Ginny Weasley toyed with her hair as she gazed at the blurring landscape outside of the Hogwarts Express. She often wondered where the train traveled through in England. All the wards and charms placed around the school made it undetectable. Muggles who found it would see crumbling ruins so damaged it was hardly worth checking out.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Neville’s voice broke into her daze.
Ginny gave him a slanted smile. “Nothing really. I’m just not looking forward to this school year very much.”
Neville furrowed his brow. “It’s your fifth year! So you…”
She cut him off, “I get to what? Take O.W.L.S.? Study until my brains fall out?”
Neville’s expression dropped slightly, but he attempted to continue, “Well, they’re not all that bad. I mean, if I did well, then surely you will.”
“Oh, Neville,” Ginny sighed. “It’s not just that. It’s everything.” She let out the last word in a whisper.
It meant so much to her that she didn’t have to elaborate for Neville to understand what she was talking about.
Try as she might, she couldn’t forget what had happened to her and her friends just before the summer. The ever present muscle strain in her leg didn’t let her forget how they had all nearly died. How Harry had almost died. How Sirius had actually died, and thus a part of Harry had gone with him as well. Ginny could’ve performed a simple healing charm to help with her pain, but something prevented her from doing so.
When they had finally emerged from the Department of Mysteries, they had been mobbed by dozens of people, fawning over them, asking questions, probing, poking, and staring. They had just gone through something that no group of rogue fourteen year olds should have to endure and people felt staring, no, gawking would help the least bit?
Her first thoughts had been with her friends, especially Harry. They’d each been injured physically in some way. And yet, that was just the tip of the iceberg. They’d seen evil right in the face and their youth was officially gone. And perhaps that’s why she bore the strained muscles, as a constant reminder of what lay ahead for her and the wizarding world.
“Ginny! Are you alright! Oh, Merlin! Ginny!” her mother’s voice rang in her ears. Her head was spinning. Her mother was here? When? How?
“Mum! I-I…you’re here!” she spun around, shaking off Luna’s firm grip on her arm. She collapsed into her mother’s arms and all she could see was red, the red of her mother’s hair. She breathed in her mother in raked sobs, shuddering almost violently.
“Ginny…oh, Ginny.” her mother murmured. She felt another set of arms wrap around her and she didn’t have to lift her head to know it was her father. He didn’t say anything, but held her and her mother tight.
And then she needed to see Ron. “Mum, Dad,” she choked out. “Ron!” Her mother tried to quiet her, to reassure her that the mediwitches were attending to her brother, but she didn’t comprehend any of it. She tore herself from her parents’ warm embrace and searched for another head of red hair.
Instead, she noticed Lupin. He was standing with Dumbledore and ministry officials. If she hadn’t noticed the wear and tear on Lupin’s face before, she certainly noticed it now. He seemed to have aged in just a few hours. His robes were torn, his hair disheveled, and his gaze was haunted. Ginny wanted to shout, “He lost his best friend; don’t you see! Leave him alone! Leave us alone!”
And then she thought of Harry. Harry was no where to be found. Was he with Ron? Where was everyone? She began to feel dizzy and her vision blurred. She vaguely heard someone call out her name and then all went black.
The slam of their compartment door brought her back once again from a daze. Luna walked in with her robes billowing behind her as she took a seat next to Ginny.
“Where’ve you been, Luna?” Ginny asked. Her friend had been gone for at least twenty minutes.
“Well, I noticed that my copy of The Quibbler was missing so I thought I’d make inquiries throughout the train about it.”
“And did you find it?” Neville asked hopefully.
“No. Quite a few people actually charmed their compartments so that I couldn’t enter. I presume one of them has it and wanted a good read. They could’ve just asked,” she replied dreamily.
“Yeah, they should’ve just asked,” she said distractedly. “By the way, since you’re back, did you happen to see Harry? He hasn’t been in here for a while either.”
Since the previous year she’d been accustomed to riding the Hogwarts Express with Neville, Luna, and Harry. Her brother Ron and Hermione sat in the prefects compartment and seldom came by to visit.
“No, I haven’t,” Luna responded.
Maybe he received permission to sit with Ron and Hermione, Ginny thought. This thought immediately left her mind when the two prefects bustled into the compartment.
“Honestly, Ron, it’s not all that bad. It’s for our own good,” Hermione huffed.
“Really, Hermione? The school is a bloody prison! I thought with Umbridge gone, things would get better.” Ron scowled.
“What happened?” Neville and Ginny asked together. Luna was twirling her wand in silence.
“They’ve provided us with rules for our own safety..” Hermione attempted to explain, but Ron’s scowl deepened.
“Not just rules. They’ve basically taken away all our privileges,” he fumed.
“We can still visit Hogsmeade! We argued for that very well,” Hermione tried again.
“Oh, sure, but we’re still searched like some filthy criminal, given curfews before the sun even sets, and…”
“Seriously, Ron, if you turn any redder you’ll be the ultimate Weasley,” Ginny giggled. To her it sounded like something Fred would say, but neither he nor George would be returning to Hogwarts this year and someone had to continue picking on Ron.
Ron narrowed his eyes at her before taking a seat in fuming silence, his face bright scarlet.
“I’m going to use the lavatory,” Ginny rose from her seat. She slid her compartment door, peering into the corridor to make sure the snack trolley wasn’t coming through. When all appeared clear, she started making her way to the lavatory. She could hear muffled conversation and laughter from the passing compartments.
Suddenly a door slid open and a figure bumped into it.
“Oompf,” the voice grunted before backing away from her.
“Watch where you’re going, Malfoy,” Ginny frowned at the blonde boy straightening himself out.
“Girl Weasel,” he glared at her, “I just dirtied my robes bumping into the filthy likes of you.”
Ginny whipped out her wand from her pocket. Malfoy did the same, but before he had time to give an incantation, Ginny exclaimed, “Volucris adficio!”
Malfoy’s now steady wand dropped to his feet as winged bats began to explode onto his face. His eyes widened in shock as he covered his face, howling as he ran back into his compartment.
Ginny smirked, stepping over his abandoned wand when someone grabbed her arm.
“Oh ho!” an unfamiliar voice bellowed behind her. It sounded like an adult. Merlin.
She slowly turned around. Ginny had never seen the man before. He was squat and heavyset with a head so bald, it seemed to glow in the incandescent light of the train.
“That was some hex, young lady!” he beamed.
Okay, he’s smiling? Ginny was perplexed.
“Professor Slughorn,” he roughly took her hand, shaking it vigorously. “And who might you be?”
“Ginny Weasley,” she awkwardly returned his handshake.
“A Weasley! I should’ve known! I’m having a little get-together for tea in my compartment down this way,” he titled his head towards the direction Ginny was heading. “You must come; I won’t take no for an answer!”
Ginny realized he was still holding her hand tight.
“Er…,” she tried.
Before she could respond coherently, she suddenly noticed another person peering at her from behind Slughorn.
“Wouldn’t we love to have Miss Weasley join us as well, Mr. Zabini?” Slughorn asked the young man.
He glared daggers at Ginny, his already dark eyes appearing as though pools of black. Ginny kept her face cool. Two Slytherin gits within ten minutes, just my day, she thought.
“Come now, let’s go,” Slughorn ignored Blaise Zabini’s lack of a response and ushered the two of them down the corridor and into his compartment.
The compartment was already filled with students, some Ginny wasn’t familiar with. So there’s Harry, Ginny thought, shrugging at her dark haired friend as he gave her a quizzical look.
And the remainder of the train ride seemed mildly more interesting to Ginny.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Neville’s voice broke into her daze.
Ginny gave him a slanted smile. “Nothing really. I’m just not looking forward to this school year very much.”
Neville furrowed his brow. “It’s your fifth year! So you…”
She cut him off, “I get to what? Take O.W.L.S.? Study until my brains fall out?”
Neville’s expression dropped slightly, but he attempted to continue, “Well, they’re not all that bad. I mean, if I did well, then surely you will.”
“Oh, Neville,” Ginny sighed. “It’s not just that. It’s everything.” She let out the last word in a whisper.
It meant so much to her that she didn’t have to elaborate for Neville to understand what she was talking about.
Try as she might, she couldn’t forget what had happened to her and her friends just before the summer. The ever present muscle strain in her leg didn’t let her forget how they had all nearly died. How Harry had almost died. How Sirius had actually died, and thus a part of Harry had gone with him as well. Ginny could’ve performed a simple healing charm to help with her pain, but something prevented her from doing so.
When they had finally emerged from the Department of Mysteries, they had been mobbed by dozens of people, fawning over them, asking questions, probing, poking, and staring. They had just gone through something that no group of rogue fourteen year olds should have to endure and people felt staring, no, gawking would help the least bit?
Her first thoughts had been with her friends, especially Harry. They’d each been injured physically in some way. And yet, that was just the tip of the iceberg. They’d seen evil right in the face and their youth was officially gone. And perhaps that’s why she bore the strained muscles, as a constant reminder of what lay ahead for her and the wizarding world.
“Ginny! Are you alright! Oh, Merlin! Ginny!” her mother’s voice rang in her ears. Her head was spinning. Her mother was here? When? How?
“Mum! I-I…you’re here!” she spun around, shaking off Luna’s firm grip on her arm. She collapsed into her mother’s arms and all she could see was red, the red of her mother’s hair. She breathed in her mother in raked sobs, shuddering almost violently.
“Ginny…oh, Ginny.” her mother murmured. She felt another set of arms wrap around her and she didn’t have to lift her head to know it was her father. He didn’t say anything, but held her and her mother tight.
And then she needed to see Ron. “Mum, Dad,” she choked out. “Ron!” Her mother tried to quiet her, to reassure her that the mediwitches were attending to her brother, but she didn’t comprehend any of it. She tore herself from her parents’ warm embrace and searched for another head of red hair.
Instead, she noticed Lupin. He was standing with Dumbledore and ministry officials. If she hadn’t noticed the wear and tear on Lupin’s face before, she certainly noticed it now. He seemed to have aged in just a few hours. His robes were torn, his hair disheveled, and his gaze was haunted. Ginny wanted to shout, “He lost his best friend; don’t you see! Leave him alone! Leave us alone!”
And then she thought of Harry. Harry was no where to be found. Was he with Ron? Where was everyone? She began to feel dizzy and her vision blurred. She vaguely heard someone call out her name and then all went black.
The slam of their compartment door brought her back once again from a daze. Luna walked in with her robes billowing behind her as she took a seat next to Ginny.
“Where’ve you been, Luna?” Ginny asked. Her friend had been gone for at least twenty minutes.
“Well, I noticed that my copy of The Quibbler was missing so I thought I’d make inquiries throughout the train about it.”
“And did you find it?” Neville asked hopefully.
“No. Quite a few people actually charmed their compartments so that I couldn’t enter. I presume one of them has it and wanted a good read. They could’ve just asked,” she replied dreamily.
“Yeah, they should’ve just asked,” she said distractedly. “By the way, since you’re back, did you happen to see Harry? He hasn’t been in here for a while either.”
Since the previous year she’d been accustomed to riding the Hogwarts Express with Neville, Luna, and Harry. Her brother Ron and Hermione sat in the prefects compartment and seldom came by to visit.
“No, I haven’t,” Luna responded.
Maybe he received permission to sit with Ron and Hermione, Ginny thought. This thought immediately left her mind when the two prefects bustled into the compartment.
“Honestly, Ron, it’s not all that bad. It’s for our own good,” Hermione huffed.
“Really, Hermione? The school is a bloody prison! I thought with Umbridge gone, things would get better.” Ron scowled.
“What happened?” Neville and Ginny asked together. Luna was twirling her wand in silence.
“They’ve provided us with rules for our own safety..” Hermione attempted to explain, but Ron’s scowl deepened.
“Not just rules. They’ve basically taken away all our privileges,” he fumed.
“We can still visit Hogsmeade! We argued for that very well,” Hermione tried again.
“Oh, sure, but we’re still searched like some filthy criminal, given curfews before the sun even sets, and…”
“Seriously, Ron, if you turn any redder you’ll be the ultimate Weasley,” Ginny giggled. To her it sounded like something Fred would say, but neither he nor George would be returning to Hogwarts this year and someone had to continue picking on Ron.
Ron narrowed his eyes at her before taking a seat in fuming silence, his face bright scarlet.
“I’m going to use the lavatory,” Ginny rose from her seat. She slid her compartment door, peering into the corridor to make sure the snack trolley wasn’t coming through. When all appeared clear, she started making her way to the lavatory. She could hear muffled conversation and laughter from the passing compartments.
Suddenly a door slid open and a figure bumped into it.
“Oompf,” the voice grunted before backing away from her.
“Watch where you’re going, Malfoy,” Ginny frowned at the blonde boy straightening himself out.
“Girl Weasel,” he glared at her, “I just dirtied my robes bumping into the filthy likes of you.”
Ginny whipped out her wand from her pocket. Malfoy did the same, but before he had time to give an incantation, Ginny exclaimed, “Volucris adficio!”
Malfoy’s now steady wand dropped to his feet as winged bats began to explode onto his face. His eyes widened in shock as he covered his face, howling as he ran back into his compartment.
Ginny smirked, stepping over his abandoned wand when someone grabbed her arm.
“Oh ho!” an unfamiliar voice bellowed behind her. It sounded like an adult. Merlin.
She slowly turned around. Ginny had never seen the man before. He was squat and heavyset with a head so bald, it seemed to glow in the incandescent light of the train.
“That was some hex, young lady!” he beamed.
Okay, he’s smiling? Ginny was perplexed.
“Professor Slughorn,” he roughly took her hand, shaking it vigorously. “And who might you be?”
“Ginny Weasley,” she awkwardly returned his handshake.
“A Weasley! I should’ve known! I’m having a little get-together for tea in my compartment down this way,” he titled his head towards the direction Ginny was heading. “You must come; I won’t take no for an answer!”
Ginny realized he was still holding her hand tight.
“Er…,” she tried.
Before she could respond coherently, she suddenly noticed another person peering at her from behind Slughorn.
“Wouldn’t we love to have Miss Weasley join us as well, Mr. Zabini?” Slughorn asked the young man.
He glared daggers at Ginny, his already dark eyes appearing as though pools of black. Ginny kept her face cool. Two Slytherin gits within ten minutes, just my day, she thought.
“Come now, let’s go,” Slughorn ignored Blaise Zabini’s lack of a response and ushered the two of them down the corridor and into his compartment.
The compartment was already filled with students, some Ginny wasn’t familiar with. So there’s Harry, Ginny thought, shrugging at her dark haired friend as he gave her a quizzical look.
And the remainder of the train ride seemed mildly more interesting to Ginny.
Author notes: * Volucris adifico: To affect with winged creatures. My incantation for the Bat-Bogey hex.
Leave a Review