Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor do I want to. Draco Malfoy, yes. Snape, maybe (but not the book six Snape). Harry Potter, no.

w00t! I started this a long time ago, and I'mfinally done. As in, I'm done with the whole fic and onto the (possible) sequel. The chapters DO get better (I like from chapter 5 on), and they get much longer. I promise.

I started this before HBP, so it'll stay mostly AU. I did kind of sneak in something in a later chapter, though. You'll know when you get to it. THERE WILL BE NO ROMANCE IN THIS FIC! NONE WHATSOEVER! The sequel (assuming I write it) might, but not this fic. Don't flame me. I'm warning you now. No HARRY/GINNY ship going!

This is a prologue. It's short (but sadly enough, longer than one or two of the next couple chapters). Deal with it. This is dedicated to Li because she was so against this fic in the first place (back when it was a HPGW fic). This is to show her that it's not a romance fic, and that I can write a non-Ginny/Draco fic (although the sequel may be... I haven't decided yet. -blushes-)

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"No. No, it's a stupid idea. I won't do it," a petite red-haired young woman said angrily. "I won't."

"But Ginny…" a black-haired boy with a lightning bolt scar on his forehead said urgently, "Ginny, this is crucial to the outcome of the war! It could mean the lives or deaths of millions of people!"

"And am I to be just a tool, Harry Potter?" Ginny hissed. "A tool to be used and then tossed to the side so that you can defeat him and take all the credit?"

Harry stared at her, lost for words. She scowled at him, ignoring the roomful of people staring at them.

"Oh, nothing to say, huh, Harry? Can't deny that's what you had in mind-"

Harry found his voice, interrupting her. "Ginny, that's not what I had in mind at all. Come on, you know me better than that."

"Oh, of course I do!" Ginny said, sarcasm dripping from her voice as thick as honey. "Of course I do, Harry. But I also thought I knew you better than to think you'd be telling me to not only get back that damn diary, but to write in it as well!"

"It's necessary for the outcome of the war."

"Oh, and what happened last time means nothing, then? Setting the basilisk on those students? Me almost getting bloody KILLED wasn't enough warning not to take it up again?"

"Ginny-"

"Oh, I'm sure if it had been Ron or Hermione down there in the Chamber, you'd think twice about trying to reawaken that poisoned, inked-up, enchanted book."

Ginny tossed her hair and crossed her arms, waiting for Harry's reaction.

"Ginny, stop it and think reasonably-"

"Me? Me, think reasonably? You're the unreasonable one! You're the one who thinks he's got the best idea in the world, when it involves something that killed someone years and years ago, and petrified your best friendwhen you were twelve! Not to mention, almost killed me! I know what writing in that book can do, and I won't do it!"

Harry just gaped at her; however, both a bushy-haired young woman and an old, old man with a beard long enough to tuck into his belt stepped forward.

"Ginny, listen to yourself! You said you would do anything for the Order; this is one of those times when we need you the most. Please, Gin, do this. It means life or death for so many people," the woman said.

"I'm listening to myself; it's you who's not listening to me! Do you know what that bastard did to me? How much he fucked with my mind? This isn't some ordinary Death Eater we're dealing with; it's Tom Riddle, Lord Voldemort himself! You don't know what he's capable of, even at the age of sixteen!"

Then Dumbledore started talking. Ginny tuned out, catching only a few phrases such as "we are at war" and "we all must make sacrifices". At long last, he stopped talking and surveyed Ginny over half-moon spectacles.

"And what do you say to that, Miss Weasley?"

Ginny shrugged. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch all of what you said."

"Ginny!" her mother scolded. "You're acting like a child!"

Ginny fixed her gaze upon Mrs. Weasley. "Mother, I am acting like a civilized adult."

"Like hell you are!" a freckled, ginger-haired young man snorted. He quieted under his mother's glare.

"Perhaps we should all sleep on this," Dumbledore said so cheerfully that Ginny wanted to smack him. She shook her head.

"No. I've made my decision, and my decision is no. I will not steal back that bloody diary in write in it, just asking to be possessed and almost killed again, assuming it actually works, considering Harry stuck a basilisk fang into it. There have got to be other ways to locate Voldemort" –Ron flinched- "than his old diary. If you don't have one, think of one. Oh, don't give me that look, Hermione; you would do the same in my place."

Harry was apparently feeling rather lonely, as he pushed his way back into the conversation.

"Ginny, you've got to do this. There are things going on here that you don't know about, things that could be greatly influenced by your decision."

"I have got to do nothing. I'm telling you it's a stupid plan. The diary was destroyed, as was that particular section of Voldemort's –oh, don't flinch, Ron- soul. I'm not risking my life, and the lives of all of you, to find out. He may not have a basilisk this time, but he's smart; he'd think of something."

"That's why you're here, Ginny. You know him; you can help defeat him," Hermione said. "Please, Ginny. You've never let danger stop you before."

"This isn't about danger. Asking me to do this is like asking Harry to get another mother who would die for him so he would have protection from Voldemort again. You shouldn't do it."

"That's completely different," Harry hissed. "A mother can never be replaced."

"Neither can innocence, Harry."

"That's completely different," Harry repeated.

"Oh? How so? Losing your mother is worse than losing my innocence? They're both irreplaceable things that one shouldn't live without. I lost a lot down there, and I don't intend to lose more."

"Ginny, we've all lost a lot. This is a war; we're going to lose things! Look at Fleur! Her whole family was murdered because the news that she was married to Bill got around to Voldemort! I lost my whole family because that traitor told Voldemort about the prophesy and my parents' best friend told Voldemort where we were hiding!" Harry said angrily.

"Well, I'll agree that that's awful, but that doesn't justify writing in that fucking diary! You could let Tom Riddle out again, for all you know, and then there'd be two Voldemorts running around murdering people! How would you feel then? You'd have double to kill, and double to kill you. Not to mention the number of deaths on your hands. Do you think Sirius would have wanted you to do this? Do you really think he'd want to take this risk and risk having thousands, millions more people die because you made a stupid decision?"

Ginny had played the trump card, and she knew it. So did everyone else, who winced. Harry's face grew red and Ron had to run up and grab the back of Harry's robes in order to stop Harry from attacking Ginny. Hermione ran in between them, looking frightened but irritated.

"Stop it, both of you! You're acting like schoolchildren, taunting each other! You-" Hermione was cut off.

"I don't care!" Harry roared. "I want her out! Out! Out of the house! Out of everything!"

"You don't know what you're saying, mate," Ron said, but Ginny interrupted.

"No, I quite agree. I'll leave if that's what His Royal Highness wants. But this is permanent; there's no finding me once I'm gone. Last chance to apologize, Harry Dearest."

Harry just stared at her as if he didn't understand what she said. His face was still red and Ron still had to grab the back of his robes.

"Good," Ginny said. "Anyone who wants to stand in my way can kiss my arse."

She ran upstairs. Hermione, looking startled, ran after her and caught her arm on the way up the stairs. Ginny yanked it away.

"What?"

"Ginny, don't go. Harry doesn't know what he's saying. You don't know what you're saying, for that matter. Really, it'll be better in the morning. Sleep on it."

"Hermione, I love you like the sister I never had, but if you say one more word about that to me, I will hex you."

Hermione shut up, looking frightened and wary of the new Ginny. They reached Ginny's room and Ginny waved her wand lazily. All her belongings packed themselves neatly in her shabby old trunk and the trunk levitated. Ginny grabbed her broom and her trunk and grinned at Hermione.

"Bye, 'Mione. Maybe I'll see you again sometime."

Hermione looked close to tears. "Ginny, please don't go. We'll find you, you know, and you'll have to come back. You have to."

"I'm not going to be found. You won't know me if you see me. Bye, Hermione, for the last time."

And with that, Ginny bewitched her trunk to be feather-light, shrunk it, put it in her pocket, mounted her broom, and zoomed out the window. Hermione watched her go, a tear slipping down her face as the rest of the Order burst into the room, Harry in the lead. Hermione turned to them, her face pale.

"She's gone."