--Beyond the Grave--

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize isn't mine – god bless JK!

Beta Reader: Sir Darlon – big thanks I couldn't do this without you!

Chapter 23 – Beyond the Grave

Reminder: In their eyes Harry had performed an unforgivable curse and he would have to pay the consequences.

-- Contacting the Living --

I returned to the Library, eager to find some sort of way to tell Harry. Perhaps Jane would be able to help me? Maybe even Cedric, he'd been a ghost longer than me... but first of all I'd ask Jane, she was more likely to be a little forthcoming.

As always Jane was stooped over a book in the far corner of the library, I hurried to her table and sat next to her… "Hi Ginny" she whispered from behind her book so that the Ravenclaw's sat at the nearby table wouldn't hear her.

I explained the situation to her, my urgency and the need to help Harry, but she looked at me with sorrow in her eyes, "I'm sorry Ginny, even if I could help you its forbidden."

"Can't you tell him without mentioning me?" I pleaded, She shook her head slowly, "I'm sorry Ginny, but we're just not permitted to interfere in the lives of the living, it could only complicate matters."

"But ghosts have helped Harry before; they came out of his wand to help him defeat Voldemort in his fourth year"

Jane sat down for a moment thoughtfully, "They weren't ghosts, they were remnants of a person that had already moved onto the afterlife, Just as the heads of Hogwarts leave a piece of themselves in their portraits, Voldemort unwittingly took some of the essence of the Potter's when he performed the death curse."

"But doesn't that mean that part of me would be left in my attacker's wand?" I asked, a light bulb suddenly falling into place. "If I could somehow get my essence out of that wand could I control it to warn Harry?"

"Prior Incantanto" she whispered almost to herself,

"What's that? I asked hastily, desperate for a solution.

"The reverse spell effect" she responded "If Harry were to cast that spell on Draco's wand, it would create ghost images of all his previous spells..."

"and I could come out and tell him" I interrupted excitedly.

"But how will Harry know to do that?" I asked,

She shook her head sadly,"I can't tell him"

"Which means back to square one" I said in dismay.

"If of course" she concluded matter of factly "It was Draco Malfoy that killed you."

I thanked her hastily and rushed out of the library now to find Harry.

So that was it, I had my plan of action; I now knew what needed to be done. But how could I get them to cast the spell, How could Harry prove that he had been framed?

Once again I was surrounded by endless questions and a complete lack of answers.

I sat miserably watching Harry flying around the quidditch pitch, catching the snitch and letting it go only to chase it again.

He looked happy as he flew through the air, unaware of the trouble that was already heading his way.

Unable to warn him I sighed heavily as I saw Dumbledore and Snape approaching the bleachers below.

"Mr. Potter, come down here at once" demanded Dumbledore with a quiet fury that I had never seen before.

Harry flew down to the ground immediately, hopping off his broom as it came to the ground, he ruffled his hair and with a quizzical look approached Dumbledore in the centre of the field.

"Yes sir, anything I can help with?" he asked cautiously, he had been in enough scrapes of course to know that there was trouble, and for all I knew he could have seen Dumbledore like this before.

"Give me your wand Mr. Potter and follow me" barked Dumbledore and taking the wand he turned sharply and strode towards the castle.

Harry had grown taller over the last few years, but I could see even he was having trouble keeping up with Dumbledore's long strides.

This was it, now I would see if it was really Harry that had attacked us, I was almost certain he was innocent and it all relied now on this interview, because even though Harry had now become a skilled Occlumens, he was no match for Dumbledore, or so I believed at least.

As they reached the office with me following in close succession Dumbledore sat at his desk and studied Harry,

"Professor Snape?" he said in a calmer tone,

Snape turned to look at Dumbledore, until now he had been glaring at the back of Harry's head.

"Please fetch Ronald Weasley; we will get to the bottom of this matter."

Snape nodded and swished out of the room, his huge cloak billowing behind him.

Dumbledore turned once more to Harry,

"Well Harry" he said in a gentler tone of voice, "Is there anything you would like to tell me?"

Harry shook his head slowly "What's all this about Professor?" he asked in a confused voice.

Either Harry was a very good actor, or I was right, he had been framed, and despite the desperate situation I smiled jubilantly at the thought that he hadn't kissed Hermione.

"Very serious accusations have been brought against you by Mr. Weasley"

"Ron?" Harry gasped in shock, "but I haven't seen him all day, besides, we're friends, I haven't done anything."

"Lies will not help you here Mr. Potter, several people have seen you with him today, and several more saw you fleeing the scene of the crime."

"What crime?" Harry asked in confusion.

"I was hoping to get to the bottom of this before Professor Snape returned with Mr. Weasley, but if you persist in these lies, the consequences could be very serious."

"Sir, if you don't believe me, try leglimency, surely that would tell you"

"We've trained you too well Mr. Potter, Its possible for a skilled Occlumens to not only shield their thoughts but project others; the method is just not trustworthy enough."

I groaned in disappointment, my hopes had been relying on that.

A muffled knock sounded through the door and Dumbledore rose,

"come in" he called,

Snape came in closely followed by a very pale Ron.

As Ron spotted Harry just beyond Snape, he pushed past, and pulling back his fist yelled "I'll get you Harry, you hurt her"

Harry held his hands in front of his face, but made no other move to protect himself.

Dumbledore it seemed grew two foot in that moment. "Sit down Mr. Weasley; I will not have that behavior in my school"

Ron turned to Dumbledore as if noticing him for the first time, "Sorry Sir" he responded quietly, and meekly took a seat; I could see however that the tips of his ears were still bright red, a sure sign of anger.

Instead of sitting again Dumbledore strode to the window in the circular room and looking out asked...

"Now if you please Mr. Weasley, tell me from the very start what has happened?"

My heart sank, Harry would go to Azkaban, Ron would put him there and only I knew the truth…