It was war, it was sad, depressing, it was tearing the wizarding world apart.
People were dying left and right, nothing would ever be the same.
People went into hiding and were still found, they proclaimed their love for the Dark Lord and were still killed, nothing was familiar, nothing was as it seemed.
Ginny hurried through the streets of Diagon Alley, knowing her mother wouldn't rest until she was back. She had left Fred and George's shop to pick up one last book from Flourish and Blotts.
She saw her mother breathe a sigh of relief as she returned unscathed.
She looked around the store, continually in wonder. It was bright and happy; it seemed so out of place. Everybody was laughing and smiling, like they'd forgotten there was a war going on. Like they didn't realize how much was at stake.
She was the overprotected baby of her family, she was one who was always sheltered from the storm, she was the one who got away with murder because she could do no wrong. She was the one who nobody seemed to realize understood what was going on.
So she held up her façade and settled for begging her mom for a Pygmy Puff. She named him Arnold; he was adorable… and happy.
Her mother watched her like a hawk for the next few weeks before she went to school. Always making her eat a second helping because she was too skinny, always making her go to bed earlier because she needed her sleep, always conveniently forgetting that she was 16 and had 6 older brothers and that she could take care of herself.
She let her mom baby her, she wasn't up to arguing. She was concentrated on avoiding news and people. She avoided the Daily Prophet and the now accurate Quibbler like they were the plague. When her dad or brothers came home with news she left the room for some reason or another.
She couldn't admit this to anybody, but she couldn't take much more. To some people the war was surreal, but to her it was a harsh reality she didn't want to face. But face it she did, how could she not when everybody she loved was so involved in it.
Yet nobody realized how much she had grown up in the past 5 years. She was no longer the innocent stupid girl who wrote bad love poems or wrote in possessed diaries. She could hold her own in a duel, could play Quidditch, and had a love for pranks.
Yet she was still the baby, she was still the one people thought was a delicate flower who needed others to protect her and stand up for her. Her brothers tried to scare away her boyfriends, Harry left her 'to protect her', and her mother still treated her like a five year old.
She was almost silent on the train ride back to Hogwarts, not wanting to talk, a sure sign that something was wrong.
After the feast, Luna, with a strength nobody knew she possessed, dragged Ginny into an empty classroom.
"Are you all right Ginny?" she asked worriedly.
"I'm fine," Ginny flashed her a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Ginny, it'll be okay. He'll be fine." Luna had a knack for knowing just what was wrong.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Ginny denied obstinately.
"You're worried about Harry," Luna stated, "He'll be okay you know, he'll come back for you."
"Luna…" Ginny began to protest.
"Don't deny it Gin, you miss him more than you thought you would."
"Fine, I miss him, much more than I thought I would. I'm scared Luna, what if he doesn't come back?" Ginny hadn't admitted that she was scared to anyone, not even herself. So why did she tell Luna? Because Luna is just the kind of person you can talk to.
"He will, he has Ron and Hermione with him. Nothing bad can happen to them," Luna reassured her friend. After all, Harry HAD to come back.
"Thanks Luna," She smiled, and headed up to Gryffindor tower.
Luna shook her head. Tomorrow she'd get Ginny to tell her what else was bothering her. She decided to take it slow because with that redhead's fiery temper, it was best not to push too much.
The next day Luna cornered Ginny after Herbology. "What else is bothering you? There's something else wrong, you haven't smiled at all."
"Just leave me alone Luna. And why should I smile, we're at war," and she started walking away.
"I don't think so Ginny," Luna pulled her back, sounding more serious than she ever had. "You're not going to do this."
"Luna, please, just let me go!" Ginny pleaded, she could feel tears surfacing in her eyes.
Luna sat on the ground and patted the place next to her, "Ginny, what's bothering you so much that you won't laugh or smile. You're like a ghost."
Ginny reluctantly sat next to her friend; she realized that she wasn't going to be able to avoid Luna for the rest of the year.
"You can trust me Ginny." Luna assured her.
"I just, I don't know. I know what's going on. I'm not a baby anymore. I understand everything that's happening. Like, I know why Harry left me, I just don't like it."
"I know what you mean Gin. Since we're still in school they assume that we're still kids who can't fully grasp the situation. But we go to school with the Slytherins; we probably know what's going on more than some adults do."
"Exactly," Ginny said, happy that somebody understood her.
Luna watched her leave, her heart heavy. Luna really wanted to help Ginny, but there's something that Ginny was feeling guilty about, and Luna thought she knew what it was.
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A dark figure crept out of Hogwarts and towards the village. She slipped unnoticed through the streets. When she found the shop she was looking for she shattered the window and went in.
She sat patiently, waiting for the owners to come down and investigate.
"What the hell?" George walked around shards of glass.
"Is that… Luna?" Fred stared in astonishment.
"Hey," she said brightly.
"What do you want?" George asked suspiciously while Fred cleaned up the glass.
"I'm Luna Lovegood a sixth year Ravenclaw. I wear radish earrings and believe the Aurors are part of the Rotfang conspiracy to bring down the Ministry from within through a combination of Dark Magic and gum disease."
"How'd you get out of the castle?" Fred asked curiously. As a trouble maker he was interested in how she got past the Death Eaters in the village and the guards in Hogwarts.
"Filch fell asleep and the Death Eaters drink way too much Firewhiskey on Fridays," Luna shrugged. Yep, she came on a Friday only because she knew the Death Eaters would be drunk. Smart Luna
"You do realize how much trouble you'll be in if you get caught, right?"
"I sleepwalk when wackspurts invade my brain," she said in a dreamy voice that didn't match the smirk on her face. She knew she'd outsmarted the Death Eaters and the Inquisitorial Squad, after all, they all thought she was crazy.
"So why'd you come?" George brought the conversation back on topic.
"Ginny's not right."
"What's wrong with her?" Both twins said immediately worried about their baby sister.
"Careful, don't be overprotective or stupid. If you're going to be the solution you can't be part of the problem."
"What's the problem then?"
"She knows that adults think we're ignorant. But we all understand what's going on. She doesn't know exactly what Harry's doing, but she knows it's dangerous and that he might not come back. She's sick of being the baby."
"But she is, she's just 16," Fred reminded her.
"Duh, but you two were barely 17 when you left school and started a business, which brings me to a problem that's a little harder to fix. Ginny feels guilty being happy when most people are suffering."
"Well, what can we do," they again said simultaneously.
"You two run a joke shop that's made to make people happy. Give her some stuff to use against Snape and the Carrows, Hogwarts needs help and Ginny is just the one to deliver it."
"I don't know if I want to help my baby sister get hurt. We know what detentions are like there now," Fred said.
"That's part of the problem. You have to let her make that decision for herself. And if nothing else, just talk to her and tell her that you trust her. Tell her something she isn't supposed to know about the war."
"She's too young," George protested.
"Didn't you hate it when your mother told you you were too young to join the Order? Didn't you resort to eavesdropping?"
"Well yes, but that's different," Fred explained, "We weren't going to get tortured by Death Eaters."
"No you weren't," Luna admitted. "But what would happen if the Death Eaters knew you were here right now? Your whole family is in danger, including Ginny. But you leave her out of this, she's a big part of this whether you like it or not."
"And we don't like it," George said stubbornly.
The twins trusted Ginny, but they didn't want to be responsible for getting her into trouble at school.
"You can't change it guys. She put herself out there when she started dating Harry. She'll get detention anyways because she won't torture other students for Dark Arts. She needs your help, she needs to know that you trust her to take care of herself and make her own decisions." Luna repeated.
"Fine," they agreed.
Luna slipped back up to the castle.
"Where do you think you're going Lovegood?" Draco Malfoy drawled.
"What do you mean?" she asked dreamily.
"You're out after hours."
"What are you doing in the Ravenclaw Common Room? Oh, I didn't do it again did I?"
"Do what?" he asked.
"Well, when the wackspurts invade my brain I sleepwalk. It usually only happens at home. Oh this is horrible," she said dreamily.
"Well, don't let it happen again." He walked away. He was happy to be away from Loony Lovegood.
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Ginny headed into the Hogs Head and saw the familiar red hair of Fred and George. "Luna said you wanted to see me, what's up?" She sat down next to them and ordered a firewhiskey.
They kept their resolution and watched her drink without saying anything.
"We wanted to make sure you're okay." Fred explained and at once realized it was the wrong thing to say.
"Of course I'm okay! I'm at fucking Hogwarts doing absolutely nothing!"
"Calm down Gin, we aren't trying to offend you. What's wrong?"
"Why does something always have to be wrong?" she glared.
"We're allowed to be worried about you, you can't stop that." Fred told her.
George added, "And we have something to tell you. We're starting a radio show where we talk about the war. It's not supposed to be for kids but…"
"…the students at Hogwarts need to know what's going on. Here you go."
They handed her a radio and a plastic bag filled of broken quills and scratch parchment.
"Thanks and all but, I have my own quills that work."
Fred laughed, "They're not quills, just tap them and say revealo to reveal some new Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products."
"Snape won't know what hit him," George finished with a smile.
"Thanks, and I'm sorry I snapped at you guys. I'm just sick of being treated like a baby."
"We get it Gin. You're all grown up and don't need your brothers to look after you." George smiled warmly.
"But we will still threaten your boyfriends with bodily harm when we get bored," Fred threatened.
Ginny laughed. She hadn't expected much less from her brothers.
"There's that laugh we haven't heard in so long," Fred said.
"Oh shut up," Ginny said playfully.
"Ginny, seriously, you've been depressed for the past few months." George talked and her smile melted away.
"And it's taken you this long to notice?" she said doubtfully.
"We've been busy running our shop," Fred defended them.
"…and if you'd wanted us to know you'd have said something. But it's been brought to our attention…" George continued.
"…that you haven't been smiling or laughing and that doing so makes you feel guilty." Fred finished.
"Luna," Ginny muttered.
"No, my name is Gred and he's Forge."
"How did Luna talk to you guys? I know she didn't send you a letter." Ginny stood up to leave; she was not in the mood for an intervention.
"Sit down," Fred ordered in a serious voice. It was odd to hear him not joking so Ginny sat back down, partly out of shock.
George had his say as well, "This isn't about Luna, this is about you Gin. We're worried about you. We know you're all grown up, but you'll never get away from being babied. Hell, mum still comes to both our stores weekly to make sure all the dishes are washed, our beds are made, and everything is clean."
"And," Fred continued, "It took Bill months to get her to stop apparating to Egypt and just as long to get her to stop coming to Shell Cottage every other day to see if they needed anything. She makes Harry eat and Ron go to bed just like she did to you."
"So you'll have to live with that. It's not just because you're the youngest, it's because you're a Weasley. Even if Hermione doesn't marry Ron…" Fred said.
"And she will," George added.
Fred finished, "She'll still check on her all the time. It's just something she does. You'll have to live with that."
"I can live with that, I have been." Ginny snapped, again, she wasn't in the mood.
"And you leave the room when people come with news, so it isn't completely our fault you're out of the loop."
She sighed, being angry wasn't going to get her anywhere with them, they'd probably find it funny. "I couldn't take it. But you do have to agree the mum doesn't think I know what's going on."
"True," Fred admitted.
George added, "Yeah, she's like that. She won't accept you're grown up. You could always talk to her you know. It's not a good idea to keep all this bottled up."
"But this isn't why we wanted to talk to you. Those are you emotional issues and Luna could help you with those or you could talk to mum. We're here because of our special department." Fred smiled.
George grinned, "We're determined to have you laughing and smiling again."
"Are you kidding me?"
"Not yet," Fred put a hand on her shoulder and led her out of the bar.
"We're being serious again Ginny and you know that's hard for us. But honestly, laughing is a good thing right now. It confuses the bad guys; it makes them think you're up to something." George put his hand on her other shoulder.
"Given that that is sometimes a bad thing. But it's not wrong to be happy." Fred told her.
She stopped walking, "Yes it is. I don't know how you two do it. Don't you know what's happening? People are dying and being tortured every day, how the hell do you expect me to be happy when that's happening?"
Fred smiled and George rolled his eyes. "Wow dear," Fred said, "It sounds like you have a serious mental problem. Laughter is the best weapon in the war against reality. Smiling helps you to forget about all the bad things for a moment. For that second the world stands still and you can be filled with the warmth that only a laugh can bring."
George led them to a bench, "Why do you think we run a joke shop? We love making people laugh. It fills their hearts with hope. Because right now, that's all that really matters, hope. Hoping for a better tomorrow, that one day the Death Eaters will be gone, that's what this is about."
"You're still in school," Fred informed her. "Which means you can't be out there fighting, but that doesn't mean your job is any less important. The Ministry wasn't completely off when Umbridge was there. Uniting Hogwarts as a squad of fighters doesn't take much."
"All you have to do is give the students hope. Show them that you won't lie down and take it. It only takes one person to stand up and that gives them hope. When Hermione started Dumbledore's Army she created a group of students who wouldn't lie down and let Umbridge win." George said solemnly.
"And now you have a job to do." Fred told her, "It's time you took this upon yourself. You have us here to provide you with pranks for the hope part of your war. But the other part is more important. Yes, there's something more important than pranks." He looked like it pained him to admit it, but the twinkle in his eye gave him away.
George continued for him. "You have to do what Harry did. You, Luna, and Neville have to show the other students that they can do it. You be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Gin, Hogwarts needs all of you. It needs your hope and your smiles."
"You can't waste your life away feeling guilty for being happy. That's why when I die I want people to laugh at my funeral, because I lived a HAPPY life." Fred smiled and then continued with a solemn face.
What he was about to say would either help Ginny or set her off. "Harry broke up with you for 2 reasons. One, the obvious, to protect you, and we promise we'll beat him up for breaking your heart later. And the other was so that you could go back to Hogwarts and be you. Be you, be happy, and so that you could laugh and smile."
Ginny smiled, and her eyes twinkled. "Thanks you guys. Nobody ever believed that you two could be serious."
"Well don't let word get around, we have a reputation to uphold," Fred smiled.
They hugged her. "We don't act serious for just anyone, so feel special," George told her.
She laughed, "I do, because I have the best brothers in the world.
Ginny had learned her lesson. She knew what some people never realize. That laughter is truly the best medicine. Fred and George had created a legacy of hope and smiles at Hogwarts and it was her turn to continue it.
Snape and the Carrows hadn't seen anything coming. At first it was just their books on Muggles and dark magic that disappeared. Then students disappearing from detentions in the dungeons, but they realized what was happening when they saw Dumbledore's Army: Still Recruiting, painted on the walls of Hogwarts.
Snape didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He knew he had to deal with them harshly in order to keep up his charade, but he also knew what was coming. Hogwarts did not take kindly to people coming in and acting like they owned the place. He saw Minerva smirking, hell was coming. It was a hundred times worse than when Umbridge was there. He smiled as he watched what was happening. Hogwarts was definitely it's own army.
Ginny always made sure to smile, she noticed that when she smiled it made other people believe that everything would be okay. And when she laughed, others laughed with her, or in the case of the Carrows, worked very hard to figure out what she was up to.
She knew that whatever happened she would get through it and find a way to be happy. And when Fred died, she was right there with George at his funeral, laughing. People thought she was selfish and ungrateful or just plain mean. But she laughed and when they looked at her and started whispering she laughed harder.
Ginny let her mom baby her after the final battle and she realized that she didn't mind. After all, her mom would baby anyone she could find. She knew that her mom loved her and cared about her. After all, she killed Bellatrix Lestrange for her.
Everything worked out, just like the twins promised. Her and Harry got together again, although George did slightly beat him up for being a prat and an idiot, but Harry had expected that.
Soon enough they had children and her mom came over almost daily to see her grandchildren for the first 3 months, then Ginny was pregnant again, but Hermione was too and for the first time. So with a 'well you know what to do dear, I'll check back in a few days, but I need to see Hermione' Mrs. Weasley was off being a mother.
Ginny and Harry taught their children the importance of hope and being happy.
Because when you're world is overrun by a bald dictator with a group of people who love to kill, what else is there but hope?
I'm trying to show the characters at their weakest moments and show how their friends and family help them get through them. So sometimes they'll appear pathetic, weak, greedy, selfish, or stupid just because everybody has those thoughts or moments where they need help.
Don't worry though, Ridiculous will still be updated often.
Let me know if you have any ideas, the next chapter is Luna.