Disclaimer: Characters, settings, most names, ect.. are not mine but JK Rowling's... you know the deal.

Ginny sat, her forehead pressed against the train window, breath clouding her view. Her deep red hair was down in soft curls that had grown to her mid back over the summer. She was wearing a soft cotton tunic, jeans, and had slipped her shoes off. She felt the train slow down some, must be going up a hill.

The compartment was quiet, but not silent, as she could hear muffled versions of summer vacations and parties through the relatively thin walls, but she didn't mind. Quiet was something to be treasured when you had so many brothers, and Gin learned to find those moments and keep them. She would meet up with everyone later, but for now she cherished the peace. A song stuck in her head, she began to hum to herself, a habit that sometimes earned her confused stares or a scolding. Oh take me back to the start...

She loved the train, the way it seemed to rock her off to sleep. The sounds of the engines, the wheels against the track, the soft of the bench, it all got to her every time. Harry said he found her sleeping last year on the train and swore she was an angel. She didn't buy it, but she did know that the train was her heaven. That same day Harry asked if she would go out with him. Ginny said no and explained that she loved him, and will love him, just not as might want. He was broken up, but he told her he understood.

The train slowed further, and Ginny was nearly asleep.

After the war had ended, McGonagall agreed with the rest of the professors that not only did Ginny's grades exemplify her knowledge, but so did her part in the war. They unanimously agreed to move her up a year to a seventh year. She found out when her book list came and she had never seen her parents so proud. Hermione had offered her congratulations, but Ginny could tell that they were half-hearted. Ginny and Hermione had never fought outright, but they both agreed to disagree in most instances, as they were alike in the wrong ways and different in the wrong ways. Either way, Ginny knew that Ron loved her and she had no problem with her as a sister-in-law.

Ginny drifted in between being asleep and awake. Just as her lids began to droop, the train stopped. Ginny looked out of her window, her eyelids drooping, to find that they had yet to reach Hogwarts and were still in the middle of the forest. She stepped out of the compartment into the hall with a few other students. No one seemed to know what was going on.

Ginny walked up the hall towards the front of the train, along with the growing crowd, but was soon blocked by a mass of yelling students. Curious, Ginny pushed her way through the crowd, but didn't get too far, as two lunch carts had been tipped over and jammed against the walls. Both of the carts were empty, as there was nothing on the ground, and the women usually pushing the carts were nowhere to be found. Someone, a younger girl, complained very loudly in Ginny's ear about the carts blocking the best bathrooms. Ginny ignored her. Collin was taking pictures, and stopped when he saw Ginny.

"Do you know what the hell's going on?"

"Not the slightest. I've been sleeping almost the whole trip."

"I heard something about one of the engines failing about twenty minutes ago, but that was from Alex, and he never seems to have a story straight."

"Hm, well I'll let you know if I find anything out."

"Ginny! Gin! Over here!" Hermione called to her from a nearby compartment, waving for her to come inside. "Gin we've been looking for you everywhere when we found you weren't in your compartment."

"Do you guys know what's going on?" Ginny asked once she got inside. Harry sat next to Lavender and Neville, while Ginny took a seat by Ron and Hermione.

"Not a clue," said Lavender, "about ten minutes ago we heard the carts being crushed together, but no one was there when we went to see what had happened. Then the train stopped, and that's it."

"What a way to start off our last year. You know I really had hoped for one normal year here, just one," Hermione grumbled.

Ron put his arm around her. "I think it's just us, we don't really mesh with normalcy."

"What if this is another attack? You know, like a way to keep the war from ending?" asked Neville.

"No, I don't think so. They would have become violent by now," Harry said, looking down. Ron shot him a strange look and Harry refused to look back at him.

"D'you know something Harry?" asked Ron.

"No. Well, yeah. Well I'm not supposed to say anything. I'm not even supposed to know, I just heard some Ravenclaws."

"Well spit it out then!"

"I don't know…"

"HARRY!" they all yelled at once.

Harry looked at them all and gave in. "All right, all right! I overheard a group of Ravenclaws when we were getting on the train talking about a prank, something about celebrating and the train."

"Well they wouldn't have a very hard time because Milly McEwen's father is a muggle train conductor. She's a sixth year from my herbology class last year," Ginny said. "It wouldn't surprise me if she was in on it."

"This train used to be a muggle train, actually. Their plan, whatever it is, was thought out," said Hermione, "But…"

Hermione was cut short of what she was about to say by a voice coming from the hallway. "My fellow beloved students! No, you tart, you can't start it off like that! I'm the one with the spell, I can say what I want! Whatever. Yes, my beloved peers! As we all know, now that you-know-who has been defeated, a few others and myself thought it was time for a change from our mourning and sorrow, though our time doing so was needed. The war is over and it's time to start the year off right! That actually wasn't too bad. Yeah? I could have done better, but you know. Is this thing still on? I don't know, it's still green, isn't it? Yeah… aw shit. If anyone knows how to turn off a megaphoneous charm, please come to compartment 305. And everyone else… well what else do you do when there's nothing else to do? Let's party!"

"I don't think that this is such a good idea," said Hermione.

"Aw, Hermes, lighten up, I mean, why did we fight in the first place if not to have moments like this afterwards?" said Harry, and with it he stood up, a grin plastered to his face, pulled out his trunk, and rummaged through. He mumbled something about firewhiskey and cups.

Ginny stood up. "I'm gonna go grab my stuff from my compartment. I'll be back."

"'K Gin."

Ginny opened the door to the hallway and was not prepared for the sight before her. She had never seen so many happy students in one place. Someone took toilet paper from one of the bathrooms and had already decorated the walls and floor. Every door was open, and Ginny almost fainted when she saw Blaise Zambini give a confused first year a crushing hug. She couldn't help but smile as she walked back to her things.

That smile almost left her, almost, when she came upon her compartment. Inside, Draco Malfoy was playing cards with a few other Slytherins. Not one of them looked up from their game. Ginny just sighed and walked through their game to the back seat.

"I didn't know you were into poker, Red."

"I'm just getting my things, I'm not staying."

"And why not? The war's over. No hard feelings." Malfoy looked at her.

"Thanks, but no."

"Whatever. See you in potions."

It took Ginny three and one-quarter steps to realize what Malfoy had said. She turned back. "How did you know I moved up a year?"

"It's all over your face."

"What?"

"I saw your potions book when you got on the train, it was practically falling out of your bag."

"Oh."

"I'm dealing you in, so sit."

"I don't even know how to play poker."

"You're a bad liar, Red. It's Texas Hold 'Em. It's your turn to anti."

"I know how to play Malfoy, I'm not ten."

"Good because you deal next round."