Prologue

When the door to the basement opened, Ginny hid her face in her hands, shaking in terror. She was huddled in the very back of the room, in the most dark, dirty, unpleasant corner.

She started shaking as she hard someone whisper "Lumos." and saw wandlight through the cracks in her arms. She tried to scoot farther in the corner, forcing herself not to whimper in pain.

Ginny had been locked down in the basement for ten years. In the dark. In the cold. Every day she would be hurt, get a new scar from the Death Eaters. She was amazed she hadn't wasted away in the past few days; no one had come to bring her her usual meal, a slice of stale bread. No one had even come to punish her.

Ginny felt the light being shone on her. She trembled more and squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the horrible pain that was sure to come.

"Wands away," a male voice ordered. "It's a girl."

Some of the light faded, but Ginny could see the dull blue shining on her.

"Are you okay?" Someone was kneeling down beside her, touching her shoulder lightly. It was a woman's voice, a kind one, but Ginny still didn't show her face and jerked away from her touch, her entire body racking with panic.

"She's terrified." It was a different male. "Get away from her, Nymphadora."

"We won't hurt you," the woman who was next to Ginny promised, not listening to the man. "I give you my word. We're not like the Death Eaters."

Ginny was still shaking. But slowly, she lifted her head. The light scared her, and she squinted her eyes.

"See, Remus?" the woman said, not leaving Ginny's side. Her dark eyes were looking at her with concern and care - Ginny hasn't seen someone look at her like that in a long time. The woman's hair was shoulder-length and a shade of purple. "She's just scared... Are you okay?"

There were three men there. The one closest was shining the wandlight on her - he had a face that looked a bit surprised, scars that looked like claw marks down his face.

The man to the right had a mysterious glint in his eyes, that were the same as the woman's. his hand was tightened on his wand, which was at his side. He kept looking around, like he was expecting an ambush.

The last man was black. His wand was fully put away, and he was focusing on Ginny with all his attention.

"Are you alright?" the woman repeated.

Ginny looked at her blankly for a moment, then shook her head as normally as she could, swallowing. Tears welled up in her eyes, she she couldn't being herself to form words or make her voice work.

"I don't like this place," the man now was twisting his wand around in his hand, eyeing the room suspiciously. "Let's get the hell out of here."

"Keep quiet, Sirius," the woman threw at him, then turned back to Ginny. "What's your name? How long have you been here?"

"T-t-t-ten"- Ginny swallowed -"ye-ye-year -"

"Ten years?" The man shining the light on her was astonished. "How old are you?"

"Tell us your name, sweetheart," said the man who wanted to leave.

"Y-y-you fir-first," Ginny said shakily. Her voice was hoarse and cracking. She felt like she might faint.

"Tonks," said the woman.

"Remus," said the man who was shining the light. "Remus Lupin."

"Sirius Black," said the man who wanted to leave.

"Kingsley Shacklebolt," said the last man.

Tonks helped Ginny up slowly. Ginny hugged herself, freezing and sore and numb and hungry. She fought herself not to double over and empty her stomach onto the ground - she hadn't eaten in what felt like forever.

But she managed to hold her chin up, and said boldly, yet quietly, "M-my name is Ginny Weasley."