BLURB:
What if there was never a prophecy about Harry Potter and he was just an ordinary wizard?
It's been more than ten years since the Order of the Phoenix destroyed Voldemort and Ginny Weasley is finally old enough to attend Hogwarts. Things seem to be going – she's discovering new talents and making new friends, including the acquaintance of a Slytherin girl. She's even made friends with a charming boy named Tom through his diary. However, when her days take a dark turn, Ginny has to figure out who she can really trust and where things went wrong.
Draco has plenty to deal with his second year – he's been charged with the protection of Kendra, Bellatrix's only child. It seems easy at first, until the girl strikes an unlikely friendship with a Weasley. To make things worse, Hermione Granger's brother somehow got sorted into Slytherin, something Draco didn't think was possible. The only good thing is the rumor of the Chamber of Secrets being opened again, and Draco's determined to find out who's responsible.
Set in an AU with the same major plot events. New characters and new perspectives in the world of Harry Potter.
It was a warm summer morning and the sun was slowly rising behind the rolling hills of Ottery St. Catchpole – the perfect morning to sneak out. After listening for anyone outside her room, Ginny Weasley slipped outside, falling into the same routine she'd had since she was six. The broom shed was unlocked as usual and without hesitation, the redhead grabbed Fred's broom and headed for the meadow.
The smell of last night's rain filled the air as the small girl made her way through the tall grass, quickly soaking her boots. Blast it, I'll have to convince Dad to dry them later, Ginny thought in annoyance. She kept going, not stopping until she was a reasonable distance from the Burrow. With a confident command, the broom sprung into her hand and she mounted. Then, with a slight nudge of her right leg, the broom flew into the air, veering left.
For an hour, Ginny spun through the sky. In the air was the only place she felt truly free. The feeling of the wind on her face and in her hair was exhilarating. Knowing that she was flying against everyone's will made it even better; the youngest Weasley was a rebel through and through.
All too soon, Ginny heard the familiar rooster call that meant it was seven o'clock. After five years, she hadn't been caught, and that wasn't going to change today. She landed, quickly shoved Fred's broom into the shed, and hurried into the Burrow.
Ginny crept into her room, closing the door as gently as she could. The walls that used to be covered top-to-bottom in posters now had bare patches where Ginny had removed and packed her favorite pictures of the Weird Sisters and the Holyhead Harpies.
Ginny lay down on her worn wooden bed and stared at the ceiling, listening for her father's voice. Sure enough, she heard the angry muttering of her dad and the soothing voice of her mother as she tried to calm him. With the thin walls of her room, it wasn't hard to make out what they were saying.
"Not only do we have to get to King's Cross Station by eleven o'clock, but we have to go to Diagon Alley and get Ginny's and Ron's stuff!"
"Now, now, Arthur, calm down, dear. You're the one who wanted Ron and Ginny to go to Romania to see Charlie and his dragons."
"I know, Molly, but I didn't realize that they wouldn't get back until late last night!"
"Calm down, Arthur! We don't want the kids to see you like this. I know that Ginny would feel wretched if she knew you were so upset."
Mum was right. Ginny felt bad for making her dad anxious, but it was a situation she was growing used to. Ginny caused them the most trouble out of all her siblings because she refused to cooperate with anything. She didn't intend to frustrate them, but it tended to happen.
"You know, I could take Ginny and Ron and you could take the other boys to the station later," her mum offered. "Ginny just needs a set of robes and a wand. Her books are hand-me-downs, so we've got that covered. All we need for Ron is a set of Gilderoy Lockheart's books and we'll be set."
"I suppose that would work…yes, very well then," her dad agreed.
A few minutes passed and Ginny heard footsteps on the stairs. As soon as she could hear voices in the kitchen, she emerged from her room.
Ron was sitting at the table sipping some hot chocolate. Ginny skipped over to him and sat down. "Sleep well last night?" she asked him cheerily. From the bags under his eyes, she guessed not.
Ron shrugged. "There wasn't much time to sleep," he said grumpily. "Got in bed at two and got woken up at seven and I don't even know why!" He took a hearty gulp of cocoa and his face went red. "Bloody hot!" he sputtered. Ginny couldn't help but laugh at the shocked look on his face.
"Well, you seem awfully chirpy today," Ron said, eying his sister suspiciously. "You haven't been trying one of Fred and George's concoctions, have you?"
"No, but they're always tons of fun," Ginny said mischievously, knowing Ron would disagree.
Ron pouted. "Fun for you, maybe. They always let you try the good stuff. Remember when they gave me that Acid Pop? It took Mum a week to grow my tongue back!" He glanced over at the stove, but Mum had gone back upstairs.
At that moment, Mr. Weasley came into the kitchen carrying a griddle, a measuring cup, and an instruction pamphlet. After clearing an area on the counter, he set them down and flipped through the booklet, running his fingers through his hair worriedly. A few minutes later, he pulled a bunch of ingredients off the shelves and stacked the teetering pile on the narrow space of empty countertop.
"What are you up to, Dad?" Ginny asked. It looked like he was trying muggle-style cooking again.
"Making pancakes," he replied. "Oh, and good morning." He began throwing the ingredients into the cup, including two eggs, shells and all.
Ginny always knew her dad had no cooking talent, but this was crazy. "Wouldn't it be easier just to, you know…use magic?"
"Well, you know how your mother is," he said uneasily. "I don't want to risk it."
Ron nodded. "She's a real pain about those sort of things."
"True…but Mum's not here right now, is she," Ginny said pointedly.
Mr. Weasley looked sheepishly at his two youngest children. "Do you mind if I…"
Ron and Ginny exchanged glances and then nodded. He still has no idea, Ginny thought with a smile. It was kind of sad, really.
"You won't tell Molly, will you?" he asked suspiciously.
"We won't tell her what she doesn't already know," his daughter replied.
"Yeah, we'll be quiet," Ron agreed.
Their father sighed in relief and waved his wand, transfiguring the batter into pancakes that stacked, steaming, on a large platter. The little bit that was left, he drizzled onto the griddle. The batter quickly charred and left brown-colored stains all over the griddle. He stacked it on top of the rest of the dishes in the sink.
"That ought to convince her," Mr. Weasley said, rubbing his hands together proudly.
Moments later, Mrs. Weasley strolled into the room, a knowing smile on her face. "Well, that was fast, Arthur," she commented, giving him a quick kiss.
Mr. Weasley mumbled something like "she's onto me" under his breath. Scratching his neck nervously, he said, "Well, I think I'll go tell the boys that breakfast is ready." With that, he hurried out of the kitchen before Mum could ask him any questions.
"What was that about?" Mum asked, her hands on her hips.
"He doesn't think you know that he uses his wand all the time," Ginny said with a laugh.
"He works so hard! I don't want to ruin it for him," Mum said lovingly. She and Dad were totally perfect for each other. Ginny wanted that kind of relationship for herself someday.
"Say, why are we up so early anyway?" Ron asked.
Ginny stared at him with wide eyes, amazed that he could forget something like this. "You're joking, right?"
"Joking about what?" Ron asked. "Is there something going on?"
"It's September first," she reminded him. "We're going to Hogwarts today!"
"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed. "I haven't packed!" He eyed the pancakes longingly and then scampered up the stairs. Along the way he bumped into Percy, who stumbled, sending his stack of papers flying every which-way.
Mum rushed over to Percy and began gushing about how sorry she was while she helped him gather the papers up. He muttered a quick "thank you" before piling them into a black briefcase.
"Oi mates!" Fred said as he came down the stairs.
"Good morning, everyone," George said as he came down behind his twin.
Percy huffed a hello and headed for the door.
"I'm off to meet some ministry friends," he said. "I'll see you all at Hogwarts. Good luck on your first day, Ginny," he said gruffly. With that he sped out the door, nearly bumping into Neville Longbottom, who was pulling his trunk out of the boot of the ministry car.
"Let me help you with that," Percy said. He grabbed Neville's trunk and tossed on the ground, hastily throwing his briefcase where his had been. Then he closed the boot and shot into the car, which quickly drove off.
"Some welcome that was," Neville said cheerfully, not at all bothered by Percy's rudeness. It was an attitude they'd all gotten used to in the past year or so.
"Neville!" Ron greeted from the top of the stairs. He came hurrying down, lugging a bulky suitcase behind him. "What are you doing here?"
"Mrs. Weasley invited me over. I've got to get to Diagon Alley to get her things and her parents are still in Romania."
Ginny grinned. The Longbottoms had helped pay for everyone to go to Romania to see Charlie and his dragons. Neville had been with his grandmother at the time so his parents went on without him.
"It'll be great to have you here with us," Ginny said friendlily, blushing slightly. She'd met Neville when he came over for Christmas during Ron's first year. He was one of the nicest boys she'd ever met.
Just then, Dad came hustling down the stairs. "A quarter till eight and we haven't left yet!" he cried. "It's time to go!" He handed Ron, Neville, and Ginny a pinch of Floo powder. "Hurry!"
After smiling bashfully at Neville, Ginny threw her Floo powder down and stepped through the emerald flames.
"I have a special assignment for you this year, son," Lucius Malfoy said.
"Great. Another one?" Draco grumped. He had one last year too – to look for anyone who might threaten the Dark Lord's power. There was nobody in all of Hogwarts who came even close. What wonderful task would he have this year?
"Don't complain!" his father hissed. "This assignment is from Bellatrix."
Draco shivered involuntarily. He could still remember the way it felt to be under the Cruciatus Curse. That crazy woman had used it on him just to make his mother behave. He didn't want to think about what could happen if he failed to complete her assignment.
"What am I to do?" Draco asked, failing to hide his nervousness.
"You are to keep an eye on her daughter, Kendra. This is her first year at Hogwarts. She'll be going under the surname 'Ruby.' Make sure no harm comes to her and watch who she befriends. Bellatrix doesn't want her child associating with mudbloods."
"I understand, Father," Draco said submissively. He just had to keep an eye on a little Slytherin girl. That wouldn't be too hard.
"Draco, she also told me to warn you that if you fail…"
His father's voice trailed off, but he knew what was left unsaid. If he failed, Bellatrix would finish what she started; she would end him.
Although it was not Ginny's first time being in Diagon Alley, coming back as a soon-to-be Hogwarts student made everything different. Booths lined the streets, selling used owls, old junk, burglar alarms, dark magic wards, and other odds and ends. They covered the streets in a thick mass, leaving gaps only in front of shop doors.
"First stop, Ollivander's," Mum announced. She steered the three students through the streets, ignoring the calls of "Low-price frogs! Get them now!" and "Limited supply of dark magic wards! Guaranteed to work!" It was almost as if she had gone deaf.
When they walked into Ollivander's, there was already a family inside. Ginny immediately recognized Hermione and nudged Ron with her elbow.
"Ow!" he cried. "What did you do that for?"
Ginny pointed towards the five-person family. "Hermione's over there."
Ron looked in the direction of her finger and grinned. "Oi! Hermione, over here!" he called.
Hermione turned around and smiled. "Hi Ron! Hi Neville! Hey Ginny, you're going to Hogwarts this year, aren't you?"
Ginny nodded, pleasantly surprised that the bushy-haired witch spoke to her. Hermione was one of the coolest girls she'd ever met.
"My brother and sister are first years too!" Hermione said.
Ginny looked over at the two kids who were waving their wands around. They didn't really look like Hermione. Both had much tamer brown hair and fair skin. When they turned around, the first thing Ginny noticed was their penetrating blue eyes. They were practically identical.
Ron stared at them for a few moments. "You never told me you had siblings." He sounded offended.
Hermione sighed. "I didn't until midsummer. Dumbledore asked my mum to take them in after their family was murdered by rogue Death Eaters."
There were still Death Eaters around? Ginny shivered and was about to ask about it, but their conversation was interrupted by Mr. Ollivander.
"I can take the next customer," he announced. When Ginny stepped up, he grinned, showing the many creases in his face from smiling over the years.
"Ah yes, the youngest Weasley," he said knowingly. "It's been a while since I last saw you…when Fred and George were getting their wands, I think."
"That's because I got Charlie's old one," Ron grumped.
"There aren't any left for me to have," Ginny said. "Besides, I'm sure your wand will get broken soon enough and then you'll have to get a new one."
"Maybe," Ron said. He still sounded grumpy, but his sister didn't care. She was getting her very own wand.
"Here, try this one," Ollivander said. He pulled a long wand out of an ornate box and handed it to her. "Cypress, 12¼, core of unicorn hair."
She took the wand and, with a reassuring glance from Mum, waved it. The results were immediate and damaging. Several wand boxes flew out from their spots and fell to the floor. Dust filled the air and they all started coughing.
"I guess this isn't the right wand. Sorry, Mr. Ollivander," Ginny apologized, seeing boxes lying askew on the ground.
"It's fine, young Weasley. This happens every time," he said reassuringly. He picked up one of the boxes that fell on the floor and pulled the wand out. "Holly, 11 inches, core of phoenix feather."
Ginny picked up the dark brown wand, eyeing it suspiciously. It vibrated in her hand, humming from the power in its core. Maybe this one would work out better. She waved it hesitantly and once again wreaked havoc upon Mr. Ollivander's store.
"That's not a problem," Mr. Ollivander said, picking up another box from the dusty floor. He handed it to her and the process began once again. Wand after wand was pulled from their boxes and they began to blend together, jumbling in her head. Was it usually supposed to take this long?
"Try this one. Birch, nine inches, core of phoenix feather." He handed Ginny a simply-carved wand and again, she felt vibrations. Suddenly, the end of the wand lit up and sparks emanated from the tip like a sparkler. Ginny's eyes reflected the light of the wand as she stared at it in awe.
"That's the one!" Mr. Ollivander exclaimed. "You've found yourself a match, dear girl!" He rummaged around for the box and handed it to her. "Mrs. Weasley, care to pay?"
She nodded and walked over to the counter while fishing through her purse. Ginny carried the box carefully as she walked outside of the shop where Ron was talking to Hermione and Neville. They were all sitting on a bench while Hermione's siblings were seated on the cobblestone ground. The girl waved at the redheaded girl and smiled while the boy just nodded.
"Ah, Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed when she saw me. "Now I can introduce you to my brother and sister!" She stood up, as did the boy and girl. "Ginny, this is Cass and Garren. Cass, Garren, this is Ginny. You guys are all going to be first years together!"
"Hi Ginny!" Cass chirped.
"Hey," the youngest Weasley replied friendlily. She arched an eyebrow at Garren, who was trying to look aloof.
Cass laughed at her expression. "He always does that. He wants to 'impress the ladies.' Or at least that's what he says."
"I do not!" Garren protested. "I just…don't like talking to you guys…er, girls."
"Your argument would be more convincing if you hadn't waited so long before talking," Ginny said with a smirk. Garren scowled at her, but it didn't faze her at all. If anything, it made her smirk even more. She was used to seeing the same expression on her brothers when she annoyed them.
"I think I'm going to like you a lot," Cass said. She hugged Ginny tightly and the redhead silently agreed; it was nice to finally be around another girl.
"Do you have your robes yet?" the girl asked after the pair separated.
Ginny shook her head. "I'm heading over to Madam Malkin's after Mum purchases my wand."
"So are we!" Cass squealed. "Maybe we can go together?"
"Why not? I'll ask my mum."
"And I'll ask mine!"
"Hurry up, Kendra!"
"Coming, Mum!"
The only child of the Lestranges hurried into Twilfitt and Tatting's, following her mother's long strides like she'd been doing all day. As Kendra watched her talk to the shopkeeper, a sense of hopelessness washed over the girl. How could she ever be like her mother, the renowned and feared Bellatrix Lestrange? Everyone said she was evil from the very beginning. Everyone said Kendra was following in her footsteps, that she was making everyone proud.
The raven-haired witch didn't know what they were talking about. There didn't seem to be a single evil bone in her body. The horror she'd seen her Mum inflict upon others gave her horrific nightmares and she could only hope she'd never have to do anything similar. Then they'd all realize that Kendra was no Death Eater. Maybe they'd realize it when she got sorted into Hufflepuff.
"Kendra dear, come stand on this stool for me," her mum said, beckoning towards her. Kendra complied, doing as Bellatrix said without complaint. She couldn't ever protest – a faded scar across her back served as a reminder of what happened when she refused to grant her mother's wishes.
As a woman dropped a robe over Kendra's head, the door chimes jingled, signaling that someone else had entered. Once she got her head and arms through the right holes, Kendra looked over to see the Malfoys. Another Death Eater family. Great.
Draco perched on a stool near her and winked when he caught her eye. "How's it going, Kendra?"
She shrugged. Draco made her feel uncomfortable; he seemed so confident in the role he'd been given, unlike her.
"Draky, did your father tell you about your assignment?" Kendra's mum asked.
Draco nodded, the cocky attitude gone in a second.
"Good," Bellatrix said. She was oblivious to the fact that there was fear in his eyes, an emotion Kendra didn't see much in the confident Slytherin. What assignment was her mother talking about? And why did Draco keep stealing glances at her? Did it have something to do with her?
Whatever it was, it couldn't be good.
As the Weasleys and the Grangers left Ollivander's, everyone split up. Mrs. Weasley took Neville, Ron, and Hermione to Flourish and Blotts to get their books while the Grangers took Cass, Garren, and Ginny to Madam Malkin's to get their robes.
When they reached the shop, Garren groaned in disgust. "You mean I have to wear girl clothes?" he asked disapprovingly as he stared at the garments in the shop window.
"They're not 'girl clothes' and yes, you have to wear them," Cass said. "Everyone has to wear robes."
"Ugh. You're just as bad as Hermione," Garren grumped.
Cass rolled her eyes and shot a grin at her new friend. "Isn't Garren such a grouch?"
"Yep," Ginny agreed with a grin.
"I'm tired of hanging out with girls all the time!" Garren complained. "I want to be with guys for once."
At that moment, the door opened and three boys strutted in, all looking quite confident. "Looks like you're in luck," Cass said, looking at them curiously.
"Who are they?" Ginny didn't recognize them, but the middle-aged one looked like he could be Ron's age.
"Oi! Over here!" Garren called.
The boys turned their heads in unison. Seeing the young wizard and witches, they came right over. "Hullo," the oldest said. "I'm Bilius. Who are you?"
"I'm Garren," he said, puffing out his chest. Ginny couldn't help but roll her eyes. The stupid things boys did never ceased to amaze her – and she lived with four of them.
"You a first year?" Bilius asked.
"Yeah," Garren said. He deflated slightly.
"Cool. This is Troy. He's going to be a first year too. Maybe you guys will have classes together or something."
"That would be great," Garren said, grinning at Troy. "What's up, man?"
"Not much," Troy said, a smile on his face. The two boys shook hands. "I think we're going to get along just fine."
Troy gestured to the two older boys standing next to him. "This is my brother Hector. He's a third year. You've met Bilius. He's a fifth year."
"Nice to meet you guys," Garren said politely.
"Can we get going now?" Cass asked impatiently, drawing the boys' attention.
"And who are these lovely ladies?" Hector asked. His eyebrows bounced up and down teasingly which made the Granger girl laugh.
"Uh, this is my sister Cass and this is Ginny."
Bilius stared at Ginny for a moment. "Are you a Weasley, by chance?" he asked.
"Yes," she said, her face going hot. How did everyone always know? "Why?"
"I admire Fred and George's candy-making skills," he commented.
"But wait – aren't you in Slytherin?" she asked, noticing the green emblem on his robes.
"Yes, but not all Slytherins are bad, you know," he said. "Come on, bros, there's a spot open." With one last smile from Troy, the three boys walked up to a stool and started conversing with the man standing there.
"The absolute nerve!" Cass exclaimed. "We were in line before them!"
"It doesn't matter," Ginny said, not interested in arguing with the three brothers. "You know, there are a lot of people here for it being the first of September."
"You're right. It's rather odd," Cass said curiously.
Garren rolled his eyes. "Who cares? Let's get our robes and get of here!"
Cass and Ginny nodded in agreement and they walked up to a newly open stool.
After the three collected their fitted robes, they hurried over to Flourish and Blotts to get books for Garren and Cass. Ginny already had hers; they were Ron's last year and Fred's before that. No one knew where George's books went; it was a widely spread rumor that the twins used them while making their Extendable Ears.
Instead of going inside, Ginny ended up sitting outside the shop on the curb, trying to stay awake. She knew she shouldn't have pulled an all-nighter the night before going to Hogwarts. In her boredom, she sifted through the stack of books piled in her cauldron on the cobblestone street beside her. There were a lot of them and she could see why Mum couldn't afford to buy them all.
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot was worn and the corners had come off, allowing the yellowed pages inside to peek through. Magical Theory was in better condition, although Ginny noticed that several of the pages were stuck together thanks to some sort of pink goo. She pulled out her supply list from A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration and read over it. She had all the books except for Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger. Apparently Ron had lost it while battling a giant chess piece – or so the story went. It was too late for Ginny to get another one, however, so she would just have to find one at Hogwarts. Hopefully the Potions teacher would have extras.
"Hmm. Secondhand books, red hair, shabby clothing...you must be a Weasley," a cold voice commented.
Ginny looked up to find herself staring at Lucius Malfoy. He grabbed The Standard Book of Spells out of the girl's hands and flipped through it absentmindedly. It was then that Ginny noticed a boy with slick blonde hair staring at her intensely. Their eyes met and he looked away quickly.
"I see you've met my son Draco," Lucius droned. "You'd do well to leave him alone as well as the rest of the Slytherins."
Ginny rolled her eyes. Nothing a Malfoy would say could scare her into doing anything. She was tired of them bullying her family, especially her father. "I'll do what I want when I want," she hissed. "Why don't you and your bratty son get out of my face?"
Lucius' eyes widened for a moment in shock until he leveled his gaze. "Come along, Draco. Let us not sink any lower speaking to this trash." He tossed her book on the ground and she snatched it up, shooting one last glare towards the Malfoys' retreating figures.
Draco smirked at Ginny, unfazed by her anger, and followed his father down the street towards Knockturn Alley. She stared after them and then got up to follow them, curious about what they were up to. It wasn't hard to pick them out from the crowd; a man dressed in all black and a boy wearing decisively green clothes, both with shocking white-blonde hair, were not hard to spot.
She was about to follow them into Knockturn Alley when a huge man came of the nearest building, stopping in front of her. "I don' think this is ther righ' place fer a girl li' you," he said in a booming voice. Ginny normally wasn't one for being scared by appearances, but standing in front of this seven-foot-tall giant, she was extremely frightened. Who wouldn't be afraid of such a giant man?
"Um, sure. I'll just be going back to my family now," Ginny said cautiously, inching backwards away from him.
"Wait a minute!" the man exclaimed. "Are you one o' `em Weasleys?"
She gulped. Not another one! "Er, yes...why?"
"I know yer bro'er," the man said. "The name's Hagrid. Rubeus Hagrid. I'm the groundskeeper fer `ogwarts. Pleased ta meet ya, Weasley."
"My name's Ginny," she mumbled, confused by this turn of events. He was Ron's friend? Or a friend of Percy or Fred or George? For some reason, she guessed Ron. He tended to have the strangest acquaintances.
"Ginny, there's a nice name," Hagrid said thoughtfully. He looked at his watch. "Oh dear, `alf an `our till `leven! Bes' be on m' way now. An' you too, Ginny Weasley. I'll see you a' `ogwarts!"
"Uh, yes of course!" Ginny said, regaining her confidence. She turned around and headed back for Flourish and Blotts where everyone was sure to be waiting.
Draco was getting tired of following his father around. All he did was rant on and on about Muggle-borns and how worthless they were. Then he progressed onto half-bloods and went on a tirade about how special the Malfoys were to be purebloods. Of course he agreed with everything his father said, but it was annoying to hear the same complaints over and over again.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" his father asked. His eyes were set on a redheaded girl. "That must be the youngest Weasley." His right hand patted a pocket on his coat as he approached her.
What was he planning?
"Hmm. Secondhand books, red hair, shabby clothing…you must be a Weasley," Mr. Malfoy said in a monotone voice.
The girl looked up and jumped a little when she saw them. When Draco's father grabbed her textbook, the two students' eyes met. Draco was so surprised by her bright brown eyes staring into his that he looked away instantly. He could tell she was different from her ridiculous brothers – there was a sense of power about her. And she was pretty, prettier than he thought a Weasley could be.
Draco quickly blocked that line of thoughts. Even though she was a pureblood, everyone knew the Weasley family were blood traitors. No way in hell would they ever be friends. She'd be a petty Gryffindor like everyone else in her family and he'd be a Slytherin.
"I see you've met my son Draco," his father said. "You'd do well to leave him alone as well as the rest of the Slytherins."
Draco could see the girl was struggling to keep her composure; her frustration was obvious. Even though she flinched every time his father spoke, she didn't seem scared. There was a fire in her eyes he hadn't seen in any other Weasley.
"I'll do what I want when I want," she hissed. "Why don't you and your bratty son get out of my face!"
Draco's eyes widened in shock. Did she really just insult him and his father? A Weasley of all people, insulting the Malfoys? No student ever had the guts to say something like that. How dare she! His father would make her family pay for it.
His father's eyes widened for a moment until he leveled his gaze, becoming spiteful once again. "Come along, Draco. Let's not sink any lower speaking to this trash." He tossed the girl's book on the ground and she grabbed it, glaring at them. Draco felt her eyes burning into him, but he hid his discomfort and smirked before following his father down the street. As they reached Knockturn Alley, he glanced back towards the curb where she had been sitting, but she was gone.
"My little girl is all grown up." Mrs. Weasley shed a tear and hugged her daughter close.
"I promise I'll write you once a week," Ginny said. "Don't worry. I'll be fine. I've got four brothers to look after me, after all." Not really. The only thing her brothers could do is get her in trouble.
The youngest Weasley pushed her mother away, grabbed her stuff, and slipped onto the train. She quickly found herself an empty compartment and sat down. Pretty soon, the door opened again and Cass poked her head in.
"Mind if I join you?" she asked.
"Sure." She took a seat across from me and Garren slipped in beside her.
"Couldn't you go find someone else to bug?" Cass grumped.
Garren shook his head. "I remain loyal to my twin," he said obnoxiously.
"What if we don't get in the same house? What if you get in Slytherin?"
"That'll never happen," he said confidently. "Besides, I'd still be loyal to my sister no matter what." Well, at least he had one redeeming quality.
Suddenly, the door opened again and an older-looking boy came in. "I'm sure you won't mind if I sit with you," he said. He had messy black hair and ugly black-rimmed glasses that did nothing for his appearance.
"Um, who are you?" Cass asked. There was no mistaking the disdain in her voice.
"Harry. Harry Potter," the boy answered.
"I'm sorry. I still don't know who you are."
"Well, you should," he said self-righteously. "For one thing, my father was a famous Seeker. He's an Auror now, very well renowned..."
Ginny was distracted from the boy's obnoxious comments by a tapping on the window. She looked through it to see her mother mouthing words urgently and managed to pick out one word, "Ron." What about him?
"What?" Ginny accidently asked out loud.
"What?" Potter said, losing his train of thought.
"Just talking to my mum."
"But your mum is..."
"Standing outside the window trying to tell me something important. Now let me concentrate," Ginny said, not bothering to hide her annoyance. She watched as her mother kept repeating the same thing over and over again. Then she finally understood.
"She wants to know where Ron is," she realized. "She says he's not on the train."
"Where is he?" Cass asked.
Ginny shook her head. "I don't know." That boy, always being stupid. He was probably with Hermione and Neville somewhere. Good luck getting to Hogwarts, idiot.
About ten minutes after the train took off, the door to the compartment opened again. A girl with curly black hair and dark brown eyes hurried in, slamming the door behind her. She smiled at the group before taking a seat beside Ginny.
"Uh, who are you?" Garren asked.
The girl blushed. "I'm Kendra. That boy – Draco – is following me," she said.
"You know him?" Ginny asked, immediately interested. Maybe she had some dirt Ginny could use against him later.
"Our parents are friends," Kendra explained.
"Who are your parents?" How could anyone be friends with the Malfoys?
"The Rubys," she said quickly. "I'm Kendra Ruby."
The Rubys? Ginny had never heard of them. Something about the way Kendra said it made her think the girl was lying, but by the looks on everyone else's faces, they couldn't tell. If she didn't want them to know her true name, Ginny wouldn't question her. She would just figure it out on her own.
As the train continued on its journey, they all got along pretty well – all of them except for Harry. Everyone got so sick of his pompousness that they finally just kicked him out, luggage and all.
When the train arrived at Hogwarts, Hagrid came and took the first years to their boats. Kendra squeezed in with Cass, Garren, and Ginny as they got into a small canoe.
"Where's the driver?" Cass asked, her voice a whisper.
"Not here, I guess," Ginny replied. "Do you think he'll come soon?"
"Remember t' keep all yer arms an' legs inside der boat a' all times," Hagrid said. "Don' stand up, either. I'll be watchin' ya, so don' try anything."
Suddenly a rush of air blew over their heads, sending the boats rocking. One boat tipped, sinking a handful of kids into the chilled night water.
"Help! I can't swim!" one cried.
"It's bloody cold!" another shouted.
Ginny looked around for what the source could've been. To her shock, she spotted her dad's flying Ford soar across the lake and crash into a willow tree. So that's where Ron has been, she thought. He's such an idiot!
"Was that a flying car?" Garren asked, amazement in his voice.
Ginny nodded. "I think Ron was driving. My dad's not going to be happy."
"Your dad has a flying car?" Garren exclaimed. "That's awesome!"
"I guess," Ginny said. Boys always loved that sort of thing. She, however, thought it was just another way for Dad to get in trouble with the Ministry. Mum had the same opinion. And after Ron's stupid decision, Dad was sure to be in some deep water. Way to go, stupid.
Suddenly their boat lurched. Kendra grabbed Ginny's arm in fright and the redhead grabbed the side of the boat, which was slowly moving towards the towering castle ahead.
Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Ginny was finally here!
Hey! I'm pretty new here and this is the first time I've ever published a fanfiction! Thanks for reading, please tell me what you think and how I can make it better! Thanks a bunch:)